Gas

The Borough of Chambersburg has been awarded a state grant to help build a compressed natural gas fueling station. The Redevelopment Assistance Capitalization Program Grant worth $500,000 was awarded to the borough to assist in the construction of the compressed natural gas, or CNG, fueling station at a site the borough is leasing near the intersection of Wayne Avenue (Pa. 316) and Interstate 81, according to a news release from the borough. The governor's office approved nearly $125 million in projects and announced the awards Thursday.

Md. lawmakers approve natural gas surcharge bill ANNAPOLIS (AP) - Natural gas companies would be able to seek a surcharge of up to $2 on monthly gas bills to help recover costs for replacing aging infrastructure, in a measure approved by state lawmakers Thursday. The Senate voted 35-12 after spirited debate. The House of Delegates' vote was 120-17. The measures are similar and any differences will need to be worked out for the legislation to go to Gov. Martin O'Malley. Lawmakers who supported the bill said companies need the cash to help replace aging pipes and address safety concerns.

For several years, Gov. Martin O'Malley has been talking about raising transportation funds for Maryland with a possible sales tax increase on gasoline. Last year, he floated an idea of a 6 percent sales tax increase on gas, but did not find a lot of backers. In his State of the State address Wednesday, O'Malley made another reference to the state's transportation needs. “There is no reason why we should be content with having the worst traffic congestion in the country. Building a 21st-century transportation network won't happen by itself,” O'Malley said.

The Hagerstown Police Department installed two security cameras outside the AC&T gas station on Frederick Street on Thursday following the third robbery at the business within two weeks, according to Hagerstown Police Chief Mark Holtzman. Holtzman said the cameras were installed on two utility poles outside the business at 724 Frederick St. The cameras record 24 hours a day and can be monitored live or on a delayed basis for specific time periods, Holtzman said. The most recent robbery occurred at the gas station Wednesday night about 8:26 p.m. A white male with dark clothing, a mask and gloves entered the station and demanded money, said Sgt. John Lehman.

The AC&T gas station at 724 Frederick St. in Hagerstown, was robbed Wednesday night, the third reported robbery at the business in the last two weeks, according to a Hagerstown Police Department spokesman. A white male with dark clothing, a mask and gloves entered the station and demanded money, Sgt. John Lehman said. No weapon was displayed and the male left the station with an undisclosed amount of cash, Lehman said. The man was last seen heading toward railroad tracks behind the store and a police dog “picked up something” to track, Lehman said.

With temperatures below freezing Tuesday morning, 28 people were ordered to temporarily leave their homes as emergency personnel responded for a reported gas leak on Frederick Street in Hagerstown. The Hagerstown Fire Department was dispatched for the call in the 200 block of Frederick Street shortly after 11 a.m. Firefighters knocked on doors of nearby residents and told them to leave as a precaution. “They were banging and told us we had to evacuate,” said Leteshia Campbell, who lives across the street from where the gas leak was discovered.

Hagerstown firefighters evacuated 28 residents in the area of the 200 block of Frederick Street on Tuesday after scrap metal thieves cut a gas line inside a vacant duplex, fire officials said. The street was blocked off to motorists and pedestrians from about 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Hagerstown Fire Marshall Doug DeHaven said the matter would be turned over to the Hagerstown Police Department for an investigation. “City police will handle it from here,” he said.  City Fire Department Capt.

An employee at an AC&T store at 724 Frederick Street was struck in the leg with a wooden club during a robbery at the business Wednesday night, according to the Hagerstown Police Department. The robbery, which was reported at 9:40 p.m., occurred when two males entered the gas station, said HPD spokeswoman Lt. Rebecca Fetchu. They were wearing black clothing and were wearing masks, police said in a news release. One of the individuals was carrying a large stick and struck one of two employees in the leg, police said.

Traffic was closed briefly near Hagerstown City Park on Tuesday while Columbia Gas employees repaired a gas leak at a home at 334 Summit Ave., Battalion Fire Chief Russell Grim said. Grim said the leak was reported at 1:22 p.m., when workers who were renovating the building cut a gas line. Summit Avenue near the intersection of Sycamore Street was closed for about 30 minutes until the leak was fixed. The gas leak occurred at the same house where a fatal fire claimed the lives of a 43-year-old woman and her 3-year-old daughter in April.

Gun control could be at the forefront of the 2013 Maryland General Assembly session after the shooting in Newtown, Conn., last month, and Hagerstown resident Virginia Fennel said it should be. “They need some kind of laws or legislation to protect people,” she said. “Why do people need assault rifles?” Fennel, 68, said she believes gun control should be one of the first issues addressed  during the General Assembly session that begins Wednesday. She also talked about the importance of financial stability and regulating the expansion of gambling for the state.