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…

On Saturday, January 25th, 2025, the Cumberland Police Department arrested Johnna Maxine Buckley, 34, of Cumberland MD. Buckley was arrested on an active Bench Warrant issued by the Allegany County District Court on December 16th, 2024. The warrant alleges Buckley violated the terms of probation that had been placed upon her that stemmed from a previous conviction on charges of CDS possession. 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.  Name:    Johnna Maxine Buckley         …

City of Cumberland is making City-owned real estate available for purchase through an auction on GovDeals.com. Two City-owned properties have been posted for live online auction. The properties up for auction include 310 Columbia Street and 26 Industrial Boulevard. The auction ends on January 31, 2025 at 4:00 PM. Information and bidding are available on the City of Cumberland website at: https://www.ci.cumberland.md.us/1809/GovDeals-Properties-for-Sale  Inspections are by appointment only. Contact Kevin Thacker at kevin.thacker@cumberlandmd.gov to request an inspection. These properties have single-family dwellings on the parcels and are classified as rehabilitation projects. Subject to availability, this property is eligible for the City…

West winds 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 60 mph possible in Maryland, Central and Eastern Allegany and Extreme Western Allegany Counties. In West Virginia, Eastern Grant, Eastern Mineral, Eastern Pendleton, Western Grant, Western Mineral, and Western Pendleton Counties from late Monday night through Tuesday morning. Damaging winds could blow down trees and power lines. Widespread power outages are possible. Travel could be difficult, especially for high profile vehicles. Monitor the latest forecasts and warnings for updates.

On Sunday, January 26th, 2025, at approximately 0200 hours, a Cumberland City Police officer on patrol located a damaged utility pole creating a hazard to the roadway in the 600 block of Greene St. Upon inspection of the scene, it was discovered that a vehicle traveling W/B on Greene Street had traveled off the roadway, striking the pole. A large amount of vehicle debris and fluid were located at the scene. The vehicle had then fled the scene without reporting the incident. A short time later, the suspect vehicle, a gray 2020 Nissan Altima, was located in the area of…

On Saturday, January 25th, 2025, the Cumberland Police Department responded to a residence in the 200 block of Knox St for the report of a disturbance. Upon arrival, officers contacted multiple subjects who advised that a male subject was creating a disturbance and harassing subjects inside the residence because he was upset over losing his cigarettes. The male subject was then contacted and advised to cease his disruptive behaviors or he would be placed under arrest. The subject eventually agreed to stop and go to bed for the night. A short time later, police again responded to the residence for…