News Release

The Franklin County (Pa.) Commissioners have announced the hiring of Carrie Gray for the position of Franklin County assistant county administrator. Gray has been employed with the county for four years as the county's director of grants and operation management, according to a news release. Originally from Reisterstown, Md., Gray obtained her master's degree from Towson University in 2003. She worked for the University of Maryland School of Social Work and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where she evaluated public policies and community-building initiatives, the news release stated.

A Franklin County, Pa., woman is recovering from meningitis related to West Nile virus, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection said Monday in a news release. The woman was hospitalized for the infection that was attributed to West Nile virus, the news release stated. The woman is now recovering from the illness, according to the release. “Due to an unprecedented level of mosquitoes carrying the West Nile virus, the Department of Health strongly urges residents to minimize their exposure to mosquitoes,” officials wrote in the news release.

With just five numbers, a Rutter's Farm Store customer became nearly $1 million richer late last week. The store at 141 S. Potomac St. sold a Powerball ticket that hit a major jackpot in the April 14 drawing, Pennsylvania Lottery officials announced in a news release. The winning ticket correctly matched all five white balls - 14, 15, 16, 19 and 24 - but not the red Powerball 02, to win a prize of $1 million, less 25 percent federal withholding, the news release stated. Another ticket worth $1 million was sold for the same day's drawing in Montgomery County, Pa. Waynesboro Rutter's Store Manager Jody Stine said she received a phone call Monday morning alerting her of the news.

The Washington County Sheriff's Office is looking for two teenage sisters who were last seen at their cousin's house at 414 McDowell Ave., in Hagerstown at 6 a.m. Tuesday. The sheriff's office was called to 14109 Shelby Circle in Hagerstown because of the missing sisters, identified as Shauntika Unique Chandler, 17, and Tyasia Neekolor Chandler, 15, according to a news release. Anyone with information about the girls can contact the sheriff's office 240-313-2172.

The West Virginia State Police on Saturday announced the arrest of seven people at a Jefferson County home where authorities seized more than $16,000 in cash and about 6.25 pounds of marijuana Friday evening. In addition to the marijuana, the search warrant issued for the residence at 381 Dalgo Lane near Kearneysville, W.Va., also netted 40 Ecstasy pills, heroin, mushrooms, one shotgun and two pistols, police said in a news release. The individuals arrested were not named, but police said they were charged with possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and conspiracy, according to the release.

With the National Council of the Boy Scouts of America reviewing its membership standards with respect to sexual orientation, the Mason-Dixon Council has scheduled two meetings to provide a fact-based dialogue, the council said Friday in a news release. The first meeting will be held Monday, March 11, in the Northern Middle School auditorium, in Hagerstown, at 7 p.m. The second meeting will be held Monday, March 18, in Greencastle-Antrim High School auditorium, in Greencastle, Pa., at 7 p.m. Volunteer facilitators from the Mason-Dixon Council, along with Area 6 representatives and members of the council leadership team including the president, commissioner and scout executive will provide information on the national process to review membership standards which may result in a vote at the national annual meeting in May. “We encourage our parents, unit leaders, committee members, charter representatives and council and district volunteers to attend one of these meetings,” the news release says.

Ed Lough has been appointed to the Hagerstown-Washington County Economic Development Commission, a Washington County official announced Thursday in a news release. Lough, a financial representative with Northwestern Mutual Financial Network, will serve as the EDC's Hagerstown-Washington County Chamber of Commerce representative, fulfilling the unexpired term of Hagerstown Downtown Manager Andrew Sargent, according to the release. Officially appointed April 2, Lough will be eligible to serve two additional three-year terms at the conclusion of his first term, which ends June 30, 2014.

BOONSBORO -- Deputies Friday morning were searching for a Boonsboro girl who left her home early Thursday morning, Sgt. Roy Harsh said in a news release. Kathleen Elizabeth Welch, 13, was reported missing at 3:31 a.m. Thursday. The girl left a note saying she was leaving the state, and that if anyone tried to find her she would hurt herself, deputies said in a news release Thursday. Kathleen was described as white, about 5 feet, 3 inches tall and weighing about 140 pounds.

A Hagerstown man allegedly threatened to burn down his sister's house and chased her with a knife during an argument on Wednesday, the Maryland State Fire Marshal's Office said. Randy L. Sigler, 49, was charged with first- and second-degree assault, disorderly intoxication and two counts of threatening arson, the fire marshal's office said in a news release. The fight happened at about 9 p.m. on Wednesday at Shirley Ann Finniff's home at 13610 Grandview Drive, which is off Maugans Avenue, north of Hagerstown.

SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. - The death of a man who went over the Md. 34 bridge that crosses the Potomac River Saturday afternoon has been ruled a suicide, according to the Shepherdstown Police Department. Witnesses said they saw the man jump, according to a news release from the police department. The man landed on the ground below the bridge, not in the water, police said. Police said in the news release they are not identifying the man at the request of his family. Shepherdstown Police Chief Terry Bellomy declined to answer questions about the incident Tuesday.