Part of Governor Wes Moore’s 2024 agenda with the General Assembly is his push to make the coming year the Year of Military Families.  His administration is introducing two bills to support Maryland military members and their families. One of those is the Time To Serve Act. Governor Moore says this particular bill will help solve the issue of state employees using their paid-time-off for military service…    

New Year’s Eve activities are scheduled for the downtown area on Sunday evening. The event takes place on Canal Place Plaza, similar to the recent Winter Market.  Downtown Development Executive Director Melinda Kelleher said festivities begin at 10:30 pm with DJ Jimmy Hook and there will be free party items to help welcome in the New Year.  Following the ball drop, fireworks will also take place.  Kelleher said there will be favorites making a return visit from the winter market…    

The Senator George Edwards Fund has awarded a grant of $1.3 million dollars to Garrett Container Systems in Accident.  The business produces aluminum shipping containers as well as custom kennels for the military and private businesses. The company currently employs 110 people.  Steve Kelley, Director of Garrett County Community Development says the grant will enable the company to expand product lines and hire more employees…    

If you decide to take a shopping trip to Frederick in January, be sure to take bags with you.  Effective January 1, the City of Frederick is banning the use of plastic bags at all businesses.  Frederick is one of a growing number of cities banning plastic in an effort to reduce landfill and water pollution.  Businesses will provide paper bags for their shoppers or customers are free to bring their own bags for use in taking home purchases.

Update from the Downtown Development Commission:  Triton has finished  the underground work on Liberty Street and will be transitioning back into installing Silva cells starting next week. They will begin in the Liberty St parklet and move their way up to Centre Street. Once they have completed Silva cell installation on both sides of the middle block of Baltimore, they will begin demolition of Centre Street. We are anticipating Centre Street work to begin in about 2-3 weeks.   Romano (the paver sub-contractor) should begin doing the concrete work (curbs and concrete road base, mostly) on Liberty Street early next week. They will…

On December 26, 2023 at about 5:38 P.M. Hampshire County 911 received a report of a single vehicle crash, involving a tractor and trailer, at 8304 Cumberland Road (Rt. 28) in Springfield, WV. Several first responders were dispatched to the crash, along with Cpl. T. Veach and Deputy B. Liller with the Hampshire County Sheriff’s Office and Trooper Ward of the WV State Police. Deputies learned through investigation the tractor and trailer, hauling logs, was traveling north on Cumberland Road when the driver of the truck lost control of the vehicle and ran off the right side of the roadway….

UPDATE 3:40pm – Roads have been reopened to traffic. Westbound Industrial Boulevard at Virginia Avenue is shut down for a motor vehicle accident with entrapment due to someone traveling the wrong way. Cumberland Fire is on scene working with the trapped patient.  Please find an alternate route.

Effective January 1, the new minimum wage will be $15 per hour. The wage increase was part of Governor Wes Moore’s Fair Wage Act that was signed in to law in April of this year.  The Moore administration says the hike in wages will affect over 200,000 Maryland workers and 150,000 children.  Governor Moore sees the raise as another aspect of leaving no one in the state behind…  

Pennsylvania State Police are asking for the public’s help for information on the killing of two ponies and the wounding of a horse on Menchtown Road in Bedford. The shooting occurred sometime between the hours of 8pm on December 20 and 9am on December 21.  Anyone with information is asked to contact the Bedford location of the State Police at 814-623-6133.  

A recent update for the Western Maryland Delegation by the Canal Place Preservation and Development Authority may have raised more questions than answers.  Part of the development of River Walk involves removing the dam running under the Blue Bridge between Cumberland and Ridgeley.  Cumberland City Engineer Bobby Smith says there is confusion over exactly whose dam it is…   Western Maryland Delegation member Jason Buckel also cautioned the Canal Place Board on looking for money for the project, considering the state’s financial situation…