Former Allegany County Commissioner Bill Valentine was a caller on WCBC's Dave Norman Program Friday morning, and discussed the redistricting lines in Allegany County and how the new lines drawn may have potential candidates for office in limbo. One upcoming vacancy is the Maryland District 1C seat, with Mike McKay filing to run for the Maryland State Senate seat in 2022. When asked, Valentine responded to his interest in the open 1C seat. Valentine also was asked about running for a County Commissioner seat with three seats available in 2022 and currently zero candidates who have filed for the office.

With the COVID-19 pandemic is beginning to wind down- the focus returns for many in emergency services to the opioid crisis.  While the Coronavirus essentially shut down many facets of everyday life- unfortunately it did nothing to deter the growing use of heroin and fentanyland related overdoses. The numbers have been spiking across Maryland with Allegany County having the worst numbers in the state. It is a point of frustration for Allegany County Emergency Services Director Jim Pyles…

Maryland has now administered more than 7 million COVID-19 vaccinations. To date, 7,009,919 vaccines in total have been administered in Maryland, having the state rank sixth in the nation with 57.4% of the total population fully vaccinated. Governor Larry Hogan,,,

New data on opioid overdose deaths has been released by the Maryland Opioid Operational Command Center showing a significant increase in the number of overdose deaths in Maryland in 2020. Health experts are seeing historic numbers across the nation- including Maryland where overdoses throughout the state increased by 18.7% from 2019 to 2020. Western Maryland has been hit with the largest surge in the state- experiencing a 45.9% increase in overdose deaths. Congressman David Trone represents Allegany, Garrett and Washington counties…

Cumberland Mayor Ray Morriss tells WCBC News he would like to see a face lift at Constitution Park. The park includes a swimming pool, baseball field, tennis and basketball courts, a duck pond, two playgrounds and several pavallions. Preliminary steps to upgrade were taken a few years ago with the removal of the aging train caboose, fire truck, airplane and World War II tank- however the mayor believes much more can be done to increase usage…

With Delegate Mike McKay now having confirmed that he will be running for the District 1 state Senate seat- candidates are now lining up to challenge for what will be his open 1C House seat. Washington County Commissioners Terry Baker and Wayne Keefer have both filed as 1C candidates in the Republican primary.  The district includes part of Allegany County and the westernmost portion of Washington County.  McKay, once he officially files, will join Allegany County Commissioner Jake Shade contesting for the seat currently held by George Edwards who has opted not to seek another term. With the deadline to…

On Wednesday,at 11:30 p.m., Frostburg City Police Officers were searching for a 16-year-old male subject who reportedly was suicidal, had cut himself, and was carrying a throwing axe with him in a bag. Allegany County Sheriff’s Deputies checked juvenile’s residence outside the City limits while Frostburg City Police Officers checked the Frostburg area. Police then received information that the juvenile was just in Frostburg at a local business plaza on New Georges Creek Road. Frostburg City Police officers located the juvenile in the plaza. Upon seeing the police officers arrive, the juvenile immediately fled on foot. Officers, aware that the…

WBAL reports a jury on Thursday found the gunman who killed five people at a Maryland newspaper criminally responsible, rejecting defense attorneys’ mental illness arguments. The jury of eight men and four women found that Jarrod Ramos could understand the criminality of his actions and conform his conduct to the requirements of law when he attacked the Capital Gazette newsroom in 2018. The jury’s finding means Ramos, 41, will be sentenced to prison, not a maximum-security mental health facility. Prosecutors are seeking five life sentences without the possibility of parole. Ramos already had pleaded guilty to all 23 counts against him in 2019…

Four ACPS Community School Coordinators had the opportunity to give a presentation to more than 100 educators from across the state at the recent 2021 Maryland Community Schools Summer Conference, which was virtually hosted by the Maryland State Department of Education. This year's theme was "Leading for Change: Community Schools and the Road Ahead." Jayne Lechliter, John Humbird Elementary School; Samantha Kennedy, South Penn Elementary School; Autumn Symons, George's Creek Elementary School; and Devin McGregor, Westernport Elementary School, spoke to the audience about community schools in Appalachian Maryland. The group was also accompanied by ACPS Equity and Student Outcomes Coordinator, Dr….

According to Allegany County Emergency Services, one person was killed and a second seriously injured when a van and pickup truck collided Thursday afternoon on state Route 36 near the State Highway Administration salt dome. The accident happened about 1:45 p.m. The injured person was trapped in the vehicle and later flown for treatment by Trooper 5, a Maryland State Police medevac helicopter. A Department of Emergency Services ambulance from Frostburg, Keyser Emergency Medical Services and Potomac and Barton volunteer fire departments responded to the scene. The Allegany County Sheriff's Office was investigating the crash, and crash reconstruction specialists were…