The prospect of the Chesapeake Bay surviving and thriving is regularly threatened by events that negatively impact its ecology. They include, but are not limited to, periodic overflows from ... [Continue Story]
Public Affairs
Maryland House Take Congressional Redistricting Bill with Big Changes for 1st District
House leaders are fast-tracking legislation to redraw the state’s eight congressional districts, drawing sharp criticism from Republicans who stand to ... [Continue Story]
- Council Highlights: Town of Easton Hits the Brakes on Parking Plan
- Concerns Mount Over Condemned Robert Morris Inn in Oxford
- ICE Activity Raises Community Concerns in Talbot County, Police Board Says
- Easton Planning Commission Highlights: A Pause on Form-Based Zoning
- Easton Begins Review of Zoning Changes to Set Limits for Large Housing Projects
- A New Era and a New Challenge for the Neighborhood Service Center: A Chat with Chuck Callahan and Andy Hollis
Spy Highlights
Foxwell and Mitchell: The Annapolis Politics of the High Costs of Energy
Editor’s Note: Beginning this month, the Spy’s From and Fuller and Maryland Caucus with Foxwell and Mitchell will broadcast twice a week to cover the wide range of issues expected to shape the 2026 campaign. Every week, Maryland political analysts Len Foxwell and Clayton Mitchell break down the politics and personalities shaping the state and […]
- From and Fuller: The Trump-Greenland TARFU
- Maryland Caucus with Foxwell and Mitchell: Should Maryland Start Melting ICE?
- Spy Spotlight: Checking in on Camp Wright
- Chicken Scratch: Sharp Shards — by Elizabeth Beggins
- Maryland Caucus with Foxwell and Mitchell: MD’s $1.5 Billion Deficit and the Land of No Easy Answers
- From and Fuller: Trump Attacks on Federal Reserve Chairman Powell and Foreign Affairs Distractions
The Arts and Local Design
Looking the The Masters: Gustave Courbet and Nature
Gustave Courbet (1819-1877) was the leader of the French Realist painters. He was born in Ornans, a city on the first plateau of the Jura Mountains in ... [Continue Story]
- Spy Art Review: Centennial Salute to a Printmaking Icon by Steve Parks
- Looking Back and Forward with Talbot Arts: A Chat with Director Joan Levy
- Shrek the Musical Comes to the Avalon Just in Time for the Holidays
- Spy Review: A Choral Rose for Christmas by Steve Parks
- Spy Review: MSO’s Opera-Flavored ‘Holiday Joy’ by Steve Parks
- AI is Coming for the Music Industry
Chesapeake Film Festival Podcast
The Spy-Chesapeake Film Festival Podcast: A Chat with Filmmaker Lance Kramer
This year, the Spy is expanding its commitment to the Chesapeake Film Festival by co-producing a monthly podcast with CFF Executive Director Cid ... [Continue Story]
- The Spy-Chesapeake Film Festival Podcast: A Chat with Filmmaker and CFF Artistic Director Cid Collins Walker
- The Spy-Chesapeake Film Festival Podcast: A Chat with Filmmaker Monda Raquel Webb
- The Spy-Chesapeake Film Festival Podcast: A Chat with Casting Director Kimberly Skyrme
- The Spy-Chesapeake Film Festival Podcast: A Chat with Director/Producer Ted Adams
- The Spy-Chesapeake Film Festival Podcast: A Chat with Rebekah Louisa Smith
Chesapeake Ecosystem
Conowingo Dam Appeal Dropped, Allowing $340M Settlement To Go Forward—Maryland Matters
Maryland’s $340 million settlement with the owner of the Conowingo Dam can now move forward, after a group of Eastern Shore counties dropped their ... [Continue Story]
- Dorchester and Kent Drop out of Challenge to $340 million Conowingo Settlement
- The Next Chapter for ShoreRivers
- ShoreRivers Director to Step Down, Search for Successor Begins
- FEMA Cancels $1 Billion for Flood Prevention Projects in Chesapeake Bay Region
- Intense Maryland Energy Debates in Annapolis Fill a Single Afternoon
- Md. leads in carbon emissions reductions – Maryland Matters
Maryland News
Moore’s Redistricting Commission Recommends ‘Congressional Map Concept’
A five-member panel voted behind closed doors Tuesday to advance a “congressional map concept” that will be used as a guide for legislation that will ... [Continue Story]
- Moore, other PJM Governors Push for Changes at the Nation’s Biggest Electric Grid
- Poll: Moore Approval Numbers Continue Downward Trend Even as Most Voters Would OK Second Term
- More than 3,300 Marylanders Detained by ICE in 2025, Twice the Number of Preceding Years
- Delegate Proposes Bill to Bar ICE Officers From State Law Enforcement
- Transportation Officials Approve Rough Plans on Chesapeake Bay Bridge Replacement
Health
Let’s Talk About It with For All Seasons’ Lesa Mulcahy: Loneliness at Every Age
Loneliness touches people at every stage of life, but it doesn’t always look the same. In this conversation, the latest installment of our "Let's Talk ... [Continue Story]
- Demystifying Palliative Care with Shore Regional Health’s Christina Ball
- Mobile Dental Care Team Expands Access for Dorchester County Students
- Lets Talk about It with Beth Anne Dorman: Making Sure Our Veterans Get the Help They Need
- Senior Nation: Nature’s Multicolored Autumn Farewell by Susan Covey
- A Spy Chat with Shore Regional Health’s New Clark Breast Center Director Dr. Kathryn Kelley
Brevities
Talbot Historical Society Project Rewind: A Few Answers at the YMCA
This photo of an Easton, Maryland YMCA meeting of teenage boys is from the YMCA Collection at the Talbot Historical Society. Can you help us identify ... [Continue Story]
- Select Agent 86 Reconnaissance Footage: Taylors Island by Air
- Talbot Historical Society Project Rewind: Let’s Grab a Soda at the Oak Hill Diner
- A Lifetime of Tea By Katherine Emery General
- Agent 86 Reconnaissance Footage: Hoopers Island by Air
- Talbot Historical Society Project Rewind: Thinking About Next Summer
- Reclaiming Winter By Katherine Emery General
Education
Dorchester Education Foundation Launches Wyatt Scholarship
The Dorchester Education Foundation launched its first major public event on Saturday, November 8, with a waterfront fundraiser that combined ... [Continue Story]
- Good News and Not So Good News: Talbot County Schools Gets their 2025 Report Card
- Benedictine’s Next Chapter: A Chat with Executive Director Scott Evans
- Bryan Matthews Returns to Steady the Helm at Washington College
- John Lewis: Guiding Gunston’s Next Generation
- Getting to Know The Country School’s New Head Jay Parker by India Smith
Food & Garden Highlights
Wine of the Week: Otto Uve
Ciao Tutti! This weekend at Piazza Italian Market, we will taste the Otto Uve Gragnano Della Penisola Sorrentina Rosso Frizzante DOC ($21.50, ... [Continue Story]
Commerce
A Great New Year — Shopping, Exhibits and Events at The Market at Dover Station
Celebrate the New Year at the Market at Dover Station! Merchandise is restocked and fresh, events flourish, and the fine art beckons. Join Easton ... [Continue Story]
- Maryland Lost 25,000 Federal Jobs in 2025, Latest Data Show
- Chesapeake Fire & Ice is Back For 2026
- Fello Secures $500,000 State Grant for Easton Crossing Community
- Business Owners Encouraged to Enroll in Talbot Works Business Academy
- Hines, Westerfield and Lahman Graduate from Leadership Maryland’s Programs
Community Notes
Important Dates Set for 2026 St. Michaels Commissioner Election
The Town of St. Michaels has announced key dates for the 2026 Commissioners election. Residents planning to run for office or to vote in the upcoming ... [Continue Story]
- Hunger in Talbot County: Community Response Meets a Growing Need
- Strong Community Response to Bridging the Divide Forum Prompts Venue Change to Easton Firehouse
- Delmarva Pride Center Hosts Second Annual Town Hall on the Future of LGBTQ+ Protections in Maryland
- Connecting Communities: Talbot Thrive Drives Regional Trail Momentum
- St. Michaels Sets May 4 Election for Town Commissioners
- YMCA of the Chesapeake Welcomes Jim Harris and Andy Cheezum to Corporate Board of Directors
Senior Life Highlights
Cruisin’ with Christine: A Group Chat with Duval Mills, Jennifer Hughes, and Ericka Taylor
Over the last ten years, the Spy and Londonderry on the Tred Avon have collaborated on stories about this unique retirement community, which educates ... [Continue Story]
- Cruisin’ with Christine: A Chat with Londonderry’s Susan Andrews
- Londonderry on the Tred Avon Welcomes Chef, Brendan Keegan, Jr.
- Senior Nation: Embrace Your Age, Live Your Best Life by Susan Covey
- Cruisin’ with Christine: A Chat with Londonderry’s Jennifer Hughes
- The Difference Between Try And Triumph Is A Little Umph! By Susan Covey
- Cruisin’ with Christine: A Chat with Londonderry’s Ken Sadler
Arts Notes
Disney’s NEWSIES JR. Playing at The Country School in Easton
Disney’s Newsies JR. leaps onto the stage at The Country School for three performances: Friday, February 27 at 7:00 p.m., Saturday, February 28 at ... [Continue Story]
- Academy Art Museum to Host Membership Open House on January 31
- Academy Art Museum Welcomes Five New Members to it’s Board of Trustees
- Leon Fleisher Academy Students Child Prodigies in Concert
- Oxford Community Center Upcoming Activities January, February, March 2026
- Easton Choral Arts Invites you to “Come Fly With Us” This Spring
- SMAL Announces 2026 Mixed Media Exhibit Winners
Ecosystem Notes
Black Water Rising to Host Free Composting Workshop Led by Jonathan Williams
Black Water Rising is hosting a free workshop on home and community composting led by Jonathan Williams on Thursday, January 22nd at the Dorchester ... [Continue Story]
Education Notes
Reza Jafari Appointed to Association of Community College Trustees Board of Directors
Chesapeake College Board Chair Reza Jafari has been appointed as the Northeastern representative to the Board of Directors of the Association of ... [Continue Story]
- Gunston Joins Top 7% of Schools Nationally with AP Platinum Honors
- New Year, New Courses at Chesapeake Forum
- Special Free Screen of Film by Ken Burns on American Revolution January 14th
- Don’t Miss These CBMM Speaker Events This Winter
- Come in From the Cold to Enjoy the Forum’s Winter Preview on Zoom
- Critchlow Adkins Children’s Centers Celebrates Two Staff Members’ Leadership Milestones
Health Notes
University of Maryland Shore Regional Health Announces Winter Weather Closures
The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a Winter Storm Warning for the Eastern Shore of Maryland as a major winter storm is predicted to impact ... [Continue Story]
- UM Shore Regional Health Announces 2026 Safe Sitter® Dates
- All About Your Image: A Local Non-Profit Supporting Individuals Living with Mental Illness
- First Baby of 2026 Arrives at UM Shore Medical Center at Easton Birthing Center
- For All Seasons Appoints Directors of Finance and Development
- UM SRH Cancer Center Announces Appointment of Ashraf Youssef, MD, as Medical Director of Requard Center for Radiation Oncology
- Frosty’s Holiday Village Brings Repeat Visitors and Newcomers
Commerce Notes
A Great New Year — Shopping, Exhibits and Events at The Market at Dover Station
Celebrate the New Year at the Market at Dover Station! Merchandise is restocked and fresh, events flourish, and the fine art beckons. Join Easton ... [Continue Story]
- Maryland Lost 25,000 Federal Jobs in 2025, Latest Data Show
- Chesapeake Fire & Ice is Back For 2026
- Fello Secures $500,000 State Grant for Easton Crossing Community
- Business Owners Encouraged to Enroll in Talbot Works Business Academy
- Hines, Westerfield and Lahman Graduate from Leadership Maryland’s Programs
- Taste of Easton Announced for Spring 2026
Food Friday
Food Friday: Let’s Eat a Piece of Chicken
Marie Antoinette didn’t really say, “Let them eat cake,” however much we enjoy misquoting her. Last week an out-of-touch government official, Brooke Rollins, the US Secretary ... [Continue Story]
Looking at the Masters with Beverly Smith
Looking the The Masters: Gustave Courbet and Nature
Gustave Courbet (1819-1877) was the leader of the French Realist painters. He was born in Ornans, a city on the first plateau of the Jura Mountains in ... [Continue Story]
Spy Poetry
Spy Poetry: In This Brief World by Deidra Greenleaf Allan
Editor’s Note: In the spirit of the approaching new year and its opportunity for resolutions and personal change, this poem explores the poet’s journey toward self-acceptance and her understanding of the path to happiness. This is the last poem from Spy Poetry for the foreseeable future until more funding can be secured to support this […]
Food and Garden Notes
Wine of the Week: Otto Uve
Ciao Tutti! This weekend at Piazza Italian Market, we will taste the Otto Uve Gragnano Della Penisola Sorrentina Rosso Frizzante DOC ($21.50, ... [Continue Story]
- Adkins Arboretum Mystery Monday: Guess the Photo!
- Wine of the Week: Barbera d’Alba 2024 DOC from the Albino Rocca Winery
- Maryland House & Garden Pilgrimage Opens Talbot Tour Ticket Sales
- Wine of the Week: Umbria IGT Grechetto from Argillae Winery
- Adkins Arboretum Mystery Monday: Guess the Photo!
- Talbot Co. Garden Club January 27 Lecture Will Savor All Aspects of Coffee
Design with Jenn Martella
Design with Jenn Martella: “Point Taken”
I have featured several houses along this street in Bozman and the tantalizing glimpses of this house always intrigued me as I slowly drove past it. I am so pleased to be finally showcasing this exceptional property today. The house is sited on more than 10 acres along the tranquil shoreline of Caulk Cove and […]
- Design with Jenn Martella: Small Changes Make a Big Impact
- Design with Jenn Martella: Old and New in Rock Hall
- Design with Jenn Martella: New Year-New Duplex
- Design with Jenn Martella: A Christmas Card: “The Snuggery”
- Design with Jenn Martella: Royal Oak Mid-Century Modern
- House of the Week: Treasure in Trappe
From and Fuller Podcast
From and Fuller: The Trump-Greenland TARFU
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 Morning Brief: One Year of Trump
- From and Fuller: Trump Attacks on Federal Reserve Chairman Powell and Foreign Affairs Distractions
- From and Fuller: A New Year of Foreign Conflict and an ICE Shooting in Minneapolis
- Maryland Caucus with Foxwell and Mitchell: The 3 Top Maryland Issues to Watch in 2026
- From and Fuller: A 2025 Year in Review
- From and Fuller: The Trump 2026 Election Strategy and FIFA Peace Prize
Maryland Caucus with Foxwell and Mitchell
Maryland Caucus with Foxwell and Mitchell: MD’s $1.5 Billion Deficit and the Land of No Easy Answers
Every Wednesday, but Friday this week, Maryland political analysts Len Foxwell and Clayton Mitchell discuss the politics and personalities of the ... [Continue Story]
- Maryland Caucus with Foxwell and Mitchell: Top Maryland Stories and a Few Winners and Losers in 2025
- Maryland Caucus with Foxwell and Mitchell: An Annapolis Future with a Speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk
- Maryland Caucus with Len Foxwell and Clayton Mitchell: The Worrisome Case of Kelly Madigan
- The Maryland Caucus: Maryland’s Budget Crisis + Redistricting Plans Set in Motion
- Maryland Caucus with Foxwell and Mitchell: Maryland Redistricting Gets Serious and How the 1st District Could be Cut Up
- Maryland Caucus with Foxwell and Mitchell: Moore and Ferguson Not Eye-to-Eye on Redistricting
Columnist J.E. Dean
Why I Worry About War and a Lot More By J.E. Dean
I saw the elephant in the room after I watched the video of the President dropping two F-bombs and flipping a bird at a UAW worker in a Michigan Ford ... [Continue Story]
- What Will Trump’s Legacy Be? By J.E. Dean
- Trump Has Killed the Kennedy Center, So Let’s Build a New One By J.E. Dean
- If You Can’t Say Anything Nice… By J.E. Dean
- The Self-Destruction of Trump by J.E. Dean
- The Hegseth “Kill Them All” Order is Trump’s—and America’s—Nightmare By J.E. Dean
- Thanksgiving 2025 By J.E. Dean
Columnist Hugh Panero
The False Nostalgia of Movie Theaters by Hugh Panero
The battle over Netflix's bid to buy Warner Bros. has triggered fears that it will mean the end of the movie theater. The reaction is based on ... [Continue Story]
- Netflix Makes a Blockbuster Move for Warner Bros by Hugh Panero
- AI is Coming for the Music Industry
- ICE Trauma and Drama on the Shore by Hugh Panero
- Homeland Security Threatens Canada Goose Migration by Hugh Panero
- Balancing the Maryland Budget in Extraordinary Times by Hugh Panero
- The Death of TikTok by Hugh Panero
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
- A Community Town Hall focuses on education in Talbot County by Craig Fuller
- MPT, the Chesapeake Bay and Viewers Like You: A Chat with Station Manager Steven Schupak
- So Much Money, So Little Time by Craig Fuller
Columnist Jamie Kirkpatrick
Recovery by Jamie Kirkpatrick
Up until a week ago, I still had all my original parts. But that was then; now, thanks to one of the minor miracles of modern medicine, I have a new ... [Continue Story]
Columnist Laura Oliver
The Fourth Satellite By Laura J. Oliver
So, the other day, I was supposed to meet my daughter at an arts club in Washington, DC, to celebrate a friend's birthday. I'm terrible with ... [Continue Story]
Columnist Angela Rieck
Landscape of Fear by Angela Rieck
Fear. Politics depends on it. The conservative news stations sell it. PBS and NPR give it away. And it invades us and causes us to lose our ability to ... [Continue Story]
Columnist Al Sikes
Way Beyond Woke by Al Sikes
“Kings, and Persons of Sovereign authority, because of their Independency, are in continual jealousies… having their weapons pointing, and their eyes fixed on one another.” Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan International Relations is not some new term thought up by a “woke” celebrity. Thomas Hobbes, who is said to be the philosopher-mind behind strict realism in foreign […]
Opinion
Donald the Red: The Modern Viking by Jim Bruce
Donald Trump is a 21st-century throwback to Erik the Red, the Viking chieftain and explorer who first claimed Greenland and established settlements ... [Continue Story]
- Election 2026: Heather Mizeur and Rick Hughes on Respectful Civic Engagement
- Horn Point Cuts Put Chesapeake Oyster Recovery at Risk by Sarah Gavian
- This Bears My Love to You Pooh by David Wheelan
- When Money Buys the Right to Be Heard, the People’s Voice Is Drowned Out by Tom Dennis
- “Fail First” is a Failure Always Ali Asghar Kassamali
- Remembering Mike Hiner by Robbie Gill
- Character Is Policy by Johnny O’Brien
- Trump Policies Disrupt the Eastern Shore Soybean Market by Wilson Dean
- As the Supreme Court Term Begins… Some Reflections by Margaret Andersen
- Opinion: Marylanders Need Pro-Business Policies by Jamie McNealy
- Spy Daybook: Just Because You Can; Does Not Mean You Should by Calvin Yowell
- Reflections on the YMCA Legacy of Ellen Rajacich by Robbie Gill
- The Imprisonment of Judge Carmichael and the Suspension of Habeas Corpus by Paul Callahan
- Character Rot: Sounding the Alarm by Johnny O’Brien
- A Conservative Look at the Trump Tariff Policy by David Montgomery
Letters to the Editor
Letter to Editor: When Does the Madness End?
It was sickening to learn of the murder of a mother of 3 in Minneapolis for absolutely no reason. The lies promulgated by Fox News, Breitbart and ... [Continue Story]
- Letter to Editor: Renee Good needs a Talbot County Vigil
- Letter to Editor: Regarding a Dan Watson Candidacy for Talbot County Council
- Letter to Editor: Five Years After January 6 the Truth Is Still Under Attack
- Letter to Editor: Trump is Acting like a Dictator
- Letter to Editor: Lessons from Geese
- Letter to Editor: The Grinch Known as Talbot County’s Short Term Rental Bill 1622
