Maryland Governor Larry Hogan on Tuesday announced a multimillion-dollar medical aid package to be sent to Ukraine. Medical equipment donated from the Maryland Department of Health includes 485,000 bandages and wound care supplies, and 200 ventilators, including medical ventilators for hospital intensive care units as well as portable ventilator units.  Maryland State Police also donated hundreds of pieces of body armor, including tactical vests and shields. The aid package has an estimated value of over $5 million…

The first tenant for a planned development at the junction of Messick Road and state Route 51 is officially under contract- kicking off a join economic development effort between the city of Cumberland and Allegany County. In December the city and county agreed to purchase 40 acres at that site for $250,000. At the time officials said they hope the land will be an ideal location for a distribution center or other business venture. The acreage sits on the Cumberland city limits less than a half mile from the site of the future FedEx Transport Distribution Center at Mexico Farms….

On Monday, May 9, 2022, the Cumberland Police Department served a bench warrant on Rachael Nicole Dolly.  The warrant was issued as a result of Dolly violating the conditions of her probation.  She was originally charged with Burglary-3rd Degree, Burglary-4th Degree, and Violation of Protective Order.  Dolly was arrested and transported to Central Booking.  Dolly was remanded to the Allegany County Detention Center, held without bond.   ARRESTED:  Rachael Nicole Dolly       AGE:  33            Cumberland, MD

Clearway Energy Group hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday to mark the commencement of commercial operations for newly constructed Black Rock, a 115 megawatt wind farm that spans Grant and Mineral counties. Black Rock is contracted under long-term power purchase agreements with customers Toyota Motor North America and AEP Energy Partners. Black Rock is home to 23 state-of-the-art wind turbines that will generate enough electricity to power 55,000 homes every year. Black Rock created more than 200 union jobs during construction and nearly a dozen jobs in ongoing operations. Clearway is one of the largest taxpayers in Grant and Mineral counties,…

Two hundred and seventy-seven Allegany College of Maryland students are expected to earn approximately 337 degrees and certificates during the college’s spring commencement exercises on Saturday, May 14. Limited attendance Cumberland Commencement exercises take place at the Bob Kirk Arena in the Physical Education Building. Past graduates who missed the opportunity to “walk the stage” due to the pandemic will join in the exercises. Guests must present graduation tickets for entry and masks are optional. Three separate ceremonies honoring ACM’s graduates will be held: Career and transfer program (non-Allied Health) students will graduate at 10 a.m. Allied Health students (with the…

It’s Primary Election Day in West Virginia, with two members of Congress going head-to-head in redistricted northern counties plus 100 single-member districts for the House of Delegates for the first time. In Mineral County there are races for school board seats and one county commissioners seat.  Polls are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

WBAL reports Gov. Larry Hogan is directing state law enforcement to assist local and federal partners should they be called to protect the homes of Supreme Court justices in Maryland. Over the weekend, crowds of abortion-rights demonstrators held protests outside the homes of Justice Brett Kavanaugh and Chief Justice John Roberts, both of whom live in Maryland. The demonstrations were held after a draft opinion was leaked that appears to show the high court will overturn Roe v. Wade.

A draft saying that the U.S. Supreme Court is planning to overturn Roe v. Wade was leaked a week ago, spurring concerns across the country that the right to an abortion could be extremely limited or eliminated for women in several states. With the national decision no longer dictating West Virginia’s abortion laws, most believe the right-leaning state would likely see quick restrictions.  Although there are only two working abortion facilities in West Virginia, it is estimated that abortions in the state would decline by 15.5% if Roe v. Wade were overturned. Protests against the case being overturned have already been held…

The city of Cumberland is close to wrapping up its budget process- with the council planning to maintain the property tax rate while holding the line on fees for water, sewer and  trash service.  Thanks in large part to an infusion of $20 million in federal American Rescue Plan funds- the city is looking at a $2.3 million budget surplus.  With the city’s fiscal picture as healthy as it has been in decades, Mayor Ray Morriss was asked if the council considered a tax cut…

After a decade of work, efforts to secure funding for the Coal Miner Memorial Statue project are continuing with the goal close at hand.  Allegany County has dedicated a parcel of ground north of the Frostburg train depot that overlooks the Jennings Run Valley and the Great Allegheny Passage trailhead – an area viewed as as an ideal spot to lace together the history of coal mining and railroading. The memorial will feature a mine face entry that invites the visitor to follow a walled pathway with open-air timbers overhead. The statue depicts a coal miner reading a book by…