Allegany County is sponsoring a household hazardous waste collection on Saturday, October 7th at the Fairgrounds.  The county is offering free disposal of common chemicals that tend to collect in household garages and basements that cannot be easily put in the trash or recycling.  Free disposal of auto, garden, household, exterior and hobby-type chemicals and batteries will be received between 9am and 2pm.  Latex Paint can be recycled for $3 each in the original container.  This collection will not be accepting tires, ammunition, electronics, explosives, medicine or medical waste.

Parents, students and staff of the Allegany County Public School System should be advised there is a crash on Interstate 68 eastbound at Industrial Boulevard which has traffic slosed down all around the city of Cumberland and the feeder routes. This is affecting bus stop times for numerous schools.

In our series this week, Silence During Crisis, WCBC News looks at how emergency information is disseminated to the public. Today a nationwide Emergency Alert System test will sound on radios and TVs, while Wireless Emergency Alerts will be sent to cell phones across America. When an emergency alert tone starts going off, don't be alarmed. It's a planned test being conducted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) today, scheduled to begin at 2:20PM. The WEA test will be sent to all cell phones and will display the message in…

Interstate 8 is currently closed from the Johnson Street exit due to a tractor trailer accident involving 4 vehicles on the crosstown bridge. Fire and EMS crews are repsonding to the scene. Motorists are asks to avoid the area and seek alternate routes. WCBC will update this story once details become available. 

Baltimore Street will be closed to thru traffic between Queen City Drive and George Street from Wednesday, October 4th at 6AM to Thursday, October 5th at 6PM. This closure is necessary to facilitate waterline work within the right-of-way. Signage will be in place to notify passenger vehicles about the road closure. Clients of businesses with primary access from that section of Baltimore Street should contact the business directly to determine an alternate means of access.

City resident Dave Biser addressed the Cumberland Mayor and City Council on the issue of vagrancy around the site of George Washington’s Headquarters at Riverside Park.  Biser says that there is trash, beer cans, and a strong smell of urine in a communal hang-out.  Biser related to the council his experience of visiting the area one Sunday morning and interacting with the individuals there…   Biser appealed to the council for some action to manage the situation, including environmental deterrents such as barberry bushes…  

US Senator Ben Cardin has introduced legislation granting a federal charter to the Veterans Association of Real Estate Professionals. The charter designates the group as a Veterans Service Organization.  Their programs will include homelessness prevention, rental counseling, foreclosure prevention and affordable housing opportunities. They will also promote the use of VA home loans which only 10-15% of veterans report as using as a benefit.

Rocky Gap Casino has been under new ownership since June, but has yet to make the move of adding a sports book to their gambling options locally.  The new ownership is eligible for a Class A license, but has not made their plans known. To get the license, Rocky Gap would have to apply with the state’s mandated $1million application fee. Maryland House Minority Leader Jason Buckel says he would like to see a sports book location in Western Maryland, even if it isn’t at Rocky Gap…

West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin is taking issue with aspects of the Inflation Reduction Act that he helped to pass into law.  Speaking on Fox News Sunday, Manchin said that the elements in the bill are not what Democrats are trying to pass and they’ve been taken to task on it…   Manchin says there are specific parts of the bill designed to bring energy production back to the US but it is not being implemented fast enough…