Gov. Justice Appoints Darren Thorne to the Fifteenth Senatorial District
Gov. Jim Justice announced today he has appointed Darren Thorne to the Fifteenth Senatorial District seat to fill the vacancy created by Charles Trump, who resigned earlier this month to be sworn in as a newly-elected state Supreme Court justice. This seat covers all of Hampshire and Morgan Counties and parts of Berkeley and Mineral Counties.
Rose’s Plaza Destruction of Property Arrest
On Friday, December 20th, 2024, at 130am, the Cumberland Police Department responded to Rose’s Plaza on Queen City Drive for the report of a destruction of property. Upon arrival, officers contacted employees of the business who advised they were cleaning the business in preparation of closing. They advised that a male subject approached the building and began pounding on the windows and yelling to let him in. When the employees refused to open the doors, the male subject broke a window. Officers were able to locate the subject, Kevin Paul Bailey, 37, of Cumberland MD, and place him under arrest…
Senate Passes Chesapeake National Recreation Act
The Chesapeake National Recreation Act passed the U.S. Senate unanimously on Wednesday, a bill introduced in 2023 by Maryland’s Senator Chris Van Hollen and Congressman John Sarbanes. The Act will increase federal resources for conservation, celebrate the Chesapeake’s history, and support economic growth in the region. Van Hollen says the CRNA unites a number of Chesapeake Bay properties for future preservation… “The Chesapeake National Recreation Act would unite voluntarily contributed sites and iconic Chesapeake Bay properties under the operation of the National Park Service in what we call a string of pearls.”
Law Enforcement Operation Nets 13 Arrests
On 12/19/24 Officers with the Cumberland Police Department, Allegany County Sherriff’s Office, and the Maryland State Police Cumberland Barrack participated in a joint operation attempting to apprehend individuals with open arrest warrants within Allegany County. The operation was worked in conjunction with the Allegany/Mineral County Crime Solvers. As a result of the operation the following individuals were taken into custody on active arrest warrants: Meredith Margaret Lynn Grimm, 24yoa, of Cumberland, 2 bench warrants for violation of probation on original charges of Assault and CDS Possession Daniel Monrose Jr, 39yoa, of Cumberland, Violation of Probation on an original charge of…
Columbia Ave Vehicle Theft Arrest
On Thursday, December 19th, 2024, officers with the Cumberland Police Department were flagged down by a subject in the 600 block of Columbia Ave. The subject advised they had located their 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt which they had reported stolen on December 17th, from their residence in the 400 block of Oldtown Rd. Officers confirmed that the vehicle was stolen and began to investigate the matter. Officers contacted a witness who advised they had seen a female subject park the vehicle. The witness advised the female stated the car was out of gas and she was going to return shortly. At…
County Commissioners Hear Concerns Over Ambulance Service
The Allegany County Commissioners heard Thursday from several area residents about the lack of ambulance service in the Georges Creek area. The service ended earlier this year due to lack of volunteers and the county recently agreed to take over. Residents questioned the county’s delay in restoring service. Speakers included the Administrator for the Town of Midland, Craig Alexander, which also relies on the ambulance… “It’s only a matter of time where a name and a face will be able to be put to the delay in treatment because the ambulance is not housed in Lonaconing. But at some…
AFSCME Hold Press Conference on Understaffing
A press conference held at the entrance to North Branch Correctional Institution on McMullen Highway Thursday drew attention to safety and critical staffing shortages at state facilities. AFSCME, the union representing over 20,000 state employees has crossed the state calling attention to issues endangering workers. Patrick Moran, President of AFSCME Maryland Council 3, says it is not easy to get a true account of work injuries in the unsafe facilities… “You can’t have an accurate assessment of that because unless someone goes to the hospital, it’s often not counted as an injury, right? If people just say okay,…
Edwards Fund Awards Support Funding for Downtown Property
The Senator George C. Edwards Fund has awarded one million dollars in support of the redevelopment of 71 Baltimore Street in downtown Cumberland. Kristin and Fred Timbrook, who have already made substantial investment in the building, are spearheading the effort. The Edwards funding is part of an $11.9 million project to convert the building into a multi-use property. Edwards Fund Director Jake Shade shared with WCBC details on the project. “They will be consolidating some of their management of their regional dealerships so 30 to 40 jobs will be moving to downtown Cumberland as well as a restaurant on the…
City Sees Cost Saving on Downtown Project
Over $12 million in federal and state funding helped to revitalize downtown Cumberland. City government also had to pay a portion of those construction costs. Mayor Ray Morriss talked to WCBC this week, saying what the city estimated they would be paying toward the project ended up higher than needed, giving them a bit of a savings… “We did overestimate what we thought the city’s cost would be. As you know, we financed $3.5 million dollars for the city’s portion of it. The rest of it was coming in through federal and state grants, and so the city’s portion…