Family Friend

martinsburg@herald-mail.com MARTINSBURG, W.VA. - Before heading to the gym on his motorcycle Wednesday morning, Danny Kneisly, 43, had breakfast with his wife Jeannie - his high school sweetheart - and kissed her goodbye, a family friend said. It was their last moment together. Shortly afterward, Kneisly was severely injured when his motorcycle was involved in an accident, said Lisa Hess, a friend of the couple. Although he was rushed to City Hospital, Kneisly died about 30 minutes after the 8:43 a.m. collision, said Deputy Tom Carroll with the Berkeley County Sheriff's Department.

Jury finds contractor negligent By KIMBERLY YAKOWSKI / Staff Writer A Washington County jury Wednesday found a Hagerstown contractor negligent in a construction accident that killed a pedestrian two years ago and awarded the man's estate $448,000. Edward Milton Stoneberger, 47, of South Main Street in Smithsburg, was struck by a metal pipe that fell from a building being demolished by Victor C. Ditto Sr. on July 25, 1998. Stoneberger died 15 days later. The contractor was using an 8-ton crane to demolish a two-story feed mill on Main Street in Smithsburg where the Smithsburg Market has since relocated.

HAGERSTOWN From a planeful of passengers to a roomful of children, Jeffrey Cohen of Hagerstown is launching a new career. He was an airline pilot, most recently for Independence Air, which went bankrupt. On Tuesday, he received his master of arts degree in teaching from Frostburg State University. He said teaching seems like a good family occupation. Besides, he loves kids. Others who graduated Tuesday at The Maryland Theatre received master's degrees in business administration and education.

tammyb@herald-mail.com BOONSBORO - Like most 11-year-old boys, Zachary Beard liked baseball and basketball. He liked cinnamon toast, too, according to family friend Darlene Miller of Boonsboro. Miller had known the Boonsboro youth since he was an infant, she said. That's when her mother started baby-sitting him. "He'd always ask for cinnamon toast when he came home from school," she said. "And he loved computers. He loved computers. But there was one thing he loved more, and that was his four-wheeler.

scottb@herald-mail.com Raymond Wollard, 78, and Betty Wollard, 76, left Thursday's Senior Fair with meals under their belts, bags of free items and new personal medical information. This is the second year the Hagerstown couple turned out for the Washington County Commission on Aging's annual Senior Fair at the Clarion Hotel and Conference Center on Dual Highway in Hagerstown. An estimated 2,000 people attended the 11th annual event despite the rain Thursday morning.

Khalil Mohamed Atteya, known by his family as Niko, would've loved the music, food and other activities that were featured at a Sunday event at the Fayetteville Fire Hall, his aunt said. But Olga Panagos said there will be a bigger party if Niko returns home. The 11-year-old Fayetteville boy has not had contact with his mother's side of the family since he was allegedly kidnapped by his noncustodial father on Aug. 1 in Egypt. Panagos' family and friends helped her organize a fundraiser.

GREAT CACAPON, W.Va. - GREAT CACAPON, W.Va. An effort to have people fill out an online petition to "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" is in progress to help rebuild the Heath and Cindy Jessee family home that was destroyed by fire last December. Christy Terp, a family friend and the mother of the Jessee's oldest son, started the petition to the television show. Austin Jessee, 12, was adopted by the Jessees when he was 2. "Austin came to live with us when he was 13 months old when we recognized he needed a family setting.

wandaw@herald-mail.com HAGERSTOWN - It's been more than a month since Pamela McKoy collapsed in the arms of her husband during a fatal asthma attack. "I was helping her down the steps to the car of a friend who was going to take her to the hospital," Hagerstown Police Department officer Brett McKoy said. "I came home from work at about 4 (p.m.) and my wife complained of having trouble breathing," McKoy said, recalling the events of Dec. 13. Pamela McKoy, who was 36, had suffered from asthma for about 10 years and had experienced asthma attacks in the past, McKoy said.

HAGERSTOWN tiffanya@herald-mail.com The family-owned Hagerstown Rescue Mission is celebrating 50 years of community service this weekend with a series of events throughout Hagerstown. The rescue mission kicked off the celebration Friday with a comedy show at North Hagerstown High School. The celebration continues today with a dinner-concert featuring gospel singers The Pfeifers and ends Sunday with the Rev. Jerry Falwell as guest speaker. "It hasn't always been easy," said Ellen Resh, wife of the late Jimmy Resh, the mission's founder.

Editor's note: Each Sunday, The Herald-Mail runs "A Life Remembered. " The story takes a look back - through the eyes of family, friends, co-workers and others - at a member of the community who died recently. Today's "A Life Remembered" is about Douglas E. McRoy, who died Feb. 19 at the age of 81. His obituary appeared in the Feb. 21 editions of The Morning Herald and The Daily Mail. Douglas E. McRoy is remembered as an amazing guy and sweet man by his brother, Robert L. McRoy of Studio City, Calif.