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Happy Weekend, Westminster!
State highway crews start repaving MD 27 through downtown Sunday night, an overnight project that'll run into mid-October. And in a story about the value of local news, a McDaniel College professor explains why he started his own small-town paper after regional outlets stopped covering his community. There's also a scam alert from the Carroll County Government.
Around town, Carroll Hospital Auxiliary is throwing a Disco Night on Monday at Liquid Library, R/C Westminster Movies has its next sensory-friendly showing lined up for Sept. 6, and the City of Westminster and Carroll County Government both have Recreation & Parks jobs open. Plus, a whole lot more — the Around Town section is loaded with news!
Let's get into it.
👀 Around Town
🖤 Shop Rebels, an alt-fashion and book shop carrying sizes S–5X, opens its new storefront, 37 E. Main St., today, Saturday, Aug. 29, at 1 p.m., with fall mocktails, opening-day specials and giveaways. Read Westminster Wire’s May article on the store.
🚌 Carroll County Public Schools students head back Monday, Aug. 31, which means school buses return to local roads. The Sheriff's Office is reminding drivers of Maryland's stop-for-the-bus laws — violations can mean a $250 video enforcement citation or up to $570 and three points for a traffic citation — and Sheriff James DeWees stopped by WTTR 102.3/1470 this week to talk school and bus safety. See the graphic | the radio visit.
🪩 Carroll Hospital Auxiliary & Volunteer Services hosts Disco Night at Liquid Library, 84 E. Main St. in Westminster, Monday, Aug. 31, 5–8 p.m. The evening includes disco-themed cocktails, a best-dressed contest, a vote for your favorite drink and a raffle — a preview of the Auxiliary's Disco Ball on Nov. 7. A portion of the proceeds benefits Carroll Hospital. See the event post.
🦴 OrthoMaryland Walk-In Care is coming to the 140 Village Center, with an opening planned for October. The practice, per orthomaryland.net, combines walk-in convenience with certified orthopedic specialists. See the post.
🎬 R/C Westminster Movies hosts its next Sensory-Friendly Sunday showing, Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie, on Sunday, Sept. 6, in the early afternoon — dimmer lights, a softer soundtrack and a more relaxed atmosphere. Get tickets.
🏹 The Hill Y in Westminster is offering 4- and 7-week Homeschool Activities sessions this fall: archery ($60, Mondays, ages 6–13), Dance Mix ($70, Tuesdays, ages 6–13), swim lessons ($77, Wednesdays, ages 5–14), Sports Mix (included with membership, Wednesdays, ages 3–13), Health & Fitness ($40, Thursdays, ages 6–13) and Familyhood (included with membership, Tuesdays and Thursdays, all ages). See the flyer for times and sign-up.
🛡️ American Legion Post 31 and the Veterans & Suicide Prevention Coalition host a free Family Safety Training, Monday, Sept. 21, 10 a.m.–noon, at 2 Sycamore St. in Westminster. The session covers recognizing warning signs, connecting with local resources and making homes safer; no registration is required, and lunch is provided. Questions: Jessica Lafave, 410-209-9860. See the flyer.
🍽️ Roy Dean Premium Meats' produce stand at 1545 Old Westminster Pike is adding Patty Cakes Pop Shop cake pops to the lineup this Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 29–30. See the post.
🥃 Westminster National Golf Course has the award-winning Spiced Orange Old Fashioned from Covalent Spirits available starting this weekend, while supplies last. See the post.
🌳 The City of Westminster is hiring two Assistant Directors of Recreation & Parks to help lead the department's programs, facilities and events, with a salary range of $67,559–$80,000 annually; the posting is open until filled. See the listing.
🤸 Carroll County Government is hiring a Recreation Leader for Adaptive Recreation & Community Programs, based at the Charles Carroll Community Center, starting at $22.15–$23.26 an hour, full-time. See the listing.
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🗞️ News
🚧 State Highway Crews to Repave MD 27 Through Downtown Westminster
The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration begins repaving MD 27 (Liberty Street/Railroad Avenue) through downtown Westminster on Sunday, Aug. 30, at 8 p.m., covering the mile between Tuc Road and Bond Street. Crews will run a mobile operation, working Sunday through Thursday nights, 8 p.m. to 5 a.m., closing one lane at a time in active work zones while a flagging operation keeps two-way traffic moving; street and shoulder parking will be restricted nearby. The project is expected to wrap by mid-October, weather permitting.
⚠️ Carroll County Warns of Scam Emails Impersonating Government
Carroll County Government and the Carroll County Sheriff's Office are warning residents about scam emails designed to look like they're from the county, targeting citizens, zoning applicants and others. Real county addresses end only in .gov — variations like "carrollcountymd.gov.usa" are fake — and county departments will never ask anyone to wire money; required payments go by cash, check or money order to the Carroll County Commissioners. Anyone unsure about a message can call 410-386-2400 or the Comptroller's Office at 410-386-2085 to verify it.
📰 A Town Lost Its Local News, So a McDaniel Professor Started a Paper
When Jonathan Slade noticed around 2018 that regional outlets had stopped covering his community of roughly 60 homes in Lineboro, he started his own: the Mason-Dixon Surveyor, a quarterly tabloid that prints 1,000 copies per issue and has been distributed at about 30 spots across northern Carroll County and southern Pennsylvania since January 2020. Slade, a McDaniel College professor of Communication & Cinema and a seven-time Emmy-winning filmmaker, self-funds the paper's roughly $3,200–$3,500 annual cost and has spent the past two-plus years filming a documentary on surviving small-town newspapers. He'll discuss his local news project at McDaniel's free Lumen Lecture, Nov. 10 at 7 p.m. in the Coley Rice Lounge.
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— Westminster Wire