According to a recent report, much of Allegany County's population still lives below federal poverty guidelines. The 2019 Census American Community Survey data indicated that 23% of residents in Cumberland and Frostburg were experiencing poverty, compared to the state average of 9%. Countywide, the poverty rate was 15.6%. It is one reason that affordable, low cost housing is a priority for the area. However at the same time the city is trying to attract and retain young professionals looking for quality homes in attractive neighborhoods. Currently any number of housing complex projects are in various stages of development including the…

During recent Senate Appropriations Committee hearings, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin asked Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to prioritize completing Corridor H in a timely fashion. Corridor H, also known as U.S. Route 48, connects I-79 in Weston to I-81 in Strasburg, VA and will be an economic gateway to much of West Virginia which will in turn increase tourism across the Mountain State. Funds could also become available to construct a north-south highway along the U.S. Route 220 corridor in Mineral and Allegany counties that would connect with Corridor H at the northern end and Interstate 68 at the southern.  Manchin…

Congressman Trone voted for bipartisan legislation to secure the food and agriculture supply chain, assure fair competition in the meat and poultry sectors, and lower food and gasoline costs for American families. The measure passed the House and now heads to the Senate. The Lower Food and Fuel Costs Act will help bring down grocery costs and gas prices by giving American farmers and ranchers the resources they need to support our nation. “Today, I proudly voted to deliver much-needed relief for hardworking Marylanders. By lowering costs for America’s agricultural sector, we can directly lower food prices for American families,”…

On Thursday afternoon at 12:28 p.m. units from the Cumberland Police and Fire department responded to E. Oldtown Road at Massachusetts Avenue for a pedestrian that was struck by a vehicle.  Upon the units arrival, officers learned that the pedestrian was crossing E. Oldtown Road within the cross walk when she was struck by MD REG MTN0125, operated by Frances Patton of Cresaptown. The pedestrian was transported to UPMC Western Maryland with non-life threatening injuires.  Patton was determined to be at fault for crash and was issued several traffic citations.

The Maryland State Fire Marshal’s office has not yet determined the cause of a fire at a Winchester Road home in Cresaptown that occurred Wednesday afternoon. Firefighters quickly extinguished the fire at 14609 Winchester which caused about $2,000 damage, and was contained to the outside of the home. It started on a rear outside wall or deck and the cause has not been determined.  35 volunteer firefighters responded to the 2:40 p.m. incident.

A presumed human monkeypox virus infection has been identified in a Maryland resident, state health officials said Thursday. WBAL reports the Maryland Department of Health, in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the case was identified Thursday in an adult in the Washington, D.C., area. Officials say the individual is recovering in isolation and is not hospitalized. State health officials say no additional precautions are recommended for the general public. The initial testing was conducted at the State Public Health Laboratory. MDH is awaiting confirmatory testing to be conducted at the CDC

WBAL reports soccer fans in Baltimore will know on Thursday if the city will host some FIFA World Cup matches in 2026.  "I really feel strongly that we have an excellent chance to see matches here in 2026,"  Rutherford said. "With it being a joint Washington-Baltimore bid, I think that took our biggest competition out of it." If Baltimore were to host any of the games, they would be played at M&T Bank Stadium. The announcement will be made at 5 p.m. on Thursday.

The City of Cumberland will be celebrating Independence Day with a Fireworks display at Constitution Park on Monday, July 4, commencing at approximately 9:30 p.m. Leading up to the fireworks display, Constitution Park Pool will be open on July 4th from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., with the park closing to the public at 4:00 p.m. Pine Avenue will be closing to thru traffic at 4:00 also, but local traffic will still have access to their homes. In the unlikely event of rain, Tuesday, July 5th has been set as the rain date. Any questions regarding the City’s Independence Day Celebration may be directed to the Parks and Recreation…

In April of 2021, in an effort to help the city of Cumberland expedite the Washington Street Bridge project, the Allegany County Commissioners authorized county attorney Lee Beeman to file an official complaint against CSX with the National Surface Transportation Board. To date the county and the city remain on hold- having not yet received a response or a date. The Washington Street bridge, which spans railroad tracks, has been closed for several years, frustrating residents as well as motorists who travel the West Side. Cumberland Mayor Ray Morriss is on record as calling the NST board the last best…

West Virginia’s average gas prices continued to climb toward the $5 mark as the state had the largest weekly increase at 28 cents. The average price for a gallon of gas in the Mountain State on Wednesday was at $4.93, while the national average for a gallon of gas of unleaded was $5.01. Charleston’s average gas price was about $4.99 per gallon. Despite those skyrocketing numbers, neither Governor Jim Justice or the West Virginia legislature seem inclined to consider a gas tax holiday anytime soon…