This date was a Sunday. The Frederick News-Post did not publish a Sunday edition at this time.

40 Years Ago

March 18, 1983

Good morning! “You can’t legislate intelligence and common sense into people.” — Will Rogers

Frederick City officials Thursday began the first step in an annexation process which could bring an additional 1,061 acres of land into the city by early June. Included in the proposed annexation to the north of the city will be Frederick Community College, part of Fort Detrick and Hayward Road, Shenandoah Plastics, Frederick Electronics, Monocacy Middle School and the board of education annex. The land area, one of the largest to be brought into the city, is located between Yellow Springs Road and U.S. 15.

During 1982, police agencies in Frederick County solved 14 crimes from information provided by citizens through the Frederick County Crime Solvers program. According to Cpl. Thomas Zufall, coordinator of Crime Solvers, of the 14 crimes solved, 20 persons were arrested as a result of tips provided by citizens through the anonymous information line.

20 Years Ago

March 18, 2003

WASHINGTON — Worried that war in Iraq could lead to terrorist reprisals at home, the Department of Homeland Security raised the terror alert one level to orange, or “high,” Monday night and called for an increase in security measures nationwide. Calling the effort “Operation Liberty Shield,” the department deployed extra Border Patrol officers, stepped up patrols at seaports, airports and nuclear power plants and safeguards over the nation’s food supply, officials said.

Woodsboro officials are still hunting for the broken water pipe that has cost the town 100,000 gallons of water a day for the last two weeks. Burgess Donald Trimmer and a representative from the Maryland Rural Water Association tracked the leak last week and narrowed the search to the town’s industrial park off Md. 550.

100 Years Ago

March 19, 1923

J.A. Kidwiler Jr., this city, was cut about the head and shoulders Sunday night at 11 o’clock when the machine he was driving crashed into a loop car of the Potomac Public Service Company on East Patrick street. The force of the collision sent Kidwiler head-first into the windshield. Charles Titlow was motorman of the trolley car. He states he saw the Kidwiler machine when it was about 40 feet away and stopped the trolley. The automobile continued, however, and crashed into the trolley near the intersection of Wisner and East Patrick streets.

Clarence Jackson was badly cut with a razor by “Dick” Potts during a fight at Five-and-a-Half Sunday afternoon. Jackson’s injury was dressed by Dr. Charles F. Goodell. Both men were arrested by Sheriff James A. Jones and Deputy Allen Bartgis and lodged in jail. Later the pair became involved in a fight in the jail and were placed in separate cells, where they will remain until a hearing, probably this afternoon.

The need to restore the supply of oysters and shad in Maryland is set forth in the annual report of the Conservation commission, which Harrison W. Vickers Jr., chairman of the commission, has just forwarded to Governor Ritchie. Both the shad and oyster supply have been declining, the report points out, and Mr. Vickers has offered remedy in each. He suggests that proper state and Federal legislation be enacted to curb the setting nets. In the report, he states that the nets now are so numerous and extend so far beyond their proper limits that it is practically impossible for the shad to do more than enter the bay and that few of these fish ever reach the head of the rivers their natural spawning ground.

40 Years Ago

March 19, 1983

The results of a study, which will reflect the possible hardships and gains of the development of a ski resort on College Mountain, will be reviewed at a public meeting march 20 at the Mother Seton Auditorium, Emmitsburg. The study, headed by Emmitsburg Mayor Robert M. Preston, consists of 23 possible problem areas the resort could bring to the town. Sewage, water, traffic flow, police and fire protection are among the 23 problem areas the town has done research on.

President Reagan and his party were forced to land in Thurmont and drive to Camp David because of the inclement weather Friday. Three helicopters were used to transport the group to Camp David and two loaded in the athletic fields across from the elementary school. Security was tight on U.S. 15. Marines stood guard even after the president had departed the area. The presidential helicopter landed directly at Camp David, which was fogged in Friday afternoon.

(Editor’s Note: The News-Post does not have access to archives from 50 years ago for August 1972 through March 1973. The “50 Years Ago” summary will return April 1, 2023.)

20 Years Ago

March 19, 2003

Sheriff Jim Hagy will be the unified commander in Frederick County if there’s a terrorist incident or one involving weapons of mass destruction. The sheriff got the nod on a 3-2 vote from the county commissioners Tuesday afternoon. Sheriff Hagy will be in charge when the emergency operations plan is activated due to chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear events.

The broken water line responsible for dumping 100,000 gallons a day of Woodsboro’s water supply was found and repaired Tuesday afternoon. Officials had been searching for the source of the break for more than a week. Burgess Donald Trimmer said the split 2-inch line was discovered in the industrial park area off Md. 550. “We found it by dumb luck,” Mr. Trimmer said. He blamed the break on normal wear and tear. The broken part of the line was replaced.