On December 8th, 2022 officers of the Cumberland Police Department served an Arrest Warrant on Steven Kienhofer. The Arrest Warrant was issued by the District Court when he failed to appear for his trial at District Court on November 3rd, 2022. Keinhofer was taken before a District Court Commissioner where he was released on his own recognizance. Arrest: Steven Delaine Kienhofer, age 70, Cumberland Maryland. Charges: Failure to Appear. On December 8th, 2022 officers of the Cumberland Police Department served an Arrest Warrant on Tiffany Washington. The Arrest Warrant was issued by the District Court when she failed to appear…

A joint investigation continues between the Office of the State Fire Marshal and the Maryland State Police Criminal Enforcement Division into the cause of a dwelling fire that claimed one life Thursday afternoon. Just before 2:00 p.m., firefighters from Grantsville Volunteer Fire Department and surrounding departments responded to 684 Fire Clay Road and discovered heavy fire throughout a two-story, single-family home. The home was heavily damaged during the fire, causing portions of the second floor to collapse into the first floor. During a subsequent search of the home, a victim was located within the remains. Deputy State Fire Marshals worked…

The potential for the state to shift much further left under the administraton of Governor-elect Wes Moore is a primary concern for Delegate Jason Buckel just a month before the state of the 2023 session of the Maryland General Assembly.  Buckel, the house minority leader, joined other members of the District One legislative delegation Thursday afternoon for the Chamber of Commerce’ Annual pre-session luncheon at the Ali Ghan Shrine Club.  Buckel said the next governor has made no secret of his plans to push for immediate implementation of the minimum wage increase- an action that almost assuredly will have a…

Finding workers to staff area businesses continues to be a problem locally. Many  of those who chose to work from home or leave their jobs altogether during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic- have made the decision in many cases not to return to work. That has forced many businesses to reduce the hours and/or days of operation. Cumberland Mayor Ray Morriss….

A target for construction to begin on the downtown mall redesign project has been set for April 1st- and the first phases will involve replacing aging underground utility lines. Overall the project will see the reinstallation of Baltimore Street through the pedestrian mall; and creating a new streetscape that will include trees, shrubs and redesigned parklets. Matt Miller, Cumberland Economic Development Corporation executive director, said the hope is that all of the business owners on Baltimore Street will agree to allow for the  new infrastructure inside of their buildings…

Victims of clergy sex abuse within the Archdiocese of Baltimore have renewed their legal fight to have a report released concerning more than 600 victims who were abused over decades. Rob Jenner's law firm represents victims and advocates. The firm has filed a motion to have the proceedings about the report's release be made public. The report is under seal because it has grand jury materials and a judge is deciding if the state law should be waved to make it public. The Archdiocese of Baltimore is helping pay legal fees for a group trying to keep their names which…

West Virginia officials Thursday welcomed new development by an international manufacturer that turns steel and metal scrap into useful products. Commercial Metals Company is building a micro mill in Berkeley County, with the capacity to produce 500,000 tons of straight-length rebar and a premium spooled rebar. Governor Jim Justice said the state-of-the-art steel production micro mill is expected to open in late 2025. The company anticipates employing about 230 workers…

The Cumberland Economic Development Corporation is pleased to announce Phase One of the Downtown Comprehensive Investment Grant Program opened on October 17 and closed on November 11. Phase One of the three phase program consisted of a Downtown Façade Improvement Grant and a Downtown Technical Assistance Grant. Requests were received for a total of $556,145.52 for the Facade Improvement portion with $400,000 available funds. There were requests for $15,350.00 for the Technical Assistance portion with $20,000 allocated for it. The grant committee was able to amicably allocate all available funds with only relatively minor decreases in some of the requests. All applicants…

Governor Larry Hogan today delivered the keynote address at the Greater Washington Board of Trade’s annual meeting to discuss Maryland’s economic turnaround and shared priorities for regional leaders—including advancing the state’s Traffic Relief Plan for the American Legion Bridge and the Capital Beltway.

Congressman David Trone’s (D-MD) Fighting Emerging Narcotics Through Additional Nations to Yield Lasting (FENTANYL) Results Act passed the U.S. House through the FY23 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The legislation now awaits passage in the Senate.   The FENTANYL Results Act would authorize programs through the State Department that would build foreign law enforcement capacity to detect synthetic drugs and carry out an international exchange program for drug demand reduction experts.    A record 108,000 Americans died from a drug overdose in 2021, and more than 200 people die every day from overdoses related to synthetic opioids. The FENTANYL Results…