Dan’s Mountain Wildlife Management Area in Allegany County. Maryland DNR photo       The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will conduct a controlled burn on Dan’s Mountain Wildlife Management Area between now and November 22 as weather and other conditions allow. Residents or drivers who see smoke in the area southwest of Rawlings should be aware that it may appear to be a forest fire, but is deliberate and controlled and there is no need to report it to authorities. The fire will create smoke but it will be a controlled flame targeting underbrush and ground cover debris. Access to…

U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen and Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, Kweisi Mfume, Anthony G. Brown, Jamie Raskin, Andy Harris, M.D., and David Trone (all Md.) today announced $17,624,885 in federal funding for the Maryland Department of Health to strengthen the prevention and control of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases across the state. “The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced the notion that preparedness through a robust public health infrastructure can save lives,” said the lawmakers. “This funding will bolster the state’s current public health response efforts and ability to better prevent the spread of future infectious diseases….

  Photo by Bob Geary                       Hunters harvested 54 black bears during Maryland’s 18th annual black bear hunt. Official results have been compiled and reported by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources following the five-day hunt held Oct. 25-29 in Allegany, Frederick, Garrett, and Washington counties. Abundant natural food in the mountains of Western Maryland slowed bear movements, and warm and sometimes wet weather conditions made hunting difficult. Hunters harvested 34 female and 20 male bears under these less-than-ideal conditions. “Mother Nature proved challenging this year for our bear hunters,” Wildlife and…

On Friday the Cumberland Police Department served a criminal summons on Desiree Lynne Smith charging her with 4th degree burglary.  The summons was issued by District Court in reference to an incident that occurred on October 19th, 2021.  On that date, Smith is alleged to have attempted to break into a Shriver Avenue residence with an accomplice.  She signed and received copies of the charging documents and was released pending trial at District Court.   Desiree Lynne Smith, age; 26, Cumberland, Maryland. 

Daylight Saving Time for 2021 will officially end at 2 a.m. on Sunday morning, which many people consider as the unofficial beginning to the winter season. Days will continue getting shorter and shorter until the Winter Solstice on December 22. As the amount of daylight decreases, so does the amount of time spent driving in the dark, particularly with evening commutes

The Allegany County Chamber of Commerce has announced its 2021 Outstanding Business Award winners.  The awardees are UPMC Western Maryland, Business of the Year; Donny and Kristan Carter, Entrepreneurial Spirit; and DelFest, LLC., Community Service.  The award winners will be honored at the Chamber’s 33rd Annual Outstanding Business Recognition Dinner on Tuesday, November 9, 2021 at the Ali Ghan Shrine Club.  Cocktails will begin at 6:00 pm, followed by dinner at 7:00 pm.  The 2021 Western Maryland Junior Chamber of Commerce (Jaycees) Outstanding Young Professional, Andrea Lowery, will also be recognized at the event.

During Friday’s briefing, Gov. Justice announced that West Virginia grandfamilies with grandchildren ages 5-11 are now eligible to receive a $150 school voucher for getting vaccinated against COVID-19 through the Healthy Grandfamilies vaccination incentive program.

­On November 5,  at approximately 0656 Hours, deputies with the Allegany County Sheriff’s Office responded to a LaVale residence after a male was reported to be trespassing and in violation of an active court order. Deputies arrived on scene, located the male on the property, and identified him as Jason Wormack, (34) of Cumberland Maryland. After the Sheriff’s Deputies on scene investigation, Wormack was placed under arrest. After being told he was going to be transported to the Allegany County Detention Center, Wormack identified himself as a law enforcement officer which was found to be false. Wormack was then placed…

UPMC workers, union organizers and others gathered outside the health system’s corporate headquarters Downtown Friday to announce a strike on Nov. 18 for better wages and benefits. The one-day walkout will include transporters, dietary workers, housekeepers and others, at UPMC, a SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania spokeswoman said, but it was unclear how many employees would participate. UPMC employs some 92,000 people including UPMC Western Maryland

Governor Larry Hogan today accepted the final certified legislative and congressional maps submitted by the Maryland Citizens Redistricting Commission and transmitted them to the Maryland General Assembly. The governor also signed a proclamation calling for a special session of the General Assembly beginning Monday, Dec. 6 for the purpose of acting on the commission’s maps. The new maps were formally presented to the governor by the commission’s three co-chairs, Judge Alexander Williams, Jr., Dr. Kathleen Hetherington, and Walter Olson. “This is a great day for the State of Maryland and for democracy,” said Governor Hogan. “On behalf of all the…