Martinsburg

Coffee has always been a popular drink. It’s been a big trade item for hundreds of years and continues to be one of the leading beverages in the world. Coffee is so popular that many people don’t even care if it’s cheap or low quality; as long as they have that caffeine fix. But more and more people are searching for that higher quality coffee only found in the specialty shops.

Earlier this month the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared a flu epidemic in the nation and named West Virginia a state with widespread flu activity. Now some hospitals in the eastern panhandle are taking extra precautions to make sure the virus doesn’t spread in their facilities.

University Healthcare Berkeley Medical Center has installed a video system that allows new parents and family members to check in on their infants in the neonatal intensive care unit anytime and from anywhere.

World War I ended , on November 11, 1918, after more than four years of brutal fighting. Nearly 39 million soldiers had been killed, wounded, or listed as missing. American soldiers arrived on the scene only during the last year-and-a-half of the war. Still, some 116,000 died in the conflict.

In an open seminar at the Berkeley Medical Center in Martinsburg, Ebola preparedness was the focus of discussion. It’s been in the headlines across the country for a while now, but should West Virginians really feel at risk of contracting the disease? Doctors in the state say West Virginians have little to fear.

  U.S. Senator Harry F. Byrd died on October 20, 1966. The Democrat was a pivotal political figure for much of the 20th century.

  State environmental officials have tallied more than 45,500 aboveground storage tanks as a deadline passed to register them.

Officials say they're still registering thousands more.

In Charleston on Wednesday, tank owners questioned the state Department of Environmental Protection about upcoming steps. DEP's stakeholder meeting is covering proposed rules for a new law regulating aboveground tanks.

Thursday, September 25th marks the end of an era for the 167th Airlift Wing in Martinsburg. The National Guard unit is getting the first of eight C-17 aircrafts, which will eventually replace the 11 C-5s that have been on the base since 2006. This transition comes at a price. About 160 fulltime positions are going away, but the West Virginia National Guard is trying to help the people affected find other jobs.

A group of impassioned veterans showed up to a town hall meeting at the Martinsburg VA Medical Center last week to voice a litany of complaints. But for the most part, they did NOT echo the national outrage about wait times for doctors' appointments. Instead, the veterans raised issues ranging from homelessness to hospital food.

On West Virginia Morning, Glynis Board reports on an on line map compiled by the state Department of Environmental Protection showing where horizontal gas well are located.  And Liz McCormick attended a town hall meeting where veterans told officials from the Martinsburg Veterans Affairs Medical Center what they really need.

There’s a place in historic downtown Martinsburg that’s known to the community as… the BE-Hive. It’s spelled B-E, meaning “to be,” and “hive” meaning “home.” It’s an activity center for children, but it’s not a drop-off point. The parents have to be involved too.

Courthouses and police departments across the state have been collecting prescription drugs for a few years now. The idea is to cut down on waste in the streams and keep unused prescriptions out of the hands of drug abusers. The Berkeley County Sheriff’s Department says collections have almost doubled in the past 5 months.

  The West Virginia Board of Medicine says in a complaint that a Martinsburg doctor isn't qualified to practice medicine.

The complaint alleges that Dr. Tressie Montene Duffy pre-signed prescription pads and directed non-physician staff to prescribe controlled substances while she wasn't in the office. She also is accused of dispensing prescription medication without being registered as a dispensing physician.

Local elementary and middle school teachers in and around the Martinsburg area attended a NASA Teachers Workshop, Wednesday, hosted by STARBASE Martinsburg. Going on its twelfth school year, STARBASE has hosted these workshops each summer to better prepare educators in the ever-evolving field of science and math. But the question is, with all the demands teachers face during the school year, can they effectively take the time for these new resources in their own classrooms?

An Eastern Panhandle city and another city in the Kanawha Valley will seek to participate in the state's Municipal Home Rule Pilot Program.
 
 The Martinsburg City Council and the Nitro City Council both approved ordinances on Tuesday authorizing the submission of applications to the program.
 

Martinsburg's City Council plans to vote this week on whether the city will apply for the state's home rule program.

A final vote is scheduled Tuesday on a proposed ordinance that would authorize Mayor George Karos to submit the city's application.

The Journal reports that Martinsburg's application includes adopting a 1 percent sales tax. Business and occupation taxes on wholesale and retail businesses would be reduced. The B&O tax on amusement businesses would be eliminated.

Martinsburg officials plan to gather input from residents and property owners on the city's home rule application. A public hearing is set for tomorrow night as part of a special City Council meeting.