Improvements continue to take place at Constitution Park. Through the last year, the pool has gotten a significant facelift with the removal of old wooden decking and new fencing, the Guard House has been refurbished, electric service to the amphitheater has been updated, and new picnic tables and grills have been placed throughout the park. New signage is also in place at the park and ballfields around the area. Mayor Ray Morris says the City’s financial investment in the park has actually been minimal…    

Maryland Congressman Andy Harris joined House Speaker Mike Johnson and other Republican representatives on a trip to see first-hand the immigrant crisis at the US Southern border in Texas.  Harris said what he saw shows a “complete and dangerous failure” to stop potential terrorists from entering the country freely.  He spoke to reporters from the edge of the Rio Grande in Eagle Pass, Texas where state border patrols have installed razor wire…  

Recently the Cumberland Police Department released statistics showing that 2023 was a busy year for the force. Captain James Burt says it was a higher call volume than what was experienced in 2022… Captain Burt said that while calls may be up, there is very little gang activity or serious crime in the area. There could be more calls for service, but Burt says some people are hesitant to make that call to the police…    

Reviewing the Top Stories of 2023, WCBC News chose the passing of Cas Taylor as a moment to remember.  The former Speaker of the House for Maryland passed away on April 24th at the age of 88. Taylor was the voice of Western Maryland in Annapolis from 1975-2003, instrumental in the development of Rocky Gap Resort and I-68. Senator Mike McKay note the influence Taylor had on the area…    

Centre Street will be closed to thru traffic between Union and Frederick Street today from the times of 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM to allow waterline work to be performed. There will also be a temporary water service outage for customers on Centre Street between Baltimore Street and Harrison Street during this timeframe. Signage will be in place to detour passenger vehicles around the road closure, in addition to no parking signs on N Centre Street. Pedestrian access will be maintained. Traffic and water service is expected to be restored after 2:00 PM on Friday, January 5th.

As we say goodbye to 2023, we reflect on how busy our officers were during the year.  We are proud of the hard work our officers do every day to keep the City of Cumberland safe.  Below are just some of the calls for service and general statistics that display just how busy the Cumberland Police Department is. Assault investigations = 602 Assault on a Police Officer = 27 Theft investigations = 659 Robbery investigations = 27 Breaking & Entering Investigations = 151 Motor Vehicle Crash Investigations = 680 Hit & Run Crashes investigations = 218 Operators arrested for DUI/DWI…

Heavy mixed precipitation possible. Total snow accumulations in excess of five inches, and ice accumulations in excess of one-quarter of an inch are possible in portions of western Maryland, central, northern, and northwest Virginia and eastern and panhandle West Virginia fom Saturday morning through Saturday evening. Plan on slippery road conditions. AFFECTED AREAS: EXTREME WESTERN ALLEGANY … CENTRAL AND EASTERN ALLEGANY … ROCKINGHAM … SHENANDOAH … FREDERICK … PAGE … WARREN … CLARKE … GREENE … MADISON … RAPPAHANNOCK … NORTHERN FAUQUIER … WESTERN LOUDOUN … NORTHERN VIRGINIA BLUE RIDGE … HAMPSHIRE … MORGAN … BERKELEY … JEFFERSON … HARDY…

The 5 Million Trees Initiative is nearing nearly half a million trees planted. More than 180,000 trees were planted in Maryland in 2023 bringing the total number to 471,890. Maryland Department of Natural Resources planting have accounted for 321,000 trees, or about two out of every three trees planted. Community organizations, private partners, and other state agencies have also planted trees counted towards the overall goal.  The 5 million tree planting goal launched after the General Assembly passed the Tree Solutions Now Act of 2021, directing the planting of 5 million native trees on Maryland’s public and private land by 2031. 

Continuing our look at top stories for 2023 – WCBC News has chosen the status of the AES Warrior Run plant in Mexico Farms as a major news point.  The State of Maryland has declared that coal-burning plants must cease within the state by mid-2024. That means the AES plant in Mexico Farms needs to adapt or become obsolete.  AES has said they are looking at alternate fuels including biomass sources of energy to keep the plant operational but has said they will cease coal-fired energy production in May.

The Allegany County Sheriff’s Office and Maryland State Police combined resources to target open and active warrants. As a result, the following individuals have been apprehended. Wednesday, January 3, 2024 Tyler Cloud Dixon, 39 of Frostburg, was served two (2) Circuit Court Bench Warrants, Violation of Probation and Violation of Pre-Trial Release. In the VOP case he was sentenced to 2-years’ Probation Before Judgement (PBJ) for Driving Vehicle While Impaired by Alcohol. His original charges include: Reckless Driving Vehicle In Wanton And Willful Disregard For Safety Of Persons And Property, Negligent Driving In Careless And Imprudent Manner Endangering Property, Life and…