District 1C Delegate Mike McKay, who has declared his candidacy for the District 1 Senate seat being vacated by the retiring George Edwards, was a guest on WCBC’s “Dave Norman Show” Tuesday morning.  McKay says that, in some important respects, he would be following in Edwards’ footsteps, if elected…  

The Cumberland Mayor and City Council last night approved a three year contract with the union representing a number of city police employees.  The vote was 4-0. At the end of the meeting, they heard from the Interim Executive Director of the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad, Wesley Heinz, who explained that he has been part of a small group that has been working on Steam Engine 1309 for a number of years…        

With the local vaccination rate lagging behind the Maryland state numbers by double digits, WCBC’s Dave Norman reached out to clear up some rumors regarding the vaccines. Dr Matthew Simmons, Vice President of Medical Affairs for UPMC Western Maryland, told Dave that there has been an increase in suspicions over various immunizations over the past several years… The Delta Variant has raised concern in the medical community for people who haven’t gotten vaccinated yet.  So far, there has been one Delta Variant case each in Allegany, Garrett and Hampshire Counties.

For over a year, West Virginia Governor Jim Justice has opened his COVID-19 briefing reading the statistics of those who have died from the disease since his last press conference. Yesterday, there was a big change in protocol… As of Tuesday, the Delta Variant has not been a big problem in the Mountain State, with only 22 cases reported.

Maryland Health Secretary Dennis Schrader tells WCBC News he is well aware that Allegany County COVID vaccination rates trail the state averages by almost 20 percent, but says he’s hopeful new promotions, and accurate information will turn the tide.. Just over 40 percent of Allegany County’s eligible population has been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.  The Maryland state rate is over 57 percent.

“More than a half century ago, leaders across Maryland, Virginia and D.C. joined to lay a foundation for a transportation network to move people and goods across the region. “Those leaders may not have envisioned the mega-region that exists today from Richmond to Baltimore, but their efforts launched an interstate highway and rail system that continues to serve as a catalyst for economic opportunity and a high quality of life for residents across all jurisdictions. “Today, leaders in both states and D.C. have the responsibility to maintain, improve and invest in that regional network — and a historic opportunity to…

The Garrett County Health Department was notified Tuesday that the highly contagious COVID-19 Delta variant has been confirmed in the county. The Maryland Public Health Laboratory conducts RNA sequencing on COVID-19 case specimens from across the state, and the Delta variant was found in a Garrett County specimen. The variant was identified in Allegany County last week. The World Health Organization and the CDC have labeled the Delta variant of COVID-19 as a variant of concern because it is spreading much more quickly and easily than other variants of the disease. The CDC reports that the Delta variant has been…

The Delta variant now makes up almost half of Maryland’s new coronavirus cases, according to the state health department. Case numbers have doubled in the past week, even as the state ranks sixth in the nation for the number of people vaccinated. 155 new cases were reported in the state Tuesday morning, with the majority resulting from the Delta variant.  More than 3.5 million Maryland adults are fully vaccinated. The Allegany County Health Department reports that 40.3% of Allegany County residents are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 compared to 57.9% of all Marylanders.   

On Tuesday July 20th 2021 officers of the Cumberland Police Department responded to the 200 block of South Central Avenue for a reported disturbance. Upon officers arrival they spoke with a victim who advised officers that Jason Dylan Roager had destroyed several items inside the residence. Officers then advised Roager that he would be charged with destruction of property, at which time he then attempted to light an officer’s clothing on fire. After a brief struggle officers were able to place Roager under arrest. Roager was taken to the Allegany County Detention Center where he awaits his initial appearance before…

No injuries reported, following a one-vehicle accident on Interstate 68 westbound at the Seton Drive exit Monday evening. The ramp was closed for about 40 minutes. The cause of the crash is still being investigated.