Sen. Cardin tours region to laud hunger efforts Sports, Page B-1 Inside, Page A-5 Established 1872 Wednesday, October 15, 2014 n WE DNE SDA Y Westlake football loses to Chopticon in final minute Charles County, Maryland 75¢ Police hold husband after woman’s death nn Body found behind Waldorf shopping center had been run over multiple times, police say By ANDREW MICHAELS Staff writer The Charles County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a homicide after a woman was found dead behind the shopping center at 3220 Crain Highway in Waldorf. Investigation revealed that the woman, Jennifer Lynn Weyhen- meyer, 36, of Waldorf had been run over by a vehicle multiple times, according to sheriff’s office spokeswoman Diane Richardson. Richardson said officers and detectives found out that Weyhenmeyer had an argument with her husband approximately 20 to 30 minutes before she was found dead. The body has been sent to the Office of the State Medical Examiner for an autopsy. Officers arrived at the shopping center near the Pizza Hut at approximately 7:45 p.m. Oct. 12 after a man driving through the alley saw an unconscious woman lying in the parking lot, according to the sheriff’s office report. Detectives found the victim’s husband at the couple’s home on Pierce Road in Waldorf, where the officers detained him and transported him to the hospital after he told officers he had a medical issue. A Ford Edge also was found at the house. Forensics examiners are collecting and analyzing evidence from the vehicle, including blood. The husband will be charged in the death upon his release from the hospital, Richardson said. According to a neighbor, she did not see the two very much, only in passing. Detective C. Shankster is investigating. Anyone with information is asked to call the Charles County Sheriff’s Office at 301-932-2222. This is the third homicide this See DEATH, Page A-6 Fred’s fire intentionally set after Monday burglary nn Another blaze occurred next door in September By ANDREW MICHAELS Staff writer Fire officials have determined that someone set fire to Fred’s Sports, a wellknown gun range and store in Waldorf, early Monday morning. The fire started at approximately 4:30 a.m. at the shop on Crain Highway, according to Deputy Chief Fire Marshal Duane K. Svites of the Office of the State Fire Marshal. More than 35 firefighters from Waldorf, La Plata, Brandywine, Accoceek, Hughesville and Clinton controlled the two-alarm fire in less than 30 minutes. Investigators determined the cause of the fire was incendiary after finding evidence of a burglary prior to the fire being set. An employee of Fred’s, wishing to remain anonymous, arrived at the store around noon and said that someone broke into the building by cutting a hole in the roof above the gun counter and set a fire on the way out. While items were destroyed by the fire, the employee said that proper security measures helped salvage a lot of products, including guns. Barbara Herbert, store cashier and mother of owner Joe Herbert, said she has worked at the store since it opened. “I’ve been here since 1984 when the building was done by Charles Fred Herbert,” she said. “And then, he sold it 10 years ago to the youngest boy, Joe.” Herbert said that security See FIRE, Page A-6 Staff photo by R.C. DOWNS The Office of the State Fire Marshal is investigating an early morning fire Monday at Fred’s Sports store on U.S. 301 in Waldorf. Robinson, Lollar face off in District 1 nn Candidates express E LE C T I ON confidence in their appeal 2014 By JEFF NEWMAN Staff writer In what could prove to be the most hotly contested Charles County race in the Nov. 4 election, Commissioner Ken Robinson and former gubernatorial candidate Charles Lollar are intent on reaching as many voters as possible in their duel for the District 1 commissioner’s seat. Coming off a large fundraiser last weekend at Mount Aventine in Bryans Road, Robinson (D) plans to stuff local mailboxes with a series of campaign mailers, one prior to the start of early voting Oct. 23 and more between then and Election Day. Robinson, who lives in Swan Point, also will continue to be a consistent pres- Lollar Robinson ence at events across the county. “I’m trying to be as ubiquitous as possible throughout the county, going to as many events and engaging as many voters as I can,” he said. A Newburg resident, Lollar, a Republican, is planning campaign mailers of his own, along with a series of television ads and an Oct. 21 town hall in Waldorf where he expects between 200 and 300 attendees. “We’ll talk through what my vision is for Charles County, but then I want to hear from them what they think are the best steps for the county,” Lollar said. Robinson is hoping to avoid the frayed nerves he suffered the night of the June 24 Democratic primary, when it was unclear whether his narrow 85-vote lead over former Commissioner Sam Graves would hold up following absentee ballot canvasses. Though his lead ultimately dwindled to 61 votes, Robinson’s victory remained intact. His reward was drawing Lollar — the county’s most noteworthy conservative following unsuccessful campaigns See DIST. 1, Page A-10 Commissioners fail to act on APFO committee report nn School board members upset at impasse on funding By JEREMY BAUER-WOLF Staff writer After nearly a year of meetings, squabbles and forums, the School Adequate Public Facilities Program and Funding Review Committee, formed by the Charles County commissioners, developed a report offering recommen- Cancer awareness events spark stories of life, loss nnIndian Head rallies to aid local survivors, patients By REBECCA J. BARNABI Staff writer Irish Burns of Indian Head first walked in the Indian Head Breast Cancer Awareness Fitness Walk in 2009 for her sister, Muriel Burns of Woodbridge, Va. She walked the next year for her grandmother and the year after that for her aunt. By then, Muriel had joined Irish on the walks as a breast cancer survivor, along with sister Frank Jackson of Indian Head. In 2012, early detection led to a biopsy that revealed that Irish Burns also had breast cancer. The three sisters walked together Saturday to show support for their community and family. “It’s an opportunity to show community spirit and fellowship [with other breast cancer survivors],” Jackson said. Irish Burns said it was especially nice to see young people out showing their support. “[It’s] nice to see people out supporting breast cancer awareness,” Muriel Burns said. Jackson said she was diagnosed in 2010 and has been in remission for one See CANCER, Page A-14 nn Survivors, family members recount struggles at Westlake High School By JEREMY BAUER-WOLF Staff writer Staff photo by R.C. DOWNS Shondia McFadden-Sabari, a South Carolina native who underwent a bilateral mastectomy in 2011, tells her story Wednesday at Westlake High School. Shondia McFadden-Sabari said she is bold and breastless. After the South Carolina native was diagnosed with breast cancer Dec. 23, 2010, at 36, McFadden-Sabari said she wanted to ensure that the disease would not re-emerge, and later elected to undergo a bilateral mastectomy in February 2011 — without follow-up reconstructive surgery. “I don’t have anything against anybody who believes in plastic surgery,” she said. “But I didn’t.” Before her surgery, she would spin in the See WESTLAKE, Page A-14 dations for seeking revenue sources for school renovations while keeping up with growth in housing. The report, nearly 80 pages, contains charts comparing taxes of Maryland’s jurisdictions and maps that identify hot spots of expansion in the county and subsequent overcrowding in the schools. It pinpoints issues and offers sometimes multiple solutions. Some committee members are upset and say the See REPORT, Page A-10 Family fun, vets services St. Charles Cos. fall festival has activities for kids, help for vets A-11 Inside CommunityB-5 Editorial A-8 Obituaries A-12,13 On the agenda A-2 Police news A-6 Sports B-1 AARP details senior services Group warns 50-plus crowd on identity theft A-16 Vol. 144, No. 83 3 sections Copyright 2014 Southern Maryland Newspapers