Dozens of nursing home residents had to be retested for the coronavirus after problems were found with their initial tests, WBAL-TV 11 reports. Joe DeMattos, president of the Health Facilities Association of Maryland, said the tests were returning false positives. Nursing homes have been testing patients on a weekly basis since late spring. When facility operators had the results retested, most came back negative, he said. The tests were conducted between Sept. 2 and 8. Those who are being retested got the new tests at no cost. State health officials supplied the University of Maryland School of Medicine lab with 370,000 coronavirus tests…

Maryland added 24,200 jobs in August, fueling a further decline in the state's unemployment rate, according to the latest numbers from the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics.  WBAL reports the unemployment rate stands at 6.9%, more than 18% lower than the national rate of 8.4%. Since the height of the coronavirus outbreak, Maryland has regained 183,200 jobs. Gov. Larry Hogan said in a statement that Maryland benefited from being able to keep more businesses open over the course of the outbreak. "Maryland truly is open for business, and our economy is getting back on track and making a…

On Thursday, September 17th, 2020 the Cumberland Police Department received a report from a female victim that alleged she was choked at her residence on Springdale Street by David John Watson.  Officers made contact with the female who had visible injuries to her neck consistent her statement.  Watson was located at the Springdale Street residence and arrested and charged with 1st and 2nd degree assault.  He was taken before the District Court Commissioner and remanded to the Allegany County Detention Center held without bond.   David John Watson, age; 52, Cumberland, Maryland.

On Thursday, September 17th, 2020 a Cumberland Police officer was on patrol in the area of Bellevue Street when he stopped a vehicle suspected of being involved in a drug transaction.  The driver was identified as Mariana Ann Ilif who did not have a driver’s license. A Cumberland K-9 officer also assisted in the investigation and a search resulted in officers locating a quantity of suspect heroin in Iliff’s clothing.  She was arrested and charged with CDS possession of heroin and taken before the District Court Commissioner for a bond review.  Iliff was released on her own personal recognizance pending…

Under the plan discussed during this month’s meeting of the Allegany County Board of Education, small groups of students will be returning to the classroom for in-person instruction starting this coming Monday.  Chief Academic Officer Dr Kim Kalbaugh presented the system’s return to school plan outlining a five step approach to seeing kids return to school. Phase one of the plan began last week with the virtual, on line start to the school year. Phase two is set to start next week- allowing small groups of special needs children and Career Center students to return to the classrooms.

Frostburg State University's much-anticipated Appalachian Festival is going virtual this year. Now in its 15th year, the event, which began Thursday, runs through Saturday.   All program offerings can be accessed through the festival's website at www.frostburg.edu/events/afestival.  The festival will use its website as a launching-off point for all festival-related programs, presentations, workshops and performances.  In addition, festival artisans will be featured through the event's Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/fsuappalachianfest throughout the week. The three-day event kicked off with the Mountain Traditions Film Festival and continues with the symposium, "African Americans in Appalachia," on Friday from 6 to 9 p.m. and culminates in a full day of…

West Virginia Governor Jim Justice announced this week that the state will use $6 million to help with child care funding for essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the governor, the funding from the CARES Act that provides support to the state’s childcare network was set to run out on September 30.  During a news conference, Justice said the state will use $6 million in CARES Act funding to help keep the fund going through the end of the year.

It appears as though the target date to break ground for the redesign of the Downtown Cumberland Mall has moved once again- with summer of 2021 the latest projection. The $9.5 million project which will be highlighted by a return to vehicular traffic and limited parking for the first time since 1977-  has seen any number of delays and hurdles spring up since reopening talks began in earnest in 2017.  Cumberland Mayor Ray Morriss provided a status report on the project during an appearance on WCBC’s “Dave Norman Show” Wednesday. While there is no guarantee that the project will completely…

The Office of the Maryland Comptroller will soon mail notifications to certain tax filers of unpaid tax liabilities that were due July 15 – the extended deadline from the traditional April 15 tax due date – as well as other late payments on certain business taxes due. This will be a notification process only, not a collections activity. The mailings, which will provide recipients with their current account status, are being sent to taxpayers who have not paid the balances on certain taxes, including individual and corporate income, sales and use, and withholding taxes. Recipients of the tax notices are not…