Metzner & Houpt - Attorneys at Law

12/07/2025

12/04/2025

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 10th at 5PM - Join us for a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony celebrating the opening of a unique establishment in Hagerstown – Barrel Bodega - Valley Wine & Spirits, by the Valley Mall.

Reimagining the bodega as a place you can first experience fine products then enjoy a boutique shopping experience.

11/29/2025

Maryland State Police Make Four Arrests In Washington County Triple Murder/House Fire that occurred on November 18th in Clear Spring; Additional Arrests Expected
Read More: https://tinyurl.com/ytj9dj2d

11/21/2025

11/20/2025

Council Approves Amended Rules of Procedure for Meetings

In Special Session on Tuesday, the City Council voted 5-0 in favor of amending the rules of procedure that apply to the elected body’s meetings.

While Mayor & Council meetings will continue to follow “Roberts Rules of Order,” and some general “housekeeping” items such as updating the reference to the Mayor as the presiding “Chair” at all Mayor & Council meetings instead of the “Chairman,” and clarifying that the City Attorney shall attend not all meetings, but all “Regular” meetings, the biggest changes will impact citizens wishing to address Mayor & Council at the month-end Regular Session.

Starting next Tuesday, anyone wishing to address the Mayor & Council in-person must pre-register by going to the City website, clicking on the “Speak at Meeting” icon on the homepage, and filling out the form with their full name and mailing address (both must be accurate), organization or group—if speaking on behalf of one, and topic. In-person signup will no longer be offered. The completed registration form must be time stamped no later than 24 hours prior to the scheduled start of the Regular Session. Failing to meet any of the necessary criteria may result in forfeiture of the chance to speak.

Each registrant will be called in the order in which they pre-registered and will be given three minutes to speak on a topic that must be germane to City business. The Mayor will make that determination and will conclude the in-person comment session at the end of 30 minutes. If there is anyone who pre-registered but did not get to address Mayor & Council during the allotted time frame, they are welcome to submit their comments in writing.

As has been the practice, emails to [email protected] will continue to be accepted, shared with Mayor & Council, and included in the meeting’s official record.

Please send any questions to [email protected].

11/16/2025

The 35th Annual Illumination of the Antietam Battlefield is coming up Saturday Dec. 6. The public drive through will begin at 6 PM on Rt. 34 East of Sharpsburg. If you have never attended before, cars line up on the west bound shoulder and at 6 PM begin to slowly drive through the battlefield to experience the 23,110 luminaries. which represent all of the killed, wounded and missing casualties from September 17, 1862. .

11/09/2025

TRASH, RECYCLING & YARD WASTE ADVISORY: Veterans' Day Collection

All residents of the City of Hagerstown should note that Tuesday, November 11 will be observed by the City as the “Veterans' Day” holiday. However, there will be no interruption of normal recycling, trash, and yard waste collection service.

As always, set recycling, trash, and yard waste at curbside after 4:00 p.m. on your normal set-out day.

If you have any questions, please contact the Engineering Department at 301-739-8577, extension 125 or visit us at www.hagerstownmd.org .

11/07/2025

Water testing has confirmed the presence of a toxin-producing blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) in Greenbrier State Park. This type of algae can produce harmful toxins that pose serious risks to pets and people. The park will remain closed until testing is complete.

We’ll share updates as more information becomes available. Thank you for helping protect yourself, your pets, and our shared natural resources.