The statewide gas average in Maryland rose at least four cents this week, as the national average increased by six cents. Rising crude prices, tightening gas supplies, and increased gas demand have contributed to drivers seeing higher prices at the pump. According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), total domestic gas stocks decreased and gasoline demand increased last week. If these trends continue alongside higher crude prices, drivers can expect incremental price increases — of at least nickel — at gas stations in March. The national gas average has not hit $3 since October 31, 2014. The next…

Effective March 8, all Garrett County government buildings will reopen to the public. Face coverings are required and social distancing must be maintained. Appointments are encouraged. The March 16 public meeting will be limited to 15 people in the room who will be admitted 10 minutes prior to the starting time. Comments not made in person will be accepted via gccomments@garrettcounty. org and will be addressed at the next public meeting. Meetings will continue to be livestreamed at facebook. com/GarrettCountyGovernment.  

A large number of Allegany County government employees have been subject to identify fraud related to unemployment claims, and the state’s Labor Department has been notified. During the regular business meeting of the County Commissioners, administrator Jason Bennett read a letter into the record that has been sent to Secretary Tiffany Robinson alerting the office to the problem…   On top of the false claims being made, affected employees are having no success in getting help from Labor Department personnel…  

West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice may be changing his mind about recreational use of marijuana. During Tuesday’s virtual town hall about Justice's plan to eliminate the state's personal income tax, he was asked about legalizing recreational marijuana for its potential impact on the budget. Justice has consistently said legalization could cause even more problems on top of the state's opioid epidemic. However, he admits that his position is softening…

With bids soon to be sought for the $9.7 million Baltimore Street Access Project, Mayor Ray Morriss said that the city is focused on making sure any affected businesses and well as the general public have the all of the facts moving forward. The downtown project involves reinstalling Baltimore Street through the pedestrian mall after replacing aging underground utility lines. A new streetscape will also be constructed, including parklets, trees and a variety of flowers and shrubs. With the project now several years old in terms of planning, the mayor says it is important for everyone to know what to expect…

Maryland officials Thursday announced what they called the first COVID-19 vaccine equity operations plan of any state to ensure vaccines are distributed equitably in the state. During a news conference, Gov. Larry Hogan and Maryland National Guard Brigadier General Janeen Birckhead said the vaccine equity task force will serve vulnerable and underserved communities by partnering with community groups and others to increase access to the vaccine. Communities will be able to submit proposals requesting vaccination sites. Birckhead said opening a community site will take less time than a large-scale mass vaccination site. Maryland will also work with FEMA on the Eastern Shore and…

Maryland will commemorate the one-year anniversary of the state’s first confirmed cases of COVID-19, on Friday, March 5, Gov. Larry Hogan announced. The governor will declare Friday a day of remembrance in honor of the more than 7,700 Marylanders who have lost their lives during the pandemic. A twilight ceremony will be held at the State House Friday evening, and in coordination with local leaders, buildings across the state will be lit up amber. "One year ago at this time, we could not have fathomed the toll that the pandemic would take on each and every one of us," Hogan said. "On Friday,…

Ben Roethlisberger is returning for an 18th season with the Pittsburgh Steelers and is taking a pay cut to do it. The team and the two-time Super Bowl winner announced on Thursday they have agreed on a new contract that assures the 39-year-old will be back in 2021. Financial details were not immediately available, though the Steelers made no secret of the need for Roethlisberger to take a pay cut to ease some of the burden of his NFL-high $41.25-million salary-cap hit scheduled for 2021. NFL Network, citing anonymous sources, said Roethlisberger's new deal will essentially pay him $14 million…

New unemployment insurance claims in Maryland remained essentially flat last week, according to the state's Department of Labor. The total number of new claims continues to hover around 12,000, week-to-week. There were 80 claims in Allegany County, 50 in Garrett County and 157 in Washington County. The US Labor Department said the number of Americans filing first-time unemployment claims was up last week, indicating that layoffs remain high despite signs of an improving economy. Roughly 745,000 people filed for jobless aid in the week ended February 27, up 9,000 from the previous week.