The Senator George C. Edwards fund announced on Tuesday that they have awarded a grant for over $600,000 for Allegany College of Maryland, Garrett College, and Hagerstown Community College. The funds will go to a nearly $700,000 project designed to bolster the Cyber Workforce Accelerator Program. The Senator George C. Edwards fund is a four-year $50 million grant designed to stimulate economic growth in Washington, Allegany, and Garrett counties. “This cyber range project will help our competitiveness in Western Maryland and will yield return on investment in this fast-growing industry. It is a great partnership between our three community colleges,” says…

Gov. Jim Justice has declared a state emergency for all 55 counties because of drought conditions.  According to the National Weather Service, Eastern Panhandle counties are considered to be under severe drought, the Northern Panhandle, Central West Virginia and the Greenbrier Valley are under moderate drought while the Huntington-Charleston corridor is considered abnormally dry.  

A new restaurant has set its opening date in Lavale.  Checkers and Rally’s will open on National Highway August 13.  Checkers specializes in classic American burgers and fries.

  ***Adult Arrest*** On July 26th, 2024, around 4:50 pm, Officers of the Cumberland Police Department responded to the 800 Block of Lafayette Avenue for the report of a trespassing complaint. Upon arrival, Officers were advised by the complainant that Valerie Lynn Peck was trespassing. Officers made contact with Peck who was ordered to leave the property. Peck refused to leave the property and was subsequently placed under arrest. Peck was served with a Maryland Criminal Complaint Citation and released pending her trial at District Court.   Arrest: Valerie Lynn Peck, age 45, Ridgeley, West Virginia. Charge: Trespassing   ***Adult Arrest***…

More than 45 law enforcement agencies across the state are planning High Visibility Enforcement this weekend, including the Allegany County Sheriff's Office and Frostburg Police Department. Excessive speeding is estimated to be a contributing factor in over one-third of fatal crashes nationwide. To avoid citations and prevent a life-altering crash, Marylanders are reminded to slow down.

In an effort to support West Virginia’s farming community, Gov. Jim Justice has declared a State of Emergency for all 55 counties due to a prolonged shortage of rainfall that has caused dangerous drought conditions. The U.S. Drought Monitor indicates extreme, severe, and moderate drought conditions have impacted the entire state. “This drought has plagued West Virginia farmers, putting them at risk of losing everything,” Gov. Justice said. “We cannot and will not stand by and watch our hardworking farmers suffer from this severe lack of rain. We understand the immense stress and hardship this drought has caused. Right now,…

The Maryland Department of Health is advising consumers not to eat certain deli meats produced by Boar’s Head because of potential contamination with Listeria bacteria. A sample collected by the Department tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes. In collaboration with the Baltimore City Health Department, the Department collected an unopened liverwurst product from a retail store for testing as part of an outbreak investigation of Listeria monocytogenes infections. Further testing is ongoing to determine if the product sample is related to the outbreak. Anyone concerned about an illness should contact a health care provider.  Marylanders should avoid Boar’s Head ready-to-eat liverwurst products produced between June 11 and…

The City of Cumberland has released more details on their upcoming Citizen’s Government Academy, slated to begin September 19. The seven-week class will allow participants an overview of different city departments, facilities tours, and benefits to residents. Classes will meet weekly for approximately two hours at different locations across the city.  The initial class is limited to twenty members over the age of 18. Applications are available on the city government website and deadline to register is August 16.

Last week, Johns Hopkins University received one billion dollars from Bloomberg Philanthropies. Now Virginia philanthropist Jane Batten has donated $100 million dollars to William and Mary College, the most ever in its 331-year history. It'll be used to set up the Batten School of Coastal and Marine Sciences to continue research in the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean. Jane Batten's husband Frank was one of the co-founders of the Weather Channel.

As a democratic governor of a key state, Pennsylvania’s Josh Shapiro is high on the list of contenders as a vice presidential running mate for Kamala Harris.  Shapiro, who won his gubernatorial race last year with the highest number of votes in the state’s history, told reporters he has not officially received a request for vetting from the Harris campaign, but plans to fully back her run for the White House…