Charles News

Commissioners Address Broadband Concerns

The last several months have been a busy time for many while students and educators prepared to start the school year in a virtual setting. Two grants from the State of Maryland – the CARES Middle Mile Grant and the Broadband for Underserved Students (BUS) Grant have been approved to help close technology gaps...
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La Plata Volunteer Fire Department Takes Delivery of New Rescue Engine with Replaced 2005 Pierce Rescue Engine Listed for Sale

La Plata Volunteer Fire Department Takes Delivery of New Rescue Engine with Replaced 2005 Pierce Rescue Engine Listed for Sale

The department has taken delivery of our new Pierce Enforcer Rescue Engine (Rescue Engine 1). We are excited to move forward with this newest addition to our apparatus fleet. We will have tools mounted in the compartments, train drivers on the new piece, and conduct training with the membership prior to it being placed...
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State is No Longer Considering Cuts to Maryland State Police Aviation Command

State is No Longer Considering Cuts to Maryland State Police Aviation Command

Good news!! Following the Board of Public Works Virtual Meeting that was held on September 2, 2020, the proposed cuts to the Maryland State Police Aviation Division are no longer being considered. After a meeting in July of 2020, the Maryland State Board of Public Works considered multiple significant and vital budget cuts to...
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Labor Day Weekend Means Extra Safety Efforts Across Maryland

Labor Day Weekend Means Extra Safety Efforts Across Maryland

As the unofficial end to summer approaches, state troopers will be on extra alert in search of impaired, distracted and/or aggressive drivers this Labor Day weekend to ensure travelers get to their holiday destination safely. Beginning Thursday through Labor Day, troopers will be on patrol, using a variety of initiatives to keep traffic moving,...
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Charles County Sheriff’s Office Seeking Identity of Suspects Who Pointed Gun at Man and Child in Waldorf

Charles County Sheriff’s Office Seeking Identity of Suspects Who Pointed Gun at Man and Child in Waldorf

Can you identify this vehicle? On August 28 at approximately 6p.m., officers responded to the area of Bancroft Drive in Waldorf for the report of an assault. Investigation revealed the victim and his 2-year-old grandson were walking on the sidewalk in front of their residence when a white Chrysler 300 slowly passed by and...
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Governor Hogan Announces Beginning of Stage Three of Maryland’s COVID-19 Recovery, Additional Safe and Gradual Reopenings

Governor Hogan Announces Beginning of Stage Three of Maryland’s COVID-19 Recovery, Additional Safe and Gradual Reopenings

Governor Larry Hogan today announced that, based on the state’s improving health metrics, Maryland will begin to move into Stage Three of the ‘Maryland Strong: Roadmap to Recovery,’ with additional safe and gradual reopenings. As with Stages One and Two, Stage Three will be implemented in multiple phases with a flexible, community-based approach that...
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UPDATE: Funeral Arrangements and Obituary for Firefighter Dylan Smith

Dylan Michael Smith, 27, of Prince Frederick, MD, passed away on August 29th 2020 in Washington D.C. after a 4-year long battle with brain cancer. Dylan was born at Anne Arundel Hospital to Shari and Carroll Smith on June 20th 1993. He worked as an elevator mechanic for 7 years at Schindler Elevators. He’s...
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SMECO Warns of Subjects Posing as Workers Attempting to Enter Homes

SMECO Warns of Subjects Posing as Workers Attempting to Enter Homes

SMECO has released a warning to please be aware of incident where people have been posing as workers trying to enter their homes. SMECO says Unless you have an appointment, SMECO representatives will not ask to enter your home. If you live in SMECO’s service area, you may receive a call from Itron asking...
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UPDATE: Police in Charles County Located Missing Juvenile

UPDATE: Police in Charles County Located Missing Juvenile

UPDATE: Dondre returned home this afternoon. Thank you everyone. 9/1/2020: Help Needed Locating Missing Juvenile: The Charles County Sheriff‘s Office is asking for the public’s help in locating Dondre Lowell Shaw, 15, of Waldorf. Shaw left his residence in Waldorf several days ago and has had contact with his family since then, but he...
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UPDATE: Police Release Name of Indian Head Man Killed in Head-on Collision in La Plata

UPDATE: Police Release Name of Indian Head Man Killed in Head-on Collision in La Plata

UPDATE 8/31/2020 @ 11:30 a.m.: On Sunday, August 30, 2020, at approximately 10:26 p.m., Troopers from the Maryland State Police La Plata Barrack responded for a report of a motor vehicle collision on Maryland Route 225 (Hawthorne Road) in the area of Adams Road in La Plata. Due to the seriousness of the collision,...
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Maryland Fraudsters Facing Federal Indictment for Fraudulent $28 Million Investment Ponzi Scheme

Maryland Fraudsters Facing Federal Indictment for Fraudulent $28 Million Investment Ponzi Scheme

A federal grand jury has indicted Dennis Mbongeni Jali, age 35, formerly of Upper Marlboro, Maryland; John Erasmus Frimpong, age 40, of Upper Marlboro; and Arley Ray Johnson, age 61, of Bowie, Maryland on federal charges of conspiracy, wire fraud, securities fraud, and money laundering.  The indictment was returned on July 27, 2020, and...
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Coast Guard Notes Increase in Illegal Charters Across the Mid-Atlantic, Halts Voyages

Coast Guard Notes Increase in Illegal Charters Across the Mid-Atlantic, Halts Voyages

The Coast Guard has discovered and halted the voyages of at least five illegal charters discovered across the Mid-Atlantic since July. An illegal charter is a pay-for-hire operation where boat owners or someone they hire take passengers on the water without the proper credentials, and in some cases without proper safety gear or inspections....
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Charles County Public Schools Announce Applications for Three Programs Open on September 1, 2020

Charles County Public Schools Announce Applications for Three Programs Open on September 1, 2020

Parents who live in Title I school zones with children who are 3 years old by Sept. 1 can apply for the Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) Thriving Threes and Me Early Learning Program. The application launches online Tuesday, Sept. 1 and children must meet certain criteria for program acceptance. The program features a...
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Governor Hogan: Every County School System Now Fully Authorized to Begin Safely Reopening

Governor Hogan: Every County School System Now Fully Authorized to Begin Safely Reopening

As a result of improved COVID-19 health metrics across the state, Governor Larry Hogan today announced that every county school system in Maryland is now fully authorized to begin safely reopening. The authority and decision making on safe openings continues to rest with county boards of education. Decisions should be based on a set...
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No Injuries Reported After Concrete Mixer Truck is Struck by Train in Waldorf

No Injuries Reported After Concrete Mixer Truck is Struck by Train in Waldorf

On Friday, August 21, 2020, at approximately 3:00 p.m., police, fire and rescue personnel responded to Gallant Lane and Gallant Green Road in Waldorf, for the motor vehicle collision involving a Freight Train. Crews arrived on the scene to find a freight train struck a concrete mixer as the truck was crossing the railroad...
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No Injuries Reported, Firefighters Quickly Extinguish Fire at Regency Furniture Warehouse in Brandywine

No Injuries Reported, Firefighters Quickly Extinguish Fire at Regency Furniture Warehouse in Brandywine

On Wednesday, August 26, 2020, at 2:30 p.m., firefighters from Charles, Calvert, and Prince George’s Counties responded to the Regency Furniture Warehouse located at 7900 Cedarville Road in Brandywine, for the reported structure fire. Crews arrived on the scene to find fire showing from the first floor of the large commercial warehouse, and a...
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Maryland Lottery Winners from August 17 to August 23, Multiple Unclaimed Large Winning Tickets Sold in Southern Maryland

Maryland Lottery Winners from August 17 to August 23, Multiple Unclaimed Large Winning Tickets Sold in Southern Maryland

A $103,182 Racetrax win in Germantown and four scratch-off wins of $100,000 each in Capitol Heights, District Heights, Gaithersburg and Hyattsville were the biggest Maryland Lottery prizes of the week in the seven days ending Aug. 23. In all, Lottery players won or claimed more than $26.4 million in the seven days ending Aug....
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Charles County Sheriff’s Office Thanks Fire and Rescue Crews, Charles County Emergency Services for Large Donations

Charles County Sheriff’s Office Thanks Fire and Rescue Crews, Charles County Emergency Services for Large Donations

The Charles County Sheriff’s Office would like to extend a huge thank you to the IAFF Local 4658 Professional Paramedics and EMT’s Charles County, MD and the Charles County Department of Emergency Services, which donated 355 goody bags to our officers. The bags contained drinks, snacks, hand sanitizer, notebooks, pens, and other items. Special...
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Calvert County Sheriff’s Office Investigating 19-Year-Old Waldorf Teen Struck and Killed in Sunderland

Calvert County Sheriff’s Office Investigating 19-Year-Old Waldorf Teen Struck and Killed in Sunderland

On Saturday, August 22, 2020 at approximately 5:30 a.m., members of the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office Patrol Bureau and Crash Reconstruction Team responded to the intersection of Maryland Route 2 and Kent Road in Sunderland, MD for a report of a pedestrian struck by a motor vehicle. Preliminary investigation determined that a 2019 Chevrolet...
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Calvert County Sheriff’s Office Investigating Fatal Pedestrian Accident in Sunderland

Calvert County Sheriff’s Office Investigating Fatal Pedestrian Accident in Sunderland

On Saturday, August 22, 2020 at approximately 5:30 a.m., members of the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office Patrol Bureau and Crash Reconstruction Team responded to the intersection of Maryland Route 2 and Kent Road in Sunderland, MD for a report of a pedestrian struck by a motor vehicle. Preliminary investigation determined that a 2019 Chevrolet...
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Hollywood, Hughesville, and Valley Lee Volunteer Fire Departments Receive Vital Grants from FEMA

Hollywood, Hughesville, and Valley Lee Volunteer Fire Departments Receive Vital Grants from FEMA

The Officers and Members of the Hollywood Volunteer Fire Department are pleased to announce that we have been awarded an Assistance to Firefighter Grant from FEMA. This Grant will be used to replace our current Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) for new NFPA 2019 Compliant SCBA. We will be purchasing approximately 45 complete Scott 5.5...
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Charles County Sheriff’s Office Announces Application for Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant

Charles County Sheriff’s Office Announces Application for Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant

The Charles County Sheriff’s Office, along with the Charles County Circuit Court, announces it will apply for the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Formula Program through the United States Department of Justice. The JAG Program provides states and units of local governments with critical funding necessary to support a range of program...
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UPDATE: Charles County Sheriff’s Office Investigating Triple Stabbing in Waldorf After Home Invasion

UPDATE: Charles County Sheriff’s Office Investigating Triple Stabbing in Waldorf After Home Invasion

UPDATE: On Thursday, August 20 at 4:40 a.m., police responded to the 2600 block of Hamilton Place in Waldorf, for the reported home invasion and stabbing. Police arrived on the scene to find that two male suspects broke into the apartment and stabbed three adults who were inside. One victim was transported to a...
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UPDATE: Gofundme Page Started for 13-Year-Old Who Died After Injury at Hockey Camp at Capital Club House in Waldorf

UPDATE: Gofundme Page Started for 13-Year-Old Who Died After Injury at Hockey Camp at Capital Club House in Waldorf

UPDATE: A gofundme page is raising money for the family of Henry Lent, a loved member of our hockey community, gone too soon. The page states: While at a hockey clinic, Henry collapsed on the ice and suffered a catastrophic brain injury. We don’t know why. He was administered CPR, then lifeflighted to a...
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All 24 of Maryland’s Jurisdictions Fall Below 5% Positivity Rate Milestone, Over 1.7 Million Tests Conducted

All 24 of Maryland’s Jurisdictions Fall Below 5% Positivity Rate Milestone, Over 1.7 Million Tests Conducted

Governor Larry Hogan today announced that, for the first time, the COVID-19 positivity rate for all 24 jurisdictions in Maryland has fallen below 5%, as the statewide positivity rate continues to remain steady at 3.29%. “We are very pleased to see that, for the first time, all 24 jurisdictions are reporting positivity rates below...
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