On July 2nd, 2023 officers of the Cumberland Police Department responded to a business in the 30 block of Queen City Drive for a reported theft complaint. Upon officer’s arrival they spoke with employees of the business who advised that Kevin Vanmeter had taken items from inside the store without paying. Officers were able to locate Vanmeter and issued him a criminal citation for theft. Vanmeter was released pending his trial at District Court. Arrest: Kevin Ray Vanmeter, age 60, Cumberland Maryland. Charge: Theft Less Than $100.

On July 2nd, 2023 an officer of the Cumberland Police Department observed a male wearing a mask to be trespassing on CSX property. The officer contacted him and advised him that he was trespassing, and the officer attempted to identify them. The male provided a false name, but the officer continued their investigation and was able to identify the him as Anthony Horn. It was also learned that Horn had an active Arrest Warrant and he was placed under arrest. Horn was taken before a District Court Commissioner where he was held without bond. Arrest: Anthony Horn Jr, age 24,…

On July 2nd, 2023 officers of the Cumberland Police Department responded to the 400 block of Grand Avenue for a reported violation of protective order. Upon officer’s arrival they spoke with the victim who advised that they have an active protective order against Jason Winfield, and that he had just entered their residence. Officers had observed Winfield to be walking off of the property as they arrived on scene and he was placed under arrest. The officers continued their investigation and learned that Winfield had entered the residence and had taken medication. Winfield was taken before a District Court Commissioner…

Cumberland’s annual fireworks display is being prepared for the Fourth of July holiday. Starfire Corporation of Carrolltown, PA will once again be providing the show to the area from the overlook at Constitution Park.  Mayor Ray Morriss provides more details about the celebration… The main parking lot between the pool and ball field will be closed the entire day. People may enter and exit the park following the traffic flow from the Williams Street side of the park to Parkview Avenue. Watch for barricades.  In the event of rain, the display will be held on Wednesday night, weather permitting.

The Maryland State Police will be out in force over the long holiday weekend. The MSP’s Impaired Driving Reduction Effort will be looking for ways to keep the state’s highways as safe as possible to make sure fun is not mixed with tragedy.  Major Daniel Pickett of the Maryland State Police… Natural Resources Police will be combating boating safety issues with Operation Dry Water. Alcohol use is the leading contributing factor in recreational boater fatalities, and a leading factor in recreational boating incidents. Over the course of Operation Dry Water, law enforcement officers will intensify their patrols on waterways, increasing…

$37 billion in federal pandemic era support for child care is expiring at the end of September. New data indicates 69,000 child cares spots may be lost in Maryland with over 2,400 facilities likely to close. Maryland parents may soon have fewer options when it comes to finding child care. At the end of September, federal support for child care will shrink with the expiration of pandemic era grants totaling 37-billion dollars. The state of Maryland provides a child care scholarship to help families cover care costs. In 2022, the state expanded the eligibility so a family of 4 making…

Allegany County’s Department of Economic and Community Development has announced the opening of Organic Remedies on PPG Road in Cumberland. The company offers cannabis organizations premium processed products manufactured from locally grown cannabis procured from May land cultivators.  The facility will provide a number of products in Phase 1 of its business including liquid live resin vape cartridges and live resin concentrates.  In the coming month, the company is anticipating state approval to add other products including “nano gummies” good for individuals who have trouble digesting oil-based products. Employment opportunities can be seen at www.organicremediesMD.com

The Joint Republican Caucus in the Maryland General Assembly has called on the Governor to convene a special session to address the automatic gas tax increase that occurred July 1st.  Governor Moore has expressed support in addressing the increase but the Caucus feels state residents should not have to wait until January of 2024 for the legislature to convene.  A bill to repeal the gas tax increase could be passed in a day, according to Senate Minority Leader Steve Hershey.  Maryland’s gas tax increase is 10%, tied to inflation.

U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.) issued the following statement in advance of the Independence Day holiday, July 4, 2023. “This Fourth of July marks the 247th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence – a revolutionary document that decried tyranny and defended liberty. Today, as our nation grapples with renewed threats to hard-fought rights and freedoms, and unprecedented challenges to democratic norms and values, we must recommit ourselves to working together to create a ‘more perfect union,’ as our founders envisioned. “If history teaches us anything, it is that democracy works best when we are all engaged. Despite…

The Media Bureau of the FCC has issued a notice of apparent liability to the licensee of a Maryland FM translator in a contentious case involving a Low Power FM in the same market. WIN Radio Broadcasting Corp. is the licensee of WCTN(AM) in Potomac-Cabin John, Md., just outside of Washington, D.C. According to the FCC, this case arose when WIN was given permission to acquire an FM translator in Pennsylvania and move it to Potomac, which was allowable as part of the commission’s AM revitalization program. WIN took the Pennsylvania translator off the air but resumed broadcasting in Maryland, Historic…