Delegate Mike McKay says there is strong regional support to see MARC commuter-rail service expand to Allegany and Washington counties.  A proposal to study the concept of bringing Maryland Area Regional Commuter rail service to Western Maryland is currently in the hands of the Senate Finance Committee in Annapolis with Senator George Edwards among the primary sponsors of the legislation. The bill would require the state’s Department of Transportation to conduct the study- to  determine the need and potential cost for expanding MARC service to farther west. If expansion were to take place- Mckay says it could lead to good…

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi this week committed to new legislation to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour after the wage hike provision was stripped from Democrats' massive coronavirus relief bill. That effort has the full support of Senator Ben Cardin. The federal minimum wage has not increased in more than a decade, although a growing number of states have voted to adopt their own wage increases. The Maryland Democrat says he believes there is actually broad, bipartisan support for a minimum wage hike…

On Saturday, March 13, 2021, at approx. 3:00 p.m., the Allegany County Sheriff’s Office received information about a possible lost hiker in the Lavale, Haystack mountain area. Deputies responded to the area where a command post was established. While investigating the circumstances, contact was made with the hiker who advised they were lost and in need of assistance, the hiker was able to provide information in regards to a more specific location. Deputies contacted several allied agencies in attempt to locate and rescue the hiker. After a short period of time and with the assistance of Maryland State Police Trooper…

  The National Weather Service in Baltimore MD/Washington has issued a Red Flag Warning for gusty winds and low humidity, which is in effect from 8 AM this morning to 10 PM EDT this evening. The Fire Weather Watch is no longer in effect. * WINDS…Northwest 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 35 mph. * RELATIVE HUMIDITY…15 to 25 percent. * IMPACTS…Critical fire weather conditions are expected to develop today. All outdoor burning is discouraged, as fires could rapidly spread and become uncontrollable. * FUEL MOISTURE…3 to 6 percent for fine fuels. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS… A Red Flag Warning…

On Friday, Cumberland Police responded to an Arch Street residence for the report of a disturbance. Officers had already responded to the same area for the reports of similar complaints. When officers arrived, they could hear a male and female arguing. Contact was made with both parties and the male who was identified as Nathan Allen Herrell who continued to create a disturbance while in officers’ presence. He was warned several times but continued despite the warnings. Harrell was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and failure to obey a lawful order. He was issued criminal citations and released pending trial…

We have a Fire Weather Watch in effect through this evening, meaning conditions are such that if a brush or woods fire starts, it will spread very quickly. We are prior to green up in the woods, so the low humidity…as low as 23 percent according to the National Weather Service…and windy conditions expected today…up to 35 miles an hour…could result in a major fire problem. The Fire Weather Watch is in effect for all of Allegany, Mineral, Hampshire, Hardy, Grant and Bedford Counties. The watch will continue until 10 PM this evening, so it's advisable not to do any…

The Cumberland Mayor and City Council will hold a pair of meetings on Tuesday, with a brief work session at 5:30 and the regular council session slated for 6:15 PM. The work session will include a review of the agenda for the upcoming meeting, along with a discussion of neighborhood revitalization efforts from the Department of Community Development. A relatively light agenda for the City Council Tuesday evening. There will be a single reading of an ordinace which will authorize the city to issue general obligation bonds related to projects needing debt funding in the current budget and to refinance…

Winchester Road was shut down for about a half an hour Saturday night as emergency crews tended to a vehicle fire. The initial call came in at around 9:30 with the vehicle fire reported near the intersection with Vocke Road. The southbound lanes reopened in about 15 minutes, while northbound was declared open at 10 PM.

On Friday, the Cumberland City Police served a Criminal Summons on Michael Scott Guthrie, of Cumberland MD. The summons was in reference to an incident on March 8th, 2021, at a residence in the 700 block of Frederick St. Guthrie was charged with first and 3rd degree burglary as well as theft $25,000 to under $100,000. Guthrie was served the Summons and released, pending trial in District Court. Arrested:  Mark Scott Guthrie         Age:  54   The Cumberland City Police responded to a business in the 200 block of Greene St for the report of a suspicious subject in a vehicle….

The Allegany County Health Department reports that 12,285 Allegany County residents have received at least their first dose of vaccine against COVID-19 (17.4% of the population), with 8,370 of those individuals now fully vaccinated with their second dose (11.9% of the population).  By comparison, the state reported that 18.6% of all Marylanders had received at least their first dose of vaccine, with 10.1% now fully vaccinated.   Allegany County COVID-19 Case Statistics as of March 8:   New COVID Cases:  7 (cumulative total 6,433) Additional Deaths:  1 (cumulative total 201) Cases Per 100,000 Population:  4.02  (Maryland: 13.7) Positivity Rate:  1.71% …