Substance Abuse

Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin was in Martinsburg Thursday to take part in a bill-signing ceremony for substance abuse legislation. Tomblin said he also intends to fill the 23rd Judicial Circuit vacancy created by Judge Gina M. Groh's appointment to the federal bench as soon as possible. The Judicial Vacancy Advisory Commission, which interviews applicants and recommends finalists for the governor's consideration, is scheduled to meet Wednesday via teleconference concerning the vacancy, according to Tomblin's office.

Around 10 percent of the pre-employment drug screenings conducted by the Hagerstown Medical Laboratory come back positive, according to toxicologist Leroy Mell. [cont. from front page ] Of those tested daily, from 7.5 percent to 12 percent generally test positive, although some days it has been as high as 15 percent, Mell said during a seminar on substance abuse in the workplace Thursday at the Sheraton Four Points Hotel in Hagerstown. Six speakers, including a local lawyer, an addictions specialist and two law enforcement officers, covered issues related to workplace substance abuse policies and testing.

Task force to tackle substance abuse in schools By TARA REILLY tarar@herald-mail.com Hank Rauer recalled his childhood, describing it as a time when youngsters cared more about following orders and doing chores than getting involved with drugs and alcohol. continued "I don't remember having any lesson in what you should not do," Rauer, 84, said. "It was what you had to do. I would go to school, go shopping, deliver newspapers. " Decades later, Rauer sits on the new Washington County Public Schools Alcohol and Drug Task Force, which will try to help prevent today's youth from substance use and abuse.

CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. - There will be an addition to the Franklin County Prison complex in the near future, but it will be for classroom space rather than bed space, according to the Board of County Commissioners. The new modular building will allow the prison to expand its drug and alcohol counseling to include group sessions for inmates and classes on life skills and anger management, said Johnette Wolfe, deputy warden for treatment. The prison now offers individual drug and alcohol counseling, Wolfe said.

Probation revoked for jail's substance abuse program head By MARLO BARNHART / Staff Writer The director of Washington County's nationally acclaimed Jail Substance Abuse Program Tuesday lost the probation before judgement he was granted after pleading guilty to driving while intoxicated and as a result has a conviction on his record. Charles Ray Messmer was not sent to jail - a disposition that would have ended his 19-year career at the Washington County Health Department helping people with drug and alcohol problems.

HAGERSTOWN - Teenagers who repeatedly land in juvenile court for drug- and alcohol-related crimes have a new opportunity to get clean. In June, the Washington County Adolescent Drug Court began accepting participants, usually teenage offenders referred by probation officers, said Jennifer Bricker, drug court coordinator. The program aims to reduce recidivism and teach teenagers how to be responsible human beings with no drug or alcohol abuse, Bricker said. Washington County Circuit Judge Frederick C. Wright III brought the idea of the drug court to the Washington County Alcohol and Drug Abuse Advisory Committee in early 2005, Deputy State's Attorney Steven Kessell said.

Kim Schroth-Meyer has been named the Washington County Health Department's Employee of the Month for August. Schroth-Meyer, who works with the Addictions and Mental Health Division of the Health Department, has been employed with the agency since June 1998, when she began work as a substance abuse and mental health counselor. Prior to working with the Health Department she worked as a counselor at Fort Ritchie. Schroth-Meyer is the program coordinator of the Health Department's outpatient substance abuse and mental health program.

Frederick's drug court a new way to tackle addicts By Paul Wolford In recognition of May as National Drug Court Month, I would like to introduce to the community to the Frederick County Drug Treatment Court. Recently, the Circuit Court of Frederick County held a meeting unveiling the functions of the Drug Treatment Court to its steering committee, local law enforcement officials and the media. In the month of May, the Drug Treatment Court will begin enrolling its first offenders under a pilot program, until state/federal funds are obtained for an expanded court.

laurae@herald-mail.com Four programs designed to keep Washington County students in school and out of trouble will be created with a new state grant. The Washington County Commissioners awarded more than $700,000 to various community agencies on Tuesday, contingent on approval by the state and the Washington County Community Partnership for Children and Families. The community partnership made recommendations to the commissioners based on the proposals it received for spending the grant of nearly $900,000 from the Governor's Office of Crime Control and Prevention.

Al-Anon/Alateen family groups Hagerstown and Frederick, Md., areas. This is an anonymous, confidential support group for anyone affected by the drinking of a family member or friend. Call 301-663-6626. Take Off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS) Md. 77 Today, weigh-in at 7:30 a.m., exercise at 8:30, meeting at 9:30. First Christian Church, 1345 Potomac Ave., Hagerstown. Call 301-223-8143. TOPS 454 WILLIAMSPORT - Tuesday, April 29, weigh-in at 10:15, meeting at 11 a.m., Zion Lutheran Church, 35 W. Potomac St. Visitors are always welcome.

Readers of this column are aware that I have a concern about children in Washington County being prepared to start kindergarten. According to the results of an annual assessment of children entering kindergarten coordinated by the Maryland State Department of Education, ours have historically scored among the lowest in the state. In June 2011, I reported that 22 percent of our county's children started school without the skills considered to be a basic foundation upon which learning can occur.

Education reform, substance abuse treatment, related incarceration costs and state budget cuts were among the most heavily discussed issues at the 2013 Legislative Outlook luncheon at the Holiday Inn in Martinsburg. About 150 people turned out for the annual Martinsburg-Berkeley County Chamber of Commerce program, which featured remarks by state Sens. John Unger, D-Berkeley, Craig Blair, R-Berkeley, Herb Snyder, D-Jefferson, the Eastern Panhandle's 10 members in the 100-member House of Delegates and Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin's regional representative, Stephanie Mathias.

Captain Chaos fought to hold back the tears. Chris Cooley, the longest-tenured player on the Washington Redskins and easily the team's most colorful character, was saying goodbye. “I appreciate everything,” Cooley said with a sniffle, his voice starting to waver. “I'm sorry. I'm a baby. I appreciate everything you guys have done for me. I guess, finally, just to say thank you to our fans. It's been great. Thank you.” The Redskins released their two-time Pro Bowl tight end Tuesday, a few hours after creating some special teams chaos of their own by cutting kicker Graham Gano and replacing him with Billy Cundiff.

Jazz singer Rene Marie said she wants her music to be "like a verb. " During a telephone interview from her Virginia home, Rene Marie, 56, said her music has changed extensively since she began performing professionally in the late 1990s. Her music, she said, "is more aggressive now than it used to be. As I get bolder, I get bolder," she said. And this new style of music is what attendees will see on Sunday, Aug. 26, at Renfrew Institute's Jazz Festival. The 21st annual event is from 2 to 4 p.m. on the lawn behind the Renfrew Museum near Waynesboro.

Help make Washington County safer for children To the editor: April is nationally recognized as the Month of the Young Child and as Child Abuse and Neglect Awareness Month.  This month gives us an opportunity to focus our attention on early childhood issues and highlights the needs of young children, particularly regarding child safety. Last year, the Washington County Department of Social Services investigated 1,705 reports of abuse or neglect involving more than 4,000 local children - 1,159 of these cases involved child neglect, an increase of 8 percent over Fiscal Year 2010.

Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin was in Martinsburg Thursday to take part in a bill-signing ceremony for substance abuse legislation. Tomblin said he also intends to fill the 23rd Judicial Circuit vacancy created by Judge Gina M. Groh's appointment to the federal bench as soon as possible. The Judicial Vacancy Advisory Commission, which interviews applicants and recommends finalists for the governor's consideration, is scheduled to meet Wednesday via teleconference concerning the vacancy, according to Tomblin's office.

Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin Tuesday renewed a pledge to financially support the South Berkeley Recreation Center project, but declined to specify how much money he would make available. The $2.1 million bid by Smithsburg-based Roy C. Kline Contractors was about $600,000 higher than the $1.5 million gift Powerball jackpot winner W. Randy Smith announced last year for the project. Tomblin said during a visit to Martinsburg that he would not alone close the funding gap with $600,000 in state money, but indicated he was aware of the shortfall and would be happy to meet with Smith about the need “and do what I said I would do a year ago.”  Tomblin's remarks on the county's recreation project came during a string of meetings the governor had at City Hospital, the campus of Eastern Division of West Virginia University Robert C. Byrd Health Science Center and small businesses in downtown Martinsburg.

Substance abuse seminar Hagerstown Community College's Center for Continuing Education is offering a one-day seminar on substance abuse from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23, in The Merle S. Elliott Continuing Education and Conference Center on HCC's main campus. The seminar, "Complexities of Substance Abuse in the Clinical Setting," will cover topics including differentiating abuse and dependency, theories regarding the causes of abuse and addiction, common risk factors, behavioral indicators, contributing co-occurring disorders, intervention methods and therapeutic treatment approaches, matching treatment to individual needs, and treating the family as well as case studies in child, adolescent, adult and geriatric populations.

Hagerstown Community College's Center for Continuing Education is offering a one-day seminar on substance abuse on Fri., Oct. 23, from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., in The Merle S. Elliott Continuing Education and Conference Center on HCC's main campus. The seminar, entitled "Complexities of Substance Abuse in the Clinical Setting," will cover a variety of topics, including differentiating abuse and dependency, theories regarding the causes of abuse and addiction, common risk factors, behavioral indicators, contributing co-occurring disorders, intervention methods and therapeutic treatment approaches, matching treatment to individual needs, and treating the family, as well as case studies in child, adolescent, adult and geriatric populations.

In some families, it's as straightforward as a 13-year-old declaring him or herself too old to continue seeing a "baby doctor. " For others, the reality of a sexually transmitted disease or a substance abuse problem makes it apparent that a teen suddenly requires services that are, at best, awkward to obtain from a practice with coloring books and toy boxes in the waiting room. But even if parents and teen patients agree that a new doctor is needed, finding a provider who can serve as a medical bridge to adulthood can be daunting.