Charles News

Attorney General Brown Opposes Federal Legislation That Would Weaken State Privacy Protections

Attorney General Brown Opposes Federal Legislation That Would Weaken State Privacy Protections

Attorney General Anthony G. Brown joined a coalition of 18 attorneys general and state agencies in opposing the Securing and Establishing Consumer Uniform Rights and Enforcement over Data Act (SECURE Data Act), a federal data privacy bill that would supplant the privacy protections provided by the Maryland Online Data Privacy Act as well as...
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62-Year-Old Bushwood Man Sentenced to 5 Years for Stolen Vehicle Case

62-Year-Old Bushwood Man Sentenced to 5 Years for Stolen Vehicle Case

State’s Attorney Jaymi Sterling announced that William Elliot Mitchell, Jr., 62, of Bushwood, Maryland, was sentenced to five years with eighteen months of active incarceration for the unlawful taking of a motor vehicle. On April 21, 2025, deputies with the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office responded to a residence on Woodbush Drive in reference...
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Lusby Man Arrested for Stealing Golf Equipment From Swan Point Pro Shop in Charles County

Lusby Man Arrested for Stealing Golf Equipment From Swan Point Pro Shop in Charles County

Garfield Linden Northey, 50, of Lusby, has been charged in Charles County District Court with second-degree burglary, theft of $1,500 to under $25,000, and malicious destruction of property valued at $1,000 or more, according to court documents. The charges stem from an alleged May 3, 2026, break-in at a Charles County yacht and country...
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Two Waldorf Residents Arrested After Stolen Ford F-150 Located at 7-Eleven In Waldorf

Two Waldorf Residents Arrested After Stolen Ford F-150 Located at 7-Eleven In Waldorf

Ionta Eugene Proctor, 41, and Alize Margaret Phipps, 23, both of Waldorf, are charged in separate Charles County District Court cases with felony theft of property valued at $1,500 to under $25,000 after court documents say they were found in a Ford F-150 reported stolen from Prince George’s County. The cases were filed May...
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Motorcyclist Flown to Trauma Center With Serious Injuries After Crash in La Plata

Motorcyclist Flown to Trauma Center With Serious Injuries After Crash in La Plata

On Sunday, May 31, 2026, at approximately 7:45 p.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the area of Hawthorne Road and Quailwood Parkway in La Plata, for the reported motor vehicle collision involving a motorcycle. 911 callers reported the motorcyclist was unconscious and laying in the roadway. Crews arrived on the scene...
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Chesapeake Ghost Organization Announces Establishment of 14U Baseball Team; Launches Search for Top Southern Maryland Talent

Chesapeake Ghost Organization Announces Establishment of 14U Baseball Team; Launches Search for Top Southern Maryland Talent

The Chesapeake Ghost baseball organization has officially announced the formation of its new 14U Showcase Baseball Team. Designed for athletes looking to break out of local brackets and test themselves on a grander stage, the program promises high-level player development, national exposure, and a culture built on accountability and fierce competitiveness. The 14U Ghost...
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Two Flown to Trauma Center After ATV Crash in Charles County

Two Flown to Trauma Center After ATV Crash in Charles County

On Saturday, May 30, 2026, at approximately 6:55 p.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services from Charles and St. Mary’s County responded to the 7000 block of Traeleigh Lane in Charlotte Hall, for the inaccessible rescue after an ATV crash. 911 callers reported an ATV crashed with two patients down and bleeding. Upon arrival,...
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Maryland Energetics Innovation Hub Breaks Ground in Charles County

Maryland Energetics Innovation Hub Breaks Ground in Charles County

The Charles County Economic Development Department joins the American Center for Manufacturing & Innovation (ACMI) and the Energetics Technology Center to celebrate the groundbreaking of the Maryland Energetics Innovation Hub (MEIH), a new campus designed to accelerate energetics production, process innovation, and advanced manufacturing. “We are thrilled to celebrate the groundbreaking of the Maryland...
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Governor Moore Issues Directive For Immediate State Action To Address Agricultural Crisis From April’s Severe Statewide Freeze

Governor Moore Issues Directive For Immediate State Action To Address Agricultural Crisis From April’s Severe Statewide Freeze

Governor Wes Moore issued a directive to the Maryland Department of Agriculture and Maryland Department of Environment to implement a coordinated and urgent response to the late April freeze, which resulted in a significant crisis for Maryland’s agricultural community and ongoing drought designation that is affecting the majority of Maryland counties. This directive builds upon...
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20-Year-Old PG County Man Arrested in Murder of Waldorf Teen

20-Year-Old PG County Man Arrested in Murder of Waldorf Teen

A suspect wanted in connection with a fatal shooting in the town of Capitol Heights is in custody. He is 20-year-old Roland Andre Carter, Jr., of no fixed address. He’s charged with the murder of 19-year-old Ky-Mari Bowman of Waldorf. On February 4, 2026, at approximately 3:20 pm, officers responded to the 500 block...
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FULL DETAILS RELEASED in Charles County Road-Rage Case: Oxon Hill Man Fired Shots, Pointed Gun At Woman’s Head

FULL DETAILS RELEASED in Charles County Road-Rage Case: Oxon Hill Man Fired Shots, Pointed Gun At Woman’s Head

Parren Eric Swann, 61, of Oxon Hill, is facing charges in Charles County that include two counts of first-degree assault, illegal possession of a regulated firearm, use of a firearm in a felony or violent crime, carrying a handgun, transporting a loaded handgun in a vehicle, two counts of second-degree assault, and reckless endangerment...
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61-Year-Old Oxon Hill Man Arrested After Road Rage Shooting in Charles County, Police Recover 5 Handguns

61-Year-Old Oxon Hill Man Arrested After Road Rage Shooting in Charles County, Police Recover 5 Handguns

On May 26, 2026, detectives arrested Parren Eric Swann, 61, of Oxon Hill, in connection with a May 10 assault on Brookwood Drive in White Plains. The assault occurred at approximately 5:17 p.m. when the victim turned onto Brookwood Drive from Billingsley Road and saw a vehicle traveling toward her on the wrong side...
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UPDATE: Florida Man Sentenced to 48 Years in Prison for Fatal Stabbing of 62-Year-Old Timothy Louis Portzen in Waldorf

UPDATE: Florida Man Sentenced to 48 Years in Prison for Fatal Stabbing of 62-Year-Old Timothy Louis Portzen in Waldorf

UPDATE 5/28/2026: Tony Covington, State’s Attorney for Charles County, announced that on Thursday, May 14, 2026, Charles County Circuit Court Judge H. James West sentenced Scott Anthony Goldsmith, 55, to 48 years in prison for the Second-Degree Murder of Timothy Louis Portzen and the First-Degree Assault of a second victim. On March 9, 2026,...
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Leadership Southern Maryland’s 13th Annual Golf Tournament Tees Up for Thursday, June 25

Leadership Southern Maryland’s 13th Annual Golf Tournament Tees Up for Thursday, June 25

Driving, putting, fun, and networking are back again this year as Leadership Southern Maryland (LSM) celebrates its 13th Annual Golf Tournament on Thursday, June 25, 2026, at Chesapeake Hills Golf Course in Lusby, Md. All golfers and nongolfers are welcome and encouraged to join regional leaders from throughout Southern Maryland to enjoy a day...
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UM Charles Regional Medical Center Recognized Among Nation’s Cleanest Hospitals

UM Charles Regional Medical Center Recognized Among Nation’s Cleanest Hospitals

University of Maryland Charles Regional Medical Center (UM Charles Regional), a member organization of the University of Maryland Medical System, has been recognized on Becker’s Hospital Review’s list of the “396 cleanest hospitals” in the nation after earning a 5-star cleanliness rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). UM Charles Regional...
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UPDATE: Mistrial Declared in Retrial of Beer 4 U Murder Case; New Trial Date Established for Anthony Dangelo Wilkins

UPDATE: Mistrial Declared in Retrial of Beer 4 U Murder Case; New Trial Date Established for Anthony Dangelo Wilkins

UPDATE 5/28/2026: Tony Covington, State’s Attorney for Charles County, announced that on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, Charles County Circuit Court Judge Monise A. Stephenson, following an eight-day jury trial, declared a mistrial in the case against Anthony Dangelo Wilkins regarding the charges of Second-Degree Murder in the death of Miaquita Gray and the Attempted...
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This Week in Winners: Maryland Lottery Produce Big Winners in Southern Maryland

This Week in Winners: Maryland Lottery Produce Big Winners in Southern Maryland

A pair of FAST PLAY tickets delivered last week’s two biggest Maryland Lottery wins, with a $176,777 progressive jackpot in Willards and another progressive jackpot of $114,257 in Accokeek. FAST PLAY tickets are games that play like scratch-offs, but are printed on-demand by Lottery terminals and vending machines. Select FAST PLAY games have progressive...
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House Fire in Hollywood Under Investigation, One Occupant Displaced

House Fire in Hollywood Under Investigation, One Occupant Displaced

On Tuesday, May 26, 2026, at approximately 9:23 a.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services were dispatched to the area of the Bradfords Neighborhood Market located at 23860 Hollywood Road in Hollywood, for the reported house on fire. Multiple 911 callers reported smoke coming from the residence. Crews quickly arrived on the scene to find fire...
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Police Serve Arrest Warrant on Riverdale Man for Rape, Sexual Assault, and Other Charges Involving Minor

Police Serve Arrest Warrant on Riverdale Man for Rape, Sexual Assault, and Other Charges Involving Minor

On May 21, 2026, members of the CCSO’s Judicial Services Section assigned to the United States Marshals Service Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force (CARFTF) and detectives from the Criminal Investigations Division arrested Jose Mercedes Pineda-Callejas, age 45, of Riverdale, MD, in connection with multiple sexual offenses involving a minor. Pineda-Callejas had been indicted...
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Governor Moore Calls for Developers to Partner on “Megawatts for Maryland” Clean Energy Auction Program to Lower Energy Costs, Promote Local Energy Generation

Governor Moore Calls for Developers to Partner on “Megawatts for Maryland” Clean Energy Auction Program to Lower Energy Costs, Promote Local Energy Generation

Governor Wes Moore announced that the Maryland Energy Administration took the first step toward launching the “Megawatts for Maryland” clean energy auction program and has released a Request for Information seeking stakeholder input. Governor Moore and leaders in the Maryland General Assembly worked together to create the new program, which will speed-up the deployment of large-scale...
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CSM Talon Robotics Team Competes in World Championship

CSM Talon Robotics Team Competes in World Championship

The Talons Robotics Team represented the College of Southern Maryland (CSM) at the VEX U Robotics World Championship in St. Louis in April, competing among the top college and university teams from around the world. The VEX U Robotics competitions test students’ ability to design, build, program, and operate robots to complete a series...
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Man Transported to Trauma Center After Single Vehicle Collision in La Plata

Man Transported to Trauma Center After Single Vehicle Collision in La Plata

On Thursday, May 21, 2026, at approximately 7:20 p.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the area of Port Tobacco Road and Durham Pointe Place in La Plata, for the serious motor vehicle collision with one trapped. Crews arrived on the scene to locate a single vehicle collision and confirmed one occupant...
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Fugitive Wanted in Connection with Sexual Assault of a Minor Located and Arrested

Fugitive Wanted in Connection with Sexual Assault of a Minor Located and Arrested

On May 21, members of the Charles County Sheriff’s Office’s Judicial Services Section assigned to the United States Marshals Service Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force (CARFTF) and detectives from the Criminal Investigations Division arrested Jose Mercedes Pineda-Callejas, age 45, of Riverdale, MD, in connection with multiple sexual offenses involving a minor. Pineda-Callejas had...
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Wanted Indian Head Man Arrested After Being Found Hiding Under Relatives Home

Wanted Indian Head Man Arrested After Being Found Hiding Under Relatives Home

On May 11, 2026, at approximately 5:46 a.m., officers responded to a residence in the 4600 block of Smallwood Church Road in Indian Head to serve multiple outstanding warrants on Sean Patrick Heckman, 23, of Indian Head. While relatives inside the home told officers they did not know Heckman’s whereabouts, officers conducted a search...
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Lusby Man Arrested After Burglary and Theft from Swan Point Golf Course Shop in Charles County

Lusby Man Arrested After Burglary and Theft from Swan Point Golf Course Shop in Charles County

On May 4, 2026, patrol officers responded to a reported burglary at the Swan Point Golf Course pro shop in Swan Point, MD. Officers learned that at approximately 9:35 p.m., on May 3, a male suspect forced entry into the business using a pry tool and stole approximately $5,300 worth of golf clubs and...
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