WASHINGTON COUNTY, MD – The Washington County Board of County Commissioners has announced a public hearing for the draft Comprehensive Plan 2040 Update. It’s set for Tuesday June 3, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. at the Washington County Public Safety Training Center, located at 18350 Public Safety Place in Hagerstown. Planning & Zoning staff will be…

HAGERSTOWN, MD — The Washington County Division says it was a busy weather week.  Over a three day period, the Washington County Division of Emergency Services and volunteer fire companies responded to a surge of water-related emergencies across the region. In a social media post that follows, the division detailed efforts from Allegany County to…

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — Citing the amount of debt the district has had to incur for capital projects, Jim Ouellet, Executive Director of the Berkeley County Water District said water service customers will see a significant increase in their monthly bills, beginning next month.   The 23.5 percent across the board increase is part of a five-year…

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — Memorial Day Weekend will be a busy one on the roads, and for local law enforcement.  In addition to patrolling the roads, there will be a number of sobriety checkpoints planned for the weekend.  Earlier this week, the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Department announced it would be conducting sobriety checkpoints beginning Friday, May…

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The state Board of Education voted Wednesday to take what was once described as one of the worst-behaving schools in the state off of emergency status and back to local control because of the improvements that have been made. State Department of Education officials told the board there’s been an amazing turnaround…

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — After more than two inches of rain fell on the Eastern Panhandle in the span of a day, some roads in low-lying areas have closures this morning.  Alert Berkeley reported that on Wednesday morning, McCubbins Hollow Road in Gerrardstown, Tuscarora Pike in Hedgesville, Allensville Road in Hedgesville, Douglas Grove Road in Martinsburg,…

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. —  A Jefferson County man has admitted to his role in a large drug trafficking operation in the Eastern Panhandle. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of West Virginia reports Matthew David Viands, age 32, of Summit Point, West Virginia,  admitted to having a  role in a drug trafficking organization that…

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — The Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office will be conducting two Sobriety Checkpoints this month. The first is planned for May, Friday May 23rd between 8 p.m. Friday night through 2 a.m. the following Saturday morning. The first location is Grade Road near Marlowe at the intersection with Forever Green Drive. “Alternate routes of…

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — The first degree murder case of a Martinsburg man accused in the shooting death of another will be bound on to circuit court. That ruling was handed down Monday morning in Berkeley County Magistrate Mary Laing’s courtroom. 53-year-old Steven Tracy Beach of Martinsburg stands accused of one count each of First and…

BUNKER HILL, W.Va. — A multi-vehicle crash early Tuesday morning halted traffic on the northbound lanes of Interstate 81 for hours. The Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office tells The Panhandle News Network deputies were called out at 2:37 Tuesday morning (May 13th) to an area near the four mile marker of the interstate just south of…

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. —  Six more people have been sentenced for their roles in a major drug trafficking organization responsible for the distribution of large quantities of illegal drugs in Berkeley and Jefferson Counties. A press release from the US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of West Virginia last week provided details. Gary Brown, Jr.,…

BOLIVAR, W.Va. — An accident Wednesday night on Rt. 340 in Jefferson County claimed the life of a Maryland man. Lt. R. S. Sell of the Jefferson County Sheriff Office tells The Panhandle News Network John Drake, 24, of Burkittsville, Maryland was traveling just east of the traffic light with West Washington Street near Bolivar…

BURLINGTON, W.Va. – There will be new traffic patterns on Apple Harvest Drive, WV 45 East and West, in Martinsburg from the Queen Street Exits to the Commons, beginning this week. The West Virginia Division of Highways says the patterns could shift and change daily as work is being done at night to prepare for…

WASHINGTON COUNTY, MD — Two people are dead after they were struck by a MARC train in southern Washington County on Tuesday evening. The Maryland Transit Administration says the victims were walking on the train tracks when they were struck by the train that was on the way from Washington, DC to Harpers Ferry, West…

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — The Berkeley County Board of Education met Monday.  Our reporter Clint Gaige brought back the following highlights: At Monday’s Berkeley County Board of Education meeting during the citizen’s forum, one citizen had concerns about the staffing crisis in the county The Board does not respond to citizen comments. In other business, the…