One of the main complaints against the Allegany Library System has been that they have not pursued grant funding. The system is facing possible closure of up to three branches and accusations are that director John Taube has not been putting efforts into finding funding.  Ashley Swinford of the library system tells WCBC that the library secures between $120- and $180,000 in grants each year…     “These funds support special projects like staff training, purchasing the events in the delivery van. We added chrome books that people could check out. However, most grants are restricted to one-time expenses and…

Queen City Drive will be closed to through traffic on Thursday and Friday between 7:00 AM and 5:00 PM.  The closure begins at Baltimore Street and ends at Frederick Street.  Traffic will be routed to Harrison Street and Mechanic Street.  The closure will allow crews to make necessary repairs to the concrete roadway.

On Tuesday, March 25, 2025, the Cumberland Police Department served a criminal summons on Michael Deniker.  The summons was issued as the result of an incident that occurred on March 15, 2025 at approximately 5:16 PM when police responded to Fayette Street at Greene Street for a motor vehicle collision.  During the investigation, it was discovered that the vehicle Deniker was operating had a suspended registration and an insurance lapse.  Police filed for charges against Deniker at the District Court of Allegany County.  Deniker signed for his copy of the summons and he was released pending trial. ARRESTED:  Michael Edward…

Work is finally beginning on the new location of Rural King at the Country Club Mall in LaVale.  Rural King announced it was going to locate in the area in June of 2023 and will be taking over space where JC Penney was located. The retail chain has over 130 stores, has been in business since 1960, and provides food, feed, seed and other farm and home products.  No opening date has been announced.

Kohl’s department stores has announced that over 20 stores are set to be closed by the end of April.  The corporation said that the stores set for closure are underperforming and it is taking difficult but necessary actions to support the health and future of its business.  Kohl’s LaVale store is not listed to be closed. The nearest store location set for closing is in Herndon, Virginia.

Allegany County Administrator Jason Bennett joins the Dave Norman show on WCBC Thursday just before 9am to talk about the urgent budget situation facing the county. With mandates from the state increasing local costs by millions, county officials are looking at a possible combination of ways to overcome a deficit. Many smaller counties are finding themselves suddenly in the red following state pushback for costs of teacher pensions, the department of taxation, and deep cuts to disparity grants.

The Cumberland Police Department is seeking the public’s assistance with a destruction of property incident. On Tuesday, March 25, 2025 at approximately 4:11 PM, the Cumberland Police Department responded to the 300 block of Grand Avenue for vehicles that had been damaged overnight.  Police learned that the suspect had damaged tires on at least 3 vehicles.  Anyone with information in regards to this case is urged to contact the Cumberland Police Department at 301-777-1600.  Callers can remain anonymous.

The National Weather Service in has issued a Red Flag Warning for very dry and gusty northwest winds, which is in effect from 11 AM this morning to 7 PM this evening. The Fire Weather Watch is no longer in effect. Northwest 15 to 20 mph with gusts up to 40 mph and relative humidity as low as 18 to 22 percent. Any fire that develops will catch and spread quickly. Outdoor burning is not recommended. A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now, or will shortly. A combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and…

Cumberland Economic Development has announced aerospace firm SPARC Research will be locating in the Rosenbaum Building in Downtown Cumberland.  SPARC works in solid rocket and air-breathing propulsion technologies.  A $100,000 grant from the Senator George Edwards Fund helped create an incentive package. SPARC Research President Matt Cornwell spoke with WCBC about the opportunity…     “The idea behind the grant and the intent is to help being high-paying jobs to the Cumberland market, and we are fortunate to have this relationship and expect it to continue through different phases and our relationship with the CEDC to grow over time.” CEDC…

On Tuesday, the Maryland House of Delegates went over almost 200 budget amendments, including a $25 million dollar cut in Program Open Space funds from rural legacy programs, land preservation and state open space funding. After debate on the cuts, Democratic Delegate Ben Barnes said such actions are needed now…     “We don’t like this cut. We don’t want to take this cut. But sometimes you have to govern. Every now and then, you have to govern. And taking hard cuts and taking hard revenue is what governing looks like.”