The Allegany County Board of Education has scheduled a special meeting for Tuesday afternoon where it is expected a vote will be taken to lift the mask mandate in schools. On Friday, the Maryland General Assembly's Joint Committee on Administrative, Executive and Legislative Review voted to lift the statewide school mask mandate. That vote came  three days after the Maryland state Board of Education voted to make masking a local issue. The committee's vote paved the way for local boards to set their own policy. While a number of sources have told WCBC News that there are three board members ready…

Allegany County officials received a preliminary overview of the FY 2023 operating budget- and headed by a surplus of $4.2 miilion-  the fiscal news presented during a brief work session was overwhelmingly positive. County Administrator Jason Bennett, who also heads up the county’s finance office, briefed the county commissioners on the budget projections for the upcoming fiscal year starting with an impressive hike in property assessments… More good news came from a rise in income tax revenue- something that Bennett described as surprising…

During a news conference this week, West Virginia Governor Jim Justice used much of his time with a focus on the nation’s energy policies, saying the Biden administration needs to do a “reset” on its thinking about energy.  The governor said the situation with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine shows how energy can be weaponized, and it was the time for the Biden administration to revisit its energy policies, including its halting of the Keystone pipeline…

In December of 2019, Allegany County officials signed a contract extension through 2022 with racing promoter Todd Brode- however the county announced Thursday it is now looking for a new group to run the show.  Brode’s organization, The Greater Cumberland Raceway, began managing dirt track auto racing at the Allegany County Fairgrounds in 2017- and had hoped to operate through at least this year. However the three-year extension was signed just months before the Coronavirus pandemic hit the region-  resulting in sporadic race schedules and smaller crowds.  With the racing season traditionally beginning  in April, County Administrator Jason Bennett tells WCBC News a request for proposals for…

The head of the teachers union in Maryland says the staffing shortage issues have reached crisis level.  At a virtual press conference MSEA President Cheryl Bost was joined by state lawmakers and educators from across the state to highlight  legislative efforts to combat staffing shortages and improve educator retention and burnout. Bost said that educators in all school positions statewide are experiencing a crisis with unprecedented staffing shortages, unmanageable workloads, and climbing levels of burnout. A majority of Maryland educators report that classes are so large, stress levels so high, and staffing shortages so prevalent that they are more likely…

The Administration Building at the West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and Blind in Romney was destroyed by fire Saturday morning. The initial call came at 6:09 AM, and the historic structure was fully involved quickly. Firemen from Hampshire, Mineral, Hardy, Grant, Allegany and Frederick County, Virginia responded to either battle the blaze, or cover for fire departments who were on the scene. Route 50 was closed for several hours and the cause is under investigation. Authorities report that an ambulance had passed by the campus about five minutes prior and there was no sign of the inferno that was…

Disorderly Conduct / Theft Arrest On February 26th, 2022 officers of the Cumberland Police Department responded to a Queen City Drive business for a reported theft. Upon officers arrival spoke with an employee who directed them to Joshua Wright, who was nearby the store, and advised that he had taken items from the store without paying. Officers located Wright who was acting in a disorderly manner, and drawing the attention of patrons. Wright was placed under arrest and was later released on a Criminal Citation pending his trial at District Court. Arrest: Joshua Scott Wright, age 29, Cumberland Maryland. Charges:…

Photo from Romney Fire Company Facebook page Shortly after 6 AM Saturday morning, crews were dispatched for a fire at the Administration Building, 301 E. Main Street. Crews from Hampshire, Mineral, Hardy, Grant, Allegany (MD), and Frederick (VA) were called to the scene or were filling stations as a result of this incident. Over 100 firefighters from 14 departments operated on scene. 3 additional departments covered fill assignments. Romney Fire Company gave special thanks to McDonald’s, Subway, Sheetz, Dominos, Italian Touch, 7-11, and all of the private citizens that provided food and drinks for the firefighters. The cause of the…

Cumberland City Administrator Jeff Silka will make a recommendation on the location of a proposed skate park during Tuesday's work session. Also on the work session agenda is a closed door discussion concerning the proposed acquisition of some city owned property by the Cumberland Economic Development Corporation.   Two years ago, one of the last events before pandemic restrictions were enforced was the Hooley Pub Crawl. Tuesday evening, Cumberland City Council is expected to approve a permit for open containers of alcohol within a defined area of the downtown mall from noon March 12 until 2 AM on March 13….

The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) reports as of February 25, 2022, there are currently 3,339 active COVID-19 cases statewide. There have been 20 deaths reported since the last report, with a total of 6,308 deaths attributed to COVID-19. DHHR has confirmed the deaths of an 83-year old female from Putnam County, an 88-year old male from Hampshire County, a 66-year old female from Mingo County, an 82-year old male from Logan County, a 70-year old male from Wood County, a 92-year old female from Mingo County, an 80-year old male from Fayette County, a 73-year…