June 27th, 2014 by WCBC Radio

Another local volunteer fire department has been shut down as a result of questionable financial practices. Dick DeVore,  Allegany County’s director of emergency services, announced during Thursday’s commissioners meeting that the Clarysville department is now closed. Effective immediately that area will be covered by the county’s mutual aid agreement. Clarysville is the latest of the area’s  volunteer fire and rescue companies that  have faced troubled times over their financial practices, including cases of embezzlement and other problems that have closed other departments. Last December , Eric Clark, a former chief of the Clarysville Fire Company pleaded guilty to a scheme to steal $11,298 from the department’s bar operation during the time he was managing the bar. Other departments hit by theft or embezzlement include Baltimore Pike and Clarysville. The McCoole department was taken out of service last year after it ended up more than $1 million in debt and the station in foreclosure. Devore said every effort was made to maintain operations at Clarysville but in the end, closing it was deemed the best course of action…