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A Wednesday evening fire in the loading dock of The Star Democrat caused about $500,000 damage, according to the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

The fire delayed the delivery of the July 23 edition of the newspaper, which will be printed and distributed throughout the day, the paper reported on its website.

The fire was reported about 10:10 p.m. Wednesday, July 22, by multiple employees and the building’s monitored fire alarm system, according to the fire marshal’s office. The fire was contained to the exterior loading dock area.

Employees safely evacuated the building without injury and the fire was contained in about an hour by 42 firefighters from the Easton, St. Michaels, and Cordova volunteer fire companies.

Also responding were Talbot County EMS, Easton Police Department, and Talbot County Sheriff’s Office, with Queen Anne-Hillsboro VFC on standby, according to The Star Democrat.

The building at 29088 Airpark Drive is owned and occupied by APG Media of Chesapeake LLC, the owner/publisher of several area newspapers. The facility includes the printing plant for those newspapers.

The fire marshal’s office estimated damage at $50,000 to the structure and $450,000 to contents.

Smoke and fire alarms and a sprinkler system were present and activated.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. Anyone with information about the blaze is encouraged to contact the Office of the State Fire Marshal, Upper Eastern Region Office at 410-822-7609.

Spy Community Media, the partner organization of the Chestertown Spy and Talbot Spy, has announced that John Griep has been appointed as the Talbot Spy’s public affairs editor.

“I am thrilled to join the Spy as we look to expand our public affairs content in Talbot and nearby counties,” Griep said.

Griep served Talbot County and Mid-Shore residents as a reporter and editor at The Star Democrat for more than 25 years, including nearly seven years as executive editor. During that time, he reported on county and town governments in Talbot County, public safety and the courts, education, the state legislature, and numerous other topics.

Dave Wheelan, C.E.O. of Spy Community Media, noted that “adding John to the Spy team is a special moment for the Talbot Spy. John has served the community so well, and for so long, we are extremely honored to have him with us.”

He earned Best in Show for editorial in the Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association editorial contests in 2013 and 2015, beating out editorials from larger newspapers such as The Washington Post and The Sun.

A graduate of Colonel Richardson High School and Washington College, Griep is a lifelong Mid-Shore resident.

Fire Marshal: About $500K Damage in Easton Newspaper Plant Fire

Award-winning Journalist John Griep has joined the Talbot Spy as Public Affairs Editor

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