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…

Beginning Monday, March 21, the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) will perform curb and gutter work on MD 51 (Industrial Boulevard) in Allegany County. Crews will work daily, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., on the roadway between Canal Parkway and Springdale Street. Work is expected to be completed by the end of June. During work hours, crews will close the right lane of MD 51in both directions. Signage, cones and barrels will be in place to safely guide motorists through the work zone. A barrier wall will be installed to protect crews and the public during…

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources plans to conduct a controlled burn on Dan's Mountain Wildlife Management Area. The burn will happen in late winter/early spring as weather and other conditions are appropriate. "If you see smoke in the area southwest of Rawlings it is not a forest fire," DNR said via press release. "The fire will create smoke, however it will be a low controlled flame targeting underbrush and ground cover debris." Access to the WMA at the primitive camping area and at Middle Ridge Road will be limited during the burn due to potential for low visibility from…

Maryland State Police are continuing their investigation into a Cecil County crash last night that took the life of a pedestrian. The deceased victim is identified as Raymond Blaine Frock, 34, of Elkton, Maryland. He was pronounced deceased at 4:41 a.m. today by hospital personnel at Christiana Hospital, in Delaware where he was transported after being struck. The victim’s body was taken to the Delaware Medical Examiner for an autopsy.  Around 9:15 p.m. last night, Maryland State Police from the North East Barrack responded to a call reporting a crash on Maryland Route 213, Augustine Herman Highway, near the intersection…

Since November, West Virginia Division of Highways maintenance crews have cleared more than 170 acres of trees and branches overhanging West Virginia's roadways. That's enough trees and branches to fill up about 170 football fields. The process is called canopy clearing, and WVDOH maintenance crews have cleared trees and branches along more than 500 linear miles of roadway. Moisture left on pavement degrades asphalt fast, so maintenance crews cut away limbs and branches to allow sunlight to get to the roadways below.  Like cutting grass in the summer, milling and filling potholes or clearing ice and snow, canopy clearing is part…

Governor Larry Hogan today 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 today’s 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…