Health officials report the number of new cases of COVID-19 was more than 1,900 since Thursday. That's the highest daily increase since Feb. 3.  WBAL reports the 7-day positivity rate is now at 6.05%, up by more than a full percentage point since Monday. The number of hospitalized patients is up by four to 236. State health officials while concerned about the spike in cases note that 92% of the state's eligible population ages 5 and up have received at least one dose of vaccine and more than 4.6 million are fully vaccinated.

A West Virginia small business owner and educator who started a learning center to provide behavioral treatment for children with autism was named the country’s small business person of the year on Thursday by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). Jill Scarbro-McLaury, who owns Bright Futures Learning Services in Winfield, received the prestigious award during a virtual ceremony celebrating National Small Business Week. Scarbro-McLaury, who is the first person in West Virginia to receive the National Small Business Person of the Year Award, will be invited to the White House for an honorary event with SBA Administrator Isabel Guzman.  

An early morning fire in Flinstone saw three cats parish, but a family dog rescued. The Maryland State Fire Marshal was issued a prelinary report:   TIME: 5:38 am LOCATION / ADDRESS: 14115 Laurel Branch Trail NE, Flintstone, Allegany County TYPE OF INCIDENT: structure fire DESCRIPTION OF STRUCTURE / PROPERTY: single story manufactured home OWNER / OCCUPANTS:  Patrcia Leitzen / Cheryl Ward INJURIES / DEATHS: none ESTIMATED LOSS – STRUCTURE:      $10,000                             CONTENTS: $5,000 SMOKE ALARM STATUS: activated with save FIRE ALARM / SPRINKLER STATUS:  n/a ARREST(S): n/a PRIMARY RESPONDING FIRE DEPARTMENT:  Flintstone Volunteer Fire Dept. # OF ALARMS:            1     …

Each year, National History Day frames students’ research within a historical theme, which is chosen for broad application to world, national, or state history and its relevance to ancient history or to the more recent past. This year's theme was Debate & Diplomacy in History: Successes, Failures, Consequences.   217 ACPS high school students participated with 115 different projects submitted. Fifteen projects were judged on the County level and composed of 30 high school students across the District.   Three projects were submitted for Maryland State Competition. They were submitted by Fort Hill High School students, Maria Eckard and Molly…

Starting Monday, May 9, construction work will begin adjacent to the south roundabout in front of the main hospital building at UPMC Western Maryland. A new traffic pattern will be created and stay in effect until October 31, 2022.   The south entrance, closest to Williams Street, will be closed.   Those arriving to campus for any purpose, including for Emergency Department services, must use the north entrance – the roundabout closest to interstate 68. Additional signage will be installed to highlight the adjusted routes. The main roadway will not otherwise be impacted aside from occasional flaggers while moving equipment….

If you were still up around 8:30 last night you certainly heard Mountain Thunder coming to life. Western Maryland Scenic railroad Engine 1309 is returning to service following her 7 year overhaul. The inauguration of the steam locomotive will take place today at the Western Maryland Railroad station around 11:00AM. Engine 1309 begins her service today to Frostburg and a musical performance on the platform at Western Maryland station around 6:00PM. The Allegany Museum Crossroads of America exhibit grand opening will take place today beginning at 9:30AM. It displays the first artificial intelligence age regression technology that has been used…

On Thursday, May 5, 2022 at approximately 8:44 AM, an officer of the Cumberland Police Department was patrolling the area of Bedford Street at Centre Street when he observed a suspicious vehicle stopped at the intersection for an extended period of time.  The vehicle then proceeded into a controlled access parking lot with a clearly posted “No Trespassing” sign and parked.  The officer contacted the occupants who exited the vehicle and began to walk around the parking lot.  The officer conducted a probable cause search of the vehicle.  The officer located controlled CDS paraphernalia, CDS paraphernalia, a package of a…

On Thursday, May 5, 2022 at approximately 12:43 PM, an officer of the Cumberland Police Department was patrolling the area of George Street when he observed a drug transaction between two males.  Police contacted the subjects and identified one of them as Perry Nelson Hamilton Jr.    Hamilton was found to be in possession of a two types of suspected CDS.  It was determined that the amount of CDS located on Hamilton indicated an intent to distribute.  Hamilton was arrested and later seen by a District Court Commissioner for his initial hearing.  He was remanded to the Allegany County Detention Center…

Maryland Governor Larry Hogan won’t grant a request by the state’s comptroller  to immediately make $3.5 million available to pay for training to prepare medical professionals other than physicians to perform abortions when a new law takes effect this summer. Michael Ricci, the spokesman, said in a statement that the Republican governor “firmly believes, as stated in his veto of this partisan measure, that non-licensed physicians should not be performing these medical procedures.”  Comptroller Peter Franchot, the state’s tax collector who is seeking the Democratic nomination for governor, cited a leaked draft this week of a U.S. Supreme Court opinion…

The May speaker series of The Greater Cumberland Committee featured an overview of the much anticipated I-68 Regional Alliance Housing Study. Presented by Peter Lombardi of CZB,  a Virginia-based urban planning and community development firm, who shared key takeaways from the report's analysis and an overview of the regional toolkit and implementation framework.  When it was suggested that seeing people move to this area to buy a home could prove a daunting if not impossible task- there was some pushback. Jeff Barclay,is Allegany County’s director of Economic Development… John Short, vice president of university advancement at Frostburg State University, said…