It is hard to know where to start, so let me do so with a warning. My thoughts include a promotion. A promotion to look beyond the obvious. My part-time work in high school included a gig helping a ... [Continue Story]
Public Affairs
Maryland Loses Coveted AAA Bond Rating
Maryland lost its treasured “triple triple-A” bond rating Wednesday, when a key bond-rating agency downgraded its assessment of the state’s ... [Continue Story]
- Spy Profile: A Chat with St. Michaels Community Center Director Amy Horne
- Don Abbatiello Wins in Landslide over Frank Gunsallus for Council President: Davis and Rankin Win Ward Seats
- Town Council Highlights: A Zoning Amendment for Seafood Processing Standards to Control Odor
- Town of Easton hires Andrew Kitzrow as new Town Manager
- Town of Easton Addresses Election Misinformation
- From and Fuller: The Impact of Poll Ratings on Trump and his new Digital Coin
Spy Highlights
From and Fuller: Trump’s Big Beautiful 747 and Spotting Democratic Early Birds
Every Thursday, the Spy hosts a conversation with Al From and Craig Fuller on the most topical political news of the moment. This week, Al and Craig dive into the political and ethical controversy surrounding President Donald Trump’s acceptance of a used Boeing 747 from the Qatari government as a potential replacement for the aging […]
- The Maryland Caucus with Foxwell and Mitchell: The Maryland Energy Crisis
- From and Fuller: The GOP ‘Beautiful’ Megabill and Joe Biden’s Return
- Publisher’s Note: Introducing the ‘Maryland Caucus’ Podcast with Len Foxwell and Clayton Mitchell
- Publisher Notes: Spy Poetry and Deidra Greenleaf Allan
- Chicken Scratch: On Being Green by Elizabeth Beggins
- From and Fuller: The Impact of Poll Ratings on Trump and his new Digital Coin
The Arts and Local Design
Spy Review: New Singer/Songwriter Night at Foxy’s by Mark Pelavin
There are lots of great musicians in Talbot County, and plenty of places to hear them play. But until now there has been a real void in the local ... [Continue Story]
- Spy Concert Review: MSO Season Finale by Steve Parks
- Spy Profile: John Waters Brings ‘The Naked Truth’ to the Avalon
- Art Travels: Places We Inhabit at the Zach Gallery by Anke Van Wagenberg
- Avalon Spy Night Preview: Poet Meredith Davies Hadaway Reads “When Dreams Go Walking”
- Al Sikes on the Magnificence of Allan Harris in Oxford this Friday
- Spy Review: Chesapeake Music’s Series Ends with a Flourish
Chesapeake Ecosystem
Intense Maryland Energy Debates in Annapolis Fill a Single Afternoon
For the last few years, the nuclear energy industry has stood on the precipice of the Maryland energy policy debate, waiting for its ... [Continue Story]
- Md. leads in carbon emissions reductions – Maryland Matters
- 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
- Blue Crab Populations are Down, But Experts are Not Worried
Maryland News
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 ... [Continue Story]
- 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
- House, Senate ratify budget compromise on final day
- Sheriffs defend cooperation with federal officials on immigration enforcement
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
- 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
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]
- 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
- Spy-WHCP Check in with Dorchester Schools Superintendent Jymil Thompson
Food & Garden Highlights
Wine of the Week: Rosato Toscano IGT
Ciao Tutti! This week at Piazza Italian Market, we will taste the Rosato Toscano IGT ( $19.95, 12% ABV) from the Istine winery in Radda in ... [Continue Story]
Brevities
Talbot Historical Society Project Rewind: Ride ’em Donkeys
The question is what were a group of men and seven donkeys doing on the baseball field at Easton, Maryland’s Federal Park? Possibly Donkey Baseball?? ... [Continue Story]
- Mom Style by Katherine Emery General
- Talbot Historical Society Project Rewind: The Night Before Graduation
- Talbot Historical Society Project Rewind: Who Just Pulled Up in a Bugatti
- May 2025 sky-watch by Dennis Herrmann
- Wind by Katherine Emery General
- Help the Easton Election Town Hall Meeting on April 29th: Take Spy Survey
Commerce
A Model of Environmental Excellence
Easton, Maryland, is home to a state-of-the-art Enhanced Nutrient Removal (ENR) Wastewater Treatment Facility, recognized as one of the most ... [Continue Story]
- Talbot County launches series of open houses to shape new economic development strategic plan
- Talbot County Business Academy announces 14 new graduates
- Talbot County announces 2025 Community Impact Award winners
- Qlarant Chief Technology Officer selected for Leadership Maryland Executive Program
- Taylor promoted to Director, Customer Experience
Community Notes
The Delmarva Pride Center Hosts “A Night in New Orleans” Fundraiser to Celebrate Pride and Community
The Delmarva Pride Center is excited to announce its upcoming event, “A Night in New Orleans,” a vibrant fundraiser celebrating Pride Month and ... [Continue Story]
- Tour de Talbot on June 14, 2025 will Raise Funds to Support Talbot Thrive’s Advocacy Efforts in Talbot County
- Spy Results: The Votes are Counted, but What Do Voters Think?
- Dave Donovan Announces Candidacy for Oxford Town Commissioner
- The Easton Election is Over. What Do You Think? Take the Spy Journal Survey
- TIS Lip Sync Battle Rocked into the Record Books
- Today is Election Day in Easton!
Senior Life Highlights
It’s All Happening at the Talbot County Senior Fair May 21
The Talbot County Commission on Aging recently announced the return of its highly successful Senior Resource Fair! After an incredible turnout and ... [Continue Story]
- Senior Nation: Gardening a Great Boost for Body and Soul by Susan Covey
- Cruisin’ with Christine: Listening to the Nurse with Lorraine Flisher
- Senior Nation: April Is Parkinson’s Awareness Month by Susan Covey
- Will Orange Crush be the new State cocktail? By Lisa Gotto
- Hello Spring by Susan Convey
- The Talbot County Senior Supply Drive is About Dignity
Arts Notes
From Grief to Repair: Mixed Media Fiber Art and Watercolors by Heather Kerley on View at Adkins Arboretum
Pale green and white stitching curls around a trio of beech nuts in a tiny hand-embroidered quilt in Heather Kerley’s exhibit, From Grief to Repair, ... [Continue Story]
- Don’t Miss the Antique & Classic Boat Festival & Coastal Arts Fair At CBMM on Father’s Day Weekend
- St. Michaels Community Center to Welcome Jeff Mcguiness, Author, Bear Me Into Freedom: The Talbot County of Frederick Douglass
- Carpe Diem Arts Presents Free Lunchtime Concert at Brookletts Place on May 13
- SMAL Members Show in June at ‘’The Blue Crab” in St Michaels
- Oxford Museum Announces The Fabric Of History Special Programs
- SMAL Announces Winners of 2025 Original “Celebrate St. Michaels” Banner Art
Ecosystem Notes
Moore Signs Chesapeake Bay Bill As Federal Cuts Loom Large
Gov. Wes Moore (D) signed what he called “the most comprehensive piece of Chesapeake Bay legislation that Maryland has seen in years,” at a time when ... [Continue Story]
Education Notes
The 10th Annual Chesapeake Children’s Book Festival
The Talbot County Free Library is gearing up to celebrate the 10th Annual Chesapeake Children’s Book Festival (CCBF), on Saturday, June 7th, from ... [Continue Story]
- May 19 ‘Get on the Bus’ Film Screening Sparks Dialogue on Civil Rights, Equity
- Tilghman Watermen’s Museum Opens May 10 – New Sharps Island Exhibit
- Golfing Fore Gunston VI Raises $40,000
- Gunston Earns Second at 2025 Maryland State High School Rowing Championships
- Oxford Community Center Offers Bus Trip to Gettysburg
- Benedictine’s “A Celebration to Transform Lives” Gala Held at Easton’s Trident Aircraft Hangar.
Health Notes
Route 662 Near Site of New University of Maryland Shore Regional Medical Center Reopened to Traffic
University of Maryland Shore Regional Health (UM SRH), a member organization of the University of Maryland Medical System, and key partners celebrated ... [Continue Story]
- Talbot County Commission on Aging Hosts 2025 Senior Resource Fair on May 21
- 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
Commerce Notes
A Model of Environmental Excellence
Easton, Maryland, is home to a state-of-the-art Enhanced Nutrient Removal (ENR) Wastewater Treatment Facility, recognized as one of the most ... [Continue Story]
- Talbot County launches series of open houses to shape new economic development strategic plan
- Talbot County Business Academy announces 14 new graduates
- Talbot County announces 2025 Community Impact Award winners
- Qlarant Chief Technology Officer selected for Leadership Maryland Executive Program
- Taylor promoted to Director, Customer Experience
- LYON RUM receives Best of Class Designation; Sailors Reserve Rum earns only gold medal awarded in the Rum category
Food Friday
Food Friday: Deelish Sammies
Ah, late spring. It is a beautiful time of the year. The fireflies are beginning to sparkle in the blue twilight of the back yard. A bunny is enjoying chowing down on the new ... [Continue Story]
Looking at the Masters with Beverly Smith
Looking at the Masters: Ruth Asawa
Ruth Asawa was born in 1926 in Norwalk, California, and she died in San Francisco in 2013. Her parents were immigrants from Japan. They worked on a ... [Continue Story]
Design with Jenn Martella
Design with Jenn Martella: The Tilley House Redux
This is the second opportunity for me to feature a project by Jones & Jones Properties. For the last four years, this talented brother and sister duo has specialized in the restoration of significant residential properties in Chestertown’s Historic District. Together they develop a vision for a property; then Patrick as craftsman builder makes the […]
- 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
- Design with Jenn Martella: Highfield
- Design with Jenn Martella : Thinking inside the box
From and Fuller Podcast
From and Fuller: Trump’s Big Beautiful 747 and Spotting Democratic Early Birds
Every Thursday, the Spy hosts a conversation with Al From and Craig Fuller on the most topical political news of the moment. This week, Al and ... [Continue Story]
- 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
- From and Fuller: Trump Liberation Day and Wisconsin Election Results
- From and Fuller: What does the Signal Chat Signal for Team Trump
Columnist J.E. Dean
Springtime’s Blessings by J.E. Dean
Sometimes I forget the sun will rise tomorrow even if the news is bad. Yes, we live in challenging, uncertain times that find Americans deeply divided ... [Continue Story]
- 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
- Is Andy Harris representing Maryland or Donald Trump? By J.E. Dean
Columnist Hugh Panero
Balancing the Maryland Budget in Extraordinary Times by Hugh Panero
Balancing the state budget in extraordinary times is hard. It is an ugly game of Whack-a-Mole. A large percentage of the expenses are baked into the ... [Continue Story]
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
This Crazy World By Jamie Kirkpatrick
Well, friends, the world sure got a little crazier since I was here last week. I mean, can you believe it? The new Pope is an American, and from the ... [Continue Story]
Columnist Laura Oliver
Tenants of the Heart By Laura J. Oliver
What’s worse than spotting a quarter-sized spider on the ceiling above your bed as you turn out the light? Instantly switching the lamp back on to ... [Continue Story]
- Sleepless in Annapolis By Laura J. Oliver
- When the Thing that You Long for is Not What You Want By Laura J. Oliver
- In the beginning was the word By Laura J. Oliver
- Magnified By Laura J. Oliver
- And then there were three (For Sharon and Andrea) By Laura J. Oliver
- In terms of the absolute By Laura J. Oliver
Columnist Angela Rieck
Life Lessons: Perseverance By Angela Rieck
In business we talk about the four stages of a group’s development: Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing. The first stage, forming, is the ... [Continue Story]
Columnist Al Sikes
“Through the Looking Glass” by Al Sikes
It is hard to know where to start, so let me do so with a warning. My thoughts include a promotion. A promotion to look beyond the obvious. My part-time work in high school included a gig helping a Disc Jockey at the local radio station—specifically KSIM at 1400 on the AM dial in Sikeston, […]
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]
- A Conservative Look at the Trump Tariff Policy by David Montgomery
- The Need to Call Out Gunsallus Falsehoods by Megan Cook
- I Support Don Abbatiello for Easton Council President by David Montgomery
- Maryland’s Budget Crossroads Demands Unity, Not Division by Patrick Firth
- The Political is Personal: Reflections on DEI by Margaret Andersen
- New report reveals value of resource conservation for Shore businesses by John Horner
- Presidential pasts and an impending future by Steve Parks
- Gov. Wes Moore: Now’s the time to fix our fiscal crisis
- Maryland’s fiscal apocalypse by Clayton A. Mitchell, Sr.
- Consent first, investigate later by Aubrey Sarvis
- Analysis: Moore’s delicate balance as the session gets under way
- Electric Workboats on the Chesapeake? By Rob Etgen
- Reflections on cabinet choices by J.T. Smith
- Balancing Growth and Green: Chestertown’s Greenbelt Plan Faces a Solar Challenge by Steve Kline
- Andy Harris and our right to vote by Heather Mizeur
Letters to the Editor
Letter to Editor: Votes for Women – Bring Out the Sashes!
Women are going to have a tough time registering to vote if a new Executive Order and the House-passed SAVE Act are enacted. President Trump’s March ... [Continue Story]
- Letter to Editor: When Civility Wins: A Victory for Easton
- Letter to Editor: Trump and the Declaration of Independence
- Letter to Editor: Protect Talbot County: Property Rights, Privacy, and Tourism at Risk
- Letter to Editor: Gunsallus and “Irresponsible Growth”
- Letter to Editor: I Support Frank Gunsallus for Easton Council President
- Letter to Editor: I Support Frank Gunsallus
