Commentary

While on a self-imposed paid leave of absence since his indictment on federal gun charges, Frederick County Sheriff Chuck Jenkins has continued taking part in administrative work and attending executive-level meetings and events. As he appeals to a federal judge to let him carry his service weapons again, he has indicated that he is thinking about ending his leave.

Esther Reaves made the most of her time on Earth, not by accumulating wealth, building skyscrapers or sending rockets into space. She devoted her life to helping people mired in poverty, people who were sick, hungry, lonely and homeless. She found her calling in the Gospel of Matthew: “I was hungry and you gave me something to eat. … I was a stranger and you invited me in.”

Close to 35,000 Maryland residents lost access to Medicaid as the state returned to checking eligibility for the public health insurance program, after a COVID-era requirement to keep recipients continuously enrolled expired May 31. Most people — 71% — lost the safety net because of procedural problems, such as failing to file forms or responding to requests for information too late. They are among millions of others who are losing Medicaid coverage, meant for low-income families and individuals, nationwide.

The Chesapeake Bay has no rich culture of solo sailing. Sure, there are exceptions. But it’s a body of water where it’s easy to run aground, easy to go for a yacht club race and easy to party with friends on a day sail. “I know people who have sailed their whole lives and have never gone south of Solomons Island,” said Matt Rutherford, an Annapolis sailor and explorer who was the first to sail solo around the Americas in 2012.

Over half a million Americans responded to the U.S. Forest Service’s request for public comment before late July’s deadline for the Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. The question: “How should the Forest Service implement the President’s Executive Order to protect mature and old-growth in our national forests in the face of climate change?”

Last week an excessive heat warning and heat advisory were issued for the Northeast region of the country, including Maryland. Meteorologists expected temperatures to reach the upper 90s and feel like the low 100s. The Maryland Department of Preparedness and Response has stated “extreme heat can lead to serious health issues.

If you have lived in Frederick County for more than a few years, you might think that all of those yellow school buses trundling down our roads were equipped with cameras, to catch anyone speeding past a bus loading or unloading students. You would be wrong. True, the county was the first in Maryland to equip some school buses with such cameras, all the way back in 2012. Cameras were installed on more than 30 buses.