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…

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. …

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…

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…

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.

The American Red Cross is asking donors to give blood to keep the blood supply strong this summer. Donations tend to drop off during the summer months, but are still critically needed.  Hospital supplies are in the most need of type O blood, according to Jason Keeling with the Red Cross, especially in the face of summer challenges that can quickly cause blood and platelet reserves to drop…     “All blood types are important, but type O blood products are more diverse because they can be used across blood types.  So, any blood type is appreciated, but if you…

Maryland State Police are investigating the death of an inmate at the North Branch Correctional Institution in Allegany County. The inmate is identified as Elias Alvarado, 30. Alvarado was declared deceased on July 18 by emergency medical service personnel. A suspect, also an inmate, has been identified, but has not been charged at this time and is not being identified pending further investigation. On Friday, July 18, the Maryland State Police Homicide Unit was contacted by investigators about an inmate death. The preliminary investigation indicates Alvarado was standing in a hallway on the tier he lived on with another inmate…

Maryland Governor Wes Moore on Tuesday announced the launch of Maryland Benefits One Application, a new mobile-friendly tool that will help eligible Marylanders apply for benefits. The application will make it easier to apply for Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Women, Infants, Children (WIC) programming, and energy assistance in a single application from a computer or smartphone. The new streamlined application is available through Maryland Benefits, formerly known as MD THINK. For more information, visit https://benefits.maryland.gov/home   

Emergency personnel have responded to Ali Ghan Rd @ US 220.  There is a 2 vehicle accident reported with a rollover andentrapment. 

The City of Cumberland is starting to work on its Comprehensive Plan. This plan will guide public policy on a broad range of topics. A public meeting will be held on Monday, July 28th, 2025 with Woodvalley Strategies to meet with residents in the City Hall Council Chambers. Please see the attached document for more details.