Allegany County Emergency services are out this morning working in apartment fire at 14 Pennsylvania Ave.  Officials are calling the situation a mess, Cumberland Police department along with C3I and State Fire Marshal on scene. Preliminary report is that the Cumberland Police department were already on scene prior to the fire taking a subject into custody and transporting him to the hospital. Shortly thereafter the fire started.  Allegany County Emergency services Public Information Officer, Mark Karalewitz " Cumberland fire units have cleared that was Bedford road Bowling Green, Lavale, Cresaptown and then we had 25 and 27 Ridgeway Ford, ambulance 52…

A group of Marylanders are suing Maryland Secretary of Labor Tiffany Robinson for failing to administer unemployment insurance benefits according to federal law. The lawsuit, filed by attorneys with the Public Justice Center, alleges that Maryland is not paying claimants within a timely manner. On the same day the suit was filed, Robinson was subjected to a series of questions on the issue when she appeared before the state’s Board of Public Works. Both Lt Governor Boyd Rutherford and Comptroller Peter Franchot expressed concern with  thousands of Marylanders still apparently not satisfied with how their unemployment claims are being handled….

Governor Larry Hogan is urging Marylanders to get vaccinated against COVID-19 or get the booster shot as concern grows over the omicron variant. The governor's update comes as the first confirmed case of the omicron variant in the United States was identified Wednesday in California. While there are no confirmed cases of omicron in Maryland as of Wednesday, there are concerns about it among public health officials and residents..

Maryland students will continue to wear masks for the time being in public schools. The current mask mandate is set to expire in February, but the Maryland State Board of Education wants school officials to give local school systems so-called “off-ramps,” or metrics to meet, to lift those mandates. Superintendent Mohammed Choudhury said the top priority should remain keeping kids in school, but it’s time to consider ways the mask mandate can be lifted. Ultimately the board asked school officials to create metrics local systems can meet to lift the mandate in their district. Choudhury said proof of vaccination in…

The CDC has confirmed the first known U.S. case of the omicron coronavirus variant in a California resident who had recently returned from South Africa.  Experts had been warning that the variant was likely already in the U.S. in the days before the announcement.  The omicron variant has been labeled a variant of concern due to its rapid spread in South Africa, and it has now been identified in 23 countries.  However, it is still not known how this new variant compares to previous strains in terms of symptom severity, ease of transmission, and vaccine resistance.   “Health officials are warning that omicron…

The union has released the following statement: As public servants for Allegany County, we have witnessed mismanagement under the direction of Chief Biggs. For far too long, we have observed the issues that have been affecting the department but have remained silent out of fear of retaliation. We can no longer stay silent while Chief Biggs threatens the safety and livelihood of our members, other departmental employees, and citizens.    In 2019, when Christopher Biggs was appointed EMS Chief, he sent an e-mail promising “morale, communication, policies and procedures etc. will all be improved.” He assured that his “… commitment…

Governor Larry Hogan today announced that the State of Maryland has surpassed 1 million COVID-19 booster shots. This is another major milestone as the state continues to conduct one of the most successful vaccination campaigns in the country.  To date, the state has administered 9,395,285 COVID-19 vaccines, including 1,004,758 booster shots. According to official CDC data, 99.9% of seniors and 88.9% of adults have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. The state has administered 117,644 vaccinations to 5- to 11-year-olds—representing 22.7% of the age group.

Governor Larry Hogan today announced that the State of Maryland has surpassed 1 million COVID-19 booster shots. This is another major milestone as the state continues to conduct one of the most successful vaccination campaigns in the country.  To date, the state has administered 9,395,285 COVID-19 vaccines, including 1,004,758 booster shots. According to official CDC data, 99.9% of seniors and 88.9% of adults have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. The state has administered 117,644 vaccinations to 5- to 11-year-olds—representing 22.7% of the age group.

Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh today sent a letter to Governor Larry Hogan warning that the Maryland Department of the Environment’s (MDE) Water Supply Program (WSP) is dramatically understaffed – potentially risking the safety of Maryland’s drinking water and the health and welfare of Marylanders.   WSP’s mandate is to ensure that the State’s 3,300 public drinking water systems deliver safe drinking water to 5.5 million Marylanders.  WSP is responsible for the oversight and enforcement of routine water quality monitoring at public water systems, regular onsite inspections of water systems, and response to water supply emergencies.   To assess…

Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh today sent a letter to Governor Larry Hogan warning that the Maryland Department of the Environment’s (MDE) Water Supply Program (WSP) is dramatically understaffed – potentially risking the safety of Maryland’s drinking water and the health and welfare of Marylanders. WSP’s mandate is to ensure that the State’s 3,300 public drinking water systems deliver safe drinking water to 5.5 million Marylanders.  WSP is responsible for the oversight and enforcement of routine water quality monitoring at public water systems, regular onsite inspections of water systems, and response to water supply emergencies. To assess MDE’s efforts…