News Staff

The Kent County Public Library is soliciting bids for work to be done on the Chestertown Library, Inc. Building located at 207 Calvert St. Originally constructed in 1906 as the Hearse House, this structure was moved to its current location and gifted to the County government to be managed by the Kent County Public Library in 2002.
The architecture and engineering services as well as the repairs and renovations will be funded through an African American Heritage Preservation Program grant from the Maryland Historical Trust. Bids are due by close of business August 9th.

The Kent County Fair continues Thursday through Saturday featuring food, 4-H and community exhibits, animals, tractors, games, and entertainment. The focus of the fair is agricultural education and providing educational opportunities for county youth. Also, each evening features different foods including a fish fry and pit beef, pork bbq, and chicken bbq. Find out more about what the fair has to offer at www.kentcounty.com.

A man has now been arrested and charged following a shooting incident last month on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.
Maryland Transportation Authority Police say on June 8, around 11:45 p.m., the driver of a black Jeep fired multiple shots toward a silver Mitsubishi while driving recklessly across the westbound span of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. Police say the driver then exited the Jeep and pointed a gun at the driver of the Mitsubishi. Investigators identified 41-year-old Mevlin Clark as the suspect. Officers obtained a warrant and later arrested Clark Wednesday and transported him to the Jennifer Road Detention Center.

Approximately 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, the Kent County Health Department issued a press release, announcing the closure of Betterton Beach. The Health Department advised against swimming, water skiing and other direct contact activities including fishing. The press release stated the beach was being closed due to a sewage spill.

The Queen Anne’s County Department of Health is offering Back to School Immunization Clinics again this year. They’re held at 206 N Commerce St, Centreville and you need to make an appointment. The next one happens Wednesday from 8:30am-12:30pm and 2:00pm-3:30pm, also on August 14th, August 21st and September 18th.

At the recent County Commissioners meeting, County Commissioners presented visitors from University of Maryland Medical Systems with a proclamation declaring Queen Anne’s County a stroke smart county. Schools will be incorporating the “Stroke Smart: Spot-a-Stroke, Stop-a-Stroke, Save-a-Life” program into their training for students, faculty, and families. All health and safety-focused entities in Queen Anne’s County, including clinics, medical practices, pharmacies, EMS, and social services, will participate in improving stroke literacy.

Area anglers are reminded that targeting striped bass in the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries is prohibited from July 16 through July 31. This closure is necessary to protect the species, because when water and air temperatures rise in the hottest part of summer, fish are more vulnerable to dying after being caught and released.

The public is invited to the July 18 meeting of the Democratic Club of Kent County for a presentation by former Maryland Delegate Maggie McIntosh. McIntosh represented Baltimore City in the House of Delegates from 1992 until her retirement in 2023. The meeting will take place at The Kitchen at The Imperial, 208 High St, Chestertown, on Thursday, July 18; doors will open at 5:30 p.m.

A 37-year-old Centreville man has been handed 35 years in prison for a fatal shooting in Felton last year. Steven Smith shot and killed 36-year-old Charles Kupidlowski from a pickup truck on Reeves Crossing Road in Felton on March 16th, 2023. Investigators said Smith and Kupidlowski had an ongoing feud and Smith had driven to Reeves Crossing Road to confront him. Kupidlowski died at the scene.

It’s been there for generations but come Saturday, July 20th, crews will be removing the historic elm tree from in front of the Historic Courthouse in Centreville. The move comes following signs of distress and preliminary assessments indicating potential Dutch Elm Disease. Economy Tree Service of Queenstown has been contracted for this task and anticipates completing the removal in a single day. To facilitate this process safely, Lawyers Row will be closed from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Saturday.