Southern Maryland News Net

UPDATE: Co-Defendant Convicted in Murder of 23-Year-Old Man in Lexington Park

UPDATE 3/3/2026: State’s Attorney Jaymi Sterling announced that Zahlir Daylin Gantt, 23, of Lexington Park, Maryland, was convicted of first-degree murder for his role in the fatal shooting of a 23-year-old victim that occurred on February 26, 2024. After a four-day bench trial in the St. Mary’s County Circuit Court, Gantt was convicted of the following offenses: First-degree murder (maximum penalty of LIFE in prison); Second-degree murder (maximum penalty of 40 years in prison); Conspiracy to commit first-degree murder (maximum penalty...
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Humane Society of Charles County Facing Closure, Urgently Seeks Community Support

The Humane Society of Charles County (HSCC), the county’s only no-kill animal shelter, is at risk of permanently closing its doors after 50 years of service unless immediate financial support is secured. HSCC officials say the nonprofit organization is funded solely through private donations and does not receive financial support from Charles County, the State of Maryland, or the national Humane Society. With resources now depleted, shelter leaders warn they are struggling to remain operational. April Hodges, Director of...
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UPDATE: Driver Transported to Trauma Center After Striking Pole at Waldorf Target, Smoke in Store Caused by Faulty HVAC Unit

UPDATE @ 5:30 p.m.: Smoke in the business has been found to be caused by a faulty HVAC unit on the roof. The incident is being scaled back with units going in service. The operator of the vehicle was transported by ambulance to the University of Maryland Capital Region Medical Center with serious injuries. Police are investigating the crash. 3/2/2026: On Monday, March 2, 2026, at approximately 4:50 p.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the Target,...
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UPDATE: State’s Attorney Jaymi Sterling Testifies on Jamari’s Law to Strengthen Penalties for Manslaughter by Vehicle, Here’s How You Can Help

UPDATE 3/1/2026: State’s Attorney Jaymi Sterling is set to testify in support of House Bill 0873 — known as “Jamari’s Law” — before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, March 4 at 1 p.m. The proposed legislation would double the maximum penalty for vehicular manslaughter in Maryland, increasing it from 10 years to 20 years in prison. For a second or subsequent conviction, the maximum penalty would rise from 15 years to 30 years. The bill is named for...
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Woman Flown to Trauma Center with Life-Threatening Injuries After Serious Crash in Waldorf

On Sunday, March 1, 2026, at approximately 10:20 p.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the area of Smallwood Drive and Lancaster Circle in Waldorf, for the serious motor vehicle collision with entrapment. Crews arrived on the scene to find a two-vehicle collision and confirmed one victim was trapped and unresponsive. Due to the trapped patients injuries, a helicopter was requested to land nearby. Firefighters from Waldorf extricated the adult female in under 10 minutes and transferred...
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Traffic Stop Leads to Heroin Seizure, Arrest in Lexington Park

Deputies with the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office arrested a Lexington Park man on Sunday, March 1, 2026, following a traffic stop that led to the recovery of suspected heroin, drug paraphernalia, and cash. While operating on Great Mills Road, deputies observed a vehicle fail to stop properly at a traffic light and initiated a traffic stop. The vehicle accelerated away, and during the brief pursuit, a deputy observed the driver discard a plastic bag from the vehicle. The...
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Governor Moore, Comptroller Lierman, Treasurer Davis Demand Reimbursement from President Trump for Illegal Tariffs

Governor Wes Moore, Comptroller Brooke E. Lierman, and Treasurer Dereck E. Davis, sent a joint letter to President Donald J. Trump formally demanding reimbursement of tariff revenues imposed by the Trump Administration on Maryland consumers and businesses, which were ruled unconstitutional by the United States Supreme Court. Because of President Trump’s illegal tariffs, Maryland businesses and consumers paid an estimated $4 billion in direct and indirect costs—approximately $1,744 per household. Governor Moore, Comptroller Lierman, and Treasurer Davis called on the...
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UPDATE: Tall Timbers Man Identified As Pilot Killed in Hollywood Plane Crash, Investigation Ongoing

UPDATE 3/2/2026: The Maryland State Police has identified the pilot and victim of the February 28th, 2026 plane crash in Hollywood, Maryland as Andrew Mechling, age 74 of Tall Timbers, Maryland. Mechling was the single occupant of the Hummel Bird Ultralight Experimental aircraft which crashed into a wooded area under 1.5 miles away from Dorsey Park in Hollywood, Maryland. The investigation and cause of the crash is ongoing with a joint investigation between the Maryland State Police and the...
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No Injuries Reported After Vehicle Fire in Lexington Park Closed Three Notch Road

On Friday, February 27, 2026, at approximately 10:45 a.m., police and firefighters responded to the area of Three Notch Road and Pegg Road in Lexington Park, for the reported vehicle on fire. While dispatching the call, the incident was upgraded to a vehicle fire with entrapment, after multiple 911 callers reported the vehicle was on fire with a male possibly still inside the vehicle. Bay District VFD Safety 9 and police arrived on the scene within minutes to find...
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Two Waldorf Women Indicted on Dozens of Animal Cruelty Charges

A Charles County grand jury has indicted two Waldorf women on multiple felony and misdemeanor animal cruelty charges stemming from a December 2025 investigation. April Nicole Ware, 51, and Jade Mahogany George, 20, were indicted on Jan. 30 on eight counts of aggravated animal cruelty and more than three dozen animal cruelty-related misdemeanors. According to charging documents, during the overnight hours of Dec. 1, 2025, six dogs were placed in the night drop-off cage at the Charles County Animal...
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UPDATE: Charges Pending Further Investigation After 72-Year-Old Virginia Man is Killed in Charlotte Hall Crash

UPDATE 2/27/2026: On Thursday, February 26, 2026, at approximately 6:00 a.m., Troopers from Maryland State Police La Plata Barrack along with deputies from the Charles County Sheriff’s Office responded to Maryland Route 234 (Budds Creek Rd) at Stines Store Road for a report of a serious motor vehicle collision. Due to the circumstances, the Maryland State Police CRASH Team responded to assume the investigation. A preliminary investigation conducted by Troopers from the MSP La Plata Barrack and the MSP...
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Firefighters Quickly Contain and Extinguish Large Brush Fire in Leonardtown Despite Terrain Complications

On Monday, February 23, 2026, at approximately 5:36 p.m., firefighters from Leonardtown were dispatched to the area of Maypole Road and Point Lookout Road in Leonardtown, for the reported brush fire. Leonardtown VFD Engine 11 arrived on location to find multiple large piles of cut timber on fire off the road way. Engine 11 requested the brush fire task force to be started and 2 additional tankers. This brought additional firefighters from Leonardtown, Hollywood and Seventh District to the...
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Mechanicsville Man Charged With Drug Distribution After Lexington Park Arrest

Kevin Benjamin Berry, 38, of Mechanicsville, has been charged with multiple drug offenses after deputies reportedly found crack cocaine and related paraphernalia during the execution of a search warrant in Lexington Park. According to court documents, Berry is charged with possession of a controlled dangerous substance not cannabis, possession with intent to distribute a narcotic drug, and possession of production equipment for manufacturing controlled dangerous substances. The charges stem from an incident on February 20, 2026. Charging documents state...
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Minor Injuries Reported After Vehicle Strikes Church in Waldorf That Leaves Operator Trapped

On Tuesday, February 25, 2026, at approximately 11:55 a.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the Church of Christ located at 30 Village Street in Waldorf, for the serious motor vehicle collision involving the structure with entrapment. Crews arrived on the scene to confirm a vehicle completely into the building with the adult female operator trapped in the vehicle. The La Plata Volunteer Fire Department proudly serves as the county’s designated Structural and Trench Collapse Rescue Team,...
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UPDATE: GoFundMe Started for Victim Critically Injured After Tree Falls On Vehicle in Calvert County That Kills Two Others

UPDATE 2/26/2026: A GoFundMe has been launched to support the family of those involved in a tragic crash that occurred on February 22, 2026, in Sunderland. Calvert County Sheriff’s Office responded to North Solomons Island Road (MD Route 2) near Aspen Wood Drive for a serious motor vehicle collision. According to the preliminary investigation, a vehicle traveling northbound was struck by a falling tree that entered the roadway. The vehicle was occupied by Michael Lee Simpson, 60, of Deale; Virginia...
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March Madness First Friday Comes to Leonardtown – March 6th Through 8th, 2026

The Leonardtown Business Association invites the community to kick off March in championship style at March Madness First Friday, happening Friday, March 6, 2026 and extending throughout the entire weekend in Leonardtown. Leonardtown businesses are joining the excitement with a variety of specials, promotions, and fun happenings inspired by the energy of March Madness. Shoppers and visitors...
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School-Based Health Centers Now Offering Rapid Respiratory Testing

The St. Mary’s County Health Department (SMCHD) is now offering rapid respiratory testing at its School-Based Health Centers (SBHCs), giving families faster answers during cold and flu season. The SBHCs have added a new testing platform that can detect more than 14 common respiratory viruses and bacteria, with results available in about 15 minutes....
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Charles County Sheriff’s Office Launches New Youth Outreach Unified Program – Project Y.O.U.

The Charles County Sheriff’s Office is launching Project Y.O.U. – Youth Outreach Unified – a new pilot program starting this April as part of the Sheriff’s Youth Engagement Unit. Project Y.O.U. will bring together police officers and CCSO employees to work with local youth after school, twice a week, focusing on life skills, academic...
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No Injuries Reported After Vehicle Fire in Charles County

On Tuesday, March 3, 2026, at approximately 5:20 a.m., police and firefighters responded to the area of Budds Creek Road and Crain Highway in Faulkner, for the reported vehicle on fire. Dispatchers receiving multiple 911 calls reporting a vehicle fully engulfed in flames with the vehicle having just exploded. While still on he phone...
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UPDATE: Teens Create Profile to “Catch a Predator”, Leading to Arrest of Virginia Church Employee Who Drove 2 Hours to Meet 15-Year-Old

UPDATE 3/3/2026: Court documents show Stephan Wayne Klink, 42, of Gloucester, Virginia, has been charged with displaying obscene material to a minor and sexual solicitation of a minor following an investigation in La Plata. According to court documents, an officer responded to a Charles County residence on February 25, 2026, at approximately 10:22 p.m....
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Two Transported to Trauma Centers After Two Vehicle Crash in Leonardtown

On Tuesday, March 3, 2026, at 11:18 a.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the area of Budds Creek Road and Point Lookout Road in Leonardtown, for the serious motor vehicle collision with entrapment and rollover. Multiple 911 callers reported a Jeep rolled multiple times with one victim laying on the ground....
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Repeat Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitation of a Child

Patrick Daniel McKernan, 45, of Pasadena, Maryland, is charged with the sexual exploitation of a child as he persuaded, induced, enticed, and coerced a minor victim to engage in sexually explicit conduct. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, FBI...
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Jaymi Sterling Seeks a Second Term for State’s Attorney for St. Mary’s County

State’s Attorney Jaymi Sterling announced today that she is seeking reelection as State’s Attorney for St. Mary’s County, pledging to continue to aggressively prosecute violent crime to ensure public safety for our community. With more than 17 years of prosecutorial experience, Sterling was elected as the County’s top prosecutor in 2022. She took office as State’s...
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Crime with No Consequences in Maryland, Fully Suspended Sentences Handed Down After Armed Carjacking

Julan Byrd, 18, of Temple Hills, MD, was sentenced Friday in the Superior Court for the District of Columbia, stemming from an armed carjacking in September 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Byrd, who was seventeen years old at the time of the offense and who was charged pursuant to Title 16, pleaded...
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Maryland’s Century-Old Partnership with National Shellfish Sanitation Program Remains Vital to Seafood Safety

When it comes to seafood sanitation and public health, the National Shellfish Sanitation Program has for 100 years ensured shellfish sold in the United States meets standards for human consumption. Maryland plays a key role in the compliance and enforcement of the program’s principles as one of the leaders of commercially-exported seafood among coastal states. The...
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St. Mary’s County Recreation & Parks Youth Basketball Players Recognized with Will Smith Leadership Awards

St. Mary’s County Government’s Department of Recreation & Parks (R&P) is proud to announce the recipients of the 2026 Will Smith Leadership Awards. These awards recognize 8th grade players in the R&P Youth Basketball League who participate from 6th–8th grade and demonstrate sportsmanship, passion for the game, and leadership both on and off the court. Nearly 30...
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Traffic Notice: Wildewood Parkway Road Improvements to Begin This March, 2026

St. Mary’s County Government’s Department of Public Works & Transportation (DPW&T) will be making roadway improvements on Wildewood Parkway beginning from Smoke Hill Road extending to White Elm Court. This project will include storm drain culvert replacement across the intersection of Smoke Hill Road and across Wildewood Parkway. The project is scheduled to begin...
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DNR Study: Bowfishing Contributes Heavily to Chesapeake Snakehead Harvest

A new Maryland Department of Natural Resources study revealed that bowfishing and gigging – using a pronged spear – are the most common ways Chesapeake Channa (also known as northern snakehead) are harvested in Maryland. These methods eclipse hook-and-line, commercial, and departmental management harvest of the invasive fish. The study, published in Integrated and...
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CSM Celebrates the Opening of New MAAPC Nursing Lab

The College of Southern Maryland (CSM) unveiled the newly named Maryland Academy of Advanced Practice Clinicians (MAAPC) Nursing Lab on February 12 recognizing the organization’s support of CSM nursing students. In October 2025, the CSM Foundation announced MAAPC’s $57,500 gift to establish the Future Nightingales Endowed Scholarship to support the next generation of health...
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Police Investigating Bryans Road Man Killed by Wrong-Way Driver

The Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Unit is investigating a fatal crash that occurred early Friday morning in Oxon Hill. The deceased driver is 24-year-old Alex Rodriquez Hines of Bryans Road. On February 27, 2026, at approximately 4:30 am, officers responded to a two-vehicle collision in the area of Indian Head Highway and the Capital...
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Police and Fire Marshal Investigating Stolen Vehicle Found Burned in Hughesville

On Friday, February 27, 2026, police responded to the 13000 block of Burnt Store Road in Hughesville, for the reported vehicle fire with no active fire. Police arrived on the scene to find a 2015 Nissan Altima completely burned. Investigation determined the vehicle was previously reported stolen earlier this month. The estimated loss is...
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Public Notification of Sewage Overflow of Approximately 100 Gallons in Prince Frederick

A Sanitary Sewer Overflow was reported to the Calvert County Department of Public Works, Water & Sewerage Division on Feb. 22, 2026, at approximately 8:30 p.m. The overflow occurred in the roadway near the 330 block of North Chesapeake Avenue in the Dares Beach community in Prince Frederick. Approximately 100 gallons of untreated wastewater...
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