Gov. Jim Justice announced today that West Virginia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased to 3.9% for February 2022; breaking the all-time record for the lowest unemployment rate recorded in state history for the 5th consecutive month. “It’s not an exaggeration when I say right now, today, is the best time ever to get a great job in West Virginia,” Gov. Justice said. “This isn’t a fluke or a one-off. This is record after record after record after record after record, and this is one case where repetition isn’t boring at all. “We’re proving that it’s impossible to get tired of…

The Public Service Commission of West Virginia and the Gas and Oil Association of West Virginia (GO-WV) are holding Pipeline Safety Seminars in Charleston on April 5 and Bridgeport on April 7.  The one-day seminars are free of charge to operators and will focus on a review of Federal and State requirements and recent developments in the industry.  Featured speakers at the conference will include the PSC Gas Pipeline Safety Division and representatives of the industry.  Lunch will be provided to participants.    “The purpose of the seminars is to ensure all regulated pipeline operators in West Virginia understand and…

On Monday, March 21, the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) will begin two safety and resurfacing projects on sections of MD 36 (New Georges Creek Road) and Interstate-68 (National Freeway) in Allegany County. For both projects, crews will patch, grind, resurface and install new pavement markings on the roadway. This resurfacing work is necessary to provide a safe and durable riding surface and extend the life of the roadway.  MD 36 – Crews will work weekdays, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., from the MDOT SHA salt dome near Sisler Hill Road to MD 935 (Lower Georges…

The C&O Canal Towpath and Great Allegheny Passage are each nominated as one of the top best recreational trails in North America by USA Today’s 10Best. USA Today 10Best editors worked with a panel of travel experts to nominate the country’s best recreational trails. “Over the course of the last two years, many people have looked for more ways to get active in the great outdoors. Thanks to an ever-growing network of recreational trails across the country, staying active is easier than ever,” the website states.  The C&O Canal Towpath runs 184.5 miles from Georgetown in the nation’s capital to…

Amy Rice has been selected as the 2022-2023 Allegany County Teacher of the Year.  Board of Education hosted the 34th Annual Teacher of the Year Celebration with this year’s event once again held virtually. Rice is a graduate of Frostburg State University, where she received her Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction in 2002 and her Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood/Elementary Education in 1996. She is currently a 2nd grade teacher at Cash Valley, where she has taught for 25 years. Mrs. Rice serves as a chairperson for the school’s leadership team and is a member of the STEM/technology action…

Governor Larry Hogan Tuesday announced the launch of a multi-pronged, first-in-the-nation workforce development initiative to formally eliminate the four-year college degree requirement from thousands of state jobs. Spearheaded by the Maryland Department of Labor and the Maryland Department of Budget and Management (DBM), the state will work with partners to recruit and market these roles to job seekers who are “Skilled Through Alternative Routes” (STARs). The governor was joined for the announcement by Secretary Tiffany Robinson of the Maryland Department of Labor and Byron Auguste, the CEO and co-founder of Opportunity@Work, a nonprofit workforce development organization that will work with…

A delay in construction on Cumberland’s downtown mall project has led the board of the farmers market to vote against moving the weekly event to Canal Place as originally planned- opting to continue on the mall this spring and summer. Downtown Development Commission Executive Director Melinda Kelleher announced the change in plans during a recent meeting, noting that the board’s decision was not unanimous….

The Cumberland Mayor and City Council on Tuesday voted unanimously to designate space adjacent to the BMX facility in the Mason Sports Complex as the location of the proposed skate park. The action only identifies the location and there remain numerous other steps that will need to be taken before the project begins in earnest- not the least of which is securing funding which is estimated to be in the $700,000 range. While there have been a few complaints about the proposed site, Mayor Ray Morriss said that is not unusual, and he praised the Parks and Recreation Department and…

WCBC radio once again performed work on their second tower Tuesday, changing the bulbs of its warning beacon located at top Wills mountain. Even though the towers are only 194 ft high they stand on top of mountain that places the transmitter around 1,860 ft above sea level. The weather was beautiful and a little windy, the work was not that exciting but a Live video feed of the repair is available on our Facebook page so the listeners can enjoy the Mountain Maryland view.

Maryland’s highest court on Tuesday moved the state’s primary from June 28 to July 19, as courts weigh challenges to the state’s new legislative map as well as Maryland’s congressional map. The Court of Appeals also set a new candidate filing deadline for April 15. The court issued the order in the matter of a legal challenge to the map of political boundaries for the 188 seats in the General Assembly. Separately, a trial began Tuesday over allegations that Maryland’s congressional map has been illegally drawn to benefit Democrats. In that case, a witness for Maryland Republicans testified that partisan…