Maryland’s six casinos combined to generate $169,401,366 in revenue from slot machines and table games during May 2023, a decrease of $9,366,462 (-5.2%) compared to May 2022. Casino gaming contributions to the state in May 2023 totaled $70,831,586, a decrease of $2,614,929 (-3.6%) compared to May 2022. Contributions to the Education Trust Fund (ETF) in May 2023 were $51,488,339, a decrease of $1,934,414 (-3.6%) compared to May 2022. Casino gaming revenues also support the communities and jurisdictions where the casinos are located, Maryland’s horse racing industry, and small, minority- and women-owned businesses. Maryland’s six privately owned casinos offer both slot…

Friends Aware Summer Sizzle on June 16th from 4PM to 9PM at the Allegany County Fairgrounds. Friends Aware, Inc., a Cumberland-based nonprofit organization serving adults with developmental disabilities, presents the Summer Sizzle. The event features music by Appalachian Road Show, a bluegrass-style band that has appeared at the Grand Ole Opry. There will be food vendors, a beer truck, and gaming. Come out and have a good time and support a worthy cause. Purchase tickets before June 10 for $20 at www.friendsaware.org or $25 at the gate.

Maryland Avenue will be closed to thru traffic between Cecelia Street and I-68 between 7:00 AM and 5:00 PM on Monday, June 5, 2023, and Tuesday, June 6, 2023, to allow the contractor to install a gas main across Maryland Avenue. Signage will be in place to detour vehicles around the road closure. The I-68 eastbound off-ramp (Exit 43D) will be closed and vehicles will be detoured via Willowbrook Road (Exit 44) and Baltimore Ave. Motorists attempting to access the eastbound on-ramp will be detoured to Cecelia Street, Park Street, Front Street, Queen City Drive and South Mechanic Street to…

On June 4th, 2023 officers of the Cumberland Police Department served an Arrest Warrant on Ronald Ketterman and a Criminal Summons on Delores Spencer. The Arrest Warrant and Criminal Summons were issued by the District Court stemming from an assault investigation that occurred on June 3rd, 2023. During the incident an officer of the Cumberland Police Department was on a separate call for service in the 200 block of Greene Street when they could hear a large disturbance coming from the area of the 200 block of Avirett Avenue. Upon officer’s arrival they observed the disturbance and separated the parties…

Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development Secretary Jake Day announced nearly $24 million in federal funding to provide gap financing to projects statewide that will create dozens of affordable housing units. The funding is provided through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which appropriated $5 billion nationwide to provide housing, services, and shelter to individuals experiencing homelessness and other vulnerable populations. Maryland also received more than $5.4 million to produce affordable housing as part of HUD’s annual allocation from the national Housing Trust Fund.

Filling the void for at least three school resource officers will be discussed at the next meeting of the Allegany County Board of Education.  Board President Bob Farrell spoke with WCBC about the need for the officers and a possible source for them…     School Resource officers are present in every school in the county except for 3 at present – BelAir, Cresaptown, and Westmar.  Farrell said the officers fulfill more than security…     Funding for the officers would come from the school system’s “rainy day fund.”

A sigh of relief has made its way across the country with the recent debt limit deal struck by Speaker McCarthy and President Biden. In remarks Thursday, West Virginia Senator Shelly Moore Capito expressed her support for the deal…

The Allegany County Library’s new mobile outreach vehicle, the ACLS Express will be hitting the road, bringing library services to residents across the county.  Ashley Swinford, Director of Outreach and Marketing, says the new vehicle will be showing up at various events throughout the summer…

Texas calls for aid and West Virginia and Virginia will answer – but not the State of Maryland.  Already 8 governors have said they would send National Guard troops or other types of assistance to Texas in response to Governor Greg Abbot’s plea for help on the southern border in areas of border patrol, human trafficking, and the fentanyl crisis.  Governor Wes Moore declined the request for help…

The Allegany County Commissioners took the last few minutes of their meeting this past Thursday to pay tribute to County Clerk Linda Simpson who is retiring. Commissioner President Dave Caporale read a special citation…     Former Commission President Jake Shade attended the meeting and had these remarks for Mrs. Simpson…