The Maryland State Police, in collaboration with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and allied law enforcement agencies across the country, are asking residents to dispose of unneeded prescription medications during National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, taking place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, October 25, 2025. The biannual program allows people...
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The Board of Education of Charles County recognizes exemplary students each month for academic achievement, personal responsibility and career readiness. At its Oct. 14 meeting, the Board honored fifth graders: Ethan Kapombe of Indian Head, Tristan Parrish of Billingsley, and Zane Todd of Mt. Hope/Nanjemoy elementary schools. Along with eighth-grade student Tony Brazelton of...
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The Maryland State Highway Administration will patch and resurface asphalt approaches at two bridges along northbound MD 5 (Leonardtown Road) in Charles County starting October 20th. This system preservation project should be complete by the end of October, weather permitting. Crews will work at the northbound MD 5 (Leonardtown Road) bridge at Mill Dam...
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The nation’s first responder community is getting a huge upgrade that will benefit public safety across the country. AT&T is launching FirstNet Fusion, which will allow every firefighter, police officer and EMT – no matter what cell phone service they use – to instantly talk, share video and coordinate during an emergency. FirstNet®, Built...
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Reminder: Our Annual Grant Season Closes on Friday, October 24! – Grant Applications are Electronic this Year! Friendly reminder that the Charles County Arts Alliance (CCAA) Annual Grant Season will end on Friday, October 24, 2025, at 12:00 noon. This is a firm deadline – no exceptions will be granted. Since 1987, our Arts Grant...
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On October 15, 2025, as part of the Annual National Family Violence Warrant Sweep, officers from the Charles County Sheriff’s Office Judicial Services Section, along with the Neighborhood Enforcement Team (NET), Patrol Shift 4 and the Charles County Detention Center transport team, conducted a coordinated operation aimed at locating and arresting individuals wanted for...
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The Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) fall play season roars into a high school auditorium Oct. 23 when a classic crime story opens a slate of shows. This season CCPS high schools will present mysteries, tales of fairies and friends, and new classics through Nov. 23, 2025. Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot is aboard for...
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On Saturday, October 18, 2025, at approximately 9:24 p.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the area of Hawthorne Road and Ripley Park Drive in La Plata, for the motor vehicle collision reported serious with entrapment. Dispatchers advised to all responding units they were receiving multiple conflicting reports of a vehicle overturned...
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Charles County Sheriff’s detectives assigned to the Criminal Investigations Division, Robbery Unit, have identified and arrested five suspects in connection with a series of armed robberies in which the suspects targeted victims wearing designer clothing and other property. Between September 19 and September 24, 2025, detectives from the Robbery Unit investigated multiple citizen armed...
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Tamika Markia Williams-Evans, 46, of Gwynn Oak, and Shermise Artavia Degrafenried, 48, of Baltimore, have both been charged with theft following a shoplifting incident at a Target store in Charles County. According to court documents, officers with the Charles County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of an active theft at the Target store...
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Angelica Jannee West, 24, of Bowie, has been formally charged with eight criminal counts following an incident on October 3, 2025, at a supermarket in Waldorf. According to court documents filed in Charles County District Court, West faces multiple misdemeanor charges, including second-degree assault, property destruction, and disorderly conduct. According to a statement of...
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Charles County Sheriff’s detectives assigned to the Criminal Investigations Division, Robbery Unit, have identified and arrested five suspects in connection with a series of armed robberies in which the suspects targeted victims wearing designer clothing and other property. The suspects range in age from 15-years-old to 21-years-old. Between September 19 and September 24, 2025,...
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Free and low-cost continuing education opportunities expand access, foster community, and enrich the lives of Southern Maryland residents age 60 and up. For residents of Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary’s Counties age 60 and over, the opportunity to explore a variety of continuing education and personal enrichment courses for little-or-no cost is now available...
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As many commuters may have noticed, our harvest season is ramping up and the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration, in partnership with the Maryland Department of Agriculture and Maryland Farm Bureau, is reminding motorists to share the road safely with large farm equipment as the fall harvest is underway in the state....
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Governor Wes Moore hosted veterans organizations Hiring Our Heroes and Student Veterans of America at the State House to discuss how Maryland can leverage cross-sector partnerships to help veterans find and excel in their post-service careers. The discussion comes as critical federal resources to support veterans transitioning into post-service opportunities—such as the GI Bill...
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Beginning in June of 2025, The No Kings protests, also known internationally as the No Dictators or No Tyrants protests, is a series of demonstrations, largely in the United States, against what the organizers describe as authoritarian policies of Donald Trump and corruption in his administration. Protests around our country and state are set...
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On October 15 at 10:10 p.m., patrol officers responded to the 6000 block of New Forest Court in Waldorf for the report of a shooting. When officers arrived, they located an adult male with a gunshot wound to the hip. He was transported to a hospital with injuries that are not life-threatening. The victim...
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Martha Marie Copeland, 70, of La Plata, was arrested on October 7, 2025, and faces serious assault charges after allegedly threatening a Charles County Sheriff’s deputy with a knife and physically attacking him with a set of keys, according to court documents. Copeland has been formally charged with one count of first-degree assault, a...
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Maryland Comptroller Brooke E. Lierman announced today the launch of a modernized unclaimed property website and system that will make it easier for residents to reclaim their lost assets. The upgraded platform replaces a mainframe system that had been in use for decades with a contemporary cloud-based solution, allowing Marylanders to submit claims online...
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The Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) 2025 juvenile striped bass survey recorded a young-of-year index of 4.0. This is an improvement over recent years, but still well below the long-term survey average of 11. This marks the seventh consecutive year of low spawning success for striped bass. The annual survey tracks the reproductive...
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On October 8th, 2025, the Mount Vernon Police District in Fairfax County, VA, released the following information. They identified the suspect as Marko Puskas, 40, of no fixed address. Detectives from our Financial Crimes Unit uncovered a credit card skimming operation that targeted ATMs and payment devices inside stores across the Richmond Highway corridor,...
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SMNEWSNET.COM filed a Maryland Public Information Act (MPIA) request with the Maryland Department of Health seeking all food inspection reports from the past 12 months for Szechuan Garden, located at 11149 Mall Circle in Waldorf. Those records reveal a long pattern of violations and state enforcement actions culminating in an emergency suspension of the...
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CCSO UPDATE 10/14/2025: The individual previously shown in this post has been identified. The image has been removed as the subject is a juvenile. The individual voluntarily contacted police after seeing the photo circulating on social media. We are continuing to investigate. We appreciate the public’s assistance in this matter. 10/14/2025: On October 11,...
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Jerome Anthony Warren, 64, of Waldorf, is currently facing criminal charges in four separate cases in Charles County District Court. The charges span from September 2024 through September 2025 and include multiple counts of assault, fraud, drug possession, trespassing, and theft. Charging documents reveal a pattern of alleged confrontations with law enforcement, correctional staff,...
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On October 10, 2025, Daniel Joseph Bliss, 42, of Waldorf, pleaded guilty in Calvert County Circuit Court to 3 counts of second degree rape and 1 count of sexual abuse of a minor. Judge Mark S. Chandlee sentenced Mr. Bliss to 65 years of active incarceration, followed by probation with the requirement of lifetime...
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