Bob Blubaugh

She is of the generation that lives life on social media. And she posted a photo on Snapchat of her and her friend extending their middle fingers with a caption that employed the F-word in reference to the school, the softball team, the cheer team and, well, everything.

Carroll County Public Schools reported 98 COVID-19 cases this week, including 85 students. In addition, there are 235 people with coronavirus symptoms, of which 225 are students.

With one dissenting vote, Carroll County’s Board of Commissioners approved a proposed budget for fiscal year 2022 that significantly increases salaries for county employees, particularly law enforcement, but leaves the county with projected deficits beginning in 2024 that grow annually to nearly $16 million by 2027.

Improving downtown Taneytown was on the minds of those asking questions at a recent in-person forum for the four candidates running for three seats on Taneytown’s City Council.

The person was identified as a 65-over member of the community who died last week. That brings the number of Carroll County deaths during the week of April 11 to five, equaling the deadliest week since Jan. 24.

The Carroll County Health Department reported 70 new cases on Monday afternoon for the previous 72 hours and announced that Carroll finished the week of April 11 with 186 new cases. That was down from 227 the week before.

Carroll County's Board of Commissioners tentatively decided at a recent proposed budget work session to wait to fund body-worn cameras and the extra personnel needed for the deployment of the cameras for the Carroll County Sheriff's Office until it is mandated by the state in 2025.

All of life is risk assessment. Should I slam on the brakes or speed up for that yellow light? Should I eat pizza again tonight? Should I pick a fight with that bouncer? We have to mitigate risk on a daily basis. But if you go down certain rabbit holes on the internet, you’ll never leave your house.

Initially, the plan is for restaurants with 10 or more employees to receive $8,000, restaurants with fewer than 10 employees to receive $4,000 and food trucks to receive $3,000.

With the total number of COVID-19 cases trending down for a second week in a row in Carroll and the county’s positivity rate under 5% for the first time in more than three weeks, the health department is focusing on vaccine equity.

Carroll County’s Board of Commissioners spoke out Thursday against a series of bills known collectively as the Maryland Police Accountability Act that were approved by the General Assembly.

The number of COVID-19 patients in Carroll Hospital jumped by 11 in two days to 36, according to the Carroll County Health Department website.

Candidates for all of this year’s municipal elections in Carroll County have now been announced, and one town may elect a council member who doesn’t presently realize he or she is running.

The Carroll County Public Schools data dashboard, which tracks cases of the coronavirus among students learning in person and staff members, showed that 88 people — 12 staffers and 76 students — have the virus this week. That’s three fewer staffers and six fewer students than last week, a decrease of more than 9% overall.

There have been no reports of the blood clot side effect in Carroll County, according to a CCHD spokesperson, and this type of side effect has not been seen in the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines.

Prior to last week, Carroll had seen five weeks in a row of flat or increasing totals. The last time the county saw a weekly drop was the week of Feb. 21, the last of seven consecutive weeks of declining numbers following the post-holiday peak.

There were 115 overdoses over the first three months of the year. A year ago, there were 89 over the same timespan.

I have no problem whatsoever passing judgment on anyone making the active decision not to get vaccinated. Unless you are one of the extremely rare individuals who has been told by a doctor not to get it, you’re a fool. And a selfish one at that.

Robert Jonathan Hilliard, 34, is charged with two counts of third-degree sex offense, one count of attempted second-degree rape and one count of second-degree child abuse, all felonies.

On Friday, the health department announced that another community member, also over 65, had died this week. That make 235 county residents who have died of COVID-19, 63 community members and 172 congregate living facility residents.

The Carroll County Health Department has reported 141 total COVID-19 cases through Thursday. At the same point last week, the number was 144. The county’s weekly case totals have remained flat or increased the past five weeks after seven consecutive weeks of declines following the post-holiday surge.

Thirty-three Carroll Hospital patients had COVID-19 on Wednesday, seven more than the 26 reported Tuesday. The number of COVID-positive patients at Carroll Hospital had been down to three on March 9.

Through Sunday, 75.9% of Carroll County residents who are 65 or older have been vaccinated against COVID-19. Cases among the 65-over population declined to fewer than 20 last week, Carroll’s highest week in terms of overall new cases since January.

Determined to bring back the in-person aspect of the event, PEEPshow was moved from the Carroll Arts Center to TownMall this year, to allow social distancing, and the crowds returned. Thousands turned out and the wait time to get in often exceeded one hour.

Two of the deaths announced Monday were members of the community, a man over 65 years old and a woman under 65. And the third was a resident at a congregate living facility and was over 65.

No one was injured when a house in Taneytown caught fire Sunday morning, according to a notice of investigation by the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

Baseball stars used to be household names. Now “baseball star” is an oxymoron. Mike Trout might be the greatest player the game has seen since Willie Mays, but there are mediocre NBA players far more well known.

One person was injured and more than a dozen were displaced after an apartment building in Sykesville caught fire Saturday morning, requiring more than two hours and five fire companies to extinguish.

There have been 180 cases so far this week after 205 were reported last week. That was up from 153 the previous week and nearly double the 104 reported the week of Feb. 21.

The Carroll County Health Department reported 42 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday afternoon, all among community members. There have been 144 cases so far this week after 204 were reported last week.

According to Carroll County Health Department statistics that Health Officer Ed Singer shared during Thursday’s Board of Commissioners meeting, 51,526 county residents have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

The CCPS online COVID-19 dashboard reported this week that 82 people — 15 staff members and 67 students — tested positive for the virus. That is 19 more than last week, or about a 30% increase.

There have been 68 cases so far this week after 204 were reported last week. That was up from 152 the previous week and nearly double the 104 reported the week of Feb. 21 that marked the last of seven consecutive weeks of declining totals.

Carroll Hospital had 27 patients who are positive for COVID-19, according to the Carroll County Health Department, continuing a steady rise. That was up five from the 22 reported on March 22. The previous week, that number had been 11 and on March 9 it had been just three.

John Anthony Kidwell, of the 1000 block of Scarlet Oak Court, was indicted by the Grand Jury of Carroll County on one count of solicitation to commit first degree murder.

Seems hard to fathom we’d have to convince people to do something that will so obviously help them and the community, but plenty have pushed back on pretty much everything pandemic-related, failing to do small things to help mitigate transmission, fueling surges and, now, likely prolonging the suffering.

Overall, some 44,566 county residents had been vaccinated through Wednesday, including nearly two-thirds of all Carroll countians over 65 years old. Another 515 were registered for the Thursday clinic and 970 for a clinic on Friday in Westminster.

The Carroll County Health Department reported 42 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, making 151 for the week, already more than Carroll saw last week and trending toward the highest week for cases since January.

Carroll Transit System will suspend service for the second of two Westminster purple routes and for the red route that serves the South Carroll area, effective April 5, after the commissioners’ vote during Thursday afternoon’s open session.

Carroll County eclipsed 8,000 total COVID-19 cases Thursday. It took about nine months for Carroll to reach 4,000 cases, on Dec. 14. It took just over three months for that number to double.

The number of positive cases inside the school buildings has declined slightly, however, the number of people with symptoms has risen significantly.

Carroll County Budget Director Ted Zaleski recommended adopting a policy where 5% of the yearly budget would be put into an unassigned fund balance that would give some flexibility.

On Tuesday, Carroll Hospital had 22 patients who are positive for COVID-19, according to the Carroll County Health Department. The previous Tuesday that number had been 11 and as recently as March 9 it had been just three.

Another Carroll County community member has died of COVID-19, according to data released by the health department Monday afternoon. It’s the second fatality of a county resident attributed to the coronavirus this month, the other occurring March 5.

Six overdose deaths were reported in February after nine were reported in January, the second-deadliest month in five years. Those 15 deaths represent a 114.3% increase over the first two months of 2020, when seven people died.

Trump remains the most popular figure nationally with Republicans and scares the bejesus out of anyone planning to run for office as an (R) in the near future because of the perceived need of his endorsement to win.

The county health department reported 30 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday afternoon, bringing the number of positive tests this week to 113. That’s 13 fewer than Carroll had seen through last Friday so it’s possible there will be a weekly decrease after two straight increases.

“These masks are not optional,” Commissioner Ed Rothstein said, holding up a mask in his right hand for anyone tuning in to the meeting online to see. “Social distancing and masks are a must.”

Health Officer Ed Singer said Thursday that the Carroll County Health Department will continue to try to reach people who are in the priority groups for COVID-19 vaccinations first, creating clinics and trying to “fill them with people in priority groups and then opening them up to more people.”

The health department will get the chance to give more shots over the next few weeks thanks to a partnership that will provide 4,680 doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine (2,340 each for first doses and second doses) for use in clinics.