Wills

On Oct. 4, Jason A. Malott, Register of Wills for Washington County, traveled with Byron Macfarlane, Register of Wills for Howard County, to meet with Rebecca D. Drew, Register of Wills for Allegany County. They toured Drew's office and met her staff and shared policies and procedures that each has implemented since becoming register to help streamline the probate process, provide the best possible service to the public and to save taxpayer dollars.

A free presentation will be given by the Washington County Register of Wills, Jason Malott, at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 5, at Western Maryland Hospital Center, Auditorium 1500 Pennsylvania Ave., Hagerstown. Malott will give information and answer questions concerning wills. No reservations are needed. For more information, call William Baschke Jr. at 301-582-0692.

John R. Bloyer is seeking re-election as Register of Wills for Washington County. A lifelong resident of Washington County, Bloyer, 50, has worked in the office since 1983. Appointed to the post of Register of Wills in 1992 when Marvin Toms retired, Bloyer successfully ran for the office in 1994. Bloyer graduated in May 1997 from the paralegal studies program at Hagerstown Junior College. "I am also now the president of the Maryland Association of Registers of Wills," Bloyer said.

The Register of Wills opens more than 950 estates a year and takes in for safekeeping about 1,400 wills a year. The register serves a four-year term and makes $93,900 per year. Democrat John R. Bloyer II, 58 Hagerstown (incumbent) Republican Kevin Miller, 64 Smithsburg

John R. Bloyer II, who has served as Register of Wills for 14 years, appeared to win another four-year term in Tuesday's general election. Bloyer, 59, a Democrat, is a lifelong Washington County resident who lives in Hagers-town. He received 19,679 votes, according to unofficial results with 50 of 50 precincts reporting. Bloyer ran against Republican Kevin Miller, 64, of Smithsburg, who received 14,534 votes. "I like the way the voting is going, and I hope I do well enough with the other precincts that I can continue my job," Bloyer said.

CHAMBERSBURG, PA. - A judge has ruled that an appeal by heirs of the will of the late Cora I. Grove was filed too late and that they failed to show it was fraudulent when admitted for probate in 2005. Senior Judge Paul Millin filed the opinion with the Franklin County Clerk of Courts Office on Friday. He dismissed the appeal, writing that it was filed after the statute of limitations expired and failed to demonstrate "facts which would constitute a forgery, likewise there are not facts alleged that would constitute a fraud" on the Franklin County Register of Wills.

julieg@herald-mail.com "I want that. " "Mom told me I could have that. " You might attribute such words to children, but they also could belong to adults bickering over who gets dad's hunting rifle, mom's collectible china or a big-screen TV when a loved one dies. The issue that generates the most fighting among family members over a family member's estate is the distribution of personal items, says Susan A. Nicholson, a Hagerstown attorney who handles wills, estate planning and estate administration.

Alan Martin, a clerk at the Hagerstown branch of the U.S. Postal Service, withdrew Monday from the race for Washington County Register of Wills. Martin was forced to withdraw after learning that he is violating the Hatch Act, he said. The Hatch Act prohibits federal employees and some state and local government employees from being candidates in partisan elections. The Register of Wills is a partisan race. Martin is a Republican. He would have been running against incumbent John R. Bloyer, a Democrat.

marlob@herald-mail.com Now that the Unitarian Universalist Church of Hagerstown finally has a permanent new home, the congregation and its pastor can put their energies back into programs. A few Sundays ago, the building at 13245 Cearfoss Pike was officially dedicated. Once a three-car garage behind the former Oliver Martin home, the building was transformed into a light and airy sanctuary complete with room to grow. "It's a pleasure to hold our services here now," said the Rev. Valerie Wills, who became the first full-time pastor of the congregation in June 1999.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL Baltimore 89, HCC 47 BALTIMORE -- Ciara Lucas had 28 points and Ashley Jones added 16, and Baltimore (2-0, 1-0 Maryland JuCo) held the Hawks without a single player in double digits. Laquita Jones led Hagerstown (4-3, 1-1) with nine points and 13 rebounds, while Miranda Payne added seven points and four assists. Baltimore 89, HCC 47 HAGERSTOWN (4-3, 1-1) Payne 2 3-4 7, Wishard 2 1-2 5, Baum 0 2-3 2, Wills 2 2-4 7, Caldwell 2 3-7 6, Ambush 1 3-4 5, Jones 3 0-0 9, Bare 2 0-0 4. Totals 14 15-24 47. BALTIMORE (2-0, 1-0)

McConnellsburg Elementary School children will have opportunities next academic year to take home produce and other nutritious food. Fulton County (Pa.) Food Basket Inc. will administer a Power Pack program to send food home with children on weekends and before school breaks. All students are eligible. The program is being conducted in cooperation with the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank. That organization and the Fulton County Medical Center Foundation both donated funding for the initiative.

The Washington County Board of Commissioners has unanimously accepted a $500,000 federal COPS Hiring Program grant to hire four additional deputies for the county sheriff's office. The U.S. Department of Justice grant will cover 75 percent, or about $125,000 of salary and fringe benefits, per deputy for three years, Deputy 1st Class Carly Hose told the five county commissioners Tuesday. Hose said the county will be responsible for the remaining $337,024, for a total cost of $837,024 over three years.

Berkeley County Council on Thursday passed over the lowest bid for security cameras and instead awarded the contract to a local firm offering a warranty. On a 3-2 vote, the council awarded the contract to Inwood, W.Va.-based RCS Security Inc., which bid $40,273 for 45 cameras and mounting brackets for the new public safety building. County Council President Anthony J. “Tony” Petrucci joined council members Jim Barnhart and Elaine Mauck in voting to award the contract to the Inwood firm.

A former Chambersburg Area School District assistant superintendent plans to sue the district for reinstatement to her position. Catherine “Cathy” Dusman's attorney sent a letter to the school board threatening legal action if it did not reinstate her as assistant superintendent of elementary services, give her a pay raise to bring her salary in line with male assistant superintendents and apologize for changing her position March 13. ...

Valuable life lessons never seem particularly valuable at the time. More likely, they are the source of pain, heartbreak and discouragement. Yet something deep inside some people causes them to regroup and carry on, despite the difficulty or the odds. At the annual True Grit Awards banquet, Mike Spinnler recounted some his own struggles before stating this simple but difficult truth: “When you get your teeth kicked in, you have to get back up.” It is the message behind the True Grit awards, which honor student-athletes who have overcome sometimes multiple setbacks.

In July, members of a work group created as a result of a measure that passed the Maryland General Assembly earlier this year will start looking at ways to get more information about pesticide use in the state. This group - which will consist of two senators and two delegates, and representatives of various interested parties such as the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and the Maryland Farm Bureau - was created to find out if there are any existing gaps in data about pesticide use in the state and decide whether there is a need to create a reporting program for pesticide users such as farmers.

Martinsburg voters will cast ballots Saturday to decide whether to renew the city's police levy, which provides funds for the police department. Polls in the City of Martinsburg open at 6:30 a.m. Saturday and close at 7:30 p.m. In order to be renewed, the excess levy question has to be approved by at least 60 percent of voters. If the levy is not renewed, it will expire June 30, 2014. Martinsburg Police Chief Kevin Miller, in an email sent Friday, described the ramifications if voters do not renew the levy.

New names for City Hospital in Martinsburg and Jefferson Memorial Hospital in Ranson, W.Va., will be unveiled Monday as part of National Hospital Week celebrations, West Virginia University Hospitals-East announced Friday. Celebrations to promote the rebranding and to honor and recognize the efforts of all staff members will be held throughout the week. “The people who meet the daily health care needs of this nation are a committed, compassionate group of individuals united by their calling to help others,” said Anthony Zelenka, chief administrative officer at City Hospital in the news release.

City of Hagerstown officials expect later this month to approve a balanced budget for fiscal year 2013-14 without raising taxes, but over the next few years that might prove to be extremely challenging financially, some city council members said Thursday. With city property values expected to decrease by about 8 percent in the 2013 triennial reassessment this December, the Hagerstown City Council has been asked by city staff to consider a tax increase in the next budget cycle for fiscal year 2014-15 to account for an anticipated shortfall of about $3.2 million.

A Republican Washington County delegate, with help from Democrats, is mounting a challenge to the repeal of the death penalty, a measure that was signed into law by Gov. Martin O'Malley earlier this week. Neil C. Parrott, R-Washington, announced the start of a petition drive at a press conference in Baltimore on Friday. With him were Baltimore County State's Attorney Scott Shellenberger, a Democrat, and Sen. James Brochin, D-Baltimore County. “Life is extremely precious ... but, for example, if someone does something like the attack on the Boston marathon, they deserve the death penalty,” Parrott said, noting that the press conference was held not far from the finishing line of the Baltimore Marathon.