Frederick County

A woman was killed and another injured last week in a two-vehicle collision at the intersection of Point of Rocks and Lander roads, Maryland State Police in Frederick County said. The crash occurred at 6:09 p.m. Thursday when the driver of a 2003 Kia Sorento, Linda M. Weddle, 65, address not given, failed to stop at a stop sign on Lander Road, police said. The Kia went into the intersection and was hit on the passenger's side by a westbound 2012 Ford Escape driven by Kay A. Brown, 54, address not given, police said.

Two Washington County residents are among four people who have been charged with starting fires that authorities believe were set initially out of boredom and progressed into a vendetta against a local deputy state fire marshal, the Maryland State Fire Marshal's Office said. The Fire Marshal's Office and other law enforcement agencies announced the charges during a news conference Tuesday afternoon at the Maryland State Police barrack south of Hagerstown. In addition to the Washington County residents, two women who live in Frederick County were charged in connection with the fires: • Tyler William Murray, 20, of 16615 Coney Court in Williamsport, was charged with six counts of second-degree arson and one count of first-degree malicious burning.

FREDERICK, Md. -- Md. 26 at the intersection with Md. 75 in Frederick County was closed for several hours Monday morning due to a traffic accident that caused a utility pole to be sheared off, Maryland State Police said.

Numerous roads in the Thurmont and Emmitsburg area of Frederick County were closed due to high water, according to a news release released at about 1 p.m. Friday by the Maryland State Police Frederick barrack. Further closures due to the inclement weather are expected, the release said. Portions of Frederick County including Thurmont, Emmitsburg and Walkersville were under a flash-flood warning effective until 3:15 p.m., the National Weather Service reported.  

The Snow Emergency Plan for Frederick County was put into effect at 11 a.m., Maryland State Police said. While the Snow Emergency Plan is in effect, Maryland law requires that motorists use vehicles equipped with snow tires, as designated by the manufacturer, or equipped with chains. In addition, no parking is allowed on any highway designated as a snow emergency route. The following highways have been designated snow emergency routes in Frederick County: U.S. 15 U.S. 15 (Business)

Advocates of a county-backed curbside recycling program often cite Frederick County's program as a model. Annmarie Creamer, recycling outreach program coordinator for Frederick County, provided the following answers to questions about Frederick County's program. Q. When did Frederick County institute a curbside recycling program? A. Frederick County's curbside recycling service began as a pilot program for 4,000 homes in 1991. It has since grown to include all single-family homes, making over 74,500 households eligible to participate.

A new type of food bank is open in Maryland - one that focuses on four-legged needs. The Maryland Hay Bank in Mount Airy began offering emergency feed for horses about two months ago, coordinator Jenny Kurtz said. She said its goal is to provide a helping hand to horse owners who have fallen on tough times. Those seeking help need to fill out an application, Kurtz said. She said hay grants go to private horse owners who also provide information on how they plan to take care of their horse or horses beyond a one-month supply of hay. About 400 bales of hay have been granted so far, with Kurtz expecting the highest demand during the winter months.

The snow emergency plan for Frederick County was lifted at noon Tuesday, Maryland State Police announced in an emailed news release. The plan had gone into effect at 10:30 a.m. after a wintry mix of preciptiation made roads hazardous. "Motorists are encouraged to use caution if the temperatures fall below freezing again and also be aware of the fact that the roadways remain wet," police said a the release.

A Woodsboro, Md., man has been identified as the driver killed in a tractor-trailer accident Monday morning at the intersection of Md. 75 and Clemsonville Road, Maryland State Police said. Terry Lee Myers, 58, was pronounced dead at the scene of the 6:15 a.m. accident, police said. He was driving the tractor-trailer south on Clemsonville Road when he failed to negotiate a curve at the intersection, causing the tractor-trailer  to overturn into a culvert, police said. The intersection was closed until shortly before 2 p.m. to allow for removal of the truck, police said.

New stadium should be built along Interstate 81 To the editor: As a Hagerstown Suns season ticketholder who lives in Frederick County, Md., I have the luxury of viewing the stadium rebuild/relocate issue from the forest and not the trees vantage point. I have a vested interest, but I will not be directly impacted by any decisions being made. However, I am disappointed by the continual adversarial environment between the Suns organization, local political and planning individuals, and the citizens of Hagerstown.

A woman was killed and another injured last week in a two-vehicle collision at the intersection of Point of Rocks and Lander roads, Maryland State Police in Frederick County said. The crash occurred at 6:09 p.m. Thursday when the driver of a 2003 Kia Sorento, Linda M. Weddle, 65, address not given, failed to stop at a stop sign on Lander Road, police said. The Kia went into the intersection and was hit on the passenger's side by a westbound 2012 Ford Escape driven by Kay A. Brown, 54, address not given, police said.

The Frederick County Sheriff's office said a Gaithersburg, Md., man died Sunday in an early morning crash. Officials said 20-year-old Daniel Swader died at the scene of the crash in the 8800 block of Gambrill Park Road shorty after 1 a.m. Sunday. Authorities said Swader was driving southbound on the road when his vehicle drove onto the southbound grassy shoulder, came back onto the road and spun into a tree on the northbound side of the road.   Authorities said Swader's body was taken to the state medical examiner's office in Baltimore for an autopsy.

Mr. William McKinley Landis, 69, of Hagerstown, died Wednesday, May 1, 2013, at Julia Manor Nursing Home in Hagerstown. Born Aug. 15, 1943, in Frederick County, Md., he was the son of the late William McCleery Landis and Helen Elizabeth McKinley. He was a microfiche duplicator for Thomson Reuters. Mr. Landis is survived by nieces, Heather Wilt and her husband, Jonathan, of Leonardtown, Md., and Samantha Bowling and her husband, David, of Bryantown, Md.; great-nephews, Nate Wilt and Samuel Wilt; and brother-in-law, James Bell of Mechanicsville, Md. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his siblings, Richard Eugene Landis, Robert Carl Landis and Norma Elizabeth Bell.

A Frederick, Md., man who was helping to push a disabled car in the slow lane of eastbound Interstate 70 was killed Tuesday evening when the vehicle that was being pushed was struck by another car, according to Maryland State Police . The accident was reported at 6:43 p.m., and it occurred in Washington County just west of the Frederick County line where National Pike (U.S. 40) crosses the interstate. State police said that Adam C. Gammon, 37, of Bethel Road, Frederick, was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident.

Terry Irwin has been hired as Washington County's project liaison for economic development projects, a county official announced Wednesday. Under the direction of Assistant County Administrator Sarah L. Sprecher, Irwin joins the county's Department of Public Relations and Community Affairs to serve as a point of contact during the submission, review and permitting phase of commercial projects, according to a news release from Public Relations and...

Judith D. Foltz, age 73, died Wednesday April 10, 2013, at her home after a brief illness. Judy was born April 10, 1940, in Martinsburg, W.Va., where she lived until the family moved to Middletown, Md., in 1950. She was the eldest of three children born to Ross and Mina Foltz. After graduation in 1958 from Middletown High School she attended and graduated from Hood College in 1963. She received her master's degree in counseling from Loyola College in Baltimore. Judy worked for many years for the Department of Juvenile Services in Baltimore, Md. She loved her work and helped many children and families in her years of service.

Two weeks ago, Dean Reeder stood outside the charred remains of his barn near Boonsboro, wondering if authorities would ever bring the people who set the fire to justice. At the time, his Lappans Road barn and nearly 20 other properties were among fires that were intentionally set across Washington County over a one-week span that began on March 17. On Wednesday, however, he and several other people whose property was burned praised law enforcement officials, particularly the Maryland State Fire Marshal's Office, for charging four people with the crimes.

Two Washington County residents are among four people who have been charged with starting fires that authorities believe were set initially out of boredom and progressed into a vendetta against a local deputy state fire marshal, the Maryland State Fire Marshal's Office said. The Fire Marshal's Office and other law enforcement agencies announced the charges during a news conference Tuesday afternoon at the Maryland State Police barrack south of Hagerstown. In addition to the Washington County residents, two women who live in Frederick County were charged in connection with the fires: • Tyler William Murray, 20, of 16615 Coney Court in Williamsport, was charged with six counts of second-degree arson and one count of first-degree malicious burning.

Verizon Wireless customers can now send a text message to 911 for emergency help. A 9-1-1 text alert pilot program will be launched today throughout Frederick County and six other counties across the Northeast. The service is designed to enable those needing 911 assistance to send a short message service (SMS) text message when they are unable to make a call. A short text message when sent to the number 911 will be read by an operator who will determine the action needed. "The pilot program was deigned with two primary intentions, the first being as an additional aid to those individuals who are hearing impaired and for those who are unable to make a voice call," said Jack Markey, Director of Emergency Management.