CHESTER — Queen Anne’s County officially welcomed the completion of the Chesapeake Heritage and Visitor Center site improvement multiphase projects with a grand reopening ribbon cutting April 23. While the newly renovated park has been open since April 1, the ribbon cutting marked the official completion of the site improvement projects. Todd Mohn, Queen Anne’s County administrator, noted the facility has been a “labor of love” since the former residential...

EASTON — Salisbury resident Kerri Madero had a bad feeling when she and her partner, Lindsay Tortorella, left for the hospital on the morning of Jan. 11, for a routine birth induction at the Birthing Center at University of Maryland Shore Medical Center at Easton. Tortorella hoped that Madero’s apprehension was due to anxiety or fear and tried to think positively about the imminent birth of the couple’s first child. ...

CAMBRIDGE — Although Lil’ Bitta Bull BBQ owners Jeannie and Henry VanDyke are interested in selling their barbecue joint and the building it’s located in, they aren’t necessarily going anywhere anytime soon. The VanDykes listed their property at 520 Race St. for sale about a month ago. But the business owners and married couple are in no rush to sell it or the restaurant itself. “We love it, and we...

EASTON — The Easton property tax rate proposed for fiscal year 2025 is the same as the fiscal year 2024 tax rate. Easton Mayor Megan Cook said in an email that the proposed tax rate is 0.52 cents per assessed $100 of value, the same as fiscal year 2024. She said the last time the rate was increased was in 2007, and it took effect with the 2008 tax billings. ...

A new $150 million facility at the University of Delaware will provide a space for testing new biopharmaceutical manufacturing practices as well as train workers in the highly technical skills needed to produce advanced medications. UD, state and federal officials broke ground Monday on the SABRE Center, which stands for Securing American Biomanufacturing Research and Education. The 70,000-square-foot SABRE Center will be located on the STAR Campus next to the...

Two females suspects, ages 16 and 18, are in custody after they allegedly assaulted and carjacked a 74-year-old woman in Perryville on Wednesday, April 24 — while she was doing them a favor, according to police. Investigators arrested the suspects after locating them and the stolen vehicle in York, Pennsylvania, on Thursday morning — about 12 hours after the carjacking, which occurred at approximately 7 p.m. Wednesday on Honaker Street near Keesey Lane, reported Chief Robert Nitz of the Perryville Police Department. ...

General Smallwood Middle School in southern Maryland may soon be no more. The Charles County Board of Education reviewed the process to change the name of the school and the price tag associated with it at their April 16 meeting because concerns had been raised over Gen. William Smallwood being a slave owner. Jack Tuttle, a content specialist for the school system, elaborated on Smallwood’s history from his findings in...

For some, robins are the first sign of spring. But the changing of the seasons may be more accurately forecast by songs from a wet forest floor. On a warm night, wander near any fresh water and you’ll likely be serenaded by a chorus of tiny spring peeper frogs. Their song, which to some people sounds like sleigh bells, signals the winter’s end and the arrival of spring. Most of...

Some proud parents gathered at the C. Henry Price II, American Legion Post 246 in Betterton on April 19, to warmly congratulate their children during the Americanism Essay Award Reception. The contest was open to third, fourth, and fifth graders of Galena Elementary. President of the Auxiliary at the Legion, Patti Bone, handed out cash awards to the winners of the essay contest. First place got $50, second $25, and...

New places to live and spend the weekend could be coming to Kent Island as the Queen Anne’s County Planning Commission approved a concept plan for an apartment duplex and hotel mixed-use development April 11. Bay Bridge Marina LLLP is seeking to create a mixed-use development including 28 residential duplex units, and a 32-room hotel for a total of 28,700 square feet of floor area in the existing site that includes Libby’s Restaurant. ...

There is a season— turn, turn, turn! That season is spring and with it comes the Chestertown Garden Club’s premier annual garden sale, May Mart, to be held on Friday, May 3, starting at 9 a.m. in downtown’s Memorial Park. May Mart is the sole fundraising event for the Club, according to member and May Mart Co-Chair, Penny Block, who noted that the members take nearly an entire year to plan and execute the annual initiative. ...

CAMBRIDGE — Kicking the day off riverside at the Dorchester County Visitor Center, Maryland Secretary of Housing and Community Development Jake Day, along with members of his staff, spent Wednesday touring Dorchester County. Day and his team visited the Cambridge Harbor site, Pine Street Community Market and Wells Street in Cambridge before traveling to East New Market to visit the Trading Post Museum. The tour ended in Hurlock at Suicide Bridge Restaurant for lunch and a stakeholder discussion led by Day and Dorchester County Council...

St. Michaels — On Wednesday evening, the Commissioners of St. Michaels voted to approve a certificate of achievement for Jacob James Villefort for achieving the rank of Eagle Scout. Villefort has been a Scout for 12 years, earning 23 merit badges and holding leadership positions of control leader, quartermaster and assistant senior patrol leader in Troop 741. Commission President David Breimhurst said that this was the third Eagle Scout he...

OXFORD — The Oxford Bellevue Ferry will be opening seven days a week for the 2024 season on Saturday April 27, according to captains Judy and Tom Bixler. This “Icon of Talbot County” provides service starting at 9 a.m. in Oxford, then shuttles back and forth with traffic, closing before sunset. The ferry opens just in time for the town’s celebration of Oxford Day, a fun-filled family day when town will be buzzing with activities, including a parade. ...

WASHINGTON — Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched six shutout innings, and the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Washington Nationals 2-1 on Thursday to complete a three-game sweep. Teoscar Hernández homered for the Dodgers, who matched a season high with four straight wins. Joey Meneses had three hits for Washington, which was swept for the first time this season. The Nationals scored four runs in the series and went 4 for 20 with...

DETROIT — Caleb Williams is heading to the Windy City, aiming to become the franchise quarterback Chicago has sought for decades. The Bears selected Williams with the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft on Thursday night after deciding weeks ago to bank on the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner from USC. The Washington Commanders followed up by taking 2023 Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels from LSU and the New...

ASHBURN, Va. — The Washington Commanders selected Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Jayden Daniels with the second pick in the NFL draft on Thursday night. The decision to go with Daniels, the AP’s college football player of the year for his stellar season with LSU, was made after Chicago led off by taking Southern California QB Caleb Williams as expected. Washington went with Daniels over North Carolina’s Drake Maye and Michigan national champion J.J. McCarthy. ...

EASTON — The North Bayside softball championship. Defending division and Class 1A state champion North Dorchester was certainly cast among the favorites at the beginning of this season. Queen Anne’s County and Colonel Richardson also figured to be right at the top. Easton? After a 1-3 start, some may have brushed the Warriors to the...

EASTON — On Tuesday evening, the Talbot County Council presented Blake Newton, a student at Easton High School, with a certificate of recognition for designing the logo for the Critical Response Unit, a division of the Talbot County Sheriff’s Office and Easton Police Department. The logo will be used to identify members of the Critical Response Unit Team, commonly known as SWAT. This group consists of members of the Sheriff’s Office and Easton Police Department who operate on an on-call status and respond to high-risk...

TV LISTINGS Friday, April 26 MEN’S AUSTRALIAN RULES FOOTBALL • AFL: Carlton at Geelong, 2:30 a.m. Saturday (FS2). AUTO RACING • NASCAR Xfinity Series: Qualifying,...