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Ocean City Attempting to Enforce Canopy Rules

Officials say members of the Ocean City Beach Patrol (OCBP) continue to educate beachgoers on new tent and canopy restrictions.  Ocean City Emergency Services Director Joe Theobald told members of the Ocean City Police Commission this week that in the three weeks since the Beach Patrol began its awareness campaign, staff have interacted with at least 2,200 individuals and have tagged roughly 600 canopies left unattended on the beach before 10 a.m.

Industrial Boulevard Closure

Authorities report that Industrial Boulevard at Lamont Street is closed due to a vehicular accident.  

CRIMINAL SUMMONS SERVED

On Saturday, July 19, 2025, the Cumberland Police Department served a criminal summons on Sean Cooney.  The summons was issued as the result of an investigation into a motor vehicle accident that occurred on June 24, 2025 at approximately 3:10 PM. Police learned that the owner of one of the involved vehicles allowed the operator to drive his vehicle without insurance.  After further investigation, police filed for charges against Cooney at the District Court of Allegany County. Cooney signed for his copy of the summons and he was released pending trial. ARRESTED:  Sean Edward Cooney      AGE:  41       Cumberland,…

Pittsburgh Hosts Energy and Tech Leaders

The City of Pittsburgh hosted energy and tech leaders from across the country at a summit at the Carnegie Mellon University.  President Donald Trump was there and said that Pennsylvania had benefited greatly from energy and technology investments.  Pennsylvania Republican Senator David McCormick reviewed investments in the state that will create tens of thousands of jobs…     “What’s happening here today is absolutely historic.  Your visit and your leadership has absolutely catalyzed $90 billion dollars of investment and today’s summit begins to deliver on the promise you and I made to the working families of Pennsylvania by creating many…

UPMC Receives Commendation

For the fifth straight year, UPMC Western Maryland has received special recognition for its treatment of heart attack patients. The commendation comes from the American College of Cardiology, according UPMC a Platinum Performance Achievement Award.  UPMC President Michele Martz stated, “Our cardiac program at the UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute is a constant point of pride for our community.”

ACPS New Superintendent Shares Goals at First Meeting

Dr. Michael Martirano attended his first Allegany County Public Schools’ meeting as the board’s new superintendent.  Martirano shared he has hit the ground running in his first two weeks, and that his focus has been filling vacancies in the school system. His biggest goal right now is ensuring that Westernport Elementary will open on day one of the upcoming school year…     “Right now I’m placing all of our efforts to do everything that we can to support the young people, the teachers, the community members who love their school.  It is my goal to continue to work with…

Railroad Ridership Supports Economy

Cumberland’s preserved historic elements serve as the area’s main tourist attraction, and the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad is one of them.  Wes Heinz, director of WMSR, says about 70% of visitors come from areas like Washington, D.C, Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Richmond and Roanoke, Virginia specifically to ride the train…    “Last year we carried about 82,000 people, so, somewhere around 56-60,000 people came from outside the region to ride the train.  There’s an algorithm out there the State Tourism has, so we kind of know that at least half of those people stayed in hotel rooms, AirBnBs, resorts and whatnot. …

Moore Says Trump Bill Hurts Rural Health

According to Maryland Governor Wes Moore, the Trump administration is planning to cut a quarter of a billion dollars from the state’s rural hospitals.  The Governor said with Maryland’s top industry being agriculture, rural supports including healthcare availability is crucial to the state’s growth…    “Does a person have the ability to get not just specialized care but just basic primary care? Do they have a chance to get that without having to travel an hour and a half to go get it? And so there’s a deep level of unfairness that exists in the way that this bill was…

New West Virginia Law Increases Penalties for Child Abuse

A new West Virginia law, in effect this month, increases penalties for people convicted of child abuse including increasing prison time up to ten years for any parent, guardian or caregiver convicted of inflicting bodily harm on a child. The state saw nearly five-thousand confirmed cases of child abuse in 2023, says Jim McKay with the group Prevent Child Abuse West Virginia…   "West Virginia actually has more child abuse reports than any other state. It's about one in seven children are reported to CPS each year, which tells us that a lot of families in West Virginia are under…

Nationwide Vehicle Theft Prevention Month

The Governor’s Highway Safety Program is observing July as Vehicle Theft Prevention Month.  In 2024, nearly 900,000 vehicles were stolen nationwide. Maryland had over 25,000 vehicle thefts.  Summer months have the highest reported occurrences of vehicles being stolen in the United States.  The Governor’s Highway Safety Program reminds vehicle owners to park in well-lit areas, hide valuables, close windows and lock doors, and use anti-theft devices.