On November 8th, 2023 officers of the Cumberland Police Department served an Arrest Warrant on Dalton Colmer. The Arrest Warrant was issued by the Circuit Court when he violated the conditions of his probation. Colmer was remanded to the Allegany County Detention Center without bond. Arrest: Dalton John Colmer, age 23, Lonaconing Maryland Charge: Violation of Probation.  

UPMC Western Maryland received an “A” grade recently from the Leapfrog Group, a national watchdog organization.  Dr. David Burwell, Chief Quality Officer for UPMC Western Maryland, spoke with WCBC about the rating and explained that Leapfrog can be viewed as a sort of TripAdvisor for healthcare…. Dr. Burwell says that receiving the “A” grade is a direct reflection of the high quality of care that UPMC’s teams provide…

Hampshire County Schools Special Education Services are under a state of emergency to address critical areas identified during a recent Special Circumstance Review. The West Virginia Department of Education initiated the Review in September due to a lack of progress on a targeted improvement plan developed by the WVDE. The county has received a “Needs Assistance” rating in the Special Education Indicator of Efficiency for the past three years. This resulted in increased monitoring and technical assistance by the WVDE, however, sufficient progress was not achieved. The State Superintendent of Schools has now appointed staff to on-site school improvement efforts…

State Attorney General Patrick Morrisey is pleased that the West Virginia First Foundation is finally off the ground.  The board that is charged with handling the state’s distribution of over a billion dollars from opioid settlements met in Charleston this week. Morrissey says he looks forward to how the state will benefit from the funds… Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney Matt Harvey is the Chair of the Foundation. He said the first round of funding is going out to West Virginia counties in the near future…

After an absence of over a year, WCBC’s listeners got to hear from Paul “Buddy” Mullan on the Dave Norman Show this week.  Currently recuperating at a location in Silver Spring, Paul called in to share how his recovery from heart surgery in January is progressing.  Even with several setbacks of infection and pneumonia, Paul has kept on fighting to get well… He says he and his family are thankful for the many cards, letters, and prayers they have received since his illness and expresses his appreciation… The complete 10 minute interview with Paul and Dave is available to play…

The Mayor of Cumberland’s frustration with development along Park Street’s Cumberland Gateway Project is coming to a head. The City has a meeting plan with the developer in the next two weeks – Mayor Morriss is expecting a detailed plan… Kline-Scott-Visco, the developer, is not new to the business of developing retail shopping spaces, which is another reason that the City is frustrated by lack of movement…

Maryland’s Legislative Spending Affordability Committee met this week to go over preliminary details about state spending.  With Maryland now facing a significant deficit after ending the Hogan years with a $5 billion surplus, the shadow of tax increases is looming.  Maryland Senator Mike McKay doesn’t sit on the committee, but he says taking a look at scaling back commitments to the Blueprint For Education, which takes a huge chunk of the state budget, could be a starting point… McKay says that legislators are going to find themselves between a rock and a hard place come January when they are faced…

Allegany County Sheriff’s Office and Maryland State Police – Barrack C have combined resources to target open and active warrants. As a result, the following individuals have been apprehended. \Wednesday, November 8, 2023: John Wesley Cramer Jr., 35 of Greensboro, PA was extradited from Fayette County, PA on a District Court Bench Warrant for Failure to Appear. His original charge is Driving Motor Vehicle Without Required License and Authorization. He is currently held on a $2,000 bond and pending a bail review. Makayla Marie Lloyd, 21 of Westernport, was arrested on two Circuit Court Bench Warrants for Violation of Probation….

The continuing infrastructure spending by Columbia Gas will be affecting customer bills through the year 2050.  A recent report from the Office of People’s Counsel shows that Columbia Gas of Maryland’s replacement investments are continuing past their original end date of 2026 for another 17 years. That capital spending means customer bills could grow from an average of $221 in 2023 to $419 by 2035 – a 90% increase. Those bills could be even higher as customers move away from fossil fuels for heating and appliances, leaving less customers to foot the bill of massive infrastructure retooling.

Maryland is getting over $5 million to strengthen maternal health care across the state. The state’s US Senate delegation announced the funding to support better access across the state.  Five maternal health programs will be able to provide additional resources to combat maternal mortality and improve maternal and infant health outcomes. Federal grants have been awarded to the Maryland Department of Health, Johns Hopkins University, Medstar Health Research Institute, and Morgan State University for programs and research to support pregnant women, especially in underserved communities.