It is a project that has experienced moving target dates and deadlines for any number of years now- and the latest centers on when the $10 million downtown mall renovation project will be put out to bid to prospective construction companies. August 1st had been mentioned last month, but it now appears that it will be closer to the end of the month. Any such delay likely pushes the start of contruction into the spring of 2023. Known as the Baltimore Street Access Project, plans include reinstalling Baltimore Street through the downtown pedestrian mall following the replacement of underground utility…

According to law enforcement statistics- many of the crimes being committed in Maryland are from repeat violent offenders. It's far from a new problem in the state but one that so far has not been solved. Governor Larry Hogan’s has proposed legislation which calls for mandated incarceration for repeat violent offenders; and an increase the amount of time they have to serve. Maryland Congressman Anthony Brown, the Democratic nominee for Attorney General, has a different take. He wants to forestall repeat offenders by getting them job training, drug treatment and other services the first time they’re locked up…

The first day of the new school year for the Allegany County Public School system is a little more than three weeks away- and unfortunately as kids prepare to return- COVID 19 numbers are spiking in the region. School systems across the nation have been rocked the past three years by the pandemic with debates over which course of action provides the safest environment for students, teachers and staff. With Allegany County showing some of the highest COVID numbers and lowest vaccination rates in the state- the Board of Education will be discussing a re-opening plan at the August meeting….

The annual City of Frostburg street paving project will begin in the area of East Street in early August and continue through October of this year. The list of streets to be paved includes: Standish, Water, Broadway, Mechanic, Mt. Pleasant, Barnard, Greenbriar, Summit Place, Preston Place, Grandview, East, Allegany, Jenkins, Victoria, Maryland, Bowery, Westview, Hill, Spring, Warns Lane, White Ash, Teaberry, Hawthorne, College, Center, Beall Street, Stoyer, Maple, Oak, Wood, Alley 39, 40 and 45, Washington and several smaller portions in and around recreation complexes. Most of the paving will be done by Belt Paving, the low bidder for the…

Allegany County Emergency Services reports a motor vehicle collision on Interstate 68 East on mile marker 42 near Greene Street. Units are on the scene

The Cumberland Times News reports COVID-19 case rates have increased in the past week in Allegany County, which topped the state’s seven-day metrics Thursday.According to the Maryland Department of Health, the daily COVID-19 case rate was 9.97% statewide, 17.33% in Allegany County, 17.72% in Garrett County and 16.46% in Washington County. The seven-day moving average case rate per 100,000 people was 26.7 statewide, 44.23 in Allegany County and highest in the state, 23.63 in Garrett County and 26.86 in Washington County. Across Maryland, there were 1,975 new COVID-19 cases, 11 additional deaths and nine more hospitalizations reported Thursday morning. The…

The Public Service Commission administrative law judge public comment and evidentiary hearings regarding the future of the P&P Enterprises Utilities, LLC’s water and sewer utility has been moved.  Those hearings will be held on Tuesday, August 9 at 1:30 p.m. in the Circuit Courtroom of the Morgan County Courthouse, 77 Fairfax Street, Berkeley Springs, West Virginia. The public is invited to attend and participate in the public comment hearing.  The evidentiary hearing will begin following the conclusion of the public comment hearing.   In March 2022, the Avalon Village Condominium Owners Association filed a petition requesting the Commission conduct a…

While Delegate Mike McKay and Allegany County Commissioner Jake Shade were making headlines the past few months battling over the GOP nomination for the District One State Senate seat- the lone Democrat in the race spent his time preparing for November. Michael Dreisbach (Drice-bach), a Garrett County businessman who among other things is owner/operator of the Savage River Lodge,  will face Mckay in the Nov. 8 general election. He talked with WCBC News recently about the campaign, his platform and about some of the more hot button issues in Maryland. No issue is getting more focus in recent months than…

Cocaine, crack cocaine, methamphetamines, fentanyl and marijuana are routinely passing through Allegany County- but the message from the Sheriff’s Department to those drug traffickers is clear: be on notice,  as enhanced efforts are leading to a spike in arrests. During a recent meeting of the Allegany County Commissioners, the sheriff’s department presented drug arrests statistics from the first six months of 2022…                                                                              …

While many Democrats and Republicans alike are writing off Dan Cox as a non-factor in Maryland’s Gubernatorial General Election in November- the Democratic nominee Wes Moore is not one of them. Moore was somewhat of a surprise winner of last week’s primary, besting Tom Perez who had served as President Obama’s Secretary of Labor, and longtime Comptroller Peter Franchot. Because Cox is seen as a Donald Trump loyalist, he is viewed by most political analysts as having no chance of winning  a general election in a state that is 2-1 Democrat. Maryland’s current Republican Governor Larry Hogan is among those…