The big news this week out of West Virginia is the announcement by Virgin of a plan to place a development center for Hyperloop technology in our region, running from near Mount Storm into Tucker County.  WCBC asked Governor Jim Justice about the pursuit of the firm, and the reaction of Virgin when West Virginia put on the full court press… Click here to view WCBC's question at Friday's media briefing…

On Saturday, Cumberland Police Department responded to a Queen City Drive business for the report of a male following patrons in the store and acting suspiciously. The caller was able to provide a description of the male. When officers arrived, contact was made with a male matching the given description that was identified as Michael Anthony Butler Jr. Butler was made aware of the complaint and began causing a disturbance in the store. He was instructed that he needed to leave the store and not to return or he may be arrested. Later on, officers received another complaint that Butler…

The West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) has posted the October 10, 2020, Saturday Education Map that determines which counties will hold in-person and blended instruction and directs the level of extracurricular activities permitted. The map is developed with information from the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) and vetted by the COVID-19 Data Review Panel. The weekly updates are posted at https://wvde.us/reentrymetrics. County plans should be reviewed for additional requirements. Red (Substantial Community Transmission): Counties must move to remote learning. No extracurricular competitions or practices are permitted. Staff may report to their schools, as determined by the…

On Friday, October 9th, 2020 the Cumberland Police Department served a District Court bench warrant on Michael Gage Butler.  The warrant was issued when Butler failed to appear for trial on September 25th, 2020 for malicious destruction or property charges.  He was taken before the District Court Commissioner and was released on his own personal recognizance pending trial.   Michael Gage Butler, age; 25, Cumberland, Maryland.     On Friday, October 9th, 2020 the Cumberland Police Department served a District Court bench warrant on Charles Vernon George II.  The warrant was issued when George failed to appear for trial on…

WTOP reports the vice chairman of the Maryland State Board of Elections spoke out this week about any potential efforts to influence or intimidate voters ahead of the Nov. 3 general election. President Donald Trump has consistently talked about voter fraud, and at the debate last week, urged people to go to polling centers to monitor proceedings and “watch very carefully.” That led Board of Elections vice chair Patrick “PJ” Hogan to speak about any attempts to do something like that in Maryland, which he said toward the end of Thursday’s board meeting, has “a tradition of efficient, accurate, secure elections.”   Citing…

In the new weekly report from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gas demand grew, but is below last year’s rate in early October. Lower demand, even as total domestic stocks decreased, has helped pump prices to mostly hold steady this week nationwide. Pump prices will likely decline as demand drops due to fewer road trips taken in the fall.   The gas price average in Maryland today is $2.26, up four cents from last week, down respectively a penny in the last month and 22 cents from this date last year.   Today’s national gas price average is $2.18, down respectively…

Although some municipalities were waiting on direction from the Governor, trick-or-treating in West Virginia is being left up to each individual community. Mineral County Health Department administrator A.Jay Root told the News Tribune Thursday that he had been in contact with Gov. Jim Justice’s office and they had “indicated that local communities should make their own decision related to trick-or-treating and other Halloween-related activities, using the guidance issued by the CDC for holiday celebrations.“  The Keyser City Council had said during their Sept. 23 meeting that they would await a decision from the Governor. Other Mineral County municipalities, however, including…

Garrett County Public Schools on Friday said a person within the system has tested positive for COVID-19. The Cumberland Times News reports that it's the first case within the school system, though a news release from GCPS didn't identify whether the individual was a student or staff member, or the location involved. The individual is out of the building and quarantining, according to the release. "Through collaboration with the Garrett County Health Department and contact tracing, it has been determined that no close contact of any student or staff member has occurred in this case," read the release. The school system said…

Gov. Jim Justice announced Friday that bars around West Virginia University in Morgantown can reopen next Tuesday, a month after images of maskless college students packing bars led them to be shut down. Police and state alcohol regulators will step up enforcement in the college town, Justice said at a coronavirus press briefing. The Republican governor abruptly ordered Monongalia County bars to close indefinitely on Sept. 2 — just two days after allowing them to reopen — as many patrons lined up without social distancing.