From Allegany County Public Schools: Today, January 27, 2025, Mountain Ridge High School was placed in a brief HOLD status due to a medical emergency. First Responders arrived on scene and provided medical service. School administrators gave the “All Clear” and the instructional day resumed as normal.  

On Sunday, January 26th, 2025, the Cumberland Police Department arrested Shayna Cherry Fitzwater, 24, of Cumberland MD. Fitzwater was arrested on an active Parole Retake Warrant issued by the Maryland Parole Commission on January 14th, 2025. The warrant alleges Fitzwater violated the terms and conditions of parole that had been placed upon her that stemmed from a previous conviction on charges of escape and assault. She was taken before a District Court Commissioner for an Initial Appearance where she was remanded to the Allegany County Detention Center. She is currently being held without bond. On Sunday, January 26th, 2025, the…

Justice Warner is this year’s recipient of the WCBC Jim Robey Achievement Scholarship.  Warner is finishing her last semester at Allegany College of Maryland with a two-year degree in Multi Media.  She plans to continue her education at Frostburg State University next fall.  Warner says she will be doing freelance work through the rest of her education designing logos and filming various events in the area…    “Being able to just make something look appealing and fun and exciting is just—I just really like it, and it’s just fun to make things look professional and neat and tidy.”

At the recent Allegany County Commissioner’s meeting, Jason Bennett, County Administrator took time to go over some of the cuts they are seeing to county funding in Governor Moore’s budget for 2026.  Income tax changes could mean reduced revenue collected, reductions to the annual disparity grant by over $800,000 and picking up an additional $750,000 share of teacher pensions are a few items being watched. Bennett and Commission President Dave Caporale discussed the situation…     “(Bennett) So far, early on and like I said the General Assembly could change it, but we’re about a million – nine in cuts…

More than $100 million dollars has been committed to investing in families and children of Maryland to end child poverty.  Governor Wes Moore said the new ENOUGH Alliance would amplify the impact of the ENOUGH Act passed last year designed to provide resources to communities with the highest rates of generational poverty. Governor Moore explained the Alliance is part of the solution to lift Maryland children out of poverty…    “The ENOUGH Alliance is an independent coalition of both philanthropy and private sector organizations. These groups are coming together to invest their own capital and their own private dollars to…

A town hall meeting is set for Tuesday at 5pm in City Hall to hear input on parking issues in downtown Cumberland.  A plan put forth by City Staff was tabled in order to receive public comment.  Melinda Kelleher, Director of the Downtown Development Commission, hopes to see business owners and the public participate… “The people who are directly affected by the decisions that are made which are mainly really the business owners not necessarily the building owners but the business owners, particularly along Baltimore Street but some of the side street people too. That they see this as an…

After going through 11 applications, the Allegany County Commissioners named Linda Widmyer to fill the empty seat on the county school board left after the death of board president Bob Farrell.  Widmyer said she was surprised about the decision, but said she felt she rose to the top of the list with experience and desire…   “I am passionate about kids and parents. I spent a long time advocating for kids and parents when I worked for the board and I know that we have wonderful teachers, tremendous teachers who are teaching our kids – and staff who work with…

The Maryland Health Connection reported record-setting enrollment numbers in 2024. The state-based health insurance marketplace said close to 250,000 people got coverage during their last enrollment period. The number is up 16% compared to last year. Dave Stewart, Program Director at Western Maryland AHEC, said more residents are seeing the value offered in the Maryland insurance plans…     “The last couple of years have been significant both re-enrollments and new enrollments in Maryland Health Connection private insurance. Prices have stayed good the last few years and more and more people are realizing that, hey, I can afford this, and…

A joint investigation between the Office of the State Fire Marshal and the Hagerstown Fire Marshal's Office led to the arrest of a Hagerstown woman after she made several online threats against local churches.  Salamah Bassem Audi, 35, was arrested yesterday after investigators were notified of multiple threats made against Gateway Experience Church in Williamsport, The City of God in Hagerstown, and the church's pastors last week. Investigators described the threatening messages as written in an online blog. During the investigation, Hagerstown fire marshals learned of an additional threat posted on the blog. In the message, the suspect threatened to…

On Saturday, January 25th, 2025, an officer with the Cumberland Police Department observed traffic violation on a Honda passenger car in the area of Virginia Ave. A traffic stop was conducted on the vehicle and the driver, Michael Steven Yetter, 44, of Cumberland MD, was contacted. During the course of the stop, a police K-9 was utilized to conduct a free-air sniff of the exterior of the vehicle which indicated positively to the presence of CDS within. During a subsequent search, Yetter was found to have a quantity of CDS paraphernalia in his possession. At that time, Yetter was placed…