Community

Protect Your Dogs’ Health: Harmful Algae Mats Can Pose Danger to Pets

Protect Your Dogs’ Health: Harmful Algae Mats Can Pose Danger to Pets

As summer has begun, Maryland Department of Natural Resources scientists caution the public to be vigilant about freshwater algae mats that can sometimes be a health hazard for dogs and other animals. Benthic algae mats are accumulations of algae that can vary in structure and appearance, but are often dense, green, and fibrous. Benthic...
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PMA-265 Employee Tess Butner, Earns Navy Award for Audit Excellence

PMA-265 Employee Tess Butner, Earns Navy Award for Audit Excellence

The lead business financial manager (BFM) for the F/A-18 and EA-18G Program Office (PMA-265) received the 2024 Department of the Navy annual Financial Management Contribution to Business Processes and Internal Controls individual award during a ceremony June 18 at the Pentagon for her critical work resolving a material weakness flagged by Navy auditors. Tess...
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Police in Charles County Investigating a Murder on October Place in Waldorf

Police in Charles County Investigating a Murder on October Place in Waldorf

On July 3, 2025, at 4:23 p.m., officers responded to the 3000 block of October Place in Waldorf for the report of an unconscious male lying on the ground outside of an apartment door. Upon arrival, officers located the man who had a gunshot wound to the upper body. Officers and EMS rendered first...
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Southern Maryland Fourth of July Celebrations for 2025

Southern Maryland Fourth of July Celebrations for 2025

Calvert County: Solomons Island Fourth of July Celebration – On July 4, event begins at 10 a.m.; fireworks at 9 p.m., Solomons will host a full day of patriotic activities, including a flag ceremony, colonial reenactments, a children’s bike parade, boat parade, live music and fireworks. Festivities are centered around the boardwalk, Calvert Marine...
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A Soaring Success: Maryland’s Bald Eagle Population Recovery!

A Soaring Success: Maryland’s Bald Eagle Population Recovery!

For 18 years, Glenn Therres watched the recovery of Maryland’s bald eagles from the window of a four-seater plane. The long-time bald eagle biologist for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Therres had counted nests for the department’s annual bald eagle survey since 1985, when there were only 62 breeding pairs in the state....
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Calvert County Commissioners Call on Maryland Attorney General to Investigate Gas Price Disparities

Calvert County Commissioners Call on Maryland Attorney General to Investigate Gas Price Disparities

The Calvert County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) has taken official action to address what they describe as a persistent and unfair disparity in gasoline prices affecting their residents. In a letter dated July 2, 2025, the BOCC formally requested Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown launch an investigation into why Calvert County’s fuel...
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SMADC Launches Agricultural Lending Library to Boost Community Knowledge

SMADC Launches Agricultural Lending Library to Boost Community Knowledge

The Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission (SMADC), a division of the Tri-County Council for Southern Maryland, has created an Agricultural Lending Library for the Southern Maryland community to utilize. The Lending library is open to the public to check out books on agriculture for a two-week borrow period. The books found in SMADC’s Lending...
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Chesapeake Beach Water Park Updates and Plans

Chesapeake Beach Water Park Updates and Plans

The Town of Chesapeake Beach is committed to providing quality recreational facilities for our residents and visitors. As part of this commitment, we want to update the community on the status and future plans for our beloved water park. New Updates! After a thorough assessment of the facility’s condition, it is clear that extensive...
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Naval Air Station Patuxent River Gate Operation Schedules- July 2nd to July 7th, 2025

Naval Air Station Patuxent River Gate Operation Schedules- July 2nd to July 7th, 2025

Naval Air Station Patuxent River has announced that Gate 1 will be closed today, Wednesday, July 2 from 1 p.m., to 2:45 p.m. for unscheduled maintenance. Drivers are advised to use Gate 2 for inbound and outbound traffic during that time. NAS Patuxent River July 4 Holiday Gate Hours July 3: Gates 1 and...
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Maryland State Police Boost Enforcement Efforts to Ensure a Safer Independence Day

Maryland State Police Boost Enforcement Efforts to Ensure a Safer Independence Day

Maryland State Police beginning Friday will increase enforcement efforts to combat impaired, aggressive, and distracted driving throughout the July 4th holiday weekend. Maryland State Troopers from all 23 barracks across the state will conduct high-visibility patrols from Friday July 4 to Sunday, July 6. The State Police Impaired Driving Reduction Effort (SPIDRE) team – a...
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Helen’s Café & Catering to Open July 2 in Leonardtown

Helen’s Café & Catering to Open July 2 in Leonardtown

UPDATE: Helen’s Café & Catering, a longtime favorite in Southern Maryland, is officially reopening to the public on Wednesday, July 2, 2025, at its new location: 24509 Point Lookout Road, Leonardtown, MD. Previously located at the Charlotte Hall Farmers Market, Helen’s closed its doors in March 2024, leaving many loyal customers eagerly awaiting its...
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Commissioner Thomasina Coates Permanently Barred from Voting on Charles County Administrator’s Employment, Court Rules

Commissioner Thomasina Coates Permanently Barred from Voting on Charles County Administrator’s Employment, Court Rules

Thomasina O. Coates, 60, of Waldorf, a sitting member of the Charles County Board of Commissioners, has been permanently barred from voting on any matters involving the employment of County Administrator Mark Belton. The ruling, issued June 30, 2025, by the Appellate Court of Maryland, upholds a permanent injunction initially granted by the Circuit...
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Rita’s Lights Up Summer with New Rocket Pop Italian Ice and Firecracker Glitter Topping

Rita’s Lights Up Summer with New Rocket Pop Italian Ice and Firecracker Glitter Topping

Rita’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard, the largest Italian Ice concept in the world, is turning up the summer heat with a flavor-packed, refreshing treat! The new Rocket Pop Italian Ice is a playful twist on a classic—where cherry, lemon, and blue raspberry flavors collide to create a cool, new purple Ice bursting with...
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Judge Kenneth Talley Named District Administrative Judge for the District Court of Maryland in Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary’s Counties

Judge Kenneth Talley Named District Administrative Judge for the District Court of Maryland in Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary’s Counties

District Court of Maryland Chief Judge John P. Morrissey, with the approval of Supreme Court of Maryland Chief Justice Matthew J. Fader, has named Charles County District Court Judge Kenneth A. Talley as the new administrative judge for District 4 (Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary’s counties). Judge Talley’s new role is effective August 1,...
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Dive in! Charles County Public School Pools Now Open For The Summer

Dive in! Charles County Public School Pools Now Open For The Summer

Make a splash this summer as the swimming pools at Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) high schools open to those looking to beat the heat. The outdoor pools at La Plata and Thomas Stone high schools opened earlier this week with the outdoor pool at Maurice J. McDonough High School set to welcome swimmers Monday,...
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Calvert County Welcomes Three New Women-Owned Small Businesses to Solomons!

Calvert County Welcomes Three New Women-Owned Small Businesses to Solomons!

Calvert County has marked the opening of three new women-owned businesses!!! Shoptheallycatwalk, Shy Beauty LLC, and Habit Fitness! On Tuesday, June 17, 2025, County Commissioner Catherine Grasso and Commissioner Todd Ireland, along with the Calvert County Department of Economic Development held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate these three businesses. Located in Solomons in a...
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Office of the State Fire Marshal Urge Marylanders to Celebrate Safely with Public Fireworks Displays

Office of the State Fire Marshal Urge Marylanders to Celebrate Safely with Public Fireworks Displays

As the Fourth of July holiday approaches, the Office of the State Fire Marshal joined the Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services and public safety partners to promote fireworks safety and encourage Marylanders to attend licensed, professional fireworks shows across the state. This year, 139 public fireworks displays are scheduled across Maryland...
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Calvert County Board of County Commissioners Approves FY 2026 Budget

Calvert County Board of County Commissioners Approves FY 2026 Budget

The Calvert County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) voted June 10 to approve the $386 million general fund operating budget for fiscal year 2026 (FY26), which begins July 1, 2025. The new approved budget reflects the commissioners’ commitment to maintaining and enhancing the quality of life for Calvert County residents. Local funding to the...
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Six Charles County Teachers Receive SMECO Outstanding Teacher Awards

Six Charles County Teachers Receive SMECO Outstanding Teacher Awards

Six Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) teachers were named 2025 outstanding teacher honorees last month by Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative (SMECO). The annual awards program recognizes teachers for outstanding achievements in teaching science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). The teachers honored for mathematics were Pauline Shaker of Mary B. Neal Elementary School and Deborah...
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Navy Successfully Demonstrates Swarm Mission Planning Tech

Navy Successfully Demonstrates Swarm Mission Planning Tech

The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) successfully demonstrated innovative mission planning software for swarms and other configurations of unmanned air, surface, and underwater systems at its headquarters. The new Optimized Cross Domain Swarm Sensing (OCDSS) software program helps the Navy plan missions using groups of unmanned aircraft. By running thousands of computer...
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Another Gun Taken Off the Streets of St. Mary’s County – Leonardtown Man Arrested

Another Gun Taken Off the Streets of St. Mary’s County – Leonardtown Man Arrested

In the early morning hours of Thursday, June 26, 2025, police were in the Lexington Park area near Columbus Drive when they observed an individual believed to be in possession of a firearm. At around 2:30 a.m., while attempting to apprehend the suspect, a brief foot pursuit ensued. During the chase, the suspect was...
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UMCES’s Chesapeake Bay and Watershed Report Card Shows Declined Health from 2024, Presents Long-Term Improvement

UMCES’s Chesapeake Bay and Watershed Report Card Shows Declined Health from 2024, Presents Long-Term Improvement

UMCES’s flagship Chesapeake Bay and Watershed Report Card, developed in collaboration with local stakeholders, is a proven tool for measuring the latest available data and communicating social, environmental, and economic health to inspire action. The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) released its 19th annual Chesapeake Bay and Watershed Report Card, the...
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CSM Business Professor Christopher Ripley Recognized for Teaching Excellence

CSM Business Professor Christopher Ripley Recognized for Teaching Excellence

College of Southern Maryland (CSM) Professor of Business Christopher Ripley was recently awarded the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) Teaching Excellence award. The award was presented at the ACBSP’s annual conference, held June 19-22 in Las Vegas. “As someone who’s dedicated decades to both business and education, this recognition is deeply...
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St. Mary’s County 2025 Public Health Junior Fellowship Applications Are Open

St. Mary’s County 2025 Public Health Junior Fellowship Applications Are Open

The St. Mary’s County Health Department (SMCHD) is now accepting applications for the Public Health Junior Fellowship program through July 18, 2025. The Public Health Junior Fellowship allows St. Mary’s County high school and college students learn about community health issues while building their leadership skills during the academic year. Student fellows serve on...
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Potomac Jazz & Seafood Festival Announces Jazz Brunch at Wicomico Shores Golf Course to Close Out 25th Anniversary Celebration

Potomac Jazz & Seafood Festival Announces Jazz Brunch at Wicomico Shores Golf Course to Close Out 25th Anniversary Celebration

The Potomac Jazz & Seafood Festival, a premier Mid-Atlantic jazz event, is excited to announce a special Jazz Brunch & Golf event at Wicomico Shores Golf Course during this year’s four day 25th anniversary festival. Swing into summer with jazz, brunch, and golf! Join us for a delightful jazz brunch & optional golf experience...
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