The day of the “Force of Four” water meeting with residents of Bel Air, Pinto, Glen Oaks and Highland Estates, Maryland Water sent Pinto residents yet another rate increase notice.  As a result of the Bulk Purchased Water Rate increasing itself that occurred back in July, MWS is increasing the rate on Pinto’s customers’ bills by 17% next month to correspond with the bulk purchase rate.

Frostburg State University Department of Music, Theatre and Dance will present the FSU Vocal Studios in a recital of art songs and selections from opera, oratorio and musical theatre on Thursday, Oct. 30, at 7:30 p.m. in the Pealer Recital Hall of FSU’s Woodward D. Pealer Performing Arts Center. This event is free and open to the public. The performance will also be livestreamed; the link will be posted at www.frostburg.edu/concerts. The concert will feature music majors from the vocal studios of Dr. Chun-Ting Chao and Mr. Michael Welch, accompanied by pianist Dr. Joseph Yungen. For more information, contact FSU’s…

During the Board Meeting on October 14, 2025, Allegany County Public Schools and Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Michael Martirano approved additional administrative changes for the 2025-2026 school year. James Evans has been named Supervisor of Science. Evans holds a bachelor’s degree in earth science / general science and secondary education and a master’s degree in administration and supervision from Frostburg State University. He is entering his 32nd year with ACPS, with 12 years teaching and 20 years serving as an assistant principal, most recently at Mountain Ridge High School. “I am very pleased to be afforded the opportunity of serving…

On Thursday, October 16, 2025, Officers of the Cumberland Police Department served a criminal summons on Samatha Louden. The criminal summons was issued as a result of an incident that occurred on August 29, 2025. It was reported to the Officer that Louden exited her vehicle and assaulted the victim. She then entered her vehicle and left the area. An application for charges was completed, which yielded the summons. Louded was located, served with the summons, and released pending her trial at the Allegany County District Court. ARRESTED: Samantha Jeanine Louden    AGE: 33       Cumberland, Maryland CHARGE: Assault…

Downtown Cumberland is taking on an even more artsy flare this weekend.  Around 50 artists will be featured across downtown and around the county for the Western Maryland Studio Tour along with with Loft 129 and Gallery Stage hosting music. DDC spokesperson Becky McClarran says if you love the arts this is the weekend to be here…     “There are so many arts and entertainment activities happening this weekend in Cumberland.  It’s an exciting time to be here.  The leaves are changing.  The Western Maryland Scenic Railroad has great rides, so we thought we would put it all together.”

Fall in Western Maryland is all about leaves changing and special fall shopping events. Downtown Cumberland is hosting a new event Saturday, bringing shoppers downtown for an evening with local arts and farm vendors as well as stores staying open later, according to Downtown Development Commission spokesperson Becky McClarran… “Downtown Cumberland – North Centre Street – there will be a fall harvest night market Saturday from 5 till 10 and we’ll have local artisans and crafters in an outdoor mart.”

A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump Administration from firing any more federal workers during the government shutdown.  Democrat lawmakers recently gathered at the OMB speaking out against the reduction in force and saying the shutdown needs to end.  Maryland Congresswoman April McClain Delaney said health care is impacted by the shutdown. “Whether it be the CDC and hundreds of children breaking out with the measles, or emergency services with FEMA and NOAA and other things, or with cancer research—we know that these things are important to the American people, and that the retribution and the cruelty that’s being…

Cumberland Main Street Manager Melinda Kelleher attended the Main Street Conference recently in Easton, Maryland along with 400 of her cohorts.  The event included speeches from Housing Secretary Jake Day and Lt. Governor Aruna Miller, along with a number of workshops and idea sessions. Kelleher said it was a reassuring to find other areas that share similar challenges as Cumberland’s retail areas… “Knowing that we’re not alone. Challenges that we have, everybody else has. So like really wanting the stores to be open more than they are sometimes—some of them are—a lot of ours are—so that’s good. But our downtown tends…

Support of free speech on college campuses is on the decline as conservative students join their liberal peers in facing censorship, according to the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression.  Sean Stevens with the foundation says support for acts to stop speech on campus has gained ground… “We consistently were finding, from the beginning of doing this, the liberal students having lower tolerance and being more accepting of those types of protests to stop speech.  But what we’ve seen over the last two years is conservatives converging to where the liberal students are, so potentially their tolerance is decreasing.”

On Thursday, October 16, 2025, Officers of the Cumberland Police Department responded to an abandoned building in the 200 Block of Baltimore Street to assist the City Code Enforcement with individuals trespassing inside the building. Upon arrival, Officers located Kimberly Carnley and William Dibuono inside the building, which had several conspicuously posted "No Trespassing" signs on the outside. Both Dibuono and Carnley were placed under arrest and transported to the Allegany County Detention Center, where they await their initial appearance before a District Court Commissioner. ARRESTED: William Joseph Dibuono    AGE: 57       Lonaconing, Maryland CHARGES: Burglary Fourth Degree,…