Driveway

Work crews were to begin milling and repaving the driveway to the Hagerstown Ice & Sports Complex at Fairgrounds Park on Tuesday, according to a news release from Hagerstown Department of Parks and Engineering. The driveway, running from the entrance on Security Road to the ice rink building, will be closed to all traffic while the work is being performed, according to the release. Motorists wishing to reach the ice rink must use the main Fairgrounds Park entrance on Cleveland Avenue, and access the building from the rear parking lots.

In most cases, a homeowner's driveway runs straight from his garage to the street, and the contractor/homebuilder provides the driveway. But, in other cases, a homeowner is responsible for the driveway, and while he may have the perfect material in mind for his driveway in terms of aesthetics, he needs to plan and keep practical considerations in mind. A homeowner needs to make sure the materials meet his needs and his abilities to deal with them. The homeowner should first consider the activities he has in mind for the driveway.

Authorities were investigating the death of a 3-year-old boy who was struck by a pickup truck Monday evening in the driveway of a home in Thurmont, the Frederick County Sheriff's Office said. The boy, whose name was not released, was pronounced dead at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, according to a sheriff's office news release. Deputies said the boy was struck at about 8 p.m., when a 32-year-old man was backing a Ford pickup out of a driveway in the 15000 block of Kelbaugh Road, the release says.

An Outer Drive resident recently got "taken" by three men who paved his driveway and then charged him nearly double the going rate, Hagerstown City Police said. Officer Brian Barnhart said there isn't much police can do because the victim doesn't have any paperwork on the job. "He believes they told him the company was called Kidwell," Barnhart said. A check of that company name didn't turn up anything to indicate it was a valid firm, he said. Three men in a red truck approached the victim while he was working in his yard and offered to do his driveway, which they said needed repairs, police said.

A woman's vehicle was carjacked as she parked in her driveway at about midnight Wednesday in a housing development near Hagerstown, the Washington County Sheriff's Office said. Deputies responded around midnight to the 17900 block of Golf View Drive near the intersection of Downsville Pike and Oak Ridge Drive for a report of a carjacking, according to a sheriff's office news release. An investigation determined that the victim was approached by a man after she parked her 2006 silver Kia Sedona in the driveway of her residence.

shappell@herald-mail.com HANCOCK - A 46-year-old Washington County man was pronounced dead late Sunday, fewer than two hours after he was struck by a vehicle near his home west of Hancock. Russell F. Smith Jr., of 13725 Exline Road, was pronounced dead at Washington County Hospital at about 11:20 p.m. Sunday, Sheriff's Department Sgt. Mark Knight said. Smith was struck by an older model Chevrolet Suburban while on a private driveway leading to his home just after 9:30 p.m., Knight said.

HEDGESVILLE, W.Va. - An 82-year-old man was killed early Saturday when his car was struck by another automobile while he was backing out a driveway, said West Virginia State Police. Lynn G. Coffinbarger of Hedgesville was pronounced dead at the scene, state police said. A witness said he saw Coffinbarger pulling out of a driveway onto Back Creek Valley Road about 8:26 a.m., police said. A Camaro traveling at a speed of about 60 mph struck Coffinbarger's Chevrolet Cavalier on the driver's side, the witness told police.

BEDINGTON, W.Va. - Authorities believe a man died - possibly as early as Wednesday - after the van he was working on rolled back and pinned him in a driveway at a home in the Bedington area, police said Sunday. The man was identified as 57-year-old Allan P. Burfoot of Shepherdstown, W.Va., West Virginia State Police Trooper H.D. Heil said. Troopers responded to a home at 905 Comstock Drive at about 10 a.m. Sunday after a neighbor noticed Burfoot lying under the van, Heil said.

A car loaded with soft drinks for an Elks Lodge function was reported stolen early Tuesday from behind 1066 S. Potomac St. - across from South Hagerstown High School. The white 1993 Plymouth Acclaim is a 4-door sedan with Md. tag ELK 1804, according to Maryland State Police. The owner of the car told police the vehicle was parked in his rear driveway around 9:45 a.m. Monday. At 9:45 a.m. Tuesday, it was gone. The keys weren't left in the vehicle, police said. There was no sign of broken glass in the driveway.

Kortni Loy, 4, left, dressed as a witch, and her cousin, Brittany Shane, 3, all decked out as a princess, were dressed and ready for trick-or-treat by 4 p.m. Monday as they practiced in the driveway at Brittany's Martinsburg, W.Va., home.

The Maryland State Fire Marshal's Office said it was investigating a Wednesday incident that involved a soda-bottle bomb being detonated in the driveway of a home on Broadfording Road near Hagerstown. The incident happened at about 3 a.m. Wednesday when someone threw fireworks then detonated the soda-bottle bomb in the driveway of a home at 17620 Broadfording Road, according to a Fire Marshal's Office news release. The Fire Marshal's Office said an investigator was at the scene for two hours.

A woman's vehicle was carjacked as she parked in her driveway at about midnight Wednesday in a housing development near Hagerstown, the Washington County Sheriff's Office said. Deputies responded around midnight to the 17900 block of Golf View Drive near the intersection of Downsville Pike and Oak Ridge Drive for a report of a carjacking, according to a sheriff's office news release. An investigation determined that the victim was approached by a man after she parked her 2006 silver Kia Sedona in the driveway of her residence.

After about 2 1/2 hours of careful inspection, rescue officials Wednesday night determined that a suspicious package found at a driveway on Mapleville Road contained some type of blue liquid inside it, a fire official said. “Exactly what it is, I don't know,” said Deputy State Fire Marshal Ed Ernst as authorities were leaving the scene about 10:30 p.m. The package was on the driveway at about 5 to 10 feet from the road, said Terry Stouffer, chief of Mt. Aetna Vol. Fire Co. Stouffer said the package was black, about 1-foot wide and about 1-foot deep, with the word “contaminants” written on it. Authorities were able to rule out any explosives in the package, which was similar to a Rubbermaid container, Ernst said.

A car crashed into a garage in Hagerstown Thursday afternoon after a woman turned the vehicle around in a driveway, city police said. The woman turned the car around in the driveway in front of the garage at 1021 Potomac Ave., so the car was pointing away from the building, said Officer A. M. Lewis of the Hagerstown Police Department. After the woman turned the car around, she hit the gas pedal while the car was in reverse, Lewis said. The car crashed into the garage and knocked out a wall on the other side.

Authorities were investigating the death of a 3-year-old boy who was struck by a pickup truck Monday evening in the driveway of a home in Thurmont, the Frederick County Sheriff's Office said. The boy, whose name was not released, was pronounced dead at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, according to a sheriff's office news release. Deputies said the boy was struck at about 8 p.m., when a 32-year-old man was backing a Ford pickup out of a driveway in the 15000 block of Kelbaugh Road, the release says.

Parts of Maugansville were filled by the buzzing sounds of chainsaws and wood chippers Wednesday morning as private contractors, residents and Washington County road crews cleaned up the aftermath of an overnight tornado that uprooted trees and toppled a trailer in a driveway. The National Weather Service confirmed Wednesday afternoon that a 200-yard-wide tornado passed through the area from 8:10 to 8:15 p.m. The estimated maximum wind speed was 90 to 100 mph. Daisy Drive resident Eileen Felton said she and her husband were watching television Tuesday night when they heard the storm brewing outside.

"I see where the city council had their meeting on their 2012 budget, I guess. They're gonna raise the fees, which ain't nothing but a tax, and I think that's ridiculous, the way the economy is nowadays, to raise anything. And that goes to Bruce Zimmerman and Al Martin. As far as I'm concerned, the five people that — Penny Nigh, I voted for you for years, but you know something, you're talking about telling them to raise taxes instead of fees. ... They don't have to raise taxes. All they gotta do is make more cuts.

"I am so blessed to have a snow angel, Tim, on Halifax Drive. Miraculously, he appears with every snow. " — Hagerstown "On Thursday, Jan. 27 at 11 a.m., my husband, who's in his 70s, had to shovel out our long driveway on Route 67, which is Rohrersville Road, to get to work. When he was halfway done, a white Chevy pulled over and a young guy 21 years old got out with a shovel and helped him finish, and even cleaned out around our mailboxes. We didn't get his name, but he was not only a snow angel, he was a blessing to us. His kindness was overwhelming, and we want to God bless him. Thank you. " — Boonsboro "I'd like to thank my snow angel, who is a neighbor.