AP/Daily Record

A Washington County official says Allegiant Air will suspend service between Hagerstown and Orlando, Fla., from Aug. 14 to Oct. 30.

Washington County Commissioners President John Barr says the decision was based on the normal reduction in vacation travel that occurs at the start of the school year.

Barr said staff at the Hagerstown Regional Airport were surprised to learned of the planned suspension six weeks ago. He said the nonstop flights have been more than 80 percent full since they started in November.

Barr says Allegiant will resume the flights Nov. 1.

Photo by Flickr user PILOT25 used via Creative Commons License.

WBAL.comf

Authorities say a vehicle loaded with fireworks has caught fire near the town of Hancock.

Washington County fire department officials say the incident occurred Saturday on eastbound Interstate 70. They say a man apparently had bought fireworks from a stand and reported his vehicle was on fire.

Daily Record

Civil liberties advocates are weighing in on a dispute over political signs in Washington County.

Paul Thompson Jr. says a county election judge tore down political signs on his property on election day in November, saying they were within a 100-foot “no-electioneering” zone around the polling place.

But American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland officials say applying the 100-foot rule to private property is unconstitutional. They wrote state and county elections officials asking for action to ensure the incident doesn’t happen again.

Attorney General opinions from 1986 and 1990 state that the prohibition applies on public or private property. But the ACLU argues that case law established since the opinions may mean the advice won’t stand up in court.