Domestic Violence

Hagerstown Police used a dog and a helicopter Sunday night to search for a suspect in a domestic violence stabbing at Cortland Apartments, but were unsuccessful in finding the man, the Hagerstown Police Department said in a news release. Police asked that anyone with information about the whereabouts of David Marvin Ross, 44, of 12939 Little Elliott Drive, contact the police department. Police responded to the area of that address at 11:04 p.m. for reports of an assault involving a knife, and found a woman inside the apartment complex with several minor cuts to her upper body, police said.

March is Women's History Month, a time we usually celebrate or honor a specific woman in history. This year, I would like to do something different. I would like to focus on domestic violence, an issue that has received a lot of attention in recent months because of legislation in Congress to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act. I want to use this opportunity to gain a greater understanding of the issue, the progress we have made since the 1980s and what still needs to be done. Until the 1970s, there really was very little attention paid to domestic violence in our nation.

A Washington County man has been charged with assault and other counts after he allegedly caused at least three traffic accidents Tuesday night east of Hagerstown, the Washington County Sheriff's Office said. Joseph Martin Hitchcock, 30, was charged with second-degree assault, driving while intoxicated, driving while under the influence and several traffic violations for causing vehicle accidents, according to a sheriff's office news release. Deputies said they were called at 8:35 p.m. Tuesday for a report of domestic violence in the area of Harvard Road.

Patricia Greenlee never thought she would be a victim of domestic violence. She never witnessed a domestic violence in her life. Her parents had been married for 52 years, and she and her four siblings all were college educated. “I always thought that those people who didn't have as much education, who didn't live in good neighborhoods were those who dealt with domestic violence,” Greenlee told Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., and more than 30 others gathered Friday near Martinsburg for a discussion on the issue and the Violence Against Women Act now pending in Congress.

For more than four years, the mother of three young children has lived in constant fear when the next brutal beating would come at the hands of her abuser. “It was bad from the beginning. It started when I was pregnant with our first child,” said the woman in her late 20s, who is not being identified to help protect her safety. “I just stayed, hoping and thinking things would get better, but things didn't get better.” For now, she's safe at a Women in Need shelter in Franklin County.

After taking stock of the way it provides services to victims of domestic violence and finding itself lacking, Hagerstown City Police applied for and received a state grant to hire a domestic violence coordinator. cont. from front page The Governor's Office of Crime Control and Prevention provided the $40,910 grant for the position from court fines and fees, a spokeswoman said. The domestic violence coordinator will be responsible for following up on all domestic violence incidents and referring victims to community agencies for early intervention, according to Hagerstown Police Chief Arthur Smith.

In 2010, there were 17,931 domestic violence crimes in Maryland, about 16,000 of them assaults, state Sen. Christopher B. Shank said Monday during a ceremony marking October as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Those incidents also included 18 homicides, Shank said, citing Maryland's Uniform Crime Report for that year. Shank noted before he spoke to a small gathering at University Plaza that Washington County has seen its share of domestic violence deaths in recent years, including the murder of Heather Harris by her former boyfriend, Randy McPeak, in 2011.

FREDERICK, Md. -- At one point during a scene run for "Exuviae," the members of the Maryland Ensemble Theatre took turns posing questions to the audience. "Are there any guns in the home?" "Has he ever threatened to kill you or your children?" "Does he have a history of violence?" "Do you fear for your life?" The actors, all women, continued circulating more and more questions at a quickening pace until their voices overlapped like a cacophony of cicada chirps.

Victims of domestic violence often go to hospital emergency rooms claiming their injuries were a result of accidents rather than abuse. Training medical professionals to tell the difference and uncover the truth is one goal of a new hospital-based domestic violence screening program announced Monday by Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown. Brown announced a $50,000 grant for the program during a press conference at Robinwood Professional Center off Robinwood Drive east of Hagerstown. The state funding is through the Governor's Office of Crime Control and Prevention and the Maryland Community Health Resources Commission.

Tammy lived on a tightrope. In her world, one word could ignite a barrage of insults. "You're fat. No one else will ever want you," he said. One look could signal a slap in the face. "I was four months pregnant, so I didn't fight back," she said. It got to her children. "My kids were scared to death of their father. " She couldn't talk to him anymore. "I got to the point where I would just talk to myself in journals. " After nearly 13 years of abuse, Tammy sought the help she needed to start a new life in Hagerstown.

With his toes crunched together in red high heels, Daryl Ewan of Amberson, Pa., tried to maintain his precarious balance wobbling four blocks down Main Street Chambersburg in Friday's Walk a Mile in Her Shoes. “I have a few blisters, but it was worth it,” he said. Approximately 125 men wedged their feet into women's high heels and walked in the first Women in Needs (WIN) Walk a Mile in Her Shoes on Friday. The event was a symbolic gesture to raise awareness on the issue of violence against women.

On Sept. 28, 2012, Gabrielle Thomas was raped by someone she had known for years and considered a friend. “I never thought such a terrible tragedy happened in real life until it happened to me,” said the 20-year-old Shippensburg University student. “The day of my attack I was in complete shock, yet a part of me knew I had to report it right away. Immediately I sought attention with the help of my best friend,” Thomas said. Thomas was one of four women who shared her story at Women in Need's 21st annual Vigil Against Violence at St. Paul United Methodist Church in Chambersburg on Tuesday.

March is Women's History Month, a time we usually celebrate or honor a specific woman in history. This year, I would like to do something different. I would like to focus on domestic violence, an issue that has received a lot of attention in recent months because of legislation in Congress to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act. I want to use this opportunity to gain a greater understanding of the issue, the progress we have made since the 1980s and what still needs to be done. Until the 1970s, there really was very little attention paid to domestic violence in our nation.

The Williams family and members of Greater Campher Temple will observe a memorial service celebrating the life of Pearl J. Harvey Williams. The service will be held at the church Sunday at 4 p.m. The church is at 125 W. Bethel St. in Hagerstown. The congregation was saddened by her unexpected passing on Jan. 30, but rejoice in her victorious life eternal. Sister Pearl was a lifelong member of Greater Campher Temple and was active in Sunday school, Mothers Club, deaconess board, anniversary committee, and the kitchen committee.

Tears rolled down Maria Edmonds face as she read her original poem titled “After,” written as an outlet to her experiences as a victim of domestic abuse. The emotion on Edmonds' face, in her voice as she read - even in her breaths between words as she collected herself - was palpable. “I started writing out of desperation to heal,” said Edmonds, president of the National Organization for Women (NOW) Club at Hagerstown Community College. “And I just felt like writing poetry was an appropriate vehicle to express emotions that I really have a hard time containing sometimes.” As a way to raise awareness about the topic, a group of about 30 people - including men and women of all ages - gathered inside HCC's student center Thursday night to celebrate V-Day, a global movement to end violence against women.

Patricia Greenlee never thought she would be a victim of domestic violence. She never witnessed a domestic violence in her life. Her parents had been married for 52 years, and she and her four siblings all were college educated. “I always thought that those people who didn't have as much education, who didn't live in good neighborhoods were those who dealt with domestic violence,” Greenlee told Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., and more than 30 others gathered Friday near Martinsburg for a discussion on the issue and the Violence Against Women Act now pending in Congress.

A bill introduced in the Senate in the current session of the Maryland General Assembly seeks to broaden the scope of a protective order, to better protect those in or formerly in intimate relationships from domestic violence. Sen. Christopher B. Shank, R-Washington, introduced a version of the bill in 2012 but he said that even though the bill last year had some “general support, the language of the bill needed to be worked out.” Shank has been speaking out for the need to expand the definition of a protective order, which currently is restricted, among others, to married couples, those who have a child together or those who are living together.

At the November meeting of the Soroptimist of Hagerstown, members wore orange in support of the United Nation's “International Day to Eliminate Violence against Women” and to raise awareness about domestic violence. The UN General Assembly designated Nov. 25 as International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women in a 1999 resolution inviting governments, international organizations and nongovernmental organizations to “organize activities designed to raise public awareness of the problem on that day. Soroptimist is an international volunteer organization working to improve the lives of women and girls in local communities and throughout the world.

The annual Arts Day at Wilson College on Wednesday was a day to celebrate and do hands-on study of the arts within the campus' liberal arts curriculum. “You don't have to paint like Raphael (the Italian Renaissance painter) to be able to express yourself,” said associate professor of fine arts Philip Lindsey. It's all about fun, raising awareness of art and self-expression, Lindsey said. The free, day-long event was open to the students as well as the local community and included demonstrations on sand art, tie dying, alternative photographic processes and an architectural tour of the campus.

In 2010, there were 17,931 domestic violence crimes in Maryland, about 16,000 of them assaults, state Sen. Christopher B. Shank said Monday during a ceremony marking October as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Those incidents also included 18 homicides, Shank said, citing Maryland's Uniform Crime Report for that year. Shank noted before he spoke to a small gathering at University Plaza that Washington County has seen its share of domestic violence deaths in recent years, including the murder of Heather Harris by her former boyfriend, Randy McPeak, in 2011.