Population

The Census Bureau reported last week that West Virginia's Hispanic population remains relatively small, but Berkeley and Jefferson counties saw a more than 200 percent increase in the last decade, according to Census 2010 data. In 2010, the Census Bureau said there were 2,489 residents of Hispanic or Latino origin in Jefferson County, up from 734 in 2000. Berkeley County's Hispanic/Latino population — the largest in the state last year — was 3,961, up from 1,156 in 2000, according to the data.

About 18,000 of Washington County residents, or about 11 percent of the population, are over age 65. There are about 40,000 Washington County boomers- those who were born between 1946 and 1964. The total county population in 2000 was 131,923. Source: 2000 U.S. Census About 35 million, or 12 percent, of the United States population is over 65. About 9.7 million, or 30 percent of the people over 65, live alone. By the year 2030, the number of people over 65 in the United States is expected to double to about 70 million.

Department of Natural Resources officials on Sunday removed the body of a bear that was killed in traffic from an area near the 14-mile marker on Interstate 70. It's the fourth carcass picked up in Washington County this year, said Harry Spiker with the DNR's Wildlife and Heritage Service. Maryland State Police told DNR about the bear. "This time of year, there's a lot of movement because yearling juveniles are dispersing, trying to find a territory of their own. It's also the peak of breeding season," Spiker said.

Through redistricting, Washington County's delegation might shrink by 25 percent in about three years. Every 10 years, after the U.S. Census measures the nation's population, Congressional and legislative districts are redrawn to reflect the changes. In Western Maryland, the next redistricting is expected to push legislative boundaries east. The practical effect is that Washington County would be part of two state senatorial districts instead of three and would be in four delegate subdistricts instead of the current five.

tarar@herald-mail.com TRI-STATE - More people moved to Frederick County, Md., than to any other county in the Tri-State area over the last four years, according to new estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. Berkeley County was the fastest growing county in West Virginia during that period. The five other Tri-State area counties also gained new residents. Berkeley County's population increased by 8,842 people from July 1, 2000, to July 1, 2003. The county's population in July 2003 was 85,272, compared with 76,430 in July 2000, according to the Census Bureau's estimates.

Mayor: Robert L. Kline, 301-739-5447 Assistant Mayor: Paul N. Crampton Jr., 301-791-4998 Town Council: Sharon Chirgott, 301-791-0936 Richard Nigh, 301-790-2380 John Phillips III, 301-797-3137 Kim Ramer, 301-797-0042 Robert D. Rodgers Jr., 301-791-5018 The Town Council meets the second Monday of each month at 7 p.m. Town Hall: 301-791-0948 ...

Census suggests Tri-State area still growing The Tri-State area's population has grown by 12 percent, to 575,826 people, since the last official U.S. Census in 1990, according to census figures released Tuesday. Washington County lagged behind the average, logging a 5.6 percent gain from April 1990 to July 1997. Economic development officials said the Tri-State area's overall steady growth rate points to a healthy economy. "I think the valley is growing. All indications are our population is going to continue to grow faster than both the national and state rates," said L. Michael Ross, president of the Franklin County (Pa.)

Panhandle counties lead growth in W.Va. MARTINSBURG, W.Va. - Berkeley County's population grew by more than 28 percent during the 1990s, by itself accounting for more growth than the entire state. continued Morgan County was the second fastest growing West Virginia county, with a 23.2 percent growth in population between 1990 and 2000. Jefferson County was sixth with a 17.4 percent population increase, according to unadjusted Census 2000 figures released Wednesday.

By DAVE McMILLION Staff Writer, Charles Town CHARLES TOWN, W.Va. - Boosted by growing counties such as those in the Eastern Panhandle, West Virginia's population increased for the fifth year in a row in 1995, according to a study of the state's vital statistics. Also, birth rates the Panhandle and the state continued to drop, which officials attribute in part to the decision among couples to have fewer children. There also were declines in the number of births to teenage mothers in the state, according to the West Virginia Provisional 1995 Vital Statistics.

I've lived most of my life securely on the banks of the Antietam watershed. Over the seasons I've witnessed the ravages of flooding. I've felt the torture of drought. And I've seen the blessings that a properly watered stream can bring to the land. In plotting a course for growth in Washington County, there is much to be learned from the stream. An inadequate flow of new development can cast a pall over an area and leave it grasping for vitality. A flood of new construction and population can create an overload of demand for taxpayer-funded services, and exact a steep social cost from a community.

Seeking 500 Washington County enrollees to participate in a 20- to 30-year study aimed at finding cancer cures, the American Cancer Society on Thursday hosted an enrollment kick off with the plan to start collecting information and local blood samples in July. The national cancer prevention study, called CPS-3, looks to gain information on genetics, lifestyle and environmental factors that cause cancer by studying a sample constituting a diverse population of 300,000 Americans, according to Cathy Beckley-Thomas, Community Manager of the American Cancer Society's South Atlantic Division.

The election of 2012 is fast approaching and will almost certainly send a message about the status of the welfare state in America. Is the dislike for government health plans and other social support programs so vocally disparaged by the Tea party and many Republicans in danger, or do they represent the voice of radical change? While it is historically true that we, as a culture, are dominated by an individualistic ethos, it is also true that a communitarian set of values has blunted its impact.

What are the biggest challenges to agriculture today? I get asked that question a lot and I find that while the orders of the answer change, the primary answers don't. When I say the order, I mean the order of importance. For instance, a few years ago when the building boom was in full swing, urban sprawl would have been much higher on the list in the Mid-Atlantic region than it is today. That is not to say the urban sprawl is still not a concern. At last glance, they aren't making any more land, and for some reason, prime farm land is also prime development land.

State Rep. Rob Kauffman hosted his annual senior fair at the Chambersburg Mall on Friday. Representatives from 80 state agencies, local governments, businesses and nonprofit organizations were on hand to provide information and answer questions important to seniors. “It's a clearinghouse for information and services for our senior community,” said Kauffman, R-Franklin/Cumberland. With an aging population in Pennsylvania, it's important to make sure seniors have all the information about the government and services that are available for them as well as private groups who want to be of benefit to them, Kauffman said.

Officials investigating a disease that kills bats have noticed a severe decline in a bat population in an abandoned cement mine in Washington County. The number of bats in the mine is the lowest since monitoring of the problem began in 1998, according to the National Park Service. White-nose syndrome - named for a white fungus that forms on the faces of infected bats  - was observed in the old cement mine during bat surveys conducted in March, according to a news release from the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park.

Authorities investigating a disease that kills bats have noticed a severe decline in a bat population in an abandoned cement mine in Washington County. The number of bats in the mine is the lowest since monitoring of the problem was started in 1998, according to the National Park Service. White-nose syndrome - named for a white fungus that forms on the faces of infected bats  - was observed in the old cement mine during bat surveys conducted last month, according to a news release from the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park.

Spring is here and so are the weeds. With our unusually early warm weather, it seems the unwanted and out-of-place plants have doubled their population this year. Within the last few weeks, there have been many lawns in Washington County that have been plagued with weeds. There have been some weeds with small white flowers such as Hairy Bittercress and Shepherd's Purse, and others with purple flowers such as Henbit or Deadnettle.    All of these weeds, as well as others, have done well this year because of droughts from previous years and a mild winter this year.

The national point-in-time homeless count in West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle will take place in Berkeley, Morgan and Jefferson counties from 4 p.m. Jan. 24 to 4 p.m. Jan. 25. The local count is sponsored by the Housing Work Group of the Health and Human Service Collaborative. Data collected are used to secure federal funding to prevent homelessness and to assist those in need, according to a news release from the organization. Volunteers are needed to work a two- or four-hour shift to assist homeless people to complete the survey.

His seat is often empty in the classroom because school isn't a priority. When he is in attendance, he argues with his teachers, refuses to do their assignments and spends time in detention for fighting in the cafeteria. He has given in to the temptation of drugs and alcohol, is disrespectful to his mother - who has drug problems of her own - and has a temper that's out of control. Every day is filled with chaos - and he's 12 years old. If his pattern of behavior continues, the boy will likely be one of the million of American students who drop out of school.

A mass of people holding cat carriers waited in line Saturday at the Antietam Humane Society for a spay and neuter clinic. Debbie DeWees, executive director of the humane society, said feral and homeless cats are such a huge part of the growing pet overpopulation problem that the clinic is held every other month. “It's a humongous problem,” DeWees said. From 8 to 9 a.m., 83 cats were dropped off in their cat carriers, which were stacked three high in the shelter waiting for Dr. Matthew Murphy of Keystone Mobile Veterinary Services in Chambersburg, Pa., to perform the procedures.