The holiday season is coming fast and the annual Christmas Tree lighting for downtown Cumberland is still scheduled to go on the day after Thanksgiving, even with construction – but this year’s festivities will be held on the plaza at Canal Place. Mayor Ray Morriss says the event will switch back to the center of downtown next season… The Mayor reminds people to come down for more than the tree lighting during the Thanksgiving weekend…

The annual Fall Open House for Allegany College of Maryland is scheduled for this Friday, November 17th. Tour times are available at 8:30am or 10:15am. Visitors should check in at the Thomas Welcome Center.  Kristen Kehrwald, Communications Coordinator for ACM, shares that the tour covers the entire campus, including housing at Willowbrook Woods… Kehrwald encourages high school students and anyone in the community curious about whether college is right for them to attend the event…

With the Fair Warning Act of 2023, revisions to the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification, or WARN Act will update current law by expanding coverage to businesses that employ 50 people or more. It will increase the lead-time for mass layoff or closure notification from 60 to 90 days to provide more advance notice. States will be required to establish a Rapid Response committee so employees can quickly get training and other support services needed to prepare for a job loss. It also requires the Department of Labor to create and make a searchable database of all WARN notices.

A new ladies Boutique has opened at 50 North Centre Street in downtown Cumberland. Myla and Maple is a full service ladies boutique with a full service bar in the back.  Chelsea Boyle and Andrea Beall owners spoke with WCBC news during the ribbon-cutting event on Wednesday and said it's a style bar…. There are plans down the road to add some men's clothing to the boutique but for now it's strictly ladies. Cumberland's newest unique and trendy spot also provides cocktails as you wait for your friends in downtown or a quick drink before dinner at one of the…

With the difficulty in understanding just what the Blueprint for Education means for Maryland’s schools, it’s no wonder that help has had to be provided to the counties.  Allegany County School Superintendent Jeff Blank tells WCBC that someone chairs each of the five pillars of the Blueprint in the school system and now they have the help of a Strategic Planner, provided by the Blueprint’s Accountability and Implementation Board…

Maryland’s opioid restitution funds are starting to trickle down to the city level. The funds came to the State of Maryland through legal settlements with prescription drug manufacturers and distributors who aggressively marketed the drugs and downplayed addiction and overdose risk. Recently, Cumberland Police Chief Chuck Ternent talked with the City Council about the funds already received by the City… More dollars will come in abatement funds that the city can use to support treatment, recovery, harm reduction, and other programs.  Cumberland will be working with Allegany County jointly to fund services in the local communities…

Maryland Governor Wes Moore today announced the appointment of Meghan Conklin as the state’s first chief sustainability officer and Michael Hinson as the state’s first chief resilience officer. Through a whole-of-government approach, the chief sustainability officer and the chief resilience officer will work to address the current and future effects of climate change.  “Addressing the existential threat of climate change requires bold and decisive action. We must think strategically and we must address our present challenges to prevent future effects,” said Governor Moore. “I am confident that Meghan Conklin and Michael Hinson possess the leadership qualities necessary to meet this…

Governor Wes Moore today announced the appointment of Usherla DeBerry as acting director of the Governor’s Office of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. The governor also announced the members appointed to the newly-created State Board of Sign Language Interpreters.  “It is vital that we provide all resources and access to opportunities for Maryland’s Deaf and hard of hearing community. I am confident that we have the right team in place to accomplish that goal,” said Gov. Moore. “I am grateful that Ms. DeBerry and the new board members answered the call to serve. I thank Acting Director Breen for…

The Allegany County Sheriff’s Office and Maryland State Police – Barrack C have combined resources to target open and active warrants. As a result, the following individuals have been apprehended. Wednesday, November 15, 2023 Dale Franklin England, 58 of Cumberland, was arrested on a Circuit Court Bench Warrant for Failure to Appear. His original charges include: Displaying Expired Registration Plate, Operating Unregistered Motor Vehicle, Displaying Registration Plate Issued to Other Vehicle, Driving Without License, Driving on Revoked Out of State License, and Knowingly Driving Uninsured Motor Vehicle. He is being held without bond pending a bail review in Circuit Court….

U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen (both D-Md.) today praised President Joe Biden’s nomination of Maryland attorney Nicole Berner to fill a vacant Maryland seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. “Nicole Berner has been fighting for civil rights and worker rights throughout her career and we are excited to have her bring this experience and deep knowledge of the law to the federal bench in Maryland. As the general counsel of the 2-million-member strong Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Ms. Berner oversees their legal work in complicated areas of the law, including labor,…