On Tuesday, December 3, 2024 at approximately 1:32 PM, officers of the Cumberland Police Department responded to the 100 block of Pennsylvania Avenue for a suspicious male in a truck using a controlled dangerous substance.  Officers contacted the male and identified him as Jeremy Crosten.  Investigation into the complaint revealed that Crosten was in possession of suspected cocaine and drug paraphernalia.  Crosten was placed under arrest and transported to Central Booking.  He was later seen by a District Court Commissioner and released on his personal recognizance. ARRESTED:  Jeremy Wayne Crosten                   AGE:  45                       Cumberland, MD CHARGES:  CDS: Possess-Not Cannabis, CDS: Possess Paraphernalia  

The Cumberland Mayor and City Council discussed Baltimore Street parking during yesterday evening’s Open Work Session.  The parking spots along Baltimore Street have been free to park in since its grand opening.  However, since there are no restrictions, they are not as readily available for all patrons.  City Administrator Jeff Silka presented a plan to the Mayor and City Council to make each place a premium spot to ensure they are not monopolized… “There are 20 spaces on Baltimore Street that currently right now are not zoned or not monitored.  We’re going to put those under ParkMobile.  And we did have…

West Virginia’s revenue collections surpassed $400.4 million dollars in November, exceeding estimates by $18.8 million. Consumer sales tax collections and corporate net income tax collections also exceeded estimates for the month. Governor Jim Justice said the state continues to perform well and urged residents to support state leadership…     “We’re proving that even with all the tax cuts we have, West Virginia continues to grow. It was tough, it was tough digging ourselves out of a massive hole, but we’ve done it and absolutely we’ve produced surplus after surplus after surplus.”

The Allegany County Sheriff's Office will be hosting its 3rd Citizen's Police Academy to familiarize citizens with the operations of the sheriff's office. It allows citizens a firsthand look behind the scenes at the Sheriff's Office to meet Deputies, see how operations are handled, and provides a better way to understand the variety of roles the Sheriff’s Office plays within the community. Sessions will be held on Wednesdays from 6 pm to 9 pm beginning March 5th through May 7th.  Applications are available at the Sheriff’s Office or on the Allegany County Government website.

A fatal car crash on Interstate 81 North near exit 6 took the lives of two men on Saturday, but a mystery currently surrounds their identity.  Omar Ortega was traveling Northbound on the highway with two other occupants when he lost control of the vehicle, causing it to go into the median, rolling over and ejecting two passengers.  Both were pronounced dead at the scene. The Berkeley County Sheriff has not released the names of the two as both had United States and Mexico identification cards, but with different names.  It is believed they may not be legal residents.

A new report shows Maryland leads the nation in reducing greenhouse gas emissions since 2005. Environmental Protection Agency reports show greenhouse gas pollution fell in 44 states and Washington, D.C., with Maryland seeing a 36% reduction. Emissions fell in all sectors tracked except commercial.  Emily Scarr with the Maryland Public Interest Research Group says the reduction level shows that local policy matters.     “It’s really evidence that states and regions have a lot of control on their greenhouse gas emissions showing ways that we can continue to reduce emissions, as well as showing warning signs of things that states…

Maryland and West Virginia both recognize this week as Older Driver Safety Awareness Week, encouraging older drivers to access resources to help them continue driving safely. Pam Fischer of the Governor’s Highway Safety Program said age brings changes drivers should take note of that could make them vulnerable…     “Mobility is so important to stay engaged and active. But we know that there are physical and cognitive changes that come with aging that’s also coupled with medical conditions and increased medication use that will put older road users at particular risk.” Fischer said aging could result in reduction of…

The City of Cumberland is making City-owned real estate available for purchase through an auction on GovDeals.com. Two City-owned property have been posted for live online auction. The properties up for auction include 921 Lexington Avenue and 424 Cumberland Street.  The auction is view only starting on December 2, 2024 and ends on December 13, 2024 at 10:59AM. The auction begins on December 13, 2024 at 11:00AM and will end on December 20, 2024 at 7:00PM. Please note that 921 Lexington Avenue is a duplex unit and only the left side is available for sale and 424 Cumberland Street is…

The Maryland Retailers Alliance reports that retailers kicked off the holiday season with the second largest turnout in the Thanksgiving shopping period, which is a good indicator of spending for the season. Nationally, 197 million consumers shopped over the five-day period monitored by the National Retail Federation (NRF).  Factors cited for the improved shopping numbers include increased consumer confidence, early shopping trends, and the emphasis on shopping local.  Retailers expect strong sales in electronics, toys, apparel, and home goods. Gift cards also remain a top choice for many Maryland shoppers, with a 10% increase in gift card purchases anticipated this year.

The Associated Press reports that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Washington Commanders controlling owner Josh Harris met with congressional lawmakers Monday on Capitol Hill as efforts push forward to secure access to the RFK Stadium site in the District of Columbia. Two people with knowledge of the situation confirmed Goodell and Harris held a series of meetings concerning the RFK Stadium proposal, among other topics. The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Tuesday because their appearance on Capitol Hill was not publicized. According to one of the people, the ongoing security issue of drones on game days was also discussed in…