Mount Airy

Two schools burglarized; building equipment takenTwo southwest Carroll schools were the site of break-ins in recent weeks, Maryland State Police at the Westminster barracks reported.Entry was gained through a rear window of the Mount Airy Middle School on Watersville Road Oct. 2. Nothing appeared to be missing, according to school officials.That same day, burglars took a Lincoln Arc welder and other equipment after breaking in the Winfield Elementary School construction site on Salem Bottom Road Oct. 2, state police reported.

A Mount Airy man was arrested Thursday night by state Natural Resources Police on charges of jacklighting deer, a police spokesman said.Jacklighting -- shining a light on wildlife at night while carrying a weapon -- carries a maximum penalty of a $2,000 fine and six months in jail, John Surrick, the spokesman, said.Arrested at a farm field in the Mount Airy area about 7: 15 p.m. was Neal G. Eitel, 48, of the 3800 block of W. Watersville Road.Natural Resources Police reported seeing grazing deer and said Eitel had a .270-caliber rifle with him when he shone his vehicle headlights at the animals.

A Mount Airy farmer is being sued for $350,000 in damages stemming from an accident last spring involving a motorcyclist and one of the farmer's Black Angus cattle.Michael G. Vlahos Jr. of Pommel Drive in Mount Airy filed a complaint this week stating that the farmer, James A. Knill, had been negligent in allowing his animal to wander into the road.He and his wife, Susan Vlahos, have asked for a $350,000 judgment against Mr. Knill for injuries and emotional damage stemming from the accident.

A resolution proposed by Mount Airy Mayor Frank Johnson to endorse a national climate-protection pledge died at a Town Council meeting last night. Council member John Woodhull made a motion to support Johnson's resolution, but it was not seconded by any of the three other council members present. As mayor, Johnson can introduce legislation and resolutions but does not vote. Sykesville is the only one of Carroll County's eight municipalities to endorse the U.S. Mayor's Climate Protection Agreement, which promotes energy conservation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Van burns; damage put at $5,000A fire at 3449 Baker Road in Winfield caused $5,000 damage to a 1986 Chevrolet van owned by Steven Hoover.Ten firefighters from Winfield and Community Volunteer Fire Department put out the blaze, which was discovered at 2:51 a.m. Saturday, in 15 minutes.No injuries were reported.Deputy fire marshals said the blaze originated between the -- and the engine of the van, and they listed the cause as accidental.Mr. Hoover told investigators the van had been parked at his home more than two hours before the discovery of the fire.

Commercial zoning was the main topic of discussion at last night's hearing on the Mount Airy 1993 Comprehensive Plan.A majority of the eight speakers urged the Town Council to look closely at the application of commercial zoning in the plan."

Mount Airy is at a crossroads, literally and figuratively.A small town in Carroll's southwest corner with a population of 3,762, it is being buffeted by growth taking place all around it. Its planners and politicians are working to develop a strategy to preserve its small-town feel and identity while allowing it to grow.Many of the town's problems can be traced to its location. The line between Frederick and Carroll counties divides the town in half -- right down Main Street. The Howard County line sits less than a mile from the southern end of town, and the northern sliver of Montgomery County also is about a mile from town.