Substitute Teacher

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.

CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. - Bob Thomas will remain coach of the Chambersburg High School baseball team - he just won't be getting paid for it anymore. The school board is scheduled to act on the coach's resignation Wednesday night. At the same meeting the board is expected to appoint him as the volunteer coach of the Trojans. Paradoxically, the reason he will give up his coaching paycheck is a matter of money. "It's because the state retirement board won't allow you to draw your retirement and be a paid coach," said Thomas, 62, after hitting flies and slapping grounders to his players at the end of Monday's practice.

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.

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.

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.)

chambersburg@herald-mail.com CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. - More than three months after the death of Magisterial District Judge Larry K. Meminger, Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell and the state Senate have yet to fill the vacancy, and the seat is likely to remain unfilled until this fall. State Sen. Terry Punt, R-Franklin, said he has thrown his support behind Meminger's widow, Kindra, but is waiting for the governor to send a nomination to the Senate, which is in recess until September.

dank@herald-mail.com Retired teacher Jacqueline Fischer is running for a spot on the Washington County Board of Education because she wants to be "a voice for students and teachers," she said Monday. "There needs to be someone on the board to speak on behalf of the students and teachers, and it needs to be someone who was recently there," Fischer said. Fischer taught for 31 years, the last 29 of which she spent teaching English and journalism at Clear Spring High School.

Philip Goldman, a candidate for the Washington County Board of Education, is critical of local schools. Goldman said he believes not enough students are in advanced placement classes, and few school officials encourage youngsters to take the tougher classes. Too many students are promoted through the grades without having mastered necessary skills, and the reason there are not more high-tech businesses in Washington County is that the county is not preparing workers for those companies, said Goldman.

pepperb@herald-mail.com The Rev. Blaine Feightner said a call to serve the public and an interest in childrens' futures prompted him to run for a seat on the Washington County Board of Education. Feightner, 57, of Keedysville, is one of 16 people who filed for four seats up for grabs on the School Board. A primary election will be held March 2, after which eight candidates will advance to the general election, to be held Nov. 2. "Nothing's more important than the future of our children," Feightner said.

By RICHARD F. BELISLE Staff Writer FAIRPLAY - It was quite a birthday party for Mabel Miller, who turned 80 Saturday. The location was perfect - the Manor Church of the Brethren, where Miller has worshiped for most of her life. The church is just down the road from the Manor Church Road home she has lived in for 58 years. Dozens of guests showed up, including her brothers, her children, some of her 12 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren, plus close friends. Dorothy Petre was there, too. Decades ago, Petre was Miller's teacher at the one-room Center Hill School on the Downsville Pike.