On Wednesday, January 31st, 2024, the Cumberland City Police arrested William Douglas Kirby, 67, of Cumberland MD. Kirby was arrested on an outstanding Bench Warrant issued by the Allegany County District Court on January 30th. The warrant alleged Kirby failed to appear in court on that date for a previous trespassing charge. Kirby was then taken before a District Court Commissioner for his Initial Appearance where he was released on his own recognizance Arrested: William Douglas Kirby         Age: 67 Charges: Bench Warrant – Fail to Appear

The President of WVU Potomac State College has resigned.  Chris Gilmer had come to Keyser in April of 2022 from WVU’s Parkersburg, West Virginia campus where he also served as President.  The resignation comes in the wake of a campus resolution against Gilmer’s chief of staff, Brady Whipkey in October.  Whipkey, who had followed Gilmer to Keyser from Parkersburg, received a vote of no-confidence in his leadership and decision-making abilities in his position as Senior Advisor to the President.  A search for a new interim President will begin in February.

A new study on residential migration shows that the Winchester, Virginia area is the fastest growing metropolitan location in the state.  The study from the University of Virginia’s Weldon Cooper Center shows that population growth has slowed to its lowest point since the Civil War, and a major migration from Northern Virginia to more suburban parts of the state has led to the growth in Winchester which has grown nearly five times the rate of the rest of the state. Part of that migration may be due to increased opportunities for remote work, sending people to areas of the state…

Callers to Dave Norman’s program on Wednesday morning were concerned about Maryland’s decision to shift state-funded coverage for prescription costs for its state retirees to other programs at the end of 2024.  Retired employees are receiving letters saying they need to enroll in Medicare prescription programs for 2025, based on decisions made under Governor Martin O’Malley.  Senator Mike McKay is going to try and change that with Senate Bill 0349 which would reverse that plan…    

Governor Josh Shapiro revealed the state of Pennsylvania’s new Economic Development Plan, the first of its kind in 20 years.  The plan is a ten-year strategy including investments in site development, innovation development, and investment in high-growth, high-value sectors where the state has an advantage. Shapiro said it is a challenge to catch up to other states…    

Governor Jim Justice is introducing legislation in West Virginia designed to protect women’s sports in the state as well as what Justice is calling “safe spaces” for women.  At the bill’s introduction, he was joined by Riley Gaines, a former collegiate female swimmer from Kentucky who was forced to swim against transgender men and change in the same lockeroom.  Justice said the bill has its root in sports but goes farther than that…    

Juvenile Justice Reform was the focus of Governor Moore’s press conference in Annapolis Wednesday, rolling out a package of legislation to overhaul the juvenile justice system.  Using the acronym ARC – the legislation proposes Accountability, Rehabilitation, and Collaboration across all local and state agencies to ensure that children receive the attention needed to achieve positive outcomes…    

Maryland State Police arrested an armed and dangerous Kentucky man wanted for murder in Louisville, Kentucky. The accused is identified as Tho Luong, 41, of Louisville, Kentucky. Luong was wanted by the Louisville Metro Police Department for the murder of a woman found dead inside a residence yesterday in Louisville, Kentucky. At 9:30 a.m., Luong and his vehicle, a 2011 black BMW, were located at a motel in the 8000 block of Baltimore National Pike in Ellicott City. Troopers assigned to the Maryland State Apprehension Team assisted detectives from the Louisville Metro Police Department in Luong’s arrest.  He was taken…

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Democratic leaders unveiled legislation Wednesday to address the rise in juvenile crime. The measure doesn’t increase the number of offenses where juveniles are charged as adults, but Moore said it fixes problems in the system. “We need to rethink how cases are processed for young people when there is a firearm involved. We need to increase probation when kids need more time to benefit from rehabilitation. We need to be able to respond to situations where children take the life of a person, regardless of age,” Moore said. The bill increases probation for juveniles convicted…

Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown today joined a multistate coalition of 24 Attorneys General to protect access to medication abortion nationwide. The coalition filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Supreme Court supporting the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) and Danco Laboratories LLC’s efforts to reverse a ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit that reinstated certain restrictions on mifepristone, after the FDA had determined those restrictions were medically unnecessary. “Restricting access to mifepristone harms countless people in need of medical care, particularly in low-income and underserved communities,” said Attorney General Brown. “I will continue…