Hampshire County

Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin has appointed circuit judge Donald H. Cookman of Hampshire County to replace former West Virginia State Sen. Walt Helmick, who resigned to become the state's next commissioner of agriculture. “Throughout his years on the bench, Judge Cookman has dedicated himself to the people of the 22nd Judicial Circuit and I'm confident as a State Senator he will continue to serve West Virginians well,” Tomblin said in a news release. Helmick resigned from his 15th Senate District seat last week, but his four-year Senate term does not expire until 2014.

BERKELEY SPRINGS, W.Va. - Del. Daryl E. Cowles, R-Morgan, won his second term representing the 51st District in West Virginia's House of Delegates, according to incomplete, unofficial results from Tuesday's election. The 51st District has 10 precincts in Morgan County and five precincts in Hampshire County. Cowles received 3,824 votes. The opposing candidate, Robin Mills of the Mountain Party is from Rio, W.Va., in Hampshire County. Mills, 50, received 729 votes. No Democrat ran for the seat.

BERKELEY SPRINGS, W.Va. -- Del. Daryl E. Cowles, R-Morgan, won his second term representing the 51st District in West Virginia's House of Delegates, according to incomplete, unofficial results from Tuesday's election. The 51st District has 10 precincts in Morgan County and five precincts in Hampshire County. Cowles received 3,824 votes. The opposing candidate, Robin Mills of the Mountain Party is from Rio, W.Va., in Hampshire County. Mills, 50, received 729 votes. No Democrat ran for the seat.

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. - Former West Virginia Del. Jerry L. Mezzatesta and former Hampshire County schools Superintendent David E. Friend entered not guilty pleas Tuesday to federal charges of conspiracy to defraud the school board and misappropriating public funds. Mezzatesta and Friend, both 59, appeared in Martinsburg before U.S. Magistrate David J. Joel, who set a $15,000 bond for each case. Joel released the men on their own recognizance. A trial date was set for Dec. 12. If convicted, each could be sentenced to up to 15 years in prison and fined as much as $500,000.

waynesboro@herald-mail.com BERKELEY SPRINGS, W.Va. - Incumbent Charles Trump, Republican minority leader in the West Virginia House of Delegates, was leading George L. Sneathen in the Republican primary Tuesday for the 51st District seat. Trump was leading Sneathen 1,362 to 191 for the Republican Party's nomination, according to unofficial returns from Morgan and Hampshire counties. Trump beat Sneathen 1,220 to 98 in Morgan County with all 13 precincts reporting. The count did not include absentee ballots, election officials said.

Running on a campaign slogan of "no more empty promises," George L. Sneathen of Delray, W.Va., in Hampshire County announced he is seeking election to the West Virginia House of Delegates 51st District. Charles S. Trump IV, R-Morgan, currently holds the seat, but announced he will not run for re-election in November. The district includes Morgan County and part of Hampshire County. Sneathen, a Republican, said many issues need to be addressed in Morgan and Hampshire counties, and the primary one is to "bring the voice of the people back to the citizens.

The West Virginia DNR reported that a total of 11 deer taken during the spring collection period have tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease, a number which seems high in comparison to the number of prior reported cases. All of the positive deer came from the Slanesville/Augusta area of Hampshire County. There were no positive tests from the Yellow Springs area, which had a positive CWD deer during the 2007 firearms season. This was the first case outside of the CWD containment area, the portion of Hampshire County located north of U.S. 50. Prior to this spring, CWD had been confirmed in a total of 19 deer in Hampshire County in three years.

Melissa Moreland's father died not knowing what happened to his 21-year-old daughter who left his home Oct. 23, 1987, and disappeared. Moreland, who today would be 46 years old, was last seen late that night at the former High's gas station in Paw Paw. Her parents believed she would be spending the night with a friend. Over the years, several law enforcement agencies working on the case have investigated a variety of tips. Some of those tips claimed the woman is alive, while others pointed to possible places her remains could be found.

BERKELEY SPRINGS, W.Va. - Del. Daryl E. Cowles, R-Morgan, received 1,279 votes from the five uncounted Hampshire County precincts in the 51st District in West Virginia's House of Delegates, cementing his Tuesday victory, according to complete but unofficial results. Cowles finished with 5,103 votes to win his second two-year term. "I am pleased with the numbers that came in, and I'm ready to go back to work," Cowles said Wednesday. Mountain Party candidate Robin Mills of Rio, W.Va.

Melissa Moreland's father died not knowing what happened to his 21-year-old daughter who left his home Oct. 23, 1987, and disappeared. Moreland, who today would be 46 years old, was last seen late that night at the former High's gas station in Paw Paw. Her parents believed she would be spending the night with a friend. Over the years, several law enforcement agencies working on the case have investigated a variety of tips. Some of those tips claimed the woman is alive, while others pointed to possible places her remains could be found.

Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin has appointed circuit judge Donald H. Cookman of Hampshire County to replace former West Virginia State Sen. Walt Helmick, who resigned to become the state's next commissioner of agriculture. “Throughout his years on the bench, Judge Cookman has dedicated himself to the people of the 22nd Judicial Circuit and I'm confident as a State Senator he will continue to serve West Virginians well,” Tomblin said in a news release. Helmick resigned from his 15th Senate District seat last week, but his four-year Senate term does not expire until 2014.

A circuit judge and two former state senators were nominated Friday by Democratic Party leaders as candidates to replace former West Virginia State Sen. Walt Helmick, who resigned Monday to be sworn in as the state's next Commissioner of Agriculture. Nominated by the 15th District Senate Democratic Executive Committee were 22nd Judicial Circuit Judge Donald H. Cookman of Hampshire County and former State Sens. Thomas J. Hawse III of Hardy County and Mike Ross of Upshur County.  The committee met Friday in Romney, W.Va.

Michelle and Mark Rhoton announce the birth of a son, Lincoln Alexander Rhoton , Dec. 7, 2011. Maternal grandparents are H.R. and Deb Peck of Big Cove Tannery, Pa. and Mike and Sherry Deitrich of Myersville, Md. Paternal grandparents are Roberta Rhoton of Keedysville and the late Herman Rhoton. Chelsea Nicole Hockenberry and Cody Aaron Ashby of Martinsburg, W.Va., announce the birth of a daughter, Elyana Starr Ashby , Feb. 21, 2012. Maternal grandparents are Lecia and Robin Hockenberry of Hedgesville, W.Va.

Editor's note : This is another in a series of Eastern Panhandle candidate previews that The Herald-Mail will be running over the next several months. The announcements also will be posted on our website, www. herald-mail.com, through the West Virginia primary on May 8. To submit announcements, email them and a color photo (preferably a jpeg) to billk@herald-mail.com or matthew.umstead@herald-mail.com . Any questions? Call 301-791-7281. Republican Del. Daryl E. Cowles of Berkeley Springs has filed for re-election.

BERKELEY SPRINGS, W.Va. - Original containers in various media are featured in "Out Of The Box," a curated art show opening at the Ice House Gallery in Berkeley Springs on Friday at 7:30 p.m. The opening follows an Artwalk that starts at Mountain Laurel Gallery at 5 p.m. Produced by the Morgan Arts Council (MAC), Out of the Box will be on display through Jan. 3. Curator Susan Feller of Hampshire County selected the work of more than a half-dozen artisans to feature in the show.

HAGERSTOWN -- Herald-Mail readers turned to local lore, hometown heroes and even song lyrics to generate more than 300 submissions to a contest to suggest a name for the newly widened section of Cramer's Alley. The contest ran parallel to a City of Hagerstown effort to generate ideas for names for the section, which is between East Washington Street and the Arts and Entertainment Parking Deck. The naming decision will be up to city officials, who are taking suggestions through Wednesday on the city's Web site at www.hagerstownmd.

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. -- A Berkeley County couple accused of depriving four children in their custody of food, shooting them with BBs and bottle rockets, and other acts waived their right to a hearing Monday in Berkeley County Magistrate Court. Nathan Allen Snyder, 26, and Christina Ann Snyder, 40, of Bunker Hill, W.Va., were released Monday from Eastern Regional Jail after their bonds were reduced from $200,000 to $40,000 each, according to court records. The Snyders, who had been in jail since May 14, are charged with four felony counts each of child abuse resulting in injury, according to court records.

Editor's note: Each Sunday, The Herald-Mail publishes "A Life Remembered. " This continuing series 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 Lorraine Link, who died July 2 at the age of 62. Her obituary was published in the July 5 edition of The Herald-Mail. When Brad Clawson became chief ranger for C&O Canal National Historical Park 18 months ago, he learned one lesson quickly.

Freda M. Mason, 82 MARCH 21, 1926-MARCH 6, 2009 HEDGESVILLE, W.Va. - Freda Marie Mason, 82, of Hedgesville, died Friday, March 6, 2009, at her home. Born March 21, 1926, in Hampshire County, W.Va., she was the daughter of the late Lorenzo L. Roberson and Mary Ellen Kaylor Roberson. She was preceded in death by her first husband, Homer Baldwin; and her second husband, Harold A. Mason. She retired from the Veterans Affairs Medical Center. She was a Methodist.