On May 19th, 2022, The Cumberland City Police arrested Matthew Schafer Zink, 38, of Cumberland MD. Zink was arrested on an outstanding Bench Warrant issued by the Allegany County District Court. The warrant was in reference to Zink failing to appear in court on a previous charge of driving with a suspended license Zink was taken before the District Court Commissioner for his Initial Appearance where he was held on $10,000 bond. Arrested: Matthew Schafer Zink                Age: 38 Charges: Bench Warrant – Failure to Appear   On May 19th, 2022, The Cumberland City Police arrested Joseph Paul Ramos, 19, of…

The Baltimore Street Bridge will be officially renamed the Casper R. Taylor Jr. Bridge in a dedication ceremony scheduled for this Saturday. 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. The bridge at Baltimore Street, which crosses Wills Creek, is a primary artery into the downtown.  Mayor Ray Morriss tells WCBC News that the former speaker has  never been one to make himself the focal point- even when it came…

A representative for the office of Maryland Sixth District Congressman David Trone says that accusations from a political opponent that he has failed when it comes to providing constituent service are simply not true. Candidate Matthew Foldi has been making a tour of Congressman Trone’s district offices making the claim that they are routinely closed.  Trone has offices in Cumberland, Hagerstown, Frederick and Gaithersburg- and while Foldi has been staging media events at each one, the spokesperson said he is providing misinformation which could create confusion for constituents.  WCBC News was told that while each office is not open every…

Families across Maryland, including in Allegany County,  are struggling to find baby formula during a nationwide shortage, with experts saying the problem won’t be over anytime soon.According to the retail software company, Datasembly, the out of stock rate for baby formula jumped 31 percent in early April. It’s an alarming situation for parents. Unfortunately Governor Larry Hogan says there is not a great deal that can be done to address the problem on a state or local level…

Allegany County Public School graduation ceremonies for the class of 2022 are set for tomorrow- with morning and afternoon events scheduled for each area high school campus. Festivities for some students actually began last night with the Center of Career and Technical Education holding it’s Certification program at Canal Place. Principal Richard King… 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…

Congressman David Trone and U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen (all D-Md.) announced that Friends of Blackwater, a nonprofit citizens support group, will receive $1,226,000 in federal funding for the Blackwater Loop and Regional Heritage Trail project.    “With this new funding, we are not only providing more opportunities for Marylanders to explore our state’s wonderful trails and parks, but we are also increasing travel and tourism for our local economies in Western Maryland,” the lawmakers said. “Alongside our state partners and community leaders, we remain committed to protecting our environment for future generations. This investment will go a long way in doing…

More than 1,600 students from Allegany County Public Elementary Schools had the opportunity to ride the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad in April thanks, once again, to the sponsorship of First Peoples Community Federal Credit Union. Due to COVID restrictions, this annual trip was forced to take a two year hiatus. To make up for the lost time, this year First Peoples took all ACPS third, fourth and fifth grade students on the ride!   First Peoples recognizes the extreme historical value that The Western Maryland Scenic Railroad provides the area and was happy to share that history and experience with ACPS students as well as help increase interest in…

Delegate Gary Howell this week presented a $32,000 LEDA Grant to the Mineral County Technical Center to help prepare students for the future job market.  The grant provides funding for the Simulated Workplace Program, a Floral Cooler, a Pipe Beveling Machine, a Welder, and other school equipment.

Gov. Larry Hogan has announced Maryland will deploy up to $198 million in federal small business relief through the State Small Business Credit Initiative. "Through a number of relief programs, our efforts to keep Maryland 'open for business' during the pandemic have protected jobs and empowered one of the strongest and sustainable recoveries in the nation,” Hogan said in a news release. “We have one of the most aggressive plans in the country to get these resources out the door utilizing our very successful lending and investment programs to help our small businesses, particularly those in underserved communities primed for revitalization.” The news also…

During an appearance in Allegany County last Saturday, Maryland U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen suffered what he described as a minor stroke. Today his office issued the following update:  During anToday, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) released the following statement: “I’d like to send a heartfelt thank you to everyone for the outpouring of well-wishes and kind messages. I’m on the mend and on track for a full recovery, and following my doctors' orders, I’ll begin to ease back into my schedule. In the meantime, I want to make clear where I stand on two issues up for a…