Charles News

Firefighters Quickly Extinguish Couch Fire at Hotel Charles, Fire Marshal Investigating

Firefighters Quickly Extinguish Couch Fire at Hotel Charles, Fire Marshal Investigating

On Wednesday, April 9, 2025, at approximately 5:27 a.m., firefighters responded to the Hotel Charles located at 15110 Burnt Store Road in Hughesville, for the reported smoke in the building. Firefighters from Charles, Calvert, and St. Mary’s Counties responded to the scene with first arriving units finding nothing evident from the 2-story commercial structure....
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Time to Care Coalition Decries Implementation Delay Introduced by Administration and Approved by Maryland General Assembly Postponing Maryland’s Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program

Time to Care Coalition Decries Implementation Delay Introduced by Administration and Approved by Maryland General Assembly Postponing Maryland’s Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program

The Maryland Time to Care Coalition decries the 18-month implementation delay, proposed by Gov. West Moore, of the Time to Care Act, originally passed by the Maryland General Assembly in 2022. The General Assembly gave final approval last night to HB 102, which will delay the Family and Medical Leave Insurance program (FAMLI) benefits...
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CSM Combines Writing and Math Centers to Enhance Student Support

CSM Combines Writing and Math Centers to Enhance Student Support

College of Southern Maryland (CSM) has updated its math and writing centers into a combined location at the La Plata Campus, while continuing to offer dedicated math and writing assistance at its Leonardtown and Prince Frederick campuses. CSM’s writing center services are free to the Southern Maryland community. CSM’s Math Resource Centers offer a...
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La Plata Police Officers Rescue Injured Bird in Hawthorne Green Community

La Plata Police Officers Rescue Injured Bird in Hawthorne Green Community

On Sunday, residents of the Hawthorne Green community in La Plata reported an injured juvenile waterfowl—believed to be a Horned Grebe—wandering in the roadway near Camden Circle and Nicola Lane. Despite attempts by community members to help, the bird continued to evade capture. La Plata Police Department’s Corporal B. Smith (#643) responded to the...
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Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Four Counts of Soliciting Child Porn From 12-Year-Old Victim

Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Four Counts of Soliciting Child Porn From 12-Year-Old Victim

Tony Covington, State’s Attorney for Charles County, announced that on Wednesday, April 2, 2025, Charles County Circuit Court Judge H. James West sentenced Adam Marks, 37, of Rancho Cucamonga, California, to 5 years in prison for four counts of Soliciting Child Porn. Marks will also have to register as a Tier II Sex Offender....
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‘Dating While Grieving’ Event Group Explores Finding Love After Loss

‘Dating While Grieving’ Event Group Explores Finding Love After Loss

The thought of dating again after the death of a spouse or life partner can feel overwhelming. How do you open your heart to someone new while still cherishing the person you’ve lost? The grief experts at Chesapeake Life Center aim to help individuals navigate this difficult journey with their upcoming event, “Dating While...
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Governor Moore Swears In New Executive Leadership to Key Positions Across State Government

Governor Moore Swears In New Executive Leadership to Key Positions Across State Government

Governor Wes Moore this week swore in eight new executive leaders, each confirmed by the Senate during the 2025 legislative session, to fill key positions across state government. To date, the Moore-Miller Administration has appointed 3,400 public servants to the state’s boards and commissions—more than 50% being women, 50% are people of color, and...
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Secretary’s Message: A Tree Grows in Maryland – Every One Counts on the Way to 5 Million

Secretary’s Message: A Tree Grows in Maryland – Every One Counts on the Way to 5 Million

Maryland has just celebrated its own Arbor Day, well ahead of the national celebration on the last Friday of the month. This year, I’m glad to say we are catching up on an important initiative that will impact our future. Maryland made an ambitious commitment with the 5 Million Trees Initiative in 2021, and last...
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With Sonar and Some Patience, Maryland Geologists Paint a Picture of the Chesapeake Bay’s Bottom

With Sonar and Some Patience, Maryland Geologists Paint a Picture of the Chesapeake Bay’s Bottom

Not long after the sun came up, a team of Maryland geologists set out on the Patuxent River. As they approached the Upper Patuxent Sanctuary, the team prepared the sensing equipment and took preliminary measurements in the water. With a custom crank-and-pulley system, they lowered the interferometric side-scan sonar off the bow. Soon after,...
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Charles County Public School Students Place at 52nd Annual SkillsUSA State Championship

Charles County Public School Students Place at 52nd Annual SkillsUSA State Championship

Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) students recently competed and placed at the 52nd annual SkillsUSA State Championship held March 28 and 29th, 2025 in Westminster. Thirty-one students from the Robert D. Stethem Educational Center and 33 students from North Point High School participated in events meant to test their skills in the career and...
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Waldorf Man Pleads Guilty to Four Armed Commercial Robberies

Waldorf Man Pleads Guilty to Four Armed Commercial Robberies

Daniel Michael Harris, Sr., 45, of Waldorf, Maryland, pleaded guilty to committing an armed robbery while using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the plea with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the...
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UPDATE: Waldorf Woman Sentenced to 15 Years for First-Degree Child Abuse, After Forcefully Throwing 7-Year-Old Child Onto Ground

UPDATE: Waldorf Woman Sentenced to 15 Years for First-Degree Child Abuse, After Forcefully Throwing 7-Year-Old Child Onto Ground

UPDATE 4/02/2025: State’s Attorney for Charles County, announced that on Thursday, March 27, 2025, Charles County Circuit Court Judge West sentenced Renee Daytona Roberts, age 45, to 15 years in prison for First-Degree Child Abuse: Severe Injury. Roberts will be on supervised probation for five years upon release. On March 13, 2025, Roberts pled...
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CTG, a Division of Blue Raven Solutions, Partners with Leadership Southern Maryland to Strengthen Community Leadership

CTG, a Division of Blue Raven Solutions, Partners with Leadership Southern Maryland to Strengthen Community Leadership

Leadership Southern Maryland (LSM) is pleased to announce a new partnership with CTG, a Division of Blue Raven Solutions, in support of the region’s community leadership development efforts. CTG’s sponsorship greatly benefits both the LSM Executive Program and the LSM Emerging Leaders Program (LEAP). “CTG, a Division of Blue Raven Solutions, and LSM have...
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Charles County Woman Gallops Into Winner’s Circle with $73k Racetrax Win

Charles County Woman Gallops Into Winner’s Circle with $73k Racetrax Win

A Charles County woman, who recently switched to Racetrax after regularly playing Keno, trotted her way into the winner’s circle. On March 20th, 2025, she won $73,767 playing the popular computer-animated horse racing game. The happy winner was on her way home after work when she stopped at Sunnybrook Tavern in Fort Washington. While...
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Charles County Public School Employee Indicted on Charges of Sexual Abuse of a Minor and Other Related Charges

Charles County Public School Employee Indicted on Charges of Sexual Abuse of a Minor and Other Related Charges

Detectives from the Charles County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division (CID) arrested John Alan Lynch, 28, of Indian Head, after a Charles County Grand Jury indicted him in connection with charges of sexual abuse of a minor, sexual solicitation of a minor, and solicitation for prostitution. An arrest warrant was issued and Lynch was...
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Waldorf Man Arrested After Armed Hotel Threat and 20-Mile Police Chase

Waldorf Man Arrested After Armed Hotel Threat and 20-Mile Police Chase

Wendell Giovanni Estes, 49, of Waldorf, is facing a wide array of criminal and traffic charges following an early morning incident on March 28, 2025, that began at a hotel in La Plata and ended in a high-speed pursuit spanning multiple jurisdictions. According to court documents, officers with the La Plata Police Department were...
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Hawthorne Road Closed in La Plata Due to Large Woods Fire Involving Sheds

Hawthorne Road Closed in La Plata Due to Large Woods Fire Involving Sheds

On Monday, March 31, 2025, at approximately 1:25 p.m., firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the 7200 block of Hawthorne Road in La Plata, for the reported structure fire. Multiple 911 callers, involving one member of the Bryans Road Volunteer Fire Department reported a large woods fire involving a shed and multiple vehicles. Crews...
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Hoyer, Governor Wes Moore Statements After Trump’s Executive Order Ending Federal Workers’ Collective Bargaining Rights

Hoyer, Governor Wes Moore Statements After Trump’s Executive Order Ending Federal Workers’ Collective Bargaining Rights

Governor Wes Moore released the following statement regarding President Trump’s executive order ending federal workers’ collective bargaining rights. “Maryland w​​ill always have the backs of working people and organized labor. And amid the draconian federal cuts impacting public servants across our state, our partnership with organized labor has become more important than ever. In...
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Maryland State Fire Marshal Investigating House Fire in Waldorf, No Injuries Reported

Maryland State Fire Marshal Investigating House Fire in Waldorf, No Injuries Reported

On Saturday, March 29, 2025, at approximately 9:30 p.m., firefighters from Charles and Prince George’s County responded to the 2200 block of Bridle Path Drive in Waldorf, for the reported house on fire with animals possibly trapped. Crews arrived on the scene to find fire showing from the first and second floor of a...
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Homeowner and Firefighters Escape with Minor Injuries After House Fire in White Plains, State Fire Marshal Investigating

Homeowner and Firefighters Escape with Minor Injuries After House Fire in White Plains, State Fire Marshal Investigating

On Saturday, March 29, 2025, at approximately 6:03 a.m., firefighters from Charles County responded to 3755 Opals Place in White Plains, for the reported house on fire. Crews arrived on the scene to find fire showing from the first floor of the two-story residence, with an elderly male suffering from smoke inhalation. Shortly after...
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Police Arrest 17-Year-Old and Recover Stolen Vehicle in Waldorf

Police Arrest 17-Year-Old and Recover Stolen Vehicle in Waldorf

On Friday, March 21, 2025, at 1:34 p.m., patrol officers initiated a traffic stop in the area of Western Parkway near Acton Lane in Waldorf on a vehicle that had been reported stolen. The driver refused to pull over and fled from officers where they later struck a curb in the area of Crain...
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Firefighters from Charles, St. Mary’s and Prince George’s County Respond to Large Brush Fire in Hughesville

Firefighters from Charles, St. Mary’s and Prince George’s County Respond to Large Brush Fire in Hughesville

On Sunday, March 30, 2025, at approximately 4:10 p.m., firefighters responded to the 14000 block of Oaks Road in Hughesville, for the reported unknown fire. 911 callers reported a large amount of smoke coming from the woods in the area of the given address. Additional callers then reported a fire in the woods near...
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UPDATE: Missing Waldorf Man, Richard Wilson Jr, Located Deceased in Prince George’s County

UPDATE: Missing Waldorf Man, Richard Wilson Jr, Located Deceased in Prince George’s County

UPDATE 3/27/2025: On March 27, 2025, at approximately 2:00 p.m., Charles County Sheriff’s detectives were notified by the Prince George’s County Police Department that Richard Wilson, Jr., age 86, who had been reported missing from his Waldorf home on January 25, 2025, was located deceased in the water near Mariner Drive in Fort Washington,...
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Maryland and Virginia Remain Under Special Weather Advisory Due to Fire Risk and Dry Weather

Maryland and Virginia Remain Under Special Weather Advisory Due to Fire Risk and Dry Weather

Special Weather Statement issued March 27th, 2025, by NWS Baltimore MD/Washington DC. The combination of recent dry weather, relative humidity falling to 15 to 25 percent, and sustained west to northwesterly winds around 10 mph with gusts to around 20 mph may result in an elevated threat for the rapid spread of fires today,...
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Maryland Comptroller Launches New Website and Customer Service Portal

Maryland Comptroller Launches New Website and Customer Service Portal

The Office of the Comptroller launched its new website, Marylandcomptroller.gov. The new modernized website showcases a user-friendly interface with improved navigation and connects to the agency’s new customer service portal, MyCOMConnect. “Our new website and our new customer relationship management portal are critical tools that will make our arm of government work better for...
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