Charles News

Pursuit of Justice: Charles County Sheriff’s Office Cold Case Murder File of Antonio Lamount Harper Jr, age 20

Pursuit of Justice: Charles County Sheriff’s Office Cold Case Murder File of Antonio Lamount Harper Jr, age 20

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: Fatal Motor Vehicle Collision Involving Tractor-Trailer in La Plata Under Investigation

UPDATE: Fatal Motor Vehicle Collision Involving Tractor-Trailer in La Plata Under Investigation

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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Board of Education of Charles County Changes Name of General Smallwood Middle School to Glymont Middle School, effective July 1

Board of Education of Charles County Changes Name of General Smallwood Middle School to Glymont Middle School, effective July 1

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 Increasing Patrols, DUI Enforcement Efforts for Cinco De Mayo Weekend

Maryland State Police Increasing Patrols, DUI Enforcement Efforts for Cinco De Mayo Weekend

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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Newburg Man Faces Multiple Charges Following Alleged Assaults and Hate Crime Incident

Newburg Man Faces Multiple Charges Following Alleged Assaults and Hate Crime Incident

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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UPDATE: Details Released and New Charges Filed Against Guatemalan Nationals in Killing of Woman in Waldorf

UPDATE: Details Released and New Charges Filed Against Guatemalan Nationals in Killing of Woman in Waldorf

UPDATE 4/29/2025: New court documents reveal that Keycy Robinson Alexi Barrera-Rosa, 24, of Waldorf, now faces additional charges in connection with the death of Lesbia Mileth Ramirez Guerra. According to the recently filed application for charges, detectives confirmed through forensic cellular analysis, video surveillance, and witness interviews that Barrera-Rosa murdered the victim inside their...
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Light the Night for Fallen Firefighters 2025 – Event to Remember and Honor Our Fallen Heroes

Light the Night for Fallen Firefighters 2025 – Event to Remember and Honor Our Fallen Heroes

This May, our grateful nation will come together to honor its fallen fire service heroes during the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend, the official national tribute to firefighters who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty last year. As part of this heartfelt commemoration, we invite landmarks, buildings, fire departments, and communities across...
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EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS: 79th Southern Maryland Volunteer Firemen’s Association Awards & Photos

EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS: 79th Southern Maryland Volunteer Firemen’s Association Awards & Photos

The Leonardtown Volunteer Fire Department proudly hosted the 79th Annual Southern Maryland Volunteer Firemen’s Association Convention on Saturday and Sunday, April 26-27, 2025. This year’s convention held special significance as long-time Leonardtown Volunteer Fire Department member Tommy Mattingly Jr., was instilled as President of the Southern Maryland Volunteer Firemen’s Association. The two-day event brought...
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Charles County Public Schools and Board of Education Hosting Virtual Town Hall Meeting on School Safety on May 6th, 2025

Charles County Public Schools and Board of Education Hosting Virtual Town Hall Meeting on School Safety on May 6th, 2025

Now is the time to voice your concerns, questions and opinions. The Board of Education of Charles County and Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) are hosting a virtual Town Hall on Tuesday, May 6, at 7 p.m. through Zoom. The event is open to the public. Attendees must have an active Zoom account to...
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Maryland Park Service Launches ‘25 in 2025’ Adventure Challenge

Maryland Park Service Launches ‘25 in 2025’ Adventure Challenge

Visitors to Maryland State Parks this year have a chance to win prizes such as a year-long admission pass and camping experiences by completing 25 parks-related challenges in 2025. The Maryland Park Service 25 in 2025 Adventure Challenge encourages visitors to find and photograph special scenic and historic features in several state parks. Visitors can register...
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Nicholas Adam, Principal of J.P. Ryon Elementary School Named CCPS Principal of The Year

Nicholas Adam, Principal of J.P. Ryon Elementary School Named CCPS Principal of The Year

Nicholas Adam, principal of J.P. Ryon Elementary School, was named the 2025 Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) Principal of the Year. Before coming to Ryon in 2023, Adam spent five years as principal of Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School after serving as an assistant principal at William A. Diggs and Malcolm elementary schools. “He...
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Police Recover Marijuana, Handgun and Ammunition from Westlake High School Student

Police Recover Marijuana, Handgun and Ammunition from Westlake High School Student

Charles County Public Schools Released the following information on Thursday, April 24th, 2025. “This morning, Westlake High School administrators observed a student smelling strongly of marijuana upon arrival to school. Administrators investigated and found the student had marijuana, paraphernalia, a handgun and ammunition. The items were confiscated, and police are conducting an investigation. Westlake...
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Signed Maryland Legislations on April 22nd, 2025 – Governor Moore “Promotes Public Safety and Criminal Justice”

Signed Maryland Legislations on April 22nd, 2025 – Governor Moore “Promotes Public Safety and Criminal Justice”

Governor Wes Moore presided over the second bill signing ceremony of 2025, which included The Expungement Reform Act, a key piece of the Moore-Miller Administration’s legislative agenda. “The legislation signed strengthens the Moore-Miller Administration’s all-of-the-above approach to public safety while creating pathways to work, wages, and wealth for rehabilitated Marylanders.” “Our strategy to make...
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Gale-Bailey Special Education Teacher Georgia Green, Named Nominee for The Washington Post’s Teacher of the Year Program

Gale-Bailey Special Education Teacher Georgia Green, Named Nominee for The Washington Post’s Teacher of the Year Program

Georgia Green, a special education teacher at Gale-Bailey Elementary School, was named the 2025 Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) nominee for The Washington Post’s Teacher of the Year Award program. One of five children born to educators, Green was inspired to go into the field of special education by her brothers — twins who are intellectually...
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CSM Hosts 15th Annual Nonprofit Institute Conference

CSM Hosts 15th Annual Nonprofit Institute Conference

Nonprofit professionals from across Southern Maryland gathered April 10 at the College of Southern Maryland’s (CSM) 15th annual Nonprofit Institute Conference at the La Plata Campus where participants learned about several opportunities for success in the mission of helping others. With new director Stephanie Rolle, CSM’s Nonprofit Institute only continues to grow in scope...
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Maryland State Police Encouraging Citizens to Dispose of Unwanted Medications During National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on April 26, 2025

Maryland State Police Encouraging Citizens to Dispose of Unwanted Medications During National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on April 26, 2025

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 April 26, 2025. The biannual program allows people to safely dispose of...
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Town of La Plata Announces New Town Manager, Chuck Stevens

Town of La Plata Announces New Town Manager, Chuck Stevens

The Town of La Plata will have a new town manager, starting on June 16, 2025, after the search committee completed an extensive search process. Initially, approximately 50 candidates were vetted and after careful consideration, the Town Council selected three highly qualified candidates for interviews, and ultimately, Chuck Stevens stood out as the best...
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U.S FDA Set to Ban Artificial Food Dyes by End of 2026

U.S FDA Set to Ban Artificial Food Dyes by End of 2026

Earlier this year, January 15, the FDA announced the revoking of authorization for use of FD&C Red No. 3 in Food and Ingested Drugs. Manufacturers who use FD&C Red No. 3 in food and ingested drugs will have until January 15, 2027 or January 18, 2028, respectively, to reformulate their products. Other countries still...
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Charles County Man Grills Up Big Win with $50,000 Prize

Charles County Man Grills Up Big Win with $50,000 Prize

Lottery player plans to take wife on a vacation to celebrate Easter Sunday turned into a big celebration for a lucky Marylander known as “Air Brown,” who scored a $50,000 prize on the Maryland Lottery’s popular MONOPOLY X50 scratch-off game. A longtime player, Air Brown’s journey with Lottery games began casually with friends, evolving...
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83-Year-Old Female Flown to Trauma Center After Being Struck by Driver Having Medical Emergency

83-Year-Old Female Flown to Trauma Center After Being Struck by Driver Having Medical Emergency

On Tuesday, April 22, 2025, at approximately 10:50 a.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the 100 block of Drury Drive in La Plata, for a reported motor vehicle collision involving a pedestrian. Crews arrived on the scene to find a 83-year-old female laying in the parking lot after being struck by...
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Maryland Department of Transportation Launches New Grant Cycle to Improve Bicycle Infrastructure Across the State

Maryland Department of Transportation Launches New Grant Cycle to Improve Bicycle Infrastructure Across the State

The Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) announced that applications are open for up to $2 million in funding for projects that enhance safety and improve bicycling infrastructure in communities across the State. The Kim Lamphier Bikeways Network Grant Program is a competitive program that focuses on local priorities for building networks of bicycle infrastructure...
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La Plata Police Department Conducting Sobriety Checkpoint on Thursday, April 24, 2025 in La Plata

La Plata Police Department Conducting Sobriety Checkpoint on Thursday, April 24, 2025 in La Plata

The La Plata Police Department will be conducting a multi-agency Sobriety Checkpoint on Thursday, April 24, 2025, in La Plata. This initiative is made possible, in part, by grant funding from the Maryland Highway Safety Office. On average there are approximately 7,800 impaired (alcohol and/or drugs) driving crashes statewide, resulting in approximately 4,025 injuries...
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UPDATE: Loaded Gun That Discharged in Billingsley Elementary Classroom Linked to Student’s Family Member

UPDATE: Loaded Gun That Discharged in Billingsley Elementary Classroom Linked to Student’s Family Member

UPDATE 4/22/2025: The Charles County Sheriff’s Office has completed its investigation into the firearm discharge incident that occurred at Billingsley Elementary School on April 10TH, 2025. After a thorough investigation, officers determined that the firearm belonged to a relative of the student who was visiting from out of town. The facts of the case...
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Rita’s Brings Viral Beverage to Life with New Cola Italian Ice Lineup

Rita’s Brings Viral Beverage to Life with New Cola Italian Ice Lineup

Rita’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard, the largest Italian Ice concept in the world, is shaking up its flavor lineup once again with a bold new twist on a classic sip: Cola Italian Ice. Inspired by the iconic soda, this new flavor delivers the timeless taste of old-school cola nostalgia in a refreshingly cool,...
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St. Mary’s County Postal Worker Buys First-Ever Ticket and Wins $50,000 Prize

St. Mary’s County Postal Worker Buys First-Ever Ticket and Wins $50,000 Prize

A St. Mary’s County man is the latest to win a Big Money top prize. He told officials that his $50,000 ticket – delivered by his first-ever Lottery purchase – will likely be the last he’ll ever buy. “What are the chances that I’ll ever do this well again,” the federal employee joked. The...
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