Local News

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Calling it a “major storm event,” Potomac Edison has filed a report with the West Virginia Public Service Commission regarding power outages and damages from a string of wind storms that rolled through the Eastern Panhandle March 20th. The winds hit the areas of Martinsburg, Berkeley Springs, Fort Ashby, Augusta, and Petersburg […]

KEARNEYSVILLE, W.Va. — US Senate Candidate Alex Mooney was joined by US Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) at a rally in Kearneysville, with hundreds of his Eastern Panhandle neighbors out to cheer them both on. Cruz, who is in a race to keep his seat in Texas, talked about why he made the trip to the […]

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — This week, two restrooms by the Norwalk Creek  pavilion at War Memorial Park were vandalized.  They are temporarily closed for repair. Martinsburg-Berkeley County Parks & Recreation Director Joe Burton talked about it the morning he found out. Burton says it is not the most efficient use of employee time, but the park […]

CHARLES TOWN, W.Va. — A three-judge panel this week ruled for the removal of two Jefferson County Commissioners, Jennifer Krouse and Tricia Jackson. Jefferson County Prosecutor Matt Harvey filed the petition November after the two refused to attend meetings in September.  At the time, they cited their disagreement with the selection of three candidates to […]

Story by Brad McElhinny, West Virginia Metronews Statewide Correspondent CHARLES TOWN, W.Va. — Two Jefferson County commissioners were removed from office Wednesday based on their refusal to attend meetings and conduct the business of the county. One, Tricia Jackson, is a statewide candidate for auditor. The other is Jennifer Krouse. The two were removed by […]

CHARLES TOWN, W.Va. — Jefferson County Commissioners Tricia Jackson and Jennifer Krouse on the order of a three judge panel. Toni Milbourne of the Journal broke the news Wednesday afternoon. The order, handed down in the Circuit Court of Jefferson County, lays out the complaints in detail and goes through some of the evidence brought […]

Chambersburg, PA – Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro joined leadership from Martin’s Famous Potato Rolls and Bread (Martin’s), maker of bread and rolls sold around the country and in restaurants around the world, to announce the company will invest $123.2 million to expand its existing manufacturing facility in Franklin County.  The Chambersburg-based  company’s expansion project will create at […]

HAGERSTOWN, MD — A domestic violence incident in Hagerstown has left a woman dead and a man arrested. The Hagerstown Police Department tells The Panhandle News Network officers conducted a welfare check Sunday, April 28th at a residence in the 400 block of McDowell Ave. On scene, “officers discovered an apparent homicide victim, later determined […]

HAGERSTOWN, MD — An accident in Hagerstown Monday has claimed a life.  Hagerstown Police say they were called to the intersection of West Wilson Avenue and Virginia Avenue around 12:20 in the afternoon to a collision involving a motorcycle and a 4 door sedan. “The rider of the motorcycle, later identified as Francis Walter age […]

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. – The fourth annual WVU Medicine Children’s Eastern Panhandle Gala raised more than $100,000 to support children and their families at WVU Medicine Berkeley Medical Center and Jefferson Medical Center. Over 200 people gathered on Saturday (April 20) at the Holiday Inn in Martinsburg for an evening of gourmet dining, silent and live […]

Charleston, W. Va. – In-person early voting for West Virginia’s 2024 Primary Election begins on Wednesday, May 1st. West Virginia Secretary of State Mac Warner announced that early voting will be conducted in all 55 counties from Wednesday, May 1, through Saturday, May 11. All counties will offer early voting at the county courthouse or courthouse annex, and […]

HAGERSTOWN, MD — The city of Hagerstown is letting motorists and others planning to be downtown Friday evening that there could be some changes to traffic patterns and business hours. That’s because the Alsatia Club is set to hold its “Thunder in the Square” event.  A large number of classic cars and other vehicles will […]

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — There will be major road disruptions beginning Monday in the city of Martinsburg.  King Street will be closed in both directions for thirty days as part of the ongoing work around the Interwoven Mills Project.  The project will impact King Street in the areas of South Tuskegee Street to Tennessee Avenue. The […]

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A first of its kind bill will motivate 911 dispatchers in the Mountain State to stay on longer but retire sooner. Lawmakers and Kanawha County Commission members joined emergency officials and telecommunicators Tuesday afternoon at Kanawha County Metro 911 to watch as Governor Jim Justice sign the Statewide 911 Retirement bill, the […]

WASHINGTON, DC — Two deer at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park have tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD).  A press release from the National Park Service indicates the two deer were from the Jefferson County area of the park. The discovery was made during white-tail deer reduction operations and subsequent testing for disease. “This is […]

CHARLESTON, WV – On Thursday, April 4, 2024, Kathy Ann Ruth, a flagger working for contractors A.L.L. Construction was killed in a work zone on US 340 in Jefferson County when she was run over by a driver who allegedly failed to yield for stopped traffic. The West Virginia Division of Highways will hold a special ceremony […]

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — Projects around the Panhandle will benefit from an allocation of taxpayer dollars to boost regional recreation and trails. A statement from the city of Martinsburg Friday is praising the recent announcement from the governor’s office regarding the allocation of funds. “We would like to thank Governor Jim Justice, WVDOT and West Virginia […]

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — On Tuesday, the Berkeley County Commission adopted a levy rate of 13.39 for the upcoming 2024-2025 fiscal year, leaving the rate unchanged from the current year. A press release from the Commission reports the levy rate for 2024-2025 is projected to generate $28,915,496 million in property taxes in support of Berkeley County’s […]

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — Five people received their sentence this week for distributing fentanyl across the Eastern Panhandle.        Christopher Arthur Jones, 39, also known as “Smooth,” of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 300 months in prison and 15 years of supervised release for racketeering enterprise (RICO) conspiracy and fentanyl distribution charges. Jones was […]

CHARLESTON, W. Va. – Sample Ballots for West Virginia’s May 14 Primary Election are now available online for registered voters to review before they vote.  A press release from the WV Secretary of State’s Office link to an online search tool for voters to use to find the Sample Ballot assigned to them. According to […]

BOONSBORO, MD — The Boonsboro Police Department is reflecting on the passing of Police Chief Kevin Morgan at the age of 63.  Morgan’s obituary reveals Morgan was in his 42nd year in law enforcement when he passed away April 13th. “Loss is difficult and no amount of time, age, nor circumstances lessen the sting. Saturday […]

GERRARDSTOWN, W.Va. — A stolen ATV out of Frederick County Virginia has been located in Gerrardstown, along with illegal drugs and a growing operation. The Berkeley County Sheriff’s Department tells the Panhandle News Network they got a request for assistance Sunday from their counterparts in Frederick County who were attempting to locate a stolen Polaris […]

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — A toddler is in critical condition following a drowning incident over the weekend. The Berkeley County Sheriff’s Department reports the incident involving the one-year-old was reported Sunday evening just before 7:30 p.m. at a home in Martinsburg. A press release indicates the drowning happened in the back yard pool of the home. […]

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. —February 14th is a day known to most of us as romantic, a day to love and be loved. For 5 Martinsburg City Police officers it was a day of heroism. At Thursday’s Martinsburg City Council meeting the officers were presented with a Lifesaver Award. Police Chief Erin Gibbons  explained that on the […]

The Red Cross is Assisting Storm Impacted Communities Volunteers are conducting damage assessment and providing assistance  Visit redcross.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation. CHARLESTON, WVA, April 5, 2024 — The severe storm system that affected our area on Tuesday, April 2nd has caused widespread damage across the Central Appalachia […]

RIPPON, W.Va. — A Mount Hope woman who was killed while working flag operations last week in Jefferson County will be laid to rest this weekend. Kathy Ruth, 62, was standing on the shoulder of Rt. 340 in the work zone and had traffic stopped when a vehicle driven by a Harpers Ferry woman swerved […]

CHARLES TOWN, W.Va. — The first black woman to become a licensed horse trainer was born in Charles Town in 1920. Sylvia Rideoutt Bishop had a pony as a little girl, according to her daughter, LaVerne Bishop.  Her love for horses was sealed when a family visiting from New York took her to the racetrack in […]

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. – Martinsburg police answered a ‘shots fired’ call in downtown Wednesday afternoon.    Chief of Police Erin Gibbons tells The Panhandle News Network the incident occurred in the 500 block of North Queen Street April 10th around 2 p.m. Officers found evidence of a shooting but do not believe anyone was struck by […]

BERKELEY SPRINGS, W.Va. — The Town of Bath is inviting volunteers to help out Friday and Saturday as the Warm Springs Watershed Association and Friends of the North Berkeley Rail Trail host a clean-up of the stream and banks of Warm Springs Run between North Berkeley Park and Jimstown Road. On Friday, April 12, volunteers […]

HEDGESVILLE, W.Va. — A new 15-point improvement project to help alleviate congestion along West Virginia Route 9 was announced by Gov. Jim Justice this week. The governor was at the Martinsburg Regional DMV Office Tuesday afternoon to lay out the project for the roadway alongside Senate President Craig Blair, R-Berkeley, and state Transportation Secretary Jimmy […]