It’s with great sadness that the Maryland State Police La-Plata Barrack announces the passing of one of their K9 partners on the morning of Thursday, August 29. K9 Justice was 15 years old when he passed, trained in the detection of narcotics. Working with numerous handlers during his time on patrol, and numerous years...
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As you read this, the largest rainforest in the world, the Amazon Rainforest, is burning away at about one and a half soccer fields per minute. Deforestation is an ever-growing problem everywhere you look these days. However, there is a very passionate battle going on all around the world to preserve and protect the...
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Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative (SMECO) held its 81st Annual Meeting on August 29, 2019, at Middleton Hall in Waldorf. The Board of Directors election was conducted online and by mail prior to the meeting. The following SMECO members were elected to serve on SMECO’s Board for three years: W. Michael Phipps in Calvert County;...
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Maryland’s Opioid Operational Command Center (OOCC), in coordination with the Maryland Emergency Management Agency, today announced nearly $10 million in grants to fight the heroin and opioid epidemic during fiscal year 2020. “Our administration continues to be committed to using every resource possible to ensure our local jurisdictions have access to life-saving resources such...
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The Maryland Department of Health (MDH) and the Maryland Poison Center at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy have identified five individuals who in the last two months developed severe lung illness after using e-cigarettes, often referred to as “vaping.” Respiratory symptoms reported by patients included shortness of breath, pain associated with breathing...
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Today, Commuter Connections and the Maryland Transportation Institute at the University of Maryland launched incenTrip, a new mobile app that allows commuters in the Washington D.C. region to save time, money, and fuel while earning rewards for planning trips. The incenTrip app recommends the best travel mode, departure time, and route based on real-time...
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Maryland State Police are gearing up for the Labor Day holiday, Maryland State Police will have additional troopers on patrol who will be using a variety of initiatives to keep traffic moving, respond quickly to highway incidents and take appropriate enforcement action when violations are observed that threaten the safety of travelers. Beginning today,...
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Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) is sponsoring a bus hotline for parents to call with questions about school bus routes. Call 301-932-6655 to access the hotline. The hotline is available 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Aug. 29-30, and 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 3-4. Bus route information for the 2019-20 is now available...
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School leaders from Charles County’s 37 public schools and centers kicked off the 2019-20 school year last week during the annual Administrative Leadership Institute. The annual event welcomes Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) principals, vice principals and administrative assistants with three full days of professional development to kick off the new school year. The...
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Troopers from the Maryland State Police La Plata Barrack responded to a single vehicle collision in the area of Bensville Road/RT 229 at Marshall Corner Road/RT 227, in Pomfret. The preliminary investigation conducted by Troopers revealed a 2003 Dodge Neon, operated by Alia Nicole Watson, 23, of King George, Virginia, was traveling southbound on ...
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Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative (SMECO), through its charitable foundation, is inviting local organizations that are working to end the opioid crisis in Southern Maryland to apply for the charitable funds that will be raised in 2020. As part of its commitment to the community, each year SMECO raises money for a different local charity....
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CSM Offers Walk-in Schedule for Advising, Career and Transfer Services. Aug. 5-Sept. 13. College of Southern Maryland (CSM); La Plata, Leonardtown and Prince Frederick campuses. CSM’s Office of Advising, Career and Transfer Services will observe an all-walk-in schedule to assist students from Aug. 5 through Sept. 13. There will be no appointments available during...
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A recent analysis of organ donation rates around the world reports that U.S. states, including Maryland, lead the world in organ donation with 43 of the top 50 performing international jurisdictions being U.S. states. Maryland donation rates rank an impressive 14th out of the study’s 90 national and international donation regions. In addition, Maryland’s...
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From time to time area residents will call or post something on social media about a person coming to their door claiming to be with SMECO. Sometimes they may say they’re taking a survey, or they might say SMECO is offering a rate reduction. Generally, they ask to see the customer’s SMECO bill. These...
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UPDATE 8/22/2019: Tony Covington, State’s Attorney for Charles County, announced that on August 21, 2019, Charles County Circuit Court Judge Amy J. Bragunier sentenced Armando Quispe Rodriguez, 46 of Bryans Road, to life suspend all but 30 years for the Attempted First-Degree Murder of Keyia Rodriguez. After completion of his sentence, Rodriguez will be...
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The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and the National Institute of Justice today released Juvenile Arrests, 2017, which documents recent trends by analyzing arrest data reported by local law enforcement agencies to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report. Overall, juvenile arrests have been declining for more than a decade, but patterns vary by...
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On Tuesday, August 20, 2019, at approximately 8:35 a.m., firefighters from Waldorf and surrounding departments responded to 9141 Granite Court in Waldorf, for the reported structure fire. Crews arrived on the scene to find nothing evident from the front of the house. Upon further investigation, firefighters found an active fire on the stove which...
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UPDATE 8/21/19: On Tuesday, August 20, 2019, at approximately 5:05 p.m., firefighters responded to 36975 Dixie Lyon Road in Mechanicsville, for the reported structure fire. Firefighters arrived on the scene to find a 2-story, single-family dwelling with fire showing from the roof and second floor. The occupant and one dog safely escaped the home...
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UPDATE 8/21/19: On Monday, August 19, 2019, at approximately 6:25 p.m., firefighters from Waldorf and surrounding departments responded to 4765 Crain Highway at the Waldorf Moose Lodge in White Plains, for the reported structure fire. Firefighters arrived on the scene to find smoke showing from a single story commercial building. The owner was identified...
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A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held on Thursday, August 22, 2019, at 1:00 p.m., and will have guest speakers Major General Mark Palzer the commanding general of the Army Reserve’s 99th Readiness Division, U.S. Congressman Steny Hoyer, Mr. Reuben Collins the Charles County Commissioner President and Ms. Thomasina Coates the Charles County Commissioner for...
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The U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs’ Bureau of Justice Assistance is pleased to announce that it is seeking applications for funding under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program. This program furthers the Department’s mission by assisting state, local and tribal efforts to prevent or reduce crime and violence....
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On Tuesday, August 13, 2019, at approximately 2:55 p.m., firefighters from Seventh District, Leonardtown, Mechanicsville, Hollywood, and Charles County responded to 38095 Graves Road in Coltons Point, for the reported structure fire. Crews arrived on scene to find a small pull behind camper fully engulfed in fire with no threat to nearby structures. Firefighters...
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Recent motorcycle crashes are prompting Maryland State Police to issue a reminder for both motorcyclists and other drivers to take precautions, especially during the remaining warm weather months. Since July 28, troopers have responded to six fatal crashes across the state that have involved motorcycle riders. The crashes represent reminders to take extra precautions...
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Tony Covington, State’s Attorney for Charles County, announced that on Thursday, August 8, 2019, Claude William Brown, Jr., 69 of Waldorf, entered a guilty plea in Charles County Circuit Court, in front of the Honorable Judge Amy J. Bragunier, to two counts of Sexual Abuse of a Minor. Following his guilty plea, Judge Bragunier...
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David Michael Shaw of Indian Head, MD, 79, died August 9, 2019. Friends will be received on Friday, August 16, 2019 at Potomac Heights Volunteer Fire Dept. & Rescue Squad at 1 PM until time of Fireman’s Prayers at 5 PM. Repast to follow at fire department. Memorial contributions may be made to Indian...
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