Clear Spring

Imagine a time in our nation's history when covered wagons creaked and swayed across a vast landscape. Pots and pans clanged against the sideboards and large, spiny wheels — prone to splinting — dipped in and out of ruts. With little more than a willing spirit, families headed West, hoping to stake a claim and start a new life. Cradling babies and shotguns, their journey carried them along the National Pike. Following his inauguration in 1801, President Thomas Jefferson championed building a national road into the west to facilitate American expansion.

The Clear Spring High School Blazer Band Boosters will hold a Vera Bradley bingo event Sunday, Sept. 25, at the Clear Spring Volunteer Fire Co.'s activities building. The event starts at 1 p.m. Tickets cost $25, which includes lunch.     For more information, call 240-291-5502, or send an email to ajphish@yahoo.com .

A malfunctioning fan caused a fire in an attic above a garage Wednesday at 12804 Independence Road in Clear Spring, the Maryland State Fire Marshal's Office said. The fire caused about $1,000 in damage to the structure, according to a fire marshal's office news release. The blaze was reported at about 8:30 p.m. and took 40 firefighters about 30 minutes to control, the release said. Fire companies from Clear Spring, Halfway, Maugansville and Williamsport responded to the scene.

A house on Mercersburg Road near Clear Spring was damaged by a fire that started in the chimney early Friday morning, the Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office said. The fire, which was reported at about 3:40 a.m. at 13913 Mercersburg Road, took 41 firefighters 35 minutes to control, according to a fire marshal’s office press release. The fire is estimated to have caused $120,000 in damage to the structure and $5,000 to the contents. Fire companies from Clear Spring, Williamsport, Maugansville, Hancock, Halfway, Longmeadow and Mercersburg, Pa., responded to the scene, the fire marshal’s office said.

The Clear Spring High class of 1957 will hold its annual reunion Sunday, Sept. 12, at the American Legion Auxillary building, starting at noon. All class members are encouraged to attend to share their lives and memories with their fellow classmates. Lunch will be served. The reunion committee encourages classmates to make reservations by calling Pat Hull at 301-842-2940 or Frank Carpenter at 301-252-5800.

The Maryland State Fire Marshal's Office said it was looking for the person who blew up a mailbox early Sunday morning at a home near Clear Spring. The incident was reported at 12:51 a.m. Sunday at a home at 12835 Broadfording Road, according to a fire marshal's office news release. The blast caused about $40 in damage to the mailbox, the release said. Anyone with information may call the fire marshal's office at 301-766-3888.

CLEAR SPRING -- A fire that caused an estimated $5,000 in damage to a garage Tuesday morning may have been intentionally set, according to the Maryland State Fire Marshal's Office. The fire in a wood frame garage behind 136-138 Cumberland St. was discovered by a passerby, who called it in at 12:09 a.m., according to the fire marshal's report. It took firefighters about 35 minutes to put out the fire, the report said. No one was injured, according to the report. Twenty-five firefighters from the Clear Spring, Williamsport and Maugansville fire companies responded to the scene, along with the Washington County Emergency Rehab Unit, the report said.

A man who robbed the Liberty Gas Station at 12828 Clear Spring Road Sunday night ordered a clerk in the store to look down at the floor. The man told the clerk he had a gun but did not show one, according to a Washington County Sheriff's Office news release. The man demanded that money be placed in an envelope, and an undisclosed amount of money was taken from the Clear Spring station, which is also known as Weller's Service and Lube, the release said. The man is being described as white and 20 to 30-years-old.

A Boonsboro resident and a driver from Clear Spring were the winners in a pickup truck pull at the Washington County Ag Expo and Fair Tuesday night. The winners were in a class that was reserved for local residents with their everyday pickup trucks. Mark Oaks of Clear Spring won in the gas-powered category with a pull of 267.84 feet, according to an event spokeswoman. Lionel Moser of Boonsboro won in the diesel-powered category, the spokeswoman said. The length of Moser's pull was not available.

CLEAR SPRING -- The Clear Spring All-Stars have developed a flair for the dramatic. Down 5-4 in the bottom of the fifth inning, Clear Spring rallied for three runs to defeat Hancock 7-5 in a Maryland District 1 Little League 11-12 Tournament losers' bracket game on Friday. Clear Spring will play at Halfway today at 2 in another elimination game. "We take every game to the end," said Clear Spring coach Jason Willhite. "It's tough playing in the losers' bracket, but someone's stepping up every game.