December 27th, 2024 by WCBC Radio

WCBC 1270AM keeps Cumberland area listeners informed on top news events 24 hours a day on the national and local levels.  The WCBC News team has come up with the top 12 local news stories that kept the attention of our audience this year…

Our Top Story Of The Year – the Downtown Cumberland Renaissance – For 18 months, downtown Cumberland was a work zone – some would say a disaster zone – as crews from Triton Construction disassembled the work of late 1970s urban renewal in favor of reopening the downtown mall to one-way traffic.  The project has provided a fresh look, new infrastructure and the promise of a reinvigorated retail hub as private investors have also poured millions into the redevelopment of historic buildings.

CSX Transportation – Hump Renovations – CSX announced a multi-million dollar investment in the Cumberland rail yard in May.  The hump – where trains are assembled – had not been used since 2017.  An investment of almost $40 million dollars renovated the area, adding new tracks, switching and enabling the yard to process 850 cars each day. The project also brought work back to Cumberland that had been parceled out to Connellsville and Brunswick.

Allegany County Budget Woes – A return to pre-Covid funding levels, state mandates, and a ballooning emergency services line item threw Allegany County government into a deficit situation that currently stands at $3 million dollars. A freeze on county hiring and across the board budget cuts have made only the slightest difference in fiscal status.

Allegany County EMS Issues – Waning volunteerism has forced many rescue squads in the area to close entirely or be supported by the county.  In taking on these stations, the county quickly found itself in financial straits. When the announcement came that a substantial amount of money would have to be cut from the FY 2025 Emergency Services budget, response was quick and strong from citizens and the union representing EMS workers. Finger-pointing over management practices led to a budget standoff that is still unresolved six months into the fiscal year. 

Fort Hill Football Game Forfeitures – The Big Red Machine hit a major speed bump on their way to a fourth straight high school football title this year.  Just days before the annual Homecoming game, an anonymous tip led to the discovery that a Sentinel player was ineligible because of living out of school territory. Parents admitted to submitting false information, causing the team to forfeit five games and putting them on the road through the state playoffs.

Frankfort & Fort Hill State Titles – The power of the region’s high school football programs was magnified by two when the Frankfort Falcons and Fort Hill Sentinels each brought home state titles in December.  Fort Hill won the Class 1A title for the fourth straight time while Frankfort brought Mineral County its first 2A title since 1975.

Frostburg State University “No Confidence” Vote – In September, faculty at Frostburg State University voted “no confidence” in the leadership of President Ron Nowaczyk and Vice President Al Delia, along with Provost Traki Taylor.  Over 80% of voting faculty gave leadership the thumbs down, citing budget, facility, and trust issues.  Shortly after, the college disclosed a $7 million dollar deficit that has resulted in the lay-off of professors and cutting programs.

George Washington’s Headquarters – The cabin in Riverside Park along Greene Street was used by George Washington during the French and Indian War in the 1750s. The Daughters of the American Revolution have maintained the site for nearly 90 years. This year, several incidents of vandalism, indecency, and vagrancy caused the Cumberland Mayor and Council to pass an ordinance banning food at the park in an attempt to reduce loitering. The Cumberland Police have also used a mobile surveillance unit to monitor the area.

The Polar Express – One of the keystone attractions for the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad continues to be the Polar Express excursions in November and December.  Shuttling children and their parents to the North Pole multiple times daily has provided Allegany County with one of its leading tourist attractions.  Estimates put the visitor count each season near 40,000.

RAZ Development – Chosen by the City of Cumberland and Cumberland Economic Development, RAZ was to be the developer who would transform the site of the former Memorial Hospital into affordable housing. The parties went their separate ways this fall after almost a year of negotiations.  Council members said the developer and the city could not come to a common agreement on how the land should be used. A new request for proposals is now in progress to find another developer for the site.

Congressman David Trone – He spent over $60 million dollars of his own money, but in the end it was not enough to win election to the U.S. Senate.  The congressman who is a multi-millionaire, likely turned off voters with a glut of negative advertising and the use of a racial slur during a congressional hearing.  Angela Alsobrooks, County Executive for Prince Georges County, defeated Trone and went on to win the Senate race against former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan.

West Virginia Football Playoff Delay – Frankfort High School’s football team had some extra time to prepare for the state playoffs when the West Virginia Secondary Schools Activities Commission reclassified team rankings at the end of the regular season.  County school systems filed court injunctions over the rankings, causing a delay that lasted over a week before the playoffs could begin.