Charles News

Statement from the Elected Board of Education of Charles County

Statement from the Elected Board of Education of Charles County

The elected Board of Education of Charles County has established policies that address conduct in the school system. Specifically, the Board of Education is committed to maintaining an educational and working environment for all students and employees, which is free of harassment of any kind and from any source including management, co-workers, peers or...
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CSM Celebrates 23 Graduates for Their Fortitude, Perseverance, Courage and Tenacity Upon Returning to School to Earn Their High School Diplomas

CSM Celebrates 23 Graduates for Their Fortitude, Perseverance, Courage and Tenacity Upon Returning to School to Earn Their High School Diplomas

The faculty and staff of the College of Southern Maryland (CSM) joined the families and friends of 23 Adult Education Program graduates Nov. 16 to celebrate the students for returning to school and earning their Maryland high school diploma. The CSM Adult Education Program offers fundamental education courses that cover areas such as basic...
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Charles County Board of Education November Meeting Updates

Charles County Board of Education November Meeting Updates

The Board of Education of Charles County held its monthly meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 15. A complete meeting agenda is posted on BoardDocs here. Board meetings are streamed live at www.ccboe.com and archived on the Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) YouTube page at https://www.youtube.com/c/ccpsmd. The following are important meeting updates. Superintendent update – Superintendent of Schools Maria Navarro,...
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Maryland Muzzleloader Deer Hunting Resumes Sat. December 17 to Sat. December 31, 2022

Maryland Muzzleloader Deer Hunting Resumes Sat. December 17 to Sat. December 31, 2022

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announces the muzzleloader deer hunting season will reopen Dec. 17, and will run through Dec. 31, 2022. This is the second half of Maryland’s split deer muzzleloader season; the first half was held in October. Hunters may use muzzleloading firearms to harvest sika and white-tailed deer during this...
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Governor Hogan Announces Emergency Directive to Prohibit Use of TikTok, China and Russia-Based Products and Platforms in State Government

Governor Hogan Announces Emergency Directive to Prohibit Use of TikTok, China and Russia-Based Products and Platforms in State Government

Governor Larry Hogan today announced that the State of Maryland has issued an emergency cybersecurity directive to prohibit the use of certain Chinese and Russian-influenced products and platforms for the executive branch of state government, including TikTok. These entities present an unacceptable level of cybersecurity risk to the state, and may be involved in activities such as cyber-espionage,...
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Eleven Defendants Facing Federal Charges Relating to Unemployment Insurance Fraud Scheme with More Than $1.6 Million in Losses

Eleven Defendants Facing Federal Charges Relating to Unemployment Insurance Fraud Scheme with More Than $1.6 Million in Losses

A federal grand jury has returned a superseding indictment adding two new defendants to the nine defendants previously charged in relation to a Maryland and California unemployment insurance scheme. The superseding indictment charges the defendants with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and stealing a post office key. The superseding...
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Maryland Department of Health Launches Program to Reduce Suicides Among Maryland Service Members and Veterans

Maryland Department of Health Launches Program to Reduce Suicides Among Maryland Service Members and Veterans

The Maryland Department of Health (MDH) fully launched the Trained Military Assistance Provider (TMAP) Program, a new initiative to reduce suicides and increase lethal-means safety for service members and veterans. Developed by the Maryland Governor’s Challenge to Prevent Suicide Among Service Members, Veterans and their Families, this training is free to all Maryland-based primary...
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Charles County Public Schools 2022 Winter Break Operating Schedule

Charles County Public Schools 2022 Winter Break Operating Schedule

Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) administrative offices are closed Friday, Dec. 23, through Tuesday, Dec. 27, and Monday, Jan. 2, in observance of New Year’s Day. Schools are closed Friday, Dec. 23, through Monday, Jan. 2, for winter break. Schools, offices and buildings reopen on Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023, as noted in the Parent...
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Waldorf Resident Considers Buying House After Winning $100,000 Lottery Prize

Waldorf Resident Considers Buying House After Winning $100,000 Lottery Prize

Purchased lucky $100,000 Crossword game at suggestion of employee A construction worker from Waldorf enjoys playing scratch-offs and has won prizes up to $500. When he convinced his boss to buy an instant ticket, the supervisor hit for $100,000! The two told their tale last week when they visited Maryland Lottery headquarters in Baltimore...
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Prince George’s County Police Warn About Blue Pills Containing Fentanyl Which is Suspected in the Deaths of Three Students

Prince George’s County Police Warn About Blue Pills Containing Fentanyl Which is Suspected in the Deaths of Three Students

The Prince George’s County Police Department is issuing a warning to residents about fentanyl-laced pills, in particular these blue-toned pills with a distinct “M” emblem. Police have recently begun recovering these pills, several of which have now been tested and contain fentanyl. Many users believe these pills are prescription painkillers. These pills are linked...
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UPDATE: 71-Year-Old Newburg Man Killed After Head-on Collision Involving Semi Truck in Faulkner

UPDATE: 71-Year-Old Newburg Man Killed After Head-on Collision Involving Semi Truck in Faulkner

UPDATE: On Monday, December 5, 2022, at approximately 3:54 p.m., Troopers from Maryland State Police La Plata Barrack responded to Maryland Route 234 (Budds Creek Road) in the area of Edgewater Drive for a report of a serious motor vehicle collision. Due to the circumstances, the Maryland State Police CRASH Team responded to assume...
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Some Southern Maryland Hospitals Operating with Near Full Capacity, CalvertHealth Reporting Long Wait Times

Some Southern Maryland Hospitals Operating with Near Full Capacity, CalvertHealth Reporting Long Wait Times

On Monday, December 5, 2022, CalvertHealth released the following. “CalvertHealth is experiencing longer than normal wait times at our Emergency Room. At this time, we are seeing wait times of more than six hours. We are encouraging patients with non-emergent issues to utilize Urgent Care or their primary care physician whenever possible. Of course,...
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Hughesville Woman Wins $30,000 Christmas Bonus After Buying Scratch-off Treat in Charlotte Hall

Hughesville Woman Wins $30,000 Christmas Bonus After Buying Scratch-off Treat in Charlotte Hall

Our Holiday scratch-off games are bringing lots of happy winners into Lottery headquarters these days and a Charles County woman was among the joyful crowd. She won a $30,000 top prize on the popular Peppermint Payout game. The lucky 20-year-old and a friend who visited the Winner’s Circle last week were both all smiles...
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Waldorf Military Vet Wins $50,015 Bonus Match 5!

Waldorf Military Vet Wins $50,015 Bonus Match 5!

Charles County Lottery fan claims game’s top prize An avid Lottery player and biker enthusiast from Charles County is riding into the sunset after claiming a $50,015 top Bonus Match 5 prize this week. The military veteran picked up the winning ticket on his way home Tuesday after a medical appointment in Baltimore. “Kaos,”...
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Maryland Delegation Members Urge State to Apply for Grant to Expand Access to Mental Health and Substance Use Care

Maryland Delegation Members Urge State to Apply for Grant to Expand Access to Mental Health and Substance Use Care

U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer, Jamie Raskin, David Trone, Anthony G. Brown, Kweisi Mfume, Dutch Ruppersberger, and John Sarbanes (all D-Md) wrote Maryland Secretary of Health Dennis Schrader urging the Maryland Department of Health to apply for a Certified Community Behavioral Health Center (CCBHC) planning grant...
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La Plata Police Department Announce Operation Prevent Porch Piracy

La Plata Police Department Announce Operation Prevent Porch Piracy

A staggering 11 million homeowners have had a package stolen in 2020, according to August Home and a study produced by research firm Edelman Intelligence. In the same report, it was also revealed that 74% of packages are stolen from homes during the day when homeowners are at work and that the average value...
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Naval Air Station Patuxent River Holding Job Fair for Law Enforcement, Firefighters, Dispatchers and Public Safety Officers on Thursday, December 15, 2022

Naval Air Station Patuxent River Holding Job Fair for Law Enforcement, Firefighters, Dispatchers and Public Safety Officers on Thursday, December 15, 2022

PATUXENT RIVER, Maryland – Naval Air Station Patuxent River (NASPR) will host a job fair for job seekers 18-and-over interested in the field of law enforcement and public safety. NASPR is recruiting police officers, firefighters, and dispatchers. Attendees will have an opportunity to meet the recruitment team and members of the NASPR security and...
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December 2022 Events: CSM Celebrates the Season with Concerts, Reflection, and Giving Back

December 2022 Events: CSM Celebrates the Season with Concerts, Reflection, and Giving Back

Connections Literary Magazine Publication Reading. Dec. 2. 7 – 9 p.m. La Plata Campus, Community Education (CE) Building, Room 101 and Online via Zoom. Contributors to the Fall 2022 Connections Literary Magazine will read and discuss their published works. Connections Literary Magazine is a regional literary journal published twice a year that features poems, stories,...
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Maryland Awarded $20,000 Grant to Give Rideshare Credits During Holiday Season

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

GLEN BURNIE, MD (December 1, 2022) – For the second year, the Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration’s (MDOT MVA) Highway Safety Office has received a grant from the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) to provide rideshare credits to Marylanders to help them Be the Make A Plan Driver and choose an alternative to...
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Strong Opening Weekend for Maryland Deer Firearm Season

Strong Opening Weekend for Maryland Deer Firearm Season

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced that hunters reported 10,116 deer taken on the opening weekend of the 2022 Maryland firearm season, Nov. 26-27. Despite bad weather on Sunday, the overall harvest was just 3% lower than last year’s official opening weekend harvest of 10,446 deer. The harvest total included 5,090 antlered and...
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Enjoy a “Southern Mix” of Voices at CSM’s Barbershop Concert, December 3, 2022 in La Plata

Enjoy a “Southern Mix” of Voices at CSM’s Barbershop Concert, December 3, 2022 in La Plata

If you’re finding yourself in need of some harmony in your life, let the College of Southern Maryland’s (CSM) barbershop chorus, Southern Mix, show you how it’s done. Southern Mix will perform a barbershop concert on Saturday, Dec. 3 at 7:30 p.m. at the Brad and Linda Gottfried Theater in the Fine Arts Center...
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Holiday Christmas Tree, Lighting, and Decoration Safety Tips

Holiday Christmas Tree, Lighting, and Decoration Safety Tips

By Ridge VFD Lieutenant Scot Best. December 1, 2022 – Nothing spreads cheer quite like holiday decorations, but care must be used to ensure your festive winter décor is fire-safe. Candles are widely used in homes throughout the holidays, which means December is the peak month for home candle fires. One-third (33%) of home...
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Charles County Commissioners Meeting Rollup – November 29, 2022

Charles County Commissioners Meeting Rollup – November 29, 2022

On Tuesday, Nov. 29, Department of Emergency Services; Department of Recreation, Parks, and Tourism; Economic Development Department; Department of Community Services; and Department of Planning and Growth Management provided the Board of County Commissioners with an update on Goal 5: Quality of Life of the Commissioners’ Goals and Objectives. Highlights include the Next Generation 9-1-1 transition,...
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Vacant Trailer and Shed Destroyed by Fire in Waldorf, State Fire Marshal Investigating

Vacant Trailer and Shed Destroyed by Fire in Waldorf, State Fire Marshal Investigating

On Thursday, December 1, 2022, at approximately 3:06 p.m., firefighters from Waldorf and surrounding departments responded to 2690 Old Washington Road in Waldorf, for the reported trailer on fire. Firefighters arrived on the scene to find a vacant house trailer fully engulfed in flames with extensions to a nearby shed and wooded area. The...
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Threat of Mass Violence at Milton Somers Middle School Being Investigated

Threat of Mass Violence at Milton Somers Middle School Being Investigated

On Thursday, December 1, 2022, during the lunch hour, a student at Milton Somers Middle School made statements in the presence of several other students of bringing a gun to school and causing harm to others. One of the students that overheard the comments reported it to a school administrator. The School Resource Officer...
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