It is viewed by many as the unofficial start of the holiday season in the city- the arrival of Cumberland’s Christmas tree. The tree, which was  donated by resident Linda Cosner, was erected on the Baltimore Street pedestrian mall last Friday. The city’s annual tree lighting ceremony will be held on Novermber 25, with festivities starting at 6 p.m. The event will include musical entertainment and ice cream from the Queen City Creamery.  Downtown Development Commission executive director Melinda Kelleher said now that the tree is up- decorating it and the rest of the downtown area is getting underway in…

Now three days  removed from Election Night, the much-watched rematch between U.S. Rep. David Trone and Maryland Del. Neil Parrott remained the only congressional race in the state too close to be called by The Associated Press. Parrott, a Republican, had a slight edge over his Democratic opponent by the time all 247 precincts in the 6th Congressional District had reported results to the state’s election board early Wednesday morning. But that could change when the district’s five counties finish counting mail-in ballots yet to be tallied. Of the five counties included in the 6th District, all but one —…

Maryland Governor Larry Hogan met with the state's projected new governor, Wes Moore, Thursday in Annapolis to discuss the transition process at the governor's mansion early next year. Moore, a Democrat, easily defeated Republican Delegate Dan Cox on Election Night.  Hogan ensured that he plans to make a "smooth transition" out of office come January… Moore, who will become Maryland's first Black governor, said he along with his team is earnestly working to ensure a seamless transition during the next two months leading up to the Inauguration…

The Cumberland Economic Development Corporation is close to awarding the bid for a project that will greatly enhance security downtown. The CEDC earlier this year received a state safety grant totaling more than $95,000 which will be used to install a  video surveillance system. The grant will cover the costs for cameras, computer equipment, monitors, communication equipment, video recorders and labor. Additionally, the funding will provide Ring doorbell cameras to interested downtown business owners.  CEDC executive director Matt Miller said the security upgrades complement the planned renovations of the Baltimore Street pedestrian mall and will involve input from building and…

Even though construction on the project won’t begin until April and it will take 18 months to complete- there is already a noticeable uptick in activity in downtown Cumberland. The $14.6 million Baltimore Street Access Project will ultimately include replacing underground utility lines, reinstalling Baltimore Street through the pedestrian mall and creating a new streetscape with parklets, trees and shrubs. Although the finished product won’t be complete until 2024, vacant buildings on the mall have been selling and there has been significant private sector investment. Jonathan Hutcherson, chairman of the CEDC board, said momentum generated by the proposed renovations and redesign is evident…

The attorney general for the District of Columbia says his office is filing a civil consumer protection lawsuit against the Washington Commanders, owner Dan Snyder, the NFL and Commissioner Roger Goodell. Attorney General Karl Racine announced the civil complaint for colluding to deceive District residents at a news conference Thursday. Racine said the team and league violated D.C. consumers’ rights based on what they knew about the organization’s workplace misconduct, alleging Snyder lied about his knowledge of the situation. Four posters flanked Racine during his announcement, outlining some of the history of the team's rebranding efforts that included references to D.C. and its flag and the…

Gov. Justice announced the West Virginia State Capitol dome will be lit purple tonight, Thursday, November 10th, in honor of the 240th anniversary of the Purple Heart Award. The true anniversary of the distinguished Purple Heart is on Veterans Day, but because of inclement weather expected from Hurricane Nicole on Friday, the Capitol dome lighting will take place around 5 p.m. a day in advance.  

Two days after the election, Gov. Larry Hogan hosted Gov.-elect Wes Moore in a meeting at the State House. WBAL reports after their one-hour-long meeting, Hogan said Moore ran for governor for all the right reasons and promised "to do all I can to help him." “I was very pleased to have the honor of welcoming Governor-Elect Wes Moore to the State House and we had a really productive one-on-one conversation — and we also had our teams meeting simultaneously to review and hand off transition documents,” Hogan said. “Our entire administration is going to do everything we possibly can…

The high school football game between Allegany and Fort Hill which had been scheduled for Friday night and been moved to Saturday at 6 PM. 

One person was killed and two others injured Thursday morning following a vehicle crash on Ellerslie Road. Allegany County Emergency Services reported that the  two-vehicle accident just after 9 a.m. near the Mount Savage Road intersection was head-on, and two people were trapped in the wreckage. Ellerslie Road was closed as the Allegany County Sheriff’s Office investigated the accident. The injured people were taken by ambulance to UPMC Western Maryland