WBAL repots Maryland's second highest court has upheld the conviction of one of the four teens convicted of killing Baltimore County Police Officer Amy Caprio.  Dawnta Harris was 17 when he was convicted as an adult of running over and killing Officer Amy Caprio in 2018.  Harris' attorneys argue the charge of felony murder by motor vehicle was not valid, because as a juvenile he couldn't be charged with the offense.  In a unanimous 47 page ruling, the Court of Special Appeals disagreed and upheld the conviction and the life sentence Harris received. No word if Harris' attorneys will appeal…

U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), and Congressman Dutch Ruppersberger (D-Md.-2) are calling on the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) to better support Paralympic athletes at Olympic and Paralympic Games after denying reasonable and essential accommodations for a deaf and blind swimmer. With an understanding of the unprecedented restrictions placed on who may be in Japan besides the athletes, the USOPC failed to recognize that the severe COVID-19 restrictions increased the need for trusted support staff to accompany many Paralympians, such as Marylander Becca Meyers, a deaf and visually impaired swimmer…

Delays are expected on Virginia Ave. from Elder Street to Mary Street for most of the day on Thursday until 6:00 p.m.  Additionally, Humbird Street will be closed from Virginia Ave to Ella Street for most of the day.  Columbia Gas will be performing maintenance work in the area. Flaggers will be in place to direct traffic.

In April, the University System of Maryland announced that all eligible students, faculty, and staff on Maryland campuses are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 before the start of the fall 2021 semester. Frostburg State University’s Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs Jeffrey Graham said that the early directive from the state system has made planning for the fall semester easier and has created a much safer environment on campus… Allegany College of Maryland is not part of the system and not required to mandate vaccinations- however AC President Dr Cynthia Bambara said it is being strongly encouraged…      …

WBAL reports Maryland's new state school superintendent in his first public meeting said he's eager to move Maryland beyond what was once considered normal. Mohammad Choudhury's comments came on the heels of a post-COVID-19 education report. The results cover the period of time from mid-April until the end of this past school year – that's when students were starting to return to in-person instruction. Now a new report on fourth-quarter attendance and achievement, presented to the state board of education, helped to shed light on student results. Those results show that between seven and 14 systems, the rate of students failing this…

Two community events honoring area law enforcement are scheduled to take place in the coming days in Cumberland. On Sunday, Back the Blue 2021, will be held outside of Cumberland’s City Hall at 57 North Liberty Street. The public is encouraged to come out and show their support for all area law enforcement and criminal justice professionals. Cumberland Mayor Ray Morriss… The City of Cumberland has also announced The kickoff event for the 7th Annual National Night Out Event will be held on Monday August 2nd from 6-8pm at the Constitution Park Pool for a free Swim. At this event participants will…

Lt. Governor Boyd Rutherford has announced that Allegany College of Maryland will serve as the first stop in a series of  town hall meetings focusing on strategies for addressing the ongoing crisis of drug overdoses.  Rutherford made the announcement last week as he spent two days in Allegany County- among other things discussing the ongoing opioid crisis. The August 26th  the town hall “will engage community members, discuss their experiences, as well as what tactics may be effective in addressing the opioid crisis.”  According to the latest data, opioid overdose deaths have increased in Washington, Allegany and Garrett counties by…

On Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued new masking guidelines in the wake of the rapid rise in cases of the COVID-19 delta variant.  The new guidance includes recommendations that everyone – including fully vaccinated individuals – wear a mask in public indoor settings to prevent the spread of the virus. “People who decline to be vaccinated are essentially choosing to be naturally infected with COVID-19 instead,” said Jennifer Corder, MD, Deputy Health Officer for Garrett and Allegany Counties.  “COVID-19 is not going anywhere, and is more easily transmissible than ever. Choose the safer way to…

COVID-19 hospitalizations in West Virginia have increased to levels not seen since mid-June, as vaccination rates continue to be stagnant: the state’s dashboard says 56.3% of residents over the age of 12 have been fully vaccinated. According to the Department and Health and Human Resources, there were 1,758 active cases Wednesday after 196 cases were added. Three additional deaths in the state were reported on Wednesday. None were in the WCBC listening area.

The Maryland Department of Labor has extended the use of debit cards for unemployment claimants statewide. The department announced in the spring that it was phasing out Bank of America debit cards and would be implementing direct deposit or paper checks for benefit payment through a new contract with Wells Fargo. The debit cards were originally set to expire on Sunday, Aug. 1. The deadline has been extended to Oct. 1.