Charles News

Maurice J. McDonough High School Celebrates a Sense of Community at Graduation

Maurice J. McDonough High School Celebrates a Sense of Community at Graduation

Orange and purple reigned May 31 when Maurice J. McDonough High School’s Class of 2022 graduated at a ceremony held at Regency Furniture Stadium. The class was the second of seven that will graduate from Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) through June 3. The 223 graduates made up one of the smallest classes in...
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Charles County Summer School Starts July 6, 2022, All Courses Free for Students

Charles County Summer School Starts July 6, 2022, All Courses Free for Students

Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) 2022 summer school program starts Wednesday, July 6. The schedule includes a mix of make-up and original credit courses. All make-up credit courses will be taught in person and original credit courses will be virtual through the Apex Learning and Zoom online platforms. Costs for all summer school courses...
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Replica Firearm Recovered From Student at La Plata High School Student

Replica Firearm Recovered From Student at La Plata High School Student

On June 1, 2022, at approximately 9:30 a.m., a staff member at La Plata High School reported to the Charles County Sheriff’s Office School Resource Officer (SRO) that a student might be in possession of a firearm. The SRO located the student in a classroom and recovered a replica handgun, which turned out to...
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UPDATE: Police Identify Two Students Responsible for Raising Confederate flag at La Plata High School

UPDATE: Police Identify Two Students Responsible for Raising Confederate flag at La Plata High School

UPDATE 6/1/2022:  Charles County Sheriff’s detectives have identified two La Plata High School students as the people responsible for raising a Confederate flag in the school’s parking lot during the overnight hours of May 18, 2022. Investigators worked closely with the Charles County Public Schools and have also consulted with the Charles County State’s...
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Suspected Marijuana Edibles Recovered from Student at Benjamin Stoddert Middle School

Suspected Marijuana Edibles Recovered from Student at Benjamin Stoddert Middle School

On June 1, 2022, a school administrator at Benjamin Stoddert Middle School notified a Charles County Sheriff’s Office School Resource Officer (SRO) of a student in possession of suspected marijuana edibles. The SRO recovered the edibles from the student and notified a parent. Parents are asked to talk with their children about the dangers...
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St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Seeking Wanted Individual, Shawn Starcher

St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Seeking Wanted Individual, Shawn Starcher

The St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the whereabouts of Shawn Christopher Starcher, age 49 of Waldorf. Starcher was placed on pretrial supervision with a GPS device for Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol and Attempting to Elude Police by Failing to Stop. On May 28, 2022, Starcher violated the conditions of his...
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Police Arrest Waldorf Man for Church Burglary and Robbery of a Citizen

Police Arrest Waldorf Man for Church Burglary and Robbery of a Citizen

On May 16, 2022, at 7:00 a.m., officers from the Charles County Sheriff’s Office responded to the report of a burglary at a church located in the 100 block of Village Street in Waldorf. Through investigation, officers identified the suspect as Stephan Matthew Somosky, 33, of Waldorf, and obtained an arrest warrant. On May...
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St. Charles High School Kicks Off 2022 Graduation Ceremonies

St. Charles High School Kicks Off 2022 Graduation Ceremonies

The 336 graduates of St. Charles High School kicked off the Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) 2022 commencement season May 31 at Regency Furniture Stadium. Principal Richard Conley in his farewell address to the Spartan Class of 2022 commended the students on braving four years of school like no others in recent history. The...
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Charles County Class of 2022 Includes Over 2,000 Graduates with Over $166 Million Offered in Scholarships

Charles County Class of 2022 Includes Over 2,000 Graduates with Over $166 Million Offered in Scholarships

The Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) Class of 2022 will be honored during outdoor graduation ceremonies set for May 31 through June 3, 2022, at Regency Furniture Stadium in Waldorf. CCPS has partnered once again with Regency Furniture Stadium and the Charles County Government to provide nearly 2,100 seniors with graduation ceremonies. The Class...
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Maryland Natural Resources Urges Waterway Safety as Boating Season Hits Full Throttle

Maryland Natural Resources Urges Waterway Safety as Boating Season Hits Full Throttle

The outdoor temperature is rising, and Maryland’s waterways are about to get a lot busier. The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) reminds anglers, boaters, swimmers, and all waterway users to take proper precautions. In 2021, Maryland had 145 reportable boating accidents; 51 of those accidents caused injuries, and six were fatal. These numbers are...
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Charles County Sheriff’s Office Receives Certification to Submit the FBI’s Data Collections Standard Through National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS)

Charles County Sheriff’s Office Receives Certification to Submit the FBI’s Data Collections Standard Through National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS)

In accordance with mandatory federal data collection standards, the Charles County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) is pleased to announce the Agency has successfully achieved certification to implement the FBI’s new National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS). The Charles County Sheriff’s Office is one of 36 law enforcement agencies out of 142 in Maryland to have already...
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Charles County Sheriff’s Office Visits Girl Scout Troop from La Plata Church of Christ

Charles County Sheriff’s Office Visits Girl Scout Troop from La Plata Church of Christ

The Charles County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank a local Girl Scout Troop from La Plata Church of Christ for inviting them to be a part of their day this weekend! They wanted to learn more about police work and so Officers M. Neel, B. Aber, and H. Ptack responded! The scouts were...
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Police in Charles County Investigating Motor Vehicle Collision That Killed Pomfret Man

Police in Charles County Investigating Motor Vehicle Collision That Killed Pomfret Man

On Tuesday, May 31, 2022, at approximately 1133 hours, Troopers from the Maryland State Police La Plata Barrack responded to United States Route 301 (Crain Hwy) in the area of Turkey Hill Road for a report of a serious motor vehicle collision. Due to the circumstances, the Maryland State Police CRASH Team responded to...
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Raccoon Bite and Suspected Rabid Raccoon in the Mechanicsville Area

Raccoon Bite and Suspected Rabid Raccoon in the Mechanicsville Area

The St. Mary’s County Health Department (SMCHD) has been notified of a raccoon with behavior suspicious for rabies and a history of biting a person near the intersection of 27350 Three Notch Road and New Market Turner Road in Mechanicsville. Anyone who may have been bitten by a raccoon in this area on or...
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Registration Of Unserialized, Privately-Made Firearms In Effect As of Today, June 1, 2022

Registration Of Unserialized, Privately-Made Firearms In Effect As of Today, June 1, 2022

Effective today, (6/1/22), Title 5 of the Public Safety Article requires a personal identification number for all unserialized firearms and unfinished frames and receivers, commonly referred to as 80% lowers (ghost guns) or build kits. Beginning June 1, 2022, a person who currently possesses non-serialized firearms, including unfinished frames or receivers, will be required...
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LifeStyles Welcomes the First Residents at the New White Plains Emergency Shelter

LifeStyles Welcomes the First Residents at the New White Plains Emergency Shelter

The doors swung open, and the first families walked in. Men, women and children, each of them arrived wide-eyed and knowing that stepping inside this building meant that they did not have to worry about where they would sleep on Thursday night. Or the next night. Or any night in the near future. Thursday...
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Charles County Sheriff’s Office School Resource Unit Announces 2022 Youth Summer Sports Camps

Charles County Sheriff’s Office School Resource Unit Announces 2022 Youth Summer Sports Camps

The Charles County Sheriff’s Office School Resource Unit has announced the dates for the 2022 youth summer sports camps: Football Camp will be held at St. Charles High School, located at 5305 Piney Church Road in Waldorf, from July 6-8 from 7:45 a.m. until 1 p.m. The program is being offered to youths currently in...
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La Plata Man Arrested After Burglarizing and Stealing from La Plata Business

La Plata Man Arrested After Burglarizing and Stealing from La Plata Business

On Monday, May 30, 2022, at approximately 2:46 a.m., officers responded to the 6200 block of Crain Highway for the report of a commercial intrusion alarm. First arriving officers found the front window of a business broken out. After searching the business for the suspect(s), officers were able to review a video tape of...
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Election Information from Maryland State Board of Elections

Election Information from Maryland State Board of Elections

The Maryland State Board of Elections is encouraging eligible voters interested in casting a ballot in July’s primary election to register to vote online. SBE is also urging those who are already registered to confirm their latest district and polling place information using the online voter lookup tool. The deadline to register to vote...
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National Weather Service Confirms EF-1 Tornado Travelled Through St. Mary’s and Charles County on Friday, May 27, 2022

National Weather Service Confirms EF-1 Tornado Travelled Through St. Mary’s and Charles County on Friday, May 27, 2022

The National Weather Service has confirmed an EF-1 Tornado travelled 4.16 miles through Charlotte Hall, MD, and Benedict, MD. A damage survey for 05/27/2022 tornado in Charlotte Hall, MD. Rating: EF-1 Estimated peak wind: 90 mph Path length /statute/: 4.16 miles Path width /maximum/: 100 yards Fatalities: 0 Injuries: 0 Start date: Friday, May,...
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Hughesville Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department Mourn the Loss of Charter Member “Mac” McDonagh

Hughesville Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department Mourn the Loss of Charter Member “Mac” McDonagh

Clarence O’Connell McDonagh, Jr., 92, of Hughesville, MD, peacefully passed away on May 20, 2022. Known by his nicknames “Brother” and “Mac”, he was born on August 23, 1929 in Baltimore, MD, to the late Clarence and Elsie McDonagh, their third child and only son. The family moved to Hughesville when he was two...
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SMECO Awards Four Scholarships to High School Seniors

SMECO Awards Four Scholarships to High School Seniors

Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative (SMECO) has awarded four scholarships for 2022 to high school seniors who live in the Cooperative’s service area. Scholarships are based on the applicants’ scholastic achievement, financial need, and school and community involvement. SMECO has awarded scholarships to 120 students in the 30 years since beginning the program in 1993....
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Charles County Commissioners Meeting Update May 24, and May 25, 2022

Charles County Commissioners Meeting Update May 24, and May 25, 2022

On Tuesday, May 24, Department of Emergency Services; Department of Recreation, Parks, and Tourism; Economic Development Department; Department of Community Services; and Department of Planning and Growth Management staff provided an update on Goal 5: Quality of Life of the Commissioners’ Goals and Objectives. Highlights included the transition to Next Generation 9-1-1 and public safety radio...
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Charles County Sheriff’s Office Investigating Suspicious Person/Incident at Waldorf Bus Stop

Charles County Sheriff’s Office Investigating Suspicious Person/Incident at Waldorf Bus Stop

This morning, officers were made aware of a possible suspicious person at a school bus stop in the Millbrook neighborhood of Waldorf. Several young students from C. Paul Barnhart Elementary School who were at a bus stop said they observed a male, possibly white, in his teens, wearing black clothing and a black mask...
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Police in Charles County Investigating Motor Vehicle Accident in Parking Lot That Killed a Charlotte Hall Woman

Police in Charles County Investigating Motor Vehicle Accident in Parking Lot That Killed a Charlotte Hall Woman

On May 24, 2022, at 10:15 a.m., officers from the Charles County Sheriff’s Office responded to the parking lot of a restaurant in the 2900 block of Crain Highway for the report of a crash involving a pedestrian. A preliminary investigation revealed a woman exited a vehicle and while she was crossing the lot,...
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