A local historical group is planning a fund raising effort later this year to honor August Baker.  In 1907, Baker, a Cumberland police officer, was killed by gunfire while trying to apprehend a drunk and disorderly man from an area that is now known as South Wineow Street. The Cumberland Historic Cemetery Organization has agreed to sponsor a project to erect a large gravemarker in Greenmount Cemetery for Baker and seven family members. Michael Mudge serves as chaplain for the organization and he told the city council the plan is for a dedication ceremony in May of next year…

Comptroller Peter Franchot Wedneday virtually presented the William Donald Schaefer Helping People Award to recipients in Allegany, Garrett and Washington counties. Mindy Wilkinson, owner of She's So Pretty dress shop in Lonaconing received the award for Allegany County. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Mindy made every effort to help the community, turning her dress shop in to a PPE production zone, making thousands of masks and isolation gowns to keep those on the front lines safe from the deadly virus.  Franchot said the final round of 2020 honorees showcase the best and the brightest spirits of their communities- and each embodies the commitment of the late…

Lt. Governor Boyd Rutherford Wednesday announced that Maryland’s Opioid Operational Command Center (OOCC) is distributing nearly $5.5 million through its Competitive Grant Program for Fiscal Year 2022 to fund projects that address the opioid and substance use crisis. The OOCC will support 39 high-impact projects that include: prevention programs in schools, programs providing alternatives to incarceration for justice-involved individuals, harm reduction programming, peer support services, mobile crisis services, and medication-assisted programs for treating opioid-use disorder. One program to receive funding is the Allegany County State’s Attorney’s Office’s “Education or Incarceration'' diversion program, which works to direct individuals in need of…

The Allegany County Health Department will offer walk-in COVID-19 vaccinations on the ground floor of the Willowbrook Office Complex (12501 Willowbrook Road, Cumberland, MD) on Wednesday, July 28 from 9 a.m. to noon.  Both the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccines will be offered for those age 18 and older.   ACHD reports that 40.4% of Allegany County residents are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 compared to 58.1% of all Marylanders.    Allegany County COVID-19 Case Statistics as of July 20:   New COVID Cases:  0 (cumulative total 7,078) Additional Deaths:  0 (cumulative total 212) Cases Per 100,000 Population:  1.42…

Public health officials announced Wednesday that a case of the delta variant of COVID-19 has been confirmed in Mineral County.Officials said in a Facebook post that the case had been identified through routine screening of COVID-19 specimens. The delta variant is believed to be more easily transmissible, though the Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are all thought to be effective against it, officials said in the post. Unvaccinated individuals are at the highest risk for death and serious illness. "The best way to slow the emergence of new variants is to reduce the spread of infection by taking…

Governor Larry Hogan today issued the following statement after the Transportation Planning Board voted by an overwhelming majority to advance the Traffic Relief Plan and Capital Beltway Accord: “This is a great victory for Marylanders sick and tired of being stuck in soul-crushing traffic. “Through one of the largest public-private partnerships in the world, we will deliver a new American Legion Bridge, real traffic relief on the Capital Beltway, more transit services for the region, thousands of jobs, and long-term economic growth and environmental benefits. “This is a win for families, commuters, and small businesses, and it’s a win against…

The Unemployed Workers Union of Baltimore filed an amended complaint Wednesday on behalf of thousands of Marylanders who are still locked out of their accounts or haven’t yet received their unemployment benefits. On Thursday, July 29, the UWU will hold an outdoor “Workers Assembly and Town Hall Meeting” at the War Memorial Plaza” between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. Earlier this month, the union led a successful legal effort to block Gov. Hogan’s order ending extra unemployment payments from the federal government. $300 payments will continue through early September.

The Maryland Department of Health on Wednesday announced there were 244 new COVID-19 cases reported in the state over a one-day period. The last time there were more than 200 new cases reported in 24 hours in Maryland was May 30. Four additional deaths from COVID-19 also were reported, bringing the total for the pandemic to 9,573. The positivity rate remains at a relatively low 1.65%, up 0.12% day to day.

U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen and Congressmen Jamie Raskin and David Trone (D-Md.) on Wednesday announced $1,381,911 in American Rescue Plan funding for fire and emergency rescue departments across Western Maryland. “Despite increased challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic, emergency and first responders across Maryland continued to deliver life-saving care to those who needed it most,” the lawmakers said. “This new federal funding from the American Rescue Plan will ensure our rural fire and rescue teams have adequate funding and supplies to keep serving Western Maryland.” The award comes from the Maryland Emergency Management Agency, through COVID-19 federal…

The Orioles have placed outfielder Anthony Santander and left-hander Keegan Akin on the COVID-19 injured list. Outfielder Ryan McKenna and lefty Alexander Wells have been recalled from Triple-A Norfolk to replace them on the active roster. There’s no indication at this point that either of Santander or Akin has tested positive for COVID-19. Players can land on the IL for feeling symptoms or for viral exposure. The COVID-19 IL does not come with a minimum stint.