WCTR News

In a 3-2 vote, the Queen Anne’s County Public Schools Board of Education voted to uphold the superintendent’s recommendation and deny application for what would have been the first classical charter school in Queen Anne’s County Sept. 10. The Bay Times and Record Observer reports presenting a final report and an overview of the Queen Anne’s County Public Schools Charter School Application Review Committee process, charter school liaison and Supervisor of Instruction Micheal Bell said the committee recommended denial of the Queen Anne’s County Classical Charter School application Sept. 3, “due to significant and substantiated deficiencies in academic planning, operational capacity, and demonstrated need.”

After a 2023 feasibility study, school officials determined that Kent County Middle School, built in 1950 and renovated in 1976, was too costly to repair. Plans went into effect to tear down the existing building and rebuild the school on the same footprint. Myeasternshoremd.com reports representatives from Kent County Public Schools, the Interagency Commission on School Construction and the Maryland Stadium Authority joined architects from Crabtree, Rohrbaugh Associates to present project plans. The building will feature a multi-tiered security design with clear, definable entrances and exits, distinct classroom spaces, open connecting areas for visibility and collaborative workspaces.

New bathrooms are coming to the North Caroline High School and Colonel Richardson High School outdoor athletic facilities. The Star Democrat reports the project has been in the works since March of 2024, when Caroline County Commissioners President Travis Breeding and Caroline County Public Schools Director of Operations Bill Mengel worked together to make the bathrooms a priority. The commissioners included the new bathrooms in the county’s fiscal year 2025 budget.

Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development Secretary Jake Day visited Kent County on Monday for the department’s latest Day Trip tour stop, visiting town main streets and learning how DHCD has made a positive economic impact on the area. Kent County was DHCD’s 21th Day Trip across Maryland, which is meant to connect department leadership with residents, business owners and public officials. From Fiscal Year 2020 to 2025, DHCD invested nearly $62 million in Kent County for broadband, neighborhood revitalization, community development and homelessness prevention projects.

A 67-year-old Wittman man was cited for theft after allegedly attempting to alter pricing on merchandise at a local Walmart store. Eastern Shore Undercover reports officers from the Easton Police Department responded to Walmart at 8155 Elliott Road on September 8, 2025, following reports of a theft in progress. Upon arrival, police made contact with Rafik Bazikian, who was suspected of removing price tags from Walmart reusable bags in an effort to change the cost of items. Bazikian was issued a criminal citation for the theft charge and released after signing the citation.

At the Caroline County Commissioners’ Sept. 2 meeting, County Administrator Kathleen Freeman told the commissioners about a recent conversation she had with Queen Anne’s County about whether Caroline County was on board for a potential regional detention center. The Kent County News reports commissioners stated that if no new information was made available on the operating budget, they would back out of a drafted agreement that outlines a joint effort on the new 388-bed facility that would house all Caroline, Queen Anne’s and Kent county prisoners.

The Kent County Narcotics Task Force seized illegal prescription pills, suspected cocaine and heroin/fentanyl, and about $1,500 in suspected drug proceeds during the execution of court-authorized search and seizure warrants in June, leading to the arrest of two Rock Hall residents. The Evening Enterprise reports Alvin Lee Cunningham, 51, and Kathleen Lynn Randolph, 40, were served arrest warrants on Sept. 5 charging them with various drug charges.
Randolph also is charged with altering physical evidence in a criminal case. Cunningham and Randolph are being held without bond.

The Talbot County Council on Tuesday introduced a bill that would allow the county to begin accepting money from a statewide cannabis reinvestment fund. The Star Democrat reports the bill introduced Tuesday is the county’s mechanism to establish its own reinvestment fund so it can receive the money allocated by the state. County Attorney Patrick Thomas said there’s currently around $731,000 ready for Talbot County to receive once it creates a fund.

The Caroline County Commissioners have had multiple discussions about the future of solar energy in the county. Another discussion was on the agenda for the commissioners’ meeting Tuesday. The Star Democrat reports they discussed a solar energy ordinance designed to help bring the county’s solar laws in compliance with state laws passed by Maryland General Assembly. The ordinance would allow the county to put certain requirements for solar electric energy generating facilities in place.

The Town of Centreville announced Sept. 9 that a demolition permit has been issued for the Old Mill, a long-vacant industrial building on Route 213, with work scheduled to begin Friday, Sept. 12. Myeasternshoremd.com reports
Centreville Road (Route 213) is not expected to be impacted, and no lane closures are anticipated during demolition, according to the town. Updates will be provided as new information becomes available.
More details can also be found on the newly launched official Town of Centreville Facebook page.