Gary “Nuke’ Spielman 1942-2026 Gary “Nuke” Spielman passed away peacefully at home on February 20, 2026, at the age of 83. He was born on May 30, 1942, and raised in Berkeley Springs, W.Va. His parents were Dustin Ellis Spielman and Dona Barnes Spielman. Nuke worked as glazier by trade[Read More…]
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LeEsta Anderson Koontz
LeEsta Anderson Koontz 1934-2026 LeEsta Anderson Koontz, age 91, of Berkeley Springs, W.Va., passed away on Friday, February 20, 2026 at War Memorial Hospital surrounded by her loving family. Born June 6, 1934 in Berkeley Springs, W.Va., she was the daughter of the late Edward Garrison and Lillie Pauline Culp[Read More…]
Arthur Eugene Mason
Arthur Eugene Mason 1951-2026 Arthur Eugene Mason, age 74, of Berkeley Springs, W.Va., passed away on Monday, February 16, 2026 at the Berkeley Springs Healthcare Center. Born July 8, 1951 in Schenectady, N.Y., he was the son of the late Willard Franklin and Elizabeth Jane Rycraft Mason. He was a[Read More…]
Hazel I. McFadden
Hazel I. McFadden Hazel Irene McFadden, 91, died Monday, February 23, 2026 at Augusta Health Shenandoah House, Fishersville, Va. Full obituary will be in next week’s The Hancock News. Arrangements are being handled by Helsley-Johnson Funeral Home & Cremation Center, 95 Union Street, Berkeley Springs.
Geese don’t mind the ice
As temperature start to get back to normal, icy remnants of the Arctic blast from a couple weeks ago are still floating out on the Potomac River. On Monday, these Canadian geese didn’t seem to mind as they look for something to eat. photo by Geoff Fox
Good turnout attends Hancock Community Dance
by Lisa Schauer Wind Dance String Band took the stage for Hancock’s community dance on Sunday, February 15 at the Hancock Performing Arts Center. Cabin fever delivered a small crowd of locals to the dance, despite a steady rain outside. Leslie Devine-Milbourne called the moves, inviting one and all to[Read More…]
Maryland hunters harvest 71,649 deer for 2025-2026 season
Maryland deer hunters harvested 71,649 deer during the combined archery, firearms, and muzzleloader seasons, from September 5, 2025 through February 4, 2026. The statewide harvest reported to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources included 29,814 antlered and 37,925 antlerless white-tailed deer, and 1,874 antlered and 2,036 antlerless sika deer. The[Read More…]
Derelict building fines, police calls get town officials’ attention
by Geoff Fox Hancock officials addressed concerns during the February town meeting on Tuesday, February 10 about the status of fines on two buildings deemed to be in need of demolition, and police calls to certain addresses in town. Town resident Sinclair Hamilton was looking for information on the demolition[Read More…]
Free trees available for Maryland landowners for “Backyard Buffers”
Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources is offering free tree seedlings to landowners statewide who have a creek, drainage ditch, stream, or other waterway on or near their property through the Backyard Buffers program. Each “buffer in a bag” includes 20-30 native tree and shrub bare-root seedlings, approximately 1 to 2[Read More…]
Washington County Commissioners pledge public support for DHS, ICE & police partnerships
by Kate Shunney Washington County’s Board of County Commissioners adopted a resolution at their February 10 public meeting expressing “full support for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and local law enforcement agencies.” Recordings of the public meeting capture loud objections in chambers to the[Read More…]
