On Thursday, March 20, 2025, the Cumberland Police Department served a bench warrant on Nicholas D’Atri.  The warrant was issued as the result of D’Atri failing to appear in court on an original charge of Knowingly Driving Uninsured Vehicle.  D’Atri was arrested and transported to Central Booking.  He was later seen by a District Court Commissioner and released on his personal recognizance. ARRESTED:  Nicholas Joseph D’Atri       AGE:  34           Cumberland, MD BENCH WARRANTS SERVED On Thursday, March 20, 2025, the Cumberland Police Department served three bench warrants on Kayden Brewington.  The warrants were issued as…

On Thursday, March 20, 2025, the Cumberland Police Department served a criminal summons on Ryan Roach.  The summons was issued in connection with a burglary investigation that began on March 14, 2025 in the 100 block of Arch Street.  Police were called to the residence at approximately 2:31 PM and contacted the alleged victim who reported that someone had entered her garage without her permission.  A suspect was developed and identified as Ryan Roach.  After further investigation, police filed for charges against Roach at the District Court of Allegany County.  Roach signed for his copy of the summons and he…

The Allegany County Commissioners met to go over options for an increasingly difficult FY26 budget season.  With pushbacks from the state sitting at just under $6 million, options on cost cutting and revenue increasing were discussed.  A decision on whether to raise property tax rates by six cents per $100,000 of value along with an income tax increase were discussed, as well as deep cuts to staff and services.  It was clear Commissioner Creade Brodie wants to protect citizens…     “Right now we’ve got departments that don’t care if the three of us swing from the same rope as…

The Maryland House passed the Second Look Act that would review the jail terms of those incarcerated for more than 20 years, depending on their age at the time of sentencing.  That bill has now passed over to the Senate where it will have a hearing in the Judicial Proceedings Committee.  However, committee member Senator Mike McKay thinks such bills will probably take a back seat to more important issues…     “Is this a priority for the 2025 session? I tend to believe it’s not, and that budgetary issues and energy are the top priority.”

The once thought-as-dead Business Services Tax has come back, this time on a much narrower scale.  Maryland’s new proposed tax delivers revenues on data and IT services at half the rate, 3%, of the current rate on goods. Senate President Bill Ferguson said the tax focuses on the growing role of digital in society and its use to replace workers.  House Minority Leader Jason Buckel said it’s a solution that will damage the economy and drive business elsewhere…     “I just think it’s a bad idea. I think it’s a bad idea because at the end of the day,…

On Thursday, March 20, 2025 at approximately 7:48 PM, an officer of the Cumberland Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle on W. Industrial Blvd. at S. Wineow Street.  A police K-9 alerted to the odor of drugs in the vehicle.  A search was conducted and a passenger, Sarah Dersin, was found to be in possession of suspected methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.  Dersin initially provided officers with a false identity and was later found to have an active bench warrant.  The warrant had been issued as the result of Dersin failing to appear in court on original charges…

A public hearing occurred during Thursday night’s Allegany County Commissioner meeting regarding additional funding for renovating the Archway Station Recovery Housing Project.  $900,000 was awarded through the Community Development Block Grant funds for purchasing and renovating the building; however, the expense was significantly higher than expected.  The County requested an amendment to the grant agreement with the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, according to Community Development Representative David Nedved… “The Allegany County Commissioners proposed to request an amendment to the grant agreement with the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development for additional funding from the Maryland Recovery…

The issue of local cuts in the Allegany County Library System was taken to the County Commissioners meeting last night.  Trish Morgan, president of a new nonprofit group Save the Westernport Library said the library system is considering closing two to three libraries—including the Westernport Library—as a solution to a budget shortfall the library system has been aware of for several years… “Yet the executive director—whose salary is $125,000 a year—has admitted that he and his leadership team have not done any grant writing or fund raising for this eventual shortfall.”

Conservation groups in West Virginia are sounding the alarm over layoffs of federal land-management workers.  Some 5,000 US Forest Service and National Park Service employees have been fired nationwide. Olivia Miller with the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy says such cutbacks will impact the state’s outdoor recreation economy…    “Public lands have an enormous economic impact in our state, bringing in around $9 billion annually and supporting about 91,000 jobs. Many communities are built around outdoor recreation and tourism.”

Former Governor Bob Ehrlich joined members of the Maryland Freedom Caucus on Lawyer’s Mall in Annapolis for what was termed a Tax Revolt Rally. The Caucus opposes tax increases being proposed in the General Assembly on Marylanders. The state currently ranks 46 of 50 in tax competitiveness.  Ehrlich said that “Maryland” is becoming a word with negative connotations…     “Maryland is now a verb in Virginia. And I’m not kidding. The Republicans in Virginia are warning their constituents ‘we do not want to Maryland our Virginia.’ When you become a verb in politics, you’ve got a problem.”