GRASONVILLE - A 47-year-old man was charged this week with raping two girls under the age of 10 on Kent Island, according to the Queen Anne's County Sheriff's Department.

At 1 a.m. Tuesday, deputies received a report of a sexual assault at a home in Grasonville. The girls' parent told deputies a man known to the family was found on a bed with the children and his shirt was pulled up.

When asked, the girls told deputies they'd been sexually abused by the man since May and that he threatened to kill them if they told their parents, officials said.

Ulysess Vernon Stowers of Dominion Road in Chester is charged with first-degree rape, attempted first-degree rape, second-degree rape, two counts of second-degree assault, eight counts of sex offense, two counts of sex abuse of a minor, and other related charges.

He was arrested Tuesday at his job and his bail is set at $100,000. He was released on bond yesterday, according to electronic court records.

2 men flown from Eastport accidents

ANNAPOLIS - Two men were flown to a local trauma center within one hour yesterday afternoon in separate accidents in Eastport, city Fire Department officials said.

Firefighters were called to the 20 block of Eastern Avenue just before 2:50 p.m. for a man who had been struck in the head with the digging bucket of a piece of construction equipment, said Lt. John Bowes, a city Fire Department spokesman.

The 56-year-old man was flown with a possible head injury to Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore in serious condition.

About 45 minutes later, a report came in for a second man with a head injury in front of the Giant Food Store at 948 Bay Ridge Road, Lt. Bowes said.

The 50-year-old apparently fell down and struck his head. He was flown with serious injuries to the shock trauma center, Lt. Bowes said.

Circling jet mystery solved

ANNAPOLIS - A large jet that circled Annapolis repeatedly at about 1:30 p.m. yesterday piqued the curiosity of some in the area.

The MD88 aircraft, owned by the U.S. Department of Justice, was experiencing a landing-gear problem, said Cheryl Stewart, a spokesman for BWI Thurgood Marshal Airport.

The 147-foot-long rear-engine aircraft made by McDonnel Douglas was able to land a few minutes later at BWI without incident, she said, but not before attracting the eyes of some attentive onlookers.

Agricultural education day set for this weekend

Harwood - Spend a day on the farm Saturday at the 2nd Annual Agricultural Education Day down at Knightongale Farm at the intersection of Route 2 and Birdsville Road in Harwood.

The event, part of this week's "buy local challenge," will be held from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and will feature music, food, pony rides, kids games, live animals, fire trucks, plus beekeeping and farm-equipment displays.

There also will be cooking demonstrations by area chefs using locally grown products.

Three area wineries, Boordy Vineyards, Friday's Creek Winery, and Solomon's Island Winery, will be providing samples and selling their product, too.

Other exhibitors include the Harwood 4-H, the state and county farm bureaus, the Anne Arundel Antique Tractor Club, Circle C Oysters, and the Woodland Beach Volunteer Fire Department, which will have a fire engine on display.

For more information go to the economic development group's Web site at www.aaedc.org/initiatives.

- From staff reports