A piece of Kent County farmland with deep family roots is now permanently protected, thanks to a nearly 30-year promise finally coming full circle.  Back in 1988, Lee Davis wrote a letter to the owners of a farm bordering his father’s 300-acre property near Chestertown. In it, he asked for first right of refusal if they ever decided to sell. Nearly three decades later, that call finally came.  This July, the 29-acre property west of Chestertown officially joined the Davis family’s larger farm in permanent conservation. The land is now protected forever through Eastern Shore Land Conservancy, funded as part of a Maryland DNR Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) Permanent Easement.  The property also includes 1,175 feet of road frontage along Bell Rose Lane, land Davis says could have easily been sold for development.  But for Davis, who has worked in real estate and development himself, the decision came down to something bigger than money.  He noted the there is only so much farmland available, and preserving it for future generations is worth more than any amount of money.   

Construction is underway on a $9.9 million Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration project designed to improve pedestrian safety and traffic flow along a 1.7-mile stretch of Route 50 in Easton.  The work will take place along Ocean Gateway between MD 331 and MD 328 and is expected to continue through the fall of 2027, weather permitting.    The project includes installing new sidewalks on both sides of Route 50, adding signalized pedestrian crossings, extending left-turn lanes at Dutchmans Lane and MD 331, and constructing raised landscaped medians.  Motorists should expect lane shifts, single-lane closures on Route 50 and occasional flagging operations on side streets throughout construction. Most major work on Route 50 is expected to occur overnight to reduce traffic impacts. Officials said work schedules and traffic impacts will be announced as construction progresses.