https://chestertownspy.org Nonpartisan and Education-based News for Chestertown Sat, 03 May 2025 18:07:08 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.1 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/03/banker-blast-owner-ed-hale-preparing-a-2026-challenge-to-wes-moore/ https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/03/banker-blast-owner-ed-hale-preparing-a-2026-challenge-to-wes-moore/#comments Sat, 03 May 2025 11:00:50 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/03/banker-blast-owner-ed-hale-preparing-a-2026-challenge-to-wes-moore/ As far as Ed Hale is concerned, it’s all over but the paperwork. Hale, the current owner of the Baltimore Blast indoor soccer team and a longtime city banker and business owner, said he is committed to mounting a Democratic primary challenge in 2026 to Gov. Wes Moore (D), at the urging of friends who […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/03/banker-blast-owner-ed-hale-preparing-a-2026-challenge-to-wes-moore/feed/ 1 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/02/jake-day-eyes-challenge-on-eastern-shore-to-gop-rep-andy-harris/ https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/02/jake-day-eyes-challenge-on-eastern-shore-to-gop-rep-andy-harris/#comments Fri, 02 May 2025 18:07:51 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/01/jake-day-eyes-challenge-on-eastern-shore-to-gop-rep-andy-harris/ Jake Day, the secretary at the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, is beginning to raise money for a possible challenge to U.S. Rep. Andy Harris (R-1st), Maryland Matters has learned. At the urging of leading Democrats, Day, a former mayor of Salisbury and one of the most high-profile members of Gov. Wes Moore’s […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2025/05/02/jake-day-eyes-challenge-on-eastern-shore-to-gop-rep-andy-harris/feed/ 1 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/04/25/board-of-public-works-reaffirms-state-property-tax-rate-at-current-rate/ https://chestertownspy.org/2025/04/25/board-of-public-works-reaffirms-state-property-tax-rate-at-current-rate/#respond Fri, 25 Apr 2025 13:00:15 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/04/25/board-of-public-works-reaffirms-state-property-tax-rate-at-current-rate/ Maryland property owners will not see an increase in the state share of the property tax rate next year, when the rate will hold steady at the same level it’s been since 2007. The three-member Board of Public Works voted unanimously, and without debate, Wednesday to approve a recommendation to hold taxes on commercial and […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2025/04/25/board-of-public-works-reaffirms-state-property-tax-rate-at-current-rate/feed/ 0 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/04/15/local-farmers-food-banks-plan-for-potential-blow-to-food-assistance-output-from-trump-cut/ https://chestertownspy.org/2025/04/15/local-farmers-food-banks-plan-for-potential-blow-to-food-assistance-output-from-trump-cut/#comments Tue, 15 Apr 2025 13:00:12 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/04/15/local-farmers-food-banks-plan-for-potential-blow-to-food-assistance-output-from-trump-cut/ Jesse Albright, along with his brother and father, has been operating Albright Farms in Baltimore County for decades, producing beef, pork and, more recently, eggs. But Albright is one of dozens of local farmers who may lose significant business opportunities due to a recent decision to end a federal program that helps food pantries buy […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2025/04/15/local-farmers-food-banks-plan-for-potential-blow-to-food-assistance-output-from-trump-cut/feed/ 1 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/04/10/house-senate-ratify-budget-compromise-on-final-day/ https://chestertownspy.org/2025/04/10/house-senate-ratify-budget-compromise-on-final-day/#respond Thu, 10 Apr 2025 13:00:07 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/?p=183506 Passing a budget took longer than usual this year. This time, however, it was ongoing federal budget cuts and a congressional debate over spending that dragged on and had fiscal leaders making corrections in real time. The House and then the Senate on Monday ratified a conference committee agreement on a $67 billion overall spending […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2025/04/10/house-senate-ratify-budget-compromise-on-final-day/feed/ 0 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/03/28/sheriffs-defend-cooperation-with-federal-officials-on-immigration-enforcement/ https://chestertownspy.org/2025/03/28/sheriffs-defend-cooperation-with-federal-officials-on-immigration-enforcement/#comments Fri, 28 Mar 2025 11:00:36 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/03/28/sheriffs-defend-cooperation-with-federal-officials-on-immigration-enforcement/ Supporters of a bill that would force sheriff’s departments to cancel agreements with federal immigration officials said deputies could still enforce the law just as effectively — they would just not be doing so as an extension of federal authorities. “There are counties that do not have these formal agreements that still cooperate with ICE […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2025/03/28/sheriffs-defend-cooperation-with-federal-officials-on-immigration-enforcement/feed/ 3 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/03/27/tensions-boil-over-in-shouting-match-during-final-house-vote-on-fiscal-2026-budget/ https://chestertownspy.org/2025/03/27/tensions-boil-over-in-shouting-match-during-final-house-vote-on-fiscal-2026-budget/#respond Thu, 27 Mar 2025 11:30:38 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/03/27/tensions-boil-over-in-shouting-match-during-final-house-vote-on-fiscal-2026-budget/ There were repeated references to “my friend” from here or “the gentle lady” from there, but the niceties were overpowered by the shouting and the finger-pointing Wednesday during a second day of debate on the fiscal 2026 budget. The House ultimately approved the $67 billion budget for next year, after three hours of debate — […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2025/03/27/tensions-boil-over-in-shouting-match-during-final-house-vote-on-fiscal-2026-budget/feed/ 0 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/03/12/ferguson-warns-of-maryland-recession/ https://chestertownspy.org/2025/03/12/ferguson-warns-of-maryland-recession/#respond Wed, 12 Mar 2025 12:29:12 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/03/12/ferguson-warns-of-maryland-recession/ Maryland’s Senate president warned of a “Maryland recession” Tuesday, after a top bond rating agency released a report highlighting the state’s unique vulnerability to federal budget and employment cuts coming from the Trump administration. “We have to brace for a Maryland recession. That is the news that we are receiving,” Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore) […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2025/03/12/ferguson-warns-of-maryland-recession/feed/ 0 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/03/11/federal-layoffs-pose-workforce-threats-beyond-prince-georges-montgomery-counties/ https://chestertownspy.org/2025/03/11/federal-layoffs-pose-workforce-threats-beyond-prince-georges-montgomery-counties/#respond Tue, 11 Mar 2025 13:00:56 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/?p=182912 As the Trump administration continues slicing the federal workforce and laying off probational employees in large numbers, much of the conversation on how it impacts Maryland can center around the populous counties that lie just outside of the District of Columbia – Prince George’s County and Montgomery County. But relative to population size, you’re actually […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2025/03/11/federal-layoffs-pose-workforce-threats-beyond-prince-georges-montgomery-counties/feed/ 0 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/03/05/services-tax-added-to-menu-of-options-as-state-grapples-with-budget-deficit-looming-federal-cuts/ https://chestertownspy.org/2025/03/05/services-tax-added-to-menu-of-options-as-state-grapples-with-budget-deficit-looming-federal-cuts/#respond Wed, 05 Mar 2025 13:00:16 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/03/05/services-tax-added-to-menu-of-options-as-state-grapples-with-budget-deficit-looming-federal-cuts/ Legislators are preparing for a new round of battles with businesses intent on again stopping a proposed sales tax on some services. The proposal — identical bills in the House and Senate — would tax certain business-to-business transactions including lobbying, accounting and tax preparation services and some computer and IT services. That could generate roughly […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2025/03/05/services-tax-added-to-menu-of-options-as-state-grapples-with-budget-deficit-looming-federal-cuts/feed/ 0 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/03/04/maryland-has-reported-high-child-fatalities-for-years-now-they-say-theyve-overreported/ https://chestertownspy.org/2025/03/04/maryland-has-reported-high-child-fatalities-for-years-now-they-say-theyve-overreported/#respond Tue, 04 Mar 2025 14:00:22 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/03/04/maryland-has-reported-high-child-fatalities-for-years-now-they-say-theyve-overreported/  In recent years, Maryland has reported notably high child fatalities related to mistreatment and abuse — well above the national average. But state officials now say that Maryland has been reporting incorrect numbers for the last five years, and the number is far lower than initially reported. “It was really just us not checking our […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2025/03/04/maryland-has-reported-high-child-fatalities-for-years-now-they-say-theyve-overreported/feed/ 0 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/03/04/delegates-renew-medical-aid-in-dying-bill-but-senate-hurdle-remains/ https://chestertownspy.org/2025/03/04/delegates-renew-medical-aid-in-dying-bill-but-senate-hurdle-remains/#respond Tue, 04 Mar 2025 11:00:59 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/03/04/delegates-renew-medical-aid-in-dying-bill-but-senate-hurdle-remains/ Judicial Proceedings chair says there likely isn’t enough support to move the bill on in the Senate A decade-long fight over whether to let terminally ill patients hasten their deaths with physician oversight returned Monday in a two-hour House hearing,  but lawmakers again said the Senate is likely to be the stumbling block this year. […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2025/03/04/delegates-renew-medical-aid-in-dying-bill-but-senate-hurdle-remains/feed/ 0 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/03/03/state-ramps-up-effort-to-bring-fired-federal-employees-into-the-state-fold/ https://chestertownspy.org/2025/03/03/state-ramps-up-effort-to-bring-fired-federal-employees-into-the-state-fold/#respond Mon, 03 Mar 2025 13:00:00 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/?p=182760 Gov. Wes Moore (D) called on his own state agencies, as well as the private sector and nonprofits, to step up and hire federal employees and contractors purged by President Donald Trump (R). Moore, in a Friday afternoon press conference, said his administration will look for ways to streamline state hiring and cherry-pick displaced federal […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2025/03/03/state-ramps-up-effort-to-bring-fired-federal-employees-into-the-state-fold/feed/ 0 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/02/25/cms-waiver-approval-process-could-be-a-hurdle-for-proposed-developmental-disabilities-cuts/ https://chestertownspy.org/2025/02/25/cms-waiver-approval-process-could-be-a-hurdle-for-proposed-developmental-disabilities-cuts/#respond Tue, 25 Feb 2025 12:00:14 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/02/25/cms-waiver-approval-process-could-be-a-hurdle-for-proposed-developmental-disabilities-cuts/ It’s a good thing state leaders found money to defer cuts to the Developmental Disabilities Administration, and not just because it will allow services to continue. Turns out the state may not have had permission to make some of the cuts they were proposing to start on April 1. State analysts said last week that […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2025/02/25/cms-waiver-approval-process-could-be-a-hurdle-for-proposed-developmental-disabilities-cuts/feed/ 0 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/02/22/senate-warns-of-500-million-more-in-budget-cuts-ahead-of-likely-disastrous-federal-action/ https://chestertownspy.org/2025/02/22/senate-warns-of-500-million-more-in-budget-cuts-ahead-of-likely-disastrous-federal-action/#respond Sat, 22 Feb 2025 13:00:11 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/02/22/senate-warns-of-500-million-more-in-budget-cuts-ahead-of-likely-disastrous-federal-action/ Senate leaders said the legislature is preparing for as much as $500 million in additional cuts to an already strapped fiscal 2026 budget, as they brace for federal reductions and look to rework Gov. Wes Moore’s tax proposals. “We do believe in the next couple of weeks we will get a better picture as to […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2025/02/22/senate-warns-of-500-million-more-in-budget-cuts-ahead-of-likely-disastrous-federal-action/feed/ 0 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/02/10/how-did-we-get-here-analysts-officials-unsure-how-disability-agency-overspent/ https://chestertownspy.org/2025/02/10/how-did-we-get-here-analysts-officials-unsure-how-disability-agency-overspent/#comments Mon, 10 Feb 2025 13:00:54 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/02/10/how-did-we-get-here-analysts-officials-unsure-how-disability-agency-overspent/ Gov. Wes Moore’s proposal to slash $200 million in funding for a state administration that supports residents with developmental disabilities sent shockwaves into the community that relies on those supports. It’s one of the largest cuts in the governor’s attempt to fill a $3 billion budget deficit this year — particularly notable given that the […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2025/02/10/how-did-we-get-here-analysts-officials-unsure-how-disability-agency-overspent/feed/ 1 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/02/06/moore-delivers-state-of-the-state-address-that-lays-out-tough-choices-for-lawmakers/ https://chestertownspy.org/2025/02/06/moore-delivers-state-of-the-state-address-that-lays-out-tough-choices-for-lawmakers/#respond Thu, 06 Feb 2025 14:00:48 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/02/06/moore-delivers-state-of-the-state-address-that-lays-out-tough-choices-for-lawmakers/ Gov. Wes Moore used his third State of the State address to call for bipartisan cooperation from lawmakers to solve the mounting fiscal challenges facing the state. While his previous addresses to a joint session of the House and Senate tended to be focused on promise, Moore’s address Wednesday was focused on problems. The first-term […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2025/02/06/moore-delivers-state-of-the-state-address-that-lays-out-tough-choices-for-lawmakers/feed/ 0 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/02/04/hundreds-of-developmental-disability-advocates-rally-against-dda-budget-cuts/ https://chestertownspy.org/2025/02/04/hundreds-of-developmental-disability-advocates-rally-against-dda-budget-cuts/#comments Tue, 04 Feb 2025 11:00:45 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/?p=182264   Hundreds of people with developmental disabilities, their families and support staff, gathered at the State House on Monday evening to demand the legislature reject a proposal to cut hundreds of millions from the state agency that oversees services and financial support for the community. “We will not be silent, we will be heard,” said […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2025/02/04/hundreds-of-developmental-disability-advocates-rally-against-dda-budget-cuts/feed/ 1 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/02/03/omalleys-bid-for-dnc-chair-falls-well-short-ken-martin-new-chair/ https://chestertownspy.org/2025/02/03/omalleys-bid-for-dnc-chair-falls-well-short-ken-martin-new-chair/#respond Mon, 03 Feb 2025 12:00:40 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/02/03/omalleys-bid-for-dnc-chair-falls-well-short-ken-martin-new-chair/ https://chestertownspy.org/2025/02/03/omalleys-bid-for-dnc-chair-falls-well-short-ken-martin-new-chair/feed/ 0 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/01/31/no-survivors-found-in-crash-between-military-helicopter-and-jet-over-potomac/ https://chestertownspy.org/2025/01/31/no-survivors-found-in-crash-between-military-helicopter-and-jet-over-potomac/#respond Fri, 31 Jan 2025 11:00:02 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/?p=182205 The Maryland context From Maryland Matters The victims included at least five Marylanders who were returning home from a hunting trip on Flight 5342, according to social media posts on local labor union sites. Four members of United Association Steamfitters Local 602, based in Capitol Heights, and one member of UA Plumbers and Gasfitters Local […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2025/01/31/no-survivors-found-in-crash-between-military-helicopter-and-jet-over-potomac/feed/ 0