CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) reports as of December 30, 2022, there are currently 1,503 active COVID-19 cases statewide. There have been 11 deaths reported since the last report, with a total of 7,672 deaths attributed to COVID-19. DHHR has confirmed the deaths of a 68-year old male from Kanawha County, a 62-year old female from Lincoln County, an 88-year old female from Wood County, a 71-year old female from Cabell County, a 59-year old female from Brooke County, a 72-year old male from Mercer County, an 85-year old female from Jackson County,…

The 2022 WCBC Sports Athlete of the Year is Mikey Allen. Unanimously voted on by the WCBC Sports Team, no one had a bigger 2022 locally than Allen- where he hit 2 buzzer beaters to give Bishop Walsh their first 2-win weekend in the ACIT in school history, and last month, helped lead Fort Hill to a state football title. Allen recently announced that he was signing with Southern Utah University to play Division 1 football. 

On 12/29/2022 at approximately 8:00AM the Cumberland City Police Department were dispatched to a residence in the 200 block of Davidson Street for a home invasion. Upon arrival officers spoke to the victim and learned that Nickoli Dundar Cakus had entered the residence without permission and assaulted a resident, taking an item from them. Cakus then took more property from the residence before fleeing. A neighbor and the victim confronted Cakus outside and were able to recover most of the stolen property. Cakus fled the area but was apprehended a short time later by law enforcement without issue. Cakus was taken…

City officials rolled out a number of new  grant offerings in recent months for downtown business owners wanting to make upgrades to their properties. The Downtown Comprehensive Investment Program, which contains funds from the city of Cumberland, Allegany County and state of Maryland, was announced by the Cumberland Economic Development Corporation in October and includes several phases and covers a wide range of areas in which the money can be used. Stu Czapski, economic development specialist for the CEDC, said that unfortunately there are many business owners and potential business owners who aren’t aware of the grant opportunities…  

Governor Larry Hogan on Thursday announced nearly $10 million in grant awards through the Community Safety Works program to more than 150 business districts, neighborhood associations, local governments and nonprofit organizations across Maryland, expanding on the governor’s Re-Fund The Police Initiative. The program improves the livability and economic potential of Maryland communities through targeted investments in crime prevention that impact community safety. With the second round of awards, Community Safety Works has assisted more than 450 organizations. Hogan, addressing the December 2022 graduating class of the Maryland State Police, said that now more than ever law enforcement needs support from the public and…

The city of Cumberland  is prepared to ring in 2023 with a ball drop and fireworks show Saturday. Once again the  New Year’s Eve festivities will be held on the downtown mall beginning around 10:30 p.m. Open containers, provided they aren’t glass, will be permitted on the mall and in the surrounding area. A number of businesses will stay open late and are planning specials for the evening. The ball will drop from the roof of the Cumberland Arms with fireworks going off just after midnight, January 1st 2023. Cumberland Mayor Ray Morriss will be among the crowd of revelers…

WCBC’s Paul Mullen has been out with health issues since May- and while still facing some challenges in his recovery- he does hope to return to the job in some capacity in 2023. Issues actually began in December of 2021 when Paul contracted the COVID-19 virus. He returned in January but then on a planned vacation trip to Florida he began experiencing serious issues with his vision. Since then there has been treatment; a diagnosis of diabetes and now a new for open heart surgery next month. Paul has contributed on-air,  often conducting live interviews with sponsors and chatting with…

No Bus or Van service on Friday, December 30, through January 2. We will resume regular scheduled service on Jan 3.

A smaller Republican Senate caucus will have a new top leader when the 2023 Maryland General Assembly session opens in January. Sen. Steve Hershey, R-Upper Shore, will take over leading the minority party as the state returns to one-party control in both chambers of the General Assembly and the governor’s mansion. Sen. Justin Ready will continue as minority whip, the party’s No. 2 leader. In the House, Delegate Jason Buckel of Allegany County serves as Minority Leader. Having lost Republican seats in the past two elections, and with Democrat control growing, Hershey acknowledges it could be a tough time for…

U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-District 8, announced on Wednesday he has lymphoma. Raskin says he plans to continue working while undergoing treatment. In a statement, the 60-year-old Montgomery County Democrat said: "After several days of tests, I have been diagnosed with Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma, which is a serious but curable form of cancer. I am about to embark on a course of chemo-immunotherapy on an outpatient basis at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital and Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. Prognosis for most people in my situation is excellent after four months of treatment.