Charles News

LSM Executive Program Studies the Realities of Economic and Workforce Development in Southern Maryland

LSM Executive Program Studies the Realities of Economic and Workforce Development in Southern Maryland

The Leadership Southern Maryland (LSM) Executive Program Class of 2025 met with regional economic and workforce development leaders at the Chesapeake Hills Golf Course Clubhouse in Lusby, Md., Oct. 8 to learn about Southern Maryland’s efforts to attract businesses, create jobs, build and retain workforce talent and grow the region’s economy Participants engaged in...
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Maryland DNR Reintroduces Brook Trout to Once-Vacant Streams

Maryland DNR Reintroduces Brook Trout to Once-Vacant Streams

In early fall, as the leaves on the trees in Maryland’s western counties signal their seasonal transition, brook trout prepare for a change as well as their spawning season will begin soon. During this time, males’ colors become more brilliant, and females create underwater nests called redds where they will lay their eggs. Maryland...
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Governor Moore Declares State of Emergency to Address Economic Impacts of Federal Government Shutdown and Distribute $10 Million in Emergency Funding to Fight Food Insecurity

Governor Moore Declares State of Emergency to Address Economic Impacts of Federal Government Shutdown and Distribute $10 Million in Emergency Funding to Fight Food Insecurity

Governor Wes Moore today declared a State of Emergency to address the economic impacts of the federal government shutdown and help deliver resources to support Marylanders’ health and welfare. The governor also issued an executive order that will provide $10 million in emergency funding to Maryland food security partners to address the crisis stemming both from the Trump...
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Community Meeting Set for November 5th to Discuss Olde Mill Solar Energy Facility

Community Meeting Set for November 5th to Discuss Olde Mill Solar Energy Facility

Reactivate, a mission-driven company focused on renewable energy projects that benefit working-class neighborhoods across the country, is inviting the public to a community meeting about a proposed solar energy initiative in Charles County. The RDC MD Olde Mill Facility is a proposed 2 megawatt (MW) solar photovoltaic project, designed to deliver affordable, locally sourced...
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No, Stores Aren’t Closing Because of SNAP — Here’s What’s Actually Happening (with Southern Maryland Resources)

No, Stores Aren’t Closing Because of SNAP — Here’s What’s Actually Happening (with Southern Maryland Resources)

Rumors are spreading online claiming that Walmart, grocery stores, and even dollar stores will “shut down” because SNAP (food stamp) benefits won’t be issued in November. Some viral posts have gone even further, falsely suggesting that when SNAP payments stop, people will “just take what they want” from stores, that “Walmarts are boarding up,”...
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CSM to Launch New Aviation Maintenance Technology Associate Degree Program

CSM to Launch New Aviation Maintenance Technology Associate Degree Program

The College of Southern Maryland (CSM) is helping students fill critical workforce gaps in the region with a new associate degree program in Aviation Maintenance Technology. The Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) has approved the CSM Associate of Applied Science degree in Aviation Maintenance Technology program, making the college the first institution in the...
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UPDATE: 31-Year-Old Man Dead, 2nd Victim Flown to Trauma Center After Shooting at Waldorf Dash-In

UPDATE: 31-Year-Old Man Dead, 2nd Victim Flown to Trauma Center After Shooting at Waldorf Dash-In

UPDATE 10/29/2025: On October 29 at 12:14 a.m., officers responded to the 2000 block of Smallwood Drive in Waldorf for the report of a shooting. A preliminary investigation revealed that an unknown suspect fired shots in the parking lot, striking two people standing outside a vehicle. One victim was transported for care with critical injuries....
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UPDATE: Attorney General Brown Now Suing Trump for Unlawfully Suspending SNAP Benefits,

UPDATE: Attorney General Brown Now Suing Trump for Unlawfully Suspending SNAP Benefits,

UPDATE 10/29/2925: Attorney General Brown Sues Trump Administration for Unlawfully Suspending SNAP Benefits, with Governors of Kansas, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania joining. In Maryland, SNAP feeds over 680,000 Marylanders monthly. In May 2025, Maryland SNAP customers included 262,248 children under age 18; 121,615 seniors aged 62 and older; 128,705 people with disabilities; and 28,843 people...
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Charles County Crime Solvers Offering Cash Reward in Fugitive Case, Jason Shawn Smoot

Charles County Crime Solvers Offering Cash Reward in Fugitive Case, Jason Shawn Smoot

The Charles County Sheriff’s Office Warrant Unit is actively seeking the location of Jason Shawn Smoot, 41, of La Plata. Following charges filed on 6/10/2025, Smoot was released on his own recognizance. Smoot has active warrants charging him with possession with intent to distribute narcotics, possession of controlled substances, illegal possession of a firearm...
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Teen Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for After Armed Carjacking at Waldorf Food Lion

Teen Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for After Armed Carjacking at Waldorf Food Lion

Tony Covington, State’s Attorney for Charles County, announced that on Thursday, October 9, 2025, Charles County Circuit Court Judge William R. Greer, Jr. sentenced Nasir Maurice Cooper, 19, to 12 years in prison for Conspiracy to Commit Carjacking. Upon release, Cooper will be placed on supervised probation for five years. If he violates the...
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Chesapeake Bay Monitoring Shows Hypoxia Conditions Improved in Late August and September

Chesapeake Bay Monitoring Shows Hypoxia Conditions Improved in Late August and September

Data collected by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and Old Dominion University showed an above average volume of hypoxia—waters with less than 2 mg/l of oxygen—in the Chesapeake Bay mainstem of Maryland and Virginia in early August, that then decreased to below average in late August and September. Early August hypoxia remained consistent...
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CSM Night of Engineering Promotes Pathways to Industry Careers on October 29th, 2025

CSM Night of Engineering Promotes Pathways to Industry Careers on October 29th, 2025

The College of Southern Maryland (CSM) is inviting aspiring engineers to explore how regional partnerships are expanding career opportunities during Night of Engineering on October 29, at 6 p.m. Attendees will be introduced to the associate of science degree programs at CSM, transfer pathways to four-year bachelor’s degrees with the University System of Maryland...
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UPDATE: Nanjemoy Man Found Guilty of 237 Counts of Possession of Child Pornography Charges, Faces 1,465 Years in Prison

UPDATE: Nanjemoy Man Found Guilty of 237 Counts of Possession of Child Pornography Charges, Faces 1,465 Years in Prison

UPDATE 10/27/2025: Tony Covington, State’s Attorney for Charles County, announced that on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, a Charles County jury, after a three-day trial, convicted Dennis Demoine Smith, 65, of Nanjemoy, of 28 counts of Use of a Computer to Depict Minors in a Sexual Act and 237 counts of Possession of Child Pornography....
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UPDATE: Waldorf Man Found Guilty of the First-Degree Murder of His Wife

UPDATE: Waldorf Man Found Guilty of the First-Degree Murder of His Wife

UPDATE 10/27/2025: Tony Covington, State’s Attorney for Charles County, announced that on Thursday, October 23, 2025, a Charles County jury, after a four-day trial, convicted Travis Edward Paschal Wood, 36, of First-Degree Murder and Use of a Firearm During the Commission of a Crime of Violence in connection with the murder of his wife,...
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Governor Moore Statement on SNAP Benefit Impacts Due to the Federal Government Shutdown

Governor Moore Statement on SNAP Benefit Impacts Due to the Federal Government Shutdown

Governor Wes Moore released the following statement regarding SNAP benefit impacts due to the federal government shutdown: ​“In a letter dated Oct. 10, the Trump Administration directed the State of Maryland not to issue SNAP benefits. The Trump Administration is also choosing not to release contingency funding for the program, as required by law....
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Public Hearing on October 28th For Mining Site Proposal Near Malcolm Elementary School in Charles County

Public Hearing on October 28th For Mining Site Proposal Near Malcolm Elementary School in Charles County

The Board of Appeals for Charles County has been petitioned by Edward Gibbs, Jr. of Gibbs and Haller on behalf of Percontee, Inc. requesting Special Exception approval to allow Surface Mining of greater than 10 acres, as provided in Article XIII, § 297-212 Use Code #7.05.110 with associated conditions, and Article XXV § 297-415...
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Youth, Veteran, and Military Waterfowl Hunting Days Scheduled for 2025-26 Season

Youth, Veteran, and Military Waterfowl Hunting Days Scheduled for 2025-26 Season

Maryland’s youth hunters, veterans, and military personnel will be afforded a unique opportunity to experience the tradition of waterfowl hunting on two special hunt days: Nov. 1, 2025 and Feb. 7, 2026.   “We encourage experienced waterfowl hunters to share waterfowling traditions and the legacy of conservation with youth and veteran hunters,” said Maryland Department...
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College of Southern Maryland Fall Enrollment Reaches Five Year High

College of Southern Maryland Fall Enrollment Reaches Five Year High

This year, the College of Southern Maryland (CSM) welcomed its largest fall enrollment class in five years, as students make new investments in their future success. CSM saw an enrollment increase of 7.7 percent compared to fall 2024, with 5,192 total students now enrolled. This is the third consecutive year fall enrollment has grown,...
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Two Suspects Charged in Theft Scheme Targeting Waldorf Home Depot

Two Suspects Charged in Theft Scheme Targeting Waldorf Home Depot

Charles County Sheriff’s officers assigned to the Neighborhood Enforcement Team have charged two suspects in connection with a series of organized thefts from a home improvement store located in Waldorf. Over the course of five separate incidents in July 2025, approximately $11,000 in merchandise—including flooring, molding, lighting materials, sinks, and a refrigerator—was stolen. The...
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Convicted Felon Arrested for Impersonating Police Officer, Multiple Guns, Badges, Vests Recovered

Convicted Felon Arrested for Impersonating Police Officer, Multiple Guns, Badges, Vests Recovered

Prince George’s County Police officers arrested and charged a suspect in connection with impersonating a police officer. The suspect is 33-year-old Jonathan Michael Davis of Beltsville. Detectives would like to speak to anyone who encountered Davis where he represented himself as a law enforcement officer. On October 11, 2025, at approximately 9:50 pm, patrol...
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DNR Scientists Publish Research on Largemouth Bass Habitat, Blue Catfish Movement

DNR Scientists Publish Research on Largemouth Bass Habitat, Blue Catfish Movement

Two recent studies by Maryland Department of Natural Resources scientists – one about underwater grass habitat and another on a major invasive threat –  highlight how research findings can inform fisheries management. A study led by DNR biologist Dr. Joseph W. Love, published in Ecological Modelling (May 2024), modeled the effects of habitat and catch-and-release mortality...
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22-Year-Old Waldorf Man Charged After Stabbing Family Member in Face

22-Year-Old Waldorf Man Charged After Stabbing Family Member in Face

On Wednesday, October 22nd, 2025, at 2:01 p.m., police and emergency medical services responded to the 5000 block of Burreed Court in Waldorf, MD for the report of a stabbing. The 911 caller reported while two family members were fighting, he attempted to separate them and was stabbed in the face by his nephew....
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No Injuries Reported After Shed Fire in Mechanicsville

No Injuries Reported After Shed Fire in Mechanicsville

On Thursday, October 23, 2025, at approximately 4:25 p.m., firefighters from Mechanicsville, Hollywood, Leonardtown, Bay District, Seventh District and Hughesville responded to the 40000 block of King Drive in Mechanicsville, for the reported structure on fire. Dispatchers advised they received multiple 911 calls reporting an unknown structure on fire and quickly spreading through the...
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Governor Moore and TEDCO Announce $50 Million Taiwanese Investment and New Global Partnerships to Grow Maryland’s Innovation Economy

Governor Moore and TEDCO Announce $50 Million Taiwanese Investment and New Global Partnerships to Grow Maryland’s Innovation Economy

Governor Wes Moore, the Maryland Technology Development Corporation, APAC Investment and Innovation Development Association Taiwan, and SangFroid International Capital announced an agreement to unlock up to $50 million in co-investments into Maryland’s innovation economy. The agreement is one of four developing international collaborations featured during TEDCO’s annual entrepreneur expo, where the governor highlighted the...
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Governor, Comptroller, Attorney General Receive 76,000 Educators’ Support at Maryland State Education Association

Governor, Comptroller, Attorney General Receive 76,000 Educators’ Support at Maryland State Education Association

Delegates representing 76,000 members of the Maryland State Education Association (MSEA) attending the MSEA fall Representative Assembly (RA) voted to support the re-election of Gov. Wes Moore, Comptroller Brooke Lierman, and Attorney General Anthony Brown. Every four years the RA delegation votes on the MSEA Endorsement Council’s recommendation for statewide office candidates. “More than...
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