Sixth District Congressman David Trone brought Republican Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers, of Washington State, to Cumberland yesterday for a walking tour of downtown, and an hour long discussion of local broadband challenges. WCBC asked McMorris Rodgers about how to make affordable broadband access a reality…

The Allegany County Joint Communications Center has dispatched police, fire and EMS to the area of Mountain Ridge High School in Frostburg for a motorcycle accident. Trooper 5 was alerted and there are two patients. UPDATE:  Aviation unit was canceled enroute.   The two patients were transported via ground units.

The Allegany County Health Department reports six new cases of COVID-19.  The latest positives include a male in his teens, three females in their 20s, a male in his 40s and a male in his 60s.  None of the new cases have required hospitalization.  The cumulative case count for Allegany County now stands at 451.

Delegate Neil Parrott, joined by Delegates Wendell Beitzel, Joe Boteler, Dan Cox, and Warren Miller, asked the Maryland Board of Election Supervisors to follow the laws passed by the Maryland General Assembly regarding ballot canvassing and results tabulation. A copy of the letter is attached to this press release. Allowing ballot canvassing one month before the election could create chaos and allow Maryland’s election to be questioned. Current law allows sufficient time to count and validate all votes, without allowing ballot canvassing one month before the election and should not be changed even with the ongoing pandemic Delegate Parrott indicated…

Members of the West Virginia Senate majority caucus have signed a letter asking West Virginia and Marshall universities to respond more forcefully to recent instances of controversial speech occurring on campus. The letter, signed by state Senator Eric Tarr, R-Putnam, and co-signed by 16 others, takes issue with “Black Lives Matter” stickers appearing on some West Virginia University football players’ helmets.  The letter also refers to recent comments by a Marshall University professor who told students during a virtual lecture that she hopes all of President Trump‘s supporters contract the coronavirus and die before the November election. The professor later was suspended. The text of the letter…

Maryland officials reported 412 new coronavirus cases Monday morning, the same increase as was reported Sunday, with the state experiencing the lowest positivity rate since the tabulation of cases began in March. As of Sunday, Maryland had confirmed 120,568 COVID-19 cases. Four more deaths were reported, bringing the state’s total to 3,739. The state positivity rate went down to 2.75 percent, which is the lowest throughout the span of the pandemic. A total of 2,407,618 have been tested, with 1,417,061 testing negative. Maryland’s positivity rate has been below four percent since Aug 8.

The District of Columbia has added five states, including West Virginia, to its high-risk list of states where the seven-day moving average of daily new COVID-19 cases is ten or more per 100,000 persons. DC's health department also added Delaware, Alaska, Arizona, and Wyoming to the list. That means anyone traveling to the nation's capital from those states, or states already on the list, must self-quarantine for 14 days from the time they arrive in the District. California, Hawaii, and Ohio were removed from the list.  

WCBC News has been notified of the death of longtime Frostburg resident Roy Pepper, 93, the founder of Pepper Inc, a regional distributor of restaurant and custodial equipment. He also was the company’s CEO for several years.  Pepper was a veteran of World War II and began a teaching career after graduating from what was then Frostburg State Teacher’s College.  Viewing will be at Trinity Assembly of God, Midlothian, at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2020, followed by a Christian Celebration of Eternal Life service at 2 p.m. Graveside services will be in Frostburg Memorial Park at 4 p.m. where military honors will be…

On 09/20/2020 at approximately 6:30 PM the Cumberland City Police Department were dispatched to the 100 block of Independence Street for an assault. Upon arrival officers spoke to the victim and learned they were assaulted by Llamar Leon Jones. Officers observed visible injuries on the victim and Mr. Jones was arrested without issue. During a search incident to arrest officers located suspected heroin on Mr. Jones. Mr. Jones was taken before a District Court Commissioner and remanded to the Allegany County Detention Center without bond.   Arrested – Llamar Leon Jones (25) Cumberland, MD Charges – Assault 2nd Degree, CDS…

A Cumberland Times News article Friday reported that, despite a state order, Allegany County Board of Education members Robert Farrell and David Bohn have not complied with COVID-19 prevention face mask requirements. Although the board meetings have been closed to the public since March, the sessions are available on social media, and during this month’s meeting both Bohn and Farrell were clearly not wearing face coverings. A source tells WCBC News board member Ed Root also was also maskless at the session although he did not appear on camera. Both Farrell and Bohn joined WCBC’s “Dave Norman Show” to discuss the…