News Staff

Some kind of electrical event involving a power surge protector is the apparent cause of a house fire in Massey Wednesday morning. The Evening Enterprise reports firefighters were dispatched at 6:26 a.m. for a structure fire in the 34000-block of Maryland Line Road. The fire originated in a first-floor bathroom.
A total of 40 firefighters responded. There were no injuries reported.

Washington College’s Center for Environment and Society (CES) is offering an alternative way to recycle your holiday tree. Instead of sending them to the landfill, the staff at CES is asking for donations of your old holiday trees to build extra bird habitat. As part of the Natural Lands Project, the trees will be arranged in brushy hedgerows and provide extra cover for overwintering wildlife. Thanks to community support, 94 trees were donated last year and were just time to offer some cover to bobwhite quails and other birds in snowy January.
Donated trees can be brought to Semans-Griswold Environmental Hall at 485 S. Cross Street in Chestertown

The Chestertown Lions Club completed their annual Christmas Baskets for the needy service project on Dec. 16, working with various clubs and organizations to deliver boxes of food and 577 bags of new toys to over 400 needy families and seniors in Kent County. The project has served Kent County since the 1980s and has been coordinated by the Lions Clubs of Galena, Millington, Still Pond, Rock Hall and Chestertown since 2000.

Recently, former Queen Anne’sCounty sheriff, the late Charles F. Crossley was honored by the American Legion with a wreath from Wreaths Across America, paying tribute to his service in the National Guard in addition to his sixteen years as Sheriff. Officials say Sheriff Crossley was more than just a leader; he was a mentor, a friend, and an enduring example of dedication and integrity. His legacy of service to both our country and our community will never be forgotten.

Last week, Queen Anne’s County deputies took a missing person’s report for Jacob Gluckman from a family member. Gluckman was last seen in Chester on 12/08 and has not been heard from since. His family is concerned for his wellbeing. Jacob was entered into NCIC as missing and a BOLO was created for dissemination internally and externally with additional information.

The Historical Society of Kent County is proud to announce it has been awarded a $10,000 grant for operating expenses through Maryland Humanities’ Marilyn Hatza Memorial Strengthening the Humanities Investment in Nonprofits for Equity (SHINE) Grant Program. The award reflects the organization’s ongoing commitment to preserving and sharing Kent County’s rich history and culture.
The SHINE Grant Program supports nonprofit organizations in advancing equity and expanding access to the humanities. The Historical Society is the only Kent County organization to be funded this year.

Another holiday heist in our area. Now, the Queen Anne’s County Sheriff’s Office is looking to identify four people linked to a pair of recent thefts at the Queenstown Outlets. Most recently a woman was caught on camera stuffing three Coach purses in a bag, and walking out of the store without paying. The stolen purses are valued at nearly $1500. Less than two weeks before that, on November 25, a trio of women were seen on video stealing $2,000 worth of merchandise from the Nike Factory Store.

On Wednesday, December 18, water service will be temporarily shut off to several communities and areas to allow for the replacement of a leaking water valve. The interruption will begin at 11:00 p.m. on December 18th and is expected to last until 4:00 a.m. December 19th. The affected areas include: South of Rt. 301/50:
Ellendale, Bay Bridge Cove, Kent Manor Inn, Valero convenience store, and all properties along Pier 1 Road.
North of Rt. 301/50: All properties on the 100 and 200 blocks of Love Point Road and 114 St. Clare Place.

The Town of Rock Hall received an early gift, the promise of clean water, by the Kent County Commissioners, reaching an unanimous decision at their regularly scheduled meeting, Nov, 19. Rock Hall Mayor James Cook, was happy if he received support letters for two Legislative Bond Initiatives (LBI) to the State of Maryland, to go towards fixing their infrastructure issues. The first LBI for $375,000 and the second for $394,000.
What they left with was a promise of highly effective green sand filters backed by the County on the condition Rock Hall exhausts all other funding options to keep them.

Governors from Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania gathered with various other officials Tuesday in what the Chesapeake Bay Program says may be the most important meeting for the Program since the 2014 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement was originally signed a decade ago. WBOC reports the Chesapeake Executive Council, which includes Governors Wes Moore, Glenn Youngkin, and Josh Shapiro, announced their plans to revise the Watershed Agreement on December 10th. The announcement follows the Chesapeake Bay Program acknowledging many of the goals of the original Watershed Agreement would not be met by the 2025 target date. A draft report was previously issued to adjust the goals of the agreement beyond 2025.