January 05, 1992
Countian killed in war: Charles L. Bowman Jr., the son of Sandra and Charles L. Bowman Sr. of Manchester, is killed in the Persian Gulf war, the first countian and the sixth Marylander to sacrifice his life. The 20-year-old was killed in southern Iraq after a bomblet exploded in his hand. Bowman, who was a mechanic for Bradley fighting vehicles, is buried after a military funeral in Garrison Forest Veterans Cemetery.
Quarries responsible: The state Senate unanimously approves a bill that makes mining companies responsible for damages they might cause. The House must concur with the Senate amendments before passage becomes official, but no problems are expected, according to the bill's co-sponsors, Delegates Richard N. Dixon, D-Carroll, and Donald B. Elliot, R-Carroll, Howard. The approval concludes a four-year battle waged by the two delegates to protect residents' property; after opposing the bill since its inception in 1988, industry representatives agreed last week to support it with certain amendments once it appeared likely to pass a Senate committee.
WMC grant approved: The state House and Senate have approved a $1.9 million grant for Western Maryland College for an expansion of the Lewis Hall of Science. The $7.8 million project will add space for labs and classes and modernize the science hall, which was built in 1914 and expanded in 1966.
Man charged in slaying: Charles Albert Rhodes Jr., 42, of the 800 block of Houcksville Road in Hampstead is chargedwith first- and second-degree murder and manslaughter in connection with the shooting death of Steven Edgar Rupp. Police say Rhodes, his estranged wife, Geenie, their two children and Rupp all lived together for about five years. Rhodes slept in one room while Rupp and Rhodes' wife slept in another. Police said that Rupp and Geenie Rhodes were arguing, when Charles Rhodes apparently came to his wife's aid. "Hehas been asking for it for some time, and I couldn't take it anymore, " Charles Rhodes told Hampstead Police Officer Paul Steinmetz when the officer arrived at the home, court documents show. Rupp has a history of problems with the law that are documented in court records.
Incriminating information: Defense lawyers for Edwin F. Downs Jr. seek to suppress evidence they say was improperly obtained. The 31-year-old Mount Airy man is accused of shooting and killing his wife, Anne Rita Downs, 30, around midnight Dec. 19. Downs called police at 3:20 a.m. from a cellular phone, saying he had been shot at while on hisroute delivering the Washington Post. In pretrial motions, Downs' lawyers are seeking to keep the jury from hearing testimony by a California man who identified Downs in a photo lineup as having bought a gun from him; a gun found by police the day of the murder was traced tothe California man's father, says Carroll State's Attorney Thomas E.Hickman.
Murder-suicide claims men: Matthew Leigh Frock of the first block of Old Westminster Road in Hanover, Pa., and Richard Earl Uphoff Jr. of the 5100 block of Old Hanover Road in Westminster are found dead by police at the home of a friend on Menges Mill Road near Taneytown. Police conclude that the two argued and struggled, and Frock shot Uphoff and then turned the gun on himself. The two were apparently close friends; family members are at a loss to explain the tragedy.
New firehouse planned: The Mount Airy Volunteer Fire Company begins a fund drive and moves forward with plans to build a $1.5 million structure on 5 acres it owns near Watersville Road and North Main Street. The 27, 200-square-foot structure will give the fire company about four times the space currently available at the Main Street firehouse, which was built in 1926 and has been expanded twice.
Surprise for Mom: Ella Upperman's most surprising birthday gift was ratherhard to wrap. Her son, Douglas, who had been serving in the Persian Gulf for seven months, surprises her at the party at Friendly Farm. Doug, who has been in the Army for 10 years, was en route to California, where he was getting married.
No pay raise:The Carroll Board ofEducation, responding to the county's financial constraints, proposes teachers go without a salary raise next year. "We weren't surprised, " said Harold Fox, chief negotiator for the Carroll County Education Association, which represents about 1, 300 teachers. Fox said teachers recognize the county is in a difficult financial situation but said that without a pay raise, "it will take a considerable amount of improvement in other areas to reach a settlement."
