Students in Maryland have been back from the holiday break for two weeks now- and amidst the COVID-19 surge some school systems have returned to- or are considering- virtual learning. That is not the case locally. Despite Allegany County having some of the highest case rate numbers in the state- Allegany County Education Association President Kim Sloane tells WCBC News that teachers remain in support of keeping schools open for in-person instruction… While the preference is to keep the schools open and utilizing in-person instruction, she acknowledged that ultimately the COVID numbers may dictate whether that remains possible…

The annual Downtown Cumberland Groundhog Day event will be held next month as scheduled- February 2nd outside of City Hall – although it will look a little different this year. Western Maryland Murray, Cumberland’s own special prognosticator for the last 14 years has passed away. According to unofficial reports Murray, who resided at the Tri-State Zoological Park, never once missed on his winter weather predictions. His passing was announced by Downtown Development Commission executive director Melinda Kelleher during Thursday’s board meeting… In recent years Murray has shared the stage on Groundhog Day with master of ceremonies- Cumberland Mayor Ray Morriss…

The Cumberland Economic Development Corporation, the Downtown Development Commission and the city police department have teamed up in an effort to secure a grant that could pay for a new state of the art security camera system. The surveillance cameras would be strategically placed on the downtown mall and several of the alleys that run behind businesses. CEDC executive director Matt Miller said that a $100,000 grant request has been submitted to the Maryland Housing and Community Development Department. Miller says the new system would not only serve for security purposes- it will also allow the CEDC to oversee the…

Maryland Governor Larry Hogan announced Thursday that Garrett Regional Medical Center is among six new hospital-based COVID-19 testing sites in the state. Maryland has now completed more than 17 million COVID-19 tests and is administering an average of 63,000 tests every day, which Hogan says is one of the highest testing rates in America. Last week, the state opened 10 new COVID-19 testing sites, eight of which are operational, with the remaining two to open Friday…

The Allegany County Commissioners on Thursday approved a ten-year operating agreement with the Allegany County Animal Shelter Management Foundation. The deal locks in an annual budget and guarantees that the facility will remain as a no-kill shelter. County Commissioners President Jake Shade…

According to the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services A 42-year-old inmate of the North Branch Correctional Institution was hospitalized Thursday after he suffered a laceration to the throat during an altercation with another inmate. The incident occurred at about 8:30 a.m. in a housing unit. The injury was reportedly inflicted with a homemade weapon, according to Mark Vernarelli, a department spokesperson. No correctional officers were injured in the incident. An investigation is being conducted by DPSCS investigators, NBCI officials and state prosecutors, who were at the prison Thursday afternoon.

According to the Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office, two boys were charged Thursday with setting fire to a storage shed in 300 block of Pulaski Street. The fire in an alley behind the property occurred about 9:30 p.m. Wednesday and was confined by the Cumberland Fire Department to one storage unit before extending to three others, fire investigators said. Th 8- and 14-year-old were charged with second-degree arson and second-degree malicious burning by the fire marshal's office. Tips from the public reporting suspicious activity in the area led to other charges being filed by Cumberland Police. The fire was ruled arson…

Frostburg State University has named Eric Wagoner as the 14th head coach in school history, according to a release from Frostburg State Athletics. Bobcats Director of Athletics Troy Dell announced the move on Thursday afternoon. A press conference will be scheduled at a later date. "I am extremely excited and humbled to be the next head football coach at Frostburg State University,” said Wagoner. “Frostburg State University is a top academic and athletic institution, and the football program has a long and rich history. I look forward to upholding and continuing this legacy and cannot wait to get to work." Wagoner…

The American Red Cross is asking for blood donations as they deal with a national shortage. WBAL reports the organization is reporting the lowest number of donations in 10 years. Officials say there has been about a 10% drop in donor participation nationwide. In Maryland, there is a 34% decrease. The Red Cross says the shortage is because of the winter weather and the pandemic.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is suing a Maryland agency alleging it discriminated against a male employee by paying him less than female colleagues because of his gender. The lawsuit, filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Baltimore, claims that the Department of Transportation’s State Highway Administration paid Robert Rager thousands of dollars less than women performing the same job, The Daily Record reported. The lawsuit claims the agency violated the Equal Pay Act of 1963, which prohibits pay discrimination based on sex. The suit seeks back pay for Rager, who began working as a district community liaison in 2007…