As children head back to school, there's debate over whether students should stay masked in the classroom, especially since many of them can't get vaccinated yet. Maryland State School Superintendent Mohammed Choudhury said this week he supports universal masking this fall for all districts and said he's seeking legal backing to try and make it happen. Choudhury's response came after parents raised concerns during the public comment section of the board meeting. Parents in favor of universal masking urged the board to follow the recommendation of the experts… The debate was front and center during the monthly state board of…

With more and more county officials urging Governor Larry Hogan to take action to halt evictions in Maryland- the governor has been pushing back, placing the blame on both the federal and local governments. Addressing county officials in Ocean City, Hogan reiterated that the state has allocated millions of dollars in rent relief funding- but many county governments have been slow to disperse those funds- often times as the result of federal red tape… Locally, Allegany County Administrator Jason Bennett said there have been no delays in getting state or federal dollars into the hands of those who need it…

The 2021-2022 Allegany County Public School year began Wednesday with the traditional half day opening. Superintendent Jeff Blank visited a number of schools to help kick off day one, and said that he felt most students were happy to be back in a semi-normal school setting…   With COVID cases surging, the new school year does begin with a mask mandate in place…

Lt Governor Boyd Rutherford will visit a few schools; participate in a ribbon cutting ceremony and wrap up with a town hall meeting on the opioid crisis as he spends his Thursday in Allegany County. Rutherford will make stops at John Humbird Elementary and Allegany High School before moving on to Allegany College of Maryland where he will cut the ribbon for both the new Western Region Correctional Training Center; as well as the newly renovated Technology Building. At 5:30, a town hall meeting in the college theatre will take place. Appearing on WCBC’s “Dave Norman Show” Wednedsay, the Lt…

For the second consecutive COVID-19 briefing, West Virginia Governor Jim Justice strongly suggested that a mask mandate may be forthcoming. The state has lost an additional 20 people to COVID-19, since Monday according to the governor and there are now 511 people in hospitals, due to COVID, the highest amount since January. While he is trying to “let local rule stand,” when it comes to mask mandates, the governor warned that soon he won’t be able to do that and could be forced to resume the mandates, starting with schools. While many of his fellow Republican governors across the country are…

During a visit to Cumberland, Marylannd Sixth District Congressman David Trone celebrated National Black Business Month by meeting with Faye Cole, owner of Baltimore Street Collectibles.  Ms. Cole talked about how her business survived the economic stress created by the COVID pandemic… Trone said unforuantely Baltimore Street Collectibles is the exception rather than the rule for black businesses…  

ACPS bus #40 to and from Allegany High School will help balance the load of bus #35 and bus #58. Students that ride bus #40 in the morning will be picked up 5 minutes earlier. Students on Columbia Street that would normally ride bus #35 will now ride bus #40 in the morning and afternoon until further notice. Columbia Street students will also be picked up 5 minutes earlier.

Delta Air Lines will charge employees on the company health plan $200 a month if they fail to get vaccinated against COVID-19, a policy the airline’s top executive says is necessary because the average hospital stay for the virus costs the airline $40,000. CEO Ed Bastian said that all employees who have been hospitalized for the virus in recent weeks were not fully vaccinated. The airline said Wednesday that it also will stop extending pay protection to unvaccinated workers who contract COVID-19 on Sept. 30, and will require unvaccinated workers to be tested weekly beginning Sept. 12, although Delta will cover…

As the COVID-19 case rate continues to rise and more employers begin to require regular COVID testing for employees, the Allegany County Health Department has seen a dramatic increase in the number of people seeking testing at the Allegany County Fairgrounds drive-thru testing clinics.  In order to streamline the process and reduce wait times at the testing clinics, the health department is asking that anyone coming for testing pre-register online if possible. “The most time-consuming part of the process at the testing clinics is registration,” stated ACHD spokesperson Brenda Caldwell.  “Clinic staff must collect specific information from each person being…

The Maryland Department of Health (MDH) announced that an adult living in the Baltimore metropolitan area has tested positive for the West Nile virus – the first confirmed human case of the virus in Maryland this year.   The West Nile virus is transmitted to humans by mosquitoes who have been infected by feeding on birds who have the virus. In rare instances, the virus may be spread from person to person through organ donation, blood transfusion, breastfeeding, or from pregnant mother to fetus.   The disease affects the nervous system, and up to 80 percent of people who are…