Enterprise Community Development celebrated the grand opening of Magnolia Gardens, a new 72-unit affordable housing community in La Plata, Maryland, on Wednesday, May 7, 2025. Local and state officials, including State Senator Arthur Ellis, State Delegate Kevin Harris, State Delegate Edith Patterson and La Plata Mayor Jeannine James, joined Enterprise and project partners to...
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The Office of the State Fire Marshal is alerting the public to a concerning new trend circulating on social media. Students insert electrically conductive objects into the charging ports of school-issued and personal electronic devices. This reckless behavior has been linked to several incidents resulting in fires, smoke, and property damage. As of May...
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The Maryland Department of Natural Resources cautions anyone who encounters a fawn that is alone to avoid disturbing it and resist the urge to feed or handle it. Removing deer from the wild and keeping them in captivity is against the law in Maryland in order to protect animal welfare and ensure public safety. “Too often,...
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Howard Junior Simpson, age 51, of Indian Head, was taken into custody following a domestic disturbance in Lexington Park that escalated into a firearm-related confrontation, according to court documents filed in St. Mary’s County District Court. Simpson was arrested on May 6, 2025, and charged with seven criminal offenses, including first-degree assault and illegal...
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The County Commissioners will hold this public meeting “virtually” and in-person. SHOW UP AND MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD!! Meetings is Wednesday, May 7, 2025, at 4:30, public comments held at 6:30 p.m. (Full schedule below) This follows after the Charles County Commissioners voted 3-1 on April 22, 2025, to introduce Proposed Bill 2025-04, which...
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Maryland Delegate Matt Morgan released the following statement on May 5th, 2025. “This post is designed as a PSA for residents of Northern St. Mary’s. I am gathering more information about the proposed psychiatric urgent care facility on Mount Wolf Road in Charlotte Hall. I had no involvement in recruiting or funding this proposed...
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On Monday, May 5, 2025, at 12:55 p.m., a Youth Engagement Advocate (YEA), while conducting an administrative search, recovered a vaping device and cocaine from an adult student. The student will face disciplinary consequences in accordance with the Charles County Public Schools Code of Student Conduct and will also be charged criminally with possession...
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Attorney General Anthony G. Brown co-led a coalition of 23 attorneys general—joined by the governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania—in filing a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s attempt to dismantle AmeriCorps by abruptly reducing the agency’s workforce by nearly 90%, cancelling its contracts, and closing $400 million worth of AmeriCorps-supported programs. AmeriCorps, an independent federal...
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Maryland Governor Wes Moore released the following statement on the Trump-Vance Administration’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget proposal: “The president’s budget proposal would kill jobs, hollow out health care and public education, and accelerate the reckless assault on Maryland’s economy that started on January 20. This isn’t fiscal stewardship; it’s fiscal sabotage. This is not...
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On May 2, 2025, at 5 a.m., Demetrius Charles Dorsey, age 23, of La Plata, was arrested and charged in connection with numerous thefts of ATVs from across the region including King George County, Charles County, La Plata, Alexandria City, Prince William County, Prince George’s County and St. Mary’s County. Dorsey would seek out...
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Dance Performance: Unspoken Words. May 5, 7:30 – 10 p.m., Hank Willoughby Foundation Center for the Arts (FA Building), Brad and Linda Gottfried Theater, La Plata Campus at 8730 Mitchell Road in La Plata. This spring, CSM’s Dance Ensemble students dive deeper into exploring how “the body says what words cannot.” Join them as...
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Photographers and nature enthusiasts are invited to submit their most beautiful images of the state’s flora and fauna to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources 2025 Photo Contest. As in past years, winning entries will be featured on the next Maryland DNR nature calendar to be published in late fall, and all winners will receive...
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The Town of La Plata will test early warning devices/sirens on Saturday, May 3, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. Testing is done twice per year in early May and early December. The testing lasts about a half hour. The tests consist of both siren alerts and audible notifications. The tests are conducted in conjunction with...
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Comments on Southern Maryland Newsnet’s Facebook page quickly followed the Board of Education’s vote to rename General Smallwood Middle School as Glymont Middle School, effective July 1, 2025. Between April 30 and May 1, about two hundred remarks appeared. Of those that clearly took a side, a little more than 70 percent objected to the change, just under 20 percent supported it, and the rest...
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Governor Wes Moore announced the launch of the Maryland Business Ready Sites Program, a new initiative to boost economic growth by developing shovel-ready business sites statewide. Established by the governor’s economic competitiveness executive order in December 2024, the program provides $3.5 million in matching grants for site characterization and improvements designed to accelerate investment across...
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On Thursday, May 1, 2025, at approximately 8:20 p.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the area of Old Washington Road and Trade Zone Court in Waldorf, for the reported motor vehicle collision involving a pedestrian. Dispatchers advised they received multiple 911 callers reporting an unknown aged victim in a wheelchair was...
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The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is implementing changes to nontidal fishing license and trout stamp fees effective June 1, 2025. This represents the first adjustment to nontidal–or freshwater fishing–fees in almost 20 years, addressing the rising costs of maintaining conservation efforts and angler programs in the face of inflation. Maryland’s freshwater fishing licenses...
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Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) and the Board of Education of Charles County would like input on the 2026-2027 school calendar. The Board of Education typically approves the school calendar two years in advance. At the April 8 Board meeting, staff presented three draft calendar options for the Board’s consideration. Review the options here on...
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A Charles County man, in the midst of playing Racetrax, wins big on a FAST PLAY ticket. The winner, who chose “Dark Knight” as an anonymous name to use because of a fond childhood memory, took home $75,000 playing THE GAME OF LIFE™. This exciting moment occurred on Saturday when the Indian Head man...
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On Tuesday, April 29, Jacob Dyer, Acting Director of the Department of Fiscal and Administrative Services, presented the county’s proposed fiscal 2026 budget of $594,293,300 an increase of 5.9 percent over last year. The General Fund budget was developed in alignment with Commissioners’ strategic priorities, incorporates departmental needs, and is shaped by community input...
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On May 1, 2018 at 10pm, officers responded to the 2200 block of Stream Vista Place in Waldorf for the report of a shooting. Upon arrival, officers located Antonio Lamount Harper Jr, a 20-year old resident of Waldorf. Harper was suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced deceased on scene. A preliminary investigation...
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UPDATE: Maryland State Police are investigating an early morning pedestrian fatal crash in Charles County. The deceased has not yet been positively identified. Police believe he was the driver and sole occupant of a gray Infiniti involved in the crash. Emergency responders pronounced him deceased on the scene. Shortly before 2:40 a.m., troopers from...
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The Board of Education of Charles County at its April 28 work session approved the name Glymont Middle School to replace the name of General Smallwood Middle School. The name change takes effect July 1, 2025. General Smallwood Middle School will open for the 2025-2026 school year as Glymont Middle School. Eight Board members...
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Maryland State Police are reminding motorists to drive responsibly ahead of Cinco de Mayo weekend. To combat distracted, aggressive, and impaired driving, troopers at each of the 23 Maryland State Police barracks, as well as, the State Police Impaired Driving Reduction Effort (SPIDRE) Team will conduct statewide DUI saturation patrols and high-visibility enforcement. A...
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Michael Gerard Benedict, 50, of Newburg, is facing multiple criminal charges after two separate incidents earlier this month, according to court documents from the District Court for Charles County. In the most recent case, filed on April 28, 2025, Benedict was arrested and charged with three counts of second-degree assault on law enforcement officers,...
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