This holiday season will see the first Winter Festival and Market sponsored by the Downtown Development Commission at the Canal Place Plaza.  A schedule of events is in the planning stages now with a range of activities being organized.  Melinda Kelleher, DDC Executive Director, tells WCBC that part of the funding for the event has been received via a grant through DeDe Ritchie at Canal Place… The grant and ARPA monies will be used to get needed supplies for the event that is scheduled for the last Saturday in November and the first two Saturdays in December…

One of the fall traditions in the region is the Great Allegany Run, which is now in its 41st year.  The event is set for Saturday, October 7, 2023, and it continues to attract runners of all ages from throughout the region. Proceeds benefit Allegany County Habitat for Humanity. The 15K race begins at 8:00 a.m. at Mason’s Lodge in Mount Savage and ends on Centre Street on the Downtown Cumberland Mall.  A 5K race also begins at 8:00 a.m. in front of the Queen City Creamery. After the race, the awards ceremony will be held at Mezzo’s on Centre…

Due to a lack of players, Southern has forfeited this Friday's game to Fort Hill.  The Sentinels will claim a victory and advance to 3-0 on the season.  Southern is hoping to resume its season when healthy players return.

The Mineral County grand jury recently handed down a list of indictments against residents of Keyser, Ridgeley, Burlington, Cumberland, Frostburg, Springfield, Moorefield, and Richmond, Virginia.  Most of the charges dealt with larceny or breaking and entering.   Other charges included arson, drug possession, and financial exploitation of the elderly.  A total of twenty-three individuals were indicted.

Cumberland city residents are encouraged to attend a public workshop this evening at the Allegany Museum to go over the draft proposal for the city’s Historic Preservation Plan.  Starting at 6:30, representatives from the Lakota Group along with city officials will be presenting their preliminary draft of the plan that will facilitate preservation in the city and encourage economic development through investment and heritage tourism.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources reports that more than 2,000 adult black bears are roaming the lands of Allegany, Garrett, Frederick, and Washington Counties. This represents more bears that at any point since 1973. The western forests of the state offer a steady food source for the animals without too much interference with humans.  The 2023 black bear hunt will occur October 23-28 in the four counties and a total of 950 participants have been selected via lottery for the season. Hunters will be notified by email if they have been chosen for the special season designed to aid…

City of Cumberland Code Enforcement officers are continuing their sweep of the City, letting homeowners know if their properties need some cleaning up. Officers started their sweep with Centre and Mechanic Streets and will be moving along to other areas.  Mayor Ray Morris explains that the sweep will cover the entire city…   Morris says there will be notices of when the Code Enforcement officers will be headed to each neighborhood…    

West Virginia residents and alumni are voicing their concerns and input on the future of the state’s flagship higher learning institution at a series of statewide community forums.  West Virginia University plans to slash more than thirty majors — including languages and creative writing — and eliminate 169 faculty positions. Founding member of the nonprofit Create Virginia, Rebecca Kimmons says the voices of the communities most affected by the budget cuts haven’t been included in the discussions about a path forward. Kimmons said most of the feedback so far has focused on accountability and fiscal mismanagement.

The Moore-Miller Administration has announced more than $15.9 million will be awarded to 118 faith-based and non-profit organizations to protect against hate crimes.   Funding from the federal nonprofit security grant program can be used by the groups to bolster resiliency and security measures, including personnel, security equipment, and security-related planning, exercises, and training. The grants add to a series of administration initiatives to prevent hate crimes to faith-based groups including synagogues, mosques, churches, schools and community centers. Locally, both Lighthouse Christian Academy and Our Lady of the Mountains Parish received grant funding.

A draft of Cumberland’s new historic preservation plan will be presented for public input tonight at the Allegany Museum.  Beginning at 6:30pm, the public is encouraged to come see the plan developed for the city by the Lakota Group from Chicago.  The group visited Cumberland in the spring and talked with citizens and stakeholders to develop the plan.  Ruth Davis-Rogers, Historic Planner for the city, explains that public input is crucial for a successful plan to be developed…   Rogers also says that preservation can take many forms, not just freezing a building in time…