Man Held on $75,000 Bond

A Cumberland man is being held on a total $75,000 bond, following an incident on Furnace Street early Sunday morning. Police received a report of gunshots in the area of Furnace and Valley Streets. Gerald Allen Moore was questioned and police found ammunition on him. Moore was also wanted in connection with a domestic violence incident in May, where he allegedly threatened a woman with a handgun and assaulted her during a fight. He was taken to the Allegany County Detention Center. Three others were also arrested for disorderly conduct and failure to obey a lawful order. They included Desirae Nicole Washington, Latoya Nicole Taylor and Anthony Eugene Palmisano.

Motorcyclist Hurt in Crash

Forty-six year old John Axon, of Milligan's Cove Road in Manns Choice, Pennsylvania, was injured in a motorcycle accident this past weekend. Axon received head and other injuries in the crash. He ran off the side of the road, the back on to it. He was taken to UPMC/Bedford for treatment and was cited in the accident.

Copper Wire Stolen from Somerset Site

About $10,000 worth of copper wire was stolen from two disassembled wind turbines in Somerset County recently. The 150 feet of wire was cut from the turbines, which are owned by AES Wind Generation of Dallas, Texas. The thefts occurred between May 29th and June 11th in the parking lot where the turbines were being stored. Anyone with information is asked to contact police.

Mineral County Trial for Cumberland Man Continued

The trial of Cumberland resident Leo Rodenhauser has been continued in Mineral County Circuit Court. His attorney asked for a delay, so that he could go over information received from prosecuting attorney Jay Courrier with his client. Rodenhauser is accused of being involved in an October motorcycle chase in Keyser that injured two police officers. He was indicted by a Mineral County grand jury in January.

Police Search for Vandal

The Pennsylvania State Police are looking for the person who threw a large rock through an original stained-glass window at a 19th century church in Somerset County. They believe the window was broken on Saturday at the 168-year old Christ Casebeer Evangelical Lutheran Church in Lincoln Township. The glass itself is insured for more than a million dollars, but there are doubts as to whether it can be replaced or restored to its original condition.

Board Seeks Ethics Panel Membership

The Allegany County Board of Education is seeking applicants for membership on its Ethics Panel. The panel is a five-member body, whose primary responsibility is to provide advisory opinions, to conduct hearings on ethics complaints, and to make recommendations to the Board of Education on matters relating to conflict of interest, financial disclosure, and lobbying disclosure. Members are appointed by the Board for a five-year term. Applications are available at the Board Office on Washington Street, or online at "www.boe.allconet.org" under the Community tab and Ethics information.

Commissioners To Meet in Flintstone

The Allegany County Commissioners will hold their weekly meeting this week on Thursday in Flintstone. The meeting will take place at the Flintstone Volunteer Fire Company, beginning at 5 p.m. Community members and all interested individuals are invited to attend.

"Deputy State Fire Marshal of the Year" Announced

Deputy State Fire Marshal William Potts, assigned to the Office of the State Fire Marshal Bomb Squad, has been named the recipient of the "2012 Deputy State Fire Marshal of the Year" award. State Fire Marshal William Barnard made the presentation during a ceremony at the Firemen's Association annual convention in Ocean City yesterday. Deputy Potts began his career with the Office of the State Fire Marshal as a Bomb Squad Technician in October of 2007, after a distinguished career as a bomb technician with the Metro Transit Police in Washington, D.C.

Bongino To Announce Congressional Bid

Former U.S. Secret Service Agent Dan Bongino is expected to announce his plans to run for the Republican nomination for Maryland's 6th District Congressional race today. He ran for U.S. Senate last year, but was defeated by incumbent Ben Cardin. The 6th Congressional District had been held by Republican Roscoe Bartlett for 20 years. The Democrat-controlled General Assembly made significant changes during the redistricting process in 2011, and Democratic Representative John Delaney defeated Bartlett last year.

Health Department Investigates Possible Rabies Exposure

The Allegany County Health Department is working closely with the Board of Education to identify and notify individuals who may have been exposed to a rabid kitten which was taken to Allegany High School on May 20th of this year. The kitten was in the school from 8 a.m. to 10:45 a.m., during an AP Government class. The kitten was confirmed to be rabid on Tuesday of this week, following a period of sickness. Anyone who may have come into direct physical contact with the animal is asked to contact the Allegany County Health Department at (301)-759-5125.

Paw Paw Man Arrested for Theft

Thirty-two year old Paw Paw resident David James Small was arrested Wednesday for the theft of copper pipe and metal conduit from the parking garage at the former Memorial Hospital in Cumberland. Officers noticed the items in a suspicious vehicle inside the garage, and found Small in a stairwell of the garage. A hypodermic syringe was located under the driver's seat of the car. He was charged with theft, destruction of property and CDS possession of drug paraphernalia. Small was held on $4,000 bond at the Allegany County Detention Center.

Cardin Introduces  CAPP Act

Maryland United States Senator Ben Cardin has introduced legislation that would create jobs across the nation by encouraging the restoration of historic buildings into useful economic properties. The "Creating American Prosperity Through Preservation Act" would create Historic Tax Credits, and would help revitalize communities, encourage private investment, and create safer, more secure neighborhoods. One of the projects included in the bill is the Klotz Throwing Company Mill in Lonaconing, better  known as just the "silk mill." The building is being redeveloped as affordable housing with the help of $1.5 million in historic trust funding. The total cost of the project is $7.5 million.

Garrett County Aquatics Team Earns Medals, Ribbons at Special Olympics

The Maryland Special Olympics took place last weekend in Towson, and the Garrett County Aquatics Team competed against athletes from every county in the state. All three swimmers placed first or second in at least two of their events. Robert Broadwater, a first-time swimmer received a gold medal in two of his three events; Zachary Harpole received a gold medal in each of his two freestyle events, and Robin Fife, a veteran swimmer, received two gold and a silver in her back stroke events.

Checks in Mortgage Settlement To Be Mailed

Checks, totaling more than $15 million, are being sent this week to more than 10,000 Maryland mortgage borrowers. The individual checks, totaling about $1480 each are being sent to borrowers who submitted a valid claim through the National Mortgage Settlement. The settlement was the result of accusations that the five largest mortgage servicers in the country engage in abusive servicing and foreclosure practices, including robo-signing-creating foreclosure documents in an assembly-line fashion, without verifying their accuracy.

Bridge Work To Begin Monday in Bedford County

The second of three bridge projects will begin Monday in Everett, Pennsylvania. Cottle's Asphalt of Everett will be repairing the abutments and pier, replacing bridge bearings, as well as deteriorated members of the steel truss. The project will run through October 31st. The bridge is known as the Route 1029 bridge, over the Raystown Branch of the Juniata River in Everett. There will be detours in place, and motorists are asked to be alert and use caution in the area.

Gansler Asks for Freeze on Health Insurance Rates

Attorney General Doug Gansler is urging Maryland insurance regulators to cap any health insurance rate increases above five per cent. The attorney general is also asking for public reviews of any such requests after six months. Rate increases, according to Gansler, should be based on actual data after federal health care reform is implemented, and not on projections that serve the needs of insurance company executives.


Helicopter Makes "Hard Landing" in Morgantown

There were no injuries, but there will be an investigation into why a helicopter made a "hard landing" in Morgantown Wednesday afternoon. The chopper touched down near Lower Hildebrand Road after  noon. Subcontracting work was being done for First Energy, and it was en route from Morgantown to Fairmont. Two people were on board. The Federal Aviation Administration will investigate the incident.

School Lunches to Go Up

The Allegany County Board of Education adopted its FY 2014 budget last night, which includes an increase of ten cents for school lunches. Elementary lunches will now be $2.30, while the cost for middle and high school students will be $2.50. On the school security issue, the board requested $480,000 to administer a school security plan; the county, so far, has not approved that funding.

Fireworks to be Set at Bishop Walsh

Although details have yet to be finalized, Mayor Brian Grim announced the annual Fourth of July fireworks display will be set off at Bishop Walsh School this year. It was announced at a teacher's meeting that the Archdiocese of Baltimore had given its permission to conduct the display from the school's softball field.

Man Arrested for Carrying Firearm

An Accident man was arrested Monday evening at a bar in Friendsville, and charged with openly carrying and wearing a firearm, and possession of a regulated firearm by a prohibited person. Forty-eight year old Raymond Piper, Jr., was allegedly seated at the Sugar Shack bar, wearing a pistol. He was taken to the McHenry barrack, and following a bond review, was released on personal recognizance.

"Operation Takedown VII" Conducted by Police Department

An Arrest Warrant Initiative was conducted by the Cumberland City Police Department's Safe Streets program. A total of 25 individual arrests were made on 29 arrest warrants. Charges ranged from theft, to motor vehicle counts, to assault and drug counts. Cumberland City Police Chief Charles Hinnant credited the partnership between citizens and officers in the apprehension of the individuals that have eluded authorities.

Garrett County Burglary Reported

The McHenry Barrack of the Maryland State Police is investigating a burglary that occurred this past weekend. A call was received around noon on Saturday that a burglary took place in the 1100-block of Blue Goose Road in Friendsville. An unknown person or persons entered the home and outbuilding and removed all the copper wiring. If anyone has any information, they are asked to contact the McHenry Barrack of the Maryland State Police at (301)-387-1101.

Police Called to Memorial Avenue

Cumberland City Police were called to the 100-block of Memorial Avenue Monday afternoon, for the report of a domestic disturbance. A woman had indicated her 16-year old daughter was out of control. The girl had been creating a disturbance by cursing loudly and striking objects. She was taken into custody and charged with disorderly conduct. She was eventually released back into her mother's custody after processing.

Partial Payment Made on Athletic Complex

The loss of  state grants is being blamed. in part,  for Keyser High School's inability to once again make its annual payment on the athletic complex. The school presented the Mineral County Board of Education with $72,000 last week-about $207,000 short of the annual payment. The school was able to make the first payment on the facility in 2009, but since then, has been unable to meet the annual goal. The school lost almost $20,000 in state grants this year.