Monday December 21

I can’t believe it is almost Christmas and that December is getting ready to come to a close.  I hope all of our Jewish friends had a great Hanukkah, which ended on Friday. And I also wish all those folks that celebrate Kwanzaa a great Kwanzaa (it starts December 26th).

It was cool this weekend and the snow has stuck around.  Saw lots of folks at the Wisp Tube Park and also on the slopes.  Today’s weather shows a slight chance of rain showers this afternoon, then a chance of rain and snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 38 degrees. Tonight we will have rain and snow showers likely before 1:00 am, then scattered snow showers. Cloudy, with a low around 28. West wind 9 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.

Here’s an action photo of Santa and friends during last week’s snowfall as submitted by Margaret Dungan.  The photo of Santa shows the snow on the fields across the road as well.  Thanks for submitting Margaret.

snow fall margaret dungan 12-19-20

Santa and Snow

I bumped into my friend and former colleague Scott R. as I was entering the Book Market in Oakland on Saturday.  Scott was loaded down with presents for family and friends.  He mentioned he was especially trying to shop local this year and it looked like he was doing a good job of it.  If you still have some presents to buy, please consider our local merchants.  Thanks!

This is heartwarming: On Saturday, on National Wreaths Across America Day at 2,557 participating locations, dedicated Americans in every state honored our nation’s heroes by safely placing a total of 1.7 million veterans’ wreaths on their headstones and remembering them, by saying each name out loud. A wonderful effort!

Speaking of our veterans, here’s the latest edition of the Maryland Department of Veterans Affairs newsletter.  It just came over and there is some interesting content in there.

As of Friday, Garrett County’s total positive COVID-19 cases stand at 1,324, with a total of 30 deaths, an increase of 32 cases and 2 deaths since the last report on Wednesday, December 16th. Garrett County is currently above the state average for COVID-19 statistics: 7-day positivity rate among Garrett County residents is 12.8% (Maryland rate is 7.8%); 7-day case rate per 100,000 among Garrett County residents is 73.4 (Maryland rate is 42.8).

In case you missed it or are out of state, Governor Hogan late last week announced new testing and quarantine requirements for travel, and a new public health advisory to limit gatherings, citing data from contact tracing that shows family and other social gatherings and out-of-state travel lead to the most cases and the highest risk of exposure to COVID-19. The new measures include:

  • Expanded Testing and Quarantine Requirements for Travel: The Governor’s emergency order requires Marylanders to limit travel to essential purposes only and requires anyone who travels outside of Maryland, or anyone who travels into Maryland, to either obtain a negative COVID-19 test result or self-quarantine for 10 days. (Except for the bordering state of Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and Washington, DC).
  • Public Health Advisory: Maryland Department of Health issued a public health advisory warning against non-essential activities and holiday gatherings with people outside one’s immediate household, limiting gatherings of more than 10 people.

Looking for holiday fare to watch this season? Well, Maryland Public Television has some good content for you and your family. Check out MPT’s holiday fare for some good, clean holiday programming. There’s plenty to stream from our video player and apps! From classic Christmas carols, how to make a delicious seasonal feast, who we have to thank for Christmas lights, and more. Whether naughty or nice, there’s something for everyone. Enjoy!

I am wishing all of our readers a great Monday and a safe, happy and healthy rest of the week and beyond.  Talk to you all tomorrow…

 

 

Latest News

Sign-up for the DCT Newsletter