Charles News

Southern Maryland National Heritage Area Awarded Grant for Groundbreaking Research on African American Heritage

Southern Maryland National Heritage Area Awarded Grant for Groundbreaking Research on African American Heritage

The Southern Maryland National Heritage Area is pleased to announce a $58,000 grant from the Maryland Historical Trust’s FY 2025 Historic Preservation Non-Capital Grant Program. This funding will support comprehensive research and documentation of African American historic resources throughout Southern Maryland. The grant will be matched by the National Heritage Area dollar for dollar,...
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Police Capture Fugitive with Felony Warrants and Recover Stolen Vehicle

Police Capture Fugitive with Felony Warrants and Recover Stolen Vehicle

On Thursday, January 30, 2025, officers assigned to Judicial Services, with assistance from the CCSO’s Neighborhood Enforcement Team and K9, were attempting to locate Michael Anthony Kirk, Jr., age 28, of Waldorf, who had active felony warrants for violating probation relating to theft over $25K. He also had an active warrant in Virginia for...
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Maryland’s 2025 Midwinter Waterfowl Survey Shows Higher Bird Counts

Maryland’s 2025 Midwinter Waterfowl Survey Shows Higher Bird Counts

Aerial survey teams of pilots and biologists from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have completed their annual population estimates of ducks, geese, and swans along the state’s Chesapeake Bay, tidal Potomac River and Atlantic coast shorelines. This year, the teams counted about 705,300 waterfowl, which was higher than both the 593,200...
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UPDATE: PG County Man Found Guilty of Armed Robberies, Arson of Commerical Stores

UPDATE: PG County Man Found Guilty of Armed Robberies, Arson of Commerical Stores

UPDATE 2/4/2025: After a 5-day trial, a federal jury found Stephen Kennedy, 33, of Temple Hills, Maryland, guilty of conspiracy to commit arson, arson affecting interstate commerce, commercial robbery, using or carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, carrying and explosive device during the commission of a felony, and...
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SMECO Employees Raise $60,000 for Three Local Hospitals

SMECO Employees Raise $60,000 for Three Local Hospitals

Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative (SMECO) employees recently held a fund-raising event and donated $60,000 to three hospitals in Southern Maryland: CalvertHealth Medical Center, University of Maryland Charles Regional Medical Center, and MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital. “Community hospitals provide care, comfort, and hope to those who need it most. These local organizations offer more than...
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Hoyer, National Capital Region Delegation Ask DOD To Conduct “Safety Review On The Future Of Military Helicopter Training” In Area, With Pause On Current Flights

Hoyer, National Capital Region Delegation Ask DOD To Conduct “Safety Review On The Future Of Military Helicopter Training” In Area, With Pause On Current Flights

January 31, 2025: Their letter came just two days after the fatal mid-air collision above the airport. Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05) and Reps. Don Beyer (VA-08), Gerry Connolly (VA-11), Glenn Ivey (MD-04), Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), April McClain Delaney (MD-06), Sarah Elfreth (MD-03), Eugene Vindman (VA-07), Bobby Scott (VA-03), Jennifer McClellan...
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DNR Study: Other Fish Species Declined After Arrival of Chesapeake Channa in Maryland Waters

DNR Study: Other Fish Species Declined After Arrival of Chesapeake Channa in Maryland Waters

Chesapeake Channa adults were first documented in Maryland, thousands of miles from their native habitat in East Asia in 2002. Subsequent illegal introductions and natural dispersal in the decades since their arrival in Maryland expanded the species range. A new study by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources confirms the negative impact this invasive...
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Shuck & Stout Celebrates Maryland Oysters & Beer as FeBREWary Kicks Off Maryland Beer Month

Shuck & Stout Celebrates Maryland Oysters & Beer as FeBREWary Kicks Off Maryland Beer Month

As February, or FeBREWary, kicks off Maryland Beer Month in partnership with the Brewers Association of Maryland, the Maryland Department of Agriculture’s Maryland’s Best program is kicking off Shuck & Stout by inviting consumers to head to local restaurants and tasting rooms for Maryland oyster and beer pairings. The Brewers Association of Maryland will return to the Silver Spring...
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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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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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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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Maryland Offers Waterfowl Hunting Day for Youth, Veterans, and Military on Feb. 8

Maryland Offers Waterfowl Hunting Day for Youth, Veterans, and Military on Feb. 8

Maryland’s youth hunters, veterans, and military personnel can experience the excitement of a special waterfowl hunting day on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025. A similar special hunting day is held each November. “This opportunity provides a chance to teach the next generation of wildlife conservationists and honor the service of our military personnel,” said Wildlife...
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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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Waldorf Scratch-Off Pays $100K; District Heights Racetrax Yields $61,690 Prize

Waldorf Scratch-Off Pays $100K; District Heights Racetrax Yields $61,690 Prize

A scratch-off ticket worth $100,000 in Waldorf and a $61,690 Racetrax ticket sold in District Heights topped the leaderboard for Maryland Lottery wins in the past week, even as another five players hit for $50,000 in Berlin, Milford Mill, Rockville, Seabrook and Union Bridge. Across Maryland, and across all games, the Lottery paid more...
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UPDATE: Charles County Detectives Seize Cocaine, Fentanyl, and Meth in Marbury Drug Bust

UPDATE: Charles County Detectives Seize Cocaine, Fentanyl, and Meth in Marbury Drug Bust

UPDATE 9/28/2025: On January 23, 2025, detectives with the Charles County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Enforcement Section executed a search warrant at the residence of Jeffrey Andrew McIlwain Sr., 50, located in the 4000 block of Vineyard Place, Marbury, as part of an ongoing drug investigation. The search, authorized by a warrant issued on January...
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Richard Wilson Jr, 86 Still Missing, Police Seeking Assistance

Richard Wilson Jr, 86 Still Missing, Police Seeking Assistance

UPDATE – PLEASE SHARE:  Richard Wilson Jr, 86, has still NOT been located.  There is considerable concern for his well-being at this point due to weather conditions and the extended time he has been missing.  The last information indicated he may have been in the Fort Washington area, but extensive search operations have not...
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UPDATE: Waldorf Man Sentenced to 35-Years for Murder at Birthday Party Held at Bryans Road Fire Department

UPDATE: Waldorf Man Sentenced to 35-Years for Murder at Birthday Party Held at Bryans Road Fire Department

UPDATE 1/25/2025: Tony Covington, State’s Attorney for Charles County, announced that on Thursday, December 19, 2024, Charles County Circuit Court Judge H. James West sentenced Ryan Lamont Bell, 38, of La Plata, to 35 years in prison for Conspiracy to Commit the First-Degree Murder of Leon Nathaniel Inabinett, Jr. and the Use of a...
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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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Two Fires Behind Big Dogs Paradise Bar and Grill Under Investigation, No Injuries Reported

Two Fires Behind Big Dogs Paradise Bar and Grill Under Investigation, No Injuries Reported

On Saturday, January 25, 2025, at approximately 12:50 a.m., firefighters from Mechanicsville Volunteer Fire Department were alerted to the rear of the Big Dogs Paradise Bar and Grill located at 28765 Three Notch Road in Mechanicsville, for the reported outside fire. The 911 caller was a passerby who stated it appeared their was something...
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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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Charles County Duo Dance with Joy after $100,000 Scratch-off Win

Charles County Duo Dance with Joy after $100,000 Scratch-off Win

Earlier this week, Lottery officials met a husband and wife team who turned $10 into $100,000. They spent $10 to play Mega Bucks, a scratch-off game that debuted in November, and three days later discovered that they had a top-prize winner. The Charles County pair, one an office worker and the other a delivery...
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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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