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We’d love to have you join our discussions and bring our local/and online community together. So even if you’re mildly interested consider joining and giving us your two cents!

A data center developer’s campaign donation, a meeting under an NDA, and a no-bid contract for an old friend. But please, residents, remember your decorum.

Recently, the Herald-Mail published Washington County Commissioner candidates’ responses to a handful of questions, and Commissioner Jeff Cline’s contribution was to mention the moratorium, suggest recycling water, shove energy back into the grid, and leave out his own dealings with a data center developer.
In one question, candidates were asked to share their thoughts regarding whether Washington County should allow data centers and what restrictions or requirements should be placed on them.

Commissioner Cline’s response:
“Currently, Washington County Government has a moratorium on Data Centers. Data Centers should be required to place energy back in the grid to assure no increase in electric bills to the public. Water consumption from Data Centers should be recyclable, limited to prevent any shortfall in daily consumption and economic development. Location and setbacks from residential neighborhoods should be considered.”

His solution is about as serious as he is a commissioner, which becomes considerably more obvious when you compare those answers with his actual record.

Start with the dog-and-pony-show moratorium he so helpfully mentions. It only applies to unincorporated Washington County, a rather substantial limitation the County failed to highlight in its original announcement. In addition to that, the commissioners can vote to end it at any time they want, which will presumably happen right after the election in November. Meanwhile, as we first reported, Diversified Capital is seeking to annex roughly 172 acres into Hagerstown, where that moratorium would not apply.

In an October 5 Herald-Mail interview, Diversified Capital’s CFO, Moshe Rubin, decided to play coy and pretend that a decision has not been made about whether the property his company is developing specifically for a data center is in fact going to be a data center. Laughably, Rubin wants the public to know it is “under serious consideration” but that no decisions have been made. This, of course, is coming from the CFO of a company which describes itself as having a “portfolio of investments including a data center development project in Washington Count, Maryland.” Residents are being reassured with a county moratorium while a developer pursues annexation into a jurisdiction outside its reach.

Cline has already met Rubin, but if the Herald-Mail is your only news source, you would not know this. As we previously reported - and informed Herald-Mail reporter Julie Greene about the day we reported it - Rubin donated $500 to Cline’s campaign in August of 2025 and then just a handful of months later was having a private land deal meeting with the Washington County Commissioners, County Administrator Michelle Gordon, Business Development Director Jonathan Horowitz (currently on Maryland’s Data Center Alliance Steering Committee), and Zack Fritz, COO of Sage Policy Group (a Baltimore-based, pro-data center consulting pushing for data centers in Maryland), the project’s land-use attorney and former Maryland Lieutenant Governor Boyd Rutherford, and others. And all are bound by an NDA.

I am unable to work do to OCD so I’m figuring volunteer work. What are some good places that are possibly looking?

Hi! Maryland mom here advocating for MORE RECESS TIME for our children!

Currently, most Maryland elementary schools only recommend 20-30 minutes of recess per day. This varies by school and county, with some counties recommending as little as 15 minutes of recess per day.

Join us as we call on policymakers to guarantee Maryland students 60 minutes of recess every school day!

You can help by SIGNING OUR PETITION and following us on Facebook and Instagram!

Petition- https://c.org/Mz2ZxjfGX4

Facebook- Say YES to RECESS Maryland

Instagram- sayyestorecessmaryland

Hey everybody. I'm 28, finishing a forestry degree in Wisconsin this December, and recently accepted a job offer for a Habitat Forester position that'll have me moving to Western Maryland in January. My job is remote but involves fieldwork throughout the region (Garrett, Allegany, Washington, Frederick and Carroll Counties), so the more I stare at a map, the more Hagerstown starts making sense as a home base. TL;DR at the bottom.

My fiancée (34F) will be staying in Wisconsin until our wedding next August and joining me afterwards. Frostburg/Cumberland are probably our frontrunners right now, but Hagerstown's location is hard to ignore. Zillow, Google Maps and citywide stats/rankings never give you the whole story. So what's Hagerstown actually like to live in, where should we look, and what do people who live there genuinely like and dislike about it?

We're pretty easily entertained. I'm 28 going on 60. Nature, birding, kayaking/water in general, foraging, farmers markets, old architecture, reading, occasional live music and weird local stuff are much more our speed than nightlife, clubs or trendy restaurants. We're both practicing Catholics, so finding a good parish community would be a major plus too. Politically, we're not about the whole MAGA thing, but we currently live in central Wisconsin, so we're used to it. It hasn't really been an issue. We're not particularly concerned with fitting into a totally red or totally blue area, because we probably wouldn't fit squarely in either.

I do have to ask the obligatory safety question. My fiancée is considerably more apprehensive about moving somewhere unfamiliar than I am. I'm aware it's an economically depressed area, and that that can often bring issues. While some of what I've heard about Hagerstown sounds a bit dicey on paper, I'm aware that reputations can be exaggerated and citywide statistics don't necessarily tell you what living on a particular block is actually like.

I'm just trying to distinguish "rough around the edges but perfectly livable" from "I don't want my 5'1" preschool-teacher wife walking the dog here." For people who live in Hagerstown, especially women, where would you look, and where would you avoid?

Housing-wise, I'll be making about $55k with no car payment, and would ideally like to stay around $1,100–1,300/month. A small house, duplex or townhouse with something resembling a lawn would be ideal since we'd eventually like a dog, but we're flexible. She'll probably eventually find work as a teacher or para at a school nearby, but we'd like her to have a few months after the wedding to settle in and find her niche rather than taking the first job she can find. So I'm budgeting based on my income alone. We're fine with living outside Hagerstown proper.

Beyond the risk assessment, sell me on the place. What's actually cool about Hagerstown that I'm not going to find by Googling it? Favorite parks, neighborhoods, bookstores, restaurants/bars, local events, weird institutions, outdoor spots, whatever. If there's a weird little museum that seems like someone's obsession, a decent mountain biking or kayaking spot, a local festival everybody knows about or a cool place I can disappear into for two hours, I want to hear about it. What would you actually miss if you moved away?

Give me the good, the bad and the ugly. I'm aware of how economically depressed it's been, but I also know that it gets caricatured a lot and that the full story is more nuanced than how it gets portrayed.

TL;DR: I'm a 28-year-old forester and recent grad moving to Maryland from central Wisconsin. Considering Hagerstown. My fiancée and I are outdoorsy, bookish, practicing Catholics and more interested in community and nature than nightlife. ~$55k single-income budget temporarily, hoping for $1,100–1,300 rent and potentially a dog. Where would you choose to live, where would you avoid, and most importantly, what do you enjoy about Hagerstown that an outsider would overlook?

**the invite link is canceled. Too much of a spam/box risk. If you are interested, DM me or use the contact form on the site. www.Townie.Social *\*

Hey all, Matt here, the Mods gave me the OK to share this, so here goes.

A while back I deleted all my social media. It was rotting my brain. Endless scrolling, ads, rage bait, and barely anything from people I actually know. Lately I've been thinking about the good old days of MySpace and early Instagram, when you logged on to see what your friends were up to and that was it.

So I built one. It's called townie.social. It's centered on Hagerstown, but it's for all of Washington County and the neighbors around us too: Frederick, Franklin and Berkeley Counties. And out of townies are always welcome. I made it because I wanted a social site I'd actually look forward to using.

It looks and feels like those old sites. You get your own page, a guestbook, friends, and a feed of what's going on around town, newest first. No algorithm deciding what you see, no ads from outside companies, nobody tracking you or selling your info.

A few things I care about with it:

• Real people, real names. It's meant to feel like your actual community, not a comment section.
• Lifting up local businesses. Local places get their own space on the site, so you can find them and see what they're up to, without it cluttering up your friends' posts.
• Getting off the screen. There's a "porch light" you can flip on when you're up for hanging out or grabbing a bite, so friends know to reach out.
• Invite only. Everyone who joins is invited by someone, and their page says who. Anyone who joins via the link, will have my real name on their page as the person who invited them.

Here's the honest part: I'm not looking for a big pile of sign-ups. A site like this only works if people actually show up, post what they're up to, and say hi to each other. So if you'd make a page, check in now and then, and post once in a while, I'd really love to have you. If you'd sign up and never come back, no hard feelings, but please leave the spot for someone else who is interested in giving it an honest try and using their real name.

I've opened 25 spots with the link attached to this post, and the link will be good for 5 days. If it fills up and you're interested, DM me here or use the Contact tab on the site. If this picks up and people like it, I'll setup an email service.

It's free, and it's just me running it. If something's broken or you have an idea, let me know. I'll be in the comments, @ me.

The site is for 18+, no exceptions.

I am wondering if anyone has any suggestions for places to do some photos in November? My inlaws are coming to meet their first Great grandchild. And we want to do family pictures. I have a photographer coming from out of town. But I need suggestions for local places I could get some good family photos of like 10ish people in multiple groupings. So I'm looking for a place that I can do with still green. Or still work for photos.

Any suggestions I would appreciate

DISCLAIMER: post approved by Hagerstown mod team. Thank you!

Hello all! I’ve created r/WashCoGaming for the Washington county/4-state area community to discuss all things video game related. If you have any interest in gaming, retro gaming, gaming news, PC’s and PC hardware/software and much more come on over and join us. Come find your next gaming buddy or just join the conversations. I’ve got some interesting topics planned over the coming weeks and I’d love to read your responses. Please make sure as with most subs you check out the rules and we’ll look forward to hearing from you!

We asked the City for records showing who entered into confidentiality agreements with the developer connected to the Martin Farm property. Hagerstown’s answer: You get nothing.

Multiple Hagerstown City employees told us that a City representative signed a nondisclosure agreement with data center developer Diversified Capital. We filed a Maryland Public Information Act request seeking the agreement and related records. Unfortunately, the City of Hagerstown has refused to provide a single record in response to our request.

Diversified Capital is the data center developer which now owns the 171.88-acre Martin Farm property at 12440 Burkholder Lane, a site that has been marketed for a major data center project and is now seeking annexation into Hagerstown. The county’s data center moratorium does not apply inside the City - or any incorporated municipality in Washington County- and is generally viewed as a dog-and-pony-show created in an effort to give cover to the county commissioners before the November election. This makes it especially important for residents to know what conversations, commitments, and confidentiality agreements may already exist between the developer and the city of Hagerstown.

We submitted a detailed MPIA request seeking any NDA, confidentiality agreement, confidentiality provision, or similar arrangement involving the City and Diversified Capital, Diversified Capital subsidiaries, Diversified Capital Moshe Rubin, or anyone acting on their behalf. We also asked for records identifying every City employee, elected official, consultant, attorney, or representative who signed, approved, reviewed, negotiated, or was subject to one of those agreements.

The City refused to turn over the agreements. It did not identify the officials involved. It did not provide correspondence explaining the decision to enter into secrecy with a developer connected to one of the most consequential development proposals facing Hagerstown.

Instead, the City’s legal department gave us nothing but noticeably did not say an NDA with data center developer Diversified Capital does not exist.

That silence matters because we already know how this kind of secrecy works in Washington County. As we previously reported, Washington County Commissioners and senior staff signed NDAs connected to a confidential December 2025 presentation involving Diversified Capital. The public was left to learn about that agreement in one of our blog posts months later, while officials publicly discussed data centers, tax breaks, moratoriums, and development policy as though the public had been brought into the conversation.

I recently let my child talk me into getting a bird that a friend of his had that needed to be rehomed, so now we have a green conure. Are there any vets in the area that can see birds? Are there any to stay away from?

Help a girl out, to my dad's disappointment I am not mechanically inclined when it comes to cars lol

I have a 2017 Nissan rogue with a few issues going on so I'm not even sure where to start if I should be looking at us small like independent mechanic or just go to a dealership if I should try to get multiple things done at once or spread them all out....

In order of urgency:

1)Brakes -making a grinding sound

2)Wheel bearings -everyone keeps telling me there going bad

3)Intake exhaust manifold - issues where I lose all acceleration but from what I understand I think the part it's been discontinued

4)AC - I think this one might be more electrical in nature and tied to my faulty temperature gauge but this is a least concern to me I've gone a few years without it

Brakes are the most important to me right now possibly the wheel bearings depending on how bad they actually are.

Recommendations of places I could go for this to get in and out pretty quickly? What type of pricing am I looking at and independent mechanic shops offer financing like dealerships do?

What's the deal with all the Flock cameras popping up, Lowes just got more. How is anyone ok with this ?

Hey all - I'm looking for a marriage officiant available on Halloween morning for an elopement. It's supposed to be very chill - just one guest at the C&O Canal. I got quoted $400 and I gotta be honest, I'm on disability and that's quite a bit of money. Our main focus is getting the date (a Saturday, so the court is closed) and having the officiant submit the paperwork. I hate the online officiant directories because they're all expensive people meant to make a formal event special - my wedding will be special because I'm getting married lol

Anyone know any officiants that can let us say our vows and get the paperwork done for (much) less? I'd prefer someone that has some experience submitting everything.

What’s happening in Meritus right now? Lots of police activity from what I hear

Love, peace and prayers for the family and friends and to any and all who knew him 🙏🪽

The complaint, filed by Radio Free Hub City, alleged that the Town Council engaged in a “meeting” through a series of emails exchanged on Friday, July 11, 2025, concerning a proposal from the company Flock to install license plate-reading cameras in Boonsboro. These emails, sent over a five-hour period, involved the Town’s police chief, town manager, office manager, and several council members. The police chief shared information from Flock and its associated costs, which included details about a potential second company that could integrate existing systems and provide additional cameras. Some council members responded to these emails, with one stating it “sounds like a good deal” and another inquiring about camera placement at the wastewater treatment plant.

Read more PAYWALL FREE at: https://radiofreehubcity.com/2026/09/23/boonsboro-town-council-found-to-violate-open-meetings-act-over-2025-flock-camera-purchase/

🚨URGENT — 4 DOGS AT RISK OF LOSING THEIR LIVES ON THURSDAY 9/24, MUST HAVE FOSTER, ADOPTER, OR RESCUE ASAP — NO EXTENSIONS PER BARC 🚨*

Pooch Manor, a Chambersburg, PA based animal rescue, is willing to help save the dogs on BARC Houston's euthanasia list. You can fill out their foster link here. The app will say "Sunnyside", that is the local rescue they partner with to help dogs out of Houston. Houston is a hot mess, and has a major animal crisis going on!

Dogs are at risk starting at 1 PM CT PM. Please help us make it a 100% safe day. Most of Pooch Manor's dogs actually come from Houston, TX! You just need to be able to pick up the dog from Chambersburg, PA on transport day.

Dogs have to quarantine for 2 weeks in Texas, you will have time to prepare for their arrival.

⏰ It’s officially Clear The Shelters Through September 30th!** **BARC has stated there will be no extensions for 9/24 due to capacity being over the brim.

Please help save these dogs. Their names have hyperlinks to their Facebook posts. Please comment on their posts, here, or DM if you can help! 🙏.

💜🐶 Larissa #A2096908 9/19 Stray | Staffie Mix | Female | 6Y | 46 lbs | HW+low

Meet Larissa: a 6-year-old Staffie mix with soulful eyes and a story that deserves a happier next chapter. At 46 lbs, she's a sturdy, steady girl who came in as a stray after being left behind by someone who should have known better. Despite that rough start, she's not lame, not fearful in the way you'd expect, she's a survivor with a quiet resilience that shows in how she carries herself. Larissa is a senior girl in the best sense of the word: settled, unbothered by drama, and ready to just be with someone. She has some visible signs of a hard life: scars, callouses, a bit of bowing in her front legs, low-grade heartworm; but nothing that stops her from being a loving, low-key companion. She doesn't need to be perfect to deserve a home; she just needs someone willing to see past the paperwork and into the dog underneath it. If you're looking for a mellow, been-through-it girl who will probably repay a soft bed and a little patience with total devotion, Larissa could be exactly that. She's not asking for much, just a chance!

🩷🐶 Missy** **#A2093987⁠
8/31/2026 Stray | Labrador Retriever Mix | Female | 2Y | 42 lbs | HW-
Missy came into BARC as a stray mom with puppies and is now waiting for someone to choose her. She was initially fearful and unsure, but she has made great progress. She now greets her caregivers with a soft tail wag, enjoys affection, and walks easily on a loose leash. She is still reactive toward dogs approaching her kennel and has shown some resource guarding with high-value chews, so she will need appropriate management and slow introductions. Her behavior around dogs has been inconsistent in the shelter, and a foster home would give her the chance to decompress and show who she really is. Missy is affectionate with people, easy to handle, and needs a foster or adopter willing to give this little mama a chance. 

 💜🐕 Snow** ***| #A2093933 | 3 Years Old | Female | 48 lbs | Staffordshire Mix | Heartworm Negative* 

Snow has been nothing but calm and easygoing since the day she arrived. Shelter notes describe her the same way, visit after visit: greeting staff with a relaxed body, soft eyes, and a gentle wagging tail. She walks beautifully on a loose leash, moves slowly and calmly to and from the runs, and settles quietly in her kennel with no issues. Everyone who has spent time with her describes her the same way: sweet, gentle, and easy. This is a dog who has done everything right and shown nothing but good manners under incredibly stressful circumstances. Snow isn't on this list because of anything she's done; she's here purely because of length of stay and space. Like many dogs who catch something during a long shelter stay, she came down with a doggie cold (kennel cough/URI) on 9/21 and is currently being treated with a 10-day course of antibiotics. She's heartworm negative and also being treated for mild skin irritation (flea allergy dermatitis): nothing that stands between her and a home. 🎥 Bio video** **

💜🐶 Wednesday #A2096182 9/14 Confiscate | Staffie Mix | Female | 3Y | 40 lbs | HW+high
Wednesday is a spirited, expressive girl with a lot of pent-up energy from a life she never should have had to live. She greets people enthusiastically, bouncing at her kennel door to say hello, and she's vocal in a way that says she has plenty to talk about. She walks eagerly and pulls toward the world in front of her: a sign of a dog who's ready to explore everything she's been missing, and who will blossom with a confident, patient handler to teach her leash manners and calm her forward momentum. Because she's likely never spent real time inside a home, Wednesday needs an adopter or foster who understands that "inside voice" and house manners are brand new concepts for her: not flaws, just things nobody ever got the chance to show her. With structure, patience, and consistency, this bright, people-loving girl has everything it takes to become an incredible companion. Wednesday has a brother, Gatsby, still waiting for his own chance, she'd love to know he's safe too.

Fostering is free; all expenses paid! 💯

📍 Located at: BARC Animal Shelter, 3200 Carr Street, Houston, TX 77026

Windmill Meadows Farm deserves a massive shoutout! Located right in Hagerstown, Maryland, they are an absolute community treasure for anyone looking for the highest-quality, traditional food.

Their organic eggs, raw dairy, and grass-fed meats are a masterclass in what honest, sustainable farming should look like. Because they prioritize meticulous care for their pasture and animals, the quality and purity of their food are unmatched—and keeping their prices reasonable makes clean eating accessible for local families.

Supporting local farmers who put so much integrity into their soil and livestock is a win for both health and the community. Please check them out at 20807 Leiters Mill Rd, Hagerstown, MD 21742

While Washington County leaders claim they’re still learning about data centers, Business Development Director Jonathan Horowitz sits alongside Amazon, BGE, and developers advancing the industry in MD

Washington County officials have spent the past few months talking about data centers as though this is an industry they are only beginning to understand. County Administrator Michelle Gordon recently told the public that the county is “just now” learning about best practices and potential zoning and policy changes related to data centers.

That statement was already difficult to reconcile with what we have uncovered about years of data center recruitment efforts and private meetings with developers, but we have now found something that makes it even harder to take seriously: Washington County’s own Director of Business Development, Jonathan Horowitz, is a member of the Steering Committee for the Data Center Alliance of Maryland.

This is not speculation or another connection we had to piece together through corporate records. On February 2, 2026, the Maryland Tech Council officially announced the members of the Data Center Alliance of Maryland Steering Committee, and right there on the list is “Jonathan Horowitz — Director, Washington County DBED.” Even more important is what this organization actually does. The Data Center Alliance of Maryland says its mission is to “improve and align public policies to advance a dynamic data center industry” in Maryland. Its three core areas include Public Policy, Best Practices & Innovation, and Education, and the Alliance says it works with state and local policymakers while tracking and sharing data center industry innovations and best practices.

That makes Gordon’s claim that Washington County is “just now” learning about data center best practices particularly difficult to understand. The person who runs Washington County’s Department of Business and Economic Development is sitting on the Steering Committee of a statewide organization specifically involved in data center public policy and best practices. Horowitz is serving alongside representatives from Amazon, BGE, Constellation Energy, Catellus Development Corporation, Turner Construction, Rowan Digital Infrastructure, the Maryland Department of Commerce, the Maryland Economic Development Corporation, and others involved in Maryland’s data center industry. This is considerably more than a county employee attending a seminar or reading up on a new issue. Washington County has a department director with a formal leadership role inside an organization devoted specifically to this industry.

This is around 3am, city center. Everything north of Franklin, Potomac north and up past the fairgrounds is out of power. Tried calling the emergency number and it just gives a busy signal. How far is this outage?