“Nothing to see here”  seems to be the message coming from Allegany County education officials when it comes to a controversial state health framework that instructs educators how to teach about gender identity. The framework broadly outlines how to teach health topics by each grade level; its family life and sexuality guidelines have been the most controversial. Some school districts have not yet discussed the framework- and that is the case in Allegany County. School Board president Crystal Bender told WCBC News last week that this a guideline- not a mandate from the State Department of Education. School Superintendent Jeff…

The Cumberland Police were called to the North End of Cumberland several times for false reports by Kevin Paul Bailey, age 35, of Cumberland, MD. Bailey reported that he was being chased by a male with a gun. This was investigated and found to be false. Bailey called additional times reporting other complaints of being followed and people unlawfully entering his residence. After each report was found to be false, Bailey was placed under arrest and charged with three counts of False Statement and Obstructing and Hindering. He was taken to Central Booking for his initial appearance before the District…

A vehicle accident with injuries on Main Street in Westernport that saw  a pole and utility lines downed. Main Street was closed between Philos Avenue and Lincoln Drive for several hours while State Police Trooper 5 Helicopter responded to the scene. Potomac Edison crews were on the scene

Following a meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the CDC has recommended that children ages 5-11 receive a booster dose five months after their initial Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine series.    CDC Director Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky said “Children 5 through 11 should receive a booster dose at least 5 months after their primary series. Vaccination with a primary series among this age group has lagged behind other age groups leaving them vulnerable to serious illness. With over 18 million doses administered in this age group, we know that these vaccines are safe, and we must continue to…

The Baltimore Street Bridge was officially renamed the Casper R. Taylor Jr. Bridge in a dedication ceremony held Saturday afternoon at the Western Maryland Train Station platform.  A group of citizens attended an early February meeting of the Cumberland City Council with the proposed name change to honor Taylor, the former Speaker of the House who represented the city in Annapolis for nearly 30 years, and after a few months of planning friends, family, community and business leaders and elected officials gathered to pay tribute to the man who was instrumental in dozens of key projects for the region during a…

The 2022 Preakness Stakes will take place today at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. The nine-horse 2022 Preakness Stakes field will include an intriguing mix of horses who ran in the Kentucky Derby, colts who appeared on the Derby undercard, and others who are coming onto the Triple Crown scene fresh. Skippylongstocking is a sire of Exaggerator, who won the 2016 Preakness Stakes, and trainer Saffie Joseph likes how he's developed. Skippylongstocking finished third at the Wood Memorial, will be on nearly six weeks' rest, and is a 20-1 long shot in the latest 2022 Preakness Stakes odds. Kentucky Derby…

Allegany County Public School graduation ceremonies for the class of 2022 are set for today- with morning and afternoon events scheduled for each area high school campus. On Saturday, the Fort Hill ceremony will begin at 10 a.m., Greenway Avenue Stadium or the auditorium; Mountain Ridge at 1 p.m., Mountain Ridge Stadium or the gymnasium; and Allegany at  3 p.m. at Allegany High School’s gymnasium. Allegany's ceremony has been moved from Greenway Avenue Stadium to the school's gymnasium because the weather forecast for Saturday afternoon is in the high 90's with a heat index over 100. Graduation ceremonies will be…

For the 7-day period of May 13-19, 2022, there were no schools that met the definition of a School Wide or Cohort Outbreak of COVID-19. ACPS had 10 staff members and 22 students reported as positive for COVID-19 during this time.  ACPS had 1 staff member and 10 students quarantined as a close contact.  

Governor Larry Hogan will attend the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum next week in Davos, Switzerland, where he will announce a new initiative to build on Maryland’s efforts to attract international businesses interested in entering the U.S. market. The governor will also tout administration initiatives during discussion panels focused on infrastructure and workforce development. “Along with one of the best economic turnarounds in the country, Maryland has built an unrivaled ecosystem of talent, innovation, and economic growth,” said Governor Hogan. “We are already home to more than 700 global companies, and are laser focused on attracting new investments…

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED TORNADO WATCH 251 IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS IN MARYLAND THIS WATCH INCLUDES 10 COUNTIES IN CENTRAL MARYLAND HOWARD IN NORTH CENTRAL MARYLAND CARROLL FREDERICK WASHINGTON IN NORTHEAST MARYLAND CECIL IN NORTHERN MARYLAND BALTIMORE BALTIMORE CITY HARFORD IN WESTERN MARYLAND ALLEGANY GARRETT IN VIRGINIA THIS WATCH INCLUDES 2 COUNTIES IN NORTHWEST VIRGINIA CITY OF WINCHESTER FREDERICK IN WEST VIRGINIA THIS WATCH INCLUDES 5 COUNTIES IN EASTERN WEST VIRGINIA HAMPSHIRE MINERAL IN PANHANDLE WEST VIRGINIA BERKELEY JEFFERSON MORGAN THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF ABERDEEN, BALLENGER CREEK, BALTIMORE, BEL…