Charles News

MDOT Urges Travelers to Start the 2023 Summer Season with a Focus on Safety

MDOT Urges Travelers to Start the 2023 Summer Season with a Focus on Safety

For many Marylanders, Memorial Day weekend is the official start of the summer season, and also the kickoff of travel for vacations and family gatherings. As residents and visitors take to the state’s highways, bridges, bikeways, transit and airways, the Maryland Department of Transportation is urging everyone to put safety, courtesy and patience at...
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Southern Maryland Officers Trained in De-Escalation Skills for Those in Crisis

Southern Maryland Officers Trained in De-Escalation Skills for Those in Crisis

Mental illnesses are among the most common health conditions in the United States and police officers regularly interact with those suffering from its disruptive effects. More than 1:5 adults live with a mental illness, according to the Centers for Disease Control. About 1:25 U.S. adults live with a serious mental illness, such as schizophrenia,...
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USPS, Postal Inspection Service Roll Out Expanded Crime Prevention Measures To Crack Down on Mail Theft

USPS, Postal Inspection Service Roll Out Expanded Crime Prevention Measures To Crack Down on Mail Theft

The United States Postal Service (Postal Service) and United States Postal Inspection Service (Postal Inspection Service) today announced expanded actions to protect Postal employees and the security of the nation’s mail and packages as threats and attacks on letter carriers and mail fraud incidents have escalated concurrently with a national rise in crime. The...
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MDOT SHA Unveils New Pedestrian Safety Action Plan to Promote Mobility and Access Across Maryland

MDOT SHA Unveils New Pedestrian Safety Action Plan to Promote Mobility and Access Across Maryland

The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration  released the state’s first Pedestrian Safety Action Plan, a new tool in the agency’s ongoing efforts to enhance pedestrian and bicycle safety and mobility, and improve multi-modal access for communities across the state. “Maryland’s transportation network must be safe, convenient and accessible for every user in...
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Registration Open for National Weather Service SKYWARN® Tropical Class

Registration Open for National Weather Service SKYWARN® Tropical Class

The St. Mary’s County Government Department of Emergency Services will host an in-person SKYWARN® Tropical course on Wednesday, June 21, 2023, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Commissioner’s meeting room, located in the Chesapeake Building at 41770 Baldridge Street in Leonardtown. Taught by a National Weather Service meteorologist, the SKYWARN® Tropical course...
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Charles County Youth Orchestra Celebrates Its Graduating Seniors

Charles County Youth Orchestra Celebrates Its Graduating Seniors

The ten graduating seniors of the Charles County Youth Orchestra, Jasmin Ali, Christine Baker, Joseph Bonney, Kaylee Davis, Riley Dunbar, Helena Kijesky, Nathan Londres, James Olmsted, Lara Oribello, and Jaya Robinson were honored at the CCYO concert on Sunday, May 21. Two CCYO seniors plan to major in music next year in college. Riley...
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State Fire Marshal Offers Outdoor Safety Tips

State Fire Marshal Offers Outdoor Safety Tips

With Memorial Day weekend right around the corner, families across Maryland will venture outside – either to the beach or the mountains – or maybe just to their backyard. Increased outdoor activities also result in an increase of outdoor fire risks; therefore State Fire Marshal Brian S. Geraci is providing a few common-sense tips...
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Breezeline Helps Expand Broadband Access through Federal Benefit Program

Breezeline Helps Expand Broadband Access through Federal Benefit Program

May 16, 2023 – Breezeline, the nation’s eighth-largest cable operator, has connected more than 25,000 customers under the federal Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which provides broadband internet at a discount for households that meet financial eligibility guidelines. Through the program, customers receive a discount of $30 per month (and $75 per month for households...
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Federal Funding Supports New Combustion Lab at NSWC Indian Head Division

Federal Funding Supports New Combustion Lab at NSWC Indian Head Division

By Sheila Mullowney, NAVSEA Warfare Centers Headquarters Corporate Communications: The Navy will be getting a long-needed, state-of-the-art combustion laboratory at Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Indian Head Division, thanks to a new federal funding program aimed at upgrading defense laboratories. The Central Laboratory Investment Program (CLIP) was established by the Office of the Under Secretary...
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Child Flown Out with Serious Injuries After Being Struck by Vehicle in Waldorf

Child Flown Out with Serious Injuries After Being Struck by Vehicle in Waldorf

On Sunday, May 21, 2023, at approximately 1:52 p.m., police, fire and rescue personnel responded to the area of Barrington Drive and Stone Avenue in Waldorf, for the reported motor vehicle collision involving a pedestrian. While crews responded to the scene, 911 dispatchers advised they were receiving multiple 911 calls reporting a child was...
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Charles County Officers Recover Loaded Handgun and Narcotics During Traffic Stop, All Four Suspects Released in Under 48 Hours

Charles County Officers Recover Loaded Handgun and Narcotics During Traffic Stop, All Four Suspects Released in Under 48 Hours

On Monday, May 15, 2023, at 11:52 a.m., an officer conducted a traffic stop in the 3900 block of St. Charles Parkway in Waldorf on a passenger vehicle with expired registration plates. Through further investigation, a search of the vehicle was conducted, during which officers located a loaded handgun as well as suspected MDMA,...
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Police in Charles County Recover Three Stolen Hyundai Cars and Arrest Multiple Suspects

Police in Charles County Recover Three Stolen Hyundai Cars and Arrest Multiple Suspects

On May 16 at 1:07 p.m., officers from the Charles County Sheriff’s Office were patrolling the 3500 block of Crain Highway in Waldorf when they observed two occupied Hyundai vehicles in the parking lot of a business. A computer check revealed both cars were reported stolen in nearby jurisdictions. Officers initiated a traffic stop,...
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Maryland Permanently Preserves 24 Working Farms with Over 3,700 Acres of Land

Maryland Permanently Preserves 24 Working Farms with Over 3,700 Acres of Land

The Maryland Board of Public Works approved 24 new Maryland Agricultural Preservation Foundation easements during their meeting. The easements will permanently preserve 3,715 acres of prime farmland in Anne Arundel, Carroll, Charles, Harford, Montgomery, Queen Anne’s, St. Mary’s, Somerset, Talbot and Worcester counties for an investment of more than $17 million. “Maryland has one of...
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Maryland Department of Natural Resources Reports Encouraging Results from the Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab Winter Dredge Survey

Maryland Department of Natural Resources Reports Encouraging Results from the Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab Winter Dredge Survey

The Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab Winter Dredge Survey, a cooperative effort between the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), estimates 323 million blue crabs in the Chesapeake Bay in 2023, an increase from last year’s low of 227 million crabs. The number of spawning age female crabs increased...
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CPR Patient’s Family Unites with First Responders Who Saved Victim Earlier This Month

CPR Patient’s Family Unites with First Responders Who Saved Victim Earlier This Month

On Thursday, May 4, 2023, Paramedic Ambulance 27 was alerted to Fish Hawk Court for the Unconscious Person. Moments later the call was upgraded for a Subject Not Breathing. Hughesville VFD&RS responded with Engine 24, Engine 52, Paramedic Ambulance 517, Medic 18, and the North Medical Duty Officer responded. Engine 24 (FF Jenkins and...
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Charles County Youth Orchestra Spring Concert to be held on Sunday, May 21, 2023

Charles County Youth Orchestra Spring Concert to be held on Sunday, May 21, 2023

CCYO’s annual Spring Concert on Sunday May 21, will begin at 3:30 p.m. and will be held at Thomas Stone High School, 3785 Leonardtown Rd, Waldorf, MD. This concert is free and open to the public. Conducted by Dennis Murphy, Prelude Strings; Dr. Teri Lazar, Encore Strings; Takako Mato, Encore Band, and Dr. Osman...
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LSM Executive Program Engages the Past, Present, and Future of Energy, Agriculture, and the Environment

LSM Executive Program Engages the Past, Present, and Future of Energy, Agriculture, and the Environment

On April 27 and 28, 2023, the Leadership Southern Maryland (LSM) Executive Program went behind the scenes of Southern Maryland energy, environmental sciences, and agriculture to better understand the impact of these sectors on the region’s life and economy. The two-day tour took the executives to Constellation’s Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant where Government Affairs Manager...
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The La Plata Police Department is Seeking the Whereabouts of Jerek Giovanni Proctor – Wanted for Carjacking

The La Plata Police Department is Seeking the Whereabouts of Jerek Giovanni Proctor – Wanted for Carjacking

On April 15, 2023, at approximately 4:11 a.m., officers responded to the area of East Hawthorne Drive near Washington Avenue for the report of a carjacking. Investigation found two individuals had carjacked the victim’s vehicle outside a building in the 700 block of Washington Avenue. Officers were informed that one of the suspects entered...
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The Maryland Department of Natural Resources Gears Up for National Safe Boating Week, May 20-26

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources Gears Up for National Safe Boating Week, May 20-26

As boating season kicks into high gear, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources is encouraging all waterway users – whether boating, kayaking, swimming, or fishing – to take proper precautions on the water. The department and its partners will provide opportunities to promote the use of personal flotation devices and other lifesaving habits and equipment...
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Matula Elementary School Principal Carrie Richardson Named CCPS Principal of the Year

Matula Elementary School Principal Carrie Richardson Named CCPS Principal of the Year

For most of her life, Carrie Richardson wanted to be a teacher. “I always knew,” said the principal of Mary H. Matula Elementary School who was recently named the 2023 Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) Principal of the Year. Yet, after landing on the campus of the University of Maryland, College Park in her...
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Waldorf Man Sentenced to 42 Months in Prison for Possession of Child Pornography

Waldorf Man Sentenced to 42 Months in Prison for Possession of Child Pornography

U.S. District Judge Paul Xinis sentenced Jeffrey Darnell Alderson, age 34, of Waldorf, Maryland, to 42 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for possession of child pornography. Judge Xinis also ordered that, upon his release from prison, Alderson must register as a sex offender in the places where he...
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Charles County Commissioners Meeting Update – May 9 and 10, 2023

Charles County Commissioners Meeting Update – May 9 and 10, 2023

On Tuesday, May 9, Commissioners reviewed the proposed Fiscal 2024 budget and voted on items to add/delete for next year for the General Fund. They also discussed proposed changes to the Capital Improvement Program budget. Additional items include: A $500 take-home bonus for all full-time employees, to be paid later this year. A new Communications Coordinator for the Board of...
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St. Mary’s College of Maryland Class of 2023 Graduates 294 Students

St. Mary’s College of Maryland Class of 2023 Graduates 294 Students

Two hundred ninety-four students received Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, and Master of Arts in Teaching degrees from St. Mary’s College of Maryland, the National Public Honors College, in the annual Commencement held on Saturday, May 13 on the College’s Townhouse Green. Five-time Grammy Award winner Angélique Kidjo delivered the Commencement address, reminding...
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Registration for Little Rockstar’s Band Camp at Island Music Company in La Plata is OPEN!

Registration for Little Rockstar’s Band Camp at Island Music Company in La Plata is OPEN!

Island Music Company in La Plata, MD has the best alternative to regular summer camp for your little ones!  Is your child not a fan of the heat, bored of the same water games and loves music?  We have the perfect solution for you!  We’re Introducing LITTLE ROCKSTARS BAND CAMP!! For several years, IMC...
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Maryland Summer-Fall Striped Bass Season Regulations Includes New Maximum Size to Conserve Spawning Stock

Maryland Summer-Fall Striped Bass Season Regulations Includes New Maximum Size to Conserve Spawning Stock

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced regulations for the summer recreational striped bass fishing season beginning May 16, 2023, including a new maximum size of 31 inches that is being enacted in states throughout the Atlantic Coast. The department will continue other conservation actions – including a one-fish daily catch limit and a summer closure...
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