Statistics

Protective orders Domestic violence petitions filed - 1,087 Protective order hearings  - 674 Permanent orders granted  - 358 Temporary order hearings  - 854 Temporary orders granted  - 701 Interim hearings held  - 282 Interim orders granted  - 234 Violations - not available Peace orders Cases filed - 781 Hearings held - 568 Peace orders granted...

Committee presents teen mom statistics See also: Pregnancy poll results By SCOTT BUTKI scottb@herald-mail.com Eleven percent of births at Washington County Hospital in 2000 were to mothers under the age of 20, according to information given to the Washington County Commissioners on Tuesday. continued That and other statistics about teenage pregnancies were provided by members of the Interdepartmental Committee on Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention and Parenting, a group of volunteers from across the county who are working to prevent teenage pregnancy.

CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. -- Fourteen people have died in vehicle accidents investigated by Pennsylvania State Police in Franklin County this year, a statistic troopers do not wish to see increase as 2008 nears its end. "Over any holiday period, you see up to 15 people who will not be going back to work," Trooper Ed Asbury said Thursday of statewide holiday traffic deaths. "It's a given. It's a fact. " For years the focus of the state police has been prevention of driving under the influence.

Heritage Academy fall athletes were recognized Oct. 26 for their accomplishments. Junior high and varsity volleyball and soccer coaches had the opportunity to acknowledge players for their contributions to the team. Each player received a certificate for participating, and awards were given for team spirit, being the most improved and for leading the team in various statistics. Trophies were awarded for leadership, sportsmanship and character, and for giving 100 percent. Heritage Academy, west of Hagerstown, is a member of the Mason Dixon Christian Conference and competes against other schools in the four-state area.

Financial relief could be in sight for school teachers in West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle, where annual pay for educators ranks among the lowest in the state. On Wednesday, the West Virginia Board of Education agreed to develop a plan that would help the Eastern Panhandle's teachers receive pay that is commensurate to the region's high cost of living, said Liza Cordeiro, a spokeswoman for the state's department of education. She said the state board would collect recommendations for the plan in October.

Letter-writers don't always have facts straight on schools To the editor: Given recent inaccuracies in letters to the editor regarding statistics about the graduates of the Washington County Public Schools, please allow me to set the record straight. First, here are some facts, as reported by the Maryland State Department of Education in the Maryland Report Card, available at www.mdreportcard.org . Of the more than 1,300 graduates of 2005, 63.1 percent had completed coursework to prepare them for entry into the University System of Maryland; 29.7 percent completed Career and Technology Education Program requirements; 16.9 percent completed both USM and CTE requirements and 22.7 percent completed a rigorous high school program as defined by the Maryland State Department of Education.

To read the report card, go to www.herald-mail.com/downloads/Community_Report_Card.pdf HAGERSTOWN Here in Washington County, there are 20,500 more people than there were in 1990, and nearly 14,400 more cars than in 2002. The average home price rose by more than $100,000 in the past five years, but is still more than $100,000 less than the state average. And despite a surge in development during that time period, nearly half of the county's total acreage still has agricultural zoning.

HAGERSTOWN - Here in Washington County, there are 20,500 more people than there were in 1990, and nearly 14,400 more cars than in 2002. The average home price rose by more than $100,000 in the past five years, but is still more than $100,000 less than the state average. And despite a surge in development during that time period, nearly half of the county's total acreage still has agricultural zoning. That's just a fraction of the information contained in the new Community Report Card released Monday by the Hagerstown/Washington County Industrial Foundation (CHIEF)

chambersburg@herald-mail.com CHAMBERSBURG, PA. - Franklin County had the lowest unemployment rate among Pennsylvania's 50 labor market areas in January, based on figures released Thursday by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry. The rate fell from 3.9 percent in December to 3.4 percent in January, according to the preliminary seasonally adjusted figures, which take into account natural fluctuations in employment, according to Walter Nichols, an industry and business analyst for the department.

Berkeley Springs edges Petersburg B. Springs points out victory By BOB PARASILITI / Staff Writer BERKELEY SPRINGS, W.Va. - Berkeley Springs and Petersburg proved that there is a real reason why they call the game "football. " The foot the Indians used and the one the Vikings didn't ended up being the difference Friday night in a strange game. When it came down to it, Berkeley Springs' Jason Schetrompf hit the only extra point of the game, providing the difference in a 19-18 victory for the Indians.

Staff at Meritus Medical Center on Monday placed nearly 1,600 pinwheels outside the hospital's main entrance, each one representing a reported case of child abuse in Washington County last year. The event was held in observance of Child Abuse Prevention and Sexual Assault Awareness Month. “It'd be so great to see us in the 22nd century look back on the 21st century and say we eliminated sexual and child abuse,” said Jesus Cepero, vice president and chief nursing officer of Meritus Health.

Before the sun set Saturday, the thousands of luminarias arrayed across the fields of Antietam National Battlefield were almost invisible from a distance, the paper bags blending into a background of wheat, hay and corn stubble. As day gave way to dusk and dusk to darkness, the 23,110 candles began to glimmer and then glow, their lights following the contours of the land where an equal number of men were killed, wounded or reported missing 150 years ago during the Battle of Antietam.

Drug prevention educators concerned that deaths from prescription drug abuse are higher than those from firearms are seeking to raise awareness about the issue. Special Agent Craig S. LeCadre from the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office joined members of the Community Coalition to share information about prescription drug abuse with the Franklin County (Pa.) Commissioners on Tuesday. The commissioners contributed $10,000 for this year's Red Ribbon Week initiatives. Red Ribbon Week in late October will actually translate into about two weeks worth of assemblies for area school children.

In 2010, there were 17,931 domestic violence crimes in Maryland, about 16,000 of them assaults, state Sen. Christopher B. Shank said Monday during a ceremony marking October as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Those incidents also included 18 homicides, Shank said, citing Maryland's Uniform Crime Report for that year. Shank noted before he spoke to a small gathering at University Plaza that Washington County has seen its share of domestic violence deaths in recent years, including the murder of Heather Harris by her former boyfriend, Randy McPeak, in 2011.

Suicide is the second-leading cause of death among West Virginians between the ages of 15 and 24, Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin told more than 300 Hedgesville High School students at an assembly Monday. He said it's a “heartbreaking” statistic. Earlier Monday in Charleston, W.Va., Tomblin signed a proclamation proclaiming this week as Suicide Prevention Week in the Mountain State. It is also National Suicide Prevention Week. According to Tomblin, a suicide occurs every 14 seconds in the United States.

Tom Riford, president and chief executive officer of the Hagerstown-Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau, was joined by Julie Rohm, chairwoman of the CVB's board of directors, at a recent presentation to the Washington County Board of Commissioners. The annual update included a presentation of significant tourism initiatives and efforts in 2011 and 2012 to date. The presentation also included the organization's annual financial audit presentation. CVB board members Clarence Horst and Dan Spedden also attended the presentation, along with CVB Director of Operations Jolene Thomas and CVB Director of Sales Betsy De Vore.

Protective orders Domestic violence petitions filed - 1,087 Protective order hearings  - 674 Permanent orders granted  - 358 Temporary order hearings  - 854 Temporary orders granted  - 701 Interim hearings held  - 282 Interim orders granted  - 234 Violations - not available Peace orders Cases filed - 781 Hearings held - 568 Peace orders granted...

Based on the frequency of four types of crime, police are targeting zones across Washington County in an attempt to reduce problems in those areas, according to officials with three local police agencies. The approach is known as Data-driven Approach to Crime and Traffic Safety. The zones are set up based on the frequency of burglaries, robberies, theft from vehicles and theft of vehicles, said Capt. Mark Holtzman of the Hagerstown Police Department. Under the program, every officer must spend 30 minutes a day in one of the zones conducting traffic enforcement and issuing warnings, repair orders and citations, Holtzman said.

CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. -- Franklin and Fulton counties are among 16 Pennsylvania counties the U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated as natural disaster areas because of a drought that started May 25. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack made the designation Sept. 3 based on statistical data about rainfall, according to Andrea Sharretts, executive director of Franklin County's USDA office. The declaration means farmers in affected areas are eligible for low-interest emergency loans from the USDA.

Prep Statistics, April 16