While the U.S. Supreme Court overturning of Roe v. Wade Friday will not immediately impact Maryland – the state's legislative leaders are pledging to further enhance protections by making it part of the state constitution. The measure passed the House this year but was not brought up in the Senate. Abortion became legal in Maryland in 1992. That right would be further protected if it became part of the state constitution. In a video posted on YouTube, Baltimore Archbishop William Lori reacted to the Supreme Court's ruling and talked about what it means for Maryland…

In response to record-high gas and energy prices, Congressman Andy Harris (R-Md.) and Republican Maryland House Delegate Kathy Szeliga are calling on leaders in Annapolis and Washington to find solutions to the pain at the pump – both in the short-term and long-term. At a press conference held Monday morning, Harris said it’s time for President Biden to stop the blame-game and unleash American energy independence. Until then, he says the state’s General Assembly should impose a freeze on the upcoming July 1st gas tax increase and also approve an extended gas tax holiday… Szeliga said come Friday Marylander will…

Perhaps the most intriguing political race on this year’s  ballot locally is the Republican primary for District 1 State Senate- and in the battle for endorsements, it appears one of those candidates has landed a key supporter. The contest pits Delegate Mike McKay against Allegany County Commissioner Jake Shade- each hoping to fill the seat of Senator George Edwards who is stepping down after nearly four decades in Annapolis, including 16 as a senator. Both men have lobbied the retiring state senator for support in an effort to gain an edge, and on Monday’s in a paid political advertisement on…

City officials made it official last week, agreeing to transfer ownership of the former Memorial Hospital site to the Cumberland Economic Development Corporation.  Future plans for the location include construction of a housing development. Located in South Cumberland, the hospital was vacated in 2009 with the opening of a new hospital (now UPMC Western Maryland) on Willowbrook Road. The former hospital structure was razed in 2015, leaving an 8-acre tract that includes a 300-space parking garage still intact at the south end of the property. CEDC executive director Matt Miller has said that the consensus is that the property is…

More direct communication from the Maryland State Board of Education is an area members of the local school  board would like to see improve. During a recent MSDE local school board virtual roundtable meeting, Allegany County School Board President Crystal Bender said that the bulk of the information and communication received locally seems to be generated by the Maryland Association of Boards of Education….

WBAL reports that on Tuesday morning in Annapolis, a wreath-laying ceremony took place for the five employees of the Capital Gazette newspaper who were killed in a mass shooting four years ago to date, tomorrow. The killing was the largest workplace mass shooting of journalists in American history. There will also be an unveiling tomorrow of artwork remembering the victims of the shooting at City Hall. The wreath-laying is set for 9:30 a.m. at the Guardians Memorial on Compromise Street.

The Supreme Court on Monday sided with a football coach from Washington state who sought to kneel and pray on the field after games. The court ruled 6-3 along ideological lines for the coach. The justices said the coach’s prayer was protected by the First Amendment. “The Constitution and the best of our traditions counsel mutual respect and tolerance, not censorship and suppression, for religious and nonreligious views alike,” wrote Justice Neil Gorsuch for the majority. The case forced the justices to wrestle with how to balance the religious and free speech rights of teachers and coaches with the rights of students not…

Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh and a national coalition of 22 attorneys general today issued a joint statement reaffirming their commitment to supporting and expanding access to abortion care.  Despite the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, access to safe and legal abortion remains robustly protected in numerous states across the country, including in Maryland and the coalition states.  As highlighted by the multistate coalition’s efforts in the amicus brief led by California in Dobbs, the coalition of attorneys general will continue to fight to support the rights of pregnant people nationwide.   “Abortion…

According to state fire investigators, discarded smoking material sparked a Saturday morning fire that caused about $2,500 damage to a Westernport home. The 8:50 a.m. fire at 226 Miller St. was contained to the outside of the home and the residents were not displaced.  Volunteer firefighters extinguished the blaze in about five minutes.

On Sunday the Cumberland City Police arrested Stephen Michael Schalizki Jr, 33, of Cumberland MD. Schalizki was arrested on an outstanding Bench Warrant issued by the Allegany County District Court. The Warrant alleged that Schalizki failed to appear in District Court on June 22nd, 2022, on a previous charge of Driving on a Suspended License. Schalizki was taken before the District Court Commissioner for his Initial Appearance where he was released on his own personal recognizance. Arrested: Stephen Michael Schalizki Jr. Age: 33 Charges: Bench Warrant – Failure to Appear Later, police arrested Andrew Jacob Getz, 42, and Amy Lynn…