On August 31st, 2022 at approximately 11:45 pm officers of the Cumberland Police Department conduct a patrol in the area of the 30 block of Greene Street when they located several individuals in a City of Cumberland Park after it was closed. These individuals were advised previously in the evening of the parks closure time, and were advised to leave the park prior to its closure. All were issued Criminal Citations for trespassing and released pending their trials at District Court. Arrest: Brian Edward Conn, age 52, Cumberland Maryland.  Charge: Trespassing. Arrest: Stephen Kenifer, age 69, Cumberland Maryland.  Charge: Trespassing. Arrest: Melony…

Comptroller Peter Franchot said this week that President Biden’s plan to erase some federal student debt could have some positive benefits for Marylanders,  he urges that you proceed with caution. He also asked them to take advantage of Maryland’s student loan program which has a fast approaching deadline. Speaking during Wednesday’s regular meeting of the Board of Public Works, Franchot said that student loan debt is a major problem in the country and he applauded the president for taking action… Meanwhile Franchot says there is a  state program which allows Marylanders paying off student loans to apply for a tax credit…

A report earlier this week that inmates at the Western Correctional Institution (WCI) near Cresaptown now have access to electronic tablets has not been well received by some in the local community. The state program was initiated jointly in 2018 by the governor’s office on crime prevention; the department of labor and the department of corrections. The program equips inmates with electronic tablets that provide access to applications and tools that increase motivation, personalize learning, and accelerate passage of the GED and TABE  assessments. By expanding the program to other facilities, most recently WCI, the hope is it will change…

Reported opioid overdoses in Cumberland were down more than 50% in the first six months of 2022 when compared to the same time period last year. According to recent statistics non-fatal opioid overdoses reported to police from January to June 2022 totaled 39, compared to 97 during the same period last year. Fatal overdoses fell from nine to six over the same period. While overdose numbers are fluid, local law enforcement and health officials are encouraged by those first half numbers. Maryland’s Lt Governor Boyd Rutherford has headed the state’s heroin and opioid task force since it was established in…

City officials are keeping their fingers crossed that runaway inflation rates won’t wreck the budget in place for the Baltimore Street Access project. A mandatory pre-bid meeting for the Baltimore Street Access project was held Wednesday afternoon at City Hall- with final bids due September 21st. The scope of the project would include the reopening of Baltimore Street to one-way vehicular traffic; reconstruction of Liberty Street and Centre Street;  a full streetscape renovation;  and 18 parallel parking spaces, sidewalks, dining areas and plazas. The project was given the green light by the city council in 2016 with the initial cost…

On August 31st, 2022, at approximately 1805 hours, Deputies with the Allegany County Sheriff’s Office responded to McMullen Highway in the area of Patriot Parkway, Cumberland for a report of a disorderly male who was threatening the public. A physical description was provided to responding deputies who located the male and identified him as John Patrick Kealey (43 year old) from Pennsylvania. Kealey was observed causing a public disturbance and began to threaten deputies when he was contacted. Deputies learned that Kealey had been contacted numerous times on this date for other citizen complaints of the same nature. When Kealey was…

The Baltimore Street/Casper Taylor Bridge rebuild project bids were opened at City Hall Wednesday afternoon and all of them exceeded the estimated price tag. The  bridge serves as a main thoroughfare into downtown Cumberland, crossing Wills Creek. It is  owned by the city of Cumberland, making it eligible for federal funds for the repair work. City engineers projected the cost in the area of $4 million-  but the lowest bid received came from Carl Belt Construction totaling a little more than $4.7 million. Triton Construction of St. Albans West Virginia bid was $5.8 million; while Orders Construction, also out of…

The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) will begin a project on Thursday, September 1, to clean and paint the I-68 (National Freeway) bridge over MD 53 (Winchester Road) in LaVale. Motorists can expect roadway shoulder closures in both directions of I-68 during non-peak periods Thursday through Saturday, September 1-3, to allow the contractor to prepare for the project. Once the setup work is completed, most of the cleaning and painting will occur without active shoulder closures. However, motorists should expect single-lane closures in both directions under the bridge on MD 53 during work hours. Motorists should anticipate…

Ty Johnson, a standout at Fort Hill and the University of Maryland, made the New York Jets 53-man roster on Tuesday. The Cumnberland Times News reports the Jets waived 27 players to meet the roster limit, but Johnson wasn't one of them. The running back, who was drafted in the sixth round (186th overall) of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions, is entering his fifth season in the league. Johnson dealt with a hamstring injury during training camp, and that seemed to limit his production during the preseason when he rushed for 23 yards on 10 carries and made one…

U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) announced the inclusion of $16,892,000 in direct federal funding for local projects in Western Maryland within the Senate Appropriations Committee’s proposed annual funding legislation for fiscal year 2023. The projects encompass a wide array of local and regional priorities, ranging from public safety to infrastructure improvements to community and workforce development. Overall, the Senators included over $120 million in federal dollars directly for Maryland within the Committee’s proposed legislation.   A full list of the funds included by Senator Van Hollen in the fiscal year 2023 appropriations legislation is here. A…