A bill currently in the West Virginia House Judiciary Committee would establish a new alert for missing individuals with cognitive issues including Alzheimer’s and Dementia.  The new alert would be specific to such cases in the state. Mineral County Republican Delegate Gary Howell explains how it is different from other emergency alerts people may be familiar with…    

A well-attended business roundtable directed to small business held this week has opened a new door for collaboration. Sponsored by the Allegany County Chamber of Commerce, the event brought together small businesses with 25 or fewer employees. Chamber Director Juli McCoy said while it is important to small business, the idea of finding sources for opportunity capital to expand their operations did not come up in their initial get-together… McCoy says her biggest takeaway from the event was that business owners really want to invest their limited time in meetings like the roundtable…

Plans are already in the works for next year’s Winter Festival and Market in Downtown Cumberland with dates set for December 7th and 14th. Early planning is happening now and the Downtown Development Commission is creating a committee to work on different aspects of the event. Executive Director Melinda Kelleher is looking for volunteers to focus on music and entertainment, vendors, activities, and other areas. Those interested in attending a virtual kickoff meeting should email Melinda.kelleher@cumberlandmd.gov for an invitation.

Final results are in for the 2023-24 deer hunting season. Overall, Maryland hunters using archery, firearms, and muzzleloaders brought down over 72,000 deer between September 8 and February 3.  Frederick County hunters brought in the most deer with just under 7,000 harvested.  For Allegany County, the numbers were down this year – a total of 2,952 deer were harvested, a decline of 13% from last season.

Pennsylvania now has its own Blueprint for Education. Governor Josh Shapiro’s proposed budget invests $975 million dollars in streamlining state-owned community colleges and universities. The Blueprint changes funding to an outcome-based formula and dramatically cuts tuition rates. A student or family making the median income or below would only pay $1,000 per semester for tuition and fees. Pennsylvania Education Secretary Khalid Mumin said it will help build a better workforce faster…    

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent.  Services this evening include Our Lady of the Mountains, Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Christ Lutheran Church in Lavale, and Divine Mercy Parish.

Women in West Virginia receiving SNAP benefits are being encouraged to apply for a 10-week pre-apprenticeship training program.  The program is designed to prepare women 18 and older for entry level positions in advanced manufacturing. Participants will have hands-on training in high-tech machines used in medical, aerospace, pharmaceutical, and auto industries. The Spring class begins on February 26 in Charleston. To apply, clients should speak with their Department of Human Services county office caseworker.

Allegany County Public School board members and staff recently toured the renovated Westmar Early Childhood Center in Lonaconing. Construction plans started in 2022 to remodel five classrooms for Pre-K needs and include a sensory room, office space, classrooms and space for the Judy Center.  County school maintenance staff handled all interior building construction including installation of a new HVAC system.  The Pre-K and Headstart services will benefit the George’s Creek and Westernport communities.

On 2/13/2024 at approximately 1:45 PM the Cumberland City police were dispatched to a business on Queen City Drive for a shoplifting complaint. Officers spoke to the complainant and were provided a description of a subject that had just stolen merchandise. When the employee questioned the suspect they fled the area and dropped several items outside. Officers were able to locate Jesse Smith on Baltimore Avenue and found stolen merchandise on his person. Officers were then notified of another shoplifting at a nearby business on Queen City Drive. Stolen merchandise from that business was also located on Smith. Smith was…