Maryland Natural Resources Police charged a man with hunting game birds using illegal bait at Indian Springs Wildlife Management Area in Washington County. On October 23, police were checking an area that was previously baited with a mineral and corn mixture, when they observed Scott Wagner, 40, in a tree stand. Police say Wagner was not wearing fluorescent orange or pink, which is required during muzzleloader season, and as they got closer they observed a fresh mineral block near the tree stand. Also, Wagner’s tree stand was attached in a way that made it permanent, which is illegal on state-owned lands. Wagner…

On Friday a Cumberland Officer on patrol in the Virginia Avenue area was approached by a concerned citizen about a female sitting in the driver’s seat of black-in-color Honda that may be under the influence.  The officer, located the vehicle and identified the driver as Bethany Lauran Ritz.  He made her aware of the complaint and while speaking with her, the officer observed what he recognized as suspected CDS paraphernalia that she was attempting to conceal.  The officer subsequently performed a search of Ritz and recovered a quantity of suspected heroin and related CDS paraphernalia.  She was arrested and charged…

On Friday, the CDC authorized booth both the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 for all adults after completion of primary vaccination with any FDA-authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccine.  This action opens up COVID booster vaccines to all individuals 18 years of age and older who received their initial series of Moderna or Pfizer COVID vaccine at least six months ago or received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) vaccine at least two months ago.   “As the holiday season approaches, with more travel and more gatherings, we are encouraging all Marylanders to get a booster shot and maintain their immunity,” said…

AAA is projecting that almost 1.1 million Marylanders will travel over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, an increase of more than 12% over last year, but down more than seven percent below pre-pandemic Thanksgiving travelers in 2019, which was the second-highest travel volume on record for the holiday in Maryland. As usual, the great majority of those travelers will be driving to their holiday destinations. AAA is projecting that 92% of travelers – nearly one million Marylanders – will be hitting the road, up over eight percent over last year, but still down more than five percent, compared to 2019’s pre-pandemic…

The City of Cumberland and the Downtown Development Commission (DDC) will present a variety of events to spread holiday cheer and celebrate the season, including the Tree Lighting Ceremony, Breakfast with Santa and the New Year’s Celebration. Join us on Friday, November 26 beginning at 6:00 PM as Mayor Raymond Morriss and special guests host our favorite holiday tradition, the Annual Tree Lighting, on the Downtown Mall. There will be open houses, shopping, dining and entertainment. The “Shop Small Win Big” contest will take place beginning on Small Business Saturday, November 27 through December 19. Shoppers who purchase from small businesses during these dates will be eligible to win VISA…

On Saturday, September 11, 2021, the We Are Fort Hill committee celebrated the 2020 and 2021 Hall of Fame inductees and the Deeds, Not Words honorees during a luncheon in the newly-renovated courtyard at the school. Dr. Ed Root accepted the recognition for Mr. Carl Richie; Dr. Susan Babcock Stanton Class of '74; Carol Ritter, widow of Melvin Lee Ritter Class of '55; Rebecca Harbaugh, widow of Carl R. Harbaugh Class of '57; Dave Christopher Class of '55; Stephen B. Jones, Ph.D, Class of '69; David Ronald Lohr Class of '71; Glen Ray, son of Glen Ray Sr. Class of…

As a follow up response to a WCBC inquiry regarding the status of Cassie Coinklin on the staff of Sixth District Congressman David Trone, the representatives office issued the following statement: "As a result of our full and comprehensive investigation, the staff member in question is no longer working for our office — in any capacity. "We believe that those in public service, both elected and support staff, must hold themselves to the highest standards of integrity and accountability. "We will continue to uphold that value. "We sincerely thank Frostburg State University’s Student Government Association and Administration for their courage and…

For the 7-day period of November 12-18, 2021, there were no schools identified with a School Wide COVID-19 Outbreak. Parkside Elementary School had two cohorts that met the definition of a cohort outbreak. ACPS had three staff members and 36 students reported as positive for COVID-19 during this time, and one staff member and 75 students were identified as a close contact to a positive person. 

On Thursday a deputy operating in the area of Fairview Avenue, Cumberland, MD conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle  for failing to operate right of center. Upon contacting the operator Phillip Michael Piper (27 of Cumberland) the deputy noticed him to be excessively nervous. At that time a Sheriff's Office K9 was requested to respond to the scene. Upon the arrival of the K9, a free air sniff of the vehicle was conducted leading to a search of the interior. During the search a loaded 9mm handgun was located.  The handgun had been previously reported stolen from the State of…

According to new polls results, Larry Hogan and Jim Justice are among the most popular governors in the nation. Maryland Governor Hogan came in third while West Virginia’s Justice came in 6th. The poll results released by Morning Consult ranked Vermont’s Phil Scott in the top spot. The news was not as good for Pennsylvania’s Tom Wolf who finished number 45 on the list