Plastic Bags

The City of Hagerstown will resume yard waste collections the week of March 3. The program will continue through the last full week of December, the city said in an emailed news release. The city reminded residents to set out yard waste the same night as they set out their trash and recycling. Yard waste can be placed at curbside after 4 p.m. but before midnight on the set-out day. In addition, the city said, yard waste must be placed at curbside in reusable containers such as garbage cans or cardboard boxes, or in paper yard waste bags.

Yard-waste collection program extended The City of Hagerstown has extended its yard-waste collection program two weeks so the last collection will be Wednesday, Dec. 17, City Engineer Rodney Tissue said. For the last pickup, leaves are to be set out after 4 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 16, to be picked up that Wednesday. The weekly program was extended to give residents an opportunity to clean up their leaves before winter, Tissue said. Some trees have not begun dropping their leaves yet in significant amounts.

The Forest Service office of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources is hoping to collect bushels of nuts from local residents' black walnut trees this fall. The nuts are needed as seedlings for trees that are planted throughout the state each year, said Kevin Moore, an area forest ranger. Every year, about 6 million tree seedlings are grown at the John S. Ayton State Tree Nursery, located near the town of Preston in Caroline County, Moore said in a news release. "About 47 different species of trees and shrubs are grown at the nursery each year.

A man who allegedly jumped from a moving car to get away from police is charged with drug violations, according to Washington County District Court records. Anthony Allen Williams, 27, of 35 Elgin Blvd., allegedly jumped from his vehicle while it was moving when police tried to initiate a traffic stop Thursday about 7:50 p.m. in the 100 block of Ross Street, according to a charging document. Williams had not used his turn signal before turning, according to the document. Williams' vehicle struck a parked vehicle after he jumped out, according to the document.

Here are some tips from North American Blueberry Council: - Choose fresh blueberries that are firm, dry, plump and free of leaves and stems. The skin should be smooth and deep purple-blue, with a silvery-white bloom - a natural, protective, waxy coating. - Avoid containers that have juice stains, which may mean the berries are crushed and possibly moldy; soft, watery fruit that indicates the berries are overripe; and dehydrated, wrinkled fruit that means they have been stored too long.

HEDGESVILLE, W.Va. -- A Berkeley County, W.Va., woman has been charged with driving under the influence in connection with a two-vehicle crash that killed her passenger on Friday, according to a Berkeley County Sheriff's Department press release. Angel Clark, 36, of Martinsburg, W.Va., was pronounced dead at City Hospital in Martinsburg, where she was taken after a crash on W.Va. 9, deputies said. Clark was the only passenger in a Toyota Corolla driven by Jennifer Shibley, who lives in Berkeley County's Bedington area, deputies said.

Nazi flag is flown Hagerstown City Police are investigating an incident in which a Nazi flag was hung where the CSX flag had been flying in the 300 block of South Burhans Boulevard near the rail yard. Police have no suspects. Witnesses can call 301-790-3700. Petry hearing June 12 A preliminary hearing will be held on June 12 for a Hancock area man charged in a counterfeiting scheme, according to documents filed in Washington County District Court. Jerry Edwin Petry was charged with two counts of forgery of public documents and two counts of uttering forged currency.

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. --Berkeley County Solid Waste Authority board member Edgar Mason was recognized Thursday for being named a "recycling champion" by the Recycling Coalition of West Virginia. In a presentation held Thursday at the Berkeley County Commission meeting, Solid Waste Authority Chairman Clint Hogbin saluted Mason's commitment to developing recycling programs for plastic bags, yard waste, plastic bottles and other projects in 16 years of volunteer service on the board.

Have you ever wondered where all the tree seedlings come from that are planted in Maryland? This year, some could come from you. As it did last year, the Forest Service office of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources is hoping to collect bushels of nuts from local residents' black walnut trees this fall. The nuts are needed as seedlings for trees that are planted throughout the state each year, said Kevin Moore, an area forest ranger. Every year, about 6 million tree seedlings are grown at the John S. Ayton State Tree Nursery near the town of Preston, Md., in Caroline County, Moore said in a news release.

A Washington, D.C., man was charged with drug crimes Thursday night after Hagerstown police searched a home downtown and found the man was concealing drugs in his buttocks, Sgt. Jim Robison said. Police obtained a search warrant for 41 Charles St. after citizens complaints and officers observing suspected drug-dealing in the area, Robison said in a news release. While detectives were searching the home, two men knocked on the back door and police suspected they were delivering drugs, officers said.