Passengers of the Polar Express have been receiving spam calls and emails that all trains are cancelled due to short staffing/maintenance… Wes Heinz, Executive Director for the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad says that is NOT the case! The train is not canceledand and is still running up to Christmas Eve with departures at 1:30, 3:30, 5:30 and 7:30PM. If you have any questions or concerns about your trip to the North Pole please message the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad on any of our social media accounts or call the ticket office at 301.759 4400.

The entrance ramp to Interstate 68 Eastbound from Maryland Avenue will be closed for repairs for a significant part of the day.  All motorists need to find an alternate route of travel.

Update @ 8:27, Mount Savage Rd has reopened. Allegeny County Emergency Services in the area of 14903 Mount Savage Rd for a motor vehicle crash. Mount Savage Rd shut down. Emergency units on scene.   

On 12/19/2023 the Cumberland City Police Department served an Arrest Warrant on Joshua Gene Day. The warrant was issued when Day failed to comply with pre-trial conditions from a previous arrest. Day was seen before a District Court Commissioner and released after posting a $1,000.00 bond. Arrested – Joshua Gene Day (32) Cumberland, MD Charge – Bench Warrant Failure to Comply Summons Served On 12/17/2023 at approximately 9:30 PM the Cumberland City police were dispatched to a business in the 200 block of Greene Street for a counterfeiting complaint. Upon arrival officers spoke to the store manager who advised Antonio…

Allegany Street will be closed to thru traffic between Washington Street and Fayette Street between 7AM – 3PM on Wednesday, and Thursday, December 21st, to allow First Energy to perform work in the area. Signage will be in place to detour passenger vehicles around the road closure. Residents of the affected areas will be provided access to their homes via the Fayette St side of Allegany St. Traffic is expected to be restored at 3:00 PM on each day of work, December 20th & 21st.  Additional information will be released in the event the closure duration needs to be extended.  …

Oriole Park at Camden Yards sits in Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson’s district so he had a stake in getting the Maryland Stadium Authority’s lease deal with the Orioles completed.  Ferguson had opposed the initial lease terms because it lacked deeper oversight by the state on the area’s development.  On Wednesday, Ferguson seemed relieved and excited about the new lease and the potential for development around Camden Yard…

The service of a misdemeanor battery warrant in Martinsburg resulted in the shooting of two West Virginia state troopers and the death of the suspect being served.  Now, one of those troopers has had an amputation due to the severity of his injuries.  Troopers Abe Bean and Cadin Spessert were attempting to serve a warrant on Tobias Ganey when they were met with gunfire which they returned, killing Ganey. Trooper Bean was shot four times and underwent a leg amputation Tuesday morning. Trooper Spessert was struck once but has been released from the hospital.  

Applications are now open for the 2023 Governor’s Schools of West Virginia program.  The program is an immersive summer learning experience within college-based residential settings.  Held at campuses across the state, students in grades 7-11 can attend classes taught by college faculty in computer science, STEM, arts, and business. There is no cost to attend but there is a stringent application process to secure a spot. Applications and more information are available at wvde.us

Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown and a bipartisan group of 52 other Attorneys General today announced a $700 million agreement with Google in their lawsuit regarding Google’s anticompetitive conduct with the Google Play Store. Google will pay $630 million in restitution to consumers who made purchases on the Google Play Store between August 2016 and September 2023. Google will pay the states an additional $70 million in penalties. Those eligible for restitution will receive automatic payments through PayPal or Venmo, or they can elect to receive a check or ACH transfer.

A presentation from the Lakota Group was the highlight of the Cumberland Mayor and City Council meeting on Tuesday evening.  Nick Kalogeresis, Associate Principal for Lakota shared their final Historic Preservation Plan for the city. One of the important findings he spoke of is the importance of growing heritage tourism such as the bike trail – visitors to the city make a large economic impact… Those visitors stay and spend money in local businesses, creating an economic driver…