Jonathan Street

On Friday, June 24, stop by the Memorial Recreation Center (those younger than 12 require parental supervision) from 6 to 8 p.m. for a splash party. For adults, there will be a social at Georgia Boy’s, starting at 8 p.m. On Saturday, June 25, the day will be filled at Wheaton Park with activities from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Starting at 1 p.m., there will be music by Supa Dupa Disko. Local bands featuring Out of the Blue and Pham Life will play, starting at 4 p.m. There will be a disco at the Elks Club at 9 p.m. On Sunday, June 26, there will be a social in Wheaton Park starting at 3 p.m., featuring Kelly Wright and an open mic for “Remember when….” Donations and school supplies will be accepted.

A man who ran into a Jonathan Street home in Hagerstown Friday while being chased by police was arrested and later released, city Police Chief Arthur Smith said. Police were following the man at around 2 p.m. Friday because they thought he was driving a stolen Chrysler Crossfire with West Virginia tags, Smith said. The man "bailed out" of the car and ran into a home in the 400 block of Jonathan Street, he said. Officers talked the man out of the home and took him into custody, but he was subsequently released after police determined that the car wasn't stolen, Smith said.

The former Zipper's Bar on Jonathan Street soon will be demolished by the city of Hagerstown. In the next few weeks, the city will carry out a court-authorized demolition of the structure at 327-331 Jonathan St., which has been vacant since the bar closed several years ago. Recent photographs of the property show broken windows, a partially-collapsed roof and failing structure, according to city documents. City staff members attempted to reach the current owners about the condition of the building but were unsuccessful, according to John Lestitian, director of community and economic development.

HAGERSTOWN -- After about two years of construction, Jonathan Street has been reopened to traffic, City Engineer Rodney Tissue said Thursday. The street's traffic pattern is one-way as it always has been and there now is a bike lane. Other roads, including North Prospect Street and Henry Avenue, are being returned to their former traffic patterns, Tissue said. Tissue asked that drivers go slowly in the area, because workers are not yet finished with the project. The city still has to complete about one-third of the sidewalks, plant 21 trees and install the pedestrian crosswalk light, Tissue said.

The City of Hagerstown will hold a public meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Memorial Recreation Center, 109 W. North St., to discuss the Jonathan Street reconstruction project. The meeting will focus on the project's schedule and interruptions that the construction will cause. City Engineer Rodney Tissue said earlier this week that the construction should start this spring and take about one year to complete.

A Prince George's County man was sentenced to 65 years in state prison Friday after a Washington County Circuit Court jury convicted him of second-degree murder in the January shooting death of a New York City man on Jonathan Street. Juan Sylvester Barnes, of no fixed address, also was convicted of use of a handgun in a crime of violence and being in illegal possession of a firearm due to a disqualifying conviction. The jury did not find Barnes guilty of the most serious offense, first-degree murder, which could have meant a life sentence.

HAGERSTOWN -- A $3.7 million construction project to overhaul Jonathan Street recently hit a snag that could prolong traffic detours for several more weeks. On Tuesday, City Engineer Rodney Tissue told the Hagerstown City Council that a large rock deposit was discovered about 14 feet below the street when workers began to replace a sanitary sewer line. Dislodging the rock over the sewer line will add about two months to the project, he said. The best option to remove the rock would be to use controlled blasting.

HAGERSTOWN -- Workers from the Hagerstown Water and Sewer departments will take over installation of the water and sewer lines on the Jonathan Street improvement project. City Engineer Rodney Tissue on Tuesday told the Hagerstown City Council that a large rock deposit below the surface has slowed work to the point that the contractor, Ardent Co. LLC of McLean, Va., can no longer complete the project without exceeding the $3.7 million projected cost. As a result, about $1.5 million will be dropped from the contract to pay for the city's labor.

At the age of 10, William Kellibrew witnessed the murder of his mother and 12-year-old brother. That 1984 summer day, he was spared by his mother's boyfriend, who pointed his gun at Kellibrew but then instructed him to run from the Capitol Heights, Md., residence before taking his own life. But the nightmares have since stayed with him. “Sometimes it's very difficult to sleep,” Kellibrew said, addressing close to 40 students of the Memorial Recreation Center's after school program Tuesday in Hagerstown.

Hagerstown Police respond to incidents The Hagerstown Police Department responded to the following incidents: Monday At 3:29 p.m., weapons violations were reported in the first block of West Oak Ridge Drive. At 4:15 p.m., a personal injury accident was reported in the 1200 block of Dual Highway. At 4:17 p.m., a disorderly conduct incident was reported in the 100 block of North Burhans Boulevard. At 4:34 p.m., a property damage accident occurred in the first block of Eastern Boulevard north.

A Washington, D.C., man already being held on charges involving a gang shooting last month now has been charged with second-degree rape of a teen girl, according to Washington County District Court records. Matthew Steven Gardner, 28, is being held on $150,000 bond on charges of second-degree rape, third-degree sex offense and second-degree assault, court records said. Gardner already was being held on $75,000 bond since April 16 on a charge of having a handgun in a vehicle, court records said.

A Hagerstown man has been charged with reckless endangerment and other counts in connection with a shooting in which a man was wounded Monday evening in the 200 block of Jonathan Street, Hagerstown police said Tuesday. John Anthony Leonard IV, 18, of 133 Bethel St., also was charged with wearing and carrying a firearm, and possession of a firearm under 21, according to a Hagerstown Police Department news release. Officers said they were called Monday at 6:57 p.m. for a report of shots being fired to the rear of 225 Jonathan St. Responding officers found a man in the 100 block of Bethel Street who had a gunshot wound to his right leg. The man was taken to Meritus Medical Center east of Hagerstown, where medical personnel determined his wound was nonlife-threatening, police said.

The following animals recently were found and taken to the Humane Society of Washington County.   Cats Two adult male Maine Coon mixes, brown and black, found on Salem Avenue in Hagerstown Adult male domestic medium-hair, orange, found on Patrick Court in Smithsburg Dog Adult unknown mastiff mix, brindle, found on Jonathan Street in Hagerstown

At the age of 10, William Kellibrew witnessed the murder of his mother and 12-year-old brother. That 1984 summer day, he was spared by his mother's boyfriend, who pointed his gun at Kellibrew but then instructed him to run from the Capitol Heights, Md., residence before taking his own life. But the nightmares have since stayed with him. “Sometimes it's very difficult to sleep,” Kellibrew said, addressing close to 40 students of the Memorial Recreation Center's after school program Tuesday in Hagerstown.

A Prince George's County man was sentenced to 65 years in state prison Friday after a Washington County Circuit Court jury convicted him of second-degree murder in the January shooting death of a New York City man on Jonathan Street. Juan Sylvester Barnes, of no fixed address, also was convicted of use of a handgun in a crime of violence and being in illegal possession of a firearm due to a disqualifying conviction. The jury did not find Barnes guilty of the most serious offense, first-degree murder, which could have meant a life sentence.

A Hagerstown man charged with being at the scene when a gun was pulled on two men Tuesday night in an alley near Jonathan Street appeared Thursday in Washington County District Court for a bond review hearing. Michael L. Edwards, 18, of 246 N. Mulberry St., is charged with one count each of first-degree assault, conspiracy to commit first-degree assault, second-degree assault and reckless endangerment. If convicted on all counts, Edwards faces 65 years in prison. His preliminary hearing was set for Oct. 16 at 1 p.m. Judge Oliver John Cejka Jr. reduced Edwards' bond from $60,000 to $40,000 on Thursday.

Some might think of Labor Day as the official end of the summer, but for others it is a day to honor what working people have done for the country for more than a century. “It's a celebration of our work force,” said Will Seilhamer, president of Associated Builders and Contractors Inc., Cumberland Valley Chapter, or ABC CVC. “All the men and women across the country, regardless of their affiliations, should be recognized for the hard work they put in that everybody kind of takes for granted.” ABC, according to its website at www.abc.org, is a national association with 74 chapters, including the one in Cumberland Valley, and more than 22,000 firms related to construction.

A juvenile charged as an adult in a 2011 shooting rejected a plea offer of 20 years in prison this week in Washington County Circuit Court, and could be indicted on more serious charges, according to a recording of the proceeding. Dennis S. Marshall Jr., 17, of Hagerstown was charged with second-degree attempted murder in the Oct. 17, 2011, shooting of Colin Wesley Williams of Hagerstown in an alley off Jonathan Street. Marshall also was charged with first- and second-degree assault, reckless endangerment, carrying a dangerous weapon with intent to injure and carrying a concealed dangerous weapon, court records said.

Traffic was snarled in the area of Franklin and Jonathan streets in Hagerstown while emergency personnel clear the roadway after a traffic accident Tuesday morning, a Washington County Emergency Services supervisor said. The supervisor said no injuries were reported. THe accident scene was cleared by 10:15 a.m.