On Monday, November 22nd, at approximately 9:04 p.m., the McHenry Barrack received numerous 911 calls for a dark colored pick-up truck traveling eastbound in the westbound lanes of Interstate 68 near Friendsville, Garrett County, Maryland.  While Troopers were responding to the area, several other calls came into the Garrett County 911 center for a motor vehicle collision at the 6 mile marker of westbound Interstate 68, involving the pick-up truck from the previous calls. When Troopers arrived on scene, they determined that the pickup truck traveling eastbound in the westbound lanes of the Interstate 68 collided with 2 westbound passenger…

On 11/22/2021 the Cumberland City Police Department served an Arrest Warrant on Morgan Paige Grubb. Grubb violated her conditions of probation from a previous arrest. Grubb was transported to the Allegany County Detention Center where she was held without bond. Arrested – Morgan Paige Grubb (33) Cumberland, MD Charge – Failure to Appear   On 11/22/2021 the Cumberland City Police Department served an Arrest Warrant on Dionne Leze Powell. Powell failed to appear in District Court for failure to send a child to school charges. Powell was taken before a District Court Commissioner and released on her personal recognizance. Arrested…

Although there have been literally hundreds of studies released by the medical community touting the wearing of face coverings as one of the pillars to preventing the spead of COVID-19-  the debates continue. The overwhelming majority of the research conducted during the nearly two years of this pandemic have consistently concluded that masks significantly decrease the chances of transmitting coronavirus, and some types of masks can help prevent their wearers from catching the virus. Although anti mask arguments can be frustrating to those focused on the science- Dr Matthew Simmons of UPMC Western Maryland says it is not really surprising…

Cases of the flu are starting to pick up across the country. WBAL reports experts expect influenza to make a comeback after it was virtually extinct last year. But COVID-19 could muddy the waters as far as the accurate reporting of those cases. Experts say the average person can't tell the difference between flu and COVID-19 symptoms without a test and the similarity could make getting an accurate read on the flu season more difficult. Dr Andrew Pekosz is with Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health… The bad news is the strain that's emerged so far, called an H-3…

The Maryland Department of Health (MDH) today announced an update on the top and bottom 10 skilled nursing facilities in the state ranked by percentage of staff with at least one dose of a vaccine against COVID-19. MDH also announced an update on skilled nursing facilities that did not submit adequate COVID-19 vaccination data as required.   Per vaccination protocols in effect since September 1, 2021 and reinforced on November 4, 2021 by the Federal government, all nursing facility staff are required to have their first or single dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. As of this week, 90.4 percent of…

FrostburgFirst welcomes you to join us for Downtown Frostburg’s biggest Shop Small Holiday of the year!  On Saturday, November 27, celebrate Small Business Saturday with one-day-only discounts and specials, a holiday pickle scavenger hunt, and a pop-up holiday market.  In addition to city-wide sales and promotions, FrostburgFirst will host its annual Shop Small Holiday Market in City Place from 11AM – 4 PM.  Local entrepreneurs and artisans will be selling hand-crafted items including jewelry, clothing, home decor, artwork, textiles, skin-care, candles, holiday gifts, and so much more. While at City Place, enjoy complimentary hot cocoa provided by FrostburgFirst as a thank you for shopping small and…

UPMC Western Maryland is currently seeking volunteers for a several opportunities. Information Desk Greeter: Many shifts and days available for greeters at our main information desk. Duties include answering phones and escorting patients to their destinations. Skills needed include willingness to learn locations and about the hospital and processes. Volunteer must be willing to walk short distances to escort people. An outgoing personality and positive attitude are paramount. Gift Shop cashier and assistants: There are many days and shifts available in our gift shop. Duties include running the cash register, learning to open and close the shop, helping with displays…

Gov. Jim Justice announced today that the Jobs & Hope West Virginia program now has a new and improved website, making it easier for people to learn about the program and start their journey to land a great job. jobsandhope.wv.gov Jobs & Hope operates within the West Virginia Department of Education and is the result of a concept brought forth by Gov. Justice during his 2019 State of the State address to remove barriers to job opportunities for those recovering from addiction. Since its inception in 2019, the program has had more than 232 participants graduate. “It all started with a…

U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen and Congressmen Anthony G. Brown and David Trone (all D-Md.) today announced $3 million in federal funding to hire 24 law enforcement professionals in Prince George’s and Allegany Counties through the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Hiring Program. This program seeks to reduce crime and advance public safety through community policing by providing direct funding for the hiring of career law enforcement officers, increasing their community policing capacity, and improving crime prevention efforts.   "Reducing persistent crime in our communities takes a full commitment from all levels of government. No community should face these threats to peace and security alone," the lawmakers…

The Allegany County Commissioners have approved the board of education’s FY 2023 Capital Improvement Program- a list that comes with a total price tag exceeding $5 million. Only ten percent of that is requested from the county- with the state covering the bulk of the cost coming from the state. The projects include: an elevator for Braddock Middle School; door and window replacement at Beall Elementary; electrical service upgrades at Washington Middle and Braddock; roof replacement at Northeast Elementary; air handler replacement at Cash Valley Elementary; and a chiller replacement at Beall.  County Engineer Dan DeWitt…