Schools reopen for students tomorrow, Tuesday, January 4, 2022, with a 3-HOUR DELAYED OPENING. Additionally, isolation and quarantine guidelines for ACPS students and staff have not changed. A 10-day isolation period is required for a student or staff member that tests positive for COVID-19. The CDC has made some modifications to isolation and quarantine guidelines, but these modifications do not apply to schools.  

With the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granting Emergency Use Authorizations (EAU) to two oral COVID-19 antiviral medications in late December, the Maryland Department of Health (MDH) has received an initial two-week allocation of 5,460 medication courses – 960 courses of Paxlovid (by Pfizer) and 4,500 courses of Molnupiravir (by Merck) – from the federal government. These new oral antiviral medications are not used to prevent COVID but instead to treat individuals who have contracted COVID. Due to the limited supply, MDH has directed healthcare providers to reserve their portions of these antivirals for COVID patients at the greatest…

A prominent local businessman has passed away. Lynn H. Workmeister, 80, died on December 31, 2021. Visitation has been scheduled at the Upchurch Funeral Home on January 13th from 2-4 p.m. Emmanuel Episcopal Church is handling the funeral services on January 14th at 11 a.m.

On Sunday, January 2, 2022 the officers with the Cumberland Police Department were called to a business on S. Centre St for a report of a male subject who had been found going through an unlocked vehicle.  When officers arrived, they located the male suspect, identified as Christopher Jason David Moore, age 24 of Hancock MD.  After speaking with the victim, it was learned that Moore was seen attempting to get into several other vehicles in the area as well.  Moore had an active arrest warrant through the Circuit Court of Allegany County.  He was taken to Central Booking where…

On Sunday January 2, 2022 officers with the Cumberland Police Department responded to a residence on New Hampshire Ave for a report of an assault.  Through the investigation it was learned that Karen Naomi Eveler, age 57 of Cumberland MD had assaulted a male inside the residence.  When officers arrived on scene they could hear yelling inside the residence.  When they were able to contact the parties, they observed injuries to the victim.  Eveler was placed under arrest for Second Degree Assault and taken to Central Booking for her initial appearance with the District Court Commissioner.  She is being held…

As he enters his final year serving in the Maryland General Assembly, Delegate Wendell Beitzel says he wants to put a halt to, or at least slow down what he says are ongoing efforts to defund the police. In 2021, the General Assembly passed a number of extensive police reform measures. While supporters say these are simply efforts designed to protect the public from overzealous officers and to hold the law enforcement community accountable for their actions- critics see a number of problems; including placing severe restrictions on police officers that could hinder their ability to keep the peace. Beitzel,…

The Union Rescue Mission of Western Maryland has had more than it’s share of challenges in trying to function during the Coronavirus pandemic-  however despite some social media rumors to the contrary- no one is being turned away. The mission, located at 16 Gulf Memorial Drive but more commonly referred to as Queen City Pavement, annually serves tens of thousands of meals in its dining room and shelters hundreds and men, women and children.  Pastor David Ziler has served in the executive director’s post since the end of 2016. He tells WCBC News that while the mission is taking as many…

As a new year begins the effort to restore or replace three West Side bridges in Cumberland continues- with city and county officials hoping a legal challenge will finally force CSX’s hand in moving the projects forward. If nothing else, those local officials can now take comfort in knowing that Maryland’s new Secretary of Transportion Jame Ports is sympathetic to their plight in dealing with CSX. Ports has served in major transportation roles at the federal, state, and local levels and was named by Governor Larry Hogan last week to head the transportation department beginning January 11. He has had a…

While any number of potential locations for a proposed Cumberland skate park have been discussed in the past year- two sites that have received the most serious consideration each have their detractors- and that could delay, or eventually kill the project. While city officials seemed to lean toward a Constitution Park site- the skate park committee has ruled that out- saying it is too difficult to reach by foot.  There has been growing support for Jaycee Field (formerly Pogey Field) off of Furnace Street- but that site also has some baggage.  City engineer Bobby Smith calls  Jaycee Field “problematic”  not…

UPMC Western Maryland Welcomes First Baby of 2022' January 2, 2022 (Cumberland, Md.) — Beckett Burg was the first baby born at UPMC Western Maryland in 2022. He arrived on Jan. 1 at 9:00 p.m. He is the son of Brianne and Brett Berg of Fort Ashby, West Virginia.