Shepherdstown, at the northern end of the county, is enough off the beaten path to retain the sleepy charm of a small village that makes it easy to quickly relax with a weekend or midweek get-away. Read the Full Story >>
Jefferson County
Ambulance Proposal Raises Alarms — Inside the Fitch EMS Report
Consultants' study recommends reductions in ambulance service, accuracy of data questioned. County Commission eager to proceed, citizens raise multiple concerns. Read the Full Story >>
School Board — How It Works, Why It Matters
Voters will elect 3 candidates to the Jefferson County Board of Education this year. Read more about how the School Board works. Read the Full Story >>
Connecting Teens to Prevent Suicide
Lee O’Neill is on a mission to bring best practices for suicide prevention to Eastern Panhandle schools. Starting two years ago with Musselman High, O’Neill now provides the program — developed by nationwide organization Sources of Strength — to all four high schools in Berkeley County. Read the Full Story >>
Remembering & Maintaining Fairview Cemetery
Cemeteries not only serve as resting places for our loved ones but also offer windows into our history. Old family graveyards are often a lasting mark of the wealthy landowners of the 19th century. Cemeteries established to bury the Civil War dead, like Elmwood, Edge Hill, and Pine Grove, remind us of the true cost of war. Church cemeteries are monuments to the congregations and community who once prayed together within their walls. Read the Full Story >>
Restaurant Week March 1-5
Restaurant Week is coming to Jefferson County, from March 1 (Tue) through March 5 (Sat). The participating restaurants will be offering discounts, unique menu items, and creative cocktails to help shake off the winter and celebrate the bloom of spring. Read the Full Story >>
Housing Construction Grows In Jefferson County
When The Observer looked at Jefferson County home construction trends in May of 2021, the County’s Office of Impact Fees reported that 149 residential building permits had been issued countywide during the first three months of 2021. The numbers for the full year were even more impressive, as numbers for single family and townhouse construction were double the annual rate seen in the past decade. Read the Full Story >>
Two Rivers Chamber Orchestera to Perform Peter & The Wolf
n Sunday, August 29, the Friends of Music will present an outdoor concert featuring the Two Rivers Chamber Orchestra performing "Peter and the Wolf," Sergei Prokoviev's symphonic fairy tale for children, at The Amp in Sam Michael's Park. Read the Full Story >>
Appalachian Chamber Music Festival Launches New Event
You can play almost anywhere with four people,” remarked Katie Tertell, artistic director and organizer of the Appalachian Chamber Music Festival. “You can be in an intimate space and the audience can be there with you. When I play informal house concerts, people say it’s such a different experience to be this close. Read the Full Story >>
Jefferson County Fair – August 22 to 28
Get ready for a full week of fun and entertainment at the 68th annual Jefferson County Fair! Read the Full Story >>
Spotted Lanternfly In Jefferson County
A new menace has arrived in the county. Unlike the recent swarms of cicadas (or the more mysterious Mothman), the spotted lanternfly is an invasive species that will attack and kill many native trees, including black walnut, maple, peach, and apple trees. Read the Full Story >>
Job Fair In Ranson – JULY 7
The Jefferson County Development Authority (JCDA), Convention & Visitors Bureau, and Chamber of Commerce, along with the county and municipal governments have teamed up to present a “Work Local” resource fair for local residents looking for new career opportunities. Read the Full Story >>
Rethinking Our Roads for Shared Use
It’s hard to miss Interstate Highways 81 and 70, the most visible transportation projects in our area funded with Federal dollars. But our transportation infrastructure is much more than highways. Read the Full Story >>
Zoning Changes Coming to Kearneysville
On April 15, Jefferson Orchards Inc. (JOI), applied to the Jefferson County Commission to change the zoning designation for the old Miller Orchard and a second, adjacent property located to the northeast of Kearneysville. The two parcels (240+ acres) are currently in the rural zone. Read the Full Story >>
Construction Complete, Concerns Continue Over Rockwool
According to the @ROCKWOOLRansonCommunity page on Facebook, the manufacturing facility will operate equipment in May to “run in” the factory, prior to beginning production operations in June. In an April 30 post, the company stated that “steam” will be visible from the chimney stack above the “wet electrostatic precipitator'' and a “plume” will be visible from the tall chimney Read the Full Story >>