The City of Cumberland Engineering Department, on behalf of First Energy, would like to notify the public that South Mechanic Street will be closed to thru traffic between Baltimore Street and Pershing Street between 8:30 AM and 3:00 PM on Thursday, February 2nd, to allow First Energy to replace a broken pole. The road will be closed until the repairs are made.   Signage will be in place to detour passenger vehicles around the road closure. Trucks will be detoured to Queen City Drive to avoid the closure.   Traffic is expected to be restored on Thursday, February 2nd, at…

Allegany County Emergency Services reports a vehicle accident with injuries on Winchester Road near the Sheetz store, 

U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen and Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer, C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, Kweisi Mfume, Jamie B. Raskin, David Trone and Glenn Ivey (all D-Md.) today announced $2.9 million in U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) funding for Maryland schools to purchase local foods and beverages for school meal programs.   The federal dollars come from the USDA’s Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program. Through the program, the Maryland Department of Education will buy local and nutritious foods from area farmers and processors to use in school lunches. Meals will vary depending on each school…

The City of Frostburg has acquired properties in the downtown area to develop a new parking lot to serve the community by providing additional off-street parking.  Four residential properties on Mechanic Street will be razed and a new parking lot between Mechanic and Park Street will be developed.  As part of the project, the City sold the existing City parking lot adjacent to 42 W. Mechanic (behind Frostburg United Methodist Church).  Before construction begins later this year, public parking will be available in the rear of 28-32 W. Mechanic Street effective February 7, 2023.  Overnight parking passes for the City…

On Monday, January 30, 2023 at approximately 7:04 PM, officers of the Cumberland Police Department responded to the Amtrak Station on E. Harrison Street for an intoxicated passenger that needed removed from the train.  Police contacted the passenger who was identified as Matthew Greening.  Greening was found to be in possession of a controlled dangerous substance.  Greening was arrested and transported to police headquarters for processing.  He was later transported to Central Booking where he is currently awaiting his initial hearing. ARRESTED:  Matthew Greening           AGE:  34           Port Republic, MD CHARGE:  Possession of CDS-Not Marijuana    

On Monday, January 30, 2023 at approximately 9:22 PM, officers of the Cumberland Police Department responded to a business in the 400 block of Virginia Avenue for a male subject causing a disturbance and refusing to leave the property.  Officers contacted the subject who was identified as Charles Fitzgerald.  Police advised Fitzgerald that he needed to leave and he refused.  Fitzgerald was placed under arrest and transported to police headquarters for processing.  He was later seen by a District Court Commissioner and remanded to the Allegany County Detention Center on a $100 bond. ARRESTED:  Charles Edward Fitzgerald      AGE:  68            Cumberland, MD CHARGES:  Disturbing the…

On Monday, January 30, 2023, the Cumberland Police Department served a bench warrant on Troi Hines.  The warrant was issued as the result of Hines failing to appear in court on August 9, 2021.  Hines was arrested and later seen by a District Court Commissioner for his initial hearing.  Hines posted a $1,000 bond. ARRESTED:  Troi Leshawn Hines             AGE:  24             Derry, NH

Although not subject that usually grabs a great deal of attention-   perhaps the most important news to come of the recent PACE reception was the continued progress being made to install a new sewage pumping station at Locust Grove. The Locust Grove Pump Station is located along Wills Creek at the north entrance to the Narrows and Allegany County Commissioner Creade Brodie Jr says that after 40 years of operation it has reached the end of its useful life. The improvements will allow the sewer system to increase capacity by 1 million gallons per day, reduce operating costs by $10,000 annually…

In sessions held at the three local high schools this month- Allegany County Superintendent of Schools Jeff Blank and Wendy Main, blueprint coordinator, hosted three  informational sessions on the Maryland Blueprint for the Future Legislation and how it is being developed locally. The legislation, passed in 2021, includes an annual $3.8 billion funding increase over the next 10 years aimed to improve education in public schools. Blank tells WCBC that the final implementation plan is not due to the State Department of Education until March 15- so there is still time for anyone in the community to provide input…

Maryland legislative leaders are making a new priority to fill vacancies across state government. Some state agencies have anywhere from 10% to 30% vacancies. Governor Wes Moore during his first full day in office  earlier this month pressed forward with plans to address the more than 6,500 vacancies. The shortages, he says, are impacting everything from unemployment to parole violations…