House Minority Leader Jason Buckel already has the coming General Assembly session on his mind.  The legislator has been at work on legislation with other state Republican representatives on crime bills to introduce in January and has been listening for what Governor Moore has in mind for the weighty issue of juvenile crime. Buckel says that the Governor has the right mindset, but needs his team to come together… Buckel says that Democrats want to take a much softer touch with the treatment of juvenile offenders than what most Western Maryland residents are used to seeing occur…

With the reorganization of the Senator George Edwards Fund, there have been questions of how the process will work for fund distribution as well as the future of the fund in light of a looming budget deficit for the State of Maryland.  George Edwards seems optimistic that funding will continue at least through the five years passed in the original legislation, bringing $50 million dollars to invest in Allegany, Garrett, and Washington Counties… Edwards says the $20 million distributed in the first round should start to show its benefits soon and that will help the fund’s future…

Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen continues to press the Biden Administration on answers to a letter he and 23 other senators sent to the President seeking information on two clear U.S. priorities: supporting an Israeli strategy that will effectively defeat the threat from Hamas and taking all possible measures to protect civilians in Gaza.  Van Hollen supports continued aid to Israel but wants clarity on the use of the US funding.  He spoke recently on Face The Nation about the letter’s reference to funding uses…

The State of Maryland has declared that all new cars sold in 2035 and beyond must be electric, leading to gas-powered cars becoming almost obsolete in the state.  However, the government’s demand for electric vehicles does not match the desire of car buyers.  Recently a coalition of almost 4,000 auto dealers sent a letter to President Joe Biden, saying that the heavy push to electric vehicles is not feasible, leaving cars setting unsold on lots across the country.  Dave Carroll, General Manager of Younger Toyota, talked to WCBC’s Dave Norman about the market for electric vehicles, saying the big  production…

The Allegany County Sheriff’s Office and Maryland State Police have combined resources to target open and active warrants. As a result, the following individuals have been apprehended. Wednesday, November 29, 2023 On 11/29/23, Shawn Dante Holloway, 45 originally of Baltimore, was transported from Jessup Correctional Institution, Jessup, Maryland to the Allegany County Detention Center. Holloway was served a Circuit Court Bench Warrant for Violation of Probation. His original conviction was for Armed Robbery where he was sentenced to 20 years incarceration with 9 years suspended and 3 years of supervised probation. He is currently being held without bond pending a…

Evening home games will now start at 6:40 p.m., except for Saturday games before the All-Star break, which will begin at 4:05 p.m. After the All-Star break, Saturday games will start at 6:40 p.m. The new start times are in reaction to feedback from season-ticket holders, who expressed their appreciation for the earlier start times for games in April, May and September last season. There will be 12 midweek day games starting at 12:35. The Pirates open their home schedule with the Baltimore Orioles on April 5 at 4:12 p.m.  That start time coincides with the area code for most…

Local credit unions came together recently to assist teachers and parents with increasing financial literacy among their high school students.  The Maryland/DC Credit Union Association and its Western Maryland Chapter created a Financial Reality Fair for students enrolled in Personal Finance classes in Allegany County.  The Fair serves as a unique opportunity for students to experience the financial challenges of career choices, living on a specific salary and paying for basics including housing, utilities, transportation, and food. A simulation allowed students to see how choices they made affected their budget.  

Maryland’s Department of Health has launched the “Building A Healthier Maryland” community input survey.  The survey is being done to identify critical health needs of residents and communities.  The Department will use the survey results to address the most important health priorities in Maryland over the next few years. Questions focus on healthcare issues and accessibility. The survey takes no more than 10 minutes to complete and can be found at health.maryland.gov.  

The Cumberland Police Department, in collaboration with allied agencies, including the Allegany County Sheriff's Office, Maryland State Police (MSP), Combined County Criminal Investigation Unit (C3I), and MSP Aviation, responded to a reported armed robbery at a business located in the 800 block of N. Mechanic Street. The incident occurred on November 29, 2023, at approximately 7:18 pm. Law enforcement personnel from multiple agencies arrived at the scene to assess the situation and initiate an investigation. The C3I and the Cumberland Police Department is currently leading the ongoing investigation, working in conjunction with the allied agencies mentioned above. The priority is to…

It’s not only the holiday season, it’s also cold and flu season, sending people to their doctors looking for relief from coughs and sniffles.  However, caution is needed when deciding what medications should be used.  Dr. Rameet Thapa, Infectious Disease Director at UPMC Western Maryland, says that oftentimes antibiotics are prescribed but not for the right symptoms and lead to overuse and more resistant infection… 16 secs Dr. Thapa recommends doing some research before asking a doctor for an antibiotic prescription…