A big day for information at the West Virginia COVID-19 media briefing. After he displayed a map that showed many bordering states with high infection rates, WCBC asked Governor Jim Justice if he was considering travel restrictions or recommending quarantine measures for those visiting hot spots… As a followup, WCBC asked General Jim Hoyer if the state had concerns that the fast advance of the Delta Variant had the potential to overrun hospital resources in the Mountain State…

Another Mountain Maryland lawmaker is not running for re-election. District 1A Delegate Wendell Beitzel tells WCBC News that he is retiring at the end of his current term. Beitzel has represented Garrett County and Western Allegany County since 2006, when he won a five person Republican primary to replace George Edwards, who opted to run for the State Senate… Beitzel's retirement does not come as a surprise, as he told WCBC at PACE five years ago he was seriously considering not running in 2018.  

At about 5:00 A.M. on August 9, 2021, Hampshire County 911 received a call of a single vehicle crash near the intersection of U.S. Rt. 50 and A.A. Roger’s Road. The investigation revealed a 2008 Chrysler Sebring ran off the roadway, struck the guardrails, a brick pillar, and a tree, before coming to a stop. The driver was identified as a 57 year old female from Berkeley County, WV. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. The identity of the driver is being withheld until next of kin is notified. Hampshire County EMS and Augusta and…

Allegany County’s COVID-19 case rate has reached 15.62 cases per 100,000 residents, the county’s highest rate in several months.   The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report the level of COVID community transmission for every county in the United States.  Community transmission is marked as either low, moderate, substantial, or high.  CDC reported that Allegany County had moderate community transmission last week and today, Allegany County has substantial community transmission.   The Allegany County Health Department continues to offer free COVID-19 vaccinations every Wednesday on the ground floor of the Willowbrook Office Complex, 12501 Willowbrook Road, Cumberland.   From 9 a.m….

The Joint Communications Center of Allegany County has dispatched police, fire and EMS uits to the Mexico Rarms Road area of Route 51 for a motor vehicle collision.

Maryland District 1A Delegate Wendell Beitzel announced today that he would not seek reelection in 2022.  He released the following statement: "Please be informed that I have decided not to seek reelection to the Maryland House of Delegates for District 1A for a fifth term in 2022. After considerable deliberation and consultation with family members and friends, I have concluded it is time to retire after serving out my fourth term as a member of the Maryland House of Delegates. I first ran to seek election to the House of Delegates in 2006 after the former Delegate George Edwards, now…

During the regular work session of the Cumberland Mayor and City Council, a proposal to add a splash pad at Constitution Park sparked a more broad discussion on possible overall upgrades and improvements to the facility. A splash pad, which is essentially a spray pool and play area, could carry a price tag between $400,000 and $600,000 depending on which location is chosen. Meanwhile acting city administrator Ken Tressler said that while a recent site visit revealed to him just how much work and repair is needed at the park- it also showed how much potential exists in what is…

Senator Ben Cardin, in an interview with WBAL, touted the half a trillion-dollar infrastructure bill as a true jobs creator and a once in a generation opportunity. The Maryland Democrat says the port of Baltimore stands to be one of the great beneficiaries of the bipartisan infrastructure package which would also help fix or improve many of the state’s nearly 300 bridges and more than two thousand miles of highway in poor condition…

Allegany County Public Schools Chief Academic Officer Kim Green-Kalbaugh reported that the summer school program, which is wrapping up this week, experienced a 400% growth. During a presentation to the Board of Education at the public meeting, Kalbaugh said that more than 2,000 students participated in the programs- representing approximately a quarter of the student population. School Superintendent Jeff Blank…

During his latest COVID update, Governor Larry Hogan emphasized that Marylanders should feel confident about going back to daily lives because the state's COVID-19 metrics are down. Hogan said that Maryland has now transitioned from the crisis phase of the state of emergency to a more sustained, ongoing, long-term public health management response. While the Delta variant is a concern- the governor says the pandemic is essentially under control. Although the state is not imposing any new restrictions or mandates at this time Hogan says that local jurisdictions have the authority to implement any restrictions they may feel are necessary…