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June 24, 2025

Chestertown Spy

Nonpartisan and Education-based News for Chestertown

5 News Notes

Building Trust with Neighbors in Kent County

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Miss Mildred and her son, Marty, a hospice worker.

When Rebuilding Together Kent County’s Executive Director, Wayne Rickert, joined the organization in April of 2019, he had a vision that seemed all out-of-proportion to its historical budget. Since that time, he has worked tirelessly to make reality conform to his dream and it’s benefiting our neighbors here in Kent County. Although Rebuilding Together Kent County had applied for and received funds from the Maryland Affordable Housing Trust (MAHT) in previous years, the amount had not exceeded $10,000 per year.Last summer, the organization applied for the maximum grant, $75,000…and got it!

Since receiving the official paperwork from MAHT last December, Wayne and his team have worked diligently to identify home repair and modification projects that match the terms set out in the grant application. In addition to augmenting the USDA roof initiative as reported last month, these funds have been used to replace six additional roofs, install new gutters and downspouts on two homes, and repair extensive damage for a woman whose pipes burst two years ago. In all, 15 area homeowners and their families are safer at home!

Miss Mildred is a perfect example of exactly why this organization exists. Nearly 80 years old and living alone, she worked hard her whole life, both at the Campbell’s Soup poultry processing plant and as a mother to her son Marty. She now relies on her limited social security benefit and small pension to pay bills each month. Although she was able to have the broken pipes repaired, Miss Mildred had no financial cushion to address the costly water damage which created a gaping hole in her kitchen floor and rendered a bathroom unusable. With funds from MAHT, Rebuilding Together Kent County was able to hire local contractor, Doug Marker of Jack of All Trades, to replace floors and cabinets, as well as install appliances donated from Heron Point of Chestertown. While he was there, he also rebuilt her aging front porch, ensuring she can get in and out of her home safely.

The organization also contracted M.L. Hood Trucking of Centreville to grade and gravel a new driveway. Now vehicles can drive right up to the house, saving precious minutes should a medical emergency arise in the future. The team at Rebuilding Together Kent County hopes these efforts will allow Miss Mildred to enjoy her well-deserved retirement, relieving stress and reducing the risk of injury.

Grateful that area neighbors trust them in their homes, Rebuilding Together Kent County is currently identifying the next round of home repair projects from applications received by last week’s deadline. To become involved with Rebuilding Together Kent County, visit their website, RebuildingTogetherKCMD.org, or call 410.708.9936.

Rebuilding Together Kent County is a nonprofit dedicated to repairing homes, revitalizing communities, and rebuilding lives. They put together donated building materials, gifts of money, contract labor, and countless hours of skilled and unskilled volunteer time to repair and rehabilitate the houses of low-income homeowners who are elderly, disabled and/or have families with children. All work is done at no cost to the homeowner. Learn more at RebuildingTogetherKCMD.org.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Kent County Voters Who Cannot Vote by Mail Can Cast Their Ballots at Designated Locations

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While the majority of eligible Maryland voters are expected to vote by mail in the June 2 primary election, those who cannot vote by mail can either submit completed ballots at designated ballot drop-off locations or vote in-person at select locations on June 2.

In Kent County, eligible voters may submit ballots at the following ballot drop-off locations until 8 p.m. on June 2:

– Kent County Public Library, 408 High Street, Chestertown, MD 21620
– Kent County Board of Elections, 135 Dixon Drive, Chestertown, MD 21620

Kent County residents who prefer to vote in-person on June 2 may do so between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. at the following locations:

– Kent County Public Library, 408 High Street, Chestertown, MD 21620

Due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, voting for the June 2 primary will be conducted primarily by mail. The pandemic also resulted in the date of the Primary being postponed from April 28.

Mail-in ballots for the June 2 primary have been sent by U.S. Postal Service to all eligible state voters at addresses provided to the Maryland State Board of Elections. While the mail-in ballots received by voters display the original Primary date of April 28, the ballots are in fact valid for the June 2 election. Voters should be aware these are official ballots that will record actual votes. They are not sample ballots.

The return ballot must be postmarked no later than June 2 but can be mailed at any time before election day. Voters should sign only the oath on the outside of the envelope but not the ballot itself.

Same-day registration will be available for eligible voters who choose to vote in-person on June 2; however, the Maryland State Board of Elections strongly encourages all voters who can cast their ballots by mail to do so. Voting by mail is safe, secure and free. No postage is required to vote by mail. Voters simply fill out their ballot, sign the oath on the envelope and place it back in the mail.

Votes cast by mail remain secret. The same technology and equipment used for in-person voting is utilized to count mail-in ballots. The equipment is never connected to the Internet or any other database.

The Maryland State Board of Elections is committed to educating voters on the changes made to the election procedures due to the novel coronavirus epidemic. These changes have been made to ensure voters can exercise their fundamental right to vote while also safeguarding the public’s health during this pandemic.

For more information about this election, please visit www.elections.maryland.gov or contact the State Board at 1-800-222-8683.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

COVID-19 Resident Deaths at Autumn Lake at 15

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COVID-19 has caused the deaths of 15 residents at Autumn Lake Healthcare at Chestertown, according to the state’s coronavirus website.

The novel coronavirus has infected 55 residents and 13 staff members at the facility. The data is updated weekly on Wednesdays.

Five residents and one staffer at the Resorts at Chester Manor also have contracted the disease.

The state data does not include Heron Point, where at least three cases — two patients and one staffer — previously had been reported.

In neighboring Queen Anne’s County, four staff members at the Corsica Hills Center have tested positive.

Statewide, about 22 percent of confirmed COVID-19 cases are among residents and staffers at congregate living facilities, such as nursing homes, assisted living facilities, state and local facilities, and group homes with 10 or more occupants.

There are 6,268 cases related to such facilities — 4,342 residents and 1,926 staffers.

Slightly more than 60 percent of Maryland’s 1,338 COVID-19 deaths are related to congregate living facilities; 793 residents and 11 staff members have died.

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Kent County Will Offer 75 $1,000 COVID-19 Small Business Grants

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Kent County will offer $1,000 COVID-19 relief grants to the first 75 small businesses that qualify.

Businesses will be able to apply online at https://www.kentcounty.com/business/business-support/incentives/grants beginning at 10 a.m. Thursday, May 7. Applications will close at 5 p.m. Friday, May 15.

Applications will be date and time stamped upon submittal of the online form and the grants will be provided to the first 75 eligible businesses.

The online application should take 10 minutes or less, Jamie Williams, the county’s economic development director, told the Kent County Commissioners Tuesday night.

The grants are being offered to Kent County for-profit businesses established before Jan. 1, 2020, that had no more than four employees on March 5, 2020. Businesses must be in good standing with the county and state.

Businesses that have received some form of COVID-19 relief — such as from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) or the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program — will only be considered for county grants if there is money remaining in the program after businesses that have received no funds elsewhere are given grants.

“This gives us a chance to help a few more people that have not been helped by other means,” Kent County Commissioner Ron Fithian said Tuesday night. “We just want to make it go as far as it can.”

The grant funds are coming from the county’s revolving loan fund, which will be dissolved. County officials said that program had never performed as hoped.

According to Kent County Economic Development:

“The Kent County Small Business COVID-19 Emergency Grant Fund will offer working capital to assist Kent County for-profit, small businesses with disrupted operations due to COVID-19.

“Grant assistance is intended to provide interim relief complementing arrangements with the business’ bank(s), business interruption insurance, financial institutions, and federal and state partners.”

Williams also gave the commissioners a brief review of the results of a business impact questionnaire that has been completed by 76 Kent County businesses so far.

The questionnaire continues through Friday and is available online under the Business Resources tab at https://www.kentcounty.com/coronavirus.

Asked if operations had changed as a result of the pandemic and state of emergency, 49% of responding businesses said they had shut down, 33% responded other, 21% were operating with modifications, and 8% were operating normally, Williams said.

About two-thirds of the responding businesses said there had been no layoffs as a result of the pandemic and 63% said no future layoffs are planned. Only 20% of businesses are using telework.

About 42% of businesses said they were are risk or high risk of closing permanently if the state of emergency is prolonged; 11% said the business was at no risk of closing.

Businesses were asked to use a 1-5 scale to quantify the risk of closing, with 1 being no risk and 5 being high risk.

The responses were: 1) 11%;  2) 24%; 3) 24%; 4) 21%; 5) 21%.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Resident at Chestertown Nursing Home Dies from COVID-19

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One resident at Autumn Lake Healthcare at Chestertown has died after testing positive for COVID-19, according to county health officials. Another resident is hospitalized with the virus, and 10 more residents and three staff members also have tested positive.

A “Go Team” with Maryland National Guardsmen and disaster medical assistance personnel from the Maryland Department of Health and Human Services was activated and responded Sunday to the facility, according to a press release from the Kent County Health Department. The team was at the facility from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sunday.

“We are appreciative of Gov. Hogan’s decision to make these ‘Go Teams’ available to assist Maryland nursing homes,” William Webb, Kent County’s health officer, said in the press release. “Autumn Lake Healthcare is following recommendations from the ‘Go Team’ and the infection control guidelines of the Maryland Department of Health. Our organizations are in daily communication and we will continue to provide support to the residents, their families, and facility staff during this time.”

Autumn Lake had previously put into place prevention measures according to state and federal guidance, including restricting visitation and communal dining, suspending group activities, taking extra cleaning measures, and conducting daily checks for symptoms of residents and staff members, according to the press release.

During an outbreak, the facility must elevate its infection control practices and delivered items must be inspected and disinfected, according to the health department. For this reason, Autumn Lake, in conjunction with the health department, has asked that families do not drop off food, clothing, or other personal effects for residents.

“I implore everyone to take this virus seriously and be vigilant to prevent its spread,” Webb said in the statement. “Our highest priority is to keep everyone safe and we must take every step possible to protect our most vulnerable.”

Autumn Lake Healthcare at Chestertown describes itself on its website as “a state-of-the-art nursing center brimming with small-town heart. In addition to subacute rehabilitation, we are known for our excellence in long-term care, providing round-the-clock skilled nursing for a wide range of complex medical conditions.”

Information on COVID-19 may be found on the state’s website at coronavirus.maryland.gov or the county health department’s website at kenthd.org

The health department operates a call center at 410-778-1350 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.

The health department will not disclose individual information about Autumn Lake residents. The status of each resident is being communicated to the primary contact on file with Autumn Lake.

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Video: Kent Commissioners Hear COVID-19 Update

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Wayne Darrell, director of the Kent County emergency services department, gives the Kent County Commissioners an update on COVID-19 during the county’s Tuesday, April 14 meeting.

This video is about 14 minutes in length.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Kent Eyes School Maintenance of Effort Waiver Request

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Decreased revenue as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic has Kent County officials weighing whether or not to seek a waiver from state mandated funding levels for public schools.

The Kent County Commissioners heard the annual budget presentation from the school system during Tuesday morning’s meeting.

But before hearing from Karen Couch, the county’s school superintendent, commissioners outlined funding concerns for next year’s budget.

“With our finances and what we’re projecting, I don’t know where we’re coming from with this budget,” Commission President Tom Mason said. “We’re looking at a 25 to 30 percent decrease in our income tax income, which could be a $3 to 4 million deficit to the county.

“We’ve asked all of our other departments — it’s a flat budget…. We have no salary increases for the county, no new positions, no promotions, we’ve funded (below) FY2020…. We’re very interested in wanting to hear what you say but … I’ll just be honest with you, I don’t see how it’s going to happen,” he said.

“We know we have to fund the maintenance of effort,” Mason said, “even though we are considering asking a deferral on that from the state. And I would hope that if we do that the Board of Education and you as the superintendent would support that and would sign that request.

“We have not decided whether we’re going to do that yet, but it is certainly something we are considering and I believe probably other counties are going to be considering it,” he said. “It would be irresponsible on our part to ask the citizens of Kent County to … they’re already sacrificing and this would be more sacrifice.”

Commissioner Ron Fithian said county businesses are losing tens of thousands of dollars monthly during the closure of non-essential businesses ordered by Gov. Larry Hogan.

“It’s a troubling time,” Fithian said. “We’re going to do the best we can as we move forward, but we don’t know what’s around the next corner.…

“We haven’t got a clue what we’re going to end up with, there’s just too many unanswered questions,” he said. “You don’t even know today when you’re going to go back to school, when our kids are going to go back to school, let alone when the businesses are going to open up.”

The school board has proposed a $29 million budget for Fiscal Year 2021, about $1 million more than this year’s budget. Most of that increase is being sought from county taxpayers and is driven by state funding formulas.

To comply with state maintenance of effort requirements, Kent County would have to provide an additional $510,665 to county schools next year. Another provision, an escalator in state law for those counties whose school spending is below the state average, requires a 2.5 percent increase over current funding, for an additional $515,536.

State funding is projected to increase $130,439 overall, after a reduction of $177,081 for declining enrollment assistance.

Nearly $700,000 of the additional funding would go toward salary increases and new positions, and higher insurance costs, according to the budget proposed by the school board.

The school system is looking to add 3.5 positions for a total cost of $150,000, much of that for a special education teacher at Kent County Middle School. The state’s higher minimum wage accounts for $40,000 of the total salary increase.

Other requests include $50,000 to buy a used bus, $50,000 for school furniture, $30,000 for the lease/purchase of two new buses, $30,000 for the Kent Blended Learning Academy, and $18,500 for the Kent County Middle School athletics fields.

In broad categories, which is how the county commissioners approve the school budget, there would be the following increases or decreases:

• Instruction: $456,292 increase; $390,792 for salary, the remainder for equipment, supplies, materials, and contracted services

• Fixed charges: $391,824 increase

• Special education: $115,380 increase in salary, including $90,000 for the new middle school position

• Administration: $79,807 increase in salary

• Student personnel services: $76,331 increase in salary

• Health services: $17,000 increase in contracted services

• Mid-level administration: $7,529 increase in salary

• Plant maintenance: $1,070 increase in salary

• Transportation: $52,629 total decrease; with $143,324 cut from salaries, but additional spending of $50,000 for equipment, $30,000 for other charges, and $10,695 for contracted services

• Plant operation: $4,244 decrease in salary

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Kent County Health Department Announces First Resident Death to COVID-19

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The Kent County Health Department has confirmed the first death of a county resident related to COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. The individual was a man in his 70s.

“We want his family and loved ones to know that we are deeply saddened by the news of his passing, and we express our sympathies during this very difficult time,” William Webb, Kent County’s health officer, said in a statement. “This pandemic represents an unprecedented crisis for our community and our nation.

‘We are confronting this pandemic head on and working tirelessly to protect the well-being of our residents,” Webb said. “People of Kent County are resilient, we support one another in times of need, and we will continue to hold each other up as we do everything we can to contain the spread of this virus and work to prevent further loss of life.”

Resources and Support

Stress, anxiety, and other depression-like symptoms are common reactions after a disaster. If you are experiencing current distress and would like to talk to a trained crisis counselor, please call SAMSHA’s Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990.

The Helpline is a 24/7, 365-day-a-year, national hotline dedicated to providing immediate crisis counseling for people who are experiencing emotional distress related to any natural or human-caused disaster.

This toll-free, multilingual, and confidential crisis support service is available to all residents in the United States and its territories. Call 1-800-985-5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66746 to connect with a trained crisis counselor.

To learn how to protect yourself and others from COVID-19, visit Maryland’s web page at coronavirus.maryland.gov or the Kent County Health Department’s web page at kenthd.org, or call the COVID-19 Call Center at 410-778-1350.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Kent County Offers Social Distancing Guidance to Businesses

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While most of our retail establishments have implemented essential social distancing measures to stop the spread of COVID-19, others may be neglecting their civic responsibility to keep their patrons, our citizens, safe.

In the interest of protecting all Kent County residents from the spread of COVID-19, Governor Hogan has issued an executive order giving local health departments the authority to require modification of operations or to close retail establishments that are not complying with social distancing guidelines.

If you have not yet implemented appropriate social distancing strategies, you need to develop a plan and implement it immediately. For resources and guidance, click here. Additional guidance specific to small businesses can be found here.

Some effective strategies for social distancing include, but are not limited to: marking floors to ensure adequate distance between customers, limiting the number of people at one time in the facility and establishing customer flow patterns that limit contact between your customers.

Additionally, you must regularly disinfect frequently touched surfaces like shopping carts, door handles, checkout areas and any other high-touch surfaces.

For everyone’s safety, if an employee is not feeling well, direct them to stay home.

A Poster for Visitors and a Poster for Staff are also available to help remind your teams to use best practices, and we encourage you to display these or something similar throughout your facility.

If we find establishments not complying with the governor’s order, Kent County Health Department may issue an order to require the establishment to close until an appropriate social distancing plan is developed and executed. It is up to the management of the establishment to ensure a safe environment for its patrons. Repeated social distancing violations may result in an order to close for the duration of the emergency.

We want to thank the business community for supporting our residents, and we applaud your efforts to keep all Kent County residents as safe as possible.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.