News Release

A 48-year-old Chambersburg man who was struck by a car while riding a bicycle in Southampton Township Friday night has died, Pennsylvania State Police said in a news release Sunday. Jeffrey I. Coons was riding a bike south on Airport Road at 11:02 p.m. when he was struck from behind by a 2004 Toyota Sequoia being driven by Mark E. Nealy, 42, of Shippensburg, according to the release. Coons, who was thrown over the hood of the vehicle, was flown to Hershey (Pa.) Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at about 3:45 a.m. Saturday, the release said.

A Martinsburg man was apprehended Saturday morning following an eight-hour standoff with police, according to a Martinsburg Police Department news release. Terry Lee Mason, 25, of 116 Wilt Drive, is charged with wanton endangerment and felon in possession of a firearm through Berkeley County Magistrate Court, according to the release. The incident began Saturday at about 1:30 a.m., when the Martinsburg Police Department responded to The Dirty Dawg Saloon at 1017 S. Queen St. in Martinsburg for a report of shots fired.

Hite Road in Jefferson County will be closed for about two weeks beginning May 8 due to a widening project, the state Division of Highways announced Friday. The road will be closed 24 hours a day starting at Jefferson Orchard Road for approximately 2,000 feet east, the DOH said in a news release. Signs will be in place to alert motorists.

A woman was killed Thursday night in a single-vehicle crash on Interstate 81 in Berkeley County, police said. The woman, who police said was 29 years old, was pronounced dead at the scene, the Berkeley County Sheriff's Department said in a news release. Her name was not released pending notification of family, police said in the release. The accident occurred about 9:35 p.m. Thursday in the northbound lanes of Interstate 81 near the Tabler Station Road exit, police and 911 dispatchers said.

A training session for real estate professionals on how to guide potential buyers of historic properties will be held Saturday in Martinsburg, the West Virginia Division of Culture and History State Historic Preservation Office announced. Myths and facts about historic buildings, typical architectural styles found throughout the state, sustainability and green energy in historic buildings and financial incentives available to historic property owners will be among the topics discussed in the eight-hour training session, the state agency said in a news release.

Groupon Grassroots selected Vested Interest in K-9s Inc. as its charity partner for the event, which raised more than $155,000 in eight days, according to the news release. Through an online $10 donation, people could purchase a groupon, which is a tax-deductible donation, through a secure website, according to the news release. All funds were allocated to purchase ballistic vests for police department K-9s. Vested Interest in K-9s, a nonprofit organization, will be able to provide bulletproof vests to more than 150 K-9s across the nation as a result of the funds raised, according to the 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.

Area residents interested in mastering the practice of composting may register for the Eastern Panhandle's first-ever Master Composter Training Seminar, which is set to be held next week. The certification program will be taught at the Berkeley County administration office building at 400 W. Stephen St. in Martinsburg by Larry Wilhelm of the Organic Recycling Institute, according to the Berkeley County Solid Waste Authority. Class size is limited for the three-day seminar and reservations must be made by Wednesday.

The Maryland State Highway Administration advises motorists in Washington County to expect overnight lane closures starting Monday as SHA resurfaces eastbound I-70 between U.S. 40 (Dual Highway/National Pike) and Md. 66 (Mapleville Road) east of Hagerstown. Weather permitting, the project will be complete by June 30, the SHA said in a news release. The $1.2 million project includes milling, resurfacing and restriping the 2 1/2-mile section of highway, which serves an average of about 30,000 eastbound vehicles per day. The SHA said motorists should anticipate single-lane closures Monday through Thursday nights between 7 p.m. and 4 a.m. as well as possible single-lane closures Sunday mornings between midnight and 11 a.m. SHA will use signs, cones and barrels to guide motorists through the work zone.