A little more than a month ago, West Virginia's attorney general issued a statement opposing plans for removal of the dam beneath the Blue Bridge that links Cumberland and Ridgeley. According to river park advocates those concerns have been addressed and the project is moving forward. The statement from AG Patrick Morrisey released in mid-February and was supported by Mineral County Delegate Gary Howell, claimed that the state of Maryland is "purposely ignoring the questions, concerns and input of West Virginia”. The dam's removal is part of a plan to construct a park along the Potomac River near Canal Place….

Maryland’s lone Republican Congressman Andy Harris says that the pause on the gas tax might not be a good thing for the state. Last Thursday Governor Larry Hogan and State House officials agreed on legislation to provide a one-month gas tax holiday. Harris told WBAL that the newly approved gas tax holiday in Maryland is going to negatively impact infrastructure in the state and he emphasized that the real problem that needs to be addressed are the energy policies of the Biden administration…

The Maryland House has voted  to enshrine the right to abortion in the state’s constitution and for a separate measure to broaden access to providers, as supporters cited the possibility that a conservative U.S. Supreme Court could overturn or weaken abortion-rights protections. WBAL reports the House voted 93-42 for the constitutional amendment. If approved by the Senate, voters would have the final say in November. The constitutional amendment, sponsored by Maryland House Speaker Adrienne Jones, comes at a time when states mostly across the South and Midwest are moving to limit access to abortion. One House member strongly opposed is…

A statue that was thought to be the last Confederate monument on a courthouse lawn in Maryland was removed Monday. The “Talbot Boys Statue” was removed first and workers then loaded the stone base onto a flatbed truck by crane as small crowd watched. Some passing motorists who asked what was happening, cheerfully replied, “finally!” when they heard the news. “Hallelujah!" said Sheryl Goodspeed of Easton. “I was very happy.” The statue that stood on the Talbot County courthouse lawn in Easton for a century was thought to be the last Confederate monument still standing on public property in Maryland…

Democratic Deputy Treasurer Barbara Goldberg Goldman has resigned after some controversial remarks. Goldman has stepped down after she raised the question over whether black candidates can win the gubernatorial race this year. Axios reported Sunday Goldman raised the question in an email to party insiders in December. “Consider this,” Goldman wrote in the email. “Three African American males have run statewide for governor and have lost. Maryland is not a blue state. It’s a purple one. This is a fact we must not ignore. In the last 20 years, only eight have been with a Democratic governor. We need a winning…

The Pittsburgh Steelers begin the post-Ben Roethlisberger era with another Ohio native. NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported Monday that the Steelers agreed to a two-year deal with quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, per sources informed of the deal. The former No. 2 overall pick is expected to be the starter over Mason Rudolph and former first-round pick Dwayne Haskins. Trubisky spent his first four seasons in Chicago, making a Pro Bowl in his second season, but struggled down the stretch and fell out of favor with Bears fans. He spent 2021 in Buffalo rehabbing his image but hardly saw the field as Josh Allen's backup (eight pass attempts).

Comptroller Peter Franchot today announced that his office has processed more than one million individual income tax returns since the tax filing season began January 24. Despite the challenges posed by the ongoing pandemic, the agency has processed more returns this year than at the same point in last year’s tax season. In addition, since January 1, staff at the Comptroller’s Offices’ call centers, located throughout the state, have answered 110,528 calls from the state’s taxpayers and responded to 45,860 emails. The one-millionth return was submitted by a Prince George’s County tax filer. As of today, 1,094,990 electronic and paper…

The Mayor and City Council of Cumberland have released the plan for the City’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds and have focused on some significant community programs that will provide improved services to the residents in the Cumberland area. The following programs or projects are just some of the initiatives which will be receiving funding: -Jane’s Place for Abused Children – Child abuse has been exacerbated by the pandemic and available funding is decreasing. This ARPA funding will enable the addition of an intervention counselor, increase transportation funding, and bring 100 prevention trainings called, "Stewards of Children" to the…

The Maryland House has voted  to enshrine the right to abortion in the state’s constitution and for a separate measure to broaden access to providers, as supporters cited the possibility that a conservative U.S. Supreme Court could overturn or weaken abortion-rights protections. WBAL reports the House voted 93-42 for the constitutional amendment. If approved by the Senate, voters would have the final say in November. The constitutional amendment, sponsored by Maryland House Speaker Adrienne Jones, comes at a time when states mostly across the South and Midwest are moving to limit access to abortion. Other states are acting to protect…

According to the Mineral County Sheriff’s office, a Pittsburgh man convicted in 2007 of robbing four Pennsylvania banks was arrested Friday in connection with the February gunpoint robbery of M&T Bank at Fort Ashby. William John Birdsall, 50, was taken into custody without incident at an undisclosed location in Pittsburgh. The robbery occurred Feb. 3 at about 11 a.m. when the suspect brandished a handgun, demanded money from bank tellers and fled the area on foot. Birdsall was arrested on charges contained in a federal arrest warrant obtained through information and evidence developed by the sheriff's office, the Potomac Highlands…