They dont stand a chance., The societal ripple effect of the opioid epidemic cant be overstated, says Piercy, who doesnt have to look any farther than outside his downtown Potomac Street office window to witness people nodding and passing out. 6:15 AM. "Drug traffickers don't work nine-to-five hours, so the people investigating this case have to work 24-seven, and this team worked for approximately a year investigating this case," he said. Michael Anthony Holland, 36, of Hurlock, Maryland. Then he went from eating it to snorting it. The rest of the state did not share that history, and Hagerstown and towns like it are dealing with something entirely new. Employment or private drug testing options: 5, 10, 12 panel urine drug tests, DOT drug testing and DOT Random Pool, breath alcohol, EtG 3 day alcohol tests, 90 day hair follicle drug tests. She mentions the increased training for Narcan, a medication that can prevent fatal overdoses, across the city. Others sell or trade their methadone or bupe (opioid medications used to suppress withdrawal symptoms) to buy the real thing, faking drug tests to game the system. When you cant find work, cant pay your billswho wants to think about that? If we were somehow able to turn around the [addiction] numbers today, it would take another 20 years to shake off the damage., police investigating a burglary on West Franklin Street. Baltimore, Md. Herman Mills, a Republican mayor from 1965-1973 who owned several gas stations and stores, was a sort of kingpin of the local ruling class, as Elliott puts itand the last in a long line of businessmen and factory owners investing in Hagerstown. Whether these efforts, which remain largely public investmentschools, libraries, parkscan spark enough commercial interest to compete with the Valley Mall, the two Walmart Supercenters, and the Premium Outlets remains to be determined. Nobody I know. This is across the boardand Ill be the first to agree that attitudes are changing because more white people are dyingthats totally fair. Lock The Frederick County Sheriff's Office arrested and charged 12 people in a drug bust Wednesday. -- The number of meth cases, particularly of one-pot meth labs in Western Maryland, has been experiencing a recent surge. , Rep. Hoyer on legacy, traditions and Speaker McCarthy, How much more DMV residents will pay for healthcare, Husband of missing DC real estate executive arrested, Virginia H.S. Instead, he sought help by way of Suboxone (the commercial name for a combination of buprenorphineand naloxone), which he considers a miracle. Two additional private methadone treatment centers have since opened in the area, not to mention the Washington County Health Departments outpatient addiction program, which treated more than 11,000 patients between 2013 and its closing this spring due to state budget cuts. Baltimore, Maryland Thamar Smith, age 48, of Hagerstown, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl. Hitachi Rail Factory "on track" in Hagerstown. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. The guilty plea was announced by Jarod Forget,Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)'s Washington Division; United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; and Sheriff Douglas Mullendore of the Washington County Narcotics Task Force. Three Hagerstown residents face drug charges after suspected heroin and suspected methamphetamine with a street value of approximately $50,000 was seized along with $9,000 in cash and several firearms during a drug bust this week involving multiple agencies, officials said. Michael Romito, three counts of distribution of heroin. District of New Jersey (973) 645-2888. The two have been charged in connection with a drug distribution conspiracy in the Westminster area of Carroll County, Maryland. The rear of North and Locust Food Mart. Four people were apprehended, three in relation to the possession of controlled substances, and one on an outstanding warrant. This place is a blessing. Hagerstown, Maryland Drug Dealer Pleads Guilty to Federal Fentanyl and Heroin Drug Charges Drug Enforcement Administration Jarod A. Forget Special Agent in Charge Washington, DC @DEAWashingtonDC June 29, 2022 Contact: Public Information Office Phone Number: (571) 362-1934 For Immediate Release In 2019, there were 119 non-fatal and 24 fatal overdoses reported in Allegany County. EASTON, Md. After several months of investigation and the help of several agencies, nine people have been indicted for allegedly being apart of a drug trafficking organization in two Maryland Eastern Shore counties. The task force also arrested Shawn Oliver on Monday for having an active warrant out for his arrest for the distribution of heroin, police said. A methadone clinic was not a part of that vision. Rise of a street boss By 1973,. More than 1,000 pounds of prescription medicine is collected in the first two hours of the event, which is held in an empty parking lot outside the county health offices. U.S. Attorney's Office December 21, 2012. A block away, the City of Hagerstown opened the artist-run Engine Room Art Space and four artist apartments above it in 2015, which also breathes some life into the city. So far in 2020, the rate of overdoses in the county has increased with 83 non-fatal . The Caroline County Drug Task Force started the investigation by looking into the operation of a drug trafficking organization believed to be distributing large amount of cocaine, opioids, heroin, marijuana and methamphetamines in Caroline and Dorchester counties and parts of Delaware. Life is great now, he says. HAGERSTOWN, MD Five Hagerstown residents have been arrested after a major drug and weapons bust February 9th announced by The Washington County Sheriff's Office and its law enforcement partners this week. Instead, you go get high and forget about it for a while., Forty-year-old Brooks Zombro, who has lived in Hagerstown his whole life, puts it another way: Hagerstown is a manufacturing town, then we lost all those factory jobs our parents and grandparents had, [and] it has become a playground for big box retail that has all but eliminated and destroyed our downtowns small business district. According to a 2016 report from the U.S. surgeon general, only one in 10 people with an addiction problem receives treatment. Its true that from the outside, the county seat of some 40,000 people still looks a bit like Mayberry, with its turn-of-the-century architecture, elegant City Park, church spires, tidy sidewalks, and walkable streets. On Monday, the following people were brought into custody: Terry Ernede Jr., two counts of distribution of heroin. in Hagerstowns North End, according to Lt. Todd Kerns, who served as the task forces director in 2013. Drug & alcohol testing in Hagerstown, MD at 2 clinics. Gregory Lovern Williams Jr., 39, of Federalsburg, Maryland. Stephen McCormick, two counts of distribution of cocaine. Six people in Hagerstown, Maryland, conspired to distribute enough fentanyl to kill 1 million people, or 25 times the population of Hagerstown, federal prosecutors say. People often use the term self-medicating to describe why people use drugs or alcohol, says Ron Zuskin, a licensed clinical social worker and former University of Maryland faculty member who has worked in Western Maryland. A local taxi company sporadically drops people off. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. The search warrants were a result of a multi- state . On Monday, task force agents said they found Oliver with a significant amount of heroin. Jim Robison, Director for the Washington County Narcotics Task Force. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached, or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Baltimore Magazine. The Washington County Narcotics Task Force recovered approximately 188 grams of suspected heroin and 95 grams of suspected methamphetamine Monday from 807 Hamilton Blvd. Prosecutors alleged they conspired to sell 100 grams or more of heroin, 500 grams or more of cocaine and . Washington street leading east at the hagerstown public square in 1957. "The fact that a good portion of the investigation occurred during the pandemic makes the results even more impressive.". If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Earlier this spring, Keller, the city councilwoman who lost her best friend to an overdose, announced that the city would be joining several hundred municipalities, counties, and states in pursuing legal action against the nations largest drugmakers, alleging that they played a key role in launching the opioid epidemic. Agents say anyone wishing to report narcotics information is encouraged to contact the task force by calling 301-791-3205, emailing drugtip@washco-md.net, orvisiting their website at wcntf.net. In the first decades after World War II, during the early rumblings of the automobile age, Hagerstown continued to thrive, becoming a trucking hub as well a rail hub. (Photos from the Frederick County Sheriff's Office) We interviewed our tech expert, Jaime Vazquez, to learn more about accessible smart home devices. Most arent even here to get clean but to get by. The loot was wrapped in bundles. Kristie Lockhard, a 38-year-old recovering addict volunteering at the event, says when she first started using heroin in 1999, she would drive to Baltimore two or three times a day to buy it. The indictment seeks forfeiture of $410,016 in cash, six vehicles and a .22-caliber revolver and ammunition. There wasnt a door that I knocked on when I was campaigning for City Council that people didnt say heroin and the opioid crisis was the number one issue, Keller says. Beckette also was charged with possession of a large amount of heroin (more than 28 grams); possession of a firearm in relationship to a drug-trafficking crime; creating a common nuisance through distributing narcotics; and theft of less than $1,000 in value, according to Kerns and online court records. Christine Jenkins, one count of distribution of heroin. Secure .gov websites use HTTPSA lock ( o understand the DNA of Hagerstown, you have to go back to the 19th-century industrial boom. While this is small victory for the task force, agents say the communitys drug problem is far from over. HAGERSTOWN, Md. Williams is being held at the Dorchester County Detention Center held without bond. "The operation in this case, I think it's fair to say, dealt with millions of dollars of drugs and proceeds," he said. In a town with two traditional public high schoolsNorth High and South Highit has become the norm for incoming generations to attend several funerals before seeing their first classmate get married. Or an illegal immigrant? Eight planned downtown catalyst projects include an expanded City Farmers Market and the creation of a cultural trail, part of which has already been implemented. By Ron Cassie and Lauren LaRocca Photography by BENJAMIN C. TANKERSLEY | July 2018, By Ron Cassie and Lauren LaRocca. Calls can not be returned if call blocking features are used. I legitimately thought about that for five or six hours that day. Baltimore, Maryland - Thamar Smith, age 48, of Hagerstown, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl.. Its a huge step forward. A lot of them are just taking their normal dose and get hit with this new shit cut with fentanyl. In some cases, the defendants face penalties of five to 40 years in prison, 20 years in prison and 10 years to life, Bernard said. (DG) - A sex trafficking operation was dismantled in Washington County. Some of them were done outside, some were done in the apartments, numerous kids were in the area playing, numerous people out and about, said Sgt. (ABC7) The news from Hagerstown wasn't good. Quicker than ordering a pizza.". Some folksa waitress with an apron tied around her waist, a guyin construction gearare clearly stopping by on their way to a job. "If they just had a pipefine," he said. All it takes is a little fentanylor a microgram of carfentanyl, which is 100 times more potent. (In 2007, three Purdue executives pleaded guilty to federal charges related to the misbranding of OxyContin and paid $34.5 million in fines, while the company agreed to pay $600 million to resolve a Department of Justice investigation.) Because of that, its residents have more money and higher expectations, and a strong restaurant base and downtown arts and culture district has grown there, sustained by its community. West Virginia State Police have denied a request to release dash camera footage or body camera footage of an incident on Feb. 12 on Interstate 81 in Berkeley County, W.Va., in which a Hagerstown man died after a struggle with a trooper. Is Hagerstown eating its way to dementia? Had we not gotten this building donated, it never wouldve happened, says Hovermale, whos lived in Hagerstown most of his life and now serves as principal of BISFA. On February 19, city health officials reported the number of heroin overdoses to which EMS crews and city police responded to. HAGERSTOWN, Md. Its nearly impossible to find a family, including those among the Hagerstown Police Department and City Council, that has not been affected by the towns still-escalating opioid epidemic. In a Brookings Institution study of 114 metropolitan areas that specialized in manufacturing from 1980-2005, the Hagerstown-Martinsburg (West Virginia) area had the second-highest percentage of industry job change in the U.S., a staggering 70 percent. Before long, he was buying heroin because it was cheaper than pills, and he went from snorting to injecting it, simply to maintain the same highand eventually just to function, if you could call it that. From March 20 to April 24, 2019, law enforcement surveilled activity at the suspected unit on a daily basis and observed Smith opening the storage unit to weigh and process suspected narcotics for distribution. Hagerstown, MD 4 days ago. Ive seen growth in investor confidence, says Director of Community & Economic Development Jill Frick Thompson, attributing it to the citys 10-year plan. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. Smith and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Smith will be sentenced to 92 months in federal prison followed by 4 years of supervised release. We interviewed our tech expert, Jaime Vazquez, to learn more about accessible smart home devices. During the execution of the search warrant, Smith informed law enforcement that he had a storage unit in Hagerstown, Maryland and told officers where he kept the keys to the unit. The investigation involved federal, state and local law enforcement agencies includingthe Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force; the Berkeley and Jefferson County sheriff's offices; the Martinsburg, Charles Town, Ranson and Hagerstown police departments;the Washington County Drug Task Force; West Virginia and Maryland state police; the FBI; the U.S. The Caroline County Drug Task Force started the investigation by looking into the operation of a drug trafficking organization believed to be distributing large amount of cocaine, opioids,. For the past 44 years, since Valley Mall was built on the outskirts of town, shuttering the department stores, retail shops, restaurants, theaters, and five and dimes, there have been hopes of reviving Hagerstowns once-thriving city center. Drugs, money, weapons confiscated during an operation last week in Hagerstown. Cameron Tibbs, one counts of distribution of heroin. The task force was assisted by the Washington County Special Response Team and the Hagerstown regional office of the Drug Enforcement Agency, according to an email from Kerns. Smith accessed the storage unit on 39 separate occasions and obtained at least 250 grams of narcotics during his visits. Shortly after Grant was taken into custody, the task force executed a search-and-seizure warrant at 807 Hamilton Blvd., Kerns said. In 2009, an old theater was transformed into BISFA, a magnet arts high school. Attorneys Christina A. Hoffman and Joan Mathias, who are prosecuting the case. NOW PLAYING ABOVE. According to Bernard, those charged are: Lenin Erasmo Luna Mota, also known as "Papi," 48, of Hagerstown, Maryland, and the Dominican Republic 544,514 views Jun 30, 2016 $24 million dollars was found stuffed in the wall of a home in what's being called one police department's biggest cash seizure to date. President Donald Trump spoke to a packed hangar at Hagerstown Regional Airport during his campaign in 2016 and won the county vote by a 2-1 margin. I wanted to knock down doors and haul bad guys off to jail, and thats what I did for 30 years., Since his daughters death, Simmers and Brooke's stepmother, Dana, have been very public about sharing their experience, sparing none of their familys worst moments and pain. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Consider, for example, that three of the four railroad properties on the Monopoly board were spokes in that Hagerstown hub, connecting the city to Richmond, Washington, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and New York. The mayor and City Council at the time didnt want it. He moved toThe Frederick News-Postin 1989 but lived in Hagerstown until 2000. The NTF is responsible for the investigation, arrest, and prosecution of persons who violate the controlled dangerous substance laws of Maryland, regardless of the sophisitication of the illicit operation. When a methadone clinic was first proposed at this site, two blocks from Hagerstowns main street, in the spring of 2001, it was met with vehement opposition. That investigation led to the Narcotics Task Force obtaining 9 search warrants. He is being held at Eastern Regional Jail in Berkeley County, W.Va. Federal authorities allege the drug ring involved millions of dollars worth of drugs and proceeds, distributing large amounts. A block away, two restaurants that would become staplesJone and Don Bowmans Bulls and Bears and E. Jay Zuspan IIIs 28 Southsoon opened. 2023 www.heraldmailmedia.com. Through the investigation and the evidence, officers were able to obtain 11 search warrants. Lenin Erasmo Luna Mota, also known as Papi, 48, of the Dominican Republic, is one of 34 people indicted by a federal grand jury in the Northern District of West Virginia on charges stemming froma multi-state drug operation, according to Randolph J. Bernard, the district's acting U.S. attorney. Most Popular. We have more kids living with their grandparents and a greater need for foster parents. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. / CBS Baltimore. Kimberly Thompson, one count of maintaining a common nuisance for distribution of a controlled dangerous substance. Inside the bedroom, Heather Strausbaugh sat talking with her client the conversation ranged from nightlife and bars to their families. Its not the white picket fence. Office Hours: Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m. 4:30 p.m. TTY users may call any government office through the Maryland Relay Service 1-800-735-2258, Drug Activity Phone Tip Line 301-223-2632. basketball state quarterfinal highlights, D.C. high school basketball playoffs highlights (3/3/23), Maryland high school basketball playoffs highlights, Court docs reveal videos fmr. icki Sterling, director of the Washington County Health Departments Division of Behavorial Health Services, says the turning point for the county in addressing the opioid epidemic was the death of former Hagerstown police sergeant Kevin Simmers daughter, Brooke, who overdosed on heroin 10 days after she had been released from a four-month prison stay. Mayor Richard Trump (no relation to the president),who ran for office on a slate that promised to return God to City Hall, abruptly resigned without explanation after nine months in office in 2006. College Park mayor, DC COVID Centers to close at the end of March, Mother calls for answers after son killed by police, MTPD: Two teenagers arrested, one had gun, Burglar used Germantown mans toothbrush, razor,, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Several weapons were seized, including two stolen handguns, as well as rifles and shotguns, Kerns said. Ketia Daniel, founder of BHM Cleaning Co., is BestReviews cleaning expert. The trail, which he helped develop, is primarily for economic development but also gives residents a sense of place and pride in their community. February 21, 2023. Conspiracy to commit possession with intent to distribute narcotics. An official website of the United States government. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. A Hagerstown. Kevin Simmers relished locking up drug users, no matter how little crack they had on them. HAGERSTOWN (WJZ) -- Seventeen Hagerstown residents and one Frederick resident were among 34 arrested Wednesday morning on indictments in a drug trafficking conspiracy. There were things going on, but no cohesiveness at the top.. Anderson was charged with distribution of narcotics and possession of a controlled dangerous substance that was not marijuana, according to online court records. HAGERSTOWN, Md. Images courtesy of Hagerstown police Department. He liked the feeling the Vicodin gave him and began to sometimes take the pills just for that hydrocodone buzz. While the most pressing question confronting Hagerstownand other resource-deprived towns in Maryland such as Frostburg, Cumberland, Cambridge, Snow Hill, Elkton, and Edgewoodmay be how to get immediate help to those struggling with addiction, the broader question is more vexing: How does an isolated, blue-collar town recover from the worst drug epidemic in U.S. historyon top of45 years of deindustrialization? As stated in his plea agreement, on August 9, 2019, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Smiths Hagerstown, Maryland residence. Some of the NFT agents are also federally deputized members of the DEA, which gives these local agents enforcement powers anywhere in the United States. Police seized more than 80 pounds of meth, 200 bags of fentanyl, more than two dozen guns and $135,000 in cash in a massive drug bust in Montgomery County. He couldnt hold down a job for more than a month or two, he says, and bounced around from one employer to the next: cleaning bathrooms, painting houses, waiting tables, making pizza. The C&O (Chesapeake and Ohio) Canal, which passes through Washington County and primarily transported coal, was already in operation by then, having been completed in 1850. NEWARK, NJTwo members of an alleged drug trafficking ring based . The state Attorney General's Office announced that 13 people, including a dietary sergeant at the Maryland Correctional Institution for Women in Anne Arundel County, were indicted on charges they. The opioid trade has become so lucrative here that dealers from Baltimore and even New York travel to Hagerstown, and often farther into West Virginia, because they can earn up to $40 more a gram for heroin and a similarly higher profit margin for fake pills, like the counterfeit, fentanyl-laced Vicodin that killed Prince. The NFT is housed within the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)at the DEAs Hagerstown Office. Those kind of manufacturing jobs generally pulled up stakes for cheaper labor in the South or overseas, a trend that has continued. Washington County > Washington County Maryland Narcotics Task Force. Julie E. Greene is a reporter for The Herald-Mail. A drug bust by Hagerstown (MD) Police Department early this morning resulted in the confiscation of crack cocaine and nearly $4,000 in cash. If you are in immediate danger dial 911. Others arrive in pajamas and sweatpants, barely awake, clutching telltale lockboxes for take-home doses. Jazzmen Vaughn, one count distribution of heroin and one count of conspiracy to distribute heroin. (Currently affiliated with the Nationals, the Suns draw a South Atlantic league-low 896 fans per game; Frederick led the Carolina League in attendance from 2012-2016, attracting nearly 5,000 fans a game.). This pooling of investigative resources benefits each investigative unit with increased manpower, less duplication of effort, and by coordinating the targeting of drug offenders. Nine arrested in early morning drug bust in Westernport. I was on the other side, and I get it, and people have every right to make that point.. Though extreme, the transition seemed gradual. Doctor Explains. But after 50 years of decline, Elliott and others say downtown is finally showing signs of recovery, even if it is a long road ahead. He blames forces beyond the citys reach, as well as futile and often misguided leadership. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. The drugs seized during the investigation amounted to 8.6 kilograms of cocaine, 1.02 kilograms of heroin, and 12 ounces of cocaine base "crack," with a street value of approximately $471,000. E, all face drug charges, according to Kerns and online court records. It is a cruel twist that Hagerstown, on the receiving end of so much heroin from Baltimore, has such a shortage of addiction specialists that the Wells House, one of the largest outpatient clinics here, utilizes Baltimore doctors via telemedicine to treat its clients. George Wallace campaigned here in 1968 and 1972. The below persons are wanted or need to be identified by WCNTF at this time for drug violations or involved in a drug investigation. 2023 www.heraldmailmedia.com. Four people were apprehended, three in relation to the possession of controlled substances, and one on an outstanding warrant. a shuttered barber shop on Jonathan Street. To me, the urban improvement project is huge. Hes married with children and living his dream of being a full-time musician, touring his original folk-country songs across the U.S. Walter Javier Martinez, 17, was last seen in the area of Wellington Court and may have left in a blue vehicle. The alleged traffickers distributed drugs in Caroline and Dorchester counties, as well as parts of Delaware, according to police, who said investigators from multiple agencies developed enough. DEA agents and partner agencies in Western Maryland are seeing a resurgence of one-pot meth labs in the area -- noting more incidents of meth labs in the area this year than the last 5 years combined. To learn more about ChatGPT and how we can inspire students, we sat down with BestReviews book expert, Ciera Pasturel. Grant also was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia; possession of needles related to drugs; possession of less than 10 grams of marijuana; creating a common nuisance through distributing narcotics; and escape in the second degree, according to Kerns and online court records. A Hagerstown appliance store was allegedly used as a hub for the illegal activities. Tyler and Eddie Ware pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl on October 28, 2020, and January 11, 2021; respectively. Additionally, through further investigation, law enforcement determined that Smith supplied narcotics to Tyler and Eddie Ware, who were Hagerstown, Maryland heroin and fentanyl drug dealers. osh Morningstar could be the poster boy for the use of prescription opioids gone awry. Joshua Reed, one count of distribution of heroin. The following people were indicted during the investigation: Justin Aaron Spain, 41, of Lanham, Maryland. Its not as conscious a decision as that. Perhaps as many as three-quarters of those in local methadone programs, according to recovering addicts interviewed for this story, still get high, using coke, crack, ecstasy, Spice, or benzos like Xanax, which are particularly dangerous in combination with methadone. The seizures, and the refills, continued for about eight months, then ceased, but Morningstar found himself dependent on the narcoticphysically, mentally, and emotionally. We have a long way to go, but the school has brought life downtown, Hovermale says. To learn more about ChatGPT and how we can inspire students, we sat down with BestReviews book expert, Ciera Pasturel. On Tuesday afternoon, the following people were brought into custody: Thor Swenson, two counts of distribution of heroin. seventy-five miles west of Baltimore, the sun has yet to rise over South Mountain, but already a line of cars is arriving at the Phoenix Health Center in Hagerstown. She also cites the new safe needle program implemented by the county health departmentalbeit over the objection of a couple of state delegatesto combat Hepatitis C and HIV infections. One (seemingly) solid mayor, Republican Donald Frush, who served from 1981-1985 and was known as the Father of Planning in Washington County, disappeared during his campaign for a second term and was found by a reporter at a Johns Hopkins psych ward. A release from the Washington County Sheriff's Office revealed the following: A Hagerstown pawn shop. They buy the stuff to cut it, the right color dye, and press in a number or an initial, and it looks like the real thingPercocet or whatever.. All Rights Reserved. The substance abuse treatment center sits across the street from an abandoned hospital parking garage (the hospital moved out of downtown like nearly everything else), and a seemingly endless stream of addicts in late-model cars, minivans, and pickup trucks come and go until the pharmacy closes at noon. The first indictment names 25 defendants accused in one or more of the drug conspiracies. Their daughter, who grew up playing soccer and basketball, became hooked on pills by 18 and then turned to heroin. At Meritus Medical Center outside of downtown Hagerstown, nearly three children a week are born addicted to opioids. Hagerstown built automobiles, bottled Coca-Cola, made shoes, clothing, furniture, and Breyers ice cream, and was the worlds largest manufacturer of pipe organs.