On Wednesday, February 28th, 2024, the Cumberland City Police responded to a residence on Lamont St for the report of an assault. Upon arrival, officers contacted the victim of the alleged assault who advised officers that there had been an argument inside the home that turned physical. The incident then escalated and the victim was struck in the face multiple times with a closed fist, causing visible signs of injury. As a result, Charles Jeffrey Toles, 44, of Centerville VA, was placed under arrest and transported for processing. At the time of this arrest, Toles was also served with a…

Allegany County Sheriff’s Office and Maryland State Police have combined resources to target open and active warrants. As a result, the following individuals have been apprehended. Monday, February 26, 2024 Tina Joeann Cipponeri, 42 of Oakland, was served a District Court Bench Warrant for Violation of Probation. Her original conviction was for Driving Without Required License and Authorization where she received a 60-day suspended sentence with 18-month unsupervised probation. She was released on a $500 bond. Summer Lynn Bowman, 22 of Luke, was served a District Court Arrest Warrant. Her charges include: Assault-1st Degree, 3 counts of Assault-2nd Degree, Reckless…

Canal Place Director DeDe Richie is pleased that the bill introduced by Republican Senator Mike McKay to break apart Canal Place was withdrawn this week. Richie spoke with WCBC about how fragmenting Canal Place would hurt financially… Richie says she had support from many individuals and organizations while the situation played out… Other Heritage Areas in the state have told Richie they are somewhat envious of the set-up of Canal Place and would like to mimic the structure…

February 29 is a leap day, an intercalary date added periodically to create leap years in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It is the 60th day of a leap year in both calendars, and 306 days remain until the end of the leap year.  What would happen if there was no leap day? Eventually, nothing good in terms of when major events fall, when farmers plant and how seasons align with the sun and the moon. "Without the leap years, after a few hundred years we will have summer in November," said Younas Khan, a physics instructor at the University of…

The House Judiciary Committee heard testimony Tuesday on House Bill 320- The Drug Free Roadways Act of 2024.  The Republican-sponsored bill seeks to allow law enforcement officers to stop or search a motor vehicle based on the odor of burnt or unburnt cannabis. Anne Arundel County Assistant State’s Attorney Marot (MAURA) Williamson said the law change is needed to get guns off the streets… Baltmore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger testified that cannabis and alcohol should be treated in a similar manner…

The West Virginia Senate has passed a bill allowing private forest-fire management on state lands – environmental groups say they’re concerned it could open the door for commercial logging on state-owned property. Angie Rosser with the West Virginia Rivers Coalition says lawmakers rejected an amendment to Senate Bill 688 that would have removed state parks and rail trails from the legislation…

West Virginia could soon be eliminating the income tax on Social Security earnings entirely over a three-year phase out.  House Bill 4880 is now in the Finance Committee for the Senate. Previously, the General Assembly passed the elimination of Social Security taxes on those earning $50,000 and filing singly and $100,000 if filing jointly. Mineral County Delegate Gary Howell is a co-sponsor of the bill.

Another Allegany County tourist attraction has placed in a Top 10 List. The Allegany Museum has placed second in USA Today’s 10 Best Small Town Museums. Nominees were submitted by a panel of experts and reader votes determine the winners of the Readers’ Choice Awards. The Allegany Museum highlights the heritage of the region with 50,000 items that trace the history of Allegany County, from Native Americans to early European settlers. Housed in a former courthouse and post office building erected in 1932, the museum showcases the local stories, traditions, and industries of the area.

While many colleges and universities across the nation are experiencing decreases in student enrollment, at Frostburg State University, enrollment among transfer students is on the rise with an 11.2 percent increase in transfer students from spring 2023 to spring 2024. Additionally, FSU boasts an 89.2 percent retention rate in first-time undergraduate students from fall 2023 to spring 2024. “We attribute the uptick in transfer enrollment to strong collaborations with our partner community colleges and our new nursing programs,” said Natalie Wagoner, director of Admissions at FSU. Dr. Candace Caraco, associate vice chancellor for Academic Programs, Academic and Enrollment Services and…

Maryland State Police, in partnership with the Vehicle Theft Prevention Council, are providing free steering wheel locks to Hyundai and Kia owners in Maryland between March 2 and March 3, 2024. In order to receive the free lock, Maryland residents who own a Hyundai or a Kia that uses a physical key to start should bring their license and registration to the lobby of one of 14 Maryland State Police Barracks and receive it. MSP shares the steering wheel locks will be available for pickup at each of the barracks listed below from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on March…