Hagerstown Police Department

HAGERSTOWN - Robert Bastian has visited places near and far during his career with the U.S. Navy, during war and peacetime. A native of Wabasha, Minn., he has lived in Hagerstown since 1990. Since coming here, he's been a nonstop volunteer. "I really enjoy being here. The weather's about the same as where I grew up," said Bastian, 87. Although he remembers delivering newspapers as a boy in snow up to his knees, Bastian said the winter weather in his hometown isn't as bad as it once was. Regardless of the weather, Bastian gets up at 5:30 a.m. every day to shower, shave, feed his cat Tiggie and read the newspaper.

If you saw police with guns drawn outside Municipal Stadium in Hagerstown last week, or what appeared to be a body in the parking lot, it was all part of training exercises, city police said. City Police Capt. Mark Holtzman said the Hagerstown Police Department and the Washington County Sheriff's Office have been training in driving tactics and use of force at the stadium since March 20. Friday was the last day of training last week, Holtzman said. Police will continue training Tuesday and April 1, Holtzman said.

HAGERSTOWN - Martin Joe McDaniel nearly lost the stuffing from his bra as Hagerstown Police Department officers took him to the ground and placed him under arrest Wednesday. McDaniel, 42, who was wearing a tan minidress with a black bow, and two other men were charged with prostitution general during a nearly two-hour Hagerstown Police Department undercover operation in the first block of North Prospect Street. Herman Marshall Bartles, 81, of Falling Waters, W.Va., and Steven Louis Menard, 42, of Hagerstown, also were charged during the sting.

edwardm@herald-mail.com After 28 years of service with the Hagerstown Police Department, Officer Ernie Stoner will soon be moving on to other things. Married and a father of two, Stoner will officially retire this month. Stoner, who will welcome his first grandchild in December, said that some things will be difficult for him to leave behind. "It's been a remarkable education, stuff you would never learn at any other job," said Stoner, 51. "By and large I've enjoyed it. I'll miss it. I'll miss the people I work with.

Hagerstown's police chief said officers did not suspect foul play in the death of a 7-year-old boy who apparently drowned Thursday evening in the bathtub of his family's home at 425 Summit Ave. Police said Friday morning that the death of Nicodemus Kemp was being investigated by the Hagerstown Police Department, Washington County State's Attorney's Office and Washington County Child Advocacy Center. “There was nothing apparent at the scene that made it look like a suspicious death, but we're conducting a full investigation,” Police Chief Mark Holtzman said.

The Hagerstown Police Department is searching for a man who robbed a Hagerstown dollar store Saturday night. The armed robbery occurred at 7:30 p.m. at Family Dollar at 911 Pennsylvania Ave. The man reportedly displayed a gun, police said. The man was described as white, 5 feet 8 inches tall, and wearing a gray hooded sweat shirt, sweat pants and a tan jacket. Witnesses told police he left the store and headed south on foot. No one was injured, police said. It wasn't known if the robber took any money.

An armed robbery was reported at Universal Spirits at 33 E. Franklin St., Thursday night, according to a Washington County 911 spokesman. The robbery was reported at 10:36 p.m. and Hagerstown Police Department officers were investigating the incident, the spokesman said.

A man was treated for life-threatening injuries Thursday morning after he was stabbed in an alley behind the Washington County Hospital parking deck, according to a Hagerstown Police Department press release. Christopher Lynn Pepple, 38, was taken to surgery and his condition had stabilized as of Thursday at 7 a.m., police said. The stabbing was reported about 12:37 a.m. in the alley that runs from South Locust Street to South Cannon Avenue, police said. Pepple was found in the alley by some people who then drove him to the hospital, police said.

The Washington County Sheriff's Department and the Hagerstown Police Department will split a $39,568 crime control grant. Each department will receive $19,784 through the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program. The Hagerstown Police Department will use the JAG money to pay for overtime for law enforcement efforts in CSAFE areas of Hagerstown, according to information provided by the county. The Sheriff's Department will use the money to support traffic enforcement initiatives, crime prevention patrols (in response to specific crimes, threats or holiday events)

During September, the Hagerstown Citizens on Patrol logged 56 patrol hours and drove 260 miles on the streets of Hagerstown, assisting the Hagerstown Police Department, according to a news release about the program. During patrols, the citizens identified two traffic offenses, three suspicious people, four suspicious vehicles, three disturbances, two criminal offenses and one nuisance offense. They made eight special checks of businesses and residences, the release states. Hagerstown Citizens on Patrol is recruiting new members.