As expected, the Allegany County Board of Education has decided to pursue a new policy for seniors graduating in 2024 to further encourage the students from engaging in drugs or alcohol.  Following a discussion last week on the Dave Norman show with Board President Bob Farrell, the board will be looking to develop a policy similar to Anne Arundel County that would prevent seniors from participating in senior year activities if they are charged with a drug or alcohol offense…

Allegany County's Local Behavioral Health Authority is offering training courses on mental health and substance use issues.  “Mental Health First Aid” is an 8-hour skills-based course teaching signs and symptoms of possible behavioral health concerns, listening skills, and resource sharing. Becki Clark, Director of the LBHA, shared details concerning the types of courses available… Registration details for the courses were also discussed by Clark…

State’s Highest Court Reverses Lower Court Decision that Struck Down Digital Ad Tax. Tthe Supreme Court of Maryland reversed the judgment of the Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County, which had struck down Maryland’s digital ad tax. The digital ad tax provides critical funding for Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, which is intended to transform Maryland’s education system to world-class student achievement levels. “I applaud the Supreme Court for acting quickly because the revenues generated by this tax will help us provide our children the best education possible for success,” said Attorney General Brown. “The digital ad tax will support our collective…

As part of the monthly Allegany County Board of Education meeting, three winners of the WCBC Student Salute Scholarships were recognized.  Juli McCoy, the Executive Director of the Allegany County Chamber of Commerce, made the presentation of scholarships to Frostburg State University to selected Senior class members from the county schools.  Leah Boggs from Mountain Ridge High School received a $5,000 scholarship while Allegany High School students Olivia Looker and Alex Kennell each received scholarships worth $500.  WCBC has provided the scholarships for local students for over 30 years.

U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, Kweisi Mfume, Jamie Raskin, David Trone, and Glenn Ivey (all D-Md.) announced $824,000 in federal funding for the Maryland Department of Transportation to improve Maryland’s scenic roads. This funding through the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration’s National Scenic Byways Program will support updated byway facilities, safety enhancements, and historical and cultural information markers along the state’s historic roads, including: Baltimore’s Historic Charles Street, the Chesapeake Country Scenic Byway, the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway, and the Religious Freedom Byway. Maryland also contains portions of the Historical National Road…

At 10:14 am, Allegany County Emergency Management reported a vehicle accident on New Georges Creek Road in Midland near Perry's Lane.  The accident caused the shut-down of Perrys Lane at that time. Shortly after 2pm, another accident was reported on Route 40 at Piney Mountain Road with injuries.  Motorists are asked to be cautious in these areas. WCBC will update the information as soon as more becomes available.

The National Federation of the Blind, the transformative advocacy organization of blind Americans, applauds the introduction of the Access Technology Affordability Act of 2023 (S. 1467) in the United States Senate by Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD). Senators John Boozman (R-AR), Ron Wyden (D-Or), and Todd Young (R-IN) are original co-sponsors of the bill. This legislation removes an education and employment barrier commonly experienced by blind Americans who cannot afford the high cost of access technology by creating a refundable tax credit in the amount of $2,000 to be used over a three-year period to offset the cost of these technologies….

West Virginia has been awarded a highly competitive, five-year $20 million grant from the National Science Foundation’s  Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research that will boost scientific research and upgrade infrastructure at West Virginia University, Marshall University, West Virginia State University,  and Shepherd University. EPSCoR is facilitated by the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission’s Division of Science, Technology & Research.  This funding establishes the WV Network for Functional Neuroscience and Transcriptomics, a statewide collaboration of neuroscientists and bioinformaticists working to position West Virginia as a center for impactful neuroscience research.

On May 8th, 2023 the Cumberland Police Department served a criminal summons on Jeremy Allen Yetter. The summons was issued as a result of a theft that occurred on February 23rd, 2023. An investigation was conducted into the theft, and an officer filed for charges at District Court. Yetter signed for his copy of the summons and was released pending trial at District Court. NAME: Jeremy Allen Yetter  AGE: 37  Cumberland, MD CHARGES: Theft $100 to under $1500 (x3) CRIMINAL SUMMONS SERVED On May 8th, 2023 the Cumberland Police Department served a criminal summons on Nichole Ann Jones. The summons…

Allegany County Board of Education President Bob Farrell told WCBC News on Monday that the board will be pursuing a policy to encourage senior class members to stay away from drugs and alcohol or miss out on important senior year activities.  In adopting a policy similar to Anne Arundel County Schools, seniors may miss out on important events including prom and walking with their graduating class if they are involved in such an offense… The Board President believes that such a policy for Seniors is a further way to keep students out of trouble… The topic will be part of…