A new emphasis on keeping Hagerstown houses in good condition brought a woman to Town Council where she found temporary relief. Building Commissioner Terry Ford told the council that he had sent letters to owners of unsafe or unsightly properties. He gave the owners 30 days to respond by fixing the problems or explain their […]
Author Archives: Bob Hansen
Bob Hansen is a reporter for the Western Wayne News.
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Hagerstown making final eclipse plans
Three days of activities are the pillars of Hagerstown’s plans for the weekend before the April 8 solar eclipse, and residents are still adding to the structure. More than 50 local people came to a Feb. 21 “final” planning meeting for the eclipse, according to Gary Schuette. As chairman of the Heart of Hagerstown community […]
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District joins suit against social media firms
Northeastern Wayne School Corp. is joining a class action lawsuit that maintains social media sites are a cause of mental health issues among students. At the recommendation of Superintendent Matthew Hicks, the Northeastern Wayne schools board agreed on Feb. 21 to join one of many lawsuits against social media companies. According to the Education Week […]
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Film of automotive pioneer’s life to premiere April 5
The public premiere of a documentary film about Hagerstown inventor Ralph R. Teetor will take place during Wayne County’s lead-up to the April 8 solar eclipse. “Blind Logic – The Ralph R. Teetor Story” will be shown at the Hagerstown High School auditorium at 6:30 p.m. Friday, April 5, and at Earlham College’s Goddard Auditorium at […]
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Hagerstown moving on major water rehab
Rehabbing Hagerstown’s water system will mean a water rate increase. A first phase should cost about $2.86 million, according to an engineer’s estimates. Town Council has agreed to start replacing water lines based on an engineer’s system evaluation. Town Manager Chris LaMar said he hopes the entire network of water lines will be replaced eventually. […]
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Preschool will offer grants to help families
The preschool program operated by Nettle Creek Schools will be able to offer grants to help families of 4-year-olds pay for it. Nettle Creek Discovery Preschool and Daycare has been certified as a Level 3 provider by the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration. That means it is sufficiently staffed and meets certain program quality […]
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Lincoln selects a new football coach
Lincoln High School’s new varsity football coach is a familiar face to the Golden Eagles. Western Wayne Schools’ board hired Jeremy Bane as head football coach on Feb. 14. Bane, a special-education teacher at Lincoln, is LHS’ varsity wrestling head coach. Superintendent Andy Stover told the board that Bane “has been doing an incredible job […]
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Shhh: Listen for the new buses
As a new yellow bus started forward, one of the half-dozen school staff on board hollered out from her seat in the back, “Oh my gosh! We’re moving.” Two days later, a post on the Northeastern Wayne School Corp. website gave the reason: “Listen carefully; they are quiet,” wrote Kelly Plank, the district’s director of […]
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Town police save money by training their own
By being able to conduct training on its own, Hagerstown Police Department kept its training cost at $1.76 per hour in 2023, according to Police Chief Keith Folkner. In the police department’s annual report, Folkner said HPD officers completed 849 training hours in 2023, keeping within its $1,500 budget. Many other aspects of police operations […]
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Hagerstown’s final eclipse planning meeting is Feb. 21
Local plans for the days leading up to the April 8 solar eclipse will be made final during a community meeting at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 21, in The Meeting Place, 11 E. Main St., Hagerstown. “This will be the final opportunity for people to ask questions about what kind of things are planned for […]