Community

UPDATE: Who Pulled the Trigger? – Sheriff’s Office Under Fire After Rearrest of Hollywood Shooting Suspect

UPDATE: Who Pulled the Trigger? – Sheriff’s Office Under Fire After Rearrest of Hollywood Shooting Suspect

1/29/2024:  John Curtis Reeves IV, 23, of Bushwood, has been rearrested and faces new charges related to a November 1, 2024, shooting on Breezy Lane in Hollywood, Maryland. However, notably absent from the charges is any direct allegation that Reeves was responsible for the shooting itself. Reeves was initially charged with accessory after the...
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UPDATE: Mishandled Decomposing Bodies and Odor Complaints Lead to Southern Maryland Crematory’s Shutdown

UPDATE: Mishandled Decomposing Bodies and Odor Complaints Lead to Southern Maryland Crematory’s Shutdown

UPDATE 1/31/2025 from the Charles County Sheriff’s Office : Public Notice Regarding the Investigation of Heaven Bound Crematory – The Charles County Sheriff’s Office is aware of the investigation and subsequent closure of Heaven Bound Crematory in White Plains, MD. While the CCSO is not the investigating agency for this incident, we understand the...
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Ray Bivens Appointed Director of St. Mary’s County Recreation & Parks

Ray Bivens Appointed Director of St. Mary’s County Recreation & Parks

The Commissioners of St. Mary’s County are pleased to announce the appointment of Ray Bivens as the new Director of the Department of Recreation & Parks. Mr. Bivens, a distinguished parks and recreation leader with more than 30 years of experience, assumed his new role on January 27, 2025. Mr. Bivens began his career...
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Leonard Hall Junior Naval Academy Closes for Remainder of 2024-2025 School Year

Leonard Hall Junior Naval Academy Closes for Remainder of 2024-2025 School Year

It is with great regret that Leonard Hall Junior Naval Academy (LHJNA) will not continue with academic instruction for the 2nd semester of the 2024-2025 school year. This has been openly discussed with all Corporation and Board Members and the hard decision made was based on what was in the best interest of the...
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Statement from Charles County Public School Superintendent Regarding American Airlines Plane Crash Tragedy

Statement from Charles County Public School Superintendent Regarding American Airlines Plane Crash Tragedy

January 30, 2025, Dear Parents, Guardians and Staff: On behalf of Charles County Public Schools (CCPS), I share a sorrowful and emotional update. We have learned that the devastating plane crash last night over the Potomac River involving an American Airlines regional flight and a U.S. Army helicopter has directly impacted our school communities. It...
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NAS Patuxent River to Participate in Annual Navy Force Protection Exercise CITADEL SHIELD / SOLID CURTAIN

NAS Patuxent River to Participate in Annual Navy Force Protection Exercise CITADEL SHIELD / SOLID CURTAIN

NAS Patuxent River will participate in an annual force protection exercise, starting Feb. 3, 2025. Exercise Citadel Shield-Solid Curtain 2025 (CS-SC25) is conducted by Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command (USFFC) and Commander, Navy Installations Command (CNIC) on all Navy installations in the continental U.S. “The annual Citadel Shield /Solid Curtain exercise is an opportunity...
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ArtWorks@7th Presents Their “Head in the Clouds” Held January 30, 2025 – February 23, 2025

ArtWorks@7th Presents Their “Head in the Clouds” Held January 30, 2025 – February 23, 2025

This month, the artists at ArtWorks@7th provide their interpretation of “Head in the Clouds”. Having our head in the clouds is about giving ourselves permission to dream and dream big. An artist might be guided by whimsy and fancy in their creations as a way of capturing the chaos. In art, the phrase can...
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Leadership Southern Maryland Studies Regional Human Services and Housing Challenges

Leadership Southern Maryland Studies Regional  Human Services and Housing Challenges

The Leadership Southern Maryland (LSM) Executive Program Class of 2025 convened earlier this month to study the tri-county area’s critical housing and human services challenges. They heard from industry leaders about the needs and concerns of children, low-income families, residents dealing with mental and behavioral health issues and domestic violence, and the limited stock...
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La Plata’s Girls Wrestling Team Places First in Holiday Showcase

La Plata’s Girls Wrestling Team Places First in Holiday Showcase

Wrestling takes more than physical strength. “It’s a lot of mental stuff,” Oriana Boling, a La Plata High School senior, said. “I’d say it’s more mental than physical.” Boling is among the girls who are making high school wrestling one of — if not the No. 1 — fastest growing sport among their peers....
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Assault at St. Charles High School Sends Staff Member to Urgent Care Facility

Assault at St. Charles High School Sends Staff Member to Urgent Care Facility

On Wednesday, January 29, 2025, at 12:22 p.m. a student at St. Charles High School approached two students in the hallway and began assaulting both students, causing a physical altercation to begin. A staff member attempted to intervene and was inadvertently struck by one of the students causing the staff member to fall to...
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Preliminary Testing Confirms Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Dorchester and Caroline County

Preliminary Testing Confirms Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Dorchester and Caroline County

The Maryland Department of Agriculture announced the first presumptive positive case of H5 avian influenza in a commercial broiler farm in Dorchester County. This is the fourth case of highly pathogenic H5 avian influenza (HPAI) on a commercial poultry farm on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Confirmation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services...
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CSM Offers Empowering, Entertaining Events in February 2025

CSM Offers Empowering, Entertaining Events in February 2025

Gallery Exhibit: Iterations by Laurel Lukaszewski. Through March 7. Tony Hungerford Memorial Art Gallery, Hank Willoughby Foundation Center for the Arts (FA Building), La Plata Campus at 8730 Mitchell Road in La Plata. “Iterations is both a literal interpretation of the same subject matter case in different materials and a more flexible examination of imagery...
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St. Mary’s County Commissioner Meeting Rollup – January 28, 2025

St. Mary’s County Commissioner Meeting Rollup – January 28, 2025

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. The CSMC then presented a proclamation in recognition of National Burn Awareness Week. The CSMC then convened as the Board of Health and heard a presentation from the St. Mary’s...
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Mechanicsville Volunteer Fire Department Attends County Meeting for Presentation for Proclamation

Mechanicsville Volunteer Fire Department Attends County Meeting for Presentation for Proclamation

On January 28, 2025, the Mechanicsville Volunteer Fire Department President, Fire Chief, and with 7 other members of the department attended the St. Mary’s County Government Commissioners Meeting in Leonardtown. The County Commissioners were presenting a proclamation in partnership with MedStar Washington Hospital Center Burn Center to declare February 2nd through 8th as Burn...
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Explore Stories of Local African Americans this Black History Month at the U.S. Colored Troops Interpretive Center & Drayden African American Schoolhouse

Explore Stories of Local African Americans this Black History Month at the U.S. Colored Troops Interpretive Center & Drayden African American Schoolhouse

The public is encouraged to head to the U.S. Colored Troops (USCT) Interpretive Center in Lexington Park and the Drayden African American Schoolhouse to explore the profound and significant contributions of African Americans in St. Mary’s County this February, in honor of Black History Month. USCT Interpretive Center exhibits will be open and free...
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St. Mary’s County Recreation & Parks Invites Community Input on Proposed California Sports Complex at Public Meeting

St. Mary’s County Recreation & Parks Invites Community Input on Proposed California Sports Complex at Public Meeting

St. Mary’s County Government’s Department of Recreation & Parks (R&P) will host a public meeting to gather resident input on a proposed Sports Complex, on Wednesday, January 29, 2025, at 5:30 p.m. in the CSMC meeting room, located on the 1st floor of the Chesapeake Building at 41770 Baldridge Street in Leonardtown. In February...
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Tax Filing Season Begins in Maryland – 2025

Tax Filing Season Begins in Maryland – 2025

Personal income tax filing began Monday, January 27th, 2025 in Maryland, with the Office of the Comptroller beginning a controlled rollout of processing and ramping up to full return processing next week, beginning February 3. This process is in line with established IRS best practices and will allow the agency to test fraud detection...
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Anne Arundel County Man Sentenced to 6 Months in Federal Prison for Connection With Multi-State Dogfighting Conspiracy

Anne Arundel County Man Sentenced to 6 Months in Federal Prison for Connection With Multi-State Dogfighting Conspiracy

U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Mario Damon Flythe, 50, of Glen Burnie, Maryland, to six months in federal prison and six months of home detention – followed by three years of supervised release; a $10,000 fine, and an additional $2,800 in a forfeiture money judgment, for his involvement in a multi-state dogfighting...
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Patuxent River Woman Charged with Animal Cruelty After Dog’s Death

Patuxent River Woman Charged with Animal Cruelty After Dog’s Death

Angel Joyce-Renee Martin, 23, of Patuxent River, has been charged with three counts of animal cruelty following an investigation into the death of a dog under her care. According to court documents filed on January 21, 2025, Martin is accused of causing and authorizing the deprivation of sustenance, neglecting the dog, and failing to...
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Vape Shop Owner Arrested for Telephone Misuse After Repeated Profane Calls to 911 Center in St. Mary’s County

Vape Shop Owner Arrested for Telephone Misuse After Repeated Profane Calls to 911 Center in St. Mary’s County

Malak Singh, 57, of Leonardtown, was arrested on January 22, 2025, and charged with telephone misuse after allegedly making multiple inappropriate calls to the St. Mary’s County Emergency Communications Center. According to court documents, the calls involved obscene language and occurred despite repeated warnings from law enforcement. At approximately 7:46 p.m., deputies from the...
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CSM Celebrates Its 2025 Health Career Readiness Graduates

CSM Celebrates Its 2025 Health Career Readiness Graduates

College of Southern Maryland (CSM) students who have chosen to pursue careers in health care were lauded and celebrated Jan. 16 during the college’s Health Career Readiness Recognition in La Plata. Ninety-six students were recognized for completing programs to become certified nursing assistants, geriatric nursing assistants, dental assistants, phlebotomy technicians, certified clinical medical assistants,...
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Hollywood Man Arrested for Domestic Assault with a Sword in St. Mary’s County

Hollywood Man Arrested for Domestic Assault with a Sword in St. Mary’s County

Travis Terrell Goldring, 39, of Hollywood, Maryland, was arrested on January 21, 2025, following allegations of a violent domestic incident at a residence on Hollywood Road. Goldring has been charged with first-degree assault, a felony, and second-degree assault, a misdemeanor, according to court documents. The St. Mary’s Emergency Communications Center received a report of...
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Pursuit of Justice: Charles County Sheriff’s Office Cold Case Files

Pursuit of Justice: Charles County Sheriff’s Office Cold Case Files

Today marks the 7th anniversary of the homicide of Deandre Nicholson, a 22-year old resident of Waldorf. His case remains unsolved. Your assistance can help us bring justice to Deandre and his family. On January 23, 2018 at approximately 9 p.m., officers with the Charles County Sheriff’s Office responded to the 4500 block of...
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50 CSM Students Receive Nursing Pins for Completing Degrees  ‘With Hands to Care and Hearts to Serve’

50 CSM Students Receive Nursing Pins for Completing Degrees  ‘With Hands to Care and Hearts to Serve’

The College of Southern Maryland (CSM) celebrated 50 nursing graduates at the La Plata Campus last week with a time-honored pinning ceremony that allows CSM faculty to welcome their students as peers and colleagues in the field of nuring. “Success in nursing school is not an accident or gift, it’s hard work, perseverance, hours upon...
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Drivers Urged to Avoid Maryland Route 2 in Anne Arundel County on Friday Afternoon

Drivers Urged to Avoid Maryland Route 2 in Anne Arundel County on Friday Afternoon

The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration is alerting motorists to avoid MD 2 (Ritchie Highway) on Friday, January 24 between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. due to an expected large presence of first responders for the funeral for Montgomery County Firefighter Lieutenant Chris Higgins. Lieutenant Higgins passed away in the line of...
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