The Passages of the Western Potomac Heritage Area (formerly Canal Place Heritage Area) is still accepting applications for FY22 Mini Grant Program until October 4, 2021. The one-to-one cash match grant are available for up to $5,000 for noncapital projects. These can be anything from brochures to exhibits. Up until December 31, 2021, funds can be spent on Covid related items such as masks, gloves, wipes, and other personal protection equipment. Projects should seek to attract cultural and heritage tourist to the area. Non-profit organizations as well as local jurisdictions are eligible provided they, or the project, are located within…

A Cumberland woman was killed in a three vehicle accident early Tuesday morning on Interstate 68 East near Hancock. Jamie Lynn Snider, 32 was pronounced dead the scene. A second vehicle was operated by 58 year-old Christopher Scott Marshall of Keyser, he was uninjured. A third vehicle was operated by 53 year old Timothy Cosner with a passenger, 50 year old Darlene Lavetta- both from Oakland. Neither were injured. Maryland State Police is investigating. 

On Monday, September 20th, 2021 the Cumberland Police Department responded to the area of Roses Plaza for the report of a male acting in a disorderly manner.  When officers arrived, they observed the male who was identified as Glenn Taylor Williams.  Officers were aware that Williams had been previously barred from trespassing on the property by management.  He was arrested and charged with trespassing on private property after being duly notified not to do so.  Williams was issued a criminal citation and released pending trial at District Court.   Glenn Taylor Williams, age; 26, Cumberland, Maryland.

On Monday, September 20th, 2021 the Cumberland Police Department responded to an Elm Street residence for the report of a male refusing to leave the property.  The caller advised that Carl Spates Stallings Sr. was back on the property after being advised by police earlier not to return.  Officers responded earlier for Stalling being intoxicated and causing problems.  When officers arrived, he was directed to the leave the property and not to return or he would be arrested.  Stallings was arrested and upon a search of his person, a quantity of suspected marihuana was recovered.  He was charged with trespassing,…

The Allegany County Health Department reports that COVID cases in the county have continued to climb over the past two months. The Allegany County COVID case rate is now 81.56 cases per 100,000 population, four times the Maryland rate of 20.3 cases per 100,000 population. Case rate is a measure of new COVID cases per day, it does not include cases from earlier in the pandemic. Allegany County’s current case rate means that each day, about 57 county residents are being diagnosed with COVID. The Allegany County Health Department is continuing to offer COVID-19 vaccinations on Wednesdays at 12501 Willowbrook…

​West Virginia Governor Jim Justice announced during his COVID-19 briefing Monday that the State will be implementing a new initiative called “Saving Our Care” to ensure the stability of hospitals and nursing homes as the current surge in cases brought on by the Delta variant begins to peak. Justice said hospitals in his state are on the verge of being overrun to the point where if something is not done, the rationing of healthcare would be necessary.  Cases have started to drop in West Virginia, but that usually precedes a similar decline in hospitalizations and deaths from the disease.

West Virginia’s COVID-19 Interagency Task Force believes that we are cresting the peak of the spike in Coronavirus cases ignited by the Delta variant. COVID-19 Czar Dr Clay Marsh says it may be several weeks before there is a decline in hospitalizations and deaths attributed to the disease. West Virginia counties in the WCBC listening area are all running infection rates of greater than 80, including 93 in both Mineral and Hampshire counties, and up to 146 in Grant County.

The Maryland Department of Health (MDH) today announced an update on the top 10 and bottom 10 skilled nursing facilities in the state ranked by percentage of staff with at least one dose of a vaccine against COVID-19 and highly contagious variants. MDH also announced an update on skilled nursing facilities that did not submit adequate staff COVID-19 vaccination data as required by the state. Per vaccination protocols that went into effect on September 1, 2021, all nursing facility staff are required to have their first or single dose of COVID-19 vaccine. Nursing facilities that fail to comply with vaccination…

The Senate Redistricting Committee will have an organizational meeting at 3 p.m. on Thursday, September 23, 2021, in the Senate Judiciary Committee Room (208W). There will be no consideration of draft maps at this initial meeting. Subsequent meeting dates and procedures for the remainder of the redistricting process will be discussed at the Sept. 23 meeting. The agenda will be posted in advance of the meeting. Video and audio of the meeting will be streamed live at the West Virginia Legislature’s website –  http://www.wvlegislature.gov/live.cfm  – and the meeting will be posted to the Senate’s archived video location. For questions about the…

Governor Larry Hogan today announced $16.8 million in grants to support bicycle, pedestrian, and trail improvements through 42 projects across the state. The package includes $12.4 million in federal funding through the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP), $1 million through the Recreational Trails Program (RTP), and nearly $3.4 million in state funding through the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) Kim Lamphier Bikeways Network Program. “Over the last year and a half, more and more Marylanders have been walking, riding bikes, and using trails for transportation, recreation, and exercise,” said Governor Larry Hogan. “These grants, made possible through the federal and state…