Somerset County

Maryland's Somerset School District delays a decision to restrict YA books.

Over the last couple of months on the Book Fair podcast, we have covered a controversial policy proposal in Maryland where Somerset County School Board wanted to restrict books labeled as young adult to only students over the age of 18.

Critics of the policy noted how literary classics like To Kill a Mockingbird and The Diary of Anne Frank would not be available to most students under this policy.

Maryland also has a Freedom to Read Act, which prohibits removing or restricting library books based on political, religious, or social viewpoints.

The policy has been heavily deliberated in the time since it was first proposed during last school year.

with Maryland State School Superintendent Carrie Wright using her authority to delay the actions of the Somerset County School Board.

And now Superintendent Wright has stopped the school district from implementing age restrictions until the Maryland State Board of Education decides whether the policy violates state law, a process that could take months.

The State Education Association, the Somerset Education Association, and the ACLU of Maryland all petitioned the state to strike down the proposed policy.

Increased diesel prices are having a significant impact on farmers, increasing operational costs as the war in Iran continues.

In Somerset County, Maryland, former, uh, farmer Michael Edwards says he's feeling the hit.

Take $300 a week out of your paycheck.

That would directly impact you when you would see that and feel that.