Community

Teacher at Grace Lutheran Church in La Plata Charged with Child Sexual Abuse

Teacher at Grace Lutheran Church in La Plata Charged with Child Sexual Abuse

On March 4, 2023, Charles County Sheriff’s detectives arrested and charged David Warren Henson, Jr., 53, of Waldorf, with sexual abuse of a minor and child pornography after it was reported that he sexually abused an adolescent female over a period of two years. Henson has been employed as a teacher at Grace Lutheran...
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Registration Opens for 2023 Keys to Senior Independence Series

Registration Opens for 2023 Keys to Senior Independence Series

What are your plans for retirement? Do you know how to access Medicare, Medicaid, or other programs and services? Are you seeking volunteer opportunities within the St. Mary’s County community? Get connected and get the information you need at the Department of Aging & Human Services Keys to Senior Independence series! The Keys to...
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You “OTTER” come to OTTERMANIA at the Calvert Marine Museum on Saturday, March, 25, 2023

You “OTTER” come to OTTERMANIA at the Calvert Marine Museum on Saturday, March, 25, 2023

Celebrate everyone’s favorite museum mammal during OtterMania! at the Calvert Marine Museum on Saturday, March 25 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Enjoy “otterly” outrageous activities, and meet the otters: Chumley, Chessie Grace and Calvert. Museum admission applies: FREE for CMM members. Ideal for families, OtterMania! invites kids to dance the “Swim” with the...
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Maryland Department of Agriculture Expands Spotted Lanternfly Quarantine Zone

Maryland Department of Agriculture Expands Spotted Lanternfly Quarantine Zone

The Maryland Department of Agriculture today expanded its spotted lanternfly quarantine to include the following counties: Allegany, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Calvert, Caroline, Carroll, Cecil, Frederick, Harford, Howard, Kent, Montgomery, Prince George’s, Queen Anne’s, Talbot, Washington and Wicomico, as well as Baltimore City. This quarantine is effective immediately, and restricts the movement of regulated articles...
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Early Learning Center at College of Southern Maryland La Plata Opens for Students Fall 2023

Early Learning Center at College of Southern Maryland La Plata Opens for Students Fall 2023

Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) is opening the Early Learning Center at the College of Southern Maryland at the start of the 2023-24 school year. Housed in the building that held the former St. Charles Children’s Learning Center, the Early Learning Center expands the CCPS prekindergarten program. The prekindergarten program at the center is...
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Calvert County Teacher Devin Page Honored as Maryland History Day Middle School Teacher of the Year

Calvert County Teacher Devin Page Honored as Maryland History Day Middle School Teacher of the Year

By Sarah Weissman, Maryland Humanities: 19 outstanding Maryland middle and high school history scholars received commendations from State Senators and Delegates at the Maryland State House in Annapolis. The students were acknowledged on February 27, 2023, for awards or honors they received at the 2022 National History Day competition. They represented Baltimore City, Howard...
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Charles County Commisioner Meeting Update – February 28th and March 1st, 2023

Charles County Commisioner Meeting Update – February 28th and March 1st, 2023

On Tuesday, February 28, the Department of Fiscal and Administrative Services, Department of Planning and Growth Management, and Department of Recreation, Parks, and Tourism staff provided a presentation to the Board of County Commissioners on fiscal 2024 congressionally directed spending. County Commissioners approved the request for earmarked funding. Legislative Update Associate County Attorney Danielle Mitchell provided...
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Thomas Stone Resource Officer and Student Assaulted by Six Other Students

Thomas Stone Resource Officer and Student Assaulted by Six Other Students

On Thursday, March 2, 2023, at approximately 10:19 a.m., a group of six students were threatening physical harm to another student in the hallway area of Thomas Stone High School. The School Resource Officer responded immediately and gave verbal commands to the students to disperse but they refused. One student approached, and struck the...
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Charles County High Schools Place in Bocce State Championship

Charles County High Schools Place in Bocce State Championship

Five Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) high schools participated Feb. 15 in the Special Olympics Maryland Unified Indoor Bocce State Championship at Hagerstown Community College in Hagerstown. The competition is sectioned into divisions represented by colors. In the Green Division, La Plata High School Team 1 came in fifth place with Maurice J. McDonough...
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Charles County Public School Parents/Guardians Can Now Register for Free Special Education Expo on March 18, 2023

Charles County Public School Parents/Guardians Can Now Register for Free Special Education Expo on March 18, 2023

Charles County Public Schools (CCPS), the Charles County Parent Center and the Parents’ Place of Maryland are hosting the annual Special Education Expo conference on Saturday, March 18, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The free conference is designed for families of students who are younger than 21 receiving special education services in CCPS....
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Former Metropolitan Police Officer Sentenced to 5 Months for Assaulting and Inappropriately Touching Co-Workers

Former Metropolitan Police Officer Sentenced to 5 Months for Assaulting and Inappropriately Touching Co-Workers

Robert Anderson, 55, of Hanover, Maryland, was sentenced today to five months of incarceration for a series of simple assaults on Metropolitan Police Department employees and officers that involved offensive touching and brandishing a knife. At the time of these assaults, Anderson was a sworn officer with the Metropolitan Police Department. The announcement was...
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Calvert Middle School National Junior Honor Society Raises $1,400 for Breast Cancer Care

Calvert Middle School National Junior Honor Society Raises $1,400 for Breast Cancer Care

Congratulations to the newest members of the CalvertHealth Foundation’s Rising Star Program – the Calvert Middle School National Junior Honor Society! Members of the NJHS planned and executed a school-based benefit for the Sheldon E. Goldberg Center for Breast Care. Through their leadership, a total of $1,400 was raised by students and staff at...
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St. Mary’s County Commissioner Meeting Rollup – February 28, 2023

St. Mary’s County Commissioner Meeting Rollup – February 28, 2023

The Commissioners of St. Mary’s County (CSMC) held their regular business meeting on Tuesday, February 28, 2023, beginning with the invocation and pledge, followed by approval of the consent agenda. The CSMC then welcomed Simone Ross, MPA, Executive Director for the Housing Authority of St. Mary’s County (HASMC) to provide an informational briefing on...
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Police Recover Knife from 9-year-old Elementary School Student Who Threatened to Harm Another Student

Police Recover Knife from 9-year-old Elementary School Student Who Threatened to Harm Another Student

On Tuesday, February 28, 2023, students at Diggs Elementary School notified school staff that another student, age 9, was in possession of a knife and had made a threat to harm a classmate. The knife was recovered by school administrators. The school resource officer (SRO) initiated an investigation. The student cannot be charged in...
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Historic St. Mary’s City Celebrates Maryland Day on Sunday, March 25, 2023

Historic St. Mary’s City Celebrates Maryland Day on Sunday, March 25, 2023

Historic St. Mary’s City (HSMC) invites the community to celebrate Maryland Day with them by offering free admission to the outdoor exhibits on Saturday, March 25. Living history sites will be open from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Plan to visit the Godiah Spray Tobacco Plantation to see heritage breed cows, pigs and chickens...
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Students from Calvert County’s Northern Middle School Win Stock Market Game Championship

Students from Calvert County’s Northern Middle School Win Stock Market Game Championship

Students learn the basics of investing through simulated, real-world investment experiences  A team of students from Northern Middle School in Calvert County used strategic investing and strong skills in personal finance to win the Maryland Southern Regional Middle School Championship in the Fall Stock Market Game™, the annual competition organized by the Maryland Council...
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Two Men Facing Federal Indictment in Maryland for an Arson Conspiracy Targeting Convenience Stores

Two Men Facing Federal Indictment in Maryland for an Arson Conspiracy Targeting Convenience Stores

A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Stephen Kennedy, age 33, of Temple Hills, Maryland, and Donnell Kelly, age 33, of Washington, D.C., for conspiracy to commit arson, arson affecting interstate commerce, commercial robbery, and use of a destructive device in furtherance of a crime of violence, in connection with a series...
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Officers in Charles County Recover Loaded Firearm from Juvenile

Officers in Charles County Recover Loaded Firearm from Juvenile

On February 27, 2023, at 2:27 a.m., officers from the Charles County Sheriff’s Office were patrolling the area of Lancaster Circle in Waldorf when they observed a male attempting to gain entry into a Hyundai which was parked in a driveway. As the officers approached, the male fled and got into another Hyundai which...
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CCPS Student Artwork Showcased at CalvART Gallery During Youth Art Month

CCPS Student Artwork Showcased at CalvART Gallery During Youth Art Month

March is Youth Art Month. To celebrate this occasion, students, families, and the community are invited to attend the 30th Annual Youth Art Nature Exhibit. The month-long exhibit will feature over 120 pieces of art created by Calvert County Public Schools students in grades kindergarten through 12th. “Art is an important component of every...
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More Than 40 Charles County High School Students Attend The Maryland Thespian Festival

More Than 40 Charles County High School Students Attend The Maryland Thespian Festival

Students from more than 40 Maryland high schools gathered at the University of Maryland, College Park last month for the Maryland Thespian Festival. Students from La Plata, Henry E. Lackey, Maurice J. McDonough, North Point and St. Charles high schools gathered accolades and awards at the two-day event honoring student achievement in theater. Along with...
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Award-Winning Teachers on Instilling a Love of Research

Award-Winning Teachers on Instilling a Love of Research

by Sarah Weissman: Devin Page of Northern Middle School and Michael Yuscavage of of Arundel High School were named this year’s Maryland History Day Statewide Middle and High School Teacher of the Year, respectively. The teachers discuss the impact of Maryland History Day program on students. When Michael Yuscavage first volunteered as the Maryland...
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Police Investigating Reports of 4th Degree Sex Offenses at Westlake High School

Police Investigating Reports of 4th Degree Sex Offenses at Westlake High School

On February 27, school administrators at Westlake High School were made aware that a male student had inappropriately touched two female students earlier this year while inside the school. The same male student was reported to have been involved in a similar case early last week, which was reported to school officials and the...
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Lackey High School Resource Officer Investigating Multiple Fights and Assaults

Lackey High School Resource Officer Investigating Multiple Fights and Assaults

On Monday, February 27, 2023, at 12:43 p.m., numerous students at Henry E. Lackey High School became involved in separate altercations during class change. The school resource officer and additional officers responded and the situation was de-escalated and the students were separated. Some of the students had minor injuries sustained during the altercation and...
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Sheriff’s Office Investigating Multiple Fights and Assaults at Henry E. Lackey High School

Sheriff’s Office Investigating Multiple Fights and Assaults at Henry E. Lackey High School

On February 27, 2023, at 12:43 p.m., numerous students at Henry E. Lackey High School became involved in separate altercations during class change. The Charles County Sheriff’s Office school resource officer and additional officers responded and the situation was de-escalated and the students were separated. Some of the students had minor injuries sustained during...
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Police Recover Knife from 14-Year-Old Benjamin Stoddert Middle School Student

Police Recover Knife from 14-Year-Old Benjamin Stoddert Middle School Student

On February 24 at 10 a.m., a Benjamin Stoddert Middle School teacher was made aware of a student using a vaping device in the school’s bathroom. Two vaping devices along with a knife were recovered and a school resource officer has initiated an investigation. The student, who is 14 years old, was charged on...
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