We were in Annapolis last week to celebrate a family milestone. A year ago, my wife’s son and his beloved headed out to Colorado, ostensibly to attend ... [Continue Story]
Public Affairs
Oh Never Mind: Homeland Security Removes Talbot and QAC from Sanctuary List
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security over the weekend took down a public list of cities and jurisdictions that the Trump administration labeled as ... [Continue Story]
- Queen Anne’s County Government Statement Regarding Inaccurate Sanctuary Jurisdiction Designation
- Talbot County Named a “Sanctuary Jurisdiction” by Trump Administration
- Queen Anne’s and Talbot Counties named as Sanctuary Jurisdictions by Trump Administration
- Moore to Veto Reparations Bill
- Maryland Loses Coveted AAA Bond Rating
- Queen Anne’s at Home Honors Dedicated Volunteers at Annual Appreciation Dinner
Centreville Highlights
Kent Island Has Its Day by Brent Lewis
This year’s Kent Island Day, an annual family-friendly event organized by the Kent Island Heritage Society to celebrate the historical and cultural ... [Continue Story]
- Spy Minute: Is the Millstream Trail One of the Best on the Mid-Shore?
- Hitting the Mark: QAC’s 4-H Marksmanship Club at 50
- “God of Carnage”: A Chat With CHT Director Michael Whitehill
- Eastern Shore Democratic Summit Held
- Mrs. Madelyn Hollis Takes a Bow: A Celebration of a Teacher’s Life
- The Road from Here: A Chat with Eastern Shore Land Conservancy President Steve Kline
Spy Highlights
From and Fuller: Trump’s Beautiful Bill in the Senate and Presidential Pardons
Every Thursday, the Spy hosts a conversation with Al From and Craig Fuller on the most topical political news of the moment. This week, From and ... [Continue Story]
- The Maryland Caucus: Moore Vetos, Harris Present, and 3 Cheers for St. Michaels Baseball
- From and Fuller: The House Passes a Controversial Budget and the Biden Age Redux
- The Maryland Caucus: Moody’s Rating Blues and Reparations on Hold
- From and Fuller: Trump’s Big Beautiful 747 and Spotting Democratic Early Birds
- The Maryland Caucus with Foxwell and Mitchell: The Maryland Energy Crisis
- From and Fuller: The GOP ‘Beautiful’ Megabill and Joe Biden’s Return
The Arts and Design
Spy Concert Review: National Music Festival Opening Night by Steve Parks
The National Music Festival opened its 13th annual season with a rousing full-house concert that may prove 13 is a fortunate number for the festival ... [Continue Story]
- The Spy’s Laura Oliver Returns to the Avalon June 4th with More Stories
- Just in Time: The Juilliard String Quartet Comes to the Mid-Shore in June
- Chesapeake Music Celebrates its 40th Year Anniversary—A Time for Reflection and Celebration By Maria Grant
- Spy Review: New Singer/Songwriter Night at Foxy’s by Mark Pelavin
- Chestertown’s 2025 National Music Festival Includes Something for Everyone
- Spy Concert Review: MSO Season Finale by Steve Parks
Ecosystem
Bay Journal: FEMA Cancels $1 Billion for Flood Prevention Projects in Chesapeake Bay Region
As Crisfield Mayor Darlene Taylor sees it, the low-lying Maryland town has no future unless it can hold back rising water. Computer models suggest ... [Continue Story]
- The Solar Land Rush—A farmer’s perspective with Judy Gifford
- Intense Maryland Energy Debates in Annapolis Fill a Single Afternoon
- Maryland Levies Fines on Perdue, Valley Proteins for Environmental Violations
- Bay Climate Adaptation: The TNC Guide in Finding the Money for Major Infrastructure Change
- Mid-Shore Arts Plein Air Easton and ESLC Pair Up to Promote Land Conservation
- Wild-Caught Chesapeake Blue Catfish Phenomenon Booming: Thank Goodness
Maryland News
Potential 2028 Presidential Hopefuls Moore, Walz Steal Show at South Carolina Democratic Weekend
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Minutes before 10 p.m. Friday, after Democratic speakers led the audience in jeers to Republicans’ efforts to slash jobs and health ... [Continue Story]
- Andy Harris stands alone as “Present” for vote on Budget Reconciliation Bill
- Moore Signs Two Energy Bills as June Rate Hikes Loom
- Banker, Blast Owner Ed Hale Preparing a 2026 Challenge to Wes Moore
- Jake Day Eyes Challenge on Eastern Shore to GOP Rep. Andy Harris
- Board of Public Works Reaffirms State Property Tax Rate at Current Rate
- Local farmers, food banks plan for potential ‘blow’ to food assistance output from Trump cut
Shore Health
Let’s Talk About It with Beth Anne Dorman: Mental Health, Parents and Adolescence
This month, Beth Anne Dorman, CEO of For All Seasons, explores the profound challenges parents face as their children enter adolescence. While ... [Continue Story]
- Let’s Talk About It with Beth Anne Dorman: For All Seasons in All Seasons
- Keys to Treating Stress By Lisa J. Gotto
- Let’s Talk about It: Dare to Lead Training Shapes Mid-Shore Leaders with For All Seasons Beth Anne Dorman
- Mid-Shore Health: Getting to the Heart of Heart Disease with Dr. Ian Davis
- Let’s Talk About It: A Different kind of Valentine with For All Seasons CEO Beth Anne Dorman
- Mid-Shore Health: The role of forensic nursing with survivors of sexual and physical assault
Mid-Shore Education
MD Senate Panel’s vote on Blueprint bill straddles House, Administration Versions
A Senate committee advanced parts of Maryland’s sweeping education reform plan Friday, splitting the difference between versions of the bill advanced ... [Continue Story]
- Gunston celebrates Class of 2025 college-bound athletes
- Wood Foundation awards $100K grant to Radcliffe Creek School
- Morgan State professor fined for presenting himself as licensed architect
- Slight increases on Maryland’s annual report card, but changes could be coming
- Radcliffe Creek School awarded grant to support students with ADHD and anxiety
- Prekindergarten Expansion For Private Providers Off To A Slow Start
Brevities
Rocky Mountain High by Katherine Emery General
The first few chords of John Denver’s ballad; Rocky Mountain High have a powerful way of evoking emotions that transport me to different places and ... [Continue Story]
Community News
Queen Anne’s County Government Statement Regarding Inaccurate Sanctuary Jurisdiction Designation
Queen Anne’s County Government is aware of a recent designation published by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and referenced by outside ... [Continue Story]
- Queen Anne’s and Talbot Counties named as Sanctuary Jurisdictions by Trump Administration
- US 50/301 Ramp Management Program Continues on Kent Island to Improve Local Access and Traffic Flow
- Queen Anne’s at Home Honors Dedicated Volunteers at Annual Appreciation Dinner
- Registration is open for MPT’s Chesapeake Collectibles season 13 taping event in October
- Motoring festival, Concours d’Elegance return to Kent Island this June and September
- Shore Legal Access promotes Geoffrey Cooke, Esq. to Litigation Director
Senior Life
Senior Nation: Gardening a Great Boost for Body and Soul by Susan Covey
The calming benefits of being in the natural world are endless and include fresh air, improved mood and concentration, mental clarity, lower ... [Continue Story]
- Senior Nation: April Is Parkinson’s Awareness Month by Susan Covey
- It’s American Heart Month by Susan Covey
- Enjoy the health benefits of Thanksgiving Day by Susan Covey
- Upper Shore Aging Hosts the Re-Dedication of the Amy Lynn Ferris Adult Activity Center
- Herb Cain Appointed Executive Director of Upper Shore Aging
- Water, Water Everywhere…For Drinking, Playing And Exercising!
Art Notes
Announcing Chesapeake Film Festival – The Podcast!
Collaboration with The Talbot Spy lets film buffs enjoy sneak peaks and discussions with Festival’s award-winning producers and directors The ... [Continue Story]
- Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra Announces 2025–2026 Season: Bold Voices, Eternal Resonance
- The Berlin Diaries Playwright to Speak at Temple B’nai Israel
- From Grief to Repair: Mixed Media Fiber Art and Watercolors by Heather Kerley on View at Adkins Arboretum
- Don’t Miss the Antique & Classic Boat Festival & Coastal Arts Fair At CBMM on Father’s Day Weekend
- Bookplate Author Event: Henry Corrigan, “Somewhere Quiet, Full of Light”
- Bummer: Spy Nights with Meredith Davies Hadaway Postponed
Ecosystem Notes
ShoreRivers Safe to Swim Weekend Report 5/29
Along with summer swimming comes ShoreRivers Bacteria Monitoring season. It is advised that people not swim 24-48 hours after a major rain. Every ... [Continue Story]
- Celebrate the Summer Solstice with Shorerivers
- ESLC & Plein Air Easton Host Alumni Invitational Celebrating Public Parks
- Celebrate The Summer Solstice With Shorerivers
- Celebrate American Wetlands Month with Environmental Concern: Learn! Explore! Take Action!
- Bay Journal: FEMA Cancels $1 Billion for Flood Prevention Projects in Chesapeake Bay Region
- Swimmable ShoreRivers Program Returns for 2025
Education Notes
Blueprint Gets a Road Map: Two Agencies That Oversee School Reform Agree to Clarify Roles
Local school systems straining to comply with the state’s sweeping Blueprint for Maryland’s Future have had to report to both the Maryland Department ... [Continue Story]
- CBMM’s Shipyard Set for Busy Summer of Programming
- CBMM to Celebrate Educators with Gratitude Day on June 20
- Gunston Inducts 2000 Varsity Field Hockey Team into Hall of Fame
- Golfing Fore Gunston VI Raises $40,000
- Gunston Earns Second at 2025 Maryland State High School Rowing Championships
- Benedictine’s “A Celebration to Transform Lives” Gala Held at Easton’s Trident Aircraft Hangar.
Health Notes
Swimmable ShoreRivers Program bacteria testing program returns!
ShoreRivers is pleased to announce its Swimmable ShoreRivers bacteria testing program has returned for the season, and that weekly results from this ... [Continue Story]
- For All Seasons Offers Suicide Bereavement Support Group Facilitator Training
- For All Seasons “Sip Safe” Campaign Targets Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assaults
- Mid-Shore Community Foundation Makes $3.8 Million Gift to New UM Shore Regional Medical Center
- Wilson Named Director of External Affairs and Community Liaison for University of Maryland Shore Regional Health
- New Primary Care Providers Join Um Shore Medical Group
- Up to 100,000 Marylanders could lose coverage if Medicaid imposes work requirements
Food Friday
Food Friday: Blueberry Harvest
Suddenly they are everywhere — blueberries. June is about to be busting out all over, summer is almost here, and if you listen carefully you’ll hear ... [Continue Story]
Looking at the Masters with Beverly Smith
Looking at the Masters: Poppies
Since ancient times, poppies have been used for a variety of purposes and given a variety of symbolic meanings. Red and white poppies were described ... [Continue Story]
Design with Jenn Martella
Design with Jenn Martella: Landscaping at The Miracle House
Since one of my criteria for selection of a House of the Week is Landscape Design, I always look forward to featuring the work of Landscape Designer ... [Continue Story]
- Design with Jenn Martella: The William Smith House, c. 1794
- Design with Jenn Martella: The Tilley House Redux
- House of the Week: Go Dutch Colonial!
- House of the Week: Captivating Craftsman Bungalow
- Design with Jenn Martella: The Dover, a Sears, Roebuck & Company Design
- Design with Jenn Martella: The (second) empire strikes back
From and Fuller Podcast
From and Fuller: Trump’s Beautiful Bill in the Senate and Presidential Pardons
Every Thursday, the Spy hosts a conversation with Al From and Craig Fuller on the most topical political news of the moment. This week, From and ... [Continue Story]
- From and Fuller: The House Passes a Controversial Budget and the Biden Age Redux
- From and Fuller: Trump’s Big Beautiful 747 and Spotting Democratic Early Birds
- From and Fuller: The GOP ‘Beautiful’ Megabill and Joe Biden’s Return
- From and Fuller: The Impact of Poll Ratings on Trump and his new Digital Coin
- From and Fuller: What Does a Constitutional Crisis Look Like and the Fate of Federal Reserve Chair Powell
- From and Fuller: The Trump Tariff Retreat and Survival Outlook
Columnist J.E. Dean
Our President and Bruce Springsteen by J.E. Dean
Most of us, beyond the age of 40, have friends who have attended several Bruce Springsteen concerts. My wife has attended 15. I have a friend who ... [Continue Story]
- Springtime’s Blessings by J.E. Dean
- The Answer, My Friend, Is Blowing in the Wind by J.E. Dean
- Trump is Making Us Question Again (Well, at Least Some of Us) by J.E. Dean
- Burn a Tesla? Don’t even Think about It! By J.E. Dean
- Trump 2.0: A House of Cards? By J.E. Dean
- Worried About Flooding? Donald Trump Doesn’t Have Your Back by J.E. Dean
Columnist Howard Freedlander
Out and About (Sort of): Stars in Different Realms by Howard Freedlander
What did Willie Mays and Donald Sutherland have in common? Nothing. Except an overriding desire to excel in each’s craft. Mays was a true wonder ... [Continue Story]
- Out and About (Sort of): Slavery of Thought by Howard Freedlander
- Out and About (Sort of): Higher Education on Edge by Howard Freedlander
- Strike for Democracy by Howard Freedlander
- Out and About (Sort of): American Voter by Howard Freedlander
- Out and About (Sort of): Hospice Heroes by Howard Freedlander
- Out and About (Sort of): An Apolitical Document Fails by Howard Freedlander
Columnist Craig Fuller
Conversations with Craig Fuller: Ambassador and Author Frank Lavin
My friend and former White House colleague Ambassador Frank Lavin has a book coming out in March about his experience in the White House and ... [Continue Story]
- Midair collision over the Potomac: Week two update by Craig Fuller
- A midair tragedy last night in Washington by Craig Fuller
- The Classic Motor Museum starts a new trip in St. Michaels: Craig Fuller talks to Mike Iandolo
- MPT, the Chesapeake Bay and Viewers Like You: A Chat with Station Manager Steven Schupak
- So Much Money, So Little Time by Craig Fuller
- One Amazing Story by One Amazing Individual by Craig Fuller
Columnist Jamie Kirkpatrick
The View By Jamie Kirkpatrick
We were in Annapolis last week to celebrate a family milestone. A year ago, my wife’s son and his beloved headed out to Colorado, ostensibly to attend ... [Continue Story]
Columnist Laura Oliver
Shelter by Laura J. Oliver
Editor's note: Join us for Spy Night with Laura Oliver, who will be reading her work in the Stoltz Listening Room at the historic Avalon Theater in ... [Continue Story]
Columnist Angela Rieck
Surprise, Your Home is for Sale! By Angela Rieck
I returned from Florida last week and was reviewing my recent mail. I received my sewer bill and an envelope that looked like a duplicate of the sewer ... [Continue Story]
Columnist Al Sikes
Ukraine and the 21st Century by Al Sikes
Churchill, Jan. 20, 1940: “Only Finland—superb, nay, sublime in the jaws of peril—Finland shows what free men can do....Everyone can see how Communism ... [Continue Story]
Opinion
Character Rot: Sounding the Alarm by Johnny O’Brien
Most of us are aware of the damage Donald Trump is doing to government service, freedom of expression, our universities, and democracy. And the moral ... [Continue Story]
- The Political is Personal: Reflections on DEI by Margaret Andersen
- New report reveals value of resource conservation for Shore businesses by John Horner
- History of US Territorial Acquisitions By Tom Timberman
- Presidential pasts and an impending future by Steve Parks
- Maryland’s fiscal apocalypse by Clayton A. Mitchell, Sr.
- Analysis: Moore’s delicate balance as the session gets under way
Letters to the Editor
These Republicans Are Right – Don’t Blame Governor Wes Moore For Maryland’s Long-Projected Budget Deficit
In a recent debate on closing Maryland’s budget deficit, Minority Leader Jason Buckel, a Republican Delegate from Allegany County, made an important ... [Continue Story]
- Letter to the Editor: Maryland’s Legislature is failing rural communities By Janet Christensen-Lewis
- Letter to Talbot County Council: Keep employee handbook DEI statement
- Letter to Editor: Representative Harris snubs the ‘Beagle Brigade’
- Letter to the Editor: Will Rogers
- Letter to Editor: Delmarva Pride Festival: Fun, Food, Support and Free Advice
- Letter to Editor: Legal Challenge To Striped Bass Regulations Gets Wide Support
