On Saturday, February 17, 2024 at approximately 9:20 AM, officers of the Cumberland Police Department responded to a residence in the 100 block of Arch Street for a disturbance.  Police contacted an alleged victim who reported that he had been assaulted by Layla Smith-Dennison.  Officers observed that the victim had sustained injuries.  After further investigation, Smith-Dennison was placed under arrest and transported to Central Booking.   She was later seen by a District Court Commissioner and released on her personal recognizance.   ARRESTED:  Layla Marie Smith-Dennison     AGE:  18      Cumberland, MD CHARGES:  Assault-2nd Degree

The University of Maryland announced today the death of legendary basketball coach Charles “Lefty” Driesell at the age of 92.  The release said, in part, “Driesell was a legend in the sport who left an indelible mark on Maryland basketball and the college basketball community as a whole.” Driesell was the Terps coach from 1969-1986, posting a 348-159 record, eight NCAA Tournaments, six ACC title games and the 1984  ACC Tournament Championship.

As part of Black History Month, the African American Studies Program at Frostburg State University will host Gregory Yancey on Tuesday, February 20 for a lecture titled "Th Reality of Racism: Recognizing Obstacles and Opportunities to a More Perfect Union." The lecture will take place form 6- 7:30pm in Lane Center room 111. The event is free and open to the public.

Application are now available for the 2024 West Virginia Make It Shine Statewide Spring Cleanup. This annual event is sponsored by the WV Department of Environmental Protection Rehabilitation Environmental Action Plan. This year's dates are the first two weeks of April. The Make It Shine Program will provide Cleanup materials, waste hauling, and landfill fees to community groups volunteering to conduct cleanups in state streams or county lands. Applications are available. Call 1-800-322-5530.

Updates on the Downtown Construction Project This week: Pavers continue to be installed in parking areas on western block of Baltimore Street. Concrete curbs on South Liberty are halfway completed. Crosswalk at intersection of North Liberty and Frederick also poured. Utility work, including storm sewer and fiber conduit, on North Centre ongoing. Silva cells on Baltimore Street between Liberty and Centre are being installed, starting on the northern side. Next week: More of the same. More pavers in parking areas, more utility work in North Centre, more concrete work in South Liberty, and more Silva cells on Baltimore Street. Some of the…

The 2024 All-County Band Concert will take place on Thursday, February 22 at 7pm at Fort Hill High School. The finest middle and high school wind and percussion students in Allegany County will be showcased in a highly anticipated concert event. The Middle School honor band will be guest-conducted by Mr. Andrew Mitroff, retired band director from Baltimore County Public Schools. The High School Honor Band will be conducted by Dr. Chris Cicconi from Towson University. Admission is free.

On Friday, February 16, 2024, the Cumberland Police Department served a bench warrant on Isaac Case.  The warrant was issued as the result of Case failing to appear in court.  He was originally charged with Theft less than $100.  Case was later seen by a District Court Commissioner and released on his personal recognizance. On Friday, February 16, 2024, the Cumberland Police Department served a bench warrant on Virgil Webb.  The warrant was issued as the result of Webb failing to appear in court.  He was originally charged with Trespass: Posted Property.  Webb was later seen by a District Court…

The Cumberland Fire Department has had an increase in the number of calls for activated smoke alarms. Many times, the alarm has been discarded in the trash with the alarm sounding. Dust, dirt, and even spiders can get into an alarm and make it falsely sound. Smoke alarms can ve cleaned with a vacuum or compressed air.  Look at the back of the alarm to see if the manufacturer specifies one cleaning method over another and for cleaning frequency.  Many new alarms have a hush/silence button that can be used to temporarily stop the alarm from sounding. Sealed battery smoke…

Connectivity Alert:  There is a fiber outage impacting internet and phone service at all County Government locations. The outage is through the service provider, Lumen, out of Landover, Maryland.  The outage is affecting business and residence service as well. We will update when service is restored.

Joe Manchin will not be running for President after months of speculation that upon his retirement from the US Senate, he would seek the nomination of a third party ticket. "I will not be seeking a third-party run. I will not be involved in a presidential run," Manchin said during a speech. "I will be involved in making sure that we secure a president that has the knowledge and has the passion and has the ability to bring this country together."   Even in the past few days it was unclear about his intentions as he mentioned possible running mates in an…