Crews are two months into the projected three-month repair of upstream miter gates in the main chamber at New Cumberland Locks and Dam The Great Lakes and Ohio River Division’s medium-capacity fleet is repairing cracks to the two gates’ steel girders the Pittsburgh Engineer District’s project engineer for the New Cumberland Miter Gate Repairs Project and they have experienced a lot of wear and tear cutting out the bent and cracked steel and welding in new pieces crews are replacing embedded anchorages that date back to the 1950s it made sense to repair and replace the anchorage as well,” Schultz said That work involves sawing out large chunks of concrete using a diamond wire saw Engineers provided inspection and repair procedures The fleet deployed its dive team to remove and replace old pintle balls which give gates a pivot point to open and close The rubber J seals at the base of the gates are also being replaced to prevent dry rot The main chamber closed to navigation February 28 Work is scheduled to be complete in late May or early June The repair project was scheduled three years ago to accommodate the schedule of the medium-capacity fleet A challenge to the work involved long lead times in procuring replacement parts which can take one to two years to be manufactured and delivered Extreme precision is also required to set the repaired gates back in place in exactly the same position to ensure they seal properly and to prevent leaks a crane operator has to set the pintle bushing directly on top of the pintle ball Crews have coordinated with the Pittsburgh Engineer District’s survey team to complete that work While the 1,200-foot by 110-foot main chamber is closed vessel traffic continues to move through the 600- by 110-foot auxiliary chamber Miter gates in that chamber were replaced in late 2022 Schultz said there has not been a need for a queue so far as traffic continues to move He credits weekly calls with industry stakeholders and notifications about brief auxiliary chamber closures to provide access to the worksite as far in advance as possible as being key to ensuring safety and efficiency for all involved because of a barge allision that compromised their structural integrity He said performing the repairs now will help to maintain their reliability for years to come “The main goal is to keep these chambers operational for our inland navigation,” Schultz said adding that proactive repairs help to prevent or minimize future emergency closures more than 180 million tons of bulk commodities travel the Ohio River through its system of navigational locks each year Typical commodities moved in the region include coal Featured photo caption: A welder for the Medium Capacity Fleet works to repair damages on a miter gate April 15 at New Cumberland Locks and Dam which is part of the Huntington Engineer District arrived on site to begin work at the end of February and is expected to complete the repairs by the end of May Residents and nature enthusiasts are in for a rare treat as over 40 bald eagles were spotted on the backwaters of New Cumberland — Residents and nature enthusiasts are in for a rare treat as over 40 bald eagles were spotted on the backwaters of New Cumberland Just up the road from Mountaineer Casino Resort the rare gathering has drawn residents eager to catch a glimpse of these majestic birds "I was passing by last night and I looked over and saw dozens of them,” resident Rick Welday said “There were three times as many as there are here now And it’s just amazing to see that many bald eagles in this area.” Locals who regularly spot eagles were stunned by the sheer number Many residents said there are typically two eagles regularly living in the area "I drive school bus,” resident Jodi Davis said look there’s an eagle,’ and we would all look out of the window But a friend of mine texted me and said there was like 20 of them down here I’m gonna go down and take a couple pictures and look cause it’s nice to see; it’s interesting" Some are calling it a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity News & Reviews News Wire Cumberland & Knox is new name for Maine Switching’s Rockland Branch Company also seeks to operate long-dormant 'Lower Road' between Brunswick and Augusta to forestall abandonment Maine — Maine Switching Services on Monday (April 28) finalized a lease agreement with Maine’s Department of Transportation that will allow freight operations to resume on the 56.6-mile state-owned former Maine Central branch between Brunswick and Rockland The operating entity will be known as the Cumberland & Knox Railroad (CKRR) named for the counties where the route’s endpoint cities are located Cumberland & Knox has submitted a proposal to operate the “Lower Road,” a 33.5-mile is ready to resume freight service after being purchased by Heidelberg Materials Maine Switching’s government affairs manager tells News Wire the company has loaded railcars at plants in Pennsylvania and South Carolina that are ready to ship to the Thomaston factory for processing Midcoast’s last operation on the branch occurred in October 2024 Maine DOT has made regular hi-rail inspections but highway crossing signals have been shut off we are reactivating and testing track circuits and equipment,” Kelly says “When cars show up for Dragon [at the CSX Brunswick interchange] Potential customers have resorted to trucking and have told us they would like to move back to rail as soon as possible.” Motive power assigned for initial CKRR operations has not been determined but Kelly thinks it will likely be a Maine Switching GP9 “It is the continued goal of CKRR to offer passenger rail service on the Rockland Branch.” The railroad “is currently determining the best excursion rail operations and when it will be most practical to commence any excursion passenger rail.” Maine Switching never said it planned to operate regularly scheduled passenger trains in its proposal to Maine DOT with or without direct involvement by Amtrak or the Downeaster’s Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority would come with costly liability insurance requirements that laws currently don’t require of excursion service Reactivating “Lower Road” operations “recognizes the essential need to support freight and passenger operations on the Rockland Branch,” Cumberland & Knox states in a press release Maine Switching Services president Joe Feero adds “Limited space in the Brunswick terminal area make expansion of rail support facilities limited.” The Lower Road once hosted the majority of Maine Central’s passenger trains to Waterville and Bangor; other trains operated on tracks CSX now owns via Lewiston But the heavily treed route Cumberland & Knox seeks hasn’t seen activity in more than a decade except for some Midcoast railcar storage near Brunswick The release notes acquiring the line will “better position CKRR to capture the growing demand for rail tourism expand on the success of the growing rail cycle industry and work with business and community partners to develop freight traffic.” Such a plan portends sequencing capital improvements that won’t require the kind of substantial upfront expenditure the Downeaster needed when it launched Boston-Portland Staking out a claim to operate what is now dormant trackage attempts to rebut widespread efforts by Maine’s increasingly vocal trail-only proponents who seek to rip up inactive or lightly-trafficked state-owned rail routes “Cumberland & Knox has engaged in open dialogue with advocates of rail removal to collaborate on possible solutions to meet the needs of both rail usage and recreational trail interests along the Lower Road corridor.” Feero adds “We envision that the Lower Road to Augusta and beyond will be well-suited for hybrid passenger rail … and welcome the opportunity to partner with Maine DOT to explore various options before rail is removed from the corridor.” Asked to elaborate on what “hybrid” might mean “We are looking into what is practical for us and the state for some kind of passenger service on the Lower Road that is consistent with all of our needs.” the state abandons the railroad only to have the industry open back up a few months later That’s why the Bay Coast railroad was ripped up by trail nuts Imagine if every public entity that owns rail infrastructure made rash decisions like that The revival of the Rockland Branch may happen but forget the “Lower Road” thru Augusta The tracks are still in place in most places but the cost to rehabilitate the line will be exorbitant even for a tourist operation the grade crossings are paved over in Hallowell and the line is covered in gravel and turned into a horizontal parking lot in downtown Augusta (I believe that there is a clause in the contract between the state and the city that if the state ever was to revitalize the railroad line the state would have to replace the lost parking spaces on a one for one basis.) Most of the ties in certain areas have rotted into the ground and will need replacement a tourist operation was started using a Budd car but gave up after a while because of the lack of passengers and track conditions I think the town can sweat a few parking spaces if more people start to use public transportation no barrier should be seen as too large if the state already plans to build a new station in Portland to align more frequent service toward Brunswick They’re no better than the worst NIMBY Members enjoy 15% off any purchase in our store. Join Today Get updates and special offers via email from Trains.com brands (WHP) — A driving lesson ended in a crash Tuesday leaving a New Cumberland Borough Park pavilion damaged and a pole on the ground An SUV collided with the pavilion around 2:53 p.m It happened while a father was trying to teach his daughter how to drive a New Cumberland Borough Police officer confirmed to CBS 21 Photos from the scene show the pavilion blocked off with police tape At least one of tables under the pavilion was left flipped and a pole toppled over there's no estimate of how much the damage will cost Patrick’s Day Party Ever in Downtown New Cumberland on Saturday March 15th Bridge Street will be closed from 4th to 3rd Street The McGinley School of Irish dance will kick off the celebration Don’t miss the chance to kiss the Blarney Stone for good luck or maybe a blessing from Saint Patrick himself Other festivities include: Live Music Vendors and Face Painting plus all of your favorite Irish drinks from Dead Lightning For more information, click this link Contact us: info@PennWatchMedia.com — A breathtaking sight has captivated residents of New Cumberland as more than 40 bald eagles have gathered along the backwaters along W.Va But there is one question everyone seems to be asking "Mesmerized; just the amount of them,” Sylvia Resnik said And sometimes they fly fairly close,” Linda Liedtke added RELATED: Eagle-eyed residents flock to New Cumberland for rare sighting of 40 majestic bald eagles wildlife program director for the OSU Extension the large gathering of eagles isn’t uncommon during the winter months eagles will sometimes congregate at feeding sites in pretty large numbers,” Titchenell said “This is especially the case when may be the river in lakes and other areas that they frequent freeze in this then forces them to search new places for food." Experts say these gatherings also serve another important purpose "They typically use these congregations as a bonding and social experience,” state wildlife officer Kiri Williams said “They can find a possible mate to spend their lives with and reproduce during this time.” bald eagles were on the brink of extinction in 1963 the population has climbed to about 316,700 individual bald eagles While the increasing number of bald eagles is a sign of a thriving population Titchenell urges people to be mindful of their presence “This definitely applies to bald eagles during the nesting season during the nesting season if they’re getting disrupted too much by humans going to close or other animals even that can cause them to abandon the nest so we definitely want to keep our distance." As for whether the eagles will return to this location next year Their migration patterns can shift based on weather conditions and food availability those lucky enough to witness the spectacle are getting an incredible glimpse at one of nature’s most powerful creatures 2 project through New Cumberland is finally moving forward as the bidding process goes out Oct Talks of the project have been going on for more than 12 years The project is meant to improve the intersection at North Chester and Madison streets eliminate the two railroad crossings along the state route as well remove the S curve going down Station Hill "It will rebuild the wall and the drainage that goes down,” BHL Executive Director Mike Paprocki said “It will widen the road out to about 24 feet It will probably have a foot on each side so you can have the curb and the gutter It will allow the trucks to pass a lot safer It will be a lot safer for the motoring public." The intersection with the traffic light on North Chester Street will no longer be part of Route 2 as the route will be rerouted at the bottom of the hill This change will eliminate the S-curve for Route 2 RELATED:Focus turns to W.Va. 2 in New Cumberland with Wellsburg-Brilliant Bridge completed "State Route 2 will go straight and go parallel with the railroad and bypass the second crossing and it will come down the rest at the foot of the bridge,” Paprocki said The project is estimated to cost $10 million none of which will be coming out of Hancock County's budget "About six years ago there was a levy that was a ballot issue that was put on by Governor (Jim) Justice to do what was called Roads to Prosperity,” Paprocki said “This was one of the 10 projects selected by Governor Justice to use what we call to go bonds as part of the general revenue that would come through to build highways." Paprocki explained you may see demolition work begin around the first of the new year 2 through New Cumberland be patient as the wait will be worth it "They won’t be making the two bad bends,” 1st Ward Councilman Michael Watkins “There won’t be traffic jams going up and down Station Hill It’s going to alleviate traffic and having that heavy traffic off of the main street of town." accompanies owner Justin Greathouse as they go Christmas tree shopping NEW CUMBERLAND — Maverick always was an attention-getter who could not be missed when visiting Justin Greathouse’s home so Greathouse cannot help but be puzzled how the 160-pound dog has not been spotted in almost three weeks Maverick is a blue merle harlequin Great Dane Greathouse and girlfriend Brittany Cooper are offering a $5,000 reward for information that leads to Maverick being reunited with his family Greathouse said that friends are sharing their plea for Maverick’s return Thermal drone operators have swept more than 3,009 acres “We haven’t had any reliable sighting,” he added The couple use invisible fencing for their dogs But Maverick did not have his collar on while going outside on Jan disappeared from the Pleasant Hills Road area in New Cumberland that is his home The reward started at $500 and has now increased to $5,000 who is not only micro-chipped but neutered and thus cannot be used for breeding “We just want our dog back with us,” he explained snatched to try to make some money — anything at all so my family can have peace,” Greathouse said adding the family of four includes a 7-year-old boy and a baby on the way Anyone with information should contact Greathouse at 304-277-9925 or Cooper at 304-374-4604 Today's breaking news and more in your inbox Franciscan University’s Steubenville Conferences have provided Catholics and .. WHEELING — Vitalant reminds the public that new moms need blood for one in every 83 births Copyright © 2025 Ogden News Publishing of Ohio | https://www.weirtondailytimes.com | 114 Lee Ave. (WHP) — A man has been arrested following a shooting that happened late Saturday evening in New Cumberland has been charged with criminal attempted homicide in connection to the incident Officers with the Fairview Township Police Department arrived in the 100 block of Meadowbrook Court around 11:55 p.m to find that one person had been shot multiple times in the chest The suspected shooter had fled from the scene but police were able to identify the alleged shooter as Sanjurjo-Rodriguez Officers immediately obtained an arrest warrant for Sanjurjo-Rodriguez for criminal attempt homicide firearms not to be carried without a license Pennsylvania State Police arrested Sanjurjo-Rodriguez near Selinsgrove Officials said that Sanjurjo-Rodriguez knew the victim and there is no known threat to the public (WHP) — A New Cumberland restaurant must now make repairs following an "unfortunate incident" that cracked one of the business's windows Sunday morning filed a report with police after a man smashed his head into the glass window around 6:16 a.m. The restaurant said it all stemmed from an argument between a couple outside the building Community members have taken to Facebook to share their well-wishes with the business with other local businesses offering words of support Taqueria El Puente said in a Facebook post that it will likely still be open on Tuesday with adjusted hours CBS 21 has reached out to police for more information and is waiting to hear back Footage was shared with CBS21 of the man who reportedly smashed his head into the business: (WHP) — A fire in New Cumberland on Sunday spanned two homes Dispatch reported the homes burned for at least 45 minutes New Cumberland Fire and New Cumberland Police responded to the scene with assistance from surrounding stations (WHP) — Police in Lower Allen Township are asking the public for help locating suspects after multiple vehicles were broken into The break-ins were reported around 6:25 a.m. Saturday in the Beacon Hill Development, police said in a news release Surveillance footage from that day showed at least four masked individuals in Beacon Hill between 2:20 a.m Unlike typical vehicle break-ins where suspects check for unlocked cars police said these suspects have been breaking windows and entering vehicles Police said one of the suspects did cut themselves on glass One of the suspects was seen wearing an Under Armour sweatshirt and another was earing a Denim Tears cotton wreath sweatshirt Police are asking anyone with information or "anyone who knows someone who was recently cut and who wears similar clothing" to contact the Lower Allen Township Police Department Neighboring jurisdictions have also seen similar reported break-ins The department offered the following tips: (WHP) — Community members are raising money for two families who lost everything in a New Cumberland fire over the weekend One GoFundMe was created byStephanie Mcclucas who said her mother was a victim of a fire that broke out Sundayon Miller Avenue PREVIOUS COVERAGE | Crews tackle fire involving 2 homes in Cumberland County "It was an electrical fire and everyone was thankfully okay but they did lose everything that was in the house," Mcclucas wrote in the GoFundMe description "We have decided to raise this money to help pay for any unforeseen cost as a result of this tragedy." Anyone looking to donate can do so here or using the button above A second GoFundMe was created byAshley Treichler who said her sister and her family also lost everything in the fire The goal for that fundraiser is also $5,000 "Anything will help them get back on their feet,"Treichler wrote Donations can be made to that family here or using the button above Duie Pyle opened its 31st location in January at 475 Terminal St.Photo provided .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Daniel Urie | durie@pennlive.comA supply chain company has opened a new facility in Hampden Township A. Duie Pyle opened its 31st location at 475 Terminal St The company provides transportation and distribution services including LTL (also known as “less-than-truckload”) services and warehousing The facility has 85 LTL service center doors The service center is undergoing a complete refresh dock area and fleet maintenance facilities five fleet technicians and six managers at the facility the company expects to employ at least 86 more workers at the facility “Opening a facility in Camp Hill strengthens our significant footprint in the Northeast allowing us to maintain our commitment to delivering top-tier service and solutions,” John Luciani “With increased operational capacity in the region we are well-positioned to meet evolving customer demands drive local economic growth and create new opportunities for the community and the Pyle team.” Duie Pyle was founded in Pennsylvania more than a century ago Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, (updated 8/1/2024) and acknowledgement of our Privacy Policy, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/1/2025) © 2025 Advance Local Media LLC. All rights reserved (About Us) The material on this site may not be reproduced except with the prior written permission of Advance Local Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site YouTube's privacy policy is available here and YouTube's terms of service is available here Ad Choices Goals and budgets will soon be at the forefront of local boards in 2025, with four new Cumberland County Board of Education members and three new county commissioners. some topics have repeatedly come up concerning schools improving test scores and construction of a new E.E Smith High School are among the issues being discussed by district employees and officials or parents and students Some of the matters have been ongoing for a few years Here’s a look at what to know and the latest on each subject Dr. Marvin Connelly Jr., Cumberland County Schools superintendent, announced in December that he is retiring July 1 The process for searching for a new superintendent has not yet been announced but selecting and naming a new head of the district will be among the Board of Education’s responsibilities in 2025 E.E. Smith High SchoolIn October, the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners voted 6-0 to build a new E.E. Smith High School but did not take the Board of Education’s 5-3 recommendation that the school be built at Stryker Golf Course A schools spokeswoman said in August that the school district had evaluated eight sites but recommended Stryker Golf Course as the best option based on an engineering firm’s assessment School district officials have said repeatedly that the other evaluated sites were in wetland areas and that there is no space to build on the school’s current property The board's vote in October signified officials agree that a new school be built and discussions about the location are expected to continue in 2025 Smith High School is not the only new school needed in Cumberland County County commissioners received a presentation in October about the county’s debt model and a capital $160 million planning model for Cumberland County Schools which includes expected funding for a new high school and elementary school In a December 2023 application for state funding, the school district stated construction of a new 110,000 square foot, $56 million elementary at 3876 Sunnyside School Road is a need The funding request also called for the consolidation of J.W Teacher pay and shortages have been part of an ongoing statewide discussion for several years Commissioners' chairman Kirk deViere said the expected discussions about the matter to continue The state sets the pay schedule for teachers but counties can opt to supplement the pay In May, Board of Education members supported an increase, but some members said they thought a request for increasing teacher supplements was too late to consider during the budget request process but could be something revisited this year During an October Board of Education meeting some board members raised concerns about student performance ratings among minority students The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction annually analyzes school districts’ end-of-course and end-of-grade test scores American College Testing scores and other areas to determine a district's accountability rating DPI also analyzes student proficiency based on test scores in math with Cumberland County Schools having a 50.9% proficiency level in 2023-2024 Board member Judy Musgrave said a 25% achievement gap for Black students is not acceptable Board President Deanna Jones said she thinks more needs to be done to reach the district’s Black students and subgroups like students with disabilities those for whom English is a second language or those who are homeless or in foster care “What are we doing for those kids to make them more proficient Staff writer Rachael Riley can be reached at rriley@fayobserver.com or 910-486-3528 She was born in New Cumberland on October 2 the daughter of the late James and Myrtle (Brown) Moore she was preceded in death by an infant daughter Betty was a life member of the New Cumberland Volunteer Fire Department attended the New Cumberland Christian Church and formerly served on the street committee in New Cumberland and Jack (Lori) Ashcraft of New Cumberland She was blessed with nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren; two sisters of Weirton and Nancy Shields of New Cumberland Family and friends will be received on Sunday 2024 at the Nixon Funeral Home of New Cumberland from 1 to 3 pm and 5 to 7 pm where funeral services will be held on Monday September 16 Interment will follow at New Cumberland Cemetery — Dollar General has opened a new store at 349 Cambridge St The store is set to host a grand opening event at 8 a.m The first 50 adult customers will receive $10 gift cards and the first 100 customers will receive DG tote bags we believe the addition of our new Cumberland store provides positive economic growth for the community through the creation of new jobs and career growth opportunities; increased accessibility to affordable products; the generation of tax revenue and access to Dollar General Literacy Foundation grants,” said Matthew Simonsen Dollar General’s senior vice president of real estate and store development we look forward to being a strong business partner and good neighbor as well as welcoming customers to our new store.” The store is expected to employ six to 10 people The company is also committed to supporting literacy and education initiatives through the Dollar General Literacy Foundation nonprofit organizations and libraries within a 15-mile radius of the store can apply for grants from the foundation the foundation has awarded more than $254 million in grants to nonprofit organizations helping more than 21.8 million individuals take their first steps toward literacy or continued education Normal hours of operation can be found through the Dollar General app