In response to continued community interest and the deep need for support after the loss of a beloved pet, Chesapeake Life Center is pleased to bring back its popular Pet Loss Workshop, offering comfort, connection and healthy coping strategies for grieving adults. The free workshop will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, April 18, at Perfect Pet Resort, 840 W. Bay Front Road, Lothian, Maryland. For many, pets are cherished family members. When they die, the...
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UPDATE 3/8/2026: Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Tara Jackson has announced that Jose Merlos-Majano, Alan Josai Garcia-Padilla, William Cuellar Gutierrez, and a 17-year-old have been indicted on charges including first-degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and participation in a criminal organization in connection with the death of 14-year-old Jefferson Amaya-Ayala from Washington D.C. In August 2025, Amaya-Ayala was reported missing after he was last seen in the 1400 block of Sheridan Street in...
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On Sunday, March 8, 2026, at approximately 1:00 p.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the Living Hope First United Pentecostal Church located on Chancellors Run Road in Great Mills, for the reported motor vehicle collision involving a pedestrian. 911 callers reported a 4-year-old female was run over by a church van with the child in and out of consciousness. Maryland State Police Aviation Command Trooper 7 pre-launched to land nearby. Police, firefighters and emergency medical services...
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On Saturday, March 7, 2026, at approximately 9:45 p.m., police attempted to pull over a white Mercedes-Benz C43 sedan for a traffic violation on Middletown Road at Ethridge Drive in Waldorf. When the deputy attempted to pull the vehicle over, the suspect vehicle immediately fled at a high rate of speed, with the deputy reporting speeds of 106 mph. Within 50 seconds of announcing the vehicle not stopping, the suspect crashed on Middletown Road between Smallwood Drive and Billingsley...
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The St. Mary’s County Chamber of Commerce has announced the 2026 Bubby Knott Philanthropist of the Year Award and the 2026 Bubby Knott Non-Profit of the Year Award, recognizing individuals and organizations making a meaningful impact in the community. Both awards will be presented during the Chamber’s annual gala scheduled for May 14, 2026. Established in 2024, the awards honor the legacy of the Bubby Knott Foundation and recognize those who demonstrate a lasting commitment to improving the lives...
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Warning: This video contains violent and graphic material that may be disturbing and is not suitable for all viewers. Please proceed with caution. UPDATE 3/8/2026: The Independent Investigations Division (IID) of the Maryland Office of the Attorney General has released the body-worn camera footage from the fatal police-involved shooting involving the Charles County Sheriff’s Office that occurred on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, in White Plains, Charles County, Maryland. The decedent was previously identified as 36-year-old Demarcus Irish of Clinton,...
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On Saturday, March 7, 2026, at approximately 1:43 a.m., police responded to the Rucci’s located at 22685 Washington Street in Leonardtown, for the automated motion detection alarm. Deputies arrived on the scene at 2:09 a.m., to find nothing evident and waited for a keyholder to arrive on the scene to access the interior of the building. Upon the keyholder arriving on scene at approximately 2:25 a.m., the keyholder and Deputies made entry to find smoke and fire showing from...
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Erick Nicohlas Gage, 26, of Waldorf, is facing multiple firearm and ammunition charges after investigators say he illegally possessed a handgun and later admitted the weapon discharged while inside his clothing during a New Year’s Day incident. According to court documents filed in the District Court for Charles County, Gage is charged with illegal possession of a regulated firearm, wearing and carrying a handgun on his person, carrying a loaded handgun on his person, and two counts of illegal...
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On Friday, March 6, 2026, at approximately 2:40 a.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the Hampton Inn Waldorf, for the reported stabbing. Crews arrived on the scene to find a 48-year-old female suffering from a serious laceration to the thigh, and applied two tourniquets to the victim. EMS transported the victim to the University of Maryland Capital Region Medical Center. Deputies from the Charles County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene and began searching the area...
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Matthew John Julian, 49, of Lexington Park, is facing three charges of indecent exposure after investigators say he exposed himself and masturbated in front of three women hired to clean his home in February 2026, according to court documents. The charges stem from an incident reported on February 16, 2026, at his home in Lexington Park. A deputy with the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office responded to the agency’s District Station 3 in California after receiving a report of...
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On Thursday, March 5, 2026, at approximately 3:03 p.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the area of Manor Road and Knotts Farm Lane in Chaptico, for the serious motor vehicle collision. Crews arrived on the scene to find a single vehicle overturned with citizens having removed the single trapped occupant. EMS requested a helicopter to landed nearby due to their injuries. Maryland State Police Helicopter Trooper 7 landed nearby and transported the patient to an area...
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The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (SHA) will host a second public informational workshop, 5-7 p.m. Thursday, March 12, to present proposed concepts and gather more community input on ideas to improve pedestrian access and safety along MD 235 (Three Notch Road) in St. Mary’s County. The workshop will be held at Great Mills High School, 21130 Great Mills Road, Great Mills. A proposal by the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (SHA) to modify a busy...
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A Waldorf man is facing a long list of felony and misdemeanor charges after authorities say he threatened a man with a gun in late February and was later arrested with a loaded handgun, drugs, and suspected drug distribution materials during an early morning encounter with deputies. Carioco Jovan Grimes, 37, of Waldorf, is charged in the District Court for Charles County in connection with two separate incidents reported on February 26, 2026, and March 1, 2026. According to...
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UPDATE 3/4/2026: On March 4, detectives assigned to the Charles County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division arrested Shawn Lamont Wade, Jr., age 32, of Waldorf in connection with the shooting death of David Leroy Raley, age 47. The shooting occurred on July 3, 2025, in the 3000 block of October Place. Wade was indicted by a Charles County Grand Jury and investigators obtained an arrest warrant. He was charged with second-degree murder, manslaughter, and firearms offenses and is currently...
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On Tuesday, March 3, 2026, at approximately 10:00 a.m., police responded to Split Oak Lane in Owings, for the reported domestic disturbance. Dispatchers advised to all responding units that the 911 caller reported coming home to find blood all over the residence with the female unconscious and said “it looked like a homicide” While officers responded, dispatchers urged police to use caution due to domestic related call history at the residence, with a gun being on scene. All fire...
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The public is invited to participate in a regional Southern Maryland Forum: Growing Our Own Workforce on Thursday, Mar. 26, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the University System of Maryland at Southern Maryland SMART Building (Bldg. 3), 44219 Airport Rd, California, MD 20619. This interactive and action-oriented event, part of Leadership Southern...
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The St. Mary’s County Health Department (SMCHD) has been selected to participate in the CDC Foundation’s Workforce Acceleration Initiative (WAI), a national program designed to strengthen public health data and technology systems at the local level. Through this initiative, SMCHD will receive additional technology and data expertise to improve how the department manages and...
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Several Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) teachers recently earned National Board Certification through the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). The 14 educators who earned the designation have shown they are effective and accomplished teachers. The following CCPS teachers achieved National Board Certification in December 2025. Teachers are listed by certification area, position...
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A longtime Maryland Lottery player from Greenbelt is celebrating a big win after scratching his way to a $50,000 prize. The winner visited Maryland Lottery headquarters in Baltimore on March 3 to claim his prize and share the story behind his win. The winner has been playing Lottery games for about 10 years and...
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The University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) is opening a new University of Maryland Urgent Care location in Charles County on Monday. UM Urgent Care at La Plata, located in the Potomac Shopping Center off southbound Route 301, across the street from Applebee’s and Safeway, is scheduled to open March 9th, 2026. The center...
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Knees were bouncing with anxious jitters and hearts were racing as students waited for their turn to approach the microphone in the middle of Piccowaxen Middle School’s gym Wednesday evening for the 48th annual Charles County Spelling Bee. The top spellers from eight Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) middle schools were represented by a team...
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Superintendent of Schools, Dr. J. Scott Smith, announces the 2025-2026 operating calendar adjustments made by the Board of Education at its meeting on March 4, 2026, as follows: Monday, April 6, 2026 (Easter Monday) will be a school day due to an inclement weather make-up day The calendar for the Chesapeake Public Charter School...
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On January 19, a break in a 72-inch sewer main known as the Potomac Interceptor caused an overflow into the Potomac River. The release of sewage from aging federal infrastructure was an emergency and people were understandably worried about both short-term and long-term effects. Maryland state and local authorities immediately closed off areas that...
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A drive-thru car wash fundraiser will be held on Sunday, March 8, beginning at 12 p.m., to 2:00 p.m., at 28165 Hills Club Road in Mechanicsville. The event is donation-only, with no set price, allowing visitors to give what they can while supporting local volunteers. Each vehicle will receive a full hand wash, with...
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Ahead of their single game tickets going on sale on March 6th, The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs announced today a special community partnership with the Humane Society of Charles County to support the non-profit animal shelter, who is facing potential closure due to financial issues. The Humane Society of Charles County, which has served...
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RELEASE: Effective immediately, Charles and Prince George’s counties will lift the recreational water advisories in effect from late January. Montgomery County’s advisory will remain in effect until further notice. There continues to be no recreational water advisory necessary for the Potomac River in St. Mary’s County. Working in close coordination with local health officials,...
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The Calvert County Sheriff’s Office K-9 unit is proud to announce a new partnership with 30×30 Fundraising to provide continuous nonprofit support for the department’s K9 equipment purchasing. Through this collaboration, 30X30 Fundraising will assist in securing resources to help acquire essential K9 equipment, protective gear, training, continuing education, program upgrades, and advanced technology....
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Mason’s Famous Lobster Rolls is bringing more of its authentic New England-style lobster rolls to the Old Line State with its first store in Waldorf. The new Waldorf location will open its doors on Wednesday, March 11, 2026 with a grand opening celebration starting at 11:00 a.m. To celebrate, guests can enter to win FREE LOBSTER ROLLS for...
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More than 75% of Americans are unsure when or how often to get a colonoscopy. That’s according to new survey results just released by MedStar Health. One thousand U.S. adults participated in the national survey, which revealed colorectal cancer misconceptions: More than 36% of those eligible say they’ve skipped colorectal screening. Doctors recommend starting...
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Tyson Wayne Black, 37, and Julia Lynn Bennett, 31, both of North Beach, were arrested on March 3, 2026, and charged in connection with an alleged drug distribution investigation conducted by the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office, according to court documents. Black is charged with CDS: Import Into State, conspiracy to import into the state,...
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Marcus Anthony Swann, 23, of Newburg, faces multiple criminal charges including possession of a controlled dangerous substance not cannabis, two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia, resisting or interfering with arrest, failure to obey a lawful order, and littering under 100 pounds following an incident in La Plata on March 3, 2026, according to...
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College of Southern Maryland (CSM) engineering students joined local leaders as Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary’s counties recognized National Engineers Week to raise awareness for an industry working behind the scenes to build a better world. National Engineers Week, or EWeek, is observed Feb. 22 – 28, 2026. Its purpose is to highlight the...
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