Among a crowded, mostly maskless bus that traveled from the local area to Washington D.C. this past weekend to a Donald Trump rally, were apparently a number of UPMC Western Maryland health care professionals. In response to the critcisms that have exploded on social media, UPMC has issued the following statement: UPMC Western Maryland is aware of this incident and we want to ensure the community we are taking this situation very seriously and handling it in a thorough and responsible manner to ensure that our staff and patients are protected from any potential COVID-19 exposure. UPMC is committed to…

Comptroller Peter Franchot urges Maryland taxpayers who are collecting unemployment insurance to plan for the potential loss of Earned Income Tax Credits (EITC) that they would normally receive. Unemployment insurance is taxable, but not included in the calculation for earned income tax credits, which could result in a forfeiture of the credits and potentially a higher tax liability. This could apply to both federal and state taxes.    For some taxpayers, the enhanced unemployment insurance benefits contained in the federal stimulus package may have provided more income than they normally earn. Although taxpayers can reduce their tax obligation by having taxes…

WBAL reports a Frederick man was indicted late Wednesday for allegedly threatening President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, federal prosecutors said Thursday. James Dale Reed, 42, was arrested on related state charges on Oct. 16 and remains held without bond. A federal warrant has been lodged against him as a detainer. A federal criminal complaint on the same charge was filed against Reed on Oct. 21. “We take these types of threats extremely seriously.  The right to vote and peacefully support the candidate of your choice are bedrocks of our democracy,” U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur said in a statement. …

University of Maryland announced Saturday's football game against Michigan State has been canceled after head football coach Michael Locksley tested positive for the coronavirus. WBAL reports following Big Ten Conference protocols, all football student-athletes and football staff will continue to undergo daily antigen testing. According to the news release, Maryland Athletics conducted additional daily PCR testing starting on Nov. 12. "Over the past seven days, 15 student-athletes have tested positive for COVID-19, resulting in a Big Ten test positivity rate of 2.8%. There were seven positive cases among staff over that same time period, resulting in a population positivity rate of…

Well over a thousand residents have taken advantage of free testing at the Allegany County Fairgrounds in recent days. Once you make it through the line of cars, which can be long depending on the time of day and demand, you are greeting by a staff member which will take your information. The staff member will gather your information visually, as you display your information through the driver's side window.  Information such as your phone number is given by cracking open your window slightly. After giving your information, you will pull your car forward to the staff members who will…

According to a representative with the commercial real estate firm Ten-X, the Country Club Mall was sold Wednesday, but the buyer has not yet been identified. The Cumberland Times News was the first to report the transaction late Wednesday afternoon. The mall, excluding the property occupied by Walmart, has been placed in escrow following the acceptance of a successful bid from an undisclosed buyer. According to Ten-X, the identity of the buyer and the amount of the sale will not be disclosed until the sale closes and the information is entered into public land records. Ten-X posted a notice in early October…

Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot not in the holiday mood as he blasted the Trump administration, Congress and the state for failing to come through for families struggling financially during this pandemic. Speaking during Wednesday's regular meeting of the Board of Public Works, Franchot said President Trump's inability to adequately address the Coronavirus outbreak is one of the largest scale failures in American history. He said Congress has dropped the ball for letting partisan politics put a halt to a second stimulus bill, and he said the state of Maryland is sitting on a huge budget surplus that should be distributed to…

Following Governor Larry Hogan’s announcement of newer COVID-19 restrictions, WBAL spoke with Bob Atlas, President and CEO of the Hospital Association of Maryland about the mandates and the current state of hospitals. Wednesday made it more than two weeks since daily coronavirus cases increased by 1,000 or more. It also marked more than 1,000 hospitalizations, the first time since June 7. Atlas said he doesn’t know all of the specific data per hospital, but spikes in Baltimore and in Allegany County are two locations that could soon be experiencing issues. A statement released by UPMC Western Maryland said that the local health system is…

This past Saturday, a local group of Donald Trump supporters chartered a bus to travel to Washington for the “Million MAGA March”event- and while the trip went off without a hitch- pictures from the bus posted on social media caused a firestorm of debate and controversy. One picture taken inside the bus from the front showed most seats filled and very few if any masks or face coverings. Many of the comments posted on the page blasted those on the bus as being irresponsible for failing to follow COVID safety protocols- still others identified some of the individuals in the…

Calling rumors that he is planning to shut down the state “hog wash,” Governor Jim Justice Wednesday said he is asking West Virginians to do just one thing to protect themselves from the coronavirus – wear their masks. During his regular COVID update, the governor again addressed talk on social media that he is planning on more mandates, violating constitutional rights and considering even more drastic steps.