Statement

A New York man charged with illegally transporting 166 cartons of cigarettes pleaded guilty to the charge Tuesday in Washington County Circuit Court and was fined $8,000. Circuit Judge Daniel P. Dwyer sentenced Chandrakant Petigara, 70, of Queens Village, N.Y., to three days in jail, giving him credit for the three days he spent in jail after his arrest in March. In exchange for Petigara's plea, a charge of possessing untaxed cigarettes was dismissed, Assistant State's Attorney Arthur Rozes said.

Due to the replacement of the sanitary sewer, Pangborn Boulevard between Pangborn Corp. and View Street in Hagerstown will be closed from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, according to a statement from the City Engineering Department. Access to local residences and businesses will be maintained, according to the statement.

A Hagerstown man charged with throwing his stepdaughter’s dog in front of a car and threatening to harm her was released Sunday from the Washington County Detention Center after posting a $75,000 bond, according to Washington County District Court records. Tammam Mocram Al-Barazi, 59, of 15 E. Lee St., was charged by Hagerstown police with second-degree assault, two counts of animal cruelty, mutilating an animal and malicious destruction of property after the dog was killed June 30, court records show.

An assisted living center with accommodations for 82 residents is expected to open in the fall at Sharpsburg Pike and Rench Road south of Hagerstown, according to a statement from Alternative Living Services, the company building the facility. Construction on the two buildings that will make up the Sterling House/Sterling Cottage Campus has begun, according to the statement. Alternative Living Services has its headquarters in Brookfield, Wis. Nationwide, the company operates more than 300 residences, with another 156 residences planned or under construction, according to the statement.

A Hagerstown man was sentenced Tuesday in Washington County Circuit Court to 10 years in prison for distribution of crack cocaine. Luis G. Caldero, 31, of 1040 Brinker Drive, Apt. 302, pleaded guilty before Circuit Judge M. Kenneth Long Jr., who sentenced him to 20 years in prison with 10 of those years suspended. Long also ordered that Caldero be placed on probation for three years after his release from prison. Additional charges of conspiracy to distribute cocaine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession of cocaine and possession of drug paraphernalia were dismissed as part of the plea agreement, court records show.

A Hagerstown man who sent a cell phone photo of himself holding a gun along with a threatening text message to his victims was sentenced Monday in Washington County Circuit Court to five years in state prison. Edward Thomas Fear, 18, of 6508 Sharpsburg Pike, was sentenced to 10 years in prison by Circuit Judge John H. McDowell, who suspended half of the sentence. Fear will spend two years on probation after his release, court records show. Fear entered a guilty plea July 12 to use of a handgun in a crime of violence, court records show.

The Washington County Commissioners on Tuesday named Edwin L. Plank as Highway Department director, according to a written statement. Plank, who has worked for the department for 12 years, replaces Ted Wolford. Wolford, who retired in February, was the director for 30 years. County Commissioner John C. Munson said Wednesday that Plank's salary will be $66,500 a year. Plank served as interim director while the commissioners looked for a new director, according to the statement.

Consolidated Freightways Corp., a Vancouver, Wash., freight transportation company with an office in Hagerstown, has shut down its U.S. operations, the company said Monday. The move leaves 15,500 employee across the country without jobs, according to a written statement from the company. The statement said the company had planned to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. No one was available Tuesday at the Hagerstown office at 351 E. Antietam Road to comment on how many local employees are affected.

A Boonsboro man who stole firearms and tools from one blacksmith and tried to sell them to another was sentenced Thursday in Washington County Circuit Court to eight years in prison after pleading guilty to first-degree burglary. Michael Allen Crouse, 46, of 507 Orchard Manor Drive, was caught in the act when he broke into the victim's home a second time, according to court records. Circuit Judge M. Kenneth Long Jr. sentenced Crouse to 20 years in prison, but suspended 12 of those years, court records show.

WAYNESBORO, PA. - Navitor East this week announced staff reductions at its Clayton Avenue facility, but the manufacturer of business cards, letterhead, envelopes and presentation folders says it will be bringing in workers from a Hagerstown plant by the end of the year. "We made this difficult decision after careful review of our customers' needs and the operational capacity to support them," General Manager Linda Cox said in a statement dated Wednesday. "As a result of the reshaping, Navitor East is well-equipped to respond to these needs and compete in the markets we serve.