The Cumberland Mayor and City Council recently contracted with Richard Reinhardt of Percy Public Affairs to serve as a lobbyist with a focus on dealing with the General Assembly.  Percy Public Affairs is a public affairs & government relations firm headquartered in Prince George’s County – however Reinhardt has a familiarity with Allegany County having previously worked with the firm of Alexander & Cleaver which had been home to former Maryland House Speaker Casper Taylor for several years after he left public office. In addition,  Reinhardt has worked on behalf of the Allegany County Museum and the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad….

Allegany County officials are expected to provide some tax relief that will assist the city of Cumberland in it’s effort to renovate and restore the  former Carver Community Center. City officials agreed in 2020 to renovate the Carver Center and form a new board to govern it. Mayor Ray Morriss was selected as chairman of the 11-member Carver Center Executive Board. It was announced last summer that a $100,000 grant from the Maryland Historical Trust would be made to renovate the structure. The grant required a 100% match from the city, bringing the total secured for renovations to $200,000. County…

The Cumberland Mayor and City Council on Tuesday will meet with the developer of the former Memorial Hospital property to get a briefing and an overview of the planned project. The Cumberland Economic Development Corporation voted last month to transfer the land in South Cumberland to RAZ Development which has plans to make a significant financial investment. CEDC executive director Matt Miller… Miller said the development of the hospital site has been a top priority since a comprehensive housing analysis was conducted in 2019 indicating the city needs additional modern housing…

West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey announced this week  that he is leading a coalition of other attorneys general in a lawsuit against the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) new rule regulating stabilizing braces, commonly referred to as pistol braces. The rule in question is called centers on stabilizing braces and means that when manufacturers, dealers and individuals pair stabilizing braces with 99% of pistols, they must comply with the laws that regulate short-barreled rifles, which includes the National Firearms Act.Morrisey noted in a press release that the attachments were designed to people with disabilities use pistols, and are popular…

Recognition of the award winning seasons achieved by area high school marching bands topped the agenda of the regular public meeting of the  Allegany County Commissioners business meeting last week. Allegany High School won the Tournament of Bands Atlantic Coast Championship in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, which included more than 100 bands;  Fort Hill High School won first place in the 3A group at the Tournament of Bands Atlantic Coast Championships at Hershey Park Stadium in Hershey, Pennsylvania; and Mountain Ridge High School earned its first state title at the Maryland Marching Band Association State Championships at Towson University with a score…

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Maryland hospitals have been struggling to cope with a significant shortage of nurses and it’s a  problem  certain to get worse if steps aren’t taken to recruit newcomers to the profession and retain existing workers. According to the State of Maryland’s Health Care Workforce Report, released by the Maryland Hospital Association on Monday,  one of every four nursing positions is vacant. UPMC Western Maryland Health System president Michele Martz tells WCBC News that while steps are being taken to lure new workers and reduce the number of nurses leaving the profession, the shortages remain a problem for…

Longtime business and community leader Dave Christopher has passed away. Christophers Photo Lab was a family owner business that began in 1946 and remained open until 2021 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic impacting the business. The business did $2 million annually at its peak in the 1990s and employed up to 75 people as it produced photos for studios across the country. Dave was active with the business until he retired in 2008. In addition to his business, his great passion in life was Fort Hill Sentinal football and he made headlines by attending more than 700 consecutive…

The University of Maryland will no longer require students, faculty and staff to show proof of vaccination against COVID-19, the school announced this week. Vaccines are still "strongly recommended," the emailed announcement to the campus from University Health Center director Dr. Spyridon Marinopoulos said. "We are glad to have our full community back on campus and are pleased that with the start of the semester, our COVID-19 cases have remained low and, reassuringly, the new subvariants of COVID-19 are not translating into severe illness for most people," the email read. Marinopoulos attributed the low community spread, at least in part,…

The Maryland Rural Health Association has recently been awarded a grant to produce rural health testimonial videos to increase the COVID-19 and Influenza vaccination rates. These videos will be used in a multimedia campaign led by the association. We are looking for individuals willing to share their stories about why they believe receiving the vaccine(s) is essential. Individuals will be selected randomly and will be given pre-drafted questions before recording. All recordings will take place virtually; interviewees must sign a release form and have their video on during the interview. MRHA anticipates selecting up to ten individuals to participate. Due…

Each year, County United Way wishes to attract the highest quality service providers as potential grant recipients in striving to ensure the most effective pool of programs and services for our community. The agency, which serves Mineral and Hampshire counties in West Virginia and Allegany and Garrett counties in Maryland, is now beginning the process of considering partners. Qualifying organizations are requested to outline their programming to demonstrate how a United Way partnership specifically provides an outcome in one of the following areas: health, education and financial stability. Programs that most closely align with United Way’s mission and meet the criteria…