A Garrett County man was arrested Wednesday after allegedly intentionally hitting a man with his pickup truck The Garrett County Sheriff ’s Office charged Daniel Lee Reckart, 34, of Oakland, with first- and second- degree assault. He was being held without bond at the Garrett County Detention Center. The victim was taken to Garrett Regional Medical Center with unspecified injuries. The incident reportedly occurred after the men had argued. According to the sheriff, Reckart was driving his truck on Crellin Mine Road when he allegedly swerved to hit the victim, who was walking.  

Maryland Governor Larry Hogan spent most of his Wednesday in Allegany County and made a stop at a youth vaccination clinic at Greenway Avenue Stadium. Following a tour of the facility, WCBC asked Governor Hogan if there was a plan to deal with local participation rates, which are over 15 percent behind the state numbers…                                       The governor began his tour with a stop at the Western Correctional Institution. WCI has been one of a dozen prisons, nationwide, which utilizes inmates to…

The City of Cumberland’s crime numbers have spiked dramatically from April of 2020 through April of 2021 and indications are that it’s the return to normalcy following the Coronavirus pandemic that is a primary cause.  Mayor Ray Morriss said that unfortunately there appears to be a correlation between the easing of COVID restrictions and an increase in criminal activity…

The state of Maryland and many big name stores have lifted indoor mask mandates. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance states it is safe for vaccinated people to go unmasked, but many parents are wondering if it’s safe for unvaccinated kids to do the same. There's no vaccine approved for kids under the age of 12, so parents with young kids are wondering where these new guidelines leave them. Dr. Scott Krugman, vice chair of pediatrics at Sinai Hospital, told WBAL Radio that that kids can get COVID- and that means they can transmit it. Krugman said parents…

On the morning after participating in his final regular business meeting of the Mayor and City Council- Cumberland City Administrator Jeff Rhodes joined WCBC’s “Dave Norman Show” to discuss his pending retirement and look back on his career. Rhodes, 62, announced his plans to retire last November, and although  June 1st will be his official last day, he will essentially be stepping down from day to operations in the next week. Rhodes began working for the city as director of community development in 1997 and was appointed city administrator in 2011.  Asked to point to his greatest success on the…

Troopers arrested an Allegany County man early Wednesday morning after a multi-state investigation developed evidence supporting child pornography and related charges. The suspect is identified as Brent Nikota Bittner, 18, of Cumberland, Maryland. Bittner is charged in West Virginia with use of obscene matter with intent to seduce a minor, employment or use of a minor to produce obscene matter, distribution and display to a minor of obscene matter and use of minors in filming sexually explicit conduct that is prohibited. He was transported and processed by Maryland State Police. Additional charges are pending in Maryland. Beginning in February 2021,…

On Wednesday, May 19, 2021, Maryland’s Governor, Larry Hogan, joined ACPS Superintendent of Schools, Mr. Jeff Blank, along with members of the Western Maryland Delegation and other local leaders, at the Greenway Avenue Stadium vaccination clinic targeted to high school students. This clinic was arranged in cooperation with the Governor’s Office, the Allegany County Health Department, UPMC Western Maryland, and ACPS in an effort to get young adults in the community vaccinated against COVID-19.               According to Governor Hogan, “First I just want to thank the Western Maryland Delegation to Annapolis, the leaders here in Allegany County and in Cumberland,…

The statewide COVID-19 positivity in Maryland continues to plummet and was calculated at 2.19% on Wednesday, which is also another record low since the start of the pandemic, according to the state health department.   Related hospitalizations in Maryland continue a steady decline and are now below 600. More than 2.6 million state residents are now fully vaccinated. 12 addtional coronavirus deaths in the state were reported on Wednesday.

Pennsylvania voters became the first in the nation to curb their governor’s emergency powers, approving constitutional amendments proposed by Republican lawmakers angry over Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf’s handling of the COVID-19 outbreak. The vote on Tuesday's statewide primary ballot came as Republican lawmakers across the country have sought to roll back the emergency powers governors wielded during the COVID-19 pandemic. Republicans see the referendum as a victory with strong political overtones, as the state gears up for a wide-open governor's race in 2022 and Wolf leaving office after two terms. Republicans in the state Legislature and those aiming to replace him in 2023 have…

ACPS Superintendent of Schools, Mr. Jeff Blank, had the opportunity to welcome Governor Hogan to West Side Elementary School for a tour of the school prior to his visit to the Greenway Avenue Stadium vaccination kick-off event. “I’m glad that the Governor was able to see first-hand the hard work that our staff continues to do as well as how our amazing students have adapted to a new learning environment this year," said Mr. Blank. Governor Hogan was led on his tour of classrooms by West Side principal, Mrs. Shannon Green, and West Side assistant principal, Mr. Jamie Clark, and…