Substitute Teacher

charlestown@herald-mail.com CHARLES TOWN, W.Va. - A substitute teacher at Harpers Ferry Middle School was charged Monday with several offenses after he told police he fled from the scene of a car accident, according to allegations in court records. The teacher was at the school about two hours after an accident on U.S. 340 and had an odor of alcohol coming from him, according to Jefferson County Magistrate Court records. Daniel Webb, 68, of P.O. Box 244, Halltown, was charged with no insurance, improper registration, failure to yield right of way and leaving the scene of an accident, records state.

MIDDLETOWN, Md. - A 14-year-old boy was charged with second-degree arson and other offenses Wednesday after a trash can was set on fire inside a Middletown High School classroom, Deputy State Fire Marshal Ed Ernst said Thursday. A substitute teacher put out the fire, Ernst said. Students were in the classroom at the time, he said. No one was hurt. The fire occurred around 10:50 a.m. Wednesday, according to a state fire marshal's office news release. Damage to the inside of the trash can was estimated at $50. The boy also was charged with arson of a trash container, second-degree malicious burning, malicious destruction of property and reckless endangerment, Ernst said.

Doyle keeps seat in W.Va. 55th District CHARLES TOWN, W.Va. - Incumbent Delegate John Doyle retained his 55th District seat in West Virginia's House of Delegates by fending off challenges from Republican Anne Newcomer Dungan and write-in candidate Robert Tabb in Tuesday's General Election. Final but unofficial results from all 30 Jefferson County precincts Wednesday showed Doyle outdistanced Dungan by a vote of 3,766 to 2,172. Tabb, of Leetown, received 859 write-in votes.

Gerald W. Pryor of Sharpsburg wishes to announce the engagement of his daughter, Christine Michele Pryor, to Clint Ashley Trumpower, son of Tom and Dottie Trumpower of Boonsboro. Miss Pryor is a 1995 graduate of Williamsport High School and a 1999 graduate of Towson State University with a degree in biology. She is employed by U.S. Department of Agriculture, ARS at Fort Detrick, Md. Mr. Trumpower is a 1995 graduate of South Hagerstown High School and is attending Frostburg State University, pursuing a degree in secondary education.

I remember one day when I was in the eighth grade at the old Boonsboro Middle School. It was a time for mischief, and some fun at the expense of the substitute teacher in a social studies class. I never had an opinion on corporal punishment in high school, until the events of this day unfolded. I can’t remember all the things we had for school lunch that day, but one food item I do remember well was raisins. I didn’t eat the raisins at lunch but placed them in my shirt pocket for later use. At 1 p.m., we had our first afternoon class.

Spealler-Danner Sarah Elizabeth Danner and Christopher Todd Spealler were married Saturday, Aug. 6, 2005, at Guardsman's Pass near Park City, Utah. The bride is the daughter of Sam and Deb Danner of Hagerstown. The bridegroom is the son of Dave and Jill Spealler of Park City. The bride is a 1998 graduate of Smithsburg High School, a 2003 graduate of Shippensburg University, and received a master's degree from University of Phoenix in 2005. She is employed as a substitute teacher with Park City School District and also is employed as a part-time nanny.

"In regards to the article about the substitute teacher that taped the student's mouth shut. I just wanted to say that there is a substitute teacher at Eastern Elementary that my kids love. Her name is Mrs. Ridenour. My children have had her a few times this year. I see her a lot at school and every time I do see her, at least one child reaches their hands out for a quick hug. She welcomingly gives one back. I just wanted to say thanks to Mrs. Ridenour, for making my children feeling safe and comfortable when you are in the room and not their teacher.

SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. - Del. Vicki V. Douglas, D-Berkeley, will receive a doctor of humane letters honorary degree from Shepherd College during the college's 129th commencement ceremony May 18. Commencement speaker Maj. Gen. Allen Tackett of the West Virginia Army National Guard also will be awarded a doctor of humane letters honorary degree during the ceremony. Douglas has represented the 52nd District in the West Virginia Legislature since 1990. She is retiring this year after serving six consecutive terms.

Fouke-Hoover Amanda Catherine Fouke and Justin Alan Hoover announce their engagement. Miss Fouke is the daughter of Preston and Jacqueline Fouke of Hagerstown. She is a 2003 graduate of North Hagerstown High School and received an associate of arts degree from Hagerstown Community College in 2006. She is employed with Susquehanna Bancshares Inc. Mr. Hoover is the son of Gerald and Patricia Hoover of Marion, Pa. He is a 2002 graduate of Chambersburg Area Senior High School.

Jacqueline Fischer For Washington County Board of Education Washington County Board of Education Vice President Jacqueline B. Fischer has filed to seek another term on the board. Fischer, 60, of Clear Spring, is serving her first term on the board. Before being elected, she taught English and journalism in Washington County schools, and was a substitute teacher for two years. Her decision to run for a second term in office was not an easy one, she said. Fischer said she's suffered from arthritis since she was in her 30s, but in the past few months, her condition has worsened.

All six Eastern Panhandle Republican members of the West Virginia House of Delegates voted against a bill that requires central office administrators to substitute for absent teachers three days a year. Senate Bill 80 was sent Tuesday to Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin as a move to reduce substitute teacher costs, which can amount to $125 per day per substitute. Seventy-eight Democrats in the House of Delegates voted for the bill, while 20 Republicans opposed the measure. Area Republicans opposed the bill because the authority to enforce it rested with the state, not local school boards.

On weekends when most 10-year-olds were riding bikes and playing in dirt, three Waynesboro, Pa., boys were making movies. Today, as adults, William Derrick, his brother, Thomas Derrick, and their childhood friend, Mitch Walck, are still making movies under the shingle of Indiendo Productions. “We were always making videos,” said William Derrick, 26, of Waynesboro. “And that's just sort of how, with our age and as we grew and matured, our passion for filmmaking and the way that we made films did as well.

The Washington County Retired Educational Association has named Phyllis McCleaf the recipient of its annual leadership award. McCleaf joined the organization in 2003 and has held various offices such as co-president and treasurer. She grew up in rural West Virginia, attending schools in Pendleton County and graduating from Franklin High School and then from Shepherd College, where she was a member and an officer in Alpha Sigma Tau.      In 1973, Phyllis received her Master of Science in library science from Shippensburg (Pa.)

A retired General Motors worker and a Berkeley County school teacher are vying in May 8 primary election to be the Democratic Party's nominee for a seat on Berkeley County Council. Larry Lam, 65, of Appian Way in Martinsburg, and Mark T. Barney, 33, of Nimitz Lane in Hedgesville, W.Va.,are running in the Potomac District. The winner will face Republican Edward “Ed” Wilson, who is not opposed for his party's nomination in the district. The winners of two Berkeley County Council seats in the November general election are expected to serve six-year terms.

Mary Jane Peters, 85, of Hagerstown, passed away Sunday April 8, 2012, at her home surrounded by her loving family. Born, July 24, 1926, in Clearfield, Pa., she was the daughter of the late Edward R. and Jeannette (Caldwell) Taylor. Mrs. Peters retired from the Washington County Board of Education, where she worked as a substitute teacher. In later years, she was activities coordinator at Garlock Nursing Home, Hagerstown. She was a member of St. Andrews United Methodist Church, Hagerstown.

Priscilla Moyer (Wilson) Ashton, 88, of Hagerstown, Md., died Thursday, Feb. 9, 2012, at Autumn Assisted Living in Hagerstown. Born Sept. 24, 1923, in Plainfield, N.J., she was the daughter of the late Arthur Watson and Elizabeth (Moyer) Wilson. She was the wife of 57 years of the late Thomas James Ashton, who died in August 2009. Priscilla graduated in 1941 from Westport High School in Westport, Conn. She attended Mary Washington College in Fredericksburg, Va., and later graduated from Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y. Priscilla was a librarian and substitute teacher for many years in the Montgomery County, Md., school system.

JULY 27, 1951-JUNE 25, 2011 Mr. John J. Sone, 59, of McClelland Ave., Boonsboro, Md., formerly of Bedford County, died Saturday, June 25, 2011, at his home. Mr. Sone was born in Bedford on Friday, July 27, 1951, the son of Norma Jean (Bridaham) Sone of Bedford and the late Jacob B. “Jake” Sone. In addition to his mother, he is survived by daughter Kristi A., wife of Greg King, Windsor Mill, Md.; daughter Whitney H., wife of Caitlin Pittman, Mercerburg; and sister Barbara J., wife of Lawson Duvall, Bedford.

I remember one day when I was in the eighth grade at the old Boonsboro Middle School. It was a time for mischief, and some fun at the expense of the substitute teacher in a social studies class. I never had an opinion on corporal punishment in high school, until the events of this day unfolded. I can’t remember all the things we had for school lunch that day, but one food item I do remember well was raisins. I didn’t eat the raisins at lunch but placed them in my shirt pocket for later use. At 1 p.m., we had our first afternoon class.

WAYNESBORO, Pa. -- A list of movies including "Cast Away" and "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" was presented to the Waynesboro Area School Board as having been shown in the high school since March. The board decided all movies scheduled to be shown in the schools must be approved by Superintendent James Robertson, who was told to generate periodic reports for the board. Board President Ed Wilson said he talked to administrators for two years about the issue. Saying he was frustrated by a lack of action, Wilson handed out a student-generated list of movies shown in the past few weeks.

CLEAR SPRING -- A team of Santa's helpers has been busy working behind the scenes since fall, shopping, planning and checking their lists twice. The helpers -- parent volunteers at Clear Spring Elementary School -- are led by Beth Sullivan Weber. Weber is hesitant to take much credit. "There's a great group of people who help. No one could do this by themselves," said Weber, 46. Weber grew up in Halfway and graduated from St. Maria Goretti High School in 1981. She and her husband, Tom, moved from Allentown, Pa., to Clear Spring in 2001 with their young children.