Allegany County Emergency Services reports a large brush fire near Lucky Valley Road off of Brant Road in Cresaptown

Cumberland City crews are on the scene of a water line break in the Broadway Street area off of Maryland Avenue. 

WBAL reports the head of the Maryland Hospital Association is out of a job under mysterious circumstances. Bob Atlas led the association for the last five years and was frequently heard  on WBAL Radio helping to explain the effects of the pandemic on Maryland hospitals. The Baltimore Business Journal says Atlas was scrubbed from the association's website without explanation. They also said it happened after Atlas was involved in a contentious phone call with a state delegate from Prince George's County who chairs the House Health and Government Operations committee last week. A statement from the association offers no further explanation…

Allegany County Public Schools’ Superintendent, Mr. Jeff Blank, has announced the appointment of the New Public Information Officer. Ms. Christian Brooks will assume this role effective February 13, 2023. Brooks earned her Bachelors of Arts degree in psychology from West Virginia Wesleyan College and her Masters of Science degree in integrated marketing communications from West Virginia University. She previously held the position of Senior Public Relations and Visual Design Specialist for WVU Medicine Potomac Valley Hospital. Brooks is a native of Short Gap, WV, where she currently resides with her husband, Chris and son, Jakob. “I’m excited for the opportunity…

Gov. Jim Justice spent more than $23 million on his COVID-19 vaccination campaign, an incentive program that gave away pickup trucks, rifles and lawn mowers. A report released Friday from the state auditor detailed how the governor spent millions on prizes for adults and kids. Following the sweepstakes, the state’s vaccination rate barely budged. In West Virginia, 56% of residents are fully vaccinated for COVID-19, ranking it in the bottom 20 states for vaccination rates, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The rate lags the national average of 68%. The auditor’s report, which showed how Justice spent more than…

Allegany County Emergency Services reports a vehicle accident in the area of McMullen Highway at Circle K. The road way was closed for a short time as units cleared the scene

On February 13th, 2023, the Cumberland Police Department served a criminal summons on Michelle Porter. The summons was issued as a result of an investigation conducted by the Cumberland Police Department and Child Protective Services. On February 1st, 2023 an ambulance responded to Porter’s residence and transported a juvenile patient to UPMC Western Maryland. After a health screening was conducted, the juvenile was found to have fentanyl within their system. Due to the circumstances, Child Protective Services continued the investigation and requested that 1 year old child that resides with Porter be tested for controlled dangerous substances. The urine screen…

On Monday tthe Cumberland Police Department served a bench warrant on Keara Pendergast. The warrant was issued as a result of Pendergast violating conditions of her probation. Pendergast was transported to central booking. She was later seen by a District Court commissioner and released on her own recognizance. NAME: Keara Lashae Pendergast  AGE: 25  Cumberland, MD CHARGES: Violation of Probation

On March 31st, the City of Cumberland will change its credit card, bank drafting and online payment software as well as bill payment policies. The City of Cumberland has contracted with a payment processing company named Invoice Cloud to provide its online and phone payment system. During the city’s regular work session, Ken Tressler, director of administrative services provided an overview of the new system… Some of the changes will impact customers who routinely phone in credit card payments…

A total of 100 projects will be reviewed in the  next month by the committee charged with selecting the applicants to receive funding from the newly established Senator George Edwards Legacy Fund. The fund was established by the Maryland General Assembly in 2022 by allocating $50 million for economic development in Allegany, Garrett and Washington counties.  Allocations include $20 million for 2023 followed by $10 million per year for three additional years. Officials began accepting applications in mid-December for the funding and the deadline was January 31st. The focus is on two categories — infrastructure improvements and business development. The…