A former Bethlehem Steel site in Sparrows Point, Maryland is now set to become a major manufacturing hub for offshore wind components through a $47 million grant from the US Maritime Administration. Sparrows Point sits on 100 acres of waterfront and will be transformed into a production facility for offshore wind projects, staging, and transport to sites off the East Coast. It will be key to establishing a domestic supply chain for loading and shipping as well as the manufacture of monopole foundations and towers needed for wind turbines.  

On Monday November 20th, 2023 officers of the Cumberland Police Department served an Arrest Warrant on Kamal Datta. The Arrest Warrant was issued by the District Court stemming from an incident where Datta made threats against the life of a District Court Judge. During the incident Datta contacted officers via a phone call, and the threats were made at that time. An application for charges was completed and this Arrest Warrant was issued. Datta was then remanded to the Allegany County Detention Center where he awaits his initial appearance before a District Court Commissioner. Arrest: Kamal Shivdev Nayan Datta, Cumberland…

While he still will not make a public commitment, Senator Joe Manchin is talking like a man running for office.  He recently told NBC News that the existing field of presidential candidates is not representative of the American people and his job once he leaves the Senate is trying to find common ground between parties. Manchin would not be happy with another presidency for Donald Trump…

It’s the start of the holiday season in Cumberland with the annual Christmas Tree Lighting scheduled for Friday evening.   Because of the Baltimore Street project this year, the tree is located on the Canal Place Plaza. Melinda Kelleher, Downtown Development Commission Director, says getting to the event will be easy… The Christmas Tree lighting is a downtown tradition and will feature music and special guests…

The Blueprint for Education program in the state of Maryland has five distinct pillars that it is using to elevate education.  Pillar Two of the Blueprint deals with hiring and retaining “high quality and diverse teachers and leaders.” Many counties in the state are still dealing with teacher shortages well into the school year. To that end, the starting salary for teachers will rise to $60,000 per year by 2026.  County School Superintendent Jeff Blank says Allegany is prepared for that…

Recently the Maryland State Education Association, the teachers’ union, has come under fire for the exorbitant salaries paid to union employees – MSEA’s federal reports show that the 93 union employees make on average over $180,000 a year in salary and benefits.  According to David Williams of the Taxpayers Protection Alliance, union money collected from working teachers should be going elsewhere…

The Allegany County Health Department is working to notify Maryland Medicaid participants about their Medicaid Renewal.  Automatic renewal is not happening for 2024 and it is urgent that you make sure your enrollment and contact information is up to date. The deadline for re-enrollment is November 30th.  Aaron Taylor is the Medicaid Eligibility Supervisor at the health department and tells listeners they may need to take action as soon as possible so they do not lose benefits…

The Allegany County Commissioners have probably not heard the last word of opposition to the choice of D.R. Horton as the developer for the West Side housing site once occupied by Allegany High School.  Commission President Dave Caporale tells WCBC that there are still 10-15 people coming to county meetings to voice their concerns about the project, but the decision is pretty much finalized… County Administrator Jason Bennett agrees with Caporale. He said that the County was surprised that Horton would be interested in bidding this project, but are more than willing to work with the builder…

Winter Weather Advisory until 01:00PM Tuesday Freezing rain expected, with some snow and sleet possible for a few hours. Total snow and sleet accumulations of less than one inch. Ice accumulations of a light glaze to one tenth of an inch, with up to two tenths of an inch on the ridges. Winds gusting as high as 40 mph. Portions of western Maryland, western Virginia and eastern West Virginia From 4 AM to 1 PM EST Tuesday. Plan on slippery road conditions. The hazardous conditions could impact the morning commute. AFFECTED AREAS: GARRETT … EXTREME WESTERN ALLEGANY … WESTERN HIGHLAND…

Frostburg State University’s Mountain City Traditional Arts, in partnership with World Artists Experiences, will present “A History of Polish Women” with Diplomat Katarzyna Rybka-Iwanska on Thursday, Dec. 7, at 7 p.m. at 25 E. Main St. in Frostburg. This event is free and open to the public.  Rybka-Iwańska is a career diplomat and the head of public and cultural diplomacy at the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Washington, D.C. She is an expert in strategic planning, especially in public and cultural diplomacy; in educational, digital projects; and in promoting women’s stories. Rybka-Iwanska has repeatedly conducted workshops for educators,…