Bob Blubaugh

Judge Richard R. Titus retained his Carroll County Circuit Court judgeship, defeating challenger Laura Morton.

Carroll was at 51 community cases through Wednesday afternoon after reporting 99 community cases last week, a number eclipsed only by the record 108 cases recorded the week beginning July 26.

By mid-afternoon, more than 3,000 voters had turned out Monday, according to Election Director Katherine Berry, bringing the eight-day early voting total for Carroll close to 35,000 some five hours ahead of the 8 p.m. closing of the two sites.

In all, 31 confirmed cases were announced Monday by the Carroll County Health Department. Eight of those were community cases dating to last week for a preliminary weekly total of 98. The only week since the onset of the pandemic in which Carroll County saw more new community cases was the week beginning July 26, when a record 108 were recorded.

Cash can ponder his analytics all offseason and fans can wonder how arrogant number-crunchers lost sight of the fact that sport is as much art as science. Of course, in real life, arrogance has made many largely dismissive of science. Dodgers star Justin Turner became Exhibit A following Game Six.

The Carroll County Health Department confirmed 15 new community cases Friday to bring the weekly total to 90 with one day remaining. Carroll had previously reached that high a number only for the weeks beginning July 19 (97) and July 26 (110). Carroll had ranged from 60 to 70 over the past four weeks.

With a total of 50 new cases of COVID-19 announced in a two-day span, Carroll County has already seen more cases this week than any since the beginning of September and could be headed for its highest number of weekly transmissions yet.

Two days after being arrested and one day after having his bail set at $500,000 cash, the Mount Airy man charged with a May 2019 murder in Eldersburg is out of jail.

With 54 new community cases through Wednesday, Carroll County is on pace for about 94 this week after recording no fewer than 60 but no more than 70 over the previous four weeks.

Michael Anthony Brown appeared at a bail hearing before Judge Maria Oesterreicher in Carroll County Circuit Court on Tuesday afternoon, one day after being arrested following a grand jury indictment for first-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a violent crime.

Through three days this week, 27 community cases have been announced, putting Carroll on pace for a week similar to the last four. The health department announced 63 community cases (64 total) last week after seeing 60 the previous week, 70 the week prior to that and 63 the week beginning Sept. 27.

The number of new weekly community cases of COVID-19 in Carroll County has remained consistent over the past month, with no fewer than 60 and no more than 70 reported in each of the past four weeks.

Police identified the victim as Devin G. Raney of Baltimore County, according to a Sunday afternoon news release.

Carroll County Election Director Katherine Berry has advice for voters preparing to cast their ballot during early voting, which begins on Monday, Oct. 26: Expect lines and social distancing.

Thirteen new cases of COVID-19 were reported by the Carroll County Health Department on Friday, the highest single-day total in just over a week.

Now that public schools in Carroll County are back to in-person learning, how much information will the health department and the school system make available to the public about confirmed or potential COVID-19 cases among those who are using school facilities?

The Carroll County Health Department announced Wednesday the third death of a community member from COVID-19 in just over a week, after more than seven weeks had passed without a fatality among community members.

The 21 new community cases Monday included nine that were reported from last week, preliminarily bringing that total to 60. One reported case dated back to the previous week, bringing that week’s total to 69, accounting for the decrease of nine new cases week over week. The other 11 new cases are from Sunday or Monday of this week.

Instead of coming together, we’ve come apart. We don’t love a good argument, we love our own argument. We don’t engage in heated political debate and then have a drink with each other as supposedly used to happen, we just get more heated.

For the sixth week in a row, Carroll County’s weekly total has exceeded the maximum level that the health department wants to see in order to avoid “higher risk” for transmission when school buildings reopen.

With concessions that hybrid learning will not be perfect and might get “messy,” Carroll County Board of Education members reaffirmed during a Wednesday night meeting that they’re committed to reopening school buildings under a hybrid model Oct. 19.

Fourteen new community cases of COVID-19 were announced by the health department on Wednesday, four of which were actually positive tests from last week.

Trump, diagnosed with COVID-19 last week, tweeted Monday afternoon, in announcing he would soon be leaving the hospital and returning to the White House, “Feeling really good! Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life.” County Health Officer Ed Singer concurred with the theme of Trump’s message, while emphasizing that everyone has a “social responsibility” to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

More important, however, than whether Trump coming down with COVID-19 will earn him any sympathy votes, is whether it will convince his ardent followers that the coronavirus is not a hoax, that anyone can get it and that, yes, not wearing masks contributes to its spread.

Carroll County Public Schools said 336 staff members, including 282 teachers, have informed the school system they will be requesting leave, and those numbers could grow by the planned Oct. 19 return of students to school buildings under a hybrid format.

An early challenge for Carroll County Public Schools occurred Sept. 21, when school officials learned that a student attending the Career and Technology Center had tested positive for COVID-19.

After three weeks with no fatalities, the health department has reported four deaths among residents of congregate living facilities since Sept. 21. That brings the number of coronavirus-related fatalities at such Carroll County facilities to 131.

Planning to vote by mail? In person? Here’s what Carroll County voters need to know about the 2020 presidential election, according to Elections Director Katherine Berry.

As of Monday, McDaniel has seen a total of 15 positive results — including the four in the past seven days — out of 1,868 total tests.

The Times recently caught up with MIchael Meyers to discuss his long career in Carroll County, his memories of the March on Washington and civil rights then and now.

It's unclear when youths who play indoor rec sports and rely on Carroll County Public Schools facilities will be able to play.

A resident of Fairhaven, an elder care facility in Sykesville, has died, according to the Carroll County Health Department, the first Carroll death from COVID-19 reported since Aug. 28. Fifteen Fairhaven residents have now died of COVID-19 during the pandemic.

If we’ve learned anything during the coronavirus pandemic, the subsequent closing of schools and throughout the debate about when, or whether, to reopen school buildings, it’s that the Board of Education is an important body playing a critical role in the present and future of the county.

“We’re highly discouraging anybody from having dancing on the dance floor, but if they feel like they can manage it, it’s the facility’s responsibility,” Carroll County Health Officer Ed Singer said.

The City of Westminster is ready to take another swing at figuring out the future of the former Wakefield Valley Golf Club.

All five cases announced Thursday were among community members living outside of what the health department defines as congregate living facilities, including nursing homes. That brings to 36 the number of community cases for the week beginning Sunday after 74 last week and 88 the week before that. Singer has recommended to CCPS that community cases should be around 35 per week for a few weeks before in-person school resumes.

Last week, there were 73 community cases — those among members of the wider community, outside of congregate living facilities such as nursing homes — according to Carroll County Health Department data released Monday afternoon. That was down from 88 the previous week. But over the four weeks prior to that, Carroll had been averaging 48 new community cases per week.

County Health Officer Ed Singer said any positive tests are electronically relayed to the Carroll County Health Department and that he had been in touch with CCPS personnel, including Superintendent Steve Lockard, last week and that communication continued over the weekend.

Of course, the same people railing right now against the media and anonymous sourcing were lapping up New York Times reports, citing anonymous sources, about Hillary Clinton’s emails five years ago.

Carroll County has seen 678 facilities cases, but only 34 since July 1 and 14 since Aug. 1. Congregate living facilities have accounted for 127 of the 144 COVID-related deaths in Carroll, the most recent announced on Aug. 28.

Community cases of COVID-19, however, rose significantly last week after being, essentially, in line with Singer’s recommendation that Carroll should have 3 or fewer community cases per day per 100,000 residents. With nearly 170,000 people living in the county, that translates to five community cases per day or 35 per week. Carroll saw 88 cases last week after 37 in each of the two previous weeks.

Carroll has seen 37 cases this week among community members outside of congregate living facilities, such as nursing homes and group homes. That is trending lower than the 88 community cases from last week, but higher than the previous two weeks, which have been adjusted based on new data to 37 and 39.

“If you’re 65 and over and you wind up in the hospital, there’s not a real good chance you’re going to recover from this disease. You’re going to wind up, uh, well, the bottom line is you’re going to wind up dead.” Let that sink in.

After four consecutive weeks of decreasing community cases, Carroll has seen 68 this week, the most since the week beginning July 26 that produced 109 community cases, the most on record for a week. Carroll had seen just 36 cases last week and 37 the week before.

There were 33 overdoses in August in Carroll County, down from 40 in July and from 34 last August as the county continues to trend lower in terms of overdoses.

Sens. Justin Ready, R-5, and Michael Hough, R-4, in a joint news release, announced that they have nominated Chambers pursuant to an executive order by President Trump. The Interagency Task Force for Building and Rebuilding Monuments to American Heroes has asked state and local leaders to make recommendations on historical figures who should be honored with a monument, statue or featured in the proposed National Garden of American Heroes.

As recently as July 10, there had been just 30 cases in Carroll countians aged 10-19 and 93 among those aged 20-29, representing 22.6% of all community cases to that point. Through Thursday, those numbers had risen to 111 and 220 with that age group accounting for 42% of the community cases (208 of 495) since July 10.

Another 12 community cases of COVID-19 were announced by the Carroll County Health Department on Wednesday, the same day a report showed that a Sykesville nursing home was hit with a fine of more than $300,000.

The Carroll County Health Department on Tuesday reported on its website for the first time the number of intensive care unit beds in use at Carroll Hospital — as well as a breakdown of coronavirus-related hospitalizations and deaths in Carroll by age group.

The new requirement for online instruction adopted by Maryland’s state school board Tuesday should not significantly affect Carroll County Public Schools’ existing plans, the superintendent said.