Today officially ends Maryland’s state of emergency for COVID-19. Masks or face coverings will no longer  be required in any settings anywhere, including schools, camps and child care facilities. Businesses and other workplaces are still able to set their own policies. Governor Larry Hogan celebrated the end of the state of emergency during this week’s Maryland Municipal League Summer Conference…

The Reverend Al Sharpton was among those protesting at a rally in Towson Wednesday over the settlement in the death of Korryn Gaines who was shot and killed by Baltimore County police. Gaines was killed by police five years ago after a six-hour standoff with police at the Randallstown apartment of her boyfriend. A jury awarded the family $38 million dollars in a wrongful death suit, but a judge overturned the decision, then the verdict was reinstated. The family still has not received their payment. Sharpton asked when the judge will respect the decision of the jury…

Is “critical race theory” a way of understanding how American racism has shaped public policy, or a divisive discourse that pits people of color against white people? Liberals and conservatives are in sharp disagreement- and the topic has exploded in the public arena—especially in K-12, where numerous state legislatures are debating bills seeking to ban its use in the classroom. Locally, the issue was raised this week by a listener to WCBC’s ‘Dave Norman Show”- concerned that a “FACTUALITY” workshop available to school principals is actually a veiled attempt to promote critical race theory.  Allegany County Board of Education vice president Robert…

Lee N. Fiedler, loving husband and father of five passed away peacefully at the age of 79 on Wednesday, June 30, 2021. Lee was born on November 8, 1941 in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. He attended St. Joseph School in Cuyahoga Falls, graduated from St. Mary’s High School in 1959, Kent State University in 1963 and the Harvard Business School in 1987. His career began at Goodyear Tire and Rubber Squad in Akron. Advancing through positions at Goodyear he then was transferred to DuoTherm in LaGrange, Indiana in 1978. During the early 1990s Lee was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer…

The Maryland Department of Human Services announced today that its Office of Home Energy Programs (OHEP) in Cumberland will, on July 1, move from the Allegany County Human Resources Development Commission, Inc. building at 125 Virginia Ave., to the Allegany County Department of Social Services, located at 1 Frederick Street in Cumberland. The Office of Home Energy Programs (OHEP) provides bill assistance to low-income households in the State of Maryland to make their energy costs more affordable and to help with the prevention of loss and the restoration of home energy service. “This operational change represents an opportunity to streamline…

Congressman David Trone (MD-06) announced that the Garrett County Health Department would receive $50,000 for the Garrett County Drug-Free Communities Coalition from the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to prevent youth substance use. The ONDCP announced 65 new and competing continuation grants for Community-Based Coalition Enhancement Grants to Address Local Drug Crisis (CARA) Program. The funding will enhance the efforts of current or former Drug-Free Communities (DFC) program recipients to prevent opioid, methamphetamine, and prescription drug use among youth ages 12-18 across the United States.  “Preventing substance use among our young people is a critical component…

The Allegany County Health Department reports that 26,628 Allegany County residents have received their first dose of a two-dose vaccine against COVID-19 (37.8% of the population), with 24,683 of those individuals now fully vaccinated with their second dose (35.1% of the population). The number of residents who have received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) vaccine is 2,965 (4.2%). By comparison, the state reported that 57.2% of all Marylanders had received their first dose of a two-dose vaccine, with 51.6% having had both doses and 4.3% vaccinated with the single-dose vaccine. Allegany County COVID-19 Case Statistics as of June 29:…

The Mayor and City Council announce the official retirement of City of Cumberland Fire Chief Donald Dunn as of July 1. Chief Dunn has been the Fire Chief for the past 11 years, and been of service to the City for a total of 44 years. Dunn’s career with the Cumberland Fire Department began on March 23, 1977 as a Firefighter, with a promotion to Lieutenant happening in 1987. He quickly was elevated to Captain in 1989, and again to Deputy Chief in 1991. He was appointed Interim Fire Chief on July 1, 2010 and then Fire Chief on March…

An enhanced transfer agreement among Frostburg State University (FSU), Allegany College of Maryland (ACM) and Garrett College (GC) will provide students transferring from the region’s two community colleges to FSU a greater opportunity to succeed.  Building on strong partnerships among the institutions, the agreement strengthens efforts to create a seamless pathway for students who earn their associate degrees at ACM and GC, then transfer to FSU to complete bachelor’s degrees. It will help students transition and be successful in four-year programs and specifically enhances lines of communication among the three schools. For example, changes in curriculum at FSU will be…

Comptroller Peter Franchot today extended the filing deadline for 2020 income tax returns from Pass-Through Entities (PTEs) to Sept. 15, 2021, due to new laws requiring extensive changes to PTE tax forms that can now be accessed on the Comptroller’s website. PTE forms are expected to be available through software vendors soon, but the Comptroller’s Office cannot guarantee the date of availability of forms through any third-party vendor. Taxpayers who file PTE returns and pay any outstanding liabilities by September 15 will not be charged interest or pay a penalty. No further action is required for PTEs to receive this waiver;…