Work is finally beginning on the new location of Rural King at the Country Club Mall in LaVale. Rural King announced it was going to locate in the area in June of 2023 and will be taking over space where JC Penney was located. The retail chain has over 130 stores, has been in business since 1960, and provides food, feed, seed and other farm and home products. No opening date has been announced.
Kohl’s department stores has announced that over 20 stores are set to be closed by the end of April. The corporation said that the stores set for closure are underperforming and it is taking difficult but necessary actions to support the health and future of its business. Kohl’s LaVale store is not listed to be closed. The nearest store location set for closing is in Herndon, Virginia.
Allegany County Administrator Jason Bennett joins the Dave Norman show on WCBC Thursday just before 9am to talk about the urgent budget situation facing the county. With mandates from the state increasing local costs by millions, county officials are looking at a possible combination of ways to overcome a deficit. Many smaller counties are finding themselves suddenly in the red following state pushback for costs of teacher pensions, the department of taxation, and deep cuts to disparity grants.
The Cumberland Police Department is seeking the public’s assistance with a destruction of property incident. On Tuesday, March 25, 2025 at approximately 4:11 PM, the Cumberland Police Department responded to the 300 block of Grand Avenue for vehicles that had been damaged overnight. Police learned that the suspect had damaged tires on at least 3 vehicles. Anyone with information in regards to this case is urged to contact the Cumberland Police Department at 301-777-1600. Callers can remain anonymous.
The National Weather Service in has issued a Red Flag Warning for very dry and gusty northwest winds, which is in effect from 11 AM this morning to 7 PM this evening. The Fire Weather Watch is no longer in effect. Northwest 15 to 20 mph with gusts up to 40 mph and relative humidity as low as 18 to 22 percent. Any fire that develops will catch and spread quickly. Outdoor burning is not recommended. A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now, or will shortly. A combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and…
Cumberland Economic Development has announced aerospace firm SPARC Research will be locating in the Rosenbaum Building in Downtown Cumberland. SPARC works in solid rocket and air-breathing propulsion technologies. A $100,000 grant from the Senator George Edwards Fund helped create an incentive package. SPARC Research President Matt Cornwell spoke with WCBC about the opportunity… “The idea behind the grant and the intent is to help being high-paying jobs to the Cumberland market, and we are fortunate to have this relationship and expect it to continue through different phases and our relationship with the CEDC to grow over time.” CEDC…
On Tuesday, the Maryland House of Delegates went over almost 200 budget amendments, including a $25 million dollar cut in Program Open Space funds from rural legacy programs, land preservation and state open space funding. After debate on the cuts, Democratic Delegate Ben Barnes said such actions are needed now… “We don’t like this cut. We don’t want to take this cut. But sometimes you have to govern. Every now and then, you have to govern. And taking hard cuts and taking hard revenue is what governing looks like.”
Governor Patrick Morrisey has signed legislation banning certain harmful food dyes from use as an ingredient in school lunches and in food items throughout West Virginia. The ban takes effect in January 2028, but items to be banned because of the dyes include M&Ms, Mountain Dew, and most chewing gums. Morrisey says banning these ingredients is to ensure the health of West Virginia’s kids… “I’m very strongly in favor of protecting our kids and making sure they can eat healthy foods. I’ve had a number of meetings where I’m learning more about that to make sure I can…
Human remains found off of Independence Street earlier this month have been positively identified as those of Ray Lawrence Aleshire. Aleshire had been reported missing in March of 2023. A citizen using a metal detector in woods behind Independence Street discovered what appeared to be human bones. Cumberland Police and crime scene technicians conducted a thorough search of the area and also found a backpack and documents bearing Aleshire’s name. The cause of death was unable to be determined.
On the eve of the Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore, the National Transportation Safety Board is recommending safety checks for bridges across the country including the Golden Gate in San Francisco, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, and the Brooklyn Bridge. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy says if Maryland’s Transportation Authority had done a vulnerability assessment of the Key Bridge, they would have known the risk and could have taken action to safeguard it… “Not only did MDTA fail to conduct a vulnerability assessment on the Key Bridge, they did not provide nor were they able to provide the NTSB with the…
