Heritage Days returns to Cumberland this weekend with activities and entertainment planned throughout the city center. Canceled last year due to COVID-19 concerns, the annual street festival will take place Saturday and Sunday and feature food and crafts vendors, rides and games for the kids, live music and reenactors, including George Washington. The event, free and open to families and children, takes place on the downtown pedestrian mall and Washington Street. It will be the first Heritage Days festival for Downtown Development Commission executive director Melinda Kelleher and she says there will be something for everyone…

The Maryland Department of Health Thursday announced an update on the top 10 and bottom 10 skilled nursing facilities in the state ranked by percentage of staff with at least one dose of a vaccine against COVID-19 and highly contagious variants. Among the facilities with the best rates in the state: Allegany Health and Nursing Rehabilitation in Cumberland; and Moran Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Westernport- both with 92% rate. Among the worst in the state: Cumberland Health Care Center at 50% followed closely by Sterling Care at Frostburg Village at 52%. Governor Larry Hogan says it is alarming to…

DelFest organizers have canceled this year’s festival which was scheduled to take place at Allegany County Fairgrounds September 23 – 26. The next DelFest will now take place next year over Memorial Day Weekend, May 26 -29, 2022. The decision was due to a local labor shortage caused by a surge in COVID-19 cases driven by the Delta variant that has left the festival’s event services company unable to field a team for DelFest. A letter released on the DelFest Facebook page made note of the high COVID infection rates and low vaccination rates in Allegany County as a contributing…

There will be two separate  9/11 Commemoration Ceremonies Saturday in downtown Cumberland and WCBC will be providing live coverage. First up is a ceremony at the Public Safety Building at 8:30.  Heritage day’s stage in front of the Washington Street Library at 9:45 a second ceremony will be held featuring Jonathan Dayton, from the volunteer fire and rescue association of Garrett and Allegany… Invocation by Jim Kasekamp, Chaplin for Cumberland Fire Department; recognition of the moment the South Tower collapsed with the ringing of Cumberland’s church bells, a 21 gun salute and playing of taps. Looking back at the morning of September 11th 2001- on WCBC Radio-…

As a result of surging COVID-19 cases, DelFest 2021 has been canceled. The following is the letter to festival supporters and ticket holders from Rob and Ronnie McCoury: This is a tough letter to write. After having to postpone DelFest twice, working through Covid protocols with the state and local government, law-enforcement, community leaders, etc. and then putting the strictest protocols in place to ensure the safest possible event for our patrons, their families, and our staff from all over the country, we find that our industry’s version of “Long COVID” has struck again.    For a number of reasons, we…

The Maryland Department of Health Thursday announced an update on the top 10 and bottom 10 skilled nursing facilities in the state ranked by percentage of staff with at least one dose of a vaccine against COVID-19 and highly contagious variants. Among the facilities with the best rates in the state: Allegany Health and Nursing Rehabilitation in Cumberland; and Moran Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Westernport- both with 92% rate. Among the worst in the state: Cumberland Health Care Center at 50% followed closely by Sterling Care at Frostburg Village at 52%. Per new vaccination protocols that went into effect…

According to the Office of the Mineral County Prosecuting Attorney, indictments returned by the Mineral County grand jury Tuesday included charges against 16 Mineral County residents, four from Allegany County, two from Hardy County, one from Hampshire County and a resident of Kanawha County. Those indicted were: • Christopher Leo Smith II, Fort Ashby, driving impaired causing death and related offenses. • William Wallace Whisner, Ridgeley, 16 counts of sexual abuse in the first degree and 20 counts sexual abuse by parent, guardian or custodian. • Oscar Leonel Morales-Gaitan, Fort Ashby, sexual abuse in the first-degree, sexual abuse by parent,…

Allegany County Emergency Services reports a fully involved tractor trailer fire, Interstate 68 West in the Rocky Gap area. 

On September 8th, 2021 officers of the Cumberland Police Department responded to the 200 block of Henderson Avenue for a motor vehicle crash. Officers observed one of the operators, Ryan Scot Shafer, to exhibit signs of impairment. Standardized field sobriety tests were conducted, and officers observed further signs of impairment. Shafer was placed under arrest for driving under the influence, and during a search of Shafer’s person officers located items of paraphernalia. Shafer was then issued a Criminal Citation for paraphernalia and traffic citations for driving under the influence, and was released awaiting his trial at District Court. Arrest: Ryan…

Real-time studies among UPMC covid-19 patients show that monoclonal antibody treatments “significantly decrease” hospitalization and death. During a Wednesday morning press conference-  experts said they’re studying whether such treatments are effective against more contagious variants, like the fast-spreading delta variant.  Much of the event consisted of calls for those who have chosen not to get vaccinated- to do so as soon as possible in order to save lives and stop the spread. Dr Rachel Sackrowitz, is the chief medical officer, UPMC ICU Service Center… Dr. John Williams, chief of pediatric infectious diseases, UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh said that parents…