On Tuesday March 23, 2021 just before 8:00 PM deputies of the Allegany County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop in the area of Rt. 36 in Westernport. A positive K9 scan by Sheriff’s Office K9 Suma lead to a search of the vehicle in which over 6 grams of suspected methamphetamine was located. 26 year old Brandi Michelle Morris of Barton and 25 year old Marquis Montel Harris of Keyser, WV. were both arrested and charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute CDS, Possession not Marijuana and Possession of CDS Paraphernalia. Both were detained at the Allegany County Detention…

Nicholas Amick of Allegany High School was selected as the 2021-2022 Allegany County Teacher of the Year with the Board of Education hosting the 33rd Annual celebration. In total, seven ACPS educators were honored for their dedication and commitment to student success.  Amick obtained his Bachelor’s Degree from Frostburg State University in 2015, where he received Departmental Honors in Education; he is currently completing his Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership. He teaches at Allegany High School and serves as advisor of the Student Government and is also the JV Mock Trial coach…

Renderings for the redesigned Baltimore Street mall were debuted to the public Tuesday morning during a virtual event that  featured  both live and pre-taped portions and was streamed on the city website, as well as on the newly-launched website for the city center. The event featured color drawings, prepared by William Cochran Studios of Frederick, depicting  the mall after renovations  are complete. The mall will be excavated to replace the below-ground utility lines and add new fiber optics. Once that stage is complete, Baltimore Street will be reinstalled and a new streetscape will be constructed. Cochran says that now is the…

Governor Larry Hogan announced Tuesday Maryland will double its number of state-run mass vaccination sites and make some tweaks to eligibility for Phase 2B of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, set to begin March 30. The Western Maryland site at the Hagerstown Prime Outlets is expected to open Thursday.  Hogan said officials are "fully prepared for an increased supply from the federal government" and, in light of that expected jump in allotments, Phase 2B will include all Marylanders with disabilities who are 16 and older. On Tuesday, Maryland entered Phase 2A. In addition to everyone eligible under Phase 1, Marylanders 60…

Just before Christmas numerous local officials participated in a groundbreaking ceremony at the future Cumberland Gateway commercial development- but more than three months later very little dirt has been moved at the site. Commonly referred to as the Rolling Mill project- the planned plaza is located off Interstate 68 between Maryland Avenue and Park Street and it is expected to feature a hotel, restaurants, shops and a convenience store once completed. Kline Scott Visco Commercial Real Estate has been working with the Cumberland Economic Development Corporation and the city on the project which covers 3.5-acres and originally had 69 properties….

The Allegany County Board of Education voted unanimously Tuesday to begin the process that will lead to all students returning to the classrooms, full time, five days a week. The return to schools will be done somewhat incrementally with students who have been in the A/B every other day schedule set to return- together-  beginning this coming Monday, March 29th. Students who have opted out, may choose to opt back in,  but face a March 31st deadline to do so. Those students would be permitted to return to school April 12th.  Friday April 16th would be asynchronous with students doing…

WBAL reports Gov. Larry Hogan announced Tuesday that state labor officials have begun accepting claims for federal unemployment benefits extended by the latest coronavirus relief bill. There will be no gap in eligibility or payment for claimants of Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, Pandemic Unemployment Emergency Compensation, Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation and Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation. “While our state is making great strides in its recovery from the economic impacts of COVID-19, unemployment insurance benefits still remain a critical lifeline for many struggling Marylanders,” Hogan said in a statement. “As a result of Maryland’s fast programming and implementation of the newly extended…

Governor Larry Hogan announced Tuesday Maryland will double its number of state-run mass vaccination sites and make some tweaks to eligibility for Phase 2B of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, set to begin March 30. The Western Maryland site at the Hagerstown Prime Outlets is expected to open Thursday.  Hogan said officials are "fully prepared for an increased supply from the federal government" and, in light of that expected jump in allotments, Phase 2B will include all Marylanders with disabilities who are 16 and older. On Tuesday, Maryland entered Phase 2A. In addition to everyone eligible under Phase 1, Marylanders 60…

Morgantown’s popular High Street now has a high-end boutique hotel open for visitors. Gov. Justice today announced the grand reopening of Hotel Morgan, a historic lodging property that has been reimagined after more than $15 million in new investment.  “What a wonderful day for the city of Morgantown and the state of West Virginia,” Gov. Justice said. “Today, we celebrated the transformation of one of West Virginia’s most historic lodging properties into an outstanding hotel and conference center. Without a doubt, Morgantown is on a roll. Every time I visit this area, there is new development left and right. I’m…

U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen and Congressmen Steny Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, Kweisi Mfume, Anthony Brown, Jamie Raskin, and David Trone released the following statement after a virtual meeting held on Monday by the Congressional delegation with U.S. Postal Service (USPS) officials about the major mail delivery problems affecting Maryland communities throughout the state. The Congressional delegation requested the meeting to shed light on the lost mail and costly delays that have harmed Marylanders, especially seniors, small businesses, state and local governments, and rural communities that rely on the USPS for timely, daily deliveries. The delegation…