Hampstead Police

A middle school PTA volunteer in Utah offered to drop off the $1,700 raised at a book fair but pocketed the money instead of going to the bank. An elementary school PTA president in Nebraska stole more than $3,000 when she couldn't keep up with car payments. A PTA treasurer in California embezzled $30,000 to help pay family medical bills. It's not unheard of for someone to abscond with the money raised by selling gift-wrap, pizza kits and candy bars to pay for computer labs, outdoor bleachers and playgrounds.

A middle school PTA volunteer in Utah offered to drop off the $1,700 raised at a book fair but pocketed the money instead of going to the bank. An elementary school PTA president in Nebraska stole more than $3,000 when she couldn't keep up with car payments. A PTA treasurer in California embezzled $30,000 to help pay family medical bills. It's not unheard of for someone to abscond with the money raised by selling gift-wrap, pizza kits and candy bars to pay for computer labs, outdoor bleachers and playgrounds.

Icy roads throughout Carroll County caused at least 50 traffic accidents yesterday, including one fatality, doubled commute times, and made hundreds of students late for school. Slick conditions snarled traffic for several hours on the county's major road, particularly in South Carroll, according to state and municipal police. Gary P. Haines, 47, of Eldersburg was killed when he was hit by a skidding car as he directed traffic in his neighborhood, police said. Hundreds of Carroll County students arrived late to school yesterday morning because of slippery, clogged roads and accidents, interim Schools Superintendent Charles I. Ecker said.

Icy roads throughout Carroll County yesterday caused at least 50 traffic accidents, including one fatality, doubled commute times, and made hundreds of students late for school. Slick conditions snarled traffic for several hours on the county's major road, particularly in South Carroll, according to state and municipal police. Gary P. Haines, 47, of Eldersburg was killed when he was hit by a skidding car as he directed traffic in his neighborhood, police said. Hundreds of Carroll County students arrived late to school yesterday morning because of slippery, clogged roads and accidents, interim Schools Superintendent Charles I. Ecker said.

Two Hampstead men have been charged in two recent store robberies in Carroll County and are wanted for questioning in several similar crimes in western Baltimore County, authorities said. Erland Roessler, 35, of the 1500 block of Main St. and Steven Sirbaugh, 30, of the 4100 block Hillcrest Ave. have been charged in Carroll with multiple counts of armed robbery, assault and theft, said Lt. Terry L. Katz, commander of the state police barracks in Westminster. They were being held without bail at the county detention center in Westminster.

Two Hampstead men have been charged in two recent store robberies in Carroll County and are wanted for questioning in several similar crimes in western Baltimore County, authorities said. Erland Roessler, 35, of the 1500 block of Main St. and Steven Sirbaugh, 30, of the 4100 block of Hillcrest Ave. have been charged in Carroll with multiple counts of armed robbery, assault and theft, said state police Lt. Terry L. Katz. They were being held without bail at the county's detention center in Westminster.

The public is invited to tour Hampstead's new police station at Shiloh Avenue and Main Street today, an opportunity to see the town's new law enforcement quarters and learn about the history of the building it occupies, a former First National Bank of Hampstead office that closed during the Great Depression. The two-story red-brick building also once served as the seat of Hampstead's government and was used as a police station in the 1960s before Hampstead Town Hall opened on South Carroll Street.

Hampstead police officers will be able to take their computers right into their cruisers thanks to a Town Council approval of three laptops for the seven-member force. The laptops were approved by the council last night as part of a $10,000 request for furnishings for the new police station. Town Manager Kenneth Decker had asked for the additional money for blinds or drapes, furniture and the computers. The town had planned to buy desktop computers for the officers, but Decker and Police Chief Kenneth Meekins decided to purchase Dell laptops that officers can take on the road.

Public hearing set on Gamber zoning change The Carroll County Commission will hold a public hearing at 2:30 p.m. tomorrow on a petition to change the zoning on property in Gamber. Robert C. Brothers is requesting to change 11.271 acres on the west side of Niner Road from agriculture to R-40,000 residence. The hearing will be held in Room 300A of the County Office Building, 25 N. Center St., Westminster. Information: 410-386-2061. TV program to include Hampstead police chief Maryland Public Television's "Newsnight Maryland" will broadcast an interview with Hampstead Police Chief Kenneth Meekins as part of a discussion on policing Maryland at 7 p.m. Thursday.

A missing Hampstead teen-ager was safe at home yesterday after she and her former boyfriend were located Friday in Florida, where he was jailed while Maryland authorities sought his return to face charges here, Hampstead police said. Allison M. Zgorski, 18, of Golf View Lane was reported missing Feb. 13. Her parents called police after she failed to return home from a date with William T. Parrish III, 19, formerly of Owings Mills, said Hampstead Chief R. Kenneth Meekins. Meekins said his agency had sufficient probable cause to request an arrest warrant Saturday.