Governor Larry Hogan opened the regular meeting of the Maryland Board of Public Works by providing an update on the COVID-19 state of emergency and steps the state is taking to address the national testing shortage. As of Wednesday, the state is reporting 3,118 COVID-19 hospitalizations, which is an increase of 61 over the day before. A call with the nation’s governors and the White House this week focused on the alarming shortage of COVID tests… The governor also shared new data from the University of Maryland Medical System showing that over the last 30 days, 74% of COVID patients…

Foundations are being poured and girders are going up as construction of the Cumberland Gateway Center- or Rolling Mill project- is finally underway in earnest. At the same time more and more potential businesses are being identified. The center is being constructed between Park Street and Maryland Avenue and Emily and Williams streets, part of the Rolling Mill neighborhood. Once complete, the center will contain restaurants, shops and a hotel.  The developer, Ed Scott, of Kline Scott Visco Commercial Real Estate, has previously mentioned mentioned  working with an Asian restaurant, a phone company, a liquor store a D’Atri Subs. Other…

Anchored by the popular Polar Express and with steam locomotive 1309 leading the way- Wes Heinz is looking for a big year for the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad in 2022. Heinz, the new executive director of the railroad, tells WCBC News that missing a year due to COVID- the Polar Express returned in a big way n 2021 with all of the rides sold out early on… The Polar Express excursions and an increase in family-friendly themed rides have been the focal point since Mr Heinz took over in August and there will be even more special activities planned for…

Today marks one year since the violent Capitol Hill insurrection in Washington, D.C., and Maryland Congressman Kweisi Mfume reflected on that day during an appearance on WBAL. Mfume said he is hoping the findings of the investigation surrounding the incident reveal the role of former President Donald Trump, any complicit actions of members of the House of Representatives or the Senate, and any coordinated efforts outside of the Capitol by different groups…

With the numbers of individuals who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 actually contracting the virus on the rise-  the anti vax crowd has taken to promoting this as a sign that the vaccine is ineffective. That is a myth according to Dr Matthew Simmons, UPMC Western Maryland’s vice-president of Medical Affairs with an emphasis on infectious diseases. During an appearance on WCBC’s “Dave Norman Show” Wednesday, Simmons stressed vaccination as the biggest barrier against the spread of the disease and continued to implore those eligible individuals to get their shots and boosters…

The 45th annual Mountain Maryland PACE Legislative Reception and Breakfast scheduled for January 21-22 in Annapolis has been postponed to March 3-4 due to the surge in COVID-19 cases statewide. The Mountain Maryland PACE Committee had been planning the event since COVID-19 forced its cancellation in 2021. As COVID cases began to increase around the holidays, the committee had been carefully evaluating its ability to safely host the annual event that attracts legislators as well as state and federal funding partners.  PACE co-chair Jeremy Irons told WCBC News that the the Governor’s State of Emergency Declaration this week and various…

It was mid afternoon when about a half dozen police vehicles were summoned to Beall Elemetnary School for children behaving strangely.  One of the children was trasnported to UPMC Western Maryland, while three others were evaluated.  The four were apparently residents of the same house, and according to the Cumberland Times News, authorites initially checked the home for carbon monoxide or some other possible cause. The school system does not comment on such cases, due to HIPAA restrictions.  Frostburg Police Department told WCBC News that any formal release on the situation would likely not be issued until Thursday.  Sources have told…

As COVID cases continue to spike statewide, Allegany County’s positivity rate – the percentage of COVID tests which are confirmed positive for COVID-19 – has reached its highest point since April 2020.  As of January 4, Allegany County’s percent positive was 19.57%, and the average rate for Maryland was 28.56%, rivaling figures seen in the early months of the pandemic.  The county’s case rate has also risen dramatically, jumping from 40.55 cases per 100,000 people to 135.71 cases per 100,000 on Tuesday. Allegany County continues to lag behind most of the state in COVID-19 vaccination rates.  Currently, only 49.1% of…

The 45th annual Mountain Maryland PACE Legislative Reception and Breakfast scheduled for January 21-22, 2022 in Annapolis, Maryland is being postponed to March 3-4, 2022 due to the surge in COVID-19 cases statewide. The Mountain Maryland PACE Committee had been planning the event since COVID-19 forced its cancellation in 2021. As COVID cases began to increase around the holidays, the committee had been carefully evaluating its ability to safely host the annual event that attracts legislators as well as state and federal funding partners. “With Governor Hogan’s State of Emergency declaration yesterday and various restrictions being put in place to slow the spread of…

Governor Larry Hogan today announced the launch of the $248 million Maryland Homeowner Assistance Fund, which will be administered by the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) to support mortgage relief, home repairs, housing counseling, and legal services. “Across Maryland, there are homeowners who are struggling to keep up with their mortgage payments due to the financial hardships related to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Governor Hogan. “The programs we are announcing today through the Homeowner Assistance Fund will help keep Marylanders in their homes and support our state’s economic recovery.” Maryland Homeowner Assistance Fund. The State of Maryland…