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The most recent Maryland School Report Card was released in November, revealing year-to-year improvements for some schools and drops for others. But as local districts dissect the scores and what they mean for Mid-Shore students, officials are looking to change the ranking system. The Bay Times and Record Observer reports the Report Card ranks each school from one to five stars based on a 100-point scale. Schools 75 and above earn five stars; 60 to 74, four stars; 45 to 59, three stars; 30 to 44, two stars; and less than 30, one star.
Statewide, 43% of schools earned four- or five-star ratings in the 2024-2025 school year, up from 41% in 2023-2024. Add in schools with three-star ratings, and 86% of schools are accounted for statewide.

The Centreville Town Council on Nov. 20 approved a revised policy that will guide how the town allocates its available water and sewer capacity. According to the Bay Times and Record Observer, in 2019, the town’s wastewater treatment plant reached an annual average flow of 82% of its 542,000-gallon-per-day design capacity. Once a facility exceeds 80% of capacity, Maryland Department of the Environment guidelines require an annual update and submission of a Capacity Management Plan. The new policy establishes allocation regulations through 2031, when a replacement wastewater treatment plant is expected to come online.

The Commissioners of Queen Anne’s County have approved a resolution confirming their prior authorization to file and pursue condemnation proceedings for a 14-acre property located north of U.S. Route 50 in Chester. The site, owned by Jemal’s Kent Narrows, L.L.C., carries a current state tax assessment valuation of $4.05 million and is being considered for the construction of a new county recreation center and related amenities, the commissioners said in a statement released Dec. 3. Although other properties were considered, this site was selected as the most viable option. Information from feasibility studies completed by Berry Dunn were useful and continue to be useful to the process, they said. The funds to purchase and move forward will be looked at in the upcoming budget sessions for fiscal year 2026.

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.