Until Lee Fiedler became Mayor of Cumberland in the year 2000, the city’s trash collection was handled internally rather than through a contractor. Rates for collection were included in property taxes. Former council member Harvey May would like to see a return to that – he addressed the city council, saying the trash rates are unfair…     “It hurts the senior citizens more than anybody else, and we have a lot of them here in Cumberland because everybody’s paying the same trash fee. And what’s happening – the senior citizens that are here, they’re subsidizing everybody else’s garbage.” Mayor…

US Senator Chris Van Hollen spoke at a vigil in front of the US Capitol with caregivers, healthcare advocates, and beneficiaries about proposed cuts to federal Medicaid spending. Over $880 billion dollars in cuts is being suggested over the next decade that would affect over 71 million Americans. Van Hollen said such deep cuts would harm 1.2 million Marylanders…    “We can all talk about the budget numbers, but at the end of the day the question is what does this mean for real people? We got the Congressional Budget Office report yesterday, which told us loud and clear what…

Rail Fest is making a return to Western Maryland this fall. The Western Maryland Scenic Railroad is planning the event, occurring for the first time in over a decade. Rail Fest will be held during the annual Heritage Days festival September 13th and 14th.    TJ Abe, Operations Manager at the railroad, said they are still in the planning stages, but partners in rail preservation and CSX will have a presence. Abe says the event celebrates the history of railroading in Cumberland…    “It’s just to really celebrate, you know, that history that we do have there. I think it will…

Maryland House Republicans have repeated their call for Governor Moore to remove Juvenile Services Secretary Vincent Schiraldi. A recent audit of the Department of Juvenile Services found criminal background checks were not conducted on contractors along with contract issues, vendors, and overtime.  Delegate Jesse Pippy told Fox 45 news that the Governor’s office needs to deal with Schiraldi… “At some point this is going to be Governor Moore’s problem. Right now, it appears that there is a secretary who’s gone rogue who believes they can hire convicted murderers, having them work at the agency. We’ve now found that there’s an…

On Saturday, May 10, 2025, Officers of the Cumberland Police Department responded to the area of the Downtown Mall for the report of a male occupying the newly installed outdoor restrooms. Upon Officer's arrival, they discovered a male, who was later identified as Kendall Lowers, had closed himself inside the restroom with his personal belongings and camping equipment. Lowers was arrested and searched. During this search, controlled dangerous substance paraphernalia was located. While in custody, Officers learned Lowers had a criminal summons for burglary. Lowers was issued criminal citations, served with his summons, and released pending his trial at the Allegany District…

On Friday, May 9, 2025, Officers of the Cumberland Police Department were on patrol in the area of Maryland Avenue when they observed a vehicle make an unsafe lane change. An investigation discovered that the vehicle was not registered,  insured, and the operator, Dylan Miles, did not possess a valid license.  During the stop, it was confirmed that Miles had a fugitive warrant for failing to appear in court in Pennsylvania. Miles was placed under arrest and transported to the Allegany County Detention Center. He was held without bond pending extradition to Pennsylvania.  ARRESTED: Dylan Tyding Miles      AGE: 32       …

On Friday, May 9, 2025, Officers of the Cumberland Police Department were patrolling the area of Queen City Drive when they observed a male trespassing on the railroad tracks. The Officer stopped the male, who was identified as Matthew Nazelrod. Nazelrod was placed under arrest. While affecting the first arrest, the Officer then observed a second male, Larry Dailey, who was also trespassing on the railroad tracks. Dailey was stopped and placed under arrest. Both subjects were transported to Police Headquarters, where they were issued criminal citations and released pending their trials at the Allegany District Court. ARRESTED:  Matthew Everett…

The annual Bikes for the World collection will be held on May 17 at Canal Place from 10 am until noon. Repairable bikes and portable sewing machines are collected and shipped overseas to developing countries or programs for at-risk youth in the U.S. Bikes for the World officials suggest those donating bikes and sewing machines also donate $10 to help defray shipping costs. The Western Maryland Wheelmen and the Cumberland Rotary support the project, but since it costs about $20 to ship one bike overseas, contributing cash or a check can send a bike to where it will have an…

A wonderful sound once again in our community as Western Maryland steam engine 1309 returns to excursion service. The locomotive had been sidelined during 2024 season for work on its pistons and cylinders. Guess aboard the train Friday night we're entertained by Ken Nolan a guitarist from Surrender Dorothy, a local in the community who not only perform some great music but also provided some interesting stories along the way and a bit of comedy…     Music in the song " from the golden microphone of ERB – to  103.1 – WCBC – Those radio waves coming down from…