Columbia Gas of Maryland filed a request Friday with the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) to approve revised rates for further upgrading and replacing portions of the company’s underground natural gas distribution pipelines. If approved, these proposed rate adjustments would not go into effect until the end of 2022.   “Ensuring the continued, long-term safety of the customers and communities we serve is essential, and it requires the necessary level of investment to modernize our energy infrastructure for generations to come,” said Mark Kempic, Columbia Gas President and Chief Operating Officer. “This proposal seeks to balance cost and service in…

On Friday at approximately 9:56 AM, officers of the Cumberland Police Department responded to a residence on W. Clement Street to check on the well-being of a male subject sleeping under a porch.  Officers contacted the subject and identified him as Andrew Leese.  Officers observed that he was in possession of controlled drug paraphernalia.  He was arrested and transported to Central Booking.  He was later seen by a District Court Commissioner and released on his personal recognizance.   ARRESTED:  Andrew Leslie Leese           AGE:  33            Bedford, PA CHARGES:  CDS Admin Equip Possess   At approximately 7:13 PM, officers of the Cumberland Police…

On Friday afternoon just after 4 p.m. units from the Cumberland Police & Fire Departments responded to Industrial Blvd. & Lamont Street for a M/V crash.  Upon arrival officers observed three vehicles involved in the crash, one of the vehicles had been flipped onto its side as a result of the impact from the crash. Investigation at the scene revealed the following, Ronald Iser of Fort Ashby, WV failed to stop for the Lamont Street stop sign at the Industrial Blvd intersection and collided with a vehicle traveling W/B on Industrial Blvd. the third vehicle in the crash was stationary on…

The Allegany County Health Department has announced that drive-thru COVID-19 testing at the Allegany Fairgrounds will not be available from Monday, May 23 through June 1 due to another event at the fairgrounds.  Additionally, there will be no walk-in vaccination clinic in the fairgrounds multipurpose building on May 25.   Fairgrounds drive-thru testing will be available Monday, May 16 from 2 to 7 p.m. and on Wednesday and Friday, May 18 and 20, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.  COVID-19 testing is also available at local urgent care facilities, or by utilizing at-home test kits.    COVID vaccinations for those…

During the pandemic, fatal vehicle accidents in Maryland were higher than in previous years, reflecting a national trend. So far this year, the data shows that trend is continuing. The total number of crashes in the years leading up to the pandemic fluctuated between about 120,000 and 115,000 per year, according to data from the Maryland Highway Safety Office. In 2020, the state saw 95,507 total crashes, a decline of 17.6% from the previous year. Despite this, more people died in vehicle crashes than in previous years, resulting in a 7.1% increase in fatalities. This was in line with a…

For the 7-day period of May 6-12, 2022, there were no schools that met the definition of a School Wide or Cohort Outbreak of COVID-19.  ACPS had 7 staff members and 14 students reported as positive for COVID-19 during this time.  ACPS had 1 staff member and 7 students quarantined as a close contact.  

Allegany County Emergency Services reports that Industrial Blvd at Lamont Street was closed earlier this afternoon  as the result of an accident

A woman was not injured late Thursday morning when her vehicle accidentally traveled into a pond along 15 Mile Creek Road, according to Maryland Natural Resources Police. The Cumberland Times News reports the incident prompted the response of Allegany County Special Operations water rescue volunteers who entered the water following alert at about 11:30 a.m. and determined there were no occupants in the fully submerged vehicle, according to Roger Bennett, deputy director of the Allegany County Department of Emergency Services. Responding Natural Resources Police officers contacted the female operator of the vehicle who advised that she had parked the vehicle without…

West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey has joined a lawsuit along with his counterparts in 16 states challenging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s choice to allow California to exercise extraordinary authority under the Clean Air Act.   The exemption would allow California to impose its Advanced Clean Cars program on all new motor vehicles. The Clean Air Act preempts all other states’ emission standards for new vehicles unless they adopt standards identical to California’s.   In the lawsuit, the attorneys general argue this special treatment violates the Constitution, which creates a federalist framework in which all states are equal and none…

Governor Larry Hogan and First Lady Yumi Hogan today received their second COVID-19 vaccine boosters, as they continue to encourage eligible Marylanders to get boosted for maximum protection against the virus. B-roll of the vaccinations is available here. “One of the reasons we’ve been so successful in fighting COVID is our commitment to leaving no arm behind and getting as many Marylanders vaccinated and boosted as possible,” said Governor Hogan. “If you are now eligible for a second booster, we encourage you to go out and get one at your local pharmacy or any of our hundreds of providers across…