All Earth Eco Tours Receives Grant to Expand Environmental Education and Outdoor Recreation in Garrett County
Posted 1/6/26
Garrett County, Maryland – All Earth EcoTours has been selected as one of five recipients of the Garrett County Equitable Community Benefit Grants, receiving funding to advance outdoor recreation, environmental education, and ecotourism initiatives throughout the region.
The grant program, developed in collaboration with local community advisors, Pivot Energy, and the Sustain Our Future Foundation, is designed to ensure that the construction of a new solar energy project delivers meaningful and lasting benefits to Garrett County communities. Grants totaling $400,000 are being distributed to organizations driving positive local impact.
"We are honored to be selected for this grant," said Carol Calhoun, Owner/Operator of All Earth EcoTours. "This funding will enable us to deepen our commitment to promoting outdoor recreation and environmental education while supporting both community wellbeing and economic development in Garrett County."
As a local social enterprise, All Earth EcoTours focuses on cultivating connections between residents and visitors and Garrett County's natural landscapes through guided ecotourism experiences and educational programming. The grant will support expanded programming that encourages sustainable tourism practices while fostering environmental stewardship.
The Garrett County Equitable Community Benefit Grants support a diverse range of initiatives, including home weatherization, flood mitigation, renewable energy workforce development, community composting, and outdoor education. Other grant recipients include Garrett County Community Action Committee, Garrett Soil Conservation District, scholarships for Garrett College's Wind Turbine Technician Program, and Clean Compost LLC.
"These grants represent our shared commitment to ensuring renewable energy development creates real, tangible benefits for the communities that host these projects," said Yinka N. Bode-George, Founder, President, and CEO of Sustain Our Future Foundation.
Grant funds have been processed and distributed this week, enabling recipients to begin implementing their programs immediately.
For more information about All Earth EcoTours, visit www.allearthtours.com or contact Carol McMahon Calhoun at the information below.
About All Earth EcoTours All Earth EcoTours is a Garrett County-based social enterprise dedicated to promoting outdoor recreation, environmental education, and sustainable ecotourism. Through guided experiences and educational programming, All Earth EcoTours helps residents and visitors develop deeper connections to the region's natural landscapes while supporting community wellbeing and local economic development.
About Sustain Our Future Foundation Sustain Our Future Foundation partners with communities to create equitable pathways to clean energy and environmental sustainability. For more information, visit www.sustainourfuture.org.
Media Contact: Carol McMahon Calhoun All Earth EcoTours 301-746-4083 Info@Allearthtours.com
Garrett County Health Department Partners After School Program Welcomes D’s Eats Food Truck for Hands-On Food Safety Lesson
Posted 1/6/26
Garrett County, MD — Students in the Partners After School Program enjoyed an engaging and educational visit in November, with a special appearance from Dalton Smith and his D’s Eats food truck at Yough Glades Elementary School.
Partners After School participants from Yough Glades and Crellin Elementary schools were given a tour of Smith’s D’s Eats food truck on site. Owner Dalton Smith then led students in an interactive discussion about food safety and kitchen awareness, sharing real-world tips from his experience in the food service industry. Topics included proper food handling, staying safe while cooking, and what to do in the event of a kitchen fire. Students learned practical fire-safety techniques, including how to safely put out a small kitchen fire.
The lesson concluded with a hands-on cooking activity where students worked together to make grilled cheese sandwiches under Smith’s guidance. The activity reinforced safe food preparation practices while giving students the opportunity to build confidence and teamwork skills in the kitchen.
“This visit was a fun and memorable way for students to learn important life skills,” said Partners After School Program Director Kristen Walker. “We’re grateful to Dalton Smith for bringing safety education to life in such an engaging way.”
The Partners After School Program collaborates with various community partners to provide enriching, educational experiences that promote health, safety, and lifelong learning for 3rd to 5th grade students in Garrett County. PAS is supported by the Maryland Community Health Resources Commission and Maryland Consortium on Coordinated Community Supports. The views presented here are those of the grantee organization and not necessarily those of the Commission or Consortium.
For more information visit http://livehealthygc.com or call 301-334-7730.
Mountain Laurel Medical Center announces Michelle Dixon as new CEO
Posted 1/6/26
OAKLAND — On Jan. 6, Mountain Laurel Medical Center announced Michelle Dixon as its new Chief Executive Officer.
She joined Mountain Laurel Medical Center in June 2014 as Nursing Supervisor. After earning her Master of Science in Nursing from Walden University in February 2018, she began providing care to patients as a Nurse Practitioner. In 2024, she was promoted to Chief Nursing Officer, and in December 2025, following an extensive recruitment process conducted by Mountain Laurel Medical Center’s Board of Directors, she was selected to serve as Chief Executive Officer.
During her tenure at Mountain Laurel Medical Center, Dixon has been instrumental in expanding the organization’s value-based care initiatives, sustaining Patient-Centered Medical Home recognition across all practice locations, and achieving consistent HRSA Community Health Quality Recognition awards.
A spokesperson noted that throughout her leadership roles, she has continued to maintain direct patient care responsibilities, allowing her to remain closely connected to patients and frontline clinical operations. In addition, she has led key technology initiatives, including electronic health record optimization and system integrations that support care coordination, quality reporting, and operational efficiency. She has also played a critical role in the successful launch of Mountain Laurel Medical Center’s satellite locations in Grantsville and Westernport in Maryland and Bruceton Mills, W.Va.
Dixon is a Preston County native and currently resides there with her husband and two daughters. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, outdoor activities, and watching her children and nephews participate in sports and other activities.
“Mountain Laurel Medical Center has been my professional home for more than a decade, and I am deeply honored to serve our patients, staff, and communities in this new role,” she said. “It has been a privilege to care for patients while helping the organization grow, and as CEO, I remain committed to expanding access to high-quality, compassionate care while strengthening Mountain Laurel Medical Center for the future.”
Board Chair Smokey Stanton stated, “Michelle’s 11-year tenure with Mountain Laurel, in addition to her commitment to high-quality patient care, made her a great choice for the CEO role. The Board of Directors looks forward to Mountain Laurel’s continued success under her leadership.”
Mountain Laurel Medical Center is a community health center with four locations in Oakland, Grantsville, and Westernport, Maryland and Bruceton Mills, West Virginia. Its mission is to “provide the highest quality primary health care to the community regardless of ability to pay.”
Garrett Regional Medical Center welcomes first baby of 2026
Posted 1/5/26
OAKLAND, Md – Garrett Regional Medical welcomed Hadden Andrew Worth as the first baby of 2026 at 3:11 p.m. on Wednesday, January 1. Proud parents are Reese Worth and Andrew Worth of Westernport, Md. Hadden weighed 8 pounds, 12 ounces, and was 19.5 inches long at birth. He was delivered by Juan Ramos, DO of Cornerstone Family Medicine.
The nurses and staff of GRMC’s family-centered maternity suite presented the family with a gift basket filled with baby items as well as items and services donated by local businesses.
The parents were excited to be the first family to give birth in 2026 and were thrilled with the birth of their son.
“He was the most perfect start to our new year,” said Reese, Hadden’s mother. “We are beyond thankful for all the care provided in getting our baby boy here.”
A very special thank you to the following businesses for their contributions to the gift basket: Affinity Wellness Studio, Town of Oakland Street Department, Heidi’s Bakery, Deep Creek Grocery-Swanton Store, Garrett 8 Cinemas, Mullenax Bakery, Fox’s Pizza, WEPCO Federal Credit Union, GRMC Loar Gift Shop, Endless Services, Brodash Creations, BsNeeds, EDM Trucking, Ruth Enlow Library of Garrett County, Beeman Racing Photography, Fresh Pops, Laura Flynn at One Real Estate Source, and Automotive Machine.
For more information on Garrett Regional Medical Center, visit WVUMedicine.org/Garrett.
Five WVU Medicine skilled nursing facilities recognized by U.S. News & World Report
Posted 12/15/25
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Five WVU Medicine skilled nursing facilities have earned the highest possible rating, “High Performing,” in U.S. News & World Report’s 2026 Best Nursing Homes ratings.
To be recognized as one of the U.S. News Best Nursing Homes, a home must have been “High Performing” in short-term rehabilitation, long-term care, or both. Only 19 percent of almost 15,000 skilled nursing facilities rated by U.S. News meet that standard.
Short-term rehabilitation is for patients following a hospitalization for surgery, heart attack, stroke, injury, or similar condition. Long-term care is for patients who are no longer able to live independently and need help with daily activities.
The WVU Medicine facilities recognized as “High Performing” for short-term rehabilitation are:
• Garrett Regional Medical Center’s Subacute Rehabilitation Unit in Oakland, Maryland;
• Thomas Hospitals Skilled Nursing Unit in Charleston;
• United Hospital Center’s United Transitional Care Center in Bridgeport;
• Weirton Medical Center’s Rehabilitation Center; and
• Wheeling Hospital’s Continuous Care Center, which was also recognized as “High Performing” for long-term care.
The short-term ratings are based on an assessment of nine quality measures, using data from the federal government’s Care Compare program. Those measures include staffing levels, medical outcomes, and resident complaints.
Similarly, the long-term ratings are based on an assessment carried out by U.S. News of eight quality measures, including staffing, medical outcomes, resident complaints, vaccinations, and appropriate use of medications.
The quality of care provided to the 1.2 million residents of U.S. skilled nursing facilities varies widely. U.S. News publishes ratings of nursing homes, as well as other information, including whether the facility is part of a continuing care retirement community or offers memory care. This is one example of how U.S. News uses “data journalism” – in-depth, unbiased analyses of the best data available – to help consumers make important healthcare decisions.
“We are proud of this recognition and honored each time someone selects WVU Medicine as their provider of choice,” Albert L. Wright, Jr., president and CEO of the WVU Health System, said. “Most importantly, we are grateful to the employees whose hard work and dedication to our patients made these ratings possible.”
For more information on WVU Medicine, visit WVUMedicine.org.
Garrett County Business Development Releases Annual Report
Posted 12/11/25
December 11, 2025, Oakland, MD – Garrett County Business Development, a key division of the Garrett County Department of Community Development, has proudly released its Annual Report for the 2025 calendar year, illustrating significant projects, prospects, and community enhancements across Garrett County.
The report details the department’s role as a resource hub and catalyst for economic expansion in Garrett County. By providing extensive support to existing and prospective businesses through strategic initiatives, the department has stimulated job creation, promoted innovation, and enhanced the competitiveness of the local businesses.
Key highlights from the report include:
- - Garrett Property Tax Incentive Program: 30 Businesses enrolled in a County Business Property Tax
Incentive Program for new and expanding businesses. - - Garrett County Grant Awards: The County offers discretionary incentives to new and expanding
businesses that in 2025, totaled $17,500.00. Also, the total Small Business Marketing Grant awarded was $81,581.26 and the total Agriculture Marketing Grant awarded was $13,289.77. - - Major Projects and Infrastructure Developments: Keysers Ridge Business Park saw the construction of a 100,000 sf spec building, construction of an access road to the middle of the park, and an Amazon distribution center is nearing completion and now hiring.
- - Agriculture Impact: The new Nourishing Neighbors Project and Together We Eat programs served 1,871 households, 4,584 individuals and saw an economic impact of over $61,00. Approximately 15,300 lbs produce and over 500 lbs of deer meat were distributed. Garrett Growers facilitated a $50,000 Healthy Soils Grant for equipment and a $100,000 MARBIDCO Enterprise Grant for coolers & productivity.
The report underscores the county’s appeal as a great place to do business because of the work/life balance, safe environment, room to grow, robust recreation economy and the regional proximity to both rural and urban markets.
"The staff here at Business Development is committed to our local businesses. We work hard to foster a vibrant business environment and provide comprehensive support to both existing enterprises and prospective entrepreneurs," said Kim Durst, Manager of Business Development.
The complete Annual Report is available on the “About” page of https://business.garrettcountymd.gov and directly at https://bit.ly/4iXEhGe.
For more information, contact Kim Durst, Manager of Business Development at 301-334-1992 or kdurst@garrettcountymd.gov.
Byco Enterprises, Inc. Recognized as a Stuck Enterprises 2025 Vendor of the Year
Posted 12/10/25
Stuck Enterprises is thrilled to recognize Byco Enterprises, Inc. as one of our 2025 Vendors of the Year!
We had the pleasure of celebrating our relationship with Byco at our annual Christmas lunch at the Deep Creek Fireplace & Outdoor Store.
Thank you to Brian Schroyer and all of Byco for your commitment and for all the hard work and reliable service you deliver to the Stuck Enterprises family of companies and our customers in Western Maryland!
In Western Maryland, Stuck Enterprises owns and operates Oakland Oil and Propane, Deep Creek Fireplace & Outdoor Store, Deep Creek Mountain Utilities, Grantsville Exxon, Stuck’s Fleet Fueling, and additional commercial real estate holdings.
Garrett Regional Medical Center earns an ‘A’ Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group
Posted 12/8/25
Fall 2025 Safety Grade is a national recognition for commitment to patient safety
OAKLAND, Md – Garrett Regional Medical Center (GRMC) earned an “A” Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit watchdog focused on patient safety. This is the seventh consecutive year GRMC has received this recognition. Leapfrog assigns an “A,” “B,” “C,” “D” or “F” grade to general hospitals across the country using evidence-based measures of patient safety focused exclusively on errors, accidents, injuries and infections.
“This ‘A’ Grade is a testament not only to our clinical excellence but also to the culture of safety we foster every day,” said Mark Boucot, president and CEO of GRMC and Potomac Valley Hospital. “From our front-line staff to our leadership team, everyone plays a vital role in ensuring our patients receive the highest level of safe, compassionate care.”
“GRMC stands out as a leader in quality care, delivering one of the lowest case-mix adjusted readmission rates in Maryland. Our commitment to excellence is reflected in achieving the highest patient satisfaction scores (HCAHPS) among hospitals across the state in many categories.”
“Earning an ‘A’ Grade means Garrett Regional Medical Center made a true commitment to put patient safety first,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “We congratulate the leadership, Board, clinicians, staff and volunteers that all had a role to play in this achievement.”
The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade stands as the only hospital ratings program focused solely on preventable medical errors, infections and injuries that kill more than 500 patients a day in the United States. This program is peer-reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public. Grades are updated twice annually, in the fall and spring.
To explore GRMC’s full grade details and to find valuable tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit HospitalSafetyGrade.org.
For more information on Garrett Regional Medical Center, visit WVUMedicine.org/Garrett.
Garrett Regional Medical Center welcomes addictionologist John Robyn Diez, MD
Posted 9/11/25
Dr. Diez is accepting new patients at GRMC Health & Wellness
Oakland, Md. – Garrett Regional Medical Center (GRMC) is pleased to welcome John Robyn Diez, MD, to its medical staff as an addiction medicine specialist at the GRMC Health & Wellness, Regional Behavioral Health Center, located at 69 Wolf Acres Drive in Oakland.
Dr. Diez recently completed a fellowship in addiction medicine at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, where he trained extensively in both inpatient and outpatient care for adults with substance use disorders.
He earned his Doctor of Medicine degree at Far Eastern University – Nicanor Reyes Medical Foundation in the Philippines, after graduating cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in nursing. Dr. Diez completed his pediatrics residency at Woodhull Medical and Mental Health Center, an affiliate of New York University in Brooklyn, New York, where he served as chief resident.
Dr. Diez has received several professional honors, including the Ruth Fox Scholarship from the American Society of Addiction Medicine. He won first place in both the Residents’ Annual Oral Research Presentation at Woodhull Medical and Mental Health Center and the Academic Poster Competition at the New York Society of Addiction Medicine.
Licensed by the Maryland Board of Physicians, Dr. Diez has authored multiple peer-reviewed articles and delivered presentations on a wide range of clinical topics related to addiction medicine.
“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Diez to our team,” said Mark Boucot, President and CEO of GRMC and Potomac Valley Hospital (Keyser, W.Va.). “His expertise in addiction medicine will enhance the comprehensive care our Health & Wellness Regional Behavioral Health Center provides, helping patients and families in our community access the support they need for mental and behavioral health needs.”
GRMC’s Health & Wellness Regional Behavioral Health Center recently underwent a significant renovation and expansion to provide better care for patients in our community. Since opening in 2019, the demand for mental and behavioral health care and treatment has continued to climb. As part of the renovation and expansion project, the GRMC Foundation launched a fundraising campaign dedicated to improving behavioral health services in Garrett County and the surrounding region.
Health & Wellness offers a wide range of office-based, outpatient mental health and substance use disorder services to support patients and families in the community.
To schedule an appointment with Dr. Diez, contact GRMC Health & Wellness at 301-533-2190.
For more information on Garrett Regional Medical Center, visit WVUMedicine.org/Garrett.