News Staff

Friday will feel a little frigid for area first responders. They’ll be taking the plunge into the cool waters of the Chesapeake Bay around 10 a.m. at Sandy Point, participating in the annual Maryland State Police Polar Bear Plunge that raises money for the Special Olympics. Kent County News reports
Chestertown Police Chief Ron Dixon and many other first responders have formed an online campaign to raise funds. Team Kent, as they are called, with Dixon as captain, combined with law enforcement and first responders from across the region, has set a goal to reach $315,000 — they are well on their way, with just over 80% of that raised.

Portions of Ferry Point Park will undergo maintenance and may be closed periodically through February 4, between the hours of 7:00 AM and 5:00 PM. Trail users are urged to exercise caution and remain mindful of workers during this time. These closures are part of our continued efforts to improve the park system using best practices to control invasive vines, shrubs and trees. These plants are non-native to the region and outcompete the native species to which wildlife have adapted and rely upon for shelter and food.

The QAC Goes Purple Opioid Awareness Commercial Competition is back and open through February 14th, 2025! This contest is open to ALL Queen Anne’s County youth groups. Among the prizes being awared:
airing of your commercial across multiple platforms, a $500 stipend award to your organization to purchase needed equipment or materials, and an invitation to a County Commissioners’ Meeting for recognition. Find out more through a link on the Queen Anne’s County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page.

The Queen Anne’s County Sheriff’s Office investigated a fraud case in which a person reported that his elderly family member told him that he had received a phone call that he would be receiving $5.5 million and a new Chevrolet truck. The person on the phone told him that all he needed to do was to cash a cashier’s check they would send him, and to send them back $80,000 to cover the taxes on his money. The victim sent a $15,000 check that was cashed before the family member was made aware of the scam; the family member was able to stop other payments sent from being processed.

Chestertown Mayor David Foster is continuing his lobbying for a tax differential or tax rebate. Foster has asserted that town residents are typically required to pay both for their local police and for their county sheriff’s office even though the primary responsibility for the sheriff’s office is for residents living outside of town. Foster has announced two “special public meetings” to discuss the issue: Thursday, Jan. 30 at 6 p.m. at Chestertown Town Hall, 118 N. Cross St., and Tuesday, Feb. 11 at 2 p.m. with the Kent County Commissioners at the R. Clayton Mitchell Jr. Kent County Government Center, 400 High St.

Washington College is calling for proposals for the inaugural group of Innovation Plant curriculum fellowships. The Evening Enterprise reports the $15,000 fellowships, funded by a $1.846 million grant from the Philip E. & Carole R. Ratcliffe Foundation, will support educators in developing and implementing innovative courses and programs that leverage the resources of the upcoming Innovation Plant.

Update on a story we told you about last week. Delaware State Police have arrested one person in connection to a Tuesday crash in New Castle County, DE that took the life of a Queen Anne’s County High School ice hockey coach. According to police, just before 10:40 p.m. on January 21, a Dodge Ram was driving south in the center lane of .DE-896 toward the intersection at Pulaski Highway. At the same time, a Chevrolet Express van was driving west on Pulaski Highway towards the same intersection. Police say the van drove through a red light and struck the Dodge Ram. The driver of the Dodge, David Funk, 51, was taken to a nearby hospital. He succumbed to his injuries on January 22. The driver of the Express van, 28-year-old Fidel Villatoro-Martinez of Newark, DE was taken to a local hospital for his injuries. Upon contact with Villatoro-Martinez, police reported the smell of alcohol and said they saw multiple alcoholic beverage containers in the Chevrolet.

Update on a story we told you about earlier. A Wednesday explosion at a Queen Anne’s County cannabis facility leaves two people injured. WMAR reports the incident happened around 2pm at PharmaCann in Stevensville. Investigators believe the explosion occurred inside an extraction booth where propane and butane were being used. The gases are usually part of a process to extract THC and CBD from cannabis plants. Two employees were hurt, one of them severely, however both are expected to survive.

Kent County commissioners threw their support behind a Maryland Economic Development Assistance Fund (MEDAF) conditional loan that might lead to the creation of more than four dozen jobs in the county. The Kent County News reports Kent County Director of Economic and Tourism development, Jamie Williams, told the commissioners at their Jan. 9 meeting that through the lease of warehouse space in Millington, Avail Enclosure Systems could bring 45 new permanent full-time jobs to Kent.

Sheila Austrian has won Tuesday’s special election for the open First Ward council seat in Chestertown. The Evening Enterprise reports she received 110 votes, which included 15 by absentee ballots, to Dawson Hunter’s 82 votes. There are 955 registered voters in the First Ward.