The Allegany County Board of Commissioners in recent years has invested tens of millions of dollars in infrastructure improvements, including water, sewer and roads projects- and that commitment is starting to pay dividends. The largest investments have been in various water and sewer projects across the county while the remainder has primarily been invested in road improvements.  Such infrastructure projects are a passion for County Commissioner Creade Brodie Jr who served as a maintenance supervisor and worked for more than 20 years with the LaVale Sanitation Commission. On a scale of one to ten, Brodie said he  would rate Allegany…

Although it appears as though there is finally some momentum for both the downtown mall redesign and the Rolling Mill projects- the deliberate pace and lack of progress to date-  has served as a point of frustration for both the public and elected officials. Delegate Jason Buckel has frequently expressed exasperation with what sometimes has appeared to be a lack of urgency in moving those projects forward… He says lagging behind on projects that are relying on significant state investment also creates problems when local officials attempt to secure support for the next venture…

The Allegany County Board of Education this week approved the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future report to be submitted to the state next month.  State legislation, passed in 2021, includes an annual $3.8 billion funding increase over the next 10 years aimed to improve education in public schools. Major goals of the legislation are to improve Maryland’s early childhood, primary and secondary education to the levels of high-performing systems around the world, and establish a career ladder system for educators as they gain expertise.  ACPS Blueprint Coordinator Wendy Main provided an overview of the report which included community input received during…

U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen and Congressman David Trone on Thursday met with members of the Western Maryland Delegation to the Maryland General Assembly to provide an update on  efforts in Congress to support the region and discuss how they can work together this year. During the meeting, Senator Van Hollen outlined how the American Rescue Plan has helped Western Maryland workers, families, and small businesses recover from the health and economic effects of the pandemic. He will also highlighted  how recent major federal legislation will continue to drive economic growth in the region through funds to support broadband deployment……

President Joe Biden this week  said Republican policies would blow up the national debt by $3 trillion over 10 years, taking direct aim at GOP lawmakers who say their priority is a balancing the federal budget.  Biden told union workers gathered in Lanham, Maryland his budget, which is set to be released March 9, would protect Social Security and Medicare from cuts, while reducing the national debt by $2 trillion over a decade. One key driver of Biden’s planned deficit reduction appears to be his willingness to increase taxes on the wealthiest U.S. households.                                         

A water line break near the campus of Allegany College of Maryland has forced the school to close at 3:15 Thursday. Off branch activities will not be impacted

The City of Cumberland Engineering Department would like to notify the public on the behalf of Carl Belt Inc. that construction on the Baltimore Street Bridge will begin on Monday. The project is expected to be completed in the summer of 2024. Construction will occur between the hours of 7am-5pm, Monday through Friday.   The bridge will remain open for two lanes of traffic during construction, with the exception of scheduled nighttime closures. No parking will be permitted on the bridge until the project is complete.   Future press releases will be issued to notify the public of traffic pattern changes….

Frostburg State University is excited to announce that beginning in the Fall of 2023, they will partner with Allegany County Public Schools to offer the Bobcat Academy – a dual enrollment pilot program to give motivated high seniors an immersive college experience and an opportunity to earn college credits while simultaneously completing high school. Students meeting the eligibility requirements and who are interested in applying for acceptance into the Bobcat Academy will have the opportunity to do so at several informational sessions. The dates are as follows: Feb. 16 at 9:45 a.m. at Fort Hill High School and Feb. 23…

The Allegany County Public School system is reporting steaedy progress with the MCAP standardized tests results. The report by the Maryland Department of Education in January showed test scores stsatewide for students returning to pre-pandemic performance levels in English but not in math. Trina Simpson, supervisor of assessments and accountabilit, provided the school board with an overview of the local test results- noting that pre COVID numbers saw the system in a strong position. 

The Congressional Budget Office on Wednesday said the U.S. Treasury Department will exhaust its ability to pay all its bills sometime between July and September, unless the current $31.4 trillion cap on borrowing is raised or suspended. In a report issued alongside its annual budget outlook, the non-partisan CBO cautioned that a historic federal debt default could occur before July if revenue flowing into the Treasury in April – when most Americans typically submit annual income tax filings – lags expectations. Democrats are pressing for a quick, clean increase in Treasury borrowing authority, while Republicans insist on first nailing down significant reductions in…