Anne Arundel News

Fire Marshal and Police Investigating Suspected Hate Crime and Arson at Cemetary

Fire Marshal and Police Investigating Suspected Hate Crime and Arson at Cemetary

On Saturday, December 16, 2023, at approximately 1:30 p.m., officers, along with an investigator from the Fire Marshal’s office, responded for an arson at the Saints Rest Cemetery located at 7310 Ridge Road in Hanover. The investigation revealed an unknown person or persons set fire to a sign on the cemetery property, causing damage...
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Preseason Trout Stocking Begins Early in Maryland Waters

Preseason Trout Stocking Begins Early in Maryland Waters

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has begun “preseason” stocking with the first of about 290,000 trout in Maryland waters statewide. This stocking will help coldwater hatcheries reduce overcrowded fish densities caused by record drought conditions this year. The first preseason stockings will be allocated to impoundments, special management, and delayed harvest streams...
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UPDATE: Annapolis “First Amendment Auditor” Sentenced to 90 Days for Criminal Trespassing at Calvert Health Department

UPDATE: Annapolis “First Amendment Auditor” Sentenced to 90 Days for Criminal Trespassing at Calvert Health Department

UPDATE 12/18/2023: On December 15, 2023, Terance Albert Tracy, received a sentence of 90 days incarceration from Judge Mark S. Chandlee of the Calvert County Circuit Court. Tracy was convicted in November of criminal trespass at the Calvert County Health Department. As a condition of supervised probation, Judge Chandlee ordered Tracy not to return...
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Former Maryland Correctional Officer Sentenced to Eight Years in Federal Prison for Civil Rights Violations

Former Maryland Correctional Officer Sentenced to Eight Years in Federal Prison for Civil Rights Violations

U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis sentenced former Correctional Officer Owen Nesmith, age 54, of Baltimore, Maryland, to eight years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for three counts of deprivation of rights under color of law and to making a false statement, all related to his sexual contact with three...
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One Killed, Two Others Seriously Injured After Head-on Collision in Anne Arundel County

One Killed, Two Others Seriously Injured After Head-on Collision in Anne Arundel County

On December 13, 2023, at approximately 9:00 p.m., officers responded to a traffic crash in the area of Solomons Island Road near Owensville Sudley Road in Harwood. The investigation would reveal that a 2019 Ford Escape was traveling southbound on Solomons Island Road when it crossed the centerline and struck a 2013 Ford Fiesta...
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Children and Teen Grief Program Returns to Maryland Therapeutic Riding

Children and Teen Grief Program Returns to Maryland Therapeutic Riding

When Chesapeake Life Center’s Phoenix Rising Group gathers this winter, they’ll be joined by equine friends, too. That’s because the group for grieving children and teens will spending a Saturday afternoon at Maryland Therapeutic Riding, 1141 Sunrise Beach Road, Crownsville, Maryland. Horses are incredibly sensitive to human emotions and their emotional intelligence can be...
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Anne Arundel County Plastic Bag Ban to Take Effect January 1, 2024

Anne Arundel County Plastic Bag Ban to Take Effect January 1, 2024

Beginning Jan. 1, 2024, businesses in Anne Arundel County will no longer provide plastic bags to customers, as the Bring Your Own Bag Plastic Reduction Act (Bill 19-23) takes effect. Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman encouraged residents to bring reusable bags with them to shop, in an effort to help protect the environment....
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Sports Wagering Contributes $3.2 Million to the State During November 2023

Sports Wagering Contributes $3.2 Million to the State During November 2023

Maryland’s 13 retail and 12 mobile sportsbooks that operated during November 2023 combined to generate $3,199,529 in contributions to the state. Each sportsbook contributes 15% of its taxable win to the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future Fund, which supports public education programs. November’s statewide handle of $550,716,329 was Maryland’s largest single-month total, surpassing the $497,121,656...
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Independent Investigations Division Investigating Fatal Crash in Anne Arundel County

Independent Investigations Division Investigating Fatal Crash in Anne Arundel County

UPDATE 12/11/2023: The vehicle was identified as a 2011 Infiniti G37, with the operator suffering life-threatening injuries identified as Meziah Johnson age 23 of Baltimore, Maryland. The passenger died of his injuries and is identified as Damione Gardner, age 22 of Baltimore, Maryland 12/8/2023: The Independent Investigations Division (IID) of the Office of the...
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Attorney General Anthony Brown Files Petition for Rehearing in Handgun Licensing Case Maryland Shall Issue v. Wes Moore

Attorney General Anthony Brown Files Petition for Rehearing in Handgun Licensing Case Maryland Shall Issue v. Wes Moore

The Office of the Attorney General filed petition for a rehearing en banc in the case of Maryland Shall Issue v. Wes Moore, in which the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ruled unconstitutional Maryland’s law requiring most citizens to obtain a license before acquiring a handgun. On November 21, 2023,...
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Independent Investigations Division Investigating Police Use of Force Incident in Anne Arundel County

Independent Investigations Division Investigating Police Use of Force Incident in Anne Arundel County

The Independent Investigations Division (IID) of the Maryland Office of the Attorney General is investigating a use of force incident involving a Taser that resulted in critical injuries to an adult male in Anne Arundel County on October 29, 2023. On October 29, at approximately 4:30 p.m., Anne Arundel County Police Department Officers responded...
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UPDATE: Suspect Receives No Jail Time After Pleading Guilty to Hate Crime in Connection to Theft and Damage of Black Lives Matter Signs and Pride Flags

UPDATE: Suspect Receives No Jail Time After Pleading Guilty to Hate Crime in Connection to Theft and Damage of Black Lives Matter Signs and Pride Flags

A Severn man plead guilty to a hate crime on Tuesday in connection to the destruction of Black Lives Matter Signs and Pride flags outside the Ark and Dove Presbyterian Church in Odenton last spring, State’s Attorney Anne Colt Leitess announced. Michael Deangelo Billups, age 29, entered a guilty plea to Defacing Religious Property...
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Leadership Maryland Class of 2023 Graduates

Leadership Maryland Class of 2023 Graduates

Leadership Maryland announced that 48 members of the Class of 2023 have completed the professional development program dedicated to building a better Maryland by harnessing the strength of its local business and community leaders. Leadership Maryland honored the Class of 2023 at its 30th graduation ceremony held on December 5 at the Hilton Baltimore...
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Maryland’s Muzzleloader Deer Hunting Resumes December 16

Maryland’s Muzzleloader Deer Hunting Resumes December 16

The second half of Maryland’s muzzleloader deer hunting season will reopen Dec. 16 and run through Dec. 30, 2023. This first half of the split season was held in October. Hunters may use muzzleloading firearms to harvest sika and white-tailed deer during this time. “The late muzzleloader season is a vital part of the successful management of Maryland’s...
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UPDATE: 23-Year-Old Lusby Woman Killed in Single Vehicle Collision

UPDATE: 23-Year-Old Lusby Woman Killed in Single Vehicle Collision

UPDATE 12/6/2023: On December 5, 2023, at approximately 2:10 p.m., officers responded to southbound Route 4 near Lower Pindell Road in Lothian for a single-vehicle crash. The investigation revealed a 2018 Toyota Yaris was traveling southbound on Route 4 when, for unknown reasons, the vehicle left the roadway and struck a tree. The driver...
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Four Living Shoreline Projects Enhance Climate Resilience in Anne Arundel County

Four Living Shoreline Projects Enhance Climate Resilience in Anne Arundel County

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) recently helped complete four living shoreline projects in Anne Arundel County that are designed to protect communities from erosion and flooding. These projects represent small and large scale restoration efforts through the department’s Resiliency through Restoration Initiative. “Living shorelines are vital for coastal communities grappling with the...
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Chesapeake Life Center Expands Children and Teens Grief Program To 3 Counties

Chesapeake Life Center Expands Children and Teens Grief Program To 3 Counties

This winter, Chesapeake Life Center will offer its Stepping Stones Four-Week Grief Support Group for newly bereaved youth. Additionally, families will have the option to attend in Anne Arundel, Charles or Calvert counties. The group is for children and teens ages 6 to 18 whose loss occurred within the last 12 months. Counselors will...
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November 2023: 38 Motor Vehicle Crash Fatalities Reported

November 2023: 38 Motor Vehicle Crash Fatalities Reported

Maryland transportation and safety officials are urging all travelers in the state to rededicate themselves to safety on our roadway as preliminary data for 2023 shows a deadly trend for the year. In November, according to preliminary data, 38 people died in Maryland as a result of motor vehicle crashes. So far in 2023,...
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Maryland Natural Resources Police Graduates Class of 2023

Maryland Natural Resources Police Graduates Class of 2023

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources Police (NRP) welcomed 14 new officers following graduation of its 64th Basic Recruit Class on November 30, 2023. Maryland Department of Natural Resources Secretary Josh Kurtz addressed the 14 new officers at their graduation ceremony at Patuxent Research Refuge in Laurel. “Congratulations to the hard-working men and women...
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Maryland’s Deer Firearm Season Opens with 7% Increase in Harvest

Maryland’s Deer Firearm Season Opens with 7% Increase in Harvest

Hunters reported harvesting 10,864 deer  on the opening weekend of the 2023 Maryland firearm season from Nov. 25-26, according to data collected by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. The overall deer harvest was 7% higher than last year’s official opening weekend harvest of 10,159 deer. The harvest total included 5,617 antlered and 4,880 antlerless white-tailed...
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Maryland Department of Natural Resources Presents Emergency Regulations to Increase Protections for Maryland’s Striped Bass Spawning Population

Maryland Department of Natural Resources Presents Emergency Regulations to Increase Protections for Maryland’s Striped Bass Spawning Population

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is submitting striped bass emergency regulations this week in an effort to bolster the species’ spawning population. These Maryland-specific actions will complement additional actions that will be implemented coastwide in 2024 by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. “Maryland waters serve as the spawning grounds for many of...
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Stomach Contents of Blue Catfish Reveal Their Ecological Toll

Stomach Contents of Blue Catfish Reveal Their Ecological Toll

By Bay Journal – Jeremy Cox – Photos by Dave Harp., November 28, 2023: In terms of appetite and willingness to gorge on just about anything, blue catfish have few peers in the Chesapeake Bay, experts say. “They’re eating everything, anything they can get their mouths around,” said Noah Bressman, a fish biologist at...
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Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration’s Highway Safety Office Sees Slight Decrease in Seat Belt Usage in Maryland

Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration’s Highway Safety Office Sees Slight Decrease in Seat Belt Usage in Maryland

The Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration’s Highway Safety Office found that Maryland’s preliminary statewide seat belt usage, based on an annual survey, saw a rate of 92.1% – a slight decrease from 92.7% in 2022. The annual Roadside Observational Survey was completed in June 2023 and observed 33,882 drivers of passenger vehicles and trucks in...
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Maryland Awarded Grant to Give $20,000 in Rideshare Credits During Holiday Season

Maryland Awarded Grant to Give $20,000 in Rideshare Credits During Holiday Season

For the third holiday season, the Motor Vehicle Administration’s Highway Safety Office is pleased to receive a $20,000 grant from the Governors Highway Safety Association. In partnership with the association as well as Lyft and Responsibility.org, the grant will offer $20 rideshare credits and encourage Marylanders to Be the Make A Plan Driver by choosing an...
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Governor Moore and Lt. Governor Miller Honor Victims Of Fatal Crashes In Maryland

Governor Moore and Lt. Governor Miller Honor Victims Of Fatal Crashes In Maryland

Governor Wes Moore and Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller last night joined safety advocates from across the state and families who have lost loved ones in car crashes for the 20th annual Maryland Remembers ceremony in Annapolis. The ceremony traditionally honors Marylanders who were killed in impaired driving crashes. This year, the event was expanded...
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