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HAGERSTOWN, Md. – Washington County officials are urging residents to prepare for potentially severe weather Monday as forecasts call for thunderstorms capable of producing damaging winds and possible tornadoes.

Washington County Emergency Management said it is closely monitoring conditions and encourages residents to stay updated through trusted weather sources. Officials also advised signing up for Washcomd alerts to receive timely warnings and sharing the service with friends and neighbors.

As a precaution, Washington County Public Schools will dismiss students two hours early Monday, March 16. All after-school and evening activities are canceled, including YMCA after-school daycare programs held at school sites.

District leaders cited the threat of severe weather as the reason for the schedule change. “We hope this early notice helps our families and staff prepare in advance for a shorter day tomorrow,” the district said in a statement.

Emergency officials continue to advise residents to review severe weather safety plans and identify shelters before storms approach. Residents should ensure they have multiple ways to receive weather alerts, keep mobile devices and chargers ready, and move indoors when thunderstorms develop.

According to the National Weather Service, a Tornado Watch means conditions are favorable for tornado formation, while a Tornado Warning indicates that a tornado is occurring or imminent and immediate shelter is required.

Safety tips include moving to the lowest level of a sturdy building, preferably a basement or small interior room away from windows. Residents without basements should seek a hallway or interior space on the lowest floor. Mobile homes and weaker structures are unsafe during tornadoes, so those in such housing should identify a stronger shelter in advance.

After the storm, officials advise waiting at least 30 minutes after the last thunder before going outside and watching for downed power lines or unstable trees. Residents should also prepare for potential power outages and blocked roadways following the storm.

Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown’s Consumer Protection Division and 12 other state attorneys general this week announced a lawsuit against OneMain Financial, Inc. and related entities (OneMain), alleging that OneMain, a non-prime installment lender, charged consumers nationwide hundreds of millions of dollars in unlawful hidden fees and interest.

With 26 branches operating in Maryland, including one at 17612 Garland Groh Blvd in Hagerstown, OneMain advertises high-cost installment loans with supposedly “clear, upfront terms,” but it is accused of unlawfully packing those loans, without consumers’ consent or knowledge, with insurance policies and other add-on products which inflate the cost of the loans by hundreds or thousands of dollars.

Attorney General Brown alleged that OneMain rushes consumers through fine-print loan documents containing the dense terms and conditions of the add-ons and hides the add-ons, misrepresents them, or even charges consumers who outright reject them. Further, OneMain is accused of misleading consumers by encouraging them to refinance their loans, then tacks on additional add-on products, fees, and finance charges by hiding key terms.

“Our case claims that OneMain promised Maryland borrowers clear, upfront terms — then buried hidden fees and unwanted add-ons in the fine print to squeeze hundreds or thousands of dollars out of them,” said Attorney General Brown. “We’re filing this lawsuit to hold OneMain accountable and put money back in the pockets of the people they misled.

With this lawsuit, Attorney General Brown and the coalition are seeking recovery of amounts consumers were unlawfully charged for add-on products or fees, as well as penalties for violating state laws. The lawsuit also seeks a court order preventing OneMain from continuing its illegal practices and requiring OneMain to both cease any collection actions and remove any negative information reported to credit agencies regarding loans with these add-on products.

Any consumers who believe that they or someone they know may be a victim of the business practices of OneMain Finance should file a complaint with the Consumer Protection Division at the Office of Attorney General online. For assistance in filing a complaint, call 410-528-8662 or email mediator@oag.maryland.gov.

Along with Maryland, joining in this lawsuit are the attorneys general of Colorado, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.

WASHINGTON COUNTY, Md. () — The Hagerstown Fire Department is inspecting home fire alarms in the area of South Prospect St. on Friday, after two people were rescued from an early morning apartment fire.

According to firefighters, crews responded around 1 a.m. to reports of people being trapped inside a burning multi-residential building in the 100 block of South Prospect St.

Heavy flames and smoke were billowing from multiple floors of the building, and additional fire and EMS crews were alerted to help. Firefighters said several occupants escaped safely, but two people were reported to be trapped inside.

Firefighters found two unconscious people on the first floor and brought them to safety. Both were transported to the hospital in critical condition.

According to firefighters, the flames had spread into the walls and ceiling in parts of the building. The bulk of the fire was extinguished within 80 minutes, with crews remaining on scene for several hours to put out the flames.

The Office of the Maryland State Fire Marshal is investigating the cause of the flames, and preliminary findings indicate the fire to be accidental.

Fire officials responded to the incident, stating,

“The successful removal and care of the victims was truly a team effort from start to finish,” said Deputy Fire Chief Adam Hopkins. “Our highly trained and well-practiced Hagerstown firefighters worked quickly under very difficult conditions to locate and remove the victims from the structure. Our automatic aid partners assisted with their removal and rapid transfer to EMS crews from Community Rescue Service, whose paramedics immediately began advanced life-saving care. That care was continued by the staff at Meritus Medical Center. Incidents like this highlight how critical training, preparation, and strong partnerships are to giving victims the best possible chance of survival.”

Responders also encourage families to plan a fire escape plan to prevent tragedies.

“Fire can grow and become deadly in a matter of minutes,” said Fire Chief John DiBacco. “Working smoke alarms give families the critical early warning they need to escape safely, and every household should also have and practice a home escape plan. In light of this morning’s fire, our firefighters will be in the neighborhood this afternoon checking smoke alarms and helping residents make sure they have that protection in place. A working smoke alarm can truly be the difference between life and death.”

Firefighters will conduct smoke alarm checks in the 100 and 200 blocks of South Prospect Street starting at 4:15 p.m. Friday.

Residents outside of this area who would like their smoke alarms checked or need replacement alarms may complete the department’s online request form found or call the department directly at (301) 791-2544.

HAGERSTOWN, MD. (WBFF) — Two people were rescued from a burning multi-family residence early Friday morning after firefighters responded to a two-alarm fire in Hagerstown.

The Hagerstown Fire Department was dispatched shortly before 1 a.m. on March 13 to a reported structure fire with possible occupants trapped inside at 145 South Prospect Street, according to fire officials.

While crews were en route, the Washington County Emergency Communications Center received multiple 911 calls reporting visible flames and indicating that several people might be trapped inside.

Engine 4, responding from the city’s West End Fire Station, arrived first and encountered heavy fire conditions coming from the multi-residential structure.

The incident was quickly upgraded to a working fire, bringing additional fire and EMS units to the scene.

Several residents were able to escape the building before firefighters arrived, but reports indicated others were still trapped inside.

Firefighters immediately began attacking the fire while conducting search operations throughout the building.

During the search, crews located two occupants unconscious on the first floor.

Firefighters removed the victims from the building to a rear elevated deck, where additional crews assisted in transferring them to waiting paramedics from Community Rescue Service. The victims were then transported for medical care.

Because of the ongoing rescue efforts and fire spreading to multiple floors, a second alarm was requested to bring more personnel to the scene.

Firefighters battled the blaze for more than an hour as flames spread into wall cavities and ceiling void spaces.

The main body of the fire was brought under control in about 80 minutes, but crews remained on scene for several hours extinguishing hidden fire within the building.

The successful removal and care of the victims was truly a team effort from start to finish,” said Deputy Fire Chief Adam Hopkins, via press release. “Our highly trained and well-practiced Hagerstown firefighters worked quickly under very difficult conditions to locate and remove the victims from the structure. Our automatic aid partners assisted with their removal and rapid transfer to EMS crews from Community Rescue Service, whose paramedics immediately began advanced life-saving care. That care was continued by the staff at Meritus Medical Center. Incidents like this highlight how critical training, preparation, and strong partnerships are to giving victims the best possible chance of survival.

The two rescued occupants remain in critical condition as of Friday afternoon. Additional updates regarding their condition will be provided if they become available.

The Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office responded to investigate the fire. A preliminary investigation indicates the blaze is believed to be accidental, though the exact cause remains under review.

Following the incident, fire officials are reminding residents about the importance of smoke alarms and home escape plans.

Fire can grow and become deadly in a matter of minutes,” said Fire Chief John DiBacco, via press release. “Working smoke alarms give families the critical early warning they need to escape safely, and every household should also have and practice a home escape plan. In light of this morning’s fire, our firefighters will be in the neighborhood this afternoon checking smoke alarms and helping residents make sure they have that protection in place. A working smoke alarm can truly be the difference between life and death.

In response to the fire, Hagerstown firefighters will conduct smoke alarm checks in the 100 and 200 blocks of South Prospect Street beginning around 4:15 p.m. Friday, helping residents ensure their alarms are working and that families have escape plans in place.

I drove out to the site of one of the most controversial new ICE facilities in the country this afternoon, an 825,000 square foot warehouse built with the hopes of being used or sold to a logistics company like Amazon but which was recently purchased by Immigration and Customs and Enforcement for a million dollars to hold people instead of boxes.

Precise Google Maps Location

Although often described as the “Hagerstown facility”, the building is actually in the much smaller town of Williamsport, home to 2,000 people. If ICE uses this facility at (or over) its stated initial capacity of 1,500 people, the population of the town will effectively double in size.

The building currently has four toilets and two water fountains. It was designed as a logistics hub, allocated just six Equivalent Dwelling Units of water by the city of Hagerstown, a measure meant for a warehouse where trucks come and go, not a facility where 1,500 human beings are supposed to live. Given the size of the facility, I can’t imagine they will stop at 1,500 if they actually manage to open this facility.

Hagerstown has said it doesn’t have the water capacity for a project like this. County commissioners have floated the idea of drilling wells or trucking water in, but even the volunteer researchers tracking this project have pointed out that trucking water for a facility of this size would be, to put it mildly, quite a task.

The federal government has now spent at least $215 million on the site. The $102.4 million purchase in January was followed last week by a $113 million build-out and operations contract awarded to KVG LLC, a firm based in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. That contract has options to grow to $642 million over three years.

The whole thing is being run through a Navy contracting vehicle called WEXMAC, originally created for overseas military deployments and quietly amended in 2025 to cover the domestic United States. The ceiling on that contract was recently raised from $10 billion to $55 billion.

Before KVG got the job, a $29.9 million design contract had already collapsed when the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, a Native American nation tied to the design work, announced it had exited the agreement, leaving the facility’s design in what one tracking group called “legal and administrative limbo.”

Career ICE officials have reportedly warned that the expansion is unworkable. A federal procurement specialist with 25 years of experience told the volunteer research group Project Salt Box that experienced civil servants’ concerns are being “systematically overruled by political leadership.” ERO staff, the source said, continue to state that this is not a viable option.

Maryland’s attorney general has filed a 28-page lawsuit to halt construction, alleging DHS violated the National Environmental Policy Act by purchasing the facility without an environmental review. The state’s governor sent a 10-page letter raising concerns about sewer capacity, heating, traffic, and backup generators. According to the state’s own filings, ICE is planning to have the facility operational by September.

Standing in front of the building, what strikes you is how enormous and barren the facility is. It’s a massive metal and concrete box set back from the road, with bay doors built for loading and unloading tractor trailers—not people. Across the street up a small rise, several single family houses overlook the facility. I wonder what they will witness from their living room and dining room windows by the end of the year. The conversion that ICE is attempting, from warehouse to human storage, is not a renovation so much as a statement about what this administration believes immigrants are.

I took the photos below and the video above (they are functional, not artistic), and I am making them all available for public use by anyone for any purpose, including any editing and manipulation—just please provide attribution back to this post. Thank you.

Help me pay for gas ???? and coffee ☕ to get powered out to Hagerstown and back today.

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