Maryland Governor Larry Hogan on Thursday presided over the latest bill signing ceremony at the State House. Joined by officers from the Senate and House Speaker Adrienne Jones the governor signed bills covering jobs, violent crime and the environment…

Let's Beautify Cumberland volunteers along with Southern States  will be moving an art sculpture currently located on the downtown mall in front of Mark's Cafe along with the Wes Hann Memorial Fountain to its new home in Giarritta Park today.  The fountain was dedicated in 2007 to the memory of Wes Hann who had been a pharmacist on Baltimore Street for 35 years of his 46 year career. Ed Mullaney, from Let's Beautify Cumberland…

With the state flush with an unprecedented budget surplus, local lawmakers were successful this session in securing millions of dollars in funding to incentivize economic growth in Western Maryland. The idea of creating a fund to attract businesses and spur new home construction was developed by the 11-member Task Force on the Economic Future of Western Maryland. The task force, which is co-chaired by State George Edwards and Delegate Jason Buckel, met for nearly two years to work on ideas to jumpstart the economy in Allegany, Garrett and Washington counties. Buckel said trying to find a plan to accommodate three…

Frostburg State University, Allegany College of Maryland and Garrett College will host a Gubernatorial Candidate Forum for the primary elections scheduled in July. The forum will be held from 6-9 p.m. in the Alice R. Manicur Assembly Hall in FSU’s Lane University Center. The forum is free and open to the public. The event will also be livestreamed. WCBC will broadcast the forum live as part of our 46 year commitment to inform the public. Audience members in attendance will be able to submit questions for the candidates to be read by a group of student moderators. All candidates that…

With a blast from her mighty whistle, Western Maryland Scenic’s historic steam-powered ambassador of Allegany County and the State of Maryland will be inaugurated into regular service beginning Friday, May 6 at 10:30 am.   While No. 1309 has made multiple trips for special charters and a brief appearance during 2021’s holiday events, this debut into regular service is the crowning achievement of WMSR. After enduring seven years of restoration, complete with more twists and turns than a blockbuster movie, the dedicated crews are ready to share this one-of-a-kind artifact with the world.   The public is invited to WMSR’s…

Lt. Governor Boyd K. Rutherford, co-chair of Baltimore-Maryland 2026, today issued a statement in support of Baltimore merging with Washington, D.C. for a joint FIFA World Cup 2026 bid: “We are pleased to merge our Baltimore World Cup bid with Washington, D.C. The combination of our two world-class cities will provide FIFA with exceptional soccer facilities for match play in Baltimore and the grandeur of the nation’s capital for cultural activities to celebrate the World Cup in the United States.”

The annual Cumberland Farmers’ Market opens downtown on Baltimore Street on Thursday, April 28th from 9:30AM – 1PM, and will take place each Thursday through the end of October. The Saturday Cumberland market will begin on June 4th at Canal Place and will take place each Saturday through the end of October from 9:30AM – 1PM as well. Opening Day on the 28th will feature live music by singer/songwriter Sam DeMartino and raffle prize drawings. The Downtown Development Commission, in partnership with the Allegany Farmers’ Market, plans to offer live music at least once a month in conjunction with the Thursday market. The May 26th market will feature the…

Governor Larry Hogan today signed an additional 103 bipartisan bills into law, including measures to advance key administration initiatives, such as the More Jobs for Marylanders Act and the Judicial Transparency Act. “Today, we signed another 103 bipartisan bills into law, including measures to promote job creation, address violent crime, advance our Chesapeake Bay restoration goals, and protect our firefighters and first responders,” said Governor Hogan. “I want to thank the presiding officers and legislative leaders on both sides of the aisle for working with us to continue changing Maryland for the better.”

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics released state jobs and unemployment data for March. According to the preliminary survey data, Maryland gained 3,900 jobs and the unemployment rate decreased to 4.6%. This is the lowest unemployment rate since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Leisure and Hospitality sector experienced the most growth with an increase of 2,900 jobs; Mining, Logging and Construction gained 1,800 jobs; and Trade, Transportation and Utilities added 900. Other sectors that experienced growth include Education and Health Services (600) and Professional and Business Services (400). Sectors that experienced a decline include Other Services…

On Thursday evening troopers from the McHenry Barrack responded to I-68 in the area of Blooming Rose Road, Friendsville, Garrett County, Maryland, in reference to a single vehicle collision.  The investigation revealed that a 2022 Kenworth dump truck, being operated by Dershera Hays of Baltimore, Md was traveling eastbound on I-68.  For unknown reasons the vehicle left the roadway and struck the guardrail, causing the vehicle to overturn.  Hays was not injured in the collision.  I-68 was closed for approximately 30 minutes while the vehicle was removed from the scene.  Units from the Friendsville Fire Dept. and Deep Creek Ambulance…