Maryland State Superintendent of Schools Dr. Carey Wright is encouraged by one of Governor Moore’s education plans in his proposed budget. There is a high turnover rate in school principals in the state – only 1 in 3 who held the position in 2020 are still in the job. Dr. Wright believes Moore’s plan for a Maryland School Leader Academy would reduce the instability…     “Hundreds of current and aspiring school leaders from across the state would be matched with a strong experienced principal to serve as their mentor. These mentors would support participants as they engage across LEA…

The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development reports that they invested $2.6 billion dollars in state programs in fiscal year 2024 that were designed to create more affordable housing, revitalize communities, support small businesses, and increase broadband connection in Maryland. Director Jake Day said the investments generated over $6 billion in economic impacts and helped create the equivalent of nearly 28,000 jobs.

Energy costs in Maryland are higher than the national average. Top Democratic leaders in the Maryland General Assembly say that building more dispatchable power plants that can be turned on and off as needed would help solve the issue, but environmentalists aren’t convinced. Mike Tidwell with Chesapeake Climate Action points out that Maryland had a goal of net zero emissions and a natural gas plant would push the state farther from that goal…     “We’ve steadily been moving in the right direction with wind power, with solar, with energy efficiency. Building new gas plants with sea level rise affecting…

A local leader and sports enthusiast has passed away.  Donald Francis “Donnie” Gibson died Tuesday at the age of 93.  Gibson played a vital role in local sports, especially at his alma mater, Allegany High School.  A 1949 Allegany graduate and later a U.S. Air Force veteran, Gibson founded the Allegany Sports Hall of Fame.  He was also a past president of the Camper Club.  Gibson’s devotion to Allegany resulted in a compilation of all Allegany football games and records, which he updated annually.  It included all city and all area teams, coaching records, and details on each Homecoming game. …

On Wednesday, February 26th, 2025, the Cumberland Police Department arrested Joshua Michael Reikie, 45, of Flintstone MD. Reikie was arrested on two active warrants issued in Allegany County. One warrant was issued as the result of Reike failing to appear in District Court on February 19th on charges of driving on a suspended license. A second warrant/body attachment was issued by the Allegany County Circuit Court on February 21st for failing to appear in reference to a child support case. Reikie was taken before a District Court Commissioner for an Initial Appearance where he was remanded to the Allegany County…

The Maryland Economic Development Association has recognized a western Maryland program for bringing economic prosperity to Maryland.  An award was given to “Make It In The Mountains,” a collaborative effort of Allegany and Garrett Counties.  The recognition is for a focused marketing campaign to attract and retain businesses in areas such as apparel, outdoor vehicles, timber, and specialty foods.  The campaign reached over 54,000 unique digital interactions.

The Supreme Court of Appeals in West Virginia is launching a new online system to search and access circuit court records in all 55 counties, beginning March 10. The West Virginia Public Access System will provide online access to publicly available circuit court documents dating back to 1999. Registration for the system is free and documents can be downloaded for a small fee of 25-cents per page plus a processing fee.

On Wednesday, February 26th, 2025, the Cumberland Police Department arrested Terry Lynn Ford Jr, 24, of Cumberland MD. Ford was arrested on an active Arrest Warrant issued by the Allegany County District Court on December 4th, 2024. The warrant was issued as a result of an investigation by the Maryland State Fire Marshall’s Office. The warrant charges Ford with multiple arson and destruction of property type charges. Ford was taken before a District Court Commissioner for an Initial Appearance where he was remanded to the Allegany County Detention Center. He is currently being held without bond.  Name:    Terry Lynn…

Fired federal government workers appealed enmasse to Senators on Capitol Hill this week, saying that their lives have been upended since losing their jobs. Many of the lawmakers are sympathetic to the situation, including Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen. He and other Democratic representatives appeared with federal union officials to say that DOGE is not really about efficiency…     “All of us agree that we can find ways to make the government more efficient in a targeted, surgical way,” he said. “What this has been about is taking over key government agencies to rig them in a way that…

It would seem that Maryland has only itself to blame for much of the issues with the current budget deficit.  An enormously costly education reform plan, a stagnant economy, and an over-reliance on federal funding and employment has put the state in a negative financial position while neighboring states have huge surpluses. Republican Senator Mike McKay says reforms have to happen to curb more spending…     “There’s a saying of the chickens have come home to roost and I think that the overall policies of the State of Maryland have come home to roost. And we can’t afford –…