With stimulus talks seemingly stalled and President Trump sending mixed messages, West Virginia Governor Jim Justice on Monday urged Congress and the White House to stop playing politics and reach an agreement before the election. While aiming much of his criticism at Democrat Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Justice, during his regular COVID-19 briefing, said there is more than enough blame to go around on both sides of the aisle. Meanwhile, he says, the American people are continuing to suffer from the delay…    

Allegany County Tourism invites visitors and community members to celebrate the region’s story during the 2020 Mountain Maryland Photo Contest. Submissions will be collected in four categories that fully capture the spirit of Allegany County: Small Towns, Scenic Landscapes, Outdoor Recreation, and Food and Beverage. Previously scheduled to close on October 31, 2020, the contest has extended its deadline to December 1, 2020.   "Earlier this year, with the mandatory stay-at-home order, many events were canceled and attractions were closed, and we lost some valuable time for people to explore," says Jessica Palumbo, Marketing and Sales Manager for Allegany County…

 A West Virginia woman is awaiting trial on a drunken driving charge after a passenger fell from the vehicle she was operating Sunday on Hutton Road, according to the Garrett County Sheriff's Office.  The unidentified victim was taken to the Garrett Regional Medical Center for treatment of unspecified injuries. Deputies charged Karleigh Saige Smith, 18, of Keyser, with driving under the influence and related charges and cited her for underage possession of alcohol. Three passengers of the vehicle were also cited for underage possession of alcohol.

The Environmental Finance Center at the University of Maryland announced that the City of Frostburg was one of eleven Maryland municipalities honored at the Sustainable Maryland Awards Ceremony at the Maryland Municipal League’s virtual annual Fall Conference last Friday. A detailed summary of Frostburg’s sustainability Actions can be found in their Certification Report, attached as a PDF. Highlights of Frostburg’s recent accomplishments include: Created an Edible Arboretum funded by Program Open Space in 2019, which included all native plants – Blueberry, Serviceberry, Paw Paw, Persimmon, Elderberry, and Sassafras. Installed way-finding signage and bike lockers for Great Allegheny Passage trail users…

Republican incumbent Jim Justice and Democratic challenger Ben Salango will take part in West Virginia's only 2020 gubernatorial debate Tuesday night in Morgantown. The most recent polling shows Justice leading Salango by as much as 19 percentage points among likely Mountain State voters. Justice also leads in fundraising, raising nearly $890,000 for his reelection bid over the past three months, according to campaign finance reports filed last week. Salango, a Kanawha County Commissioner, reported raising nearly $564,000 during the same period. The one-hour debate, sponsored by the West Virginia Broadcasters Association, is scheduled to begin shortly after 7 p.m.  

Republicans in the Maryland Senate elected new leadership over the weekend. The Senate GOP Caucus elected Sen. Bryan Simonaire, of Anne Arundel County, as minority leader. The caucus also elected Sen. Michael Hough as minority whip. Simonaire and Hough succeeded Baltimore and Harford County Sen. J.B. Jennings and Upper Eastern Shore Sen. Steve Hershey. Both held their leadership posts for six years and decided not to run for re-election to their leadership posts. The Maryland General Assembly is controlled by Democrats, who hold a 32-15 advantage in the 47-member state Senate.

On October 12th, 2020, at 140 am, The Cumberland City Police responded to a residence in the first block of Chase St in reference to a breaking and entering complaint. Upon arrival, Officers contacted a female victim. The victim alleged that she was asleep in the home when she was suddenly awakened by a male subject who was actively choking her. The struggle awakened a second subject asleep in an adjacent bedroom of the home who then intervened. The male suspect then stopped assaulting the victim, stole items from the home, and left the scene on foot. The suspect was…

Allegany County Public Schools is bringing first-graders back to the classroom today. They’ll join pre-kindergarteners and kindergarteners, who began school last week, and will attend four days per week, with Fridays being a virtual day. The school system said first-graders should report to their bus stops for normal pick-up and schools would be dismissed daily at 1:30 p.m. Although the governor gave local school systems the go ahead to return students for in person instruction last month- most school boards have been proceeding with caution.  

Maryland Deputy Transportation Secretary Earl Lewis met with Allegany County officials last week to discuss the state’s long range transportation plan and key local projects. The meeting was part of MDOT’s annual tour of 23 Maryland counties and Baltimore City to update local officials.  While there was some lengthy discussion on a number of projects in various stages of completion in the region, one topic not on the agenda was brought to the table by State Senator George Edwards. That centers on the continuation of significant tractor trailer accidents routinely occurring on  Interstate 68…    

The Downtown Development Commission, last week, received another update on the status of the Baltimore Street pedestrian mall renovation- and it appears now that the  best case scenario for a groundbreaking is summer of 2021. The renovations will begin with the underground replacement of utility lines followed by the reinstallation of Baltimore Street through the mall. It will run one way from Mechanic Street to George Street. The project will end with design upgrades to the streetscape, including new parklets. The most recent estimated price tag for the project sits at roughly $9.5 million. Cumberland Economic Development Corp. Executive Director Matt Miller told the DDC…