Stories on social media about violence and bullying at Mountain Ridge High School have prompted a response from county school superintendent Dr. Michael Martirano.  A parent of a student who was assaulted shared that the family would be making a public statement about the incident that occurred three weeks ago. Dr. Martirano’s statement reads, "Student safety is my utmost concern. It's critically important that ACPS students feel safe and secure in our schools at all times. We have expectations in place to ensure a safe environment at our schools. Accountability can be expected for those who do not meet this…

Maryland’s Attorney General Anthony Brown has filed a lawsuit against the US Department of Justice, the General Services Administration and the FBI over the location of a new FBI headquarters. The lawsuit challenges the decision to abandon the decision to locate in Greenbelt and instead move to a building in the District of Columbia. Governor Wes Moore says the President is working against law enforcement…     “And we know he’s trying to shortchange the FBI by killing our plan for a new, modern, cutting-edge headquarters. So, if Donald Trump thinks that we are going to roll over when he…

A large crowd gathered in South Cumberland Saturday for the opening of the new skatepark at the Gene Mason Sports Complex. The $787,000 project was designed by Rampage Skateshop and is a welcome addition to the community for youth looking for safe activities beyond team sports. Ryan Mackey, Director of Parks and Recreation spoke during the opening ceremony, saying that it's the community that drives for improvements and puts Cumberland on the map.     "Parks and Rec has had a lot of interest in the past couple years from our smaller community parks to Constitution Park and the Gene…

High school seniors can now apply for the Allegany County Chamber of Commerce and WCBC Student Salute Scholarship. The application window is open through December 19th.  Applicants will be featured on WCBC outlining their achievements, leadership and community involvement. The first place recipient will receive a $5,000 scholarship to Frostburg State University. Chamber President Juli McCoy says although the scholarship is for FSU, all seniors may apply for the salute program…    “The Student Salute piece is open to anyone and we encourage them to fill out the form so that we can share with our community just how well-rounded…

Governor Patrick Morrisey is on a statewide swing, bringing information about West Virginia’s application for Rural Health Transformation funding. At least $500 million dollars over five years may be available to the state, in addition to other funding for which the state has applied. Morrisey says the funds will assist West Virginians with illness prevention as well as treatment and get more people into the workforce…    “Rural Health Transformation matters because if you can get people healthier, you can see it’s gonna be a lot easier to get them back into the workforce, and think about what that could…

The Allegany County Commissioners discussed the Bel Air water situation at length during their recent work session and decided that they needed to send their own letter requesting a state of emergency from the governor’s office. At their public meeting, Bel Air Citizens Group spokesman Larry Smith thanked the commissioners and added that mid-month signals another increase for residents…     “There will be a 17% increase on top of rates that are already, in these four communities, the highest – literally the highest – rates in the entire country. Out of all 50 states, there’s not a municipality, county,…

Cumberland Mayor Ray Morriss spoke with Governor Wes Moore about the funds needed for Westernport and Lonaconing’s flood recovery, especial now as winter approaches. The mayor stressed to Moore that heating is a big issue – Morriss tells WCBC the governor said he is working on the need for furnaces…    “We talked about the Georges “Crick” and the possibility of using Rainy Day Funds to be able to pay for the damage that happened there. We also talked specifically about the fact that he was working on a plan to get furnaces out to Western Maryland because he definitely…

Counties from states surrounding West Virginia are being approached by State Senator Chris Rose to join the Mountain State.  In a press release, Rose said he has introduced a resolution asking those from Virginia and Maryland to consider joining West Virginia, aiming to strengthen regional ties and promote shared Appalachian values. Rose believes residents have concerns over policies in their current states that may not align with local priorities, such as Second Amendment rights, economic development, and rural representation.

Maryland State Police Aviation Command performed an aerial hoist rescue on an injured person in Allegany County, Maryland on Saturday. At approximately 12:30 p.m. on November 8, rescue personnel from Allegany County were dispatched to Greenridge State Forest for an injured person who fell approximately 15 feet off of a tree stand. Due to the victim’s extended extrication time and the nature of the victim’s injuries, the Maryland State Police Aviation Command was requested to perform an aerial hoist rescue. Trooper 5, the MSP helicopter based in Cumberland, was dispatched to the mission by the SYSCOM Duty Officer. Emergency medical…