St. Mary’s News

UPDATE: Lexington Park Woman Faces New Drug Charges After Prior Bond Release A Few Days Earlier

UPDATE: Lexington Park Woman Faces New Drug Charges After Prior Bond Release A Few Days Earlier

UPDATE 5/26/2026: Erin Neveal Stokes, 34, of Lexington Park, is facing a new drug case in St. Mary’s County District Court after being arrested again less than a week after an earlier case involving suspected fentanyl, crack cocaine, and drug paraphernalia. The latest case, filed May 20, 2026, charges Stokes with one count of...
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Noise Advisory – NAS Patuxent River Sets Noise Advisory for May 26-July 10, 2026 for NAS Patuxent River

Noise Advisory – NAS Patuxent River Sets Noise Advisory for May 26-July 10, 2026 for NAS Patuxent River

NAVAL AIR STATION PATUXENT RIVER, MD.: Communities surrounding NAS Patuxent River are advised that noise-generating testing events are scheduled to take place May 26 –July 10, 2026 from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Mission Critical engines run events at the Open Air Engine Test Cell (OAETC) are required. Residents may notice increased noise levels...
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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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Board of Public Works Approves $9.2 Million for Park Pavilions, Playgrounds, and Land Conservation in Maryland

Board of Public Works Approves $9.2 Million for Park Pavilions, Playgrounds, and Land Conservation in Maryland

The Board of Public Works approved more than $9.2 million in grants from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources to local governments and a land trust for park pavilions, playgrounds, and land conservation in Allegany, Baltimore, Frederick, and Montgomery counties. More than $621,000 in Program Open Space – Local funding was approved for three projects: an...
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Lexington Park Woman Charged With Assault in Domestic Incident

Lexington Park Woman Charged With Assault in Domestic Incident

Aja Nicole Somerville, 35, of Lexington Park, is charged with second-degree assault following an alleged domestic incident on May 17, 2026, according to District Court records filed in St. Mary’s County. Somerville is accused of assaulting a minor female victim during an incident at a residence on Lexwood Court in Lexington Park. The charge...
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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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Lexington Park Woman Charged with Assault After Striking Ex-Husband’s Vehicle Multiple Times in California

Lexington Park Woman Charged with Assault After Striking Ex-Husband’s Vehicle Multiple Times in California

On Sunday, May 24, 2026, at approximately 8:50 p.m., police responded to the area of Three Notch Road and Shady Mile Drive in California, for the reported assault involving a vehicle. The 911 caller reported his ex-wife was possibly impaired and purposely went around other vehicles in traffic to strike his vehicle multiple times...
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SMCSO Missing Person Alert – 15-Year-Old Last Seen Getting Into Red Nissan SUV

SMCSO Missing Person Alert – 15-Year-Old Last Seen Getting Into Red Nissan SUV

The St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office posted the following on Sunday, May 24th, 2026, at 3:38 a.m. “Missing Juvenile – 15 year old Chloe Short – Last seen getting into a red Nissan SUV.” The SMCSO Missing Person “alert” was not sent to the media, and was only posted to Facebook which gave no...
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Juvenile and Hollywood Man Charged Following Investigation Into Stolen Gun And Burglaries

Juvenile and Hollywood Man Charged Following Investigation Into Stolen Gun And Burglaries

Nathaniel Warren Shaklee, 19, of Hollywood, has been charged with 13 counts connected to an alleged burglary at Brudergarten in Leonardtown and a series of reported vehicle break-ins in the Leonardtown area, according to District Court documents filed in St. Mary’s County. Shaklee is charged with second-degree burglary, fourth-degree burglary of a store, eight...
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Lexington Park Man Sentenced After Spitting on Deputy During Lexington Park Arrest

Lexington Park Man Sentenced After Spitting on Deputy During Lexington Park Arrest

Ty-Kane Shi-Heim Briscoe, 30, of Lexington Park, pleaded guilty to second-degree assault in St. Mary’s County District Court after an arrest tied to a February 5, 2026 incident in Lexington Park. Court records show Briscoe was also charged with disorderly conduct, resisting or interfering with arrest, driving under the influence of alcohol, driving while...
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Avenue Man Charged With Obstructing Police During Hit-and-Run Investigation

Avenue Man Charged With Obstructing Police During Hit-and-Run Investigation

Jeremiah Robert Jameson, 19, of Avenue, has been charged in St. Mary’s County District Court with one misdemeanor count of obstructing and hindering after a deputy reported that he interfered with a hit-and-run investigation in Charlotte Hall, according to court documents. The charging document states that the alleged incident happened on May 20, 2026,...
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UPDATE GoFundMe Started for Family After 1-Year-Old Dies Following Medical Emergency in Mechanicsville

UPDATE GoFundMe Started for Family After 1-Year-Old Dies Following Medical Emergency in Mechanicsville

UPDATE 5/22/2026: A GoFundMe has been started to support the family of a 1-year-old girl who died after suffering a medical emergency in Mechanicsville. According to the fundraiser, Savi was born with congenital diaphragmatic hernia, also known as CDH, and spent her entire first year in the NICU at Children’s Hospital. During that time,...
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UPDATE: Lexington Park Man Receives Probation Before Judgment After Roadway Incident

UPDATE:  Lexington Park Man Receives Probation Before Judgment After Roadway Incident

UPDATE 5/22/2026: Legend McKinley Carter, 30, of Lexington Park, pleaded guilty in St. Mary’s County District Court to failing to obey a reasonable and lawful order by law enforcement after an April 19, 2026, incident near Old Hewitt Road in Lexington Park, according to court documents. The case was filed on April 20, 2026,...
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Student Armed With Knife Charged After Threatening to Stab Teacher at Great Mills High School

Student Armed With Knife Charged After Threatening to Stab Teacher at Great Mills High School

On Thursday, May 21, 2026, the school resource officer assigned to Great Mills High School was notified by school administrators that a student had threatened to stab a teacher. Following the verbal threat, school administrators searched the student and located a pocketknife in the student’s pants pocket. The knife was immediately confiscated. The 15-year-old...
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St. Mary’s County and Hollywood VFD Mourns Passing of Lifelong Firefighter, Beloved Barber John Gatton, Sr.

St. Mary’s County and Hollywood VFD Mourns Passing of Lifelong Firefighter, Beloved Barber John Gatton, Sr.

John “Johnny” Oscar Gatton Sr., 83, of Hollywood, Maryland, passed away peacefully on May 19, 2026, surrounded by his family in the comfort of his home. Johnny was born on February 10, 1943, at his family home in Hollywood, Maryland, to William Raymond and Ruth Evelyn Gatton. He was one of six children and...
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St. Mary’s County Commissioner Meeting Rollup – May 19, 2026

St. Mary’s County Commissioner Meeting Rollup – May 19, 2026

The Commissioners of St. Mary’s County (CSMC) began their business meeting with an invocation and the pledge, followed by approval of the consent agenda. The CSMC then presented proclamations in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, National Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Week, National Public Works Week, and Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome Awareness Month. For their main agenda item, the Commissioners: Approved Resolution 2026-12...
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June 2026 Events at the Calvert Marine Museum

June 2026 Events at the Calvert Marine Museum

June brings an exciting lineup of events to the Calvert Marine Museum, highlighted by the high-energy ALMOST QUEEN concert with Separate Ways The Band on June 13 and the museum’s new Shell-A-Bration event celebrating National Seashell Day on June 20. From live music and on-the-water adventures to hands-on family programs and seasonal experiences, visitors...
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St. Mary’s County Chamber of Commerce Hosts Annual Awards Gala, Recognizes Local Leaders and Nonprofits

St. Mary’s County Chamber of Commerce Hosts Annual Awards Gala, Recognizes Local Leaders and Nonprofits

The St. Mary’s County Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual awards gala on Thursday, May 14, 2026, at The White Rose in St. Mary’s County, bringing together business, community, nonprofit, and political leaders to celebrate local service, leadership, and community impact. During the event, several community members and organizations were recognized through awards presented...
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Horseshoe Crab Spawning Migration Arriving in Maryland

Horseshoe Crab Spawning Migration Arriving in Maryland

Thousands of horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus) have started landing on Maryland’s shores this spring for what is believed to be the world’s oldest wildlife migration. Dating back an estimated 350 million years, the annual spawning occurs from May through July, peaking with high tides on or around the full and new moons in June....
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Lexington Park Man Charged With Violating Protective Order After Disturbance

Lexington Park Man Charged With Violating Protective Order After Disturbance

Joel Harold Notman, 31, of Lexington Park, has been charged in St. Mary’s County District Court with one misdemeanor count of violating a protective order after an alleged disturbance on Great Mills Road in Lexington Park on May 14, 2026. According to charging documents filed by Deputy Matthew Craig of the St. Mary’s County...
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St. Mary’s County Traffic Stop Leads to Cocaine and DUI Arrest

St. Mary’s County Traffic Stop Leads to Cocaine and DUI Arrest

Matthew Tyler Eastburn, 31, of Mechanicsville, has been charged in St. Mary’s County District Court with possession of a controlled dangerous substance that was not cannabis, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving or attempting to drive while under the influence of alcohol per se, driving or attempting to drive while under the influence of alcohol,...
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Marylanders Reminded to Leave Fawns Alone – ‘Rescuing’ Them is Illegal, Unnecessary, and Dangerous

Marylanders Reminded to Leave Fawns Alone – ‘Rescuing’ Them is Illegal, Unnecessary, and Dangerous

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources cautions anyone who encounters a fawn to avoid disturbing it and resist the urge to feed or handle it. Removing deer from the wild and keeping them in captivity is against the law in Maryland in order to protect animal welfare and ensure public safety. Even if no adult deer are...
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Maryland Department of Natural Resources Reports Increase in Juvenile Blue Crabs and Total Population in 2026 Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab Winter Dredge Survey

Maryland Department of Natural Resources Reports Increase in Juvenile Blue Crabs and Total Population in 2026 Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab Winter Dredge Survey

The Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab Winter Dredge Survey, a cooperative effort between the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, estimates a total of 349 million blue crabs in the Chesapeake Bay in 2026, a 46% increase over the estimate of 238 million crabs last year. The survey also estimated...
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Dog Sitter Charged With 2 Counts of Felony Animal Cruelty and 18 Counts of Child Pornography

Dog Sitter Charged With 2 Counts of Felony Animal Cruelty and 18 Counts of Child Pornography

The investigation began on May 20, 2025 after the Maryland State Police received a CyberTip. On August 19, 2025, members of the Maryland State Police Child Exploitation Unit, Homeland Security Investigations, the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the United States Secret Service executed a signed residential search and seizure warrant at a...
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