Cumberland Economic Development Corporation representatives say they hope that renderings of the redesigned downtown mall will actually look like those projections, upon completion, and will generate enthusiasm among stakeholders and the general public. The Baltimore Street Redevelopment Project, as it is known, will see the mall open to one-way vehicular traffic; a bike lane will be created; aging underground utilities will be replaced and several other beautification efforts will be completed. CEDC executive director Matt Miller told the Downtown Development Commission that, up until now, the public has only heard talk about the redesign. An actual visual of the completed $9.5 million project, he says,…

In April of this year, the Allegany County Board of Education, in the midst of the first wave of the Coronavirus pandemic, suspended its search for a permanent superintendent. Ultimately, the board took action to extend interim Superintendent Jeff Blank’s tenure for another year. While the county is now dealing with a COVID-19 surge with some of the highest numbers in the state, the board is prepared to renew its search come January. Board president Tammy Fraley…

Maryland Governor Larry Hogan on Tuesday announced a drastic snapback to occupancy restrictions and other rules to blunt skyrocketing coronavirus metrics, and Allegany County was again singled out as being a contributor to the recent surge. The new orders are effective 5 p.m. Friday. All bars, restaurants and similar facilities must close by 10 p.m. Occupancy at other establishments, including stores, houses of worship and gyms will be capped at 50%. Spectators no longer will be allowed at stadiums or racetracks. Maryland on Tuesday recorded a 6.85% positivity rate, the state's eighth-straight above 5%. Case rates are elevated across the state. The Maryland Department…

During a Tuesday media conference that outlined additional measures designed to slow the spread of COVID-19, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan raised some eyebrows when he singled out our area as one that was running short of hospital resources. "We are very concerned that hospitals in Western Maryland, for example, are already at their capacity level, and 19 hospitals across the state are above 90% capacity." Last week, WCBC's Bryan Gowans covered a UPMC news conference, during which medical officials said the system was ready for any increased demand for COVID care.    UPMC issued the following statement in response to Governor…

The count has been completed and the Maryland State Board of Elections has posted the results of the 2020 General Election. As reported on Election Night on WCBC, Crystal Bender, Tammy Fraley and David Bohn gained election to the Allegany County Board  of Education… Eugene Frazier and Laurie Marchini were elected to four year terms on Cumberland City Council…

Govennor Larry Hogan on Tuesday announced a number of new restrictions to address the COVID spike The new orders are effective 5 p.m. Friday. All bars, restaurants and similar facilities must close by 10 p.m. Occupancy at other establishments, including stores, houses of worship and gyms will be capped at 50%. Spectators will no longer be allowed at stadiums or racetracks. The Maryland Department of Health on Tuesday issued emergency orders restricting visits at hospitals and nursing homes. Hospital visits will be restricted to compassionate care, parents of minors, obstetrics and disability support. Hospitalizations, according to the Governor have already reached…

Congressman David Trone (MD-06) and a coalition of stakeholders from Maryland and Pennsylvania announced $6 million in funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation for preliminary engineering work on the Pennsylvania portion of U.S. Route 219, signaling a commitment to beginning construction on the 11-mile corridor connecting Maryland and Pennsylvania within the next 10 years. Approximately 8 miles of the corridor has yet to be constructed.   The project will connect U.S. Route 219 to I-68 in Maryland and the Pennsylvania Turnpike. The project is also part of the Appalachian Development Highway System (ADHS), a system of highways that connects…

Frostburg State University on Tuesday reported 73 new COVID-19 cases out of 528 tests conducted between Nov. 1 and Nov. 14, for a positivity rate of 13.83%. A press release issued indicates that of the 457 tests that were administered by the university, 34 were positive, for a 7.44% positivity rate. The 528 total tests included the university-administered and self-reported test results. From the 71 self-reported tests uploaded to the university's portal, 39 were positive and 32 were negative. The university administered another round of surveillance testing the week of Nov. 1. It currently has three people in isolation or…

COVID-19 related hospitalizations in Maryland are now the highest they've been since mid-summer, with over 2,000 new cases being reported and more than 1,000 people now receiving hospital care. Another 26 Marylanders have died from coronavirus complications, according to Tuesday's update from the state health department. The statewide positivity rate went up again, now at 6.85% As of Tuesday morning, Maryland has experienced two straight weeks of at least 1,000 new cases over a  24-hour period.

An abrupt spike in COVID-19 cases now has one in three inmates positive inside a prison dedicated to caring for many of Pennsylvania's frailest offenders. The Tribune Democrat reports that following a decline that brought the case count to 40 late last week, the number of positives has surged to 285 inmates over the past several days, the Department of Corrections' COVID-19 dashboard showed Tuesday. Another 23 employees at the prison are also positive. Department of Corrections staff were contacted for comment Tuesday and indicated they were working to provide more details about the virus outbreak. The prison's population –…