WCTR News

A Chestertown man has been indicted and arrested in connection with the theft of funds from a 96-year-old woman following a joint investigation by the Chestertown Police Department and Kent County Department of Social Services’ Adult Protective Services. Investigators determined that 77 year oldThomas Dennis Wall had been stealing money from the victim since 2022 by using her debit cards and writing unauthorized checks on her bank account. A Kent County grand jury indicted Wall on Oct. 30, and he was arrested the following day. He is being held without bail pending further court action.

The Kent County Sheriff’s Office is investigating what has been determined to be a homicide.The Evening Enterprise reports at about 3:35 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 4, the sheriff’s office responded to a 911 call about a vehicle stopped on the roadway on Lovers Lane near Chestertown. Upon arrival, a patrol deputy found the male driver deceased from an apparent gunshot wound. The sheriff’s office Criminal Investigation Division and the Maryland State Police Crime Scene Unit responded to the scene to begin an investigation.

Meghan Efland was elected mayor of Chestertown on Tuesday, defeating two challengers in a race that drew strong voter turnout to the historic Kent County town. Myeasternshoremd.com reports
Efland, the Ward 4 council member, received 586 votes compared to 453 for Mark Mumford and 29 for Nikita Beck-Burk, according to unofficial results. The election drew more than 500 voters by noon Tuesday, according to Town Clerk Lynda Thomas.

Queen Anne’s County Commissioners have asked Governor Wes Moore for state assistance to improve safety at the intersection of MD 405 and US 301. This request follows a series of serious and fatal accidents at the site. Data from the Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) shows 66 crashes in the past five and a half years. Of these, 64 occurred during daylight hours, mainly involving MD 405 westbound and US 301 southbound traffic.
Traffic volume on US 301 has increased by 30 percent. Vehicle speeds often exceed 75 mph, raising safety concerns for residents and travelers. After two fatal crashes in three days, SHA temporarily closed the MD 405 crossover in July 2025. SHA later reopened the crossover on October 13.

Delaware State Police have obtained an arrest warrant for a Chestertown man in connection with a fatal hit-and-run crash that occurred Thursday night in Middletown. Troopers said 38-year-old Francisco Mendez-Peralta, of Chestertown, was identified as the driver of a Chevrolet Equinox that struck an E-Bike rider around 7:50 p.m. Oct. 30 on Middletown Warwick Road, about a mile north of Strawberry Lane. The 62-year-old Middletown man who was riding the E-Bike was flown by state police helicopter to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His name is being withheld pending family notification.

The months-long investigation into the disappearance of a Galena woman took a new turn Thursday, Oct. 30 when the Kent County Sheriff’s Office arrested the woman’s live-in handyman. 60 year old Raymond Ernest Anthony of Galena is charged with first- and second-degree murder of 74-year-old Nikole Lynn Snover.
Anthony also is charged with conducting a theft scheme ($25,000 to less than $100,000) and two counts each of credit card theft and credit card fraud ($25,000 to less than $100,000). He is being held in the Kent County Detention Center without bond.

In June 2025, a wide-ranging investigation was launched by the Kent County Sheriff’s Office as they sought to track down Nikole Lynn Snover, who was reported missing by loved ones. The months-long investigation into her disappearance led to several strange discoveries and the arrest of Raymond Anthony for her murder. On Thursday, Oct. 30, a Kent County Grand Jury indicted Anthony on charges that include murder and credit card theft.
First-degree murder;

Talbot County officials say they’re stepping up to help residents feeling the effects of the ongoing federal government shutdown and the loss of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
About 636 county residents work for the federal government, and another 3,700 rely on SNAP benefits each month. County Council has requested $150,000 in additional CARES Act funds, pending state approval, to help the Neighborhood Service Center and St. Michaels Community Center meet growing needs for food and household assistance.

After a unanimous decision by the commissioners on Oct 21, pay for Kent County Board of Elections chief judges and regular judges went up $50 a day, with the judges now also taking on greeting duties previously handled by temporary agency workers. Right now there are 20 chief judges and 100 regular judges. After this action, chief judges will go from $275 per day to $325 and regular judges will go from $250 to $300.

Shore Regional Health officials presented troubling statistics for rural hospitals at the Caroline County Commissioners meeting Tuesday. According to Shore Regional President Ken Kozel, 191 rural hospitals have closed or converted their facilities nationwide since 2005, and 36 rural hospital have closed since 2020.
Kozel mentioned the state and federal government are working together on a new payment model that he said will help the state maintain rural health care. The payment model is called the AHEAD model.