Day two of Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) graduation week dawned with the Chargers of Henry E. Lackey High School celebrating the Class of 2026. The 232 graduates of Lackey’s Class of 2026 were led by valedictorian Brylee Boyden and Savannah Murphy, the salutatorian. Cheryl K. Davis, principal of Lackey, spoke to the class...
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The National Weather Service Baltimore/Washington has continued a Heat Advisory for portions of Maryland, Washington, D.C., and northern Virginia until 8 p.m. Thursday, June 11, 2026. Forecasters say heat index values could reach up to 105 degrees in areas near and east of the Interstate 95 corridor, including Charles, St. Mary’s and Calvert counties,...
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The Maryland Department of Health announced today that Clover Hill Dairy (Mechanicsville, MD) has issued a voluntary recall of its requesón/soft ricotta products due to possible Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes) contamination. Clover Hill Dairy products are sold directly from their retail market, at farmers markets, and through third party distributors, including in New York...
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Joseph Evans of Benjamin Stoddert Middle School was recently named the 2026 Assistant Principal of the Year for Charles County Public Schools (CCPS). Evans, a graduate of North Point High School, has risen through the ranks of CCPS in the past decade. He began his career as a substitute teacher before transitioning to an...
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Westlake High School’s 303 members of the Class of 2026 graduated June 3, led by valedictorian Christopher Chubbs Jr. and salutatorian Bianca Lepe. Lepe talked about strength and how she gains it from her family. This year, her family lost both grandmothers and Lepe’s older sister, Cristin, passed away in January. The family relied...
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The Calvert County Board of County Commissioners approved and adopted the county’s Fiscal Year 2027 operating and capital budgets during its June 9, 2026 meeting, while also hearing continued public concern over proposed data center development in the county. During public service announcements, commissioners noted an America 250 flag-raising ceremony held earlier in the...
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The Spartans of St. Charles High School brought with them a wealth of memories June 4 during the graduation ceremony for the school’s Class of 2026. Led by valedictorian Carly Newman and salutatorian Ryan Gloria, 396 St. Charles graduates earned more than $31 million in scholarship offers. Newman asked her fellow graduates to go...
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Four Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) teams placed at the state MESA Day competition last month at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory. The Mathematics, Engineering and Science Achievement (MESA) competition challenges students in elementary through high school to use ingenuity and creativity to tackle specific science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) challenges. Teams...
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Chesapeake Life Center is excited to host “Come S.I.T. Awhile,” a grief retreat from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 25 at the Center for Hope & Healing on Hospice of the Chesapeake’s John & Cathy Belcher Campus, Pasadena, Maryland. The retreat is made possible by Sisters In Truth, a traveling seminar retreat organization...
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Vontasha Romechia Simms, 58, of Waldorf, an active Democratic candidate for Charles County Commissioner President, is scheduled for a July 10, 2026, status hearing in Charles County District Court in connection with misdemeanor charges from a November 2025 VanGo bus incident in La Plata. The case remains active months after Simms’ arrest because of...
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As quantum technology begins to reshape the future workforce, the College of Southern Maryland (CSM) is working with industry and economic leaders to prepare students to enter this emerging field. On May 20, CSM hosted the Southern Maryland Regional Quantum Forum: Unlocking the Future, to develop training pathways for emerging quantum careers. The forum...
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UPDATE 6/8/2026: Charging Documents Added: Judge James Tanavage released Deshawn Anthony Carey on his own recognizance. Deshawn Anthony Carey, 18, of Lexington Park, has been charged with theft of $25,000 to under $100,000, theft of $1,500 to under $25,000, motor vehicle unlawful taking, four counts of theft of $100 to under $1,500, two counts...
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On Wednesday, June 3, 2026, school administrators and the school resource officer at Davis Middle School learned that a 12-year-old student had brought energy drinks mixed with alcohol in plastic bottles with the intent to sell them at school. Further investigation showed that two additional students, ages 11 and 12, had consumed the drinks...
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“A Message to Our Community Dear Friends, Supporters, Volunteers, Adopters, and Animal Advocates, My name is Dr. Lisa Connors, and I am honored to begin serving as President of the Humane Society of Charles County, effective June 4, 2026. As we move forward together, I want to thank our community for its passion, advocacy,...
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The next generation of College of Southern Maryland (CSM) nurses received their pins during the Nursing Recognition Ceremony on May 14, welcoming graduates to the profession. The ceremony honored 45 nursing graduates as they begin careers in healthcare. Caroline Combs, dean of the School of Health Sciences, opened the ceremony by acknowledging the graduates’...
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The U.S. Navy Blue Angels and a full lineup of military and civilian aviation performers are scheduled to take to the skies during the 2026 Pax River Air Show, set for Saturday, June 20, and Sunday, June 21, 2026, at Naval Air Station Patuxent River. The free, public event will feature the Blue Angels,...
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Tyrone Lorenzo Parker, 38, of La Plata, has been charged in Charles County District Court with first-degree assault and second-degree assault after court documents say he attacked a male victim with an unknown metal object at a Waldorf park-and-ride in March 2026. According to charging documents filed by Detective David Garrison of the Charles...
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SMECO has awarded four scholarships for 2026 to high school seniors who live in the cooperative’s service area. Recipients receive awards based on scholastic achievement, financial need, and school and community involvement. Since beginning the scholarship program in 1993, SMECO has presented awards to 136 students. Each of the following students will receive a...
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The Warriors of La Plata High School celebrated the graduation of its Class of 2026 Thursday, June 4, at Regency Furniture Stadium. The class was led by valedictorian Ella Luton with the salutatorian role shared by Joyce Kang and Gavin Wu. Luton urged her fellow graduates to live their life not dictated by fear,...
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Jimmy Arnold Mendenhall, 72, of Lexington Park, is charged with second-degree escape after court documents say he left St. Mary’s Hospital while in custody and failed to return with detention center staff to the St. Mary’s County Detention and Rehabilitation Center. According to charging documents filed by Deputy Preston Dixon of the St. Mary’s...
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The Calvert County Department of Public Safety has contracted with MissionCIT LLC to develop a comprehensive fire, rescue and emergency medical services (EMS) master plan for Calvert County. As part of the planning process, MissionCIT is seeking feedback from county residents and individuals who are not members of volunteer fire departments or volunteer rescue...
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The College of Southern Maryland (CSM) celebrated the Class of 2026 during its 67th Commencement as hundreds of graduates crossed the stage to embark on new academic and professional journeys. Family and friends filled the CSM La Plata Campus to cheer on the graduates and celebrate their accomplishments. CSM President Dr. Yolanda Wilson opened...
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The summer solstice marks the longest day of the year, when the sun reaches its highest point in the sky and provides more daylight than any other day. Celebrate the solstice season with extended evening hours and after-hours tours at Piney Point Lighthouse Museum & Historic Park on June 19, 2026. Visitors may tour exhibits in the...
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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. As part of the consent agenda, the CSMC approved letters of support for the Evergreen at Cedar Lane development and the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program. The Commissioners...
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On Tuesday, June 2, 2026, at approximately 3:15 a.m., police responded to the Sheetz located at 37692 John Knight Drive in Charlotte Hall for the reported robbery. 911 callers reported that four or five suspects jumped the counter and began stealing items, including cigarettes, before fleeing in a white station wagon that traveled northbound...
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