Poffenberger

Boonsboro Police Sgt. Rich Poffenberger, 51, died Thursday, hours after working what would be his final shift.   His death has shocked the community he was sworn to protect and left some who knew him speechless.   "I'm at a loss for words," Boonsboro Mayor Charles F. "Skip" Kauffman Jr. said. "I just still cannot believe it. " Just Wednesday, Poffenberger had been at work, Boonsboro Police Chief Jeff Hewett said. "He worked with me yesterday and he seemed fine at the time," Hewett said Thursday.

A 12-year-old boy who was reported missing shortly before noon Tuesday was found almost three hours later in Shafer Memorial Park in Boonsboro, Boonsboro police Sgt. Rich Poffenberger said. Poffenberger said he believed the boy was found with the help of an automated calling system that notified local residents. “Apparently, one of the postal workers in Boonsboro spotted him in the park and followed him,” Poffenberger said. Poffenberger said he believed the boy ran away from his home near Appletown Road in the Boonsboro area because of a domestic dispute.

by Richard T. Meagher / staff photographer see the enlargement When Sarah Poffenberger turned 90 earlier this month, her relatives and friends celebrated her birthday, and a life of simple service. Poffenberger doesn't think there's much special about her days on this Earth, but those who know her do. "She's amazing," said Alma Grams, one of Poffenberger's two daughters. Poffenberger recently talked about her life at her home in Halfway. With her were Grams, "adopted" daughter Phyllis Alexander and one of her three sisters, 83-year-old Ida Miller.

BOONSBORO -- Two Boonsboro Police Department officers were honored Monday night for their role in the Jan. 22 capture of an inmate who escaped from the Maryland Correctional Institution-Hagerstown. Convicted murderer Kandelario Garcia-Ramos was captured after a clerk at a Sheetz store at U.S. 40 and Md. 66, east of Hagerstown, called 911 to report a suspicious man loitering in the store. When police arrived, the man -- who was outside talking on a cell phone and drinking coffee -- ran southwest into a field, at one point pulling out an eight-inch knife as officers chased him, police said.

Sharpsburg Pike (Md. 65) at Poffenberger and Rench roads was shut down for about 45 minutes this morning following a two-vehicle accident accident. The road was reopened about 9:15 a.m. More information will be released as it becomes available. View Larger Map

WASHINGTON COUNTY karenh@herald-mail.com Students, parents and community members who want to recognize a favorite teacher have less than two weeks to turn in their nominations for Educator of the Year. The Hagerstown-Washington County Chamber of Commerce has announced it will accept nominations for public- and private-school teachers until Jan. 30. The original cutoff date was today. According to Chamber of Commerce President Brien J. Poffenberger, last year's nominations for Teacher of the Year numbered about 45. "As it is, the deadline is the same this year as it was last year, so we anticipate the same," Poffenberger said.

HAGERSTOWN -- When it comes to lobbying for local interests in Annapolis, next year's focus will be on protecting local resources from cuts, rather than requesting a lot of new funding or legislation, Hagerstown-Washington County Chamber of Commerce President Brien J. Poffenberger said Friday at a meeting of the Greater Hagerstown Committee. The Greater Hagerstown Committee, a group of local business and community leaders, is one of eight local organizations and agencies whose leaders meet each year to set an agenda for the Washington County Community Lobbying Coalition.

BOONSBORO -- It wasn't pretty, but Boonsboro is still perfect. The No. 3 Warriors survived lost fumbles and a rash of penalties Friday in a 38-22 MVAL Antietam Conference victory over Catoctin to reach 9-0 for the first time in school history. "I was happy by the fact we beat a team with a winning record for the first time this year," Boonsboro coach Clayton Anders said. "They put 50 points up on us last year. We really needed this win to stay in the (playoff) hunt. " The Warriors, now 4-0 in the conference, lost four fumbles and were penalized 10 times for 105 yards.

BOONSBORO - It wasn't pretty, but Boonsboro is still perfect. The No. 3 Warriors survived lost fumbles and a rash of penalties Friday in a 38-22 MVAL Antietam Conference victory over Catoctin to reach 9-0 for the first time in school history. "I was happy by the fact we beat a team with a winning record for the first time this year," Boonsboro coach Clayton Anders said. "They put 50 points up on us last year. We really needed this win to stay in the (playoff) hunt. " The Warriors, now 4-0 in the conference, lost four fumbles and were penalized 10 times for 105 yards.

Memorial Day may kick off the summer season, but in Washington County, it also prompts a measure of reflection.  War has played a large role in the history of Washington County, and with it a connection to the broader American story.  It has given us a shared sense of community. Antietam, of course, ravaged the homes and fields around Sharpsburg during the Civil War, and less than a century later, the Allied war effort harnessed Washington County's manufacturing to help win World War II. More recently, men and women have answered the call and fought in the Middle East.

The school year is rapidly coming to a close and graduation is near, but Boonsboro senior Zach Poffenberger is not showing any signs of senioritis. He made his second start of the season Monday on Boonsboro's Senior Night and stifled South Hagerstown with a complete-game performance for a 2-1 MVAL Antietam victory. “I felt good today and had everything going for me,” said Poffenberger. “It's my first win, so it's a great finish.” Boonsboro coach Ronnie Stewart made mention of having a few sore arms and needed his starter to go deep into the game.

Sylvia Evelyn Poffenberger, 101, formerly of Reno Monument Road in Boonsboro, passed away on Sunday, April 28, at Reeders Memorial Home in Boonsboro. Born in Washington County, she was the daughter of the late Elias and Chlemi (Poffenberger) Hutzel. She was a wonderful homemaker and a very loving mother and grandmother. She was preceded in death by her husband, Clarence O. Poffenberger; her sister, Mary Alexander and a granddaughter, Sharon Albert and her husband, Wayne Albert.

A community's economic development office is its sales team, the group that projects an image, builds a brand and closes the deal. This spring, Washington County's Economic Development Commission (EDC) is redefining what that sales effort looks like, and the Chamber of Commerce is happy to part of that process. The County Commissioners have asked the EDC to convert its strategic plan into five actionable goals, and the EDC asked the Chamber - among many others - for its ideas. Here is what we said.

Congratulations to the winners of the 2013 Washington County Business Awards.  The program, a joint project of the county's Economic Development Commission and the Chamber of Commerce, has celebrated excellence in our business community for the past 14 years, and this year's program found new reasons to carry on that tradition. Recognized annually at an “Academy Awards-style” program, winners in seven categories show off the successes and achievements of companies across the county.

Hagerstown's political leadership and business community seem to be nearing a consensus on downtown redevelopment, prompting growing excitement for the city's path forward. Part of that excitement is the opportunity to link projects in the city's future to the rich architectural history of its past. A recent arrival to Hagerstown told me the other day how much she enjoyed the community, the people and especially the buildings throughout the city. It's a reaction we hear often, people unfamiliar with the area marveling at the cityscape that we see - and often look past - every day.  The charm of our city is not so much a single “Hagerstown style” but rather a building history that reflects different periods of our prosperity, through both individual examples and entire neighborhoods.  Not every building is worthy of note, of course, but a quick look at the architecture of Hagerstown shows 2 1/2 centuries of a community not only doing well for itself but also looking to the latest building designs to project a sense of who we are.  Our community came into its own - and established its identity as Washington County - in the late 18th century, and the county's stone houses and picture-perfect farmsteads remind us of that early prosperity.

Poffenberger Road reopened to traffic between Garis Shop Road and Sharpsburg Pike earlier this week, but Sherry Wagner said she thinks some of the changes make the area more dangerous. “When I'm turning left from Alternate 40 onto Poffenberger Road or from Poffenberger Road onto Alternate 40, I can't see the cars until they're at the top of the hill,” said Wagner, who lives on Mar Rock Drive. “That intersection is not safe. At least you were 250 feet further down the hill before they moved it.” The intersection of Poffenberger Road and U.S. Alt. 40 was moved as part of an overall project that also included widening U.S. Alt. 40 in the area and installing a roundabout at the intersection of Poffenberger and Garis Shop roads.

I recently saw an article suggesting that business plans are a thing of the past - that somehow technology and the pace of change have rendered the traditional business plan obsolete.  Nothing could be further from the truth, especially in tough economic times. A business plan is a map - a GPS device, really - and like any good map, it shows you not only where you are going but how to get there. It anticipates needs, steers you around obstacles and shows you alternate paths. It prompts lots of questions and changes a bit with each new answer.

A realigned section of Poffenberger Road opened shortly before noon Tuesday, according to the State Highway Administration. The realigned road is approximately 250 feet west of its former location, a shift intended to offer improved sight distance for motorists turning onto Alternate U.S. 40 from Poffenberger Road, the SHA said in a release. Poffenberger Road is now open to through-traffic between Alternate U.S. 40 and Md. 65 (Sharpsburg Pike). Due to the construction work, Poffenberger Road had been closed at Garis Shop Road since Sept.