Maryland Governor Larry Hogan said Thursday that the partisan divide in Washington is having a devastating effect on the nation. Hogan, rumored to be considering a run for president, has been making the national news rounds,  and on Thursday he appeared on both “CBS Mornings” and “Fox News”.  He feels that the most frustrating debate centers on the COVID-19 vaccination.  While  many Democrats have advocated vaccine mandates, conservative Republicans in some states have argued freedom of choice. Hogan, a Republican who has been overwhelmingly elected twice in Democrat heavy Maryland,  pointed to misinformation  as well as a lack of transparency…

Fire destroyed a three-story home late Wednesday in the Lakewood subdivision of Mineral County. The home was owned by Bill and Linda Freas. Bill Freas is a prominent local businessman.  About 65 volunteer firefighters from Allegany and Mineral counties fought the blaze on South Lakewood Drive that started just before 11:30 p.m. The cause of the fire is  under investigation by the Wiley Ford Fire department and the West Virginia State Fire Marshal’s Office. A detached, two-bay garage also was destroyed. Two vehicles inside were damaged by smoke and water. Mark Yoder, owner and developer of Lakewood Enterprises, witnessed the…

Maryland's lone Republican congressman, who is also a doctor, said he doesn't think much of the approval of the COVID-19 vaccines for younger kids. Congressman Andy Harris said the Food and Drug Administration advisory panel approved the Pfizer shot for kids ages 5 to 11 too quickly without adequate testing. Harris told WBAL that the the timeline is too fast and the approval is wreckless…

The new Goucher Poll released this week measured approval ratings for Maryland's two U.S. senators. The poll found 44% either approve or strongly approve the job Senator Chris Van Hollen is doing. That number, unchanged from a February 2017 poll, which was the last time Van Hollen's approval rating was measured.   Incumbent Sen. Ben Cardin's approval rating stands at 46% in the Goucher Poll, up from 45% in the 2017 poll.  Van Hollen is up for election next year, while Cardin does not face reelection until 2024. Goucher Poll director and political science professor Mileah Kromer Kromer noted that for both…

AHEC West is partnering with Pharmacare, the nursing program at Allegany College of Maryland and volunteers from Cumberland COVID Watch to host a COVID-19 vaccination and testing clinic Tuesday afternoon on the downtown Cumberland Mall. The event, to be held outside the AHEC West office on the Mechanic Street side of the mall, will begin at noon and continue until 4:30 p.m. The clinic will include all three COVID vaccines — Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson — as well as the Moderna and Pfizer vaccine booster shots for those already vaccinated. Those receiving the booster must be six months…

Allegany County Public Schools issued the following statement after this afternoon's fatal stabbing near Fort Hill High School: Today, Thursday, October 28, 2021, after dismissal from Fort Hill High School, an incident occurred off of school grounds at the alley entrance between Warwick and Williams Streets.  Following the incident, the victim re-entered school grounds where medical assistance was immediately provided for injuries sustained in the incident. Emergency personnel arrived and transported the victim to UPMC. As scheduled for all of ACPS, Fort Hill High School will have 3 three-hour early dismissal tomorrow.  Counselors and other Student Support staff will be available on-site throughout…

UPDATE:   The identity of the deceased student has been confirmed as Saiquan Jenkins. Schools from across the region are encouraging students to wear Red and White Friday as a symbol of solidarity with the Jenkins family, the Fort Hill community and his teammates. INITIAL REPORT: Several sources have now confirmed that a 17 year-old Fort Hill student has died following a stabbing incident near the school Thursday afternoon. The incident occurred about 2:45 p.m., and a suspect was taken into police custody about 15 minutes later in the 600 block of Maryland Avenue. The male victim was transported to UPMC…

Maryland State Police are gearing up for the Halloween weekend with additional troopers on patrol using a variety of initiatives to urge both motorists and pedestrians to use common sense, take responsibility and be more courteous on Maryland’s roadways. Between Thursday and Sunday, troopers from each of the 23 Maryland State Police barracks statewide will be focusing enforcement efforts on impaired driving, aggressive driving, speeding, distracted driving and other violations that often contribute to highway tragedies, especially during holiday seasons.  Additional troopers will be working overtime assignments funded by highway safety grants from the Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle…

Cumberland Police Chief John ‘Chuck’ Ternent announced today that a team of assessors from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) will be conducting a virtual assessment of the Cumberland Police Department the week of November 1, 2021 to examine aspects of the department’s policies and procedures, management, operations, and support services.  The team will verify the Cumberland Police Department meets the Commission’s state of the art standards that are part of a voluntary process to gain accreditation; a highly prized recognition of law enforcement professional excellence.   The assessment team is comprised of law enforcement practitioners from…

I-68 is closed eastbound prior to the Maryland Avenue exit due to a truck fire. Please use an alternative route as the Interstate will be closed for an extended period of time. The Industrial Blvd exit can be used, traffic can gain access to Eastbound I-68 by utilizing Messick Road to Williams Road to Willowbrook Road back to the Interstate.