According to  Allegany County Emergency Services, a roofing company employee suffered severe burns Wednesday when the manlift he was operating came into contact with electrical lines while he was working in the Upper Potomac Industrial Park. The Cumberland Times News reports the unidentified man was reportedly talking with first-responders as he was being treated at the scene and before being flown to the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center in Baltimore by Maryland State Police Trooper 5 helicopter. No other injuries were reported in the incident that was reported to the Allegany County 911 center at 11:32 a.m. with first reports…

Frostburg State University will launch the public phase of its $25 million fundraising campaign, Forging Futures: The Campaign for Frostburg State University, at noon. The fundraising effort, which is the largest in FSU’s history, is focused on three themes: forging the future of Frostburg’s students, forging the future of the University and forging the future of the region – Western Maryland and surrounding areas. John Short is the Vice President for University Advancement and the Executive Director of the FSU Foundation…

For several years, the desired likely use for the M & T Bank building on the Cumberland Mall has been that of a boutique hotel. Yesterday, CEDC Executive Director Matt Miller told WCBC News that, while such a hotel would be a great anchor for downtown, a request for proposals for use of the building would likely be issued in the near future… Miller told the CEDC Board of Directors that there has been interest shown in the 19 Frederick Street property across from City Hall, and that an RFP for that facility will be generated soon.

President Joe Biden recently announced that employers with over 100 employees would be required to have workers vaccinated against COVID-19 or face weekly testing. ShaAllegany County Government employs more than 100, so it would potentially be required to follow the directive, but Commission President Jake Shade says there has been nothing official received yet. Shade says the current policy is not to require vaccinations or testing of county employees…

The debate over Heritage Days commenced on the WCBC Dave Norman Morning Show Monday. It started with a call from Ed Taylor, with the Cumberland Historic Cemetery Organization… Dave Williams is with the festival organizing committee… Ed Taylor, with the Cumberland Historic Cemetery Organization… Dave Williams is with the festival organizing committee…

A legislative oversight committee has approved a Maryland State Board of Education mandate to require all students to wear face coverings.  The order now takes effect immediately and will continue through February 22, 2022. During last evening’s County Board of Education meeting, Allegany County Health Officer Jenelle Mayer gave an overview of the pandemic… Later in the meeting, Board Member Tammy Fraley asked for more options for parents… Superintendent Jeff Blank has been asked to provide such options at the next meeting. 

Main Street west bound in the area of Bowery Street is closed as there is a large water leak.  Crews are on site. As repairs are being made, portions of town from Bowery Street to Mountain Ridge High School may not have water.

 The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) will begin a roadway improvement and safety enhancement project on I-68 (National Freeway) at Haystack Mountain in Allegany County tonight, September 14. The work is expected to complete by Friday, October 8, weather permitting.  Starting at 8 p.m., crews will begin a three-step project that includes patching, milling and resurfacing a portion of I-68. Crews will work 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sundays through Thursdays. During work hours and until completion, motorists can expect short-term lane closures on I-68 westbound between Exit 41, Seton Drive, and the top of Haystack Mountain and I-68 eastbound between Exit 40, MD 658 (Vocke Road) and Exit 42, US 220 (Greene Street) southbound.     Throughout the project, crews are…

Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh today announced a settlement reached by his Consumer Protection Division with California-based StubHub, Inc. concerning the company’s refusal to pay refunds to consumers for concerts, sports events, and other events that were cancelled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Maryland led an investigation that included nine other states and the District of Columbia in a multistate resolution with the company.    StubHub operates one of the largest ticket reselling marketplaces in the country.  Under its “FanProtect Guarantee,” StubHub offered consumers full refunds of the purchase price and fees they paid for tickets if…

On August 26, 2021, the Maryland State Board of Education voted to approve an emergency regulation requiring face coverings in schools to help stop the spread of COVID-19. This mandate couldn't go into effect until it was reviewed and approved by the General Assembly's Joint Committee of Administration, Executive and Legislative Review (AELR). By law, this bipartisan panel of representatives from both the House of Delegates and the state Senate had to wait 10 business days from the state board's vote to vote on this emergency regulation. After hearing public testimony today, the regulation passed 10-7 and will go into…