5:25 PM UPDATE – 911 reports that the fire is now out. The Joint Communications Center of Allegany County has dispatched units to Walmart in LaVale for what it calls a fully involved vehicle fire. The call came in around 5:00 PM, according to 911.

The Cumberland Times News reports Garrett County reported its first COVID-19 related death on Thursday, an individual living in a nursing home in another Maryland county. Health officials said the death is counted in Garrett because the person was formerly a county resident. Garrett was the last county in the state to report a death related to the new coronavirus. “We are sad to announce the county’s first COVID-19 related death,” said Garrett County Health Officer Bob Stephens. “The person who passed away was diagnosed early in the event. While COVID-19 was not the primary cause of death, it was a factor that…

Allegany County Emergency Services reports a fire at the Good News Assembly of God Church at 525 National Highway in LaVale. No injuries reported and the fire is now under control.

Governor Larry Hogan announced Thursday that Maryland has signed a deal with Becton Dickinson to secure 250,000 advanced rapid antigen tests for the coronavirus. Maryland will be the first to receive the BD Veritor tests, with nine other states to follow as part of an interstate testing compact. The Rockefeller Foundation supported Maryland's purchase. "This is the latest state of the art technology in rapid testing which will help to slow the spread of COVID-19 and help our states to speed up economic recovery," Hogan said in a news conference at BD Integrated Diagnostic Solutions in Sparks. The tests, which…

The Maryland Department of Health (MDH) today announced the Maryland Partnership for Prevention (MPP) as its community partner in an enhanced statewide initiative to promote and facilitate childhood and flu vaccination activities throughout the fall. The effort will also support COVID-19 vaccination activity, in preparation for when a vaccine becomes available.   “It has never been more important to take care of our health and our families by protecting ourselves against preventable disease,” said MDH Secretary Robert R. Neall. “We’re committed to investing in the outreach and logistics necessary to help ensure more Marylanders get vaccinated safely, swiftly and effectively.”…

The University System of Maryland Board of Regents appointed the provost of the University of Maryland, Baltimore to serve as its next president. Dr. Bruce Jarrell, who led the department of surgery from 1997 to 2012 before he rose within the university's ranks, will assume his new role on Sept. 11. He was named provost in 2017 and had served as interim president since Jan. 6, when President Jay A. Perman became the university system's chancellor. "The Board of Regents is extremely pleased that Dr. Jarrell has accepted the appointment to be president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore," Board…

The Cumberland Times News reports that during Wednesday’s Keyser City Council meeting, Mayor Damon Tillman announced that Councilman William Zacot was being removed from the council on the advice of the city’s attorney. A letter received from Mineral County Prosecuting Attorney F. Cody Pancake that Tillman read during the meeting Wednesday rebutted comments Tillman made to the Cumberland Times-News in an August article regarding Zacot’s status on the council. In the article, Tillman said that at the time, he “spoke with attorneys, I spoke with the prosecuting attorney, I spoke with the judge, the city attorney and I have no authority…

A longtime political, community and business leader has passed away. Ed Mason, who served 12 years in the Maryland General Assembly as a Republican State Senator representing District One in Allegany and Garrett counties passed away Wednesday at the age of 90. Although representing one of the smaller districts in the state- Mason rose to the position of Senate Minority Leader- a position he held from 1975 through 1982. An Air Force veteran, Mason owned and operated the popular Mason’s Barn and Inn at Folcks Mill restaurants in Cumberland, and played an active role in local republican politics beginning in…

Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot announced Wednesday the state general fund took in $18.6 billion during the 2020 fiscal year, slightly less than what was projected by the Board of Revenue Estimates. The total is 2.4% more than the previous fiscal year and 0.5% short of the projection issued in March. The state ended the fiscal year on June 30 with an unassigned balance of $585.8 million, or less than 1.2% of the total operating budget. The figures reflect strong revenues from wage growth even as average wages came in lower than expected due to job losses suffered due to the coronavirus. Sales…

Maryland Governor Larry Hogan on three different occiasions in recent weeks has included Allegany County’s public school system as among those who failed to submit a school reopening plan to the state prior to the August deadline. That claim has become a point of contention for the local board- which once again is pushing back. During this week’s meeting where details of the latest school reopening plan were announced- school board president Tammy Fraley emphasized once again that the board did submit a plan in early August and that has since been confirmed by the state superintendent…   One sticking…