Pennsylvania

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. -- An inmate who escaped from a work-release job in Franklin County, Pa., Saturday has been recaptured in Virginia, the Berkeley County (W.Va.) Sheriff's Department said in a news release Wednesday night. The Berkeley County Sheriff's Department received information Wednesday that James William Vrzick, 21, was attempting to leave the county, the release said. According to the release, officers were able to find Vrzick as he was traveling into Virginia. They contacted Virginia State Police, who set up a traffic stop at around the 319 mile marker on Interstate 81. Vrzick was taken into custody without incident.

The 2012 High Tunnel Growers School will teach new growers the latest techniques to produce high-quality, high tunnel-grown vegetables. The program will be Tuesday, Nov. 13, and Wednesday, Nov. 14, at the Penn State Lancaster Center, Lancaster Farm and Home Center Building. The program costs $145 and includes all program materials, lunch, morning and afternoon breaks and a CD or DVD of all presentations, handouts, and some publications. Registration is required. For more information, contact Steve Bogash at the Franklin County Cooperative Extension office at 717-263-9226, ext. 230, or email smb13@psu.edu . To register, contact Jennifer Wetzel at 717-263-9226.

PennDOT has extended the deadline until Wednesday, Dec. 19, for elementary school students to submit entries for its aviation art contest. This year's contest theme is "50 Years of American Space Flight. " Entries will be judged in two divisions: first through third grades, and fourth and fifth grades in Pennsylvania. Artwork should be submitted on 8.5-by-11-inch or 9-by-12-inch paper, unframed, unmatted and unlaminated. All work must be done by hand (there is an exception for children with physical challenges)

Here are some results from three top races at Franklin County's Primary Election with all 74 precincts reporting: In the Franklin County Commissioners race, the top two Republican votegetters are Bob Thomas (7,703 votes) and David Keller (3,878 votes). Carl Helman (3,539 votes) came in third. The top two Democratic votegetters are Cheryl Stearn (2,463 votes) and Bob Ziobrowski (2,014 votes). James Zeger (1,925 votes) was third. In the Republican primary for Franklin County sheriff, Dane Anthony (8,084 votes)

Fire crews from four counties in Maryland and Pennsylvania battled a house fire Saturday night in the 14600 block of Pennersville Road off MacFee Hill Road, a Washington County Emergency Services supervisor said. The call for the fire at 14627 Pennersville Road went out at 8:46 p.m., and units from fire departments from Washington and Frederick counties in Maryland as well as Franklin and Adams counties in Pennsylvania responded, the supervisor said. Pennsylvania fire units from Waynesboro and Blue Ridge Summit were called to the fire only minutes after the initial call, according to a Franklin County Emergency Services dispatcher.

BRISTOL, Conn. -- The Hagerstown Federal Little League All-Stars passed a huge test Monday morning and, in doing so, became the first team to punch a ticket into the Mid-Atlantic Regional semifinal field. Federal used two more home runs -- giving it 11 in three regional games -- to get past a very good team in Pennsylvania state champion Devon Strafford Little League, 7-4. "We knew that this was going to be a tough game heading in," manager Bill Abeles said. "I just told the kids that this was one of those type of grind-it-out wins and we knew that we were going to have some of these type games.

Attorney Jerrold A. Sulcove has announced that he will seek election for Court of Common Pleas judge in the 39th Judicial District, which serves Franklin and Fulton counties in Pennsylvania. Sulcove will run for a vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Richard J. Walsh. Sulcove is a partner with the Chambersburg law firm Black and Davison, where he practices with his father, Jan; brother, Elliott; and other attorneys. Sulcove graduated from Chambersburg Area Senior High School and received his law degree from Temple University's James E. Beasley School of Law, according to a news release.

The beach area at Cowans Gap State Park in Pennsylvania was filled Wednesday with people enjoying the warm weather.

Question: Has a woman from Maryland, Pennsylvania or West Virginia ever been named Miss America? Answer: There has never been a winner from Maryland or West Virginia, but five times a Miss America has hailed from Pennsylvania. The most recent winner was Evelyn Margaret Ay from Ephrata, Pa., in 1954. Source: The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2002

U.S. Rep. Bill Shuster, R-Pa., meets with soldiers from Pennsylvania during a trip to Baghdad, Iraq. Shuster represents the 9th Congressional District, which includes Franklin and Fulton counties in Pennsylvania.

Township police to take part in take-back day BLUE RIDGE SUMMIT, Pa. - The Washington Township (Pa.) Police Department will be joining a host of other law enforcement agencies in participating in National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day this Saturday. Washington Township police will be accepting expired, unused or unwanted medications from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Blue Ride Fire Hall at 13063 Monterey Lane in Blue Ridge Summit. A complete list of Franklin County and Eastern Panhandle agencies hosting similar events was published in Wednesday's paper.

The City of Hagerstown says hydrant flushing will take place Monday, April 22, through Friday, May 17, in the following areas: Areas along Virginia Avenue from Williamsport to the Pennsylvania Railroad tracks including the areas of Williamsport, Cloverton, Interstate Industrial Park, Governor Lane Boulevard, Elmwood Farms, VanLear, Tammany Manor, Hickory School Area, Valley Mall and Wesel Boulevard. The city cautions water customers in those areas to frequently check their water supply for discolored water conditions which may occur because of this work, particularly when using automatic washing machines.

Never underestimate the power of a mother's love. After nearly two years of trying to find her missing son who was allegedly kidnapped by his father while on a vacation in Eqypt, Kalliopi “Kalli” Atteya took matters into her own hands. The Fayetteville, Pa., woman executed a daring rescue of her son, Khalil Mohamed “Niko” Atteya, at the school in Egypt where his father was taking him, according to Kalliopi Atteya's sister Olga Panagos-Kriska. For several months, she disguised herself in a hijab, a headscarf worn by Muslim women in Egypt, Panagos-Kriska said.

Fire crews from four counties in Maryland and Pennsylvania battled a house fire Saturday night in the 14600 block of Pennersville Road off MacFee Hill Road, a Washington County Emergency Services supervisor said. The call for the fire at 14627 Pennersville Road went out at 8:46 p.m., and units from fire departments from Washington and Frederick counties in Maryland as well as Franklin and Adams counties in Pennsylvania responded, the supervisor said. Pennsylvania fire units from Waynesboro and Blue Ridge Summit were called to the fire only minutes after the initial call, according to a Franklin County Emergency Services dispatcher.

The northbound lanes of Interstate 81 just north of the Pennsylvania-Maryland border were temporarily shut down for about an hour Friday evening due to a one-vehicle rollover accident, according to Franklin County (Pa.) Emergency Services. No injuries were reported in the accident, which was dispatched about 4:45 p.m., a dispatcher said. Pennsylvania State Police and fire units cleared the scene just before 6 p.m. The crash happened near the 1-mile marker of I-81, north of Exit 1 (Mason-Dixon Road)

The following schools and school systems in the Tri-State area are closed or will open on a delayed basis Monday: Pennsylvania Central Fulton School District - Closed Forbes Road School District - Closed Southern Fulton School District - Closed