Gun safety advocates and mental health professionals say legislation under consideration in Annapolis will strengthen gun safety and storage laws, and they're urging senators to pass it. WBAL reports supporters hope the same measure will not just reduce gun violence but also youth suicides. In an effort to continue to keep guns away from children, there are tougher gun laws under proposal in Annapolis this week as health experts say there's an ongoing crisis in the country concerning children and guns. Gun safety advocates took aim at irresponsible gun owners during a Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee hearing held this week…

Marshall Weston, president and CEO of the Restaurant Association of Maryland, said this week that the number of restaurants affected by the pandemic was not as high as previously predicted. In 2020, the association predicted that 40% of restaurants would close because of the pandemic. In 2021, they changed that number to 20% of restaurants. And, this week, he said it could be between 15-18%. WBAL reports that after two years, going into the third year of the pandemic, Weston said many restaurants have taken on more debt “hoping for better days,” but it appears those better days are a little ways away for some. He pointed to…

Construction on the Cumberland Gateway Plaza is in full swing- and city officials hope that it is just the first of what could be several commercial developments off Interstate 68. While much of the economic development focus in recent years has been on the Rolling Mill project- there are other locations in the city limits which are attractive to developers and have potential to create additional economic opportunities. Mayor Ray Morriss… The mayor adds that there have been regular, ongoing discussions about the CSX-owned tracts beside Martin’s supermarket on Park Street. The large unencumbered parcels of land beside Martin’s have been…

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….