Allegany County is close to completing the appeal process regarding FEMA’s denial of flood relief funds, according to County Administrator Jason Bennett.  During Thursday night’s County Commissioner meeting, Bennett said the County has been assisted by the state, with the help of the Maryland Department of Emergency Management, through the appeal process and the final submission should occur soon… “That appeal, we believe, will be submitted next week.  We do know, so far, FEMA has validated more expenses for us to count toward our total.  We were at $15.8 million, we’re gonna be well in excess of that now.  So, hopefully that…

Mike Graney, Secretary for Economic Development in West Virginia, says the state’s pro-business climate makes it affordable, provides a prime location, strong workforce and quality of life. He wants to see a focus on economic development and growth in aviation and aerospace, advanced manufacturing and small business to position the state to thrive in the next ten years. “Aviation and aerospace – big, big deal. You know, I think the average vehicle has about 40,000 parts. The average aircraft has 400,000 parts, and so we might not be able to assemble planes here because we don’t have big enough space,…

It’s been a long time coming, but the town of Lonaconing will once again have a staffed 24-hour ambulance service. When the all-volunteer Georges Creek service stopped running due to lack of volunteers, Allegany County agreed to take over the service. That has involved some major work at the ambulance station, but Lonaconing Mayor Jack Coburn says the need for the local service is real… “We’ll have a 24-hour service which is very important because who knows better about Route 36 is like in the dead of winter on a cold night. It takes time for those ambulance services to…

The River Park at Canal Place project could be completed by 2028. But to maintain the momentum, support at every level is needed for grants and federal funding to make the project a reality.  At the recent Canal Place board meeting, new chairperson Colleen Peterson told those in attendance that everyone needs to contact those holding purse strings for funding… “We need our federal congressional delegation, we need our Western Maryland delegation, our mayor and city council, we need our county commissioners and I would suggest that we need letters of support from all of those entities, particularly directed right…

The City of Frostburg has announced a ribbon cutting ceremony Friday morning.  Pinnacle Strategies is opening its new office at 17 West Main Street.  Pinnacle Strategies is a leading consulting firm in the tri-state area and was founded in 2021 by Brandon Butler. 

According to Pennsylvania State Police, two troopers were shot along Route 171, five miles north of the borough of Thompson in Susquehanna County.  The troopers have been hospitalized for treatment of their injuries.  No word has been released on the suspect in the case.

Part of a CSX train jumped the tracks in Preston County Thursday morning.  The derailment was reported near Terra Alta.  Thirteen cars derailed and there were no injuries.

The Canal Place Preservation and Development Authority that administers the Passages of the Western Potomac Heritage Area (PWPHA) is currently accepting applications for FY26 Mini Grant projects.  Mini Grants of up to $5,000 are awarded to non-profit organizations and local jurisdictions for non-capital grants in the Heritage Area boundary.  A one to one match is required, either in cash or in-kind contributions.   All in kind contributions must be documented.  All applicants are encouraged to contact the Marketing & Media Director Kim Folk to discuss projects before beginning an application.  Grants will be awarded on a first come first serve basis…

During Tuesday night’s Cumberland Mayor and City Council meeting, revisions to the permitting process for parades and special events in downtown were tabled. The public expressed concerns on whether the update would hinder freedom of speech, but Mayor Ray Morriss says the only change being made is to add the Downtown Development Commission in making event decisions.  With the area being a special taxing district, the City wants the businesses to have a say… “Like with the parade on Memorial Day, we looked at it and we said first we want the DDC—which this is the special taxing district—for them to…

On Wednesday, August 6, 2025, the Cumberland Police Department served two bench warrants and a criminal summons on Michael Chamberlain.  The warrants were issued as the result of Chamberlain violating probation on original charges of False Statement to Officer and Electronic Comm Harass.  The summons was issued as the result of an incident that occurred on July 31, 2025 at approximately 12:06 PM when officers responded to a business on Queen City Drive for a theft.  Police contacted the staff who reported that Chamberlain had shoplifted.  After further investigation, police filed for charges against Chamberlain at the District Court of…