U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen (both D-Md.) joined Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin and Senator Tammy Duckworth (both D-Ill.) this week in sending a letter to President Biden urging him to employ his authority under the Antiquities Act to create a national monument in honor of Julius Rosenwald.  Son of German Jewish immigrants, Julius Rosenwald made Sears, Roebuck and Company the retail powerhouse of the 20th century, but he used his wealth to fund his philanthropic efforts.  During the Jim Crow era, Rosenwald partnered with Booker T. Washington and nearly 5,000 Black communities in the South to build schools across 15 states for children without educational opportunities. …

The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection's (WVDEP) Division of Air Quality is issuing an Air Quality Advisory for fine particulate matter for the Eastern Panhandle region of West Virginia until midnight EDT tonight due to regional wildfires. The advisory is for Jefferson, Berkeley, Morgan, Hampshire, Mineral, Hardy, Grant, Pendleton counties. Air Quality Index (AQI) scores may be in the 51-100 range. Air quality is acceptable; However, there may be a risk for some people, particularly those who are unusually sensitive to air pollution.   Sensitive groups include children, people suffering from asthma, heart disease or other lung diseases, and the…

The annual Dans Mountain Easter Egg Hunt is one of the area’s largest hunts, featuring more than 2,000 eggs hidden across two acres.  This year’s hunt will be held on Saturday, March 30, starting at 1:15pm at the Dans Mountain Pool.  Families should arrive by 1pm and bring their own Easter baskets for the hunt. Children will be divided into three age groups. There will be free hot dogs and drinks and a visit with the Easter Bunny. Found eggs are redeemable for candy and prizes.

The West Virginia Department of Natural Resources has added 23 more elk to the state’s herd in cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The new elk will go to the Tomblin Wildlife Management Area to be evaluated before being released into the wild.  Governor Jim Justice says he is happy with how the program and the herd have grown since 2016…    

An estimated jackpot of $750 million in Powerball after no ticket matched all six numbers to nab the grand prize Wednesday. The last Powerball jackpot win was on Jan. 1 by a single ticket in Michigan. That prize was worth $842.4 million. Powerball tickets, which cost $2 per play, are sold in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The overall odds of winning a prize are 1 in 24.9. The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million. The next drawing will be on Saturday, March 23.

While the business development project along Maryland Avenue and Park Street seems to be getting rolling, the other big project in the city – the lot where Memorial Hospital once sat, appears indefinitely stalled.  Asked about the latest on the proposed housing development, Mayor Ray Morriss said that RAZ, the proposed developer, isn’t being clear on what they want to negotiate with the city about and it is most likely too late for any more talks… Morriss said that the City has given their final offer to RAZ Development and they need to decide if they want the deal that…

The Maryland House of Delegates passed their version of the coming year’s budget on Thursday, mostly along party lines 89-45. The budget now goes to a conference committee from the Senate and House to come to a compromise.  The House budget includes $900 million in taxes and fees to generate revenue; including i-gaming which the Senate has indicated is a hard no for them.  House Minority Leader Jason Buckel argued that the proposed tax hikes on corporations do not make the state business friendly… Buckel agrees with Governor Moore that the answer for revenue generation is to grow the state’s…

Cumberland has established a new Arts Commission for the city. Designed to advance the goal of incorporating art into city-owned public places and encouraging public arts programs, the first order of business is to establish the members. Ruth Davis-Rogers, Historic Preservation Planner says the board will comprise 10 members total… Davis-Rogers says the mark of a thriving community is its arts presence. The Arts Commission will consider arts presented to them for consideration and how they would fit historically, culturally, or artistically in city owned properties and landscapes…

The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development has $10 million in grant funding for local governments and nonprofits through its Community Health and Safety Works program. Grants can support projects that improve the physical environment to impact health and safety improving livability and economic potential or for crime prevention through physical design improvements, activities, and community vigilance and maintenance. Applications will be accepted through April 25 and are available on the state Housing and Community Development website.

The Allegany County Commissioners approved Real Property tax rates at Thursday’s meeting following a public hearing.  The county is holding the regular property tax rate at .9750 per $100 of assessed value, the same from last year. Municipalities will see slight increases because of assessed values rising.  County Administrator Jason Bennett explained that last year’s anomaly from lottery proceedings resulted in a lower tax differential for 2023 rates…