Governor Wes Moore was a guest speaker at the 115th convention of the NAACP in Las Vegas this week. Coming on the heels of the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, Moore addressed the civil rights group and called for national healing and unity, focusing on the power of the ballot box to make changes without violence…  

With the most recent proposal from Allegany County to the EMS union being voted down, it has sent county officials scrambling to what County Administrator Jason Bennett referred to as “Plan B,” another path to closing the two million dollar budget gap the county is facing.  For EMS personnel, Union President Steve Corioni says they are not interested in making negotiations difficult, but want county management to do better at controlling issues…  

Maryland’s 35th location of Checkers and Rally’s burger and fries restaurants is set to open in LaVale in August. Currently, August 13 is the tentative go-date for the restaurant, located along National Highway in the former location of Rita’s Italian Ice. Local resident Dharmesh Kotak will own and operate the new restaurant who, along with others, own and operate locations of brands including Dunkin’ Donuts, Sonic Drive-In, and Baskin Robbins. The new restaurant will feature a single-lane drive-thru, patio and indoor seating.

Lottery players in Western Maryland were big winners on July 15, as Maryland’s in-state jackpot game, Multi-Match, delivered a $560,000 jackpot to a player in Cumberland, and a Powerball ticket sold in Hagerstown won a $50,000 prize. The Multi-Match ticket, which matched the six winning numbers (3, 14, 29, 30, 32 and 35) was sold at the Sheetz store located on Bedford Road in Cumberland. The winner can choose between an estimated annuity of $560,000 paid in 25 annual installments, or an estimated $310,000 cash option. The Allegany County retailer will receive a $1,000 bonus for selling the lucky ticket.

Final details around the inaugural offering of a local government academy were worked on at Tuesday’s Mayor and City Council work session.  The idea came about based on the popularity of a similar citizen’s academy offered by the Allegany County Sheriff’s Department.  Twenty places will be available in the class that will go behind the scenes of city operations including public works, engineering, and economic development.  City Administrator Jeff Silka says more public information will be available in the next two weeks on social media and the city website…  

Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) announced the inclusion in key Senate Committee legislation of $456,161,000 for military installations across Maryland. These federal dollars, included at the Senators’ request, are within the Senate Appropriations Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Subcommittee’s proposed funding legislation for fiscal year 2025. This subcommittee legislation, released as part of the annual Congressional Appropriations process and approved by the full Senate Appropriations Committee Thursday, will proceed to consideration before the full Senate. Funding is not finalized until the Appropriations bills are…

For the fourth consecutive year, UPMC Western Maryland has received the American College of Cardiology MI Registry Platinum Performance award.  Dr. Christopher Haas, Medical Director for the Heart and Vascular Institute, described the platinum status as the highest achievable and is unique to the Maryland hospital…   While UPMC Western Maryland is the only hospital in the state to receive the award, the UPMC health system overall received recognition…  

The West Virginia Child Advocacy Center has awarded over $2 million to 22 projects addressing child abuse and neglect. Burlington United Methodist Family Services received over $100,000 for services to victims of child abuse in Hampshire and Mineral Counties.  The Children’s Home society of West Virginia with a location in Romney received over $108,000 for onsite-services including mental health and case coordination.

The Allegany County Department of Emergency Services is reporting several brush fires along Interstate 68, National Highway, and Vocke Road areas.  Please use caution when driving through and be aware of emergency vehicles in the area.

The past few years have seen a dramatic reduction in blight within the city limits as old and dilapidated properties have been torn down, creating open lots.  Mayor Ray Morriss said that with the city’s population less than half of its mid-20th century peak, vacant lots are becoming economic and housing opportunities…