News Staff

Washington College announces former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan as the speaker for its 243rd Commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 17, 2026. The announcement follows Hogan’s comprehensive visit to the Chestertown campus last Tuesday, Nov. 25, a day that highlighted the College’s priorities in education, leadership, and public service. In recognition of his distinguished career in public service, Hogan will also be bestowed with an honorary Doctor of Laws degree at the ceremony for the Class of 2026.

Choptank Community Health System received a $500,000 grant from The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation to support the expansion of its Chestertown Health Center, located at 126 Philosophers Terrace. The Evening Enterprise reports Choptank Health provides care at the Chestertown and Rock Hall health centers through a mobile health unit, and has introduced school-based and community outreach services for residents of Kent County and northern Queen Anne’s County.

Kent County commissioners unanimously voted Monday to restore full operations at the Kent County Detention Center, ending months of contentious debate over whether to outsource inmates to neighboring facilities. The Kent County News reports Commissioner John Price, who initially proposed exploring cost savings through inmate transfers, made the motion to reinstate the detention center. Commissioner Albert Nickerson seconded, and Commission President Ron Fithian voted in favor. The decision came after Price withdrew a request for closed session made earlier in the day, opting instead for public discussion of the facility’s future.

With questions swirling about the future of the local hospital, the Kent County Commissioners received an update Nov. 18 from Upper Shore Regional Health leaders who stressed that the University of Maryland Shore Medical Center at Chestertown is not closing. The Kent County News reports Ken Kozel, president of Upper Shore Regional Health, and Zack Royston, vice president of Rural Health Care Transformation and executive director of the Chestertown hospital, told commissioners that despite nationwide challenges in rural health care, Chestertown remains a critical anchor. Royston said the hospital’s importance cannot be overstated.

Talbot County Council members’ opinions are sharply divided over the latest proposal to amend Chapter 190 of the zoning code governing short-term rentals (STRs) such as Airbnb and Vrbo. TalbotSpy.org reports the bill, introduced by Council Vice President Pete Lesher and Councilmember Lynne Mielke, would reshape how the Short-Term Rental Review Board operates. It adds new requirements for applications and renewals, expands the grounds for denial, and includes stricter rules on neighbor notifications, density caps, and transfer restrictions — all of which have stirred strong objections from many property owners.

A scheduled closed-door meeting Tuesday to discuss the future of the Kent County Detention Center has become a flashpoint over transparency, with the commission president calling it illegal while the commissioner who requested it now says it may not happen at all. Commissioner John Price told the Kent County News Monday evening that the 5 p.m. closed session listed on Tuesday’s agenda will likely not occur as planned, and that he will read a prepared statement instead. The commissioners will then convene for their regularly scheduled 6 p.m. public meeting.

The National Transportation Safety Board last week determined that the catastrophic Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore last year was caused by a single loose wire that caused a container ship to lose power and crash into the bridge. Kent County News reports until the release of the voluminous NTSB findings on Tuesday, it was not clear what caused the ship, the Dali, to suffer two power outages just before the accident.

The Easton Planning Commission last week provided a negative recommendation on a proposal to annex 34 acres of land across from the Easton Airport on the east side of Route 50. On Nov. 20, the commission was divided on whether it would recommend the annexation requested by Norris E. Taylor Contractors. The 34-acre site sits behind the Preston Powersports dealership and Robin’s Nest Floral & Garden Center. The Star Democrat reports in a 3-2 vote, commission members chose to recommend against the annexation, citing traffic concerns and raising a red flag that developers didn’t indicate what the land would be used for in the future.

Discussing revenues, expenditures, unfunded mandates and upcoming county projects, the Queen Anne’s County Finance Department provided an overview of the Fiscal Year 2027 economic outlook to the county commissioners Nov. 18. The Bay Times and Record Observer reports Queen Anne’s County Public Schools continues to be the county’s largest budget commitment. With local demand and state Blueprint for Maryland’s Future mandates, Board of Education funding continues to grow and is expected to approach $90 million next year. Personnel costs, including salaries and benefits, are also projected to rise by more than $6 million across the three-year forecast.

The Town of Rock Hall Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on Thursday, December 11, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. The hearing will be at St. John’s Catholic Church Hall, 5621 South Main Street, Rock Hall, Maryland. The purpose is to collect public input on proposed Zoning Text Amendments and an updated Critical Area District Map. Maryland Updates reports the proposed changes include updates to district maps, non-tidal wetland determinations, growth allocation districts, and enforcement procedures. The amendments aim to align the town’s regulations with Maryland’s Natural Resources Article 8-1809(g). They also include periodic updates to the Critical Area Program and add Modified Buffer Areas to the district map.