With colleges including Rutgers and Georgetown requiring mask use for indoors this fall, the issue of mask mandates are again in the headlines.  The Center for Disease Control’s mask order expired along with the declaration of the national health emergency in May.  But with students returning to colleges across the country, some schools are trying to mandate both vaccines and masking as return-to-campus requirements.  WCBC checked with local college campuses to see what their policy is for the coming semester.  Kristin Kehrwald of Allegany College of Maryland told WCBC that masking is totally optional on campus and proof of COVID…

Cumberland’s Historic Preservation Plan is one step closer to reality.  The Lakota Group, a consultant group from Chicago hired by the City, visited in the spring and is now ready to present a draft of their plan to the public.  Historic Preservation Planner for Cumberland, Ruth Davis-Rogers, said that the plan is more than freezing properties in time – it facilitates development in different areas including tourism, housing and economic development…   The draft plan is available for view online now at www.cumberlandpreservationplan.com and the public workshop is scheduled for Tuesday, September 12th from 6:30 to 8pm at the Allegany…

The state of Maryland awarded Washington County over $3million for the 2024 cycle of the Rural Legacy Program.  This year’s grant is the largest amount the county has ever received and will be used to permanently preserve significant properties in the Antietam and Sharpsburg areas.  Rural Preservation Administrator Chris Boggs spoke to WCBC and explained the coverage area deals with Antietam Battlefield area…   Boggs explained that these are conservation easements so that further development cannot occur on the preserved properties…  

On Monday, August 28, 2023, the Cumberland Police Department served five bench warrants on Ruby McCullough.  Four warrants were issued by the District Court of Allegany County as the result of McCollough failing to obey an order of the court.  McCullough was originally charged with two counts of CDS: Possess-Not Marijuana, CDS: Possess Paraphernalia, Violate State Fire Prevention Reg, Malicious Destruction of Property less than $1000, and False Alarm/Fire: Cause.  The other warrant was issued by the Circuit Court of Allegany County as the result of McCullough violating pre-trial release on the original charge of Obstructing & Hindering.  She was…

Maryland county leaders are looking to gain more control of cannabis regulations at the local level.  The issue was a topic of discussion at the MACO Conference in Ocean City recently.  When recreational marijuana became legal on July 1, zoning requirements for the location of dispensaries were vague and left to the counties to work out individually.  State law does prohibit dispensaries from being within 500 feet of schools, playgrounds, and libraries but counties are looking to be able to extend that distance.  Allegany County Commissioner Bill Atkinson was at the Maryland Association of Counties and said regulations over locations…

Starting today, code compliance officers from the City of Cumberland will be setting out to do neighborhood nuisance sweeps.  They will begin on Mechanic and Centre Streets and continue throughout the city.  Denise Adams, Citizen Service Representative, tells WCBC that the officers will be using doorhangers to notify residents of any code violations needing addressed…   Residents who are complying with code laws can also expect to see doorhangers…   The sweep will take a couple of months to complete as the compliance officers visit each house on each street.     

A report from the Chesapeake Bay Program shows that since 2013, the bay watershed has lost 25,832 acres of tree cover.  In Allegany County, the loss of trees has resulted in 246 acres removed from the tree canopy.  Trees in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed are critical for both the health of the bay and preventing flooding.  Stormwater runoff is one of the fastest growing sources of pollution in the Bay.  It also results in higher temperatures.  While more than 8,000 acres of trees have been planted since 2013, more than 25,000 acres have been destroyed.  While planting trees is a…

The State of Maryland's reliance on the gas tax as a main source of revenue for the maintenance and improvements of state roads and bridges may be coming to an end. Lawmakers interested in exploring alternatives to the gas tax met with the Commission on Transportation and Infrastructure Needs on Thursday in Annapolis. Transportation consultant Ed Regan told the group that, due to the rise of electric vehicles, the state can expect a 17.5% reduction in revenue from the gas tax by 2030.

The state of West Virginia announced on Monday that schools in 15 additional counties across the state are being added to the roster of schools in the state's Communities in Schools program. A total of 48 schools across 19 counties, including Mineral County, are the newest additions to the initiative.  The program works to forge partnerships and bring resources to schools and help remove barriers to student learning. Mineral County schools now in the program include Keyser Primary, Middle and High School.

The work at the Fort Hill Reservoir in Constitution Park starts this week and may continue into the first part of October.  Residents may notice reduced water pressures during this time as the liner and cover on the reservoir are replaced.  Hydrants throughout the city are being flushed in preparation for the work that begins today. City Engineer Bobby Smith tells WCBC that all Cumberland Water customers will be affected during this work…