The Office of the State Fire Marshal, in collaboration with the Maryland State Police Criminal Enforcement Division, is continuing its investigation into the circumstances surrounding an apartment fire that claimed the life of a Frostburg woman. Just before 2:30 p.m., Frostburg Fire Department and multiple surrounding departments responded to an apartment fire at 316 Braddock Street. Firefighters arrived at the 19-unit apartment building with occupants reporting a woman was possibly still inside a second-floor apartment. Firefighters entered the apartment and contained the fire to the living room and subsequently discovered the victim.  After a preliminary origin and cause investigation, Deputy…

WBAL reports a former Maryland state official faces federal and state charges for allegedly fraudulently obtaining more than $276,731 from his employer and violating the state wiretap statute, federal and state prosecutors announced Tuesday. Roy C. McGrath, 52, of Naples, Florida, is accused of fraudulently obtaining funds from the Maryland Environmental Services corporation and illegally recording private conversations with senior state officials without their consent. McGrath resigned from MES as of May 31, 2020, to become the governor's chief of staff in June 2020. The federal and state charges allege that from March 2019 through December 2020, McGrath personally enriched…

Blind Industries and Services of Maryland (BISM) today announced that it will be closing its textile sewing and manufacturing plant located in Cumberland, Maryland, effective October 29, 2021.  "The decision to close the Cumberland plant came after a careful and strategic review of the crippling reduction of textile contracts available from BISM's federal government customers" said Frederick J. Puente, President of BISM. "This decision was not easily made, and in no way reflects the performance of our leadership and employees in Cumberland or BISM's dedication to its mission." Puente also cited, as factors for the plant closing, changes in workforce and…

A jury in West Virginia has convicted a man charged in the killing of his girlfriend's daughter, whose body was found along a road in 2019. Jurors in Morgan County Circuit Court deliberated for more than four hours over two days before reaching the verdict Tuesday in the trial of Andy McCauley Jr. of Berkeley Springs, news outlets reported. McCauley showed no emotion as the verdicts were read finding him guilty of first-degree murder, death of a child by a custodian by child abuse and concealment of a body in the slaying of Riley Crossman. Division of Natural Resources officers…

WBAL reports after a hearing in Tucker County Courthouse in Parsons, West Virginia, this morning, accuser triple murder Jeffrey Allen Burnham, 46, will be sent back to Maryland to face murder charges. Burnham is accused of murdering three people last week, two of them in Howard County. Police said Burnham killed 83-year-old Rebecca Reynolds in Allegany County on Wednesday night, stole her car, drove it to a home on Kerger Drive in Ellicott City and shot and killed his brother and sister-in-law, 58-year-old Brian Robinette and 57-year-old Kelly Sue Robinette. Police took Burnham into custody on Oct. 1 without incident and authorities said they found a…

Governor Larry Hogan today was unanimously nominated to serve as co- chair of the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC). The ARC is a partnership of the federal government and 13 states focused on fostering economic development in the region.  Elected by Appalachia’s 13 governors, the co-chair for the states leads the ARC in partnership with the federal co-chair. Governor Hogan will succeed Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam as the states’ co-chair, and work with federal co-chair Gayle Manchin. The nomination took place during the commission’s meeting this week in St. Paul, VA, where Governor Hogan joined Gov. Northam and Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf….

Governor Larry Hogan today announced that the State of Maryland has surpassed the milestone of administering more than 8 million COVID-19 vaccines.    To date, Maryland has reported 8,007,738 vaccinations, including 119,899 booster doses.  96.5% of Marylanders 65 and older have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. 84.1% of Marylanders 18 and older have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. 83.1% of Marylanders 12 and older have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. State health officials have spent the last several months building the infrastructure for a statewide operation for administering booster shots, and Maryland became…

On Monday, October 4th, 2021 the Cumberland Police Department served 4 arrest warrants on Timothy Hart Winkler.  The warrants were issued for failing to appear on September 14th, 2021 for burglary charges in Circuit Court and violating the conditions of his probation ordered by District Court back in June, 2015.  He was remanded to the Allegany County Detention held without bond. Timothy Hart Winkler, age; 37, Cumberland, Maryland.

Many people in our community elect to get an annual flu shot, but have concerns on how it may interact with the COVID-19 vaccination. West Virginia Health Officer Dr. Ayne Amjad says both immunizations are safe, and you can get them at the same time, if you choose…

COVID Numbers in West Virginia continue to trend in the right direction, although Governor Jim Justice yesterday had the grim task of paying tribute to over 40 who had died from Coronavirus since Friday. Dr. Clay Marsh said that getting the vaccine would also help in keeping hospitals from getting overrun with COVID cases…