Maryland’s senior U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen spoke on the Senate floor, decrying the exclusion of Ukrainian representatives in talks to end the war between Russia and the Ukraine. President Trump has said he wants one-on-one talks with Vladimir Putin, but Van Hollen says it is a betrayal of the Ukrainian people…     “The Ukrainian people, for over three years now, have been fighting against the brutal onslaught by Vladimir Putin – they’re fighting to protect their sovereignty, their way of life. And President Trump is throwing the Ukrainian people under the bus, and at the same time betraying…

Governor Wes Moore had already issued an order to look for efficiencies in government before President Trump took office. He agrees there are many ways government can be modernized in order to streamline programs and save taxpayer money. Moore says it needs to be done in a methodical, structured manner…     “I am all about finding efficiencies. I am all about making sure that we are modernizing the way that government works. I also know that it needs to be done smartly, and it needs to be done in a way that is transparent.”

A joint hearing this week on Governor Moore’s plans to make adjustments to the Blueprint for Education made it clear that help is needed for continued funding.  Delegate Jason Buckel discussed with Moore’s Chief of Staff Fagan Harris what the administrations wants to do…     “All of the taxes that we’ve dedicated and allocated to the Blueprint fund are not going to pay long-term for the cost of this program. I believe you said that the Governor is willing to create a new dedicated revenue stream to prop up or pay for the long-term costs of the Blueprint fund….

Democratic governors Wes Moore of Maryland and Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania have been named to President Trump's Council of Governors.  The council is comprised of ten governors with five from each party.  Moore and Shapiro will serve two year terms.  The council has been established for over 15 years.  Its goals are to bring together leaders from both political parties to work better together on important matters like managing disasters, deploying the National Guard, and combining military efforts within states.

Work is progressing more steadily on the Cumberland Gateway project after some alley closures were recently approved. Contrary to rumors, Royal Farms has not pulled plans for their site and work is continuing there as well as for the future location of a Chipotle restaurant.  One thing that could slow things up is the cost and availability of materials. Mayor Ray Morriss says that tariffs are causing lots of construction slowdowns…     “There is a lot of uncertainty in the marketplace, especially in the construction industry right now because of some of the proposed tariffs that are out there….

A Hampshire County man died early Wednesday in a single-vehicle crash at the intersection of U.S. Route 50 and Bloomery Pike.  Joseph A. Parks, 41, was the only occupant of the 1992 Mazda passenger car that was engulfed in flames when first responders arrived at the scene. The accident occurred around 4 a.m. The sheriff's office said Parks was traveling south on Bloomery Pike when the vehicle left the right side of the roadway and crashed into a deep ditch. 

On Wednesday, February 19, 2025, the Cumberland Police Department served a bench warrant and a criminal summons on Kayden Brewington.  The warrant was issued as the result of Brewington violating probation on an original charge of Assault-2nd Degree.  The summons was issued as the result of an incident that occurred on February 12, 2025 at approximately 5:06 PM when officers responded to a building in the first block of Columbia Street to check the premise due to a subject being seen entering and exiting the property.  The building is posted ‘No Trespassing’.   Police observed that the building was not secure…

On Wednesday, February 19, 2025, the Cumberland Police Department served a bench warrant on Jason Stottlemyer.  The warrant was issued as the result of Stottlemyer failing to appear in court on an original charge of Theft: $100 to Under $1500. He was arrested and transported to Central Booking.  Stottlemyer was later seen by a District Court Commissioner for a bond hearing and posted a $1,000 percentage bond. ARRESTED:  Jason Kelly Stottlemyer      AGE:  48         Cumberland, MD.

Revenue generated in January from Maryland’s six casinos was down less than one percent from the same period in 2023.  The casinos combined take-in for January was $151.7 million dollars from slots and table games.  The revenue generated $63.6 million in tax revenue for the state and included $45 million going to the Education Trust Fund. Horseshoe Casino saw the biggest year-over-year drop of 7.8% while Rocky Gap Casino’s revenue increased 3.8% over 2023, bringing in $3.3 million dollars in January.

One of the issues facing Marylanders and in fact most of the nation, is energy. The need for more power has opened doors to new fields in solar and wind energy.  Governor Wes Moore is saying that the state welcomes all kinds of power to support the needs of its residents, including the possible expansion of nuclear power in Maryland…      “Nuclear energy is a clean energy option. And I think we need to look at this as all of these energy options that are being presented are things that have to be explored. That we can say we…