The West Virginia Senate on Tuesday approved Gov. Jim Justice’s proposal for a 5% pay raise for state employees. The bill passed on a 33-0 vote. It now goes to the House of Delegates. The $71.4 million cost of the raises for state police, teacher, student support personnel and school service personnel is included in the Republican governor’s proposed fiscal 2023 budget. The increases would be effective July 1.  

Allegany County Emergency Services reported a motor vehicle accident at the I-68 westbound exit 40 off ramp with a vehicle over the embankment. The exit ramp was closed for approximately an hour. Exit 40 reported reopened at 9:35

Governor Larry Hogan today urged members of the Maryland Congressional Delegation to take immediate action in raising the cap on H-2B guest worker visas. The letter comes in response to a newly released study that shows the impact that these workers have on Maryland’s iconic seafood industry and the state’s economy. Read the governor’s letter to members of Congress. “Maryland’s seafood industry is part of what makes us known around the nation and the world,” writes Governor Hogan. “We cannot—and I will not—let these hardworking Maryland businesses fail on our watch. I ask that you partner with your colleagues and…

The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) today announced a new partnership with GEICO to sponsor the MDOT SHA Coordinated Highways Action Response Team (CHART) Emergency Patrol program. The support from GEICO comes at a time when winter weather has continued to place an increased demand on Emergency Patrol services needed to keep roadways clear and safe during winter storms. “MDOT SHA is a national leader when it comes to incident response and assisting disabled motorists to keep our roadways safe and traffic flowing,” said MDOT SHA Administrator Tim Smith. “We will continue that same great customer…

Ruth Rogers is the new Historic Planner/Preservation Coordinator with the City of Cumberland. Ruth’s family is from Ft. Ashby where her grandparents had a farm West of town for over 100 years.  She spent summers with her grandparents while growing up and briefly lived with them, and attended Jr. High, at Ft. Ashby Middle School.  Ruth attended the University of Houston College of Architecture and has over twenty years of experience working in the built environment, specifically, Land Use Planning, Historic Preservation, Community and Economic Development. WCBC news spoke with Ruth about her plans for historic preservation in Cumberland    …

Sixth District Congressman David Trone told The Greater Cumberland Committee during February’s meeting that the recently approved infrastructure bill will bring significant improvements in the area of broadband expansion to Western Maryland. While billions of dollars of the infrastructure funds will go for road and bridge repairs- Trone said it will also provide much needed funding for high speed fiber optic lines for rural Maryland.

Two weeks ago, Queen City Charlie provided the Cumberland Groundhog prediction of an early spring.   If that’s the case, we should have a warm up right around the corner. Such weather would be good news for the COVID-19 pandemic.   Monday, WCBC asked Dr. Clay Marsh if such a forecast would move the situation further along in the path towards being endemic… In Allegany County, although there were 83 new cases reported since Friday, the infection rate has dropped to under 40.

The Allegany County Chamber of Commerce will present an International Women’s Day event at Rocky Gap Casino resort on Friday, March 18th. Chamber Executive Director Julie McCoy says the keynote speaker will be Marjorie Gray, who now is employed by Google, but has deep local roots… For more information, or to get tickets, contact the Chamber office at 301-722-2820.

On Sunday, February 13th 2022, Deputies with the Allegany County Sheriff’s Office were in the area of Interstate 68, near mile marker 43, Cumberland Maryland, when a vehicle was observed committing a series of traffic related offenses. A traffic stop was conducted and after approaching the vehicle, deputies developed probable cause to search the vehicle on scene. During the search, deputies located a large amount of suspected heroin, prescription pills, marijuana and a large sum of U.S. currency. Subsequent to the investigation, deputies arrested and charged Tiffany N. Butler (36 years old) of Cumberland, MD with the following: ·       CDS…

On 9/12/2021 the Cumberland City Police Department was dispatched to the 60 block of Marion Street for an assault. Officers contacted the victim who advised they were strangled and assaulted by Dalton Lee Biser. Injuries consistent with the assault were observed on the victim. The victim refused medical treatment while on scene. Biser had fled the scene prior to officer’s arrival. An application of charges was filed at the District Court Commissioner’s Office. An Arrest Warrant was issued and on 2/14/2022 it was served. Biser was taken before a District Court Commissioner and remanded to the Allegany County Detention Center…