Charles News

Grand Opening Celebration of the La Plata Court Help Center on Monday, November 14, 2022; Live at 1:30 p.m

Grand Opening Celebration of the La Plata Court Help Center on Monday, November 14, 2022; Live at 1:30 p.m

The grand opening of the La Plata Court Help Center will take place today! Monday, November 14, at the Circuit Court for Charles County. Maryland Court Help Centers offer free limited legal help for individuals who are not represented by an attorney. Attorneys assist with services to include but not limited to name change,...
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Maryland Reports Strong 2022 Early Deer Season Results

Maryland Reports Strong 2022 Early Deer Season Results

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources reports that hunters harvested 20,220 deer during the early portion of the 2022 archery and muzzleloader seasons. The harvest was a 24% increase from last year’s official harvest of 16,314 deer for the same period. The early season rebound was largely attributed to improved weather for hunting and...
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14 Displaced After Structure Fire in Indian Head, State Fire Marshal Investigating Cause

14 Displaced After Structure Fire in Indian Head, State Fire Marshal Investigating Cause

On Sunday, November 13, 2022, at approximately 3:04 a.m., firefighters from Charles County and NSF Indian Head responded to 4045 Indian Head Highway in Indian Head, for the reported structure on fire. Crews arrived on the scene in under 3 minutes to find fire showing from the two-story multiple family residence and requested a...
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Maryland State Police La Plata Barrack Invites Community to Participate in “No Hunger November”

Maryland State Police La Plata Barrack Invites Community to Participate in “No Hunger November”

MSP La Plata is inviting all residents of Charles County to participate in a food drive, which will last the month of November. There has not been a significant food drive in the area in the past few years due to Covid-19, and the Southern Maryland Food Bank is in desperate need of supplies....
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Bravo Zulu! Southern Maryland’s Military Leaders Welcome LSM Class of ’23 for Behind the Scenes NAS Pax River Base Tour

Bravo Zulu! Southern Maryland’s Military Leaders Welcome LSM Class of ’23 for Behind the Scenes NAS Pax River Base Tour

The Leadership Southern Maryland (LSM) Executive Program Class of 2023 strengthened their leadership wings Nov. 3 when they went behind the scenes at Naval Air Station Patuxent River (NAS Pax River). The class was allowed on base for a rare in-person tour to learn about the vital roles that Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) and the...
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VIDEO: Governor Hogan Meets With Governor-Elect Wes Moore at State House in Annapolis

VIDEO: Governor Hogan Meets With Governor-Elect Wes Moore at State House in Annapolis

Following Tuesday’s gubernatorial election, Governor Larry Hogan today met with Governor-Elect Wes Moore to discuss the smooth and orderly transition to the incoming administration. Following a private meeting in the governor’s office at the State House in Annapolis, the governor and governor-elect took questions from the media. “I was very pleased to have the...
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Patrol Officers Arrest Suspect in Burglary Who is Linked to Additional Case, Released 48 Hours Later by Judge

Patrol Officers Arrest Suspect in Burglary Who is Linked to Additional Case, Released 48 Hours Later by Judge

On November 5 at 3:05 p.m., officers responded to the 2500 block of Mattawoman Beantown Road in Waldorf for the report of a burglary in progress. Officers met with the homeowner who indicated they were not sure if the suspect was still inside. Officers established a perimeter and a police K9 entered the house;...
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UPDATE: Middleton Sentenced to Life Without Parole Plus 125 Years in Prison for Murdering Man Near His Parents; Attempted First-Degree Murder of Bystanders

UPDATE: Middleton Sentenced to Life Without Parole Plus 125 Years in Prison for Murdering Man Near His Parents; Attempted First-Degree Murder of Bystanders

UPDATE 11/10/2022: Tony Covington, State’s Attorney for Charles County, announced that on Wednesday, November 9, 2022, Charles County Circuit Court Judge Donine Carrington Martin sentenced Richard Eugene Middleton, Jr., 39, to Life Without Parole plus 125 years in prison for the First-Degree Murder of Kwasi Louard-Clarke, the Attempted First-Degree Murder of Montreal Wade and...
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Charles County Sheriff’s Office Investigating Man Shot Multiple Times at Waldorf Restaurant

Charles County Sheriff’s Office Investigating Man Shot Multiple Times at Waldorf Restaurant

On Wednesday, November 9, 2022, at 12:50 a.m., officers responded to the parking lot of a shopping center in the 12500 block of Mattawoman Drive in Waldorf for the report of a shooting. A preliminary investigation revealed the victim was involved in a verbal altercation with the suspect inside a seafood restaurant, which evolved...
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Altercation at St. Charles High School Results in Arrests and Recovery of Three Knives

Altercation at St. Charles High School Results in Arrests and Recovery of Three Knives

On November 9, 2022, at 2:12 p.m., school administrators and the school Charles County Sheriff’s Office resource officer at St. Charles High School were alerted to an altercation inside the school. One of the students involved, a 17-year-old male, walked out of the school to the parking lot and called a friend to reengage...
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Maryland Police Departments Receive Nearly $380,000 for Mental Health Support Services and Community Policing Training

Maryland Police Departments Receive Nearly $380,000 for Mental Health Support Services and Community Policing Training

U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes and Kweisi Mfume (all D-Md.) today announced $378,538 to promote community policing and provide mental health support to Maryland police departments. This federal funding comes through the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services...
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Four $50,000 Powerball Tickets Sold in Calvert and Charles County, Jackpot Winning Ticket Sold in State of California

Four $50,000 Powerball Tickets Sold in Calvert and Charles County, Jackpot Winning Ticket Sold in State of California

$1 million winning ticket sold in Catonsville as historic jackpot roll ends Although Monday night’s Powerball drawing was delayed until Tuesday morning, it delivered a record-shattering jackpot on a winning ticket sold in California, along with nine prizes of at least $50,000 on tickets sold in Maryland, including a $1 million second-tier win in Catonsville. The...
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General Smallwood Middle School Teacher Transported to Hospital After Threatening to Harm Themself

General Smallwood Middle School Teacher Transported to Hospital After Threatening to Harm Themself

On Friday, November 4, 2022, a school employee at General Smallwood Middle School was inside the school when they made a comment to another employee about bringing a gun to school to harm themselves. A school administrator and the school resource officer were notified and spoke with the employee and determined they were not...
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Suspected Drugs Recovered from Student After Possible Overdose, Officer and Student Transported to Hospital

Suspected Drugs Recovered from Student After Possible Overdose, Officer and Student Transported to Hospital

On Monday, November 7, 2022, at 9:00 a.m., a school resource officer at Robert D. Stethem Educational Center was assisting staff with a student who was having a medical emergency as a result of a possible drug overdose. The officer located packaged pills and suspected marijuana in the student’s book bag. After locating the...
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Charles County Sheriff’s Officer Arrested for Rape and Solicitation of Prostitution

Charles County Sheriff’s Officer Arrested for Rape and Solicitation of Prostitution

On November 4, 2022, a Charles County Grand Jury indicted Bryan Antwain Keys, Jr., 36, a Charles County Sheriff’s officer, in connection with second-degree rape, solicitation of prostitution, and misconduct in office. Keys, a seven-year-veteran of the Agency, had been relieved of his duties in January 2022, after the Agency was made aware of...
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Patrol Officers Arrest Disorderly Male Trying to Get into Cars at Intersection

Patrol Officers Arrest Disorderly Male Trying to Get into Cars at Intersection

On November 6, 2022, at 8:20 p.m., officers from the Charles County Sheriff’s Office responded to the area of Route 5 at Post Office Road in Waldorf, for the report of a possible carjacking in progress. Several witnesses called 9-1-1 and said a male was attempting to stop drivers at the intersection and take...
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Charles County Crime Solvers Offering Cash Reward in Waldorf Shooting Case

Charles County Crime Solvers Offering Cash Reward in Waldorf Shooting Case

On November 4, 2022 shortly before 2 p.m., officers from the Charles County Sheriff’s Office responded to the 2700 block of Hadley Drive in Waldorf for the report of a shooting. Upon arrival, officers located the victim, an adult male, with a gunshot wound. He was transported to a hospital with injuries that did...
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Maryland State Police Investigating Motor Vehicle Collision That Killed 18-Year-Old La Plata Man

Maryland State Police Investigating Motor Vehicle Collision That Killed 18-Year-Old La Plata Man

On Sunday, November 06, 2022, at approximately 8:45 p.m., Troopers from the Maryland State Police La Plata Barrack responded for a report of a serious motor vehicle collision on Maryland Route 6 (Port Tobacco Road) in the area of Hilltop Road in La Plata. Due to the seriousness of the collision, the Maryland State...
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Maryland’s Junior Deer Hunt Opens November 12, 2022

Maryland’s Junior Deer Hunt Opens November 12, 2022

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources encourages experienced deer hunters to take advantage of the upcoming Junior Deer Hunting Days to introduce youth to this time-honored cultural and sporting tradition. The Junior Deer Hunt is open on private and designated public land in all counties on November 12. The season is also open on Sunday, November 13 on...
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Charles County Commissioners Meeting Roundup – Nov. 1 and 2, 2022

Charles County Commissioners Meeting Roundup – Nov. 1 and 2, 2022

On Tuesday, Nov. 1, the Board of County Commissioners held the Bond Sale, which provides the opportunity for investment banking firms to submit bids for bonds and the lowest interest cost to the county. County Commissioners approved Resolution 2022-20 for the Consolidated Public Improvement Bonds and awarded the Bond Award to Bank of American Securities. Economic...
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Police in Prince Frederick Investigating Motorcycle Crash That Killed 31-Year-Old Waldorf Man

Police in Prince Frederick Investigating Motorcycle Crash That Killed 31-Year-Old Waldorf Man

On November 5, 2022, at approximately 10:09 p.m., members of the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office Patrol Bureau and Crash Reconstruction Team responded to the area of Solomons Island Road and Auto Drive in Prince Frederick, for the report of a motor vehicle collision involving a motorcycle and a work van. Upon arrival, deputies located...
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Police Identify Victims in Quadruple Murder / Suicide on Wildflower Drive in La Plata

Police Identify Victims in Quadruple Murder / Suicide on Wildflower Drive in La Plata

11/5/2022: On November 4, shortly before 4 p.m., officers responded to the 3000 block of Wildflower Drive in La Plata for the report of a shooting. Officers with the Charles County Sheriff’s Office and The La Plata Police Department arrived and located the homeowner, who was at the front door and advised he had...
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With 6 Months Remaining Until Federal Deadline, 88% of Marylanders REAL ID Ready

With 6 Months Remaining Until Federal Deadline, 88% of Marylanders REAL ID Ready

With six months to go until the federally mandated deadline for REAL ID compliance, 88% of Marylanders are fully prepared. But that means more than 500,000 other Marylanders will be unable to board an airplane or gain access to federal facilities after the federal deadline of May 3, 2023 – unless they act soon...
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Maryland Tourism Continues Strong Recovery, Reports Show Increase in Visitors and Visitor Spending

Maryland Tourism Continues Strong Recovery, Reports Show Increase in Visitors and Visitor Spending

Governor Larry Hogan today announced that, according to an economic impact report released by the Maryland Department of Commerce, the state’s tourism industry is continuing a strong recovery, recapturing nearly 90% of pre-pandemic visitor spending. In addition, the state reported increases over pre-pandemic levels in the key sectors of lodging and restaurants. The state continues to...
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Maryland Senator Urges Department of Justice and ATF to Clarify and Enforce Ghost Gun Rules

Maryland Senator Urges Department of Justice and ATF to Clarify and Enforce Ghost Gun Rules

U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) joined Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) along with a group of senators in urging the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) to issue enforcement guidance and clarify the recently finalized Ghost Gun Rule. The rule regulates unfinished frames and receivers that are...
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