Investigations are underway into several weekend incidents of apparent arson and vandalism at churches in Maryland. Montgomery County authorities said the incidents took place at three churches of different denominations a short distance away from each other in Bethesda, TV station WJLA reported. Overnight Sunday, a blaze was apparently set at St. Jane Frances De Chantal Parish, forcing worshippers to attend mass at an alternate location Sunday morning, news outlets reported. Dozens of firefighters responded to an alarm at the church around 2 a.m. and quickly extinguished the fire, according to the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service. The fire involved several…

 WBAL reports two new omicron variants are causing an increase in COVID-19 numbers in the state. Health Experts say, variants BA.4 and BA.5 are more likely to lead to breakthrough infections, even in people who've had COVID-19 before. To date, Maryland has 1,145,444 positive cases of COVID-19 detected. According to the state COVID-19 health site, less than 7.82% of fully vaccinated Maryland residents later tested positive for COVID-19. The site also states that 68.56% of COVID-19 cases in May were people who were fully vaccinated. The state's website does not specify the infection rate among the un-vaccinated.

U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) joined Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Jack Reed (D-R.I.) alongside Senators Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) in pressing seven of the nation’s largest banks regarding widespread fraud on Zelle, their online peer-to-peer money transfer program.   “In 2021, consumers and businesses made 1.8 billion payments…through Zelle…[and p]ayment volumes have increased 49% year-over-year. As these payment networks have become ubiquitous, frauds and scams have proliferated,” wrote the senators to the seven banks that co-own Zelle’s parent company. “One of Zelle’s biggest selling points to consumers –…

On Saturday, July 9, 2022 at approximately 8:50 PM, officers of the Cumberland Police Department responded to a business on Virginia Avenue to check on the well-being of a male subject who was bothering customers. Police contacted the male and identified him as Ira Reed. Reed was advised by officers to leave the property and to not return. He was also told not to create any further disturbances. At approximately 11:21 PM, officers responded back to the business for a theft. The staff reported that the suspect stole a pack of cigarettes and fled. Police were able to identify the…

According to DC News Now, there is an uodate on the valley mall shooting that happened last month. The shooter, Matthew Steven Lookabaugh, was charged with two counts of attempted first- and second-degree murder and first- and second-degree assault. After his arrest, police found an unregistered ghost gun and ammunition. The shooting victim was identified as Calijah Omari Paugh, who suffered from two gunshot wounds but recovered and was later released.

Hampshire County Magistrate John D. Rohrbaugh will retire next month, bringing to a close his 30-year career in public service in which he served as a deputy sheriff and a probation officer prior to becoming elected to his present position in 2017. Rohrbaugh began his career in July 1994 as a deputy sheriff in Hampshire County. After serving a brief time as a deputy in Mineral County, Rohrbaugh returned to Hampshire County, serving under the late Sheriff John W. Corbin Sr.

A Grant County man has been arrested on charges that he participated in violence during the breach of the U.S. Capitol in January 2021. John Thomas Gordon, 47, of Bayard, is accused of repeatedly throwing a hard object at a Capitol door as police officers tried to secure the building on the other side of the glass window, according to court documents. Gordon allegedly also kicked the door in order to gain entry and yelled obscenities at officers. Gordon was arrested Friday in Martinsburg. He is charged in a criminal complaint filed in Washington, D.C., with felony civil disorder and…

CDS ARREST   On Saturday, July 9, 2022 at approximately 2:35 PM, officers of the Cumberland Police Department responded to the area of Valley Street for a suspicious vehicle occupied by a male and a female. Upon speaking with the occupants, officers suspected drug activity. Police conducted a consent search of the vehicle. A quantity of a controlled dangerous substance was located in the vehicle. After further investigation, one of the occupants, Jared Citarelli, was arrested for CDS Possession-Not Marijuana. He was transported to police headquarters and issued a criminal citation. Citarelli was then released pending trial at District Court….

Gov. Justice proposes 10% personal income tax cut Coming off the greatest year of revenue collections in state history, Gov. Justice announced Wednesday that he is proposing a permanent 10% cut of the personal income tax. Under the Governor’s proposal, the 10% tax cut will be retroactive to the beginning of the 2022 calendar year, putting $250 million back in the pockets of West Virginians. The Governor announced that he will call a Special Session of the West Virginia Legislature to coincide with this month’s interim meetings on July 24-26 to allow legislators to vote on his proposal. Read More…

MEDIA ADVISORY: Governor Hogan to Appear on NBC’s Meet the Press ANNAPOLIS, MD—Governor Hogan is scheduled to appear live on the following program tomorrow morning: 9:00 AM: Governor Hogan will appear live on NBC’s Meet the Press. Check local listings for airtimes.