Charles News

Tree Cutter Fatally Electrocuted After Accidentally Striking Power Line in Waldorf

Tree Cutter Fatally Electrocuted After Accidentally Striking Power Line in Waldorf

On Wednesday, March 12, 2025, at approximately 11:32 a.m., police, firefighters, emergency medical services and SMECO responded to the area of 11954 Motley Place in Waldorf, for the reported electrocution and fire involving powerlines. 911 callers reported a tree cutter was cutting a tree when the victim accidentally struck a powerline, causing the victim...
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Attorney General Brown Secures Early Court Decision Stopping Trump Administration’s Unlawful Termination of K-12 Teacher Preparation Pipeline Grants

Attorney General Brown Secures Early Court Decision Stopping Trump Administration’s Unlawful Termination of K-12 Teacher Preparation Pipeline Grants

Attorney General Anthony G. Brown today secured a decision by the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts temporarily blocking the Trump administration’s unlawful termination of K-12 teacher preparation pipeline grants while the states seek a preliminary injunction. Attorney General Brown joined a coalition of eight attorneys general in filing a lawsuit challenging...
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Waldorf Woman Realizes Her Hope for a Visit to Lottery Winner’s Circle

Waldorf Woman Realizes Her Hope for a Visit to Lottery Winner’s Circle

Avid player takes home $50,000 Mega Bucks prize A Charles County Lottery fan, who kept seeing people follow her suggestion to play the Lottery and then win prizes began asking herself, “When am I going to win?” Well, her days of pondering that question are over! She won $50,000 on a Mega Bucks scratch-off....
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Police Investigating Reported Shooting in Waldorf, Victim Transported with Non-Life-Threatening Injuries

Police Investigating Reported Shooting in Waldorf, Victim Transported with Non-Life-Threatening Injuries

On Tuesday, March 11, 2025, at approximately 10:14 p.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the 300 block of Thompkins Lane in Waldorf, for the reported gunshot victim. Dispatchers advised that the 911 callers were Spanish speaking only, with an interpreter being used to give the information. The caller reported one victim...
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73-Year-Old Port Tobacco Man Charged with Theft of Government Property, Passport Fraud and False Statements

73-Year-Old Port Tobacco Man Charged with Theft of Government Property, Passport Fraud and False Statements

A federal grand jury has indicted Jorge Echeverri, 73, of Port Tobacco, Maryland, charging him with theft of government property, false statements, passport fraud, social security misuse, and false statement of citizenship. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Michael S. McCarthy, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland...
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Leadership Southern Maryland Accepting Applications for Executive Program

Leadership Southern Maryland Accepting Applications for Executive Program

Leadership Southern Maryland (LSM) is accepting applications for its Executive Program Class of 2026, which will run from September 2025 through May 2026. The program is open to mid- and upper-level executives living or working in Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary’s counties, who have demonstrated commitment to community engagement. The LSM Executive Program is...
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Sports Wagering Contributes $6.3 Million to the State During February 2025

Sports Wagering Contributes $6.3 Million to the State During February 2025

Maryland’s sports wagering market completed its ninth-best month in February 2025, generating $6,350,174 in contributions to the state. Through the first eight months of FY2025 (July 2024 through February 2025), sports wagering has contributed $61,171,291 to the state compared to $37,051,266 for the same period in FY2024. The total of nearly $61.2 million in...
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UPDATE: Maryland International Raceway Not Sold, Despite IHRA’s Initial Statement

UPDATE: Maryland International Raceway Not Sold, Despite IHRA’s Initial Statement

UPDATE 3/11/2025: Our original article was based on IHRA’s official press release, which we expected to be accurate given IHRA’s status as a major sanctioning body in motorsports. However, Maryland International Raceway (MIR) has now issued a statement clarifying that the track has not been sold to IHRA, despite IHRA’s previous announcement on March...
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CSM Cheers on 54 Employees for 705 Years of Service at 37th Service Recognition Ceremony

CSM Cheers on 54 Employees for 705 Years of Service at 37th Service Recognition Ceremony

Fifty-four College of Southern Maryland (CSM) employees were recognized and celebrated by peers cheering and waving poms Feb. 28 at the 37th annual CSM Employee Service Recognition Ceremony in La Plata. The high-spirited event kicked off with pep rally enthusiasm as the honorees ran into the room as if they were headed into a...
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One Flown to Trauma Center with Serious Injuries After Vehicle Strikes Tree in Charlotte Hall

One Flown to Trauma Center with Serious Injuries After Vehicle Strikes Tree in Charlotte Hall

On Sunday, March 9, 2025, at approximately 7:00 p.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the area of Trinity Church Road and Ryceville Road in Charlotte Hall, for the reported motor vehicle collision with one unconscious. Crews arrived on the scene to find a single vehicle off the roadway with two patients...
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8-Year-Old Transported to Children’s Center After ATV Crash in Bryans Road

8-Year-Old Transported to Children’s Center After ATV Crash in Bryans Road

On Sunday, March 9, 2025, at approximately 6:48 p.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the 5400 block of Sir Douglas Drive in Bryans Road, for the reported motor vehicle collision involving a motorcycle. Shortly after dispatch, responding units were advised the 911 caller reported a child had serious bleeding with a...
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Maryland’s Fishing Season Springs Into Action

Maryland’s Fishing Season Springs Into Action

The Farmer’s Almanac calls the March full moon the “Worm Moon,” a name that originated among Native American tribes. The name marks the changing of the seasons, as the coming warm weather will prompt earthworms to stir from their winter dormancy. Among other important signs of spring, it means it’s time for fishing! In...
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Fire at St. Charles Mall Under Investigation, One Victim Transported to Burn Center

Fire at St. Charles Mall Under Investigation, One Victim Transported to Burn Center

On Friday, March 7, 2025, at approximately 12:25 p.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the Macy’s Department Store located in the St. Charles Mall in Waldorf, for the reported structure fire. Fire and emergency response units from multiple stations, including Waldorf Fire Stations 3 and 12, La Plata, Hughesville, Bryans Road,...
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Two Teens Charged After Armed Home Invasion in Waldorf

Two Teens Charged After Armed Home Invasion in Waldorf

On March 3, 2025, patrol officers responded to the 11400 block of Leland Place in Waldorf for the report of a burglary in progress. Two juveniles who were in an upstairs room called 9-1-1 to report that someone had shattered the rear glass door and entered the house. Patrol officers arrived on the scene,...
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Waldorf Man who Killed 17-Year-Old Westlake High School Student Found Guilty of Murder

Waldorf Man who Killed 17-Year-Old Westlake High School Student Found Guilty of Murder

UPDATE 3/7/2025: Tony Covington, State’s Attorney for Charles County, announced that on Friday, March 7, 2025, a Charles County jury, after a 5-day trial, convicted Elijah Bernard Barnes, 20, of the Second-Degree Murder of Rajon Lateef Jackson, III, as well as related charges. On January 13, 2023, officers responded to Harvest Fish Place in...
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Despite Severe Fall Fire Weather, Maryland Wildfire Damage Less Extensive During 2024 Than Previous Year

Despite Severe Fall Fire Weather, Maryland Wildfire Damage Less Extensive During 2024 Than Previous Year

The number of wildfires in Maryland during 2024 was much higher than the ten-year average, but acreage burned was significantly lower, according to the Maryland Forest Service’s Annual Wildland Fire Report. The report, which was released this month, March 2025, covers data related to wildfires on 3.2 million acres of land overseen by the Maryland...
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Charles County Sheriff’s Office Receives CALEA’s Highest Honor: Accreditation with Excellence

Charles County Sheriff’s Office Receives CALEA’s Highest Honor: Accreditation with Excellence

Charles County Sheriff Troy D. Berry is pleased to announce that the Charles County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) has been awarded the prestigious Accreditation with Excellence designation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA®). This honor was presented to Sheriff Berry and CCSO’s Planning and Accreditation team members during a recent CALEA...
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No Injuries Reported, Family Displaced After Kitchen Fire in Indian Head

No Injuries Reported, Family Displaced After Kitchen Fire in Indian Head

On Thursday, March 6, 2025, at approximately 12:00 p.m., firefighters from Indian Head Volunteer Fire Department and surrounding departments responded to 19 Dale Drive in Indian Head, for the reported kitchen fire. Crews arrived on the scene to find a two-story residence with smoke showing. Upon further investigation, fighters found fire on the second...
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La Plata Police Offers Free Lifesaving Program for Cognitive Disorders

La Plata Police Offers Free Lifesaving Program for Cognitive Disorders

La Plata Police Department’s Lifesaving Project Lifesaver Program The La Plata Police Department has launched a groundbreaking initiative to support individuals with cognitive disorders, such as autism, Alzheimer’s disease, or dementia, who may be at risk of wandering. Thanks to funding from a Bureau of Justice Assistance Grant—The Kevin and Avonte Program: Reducing Injury...
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UPDATE: More Charges Added for Prince Frederick Man Who Filmed Firefighters for Social Media is Charged with Arson

UPDATE: More Charges Added for Prince Frederick Man Who Filmed Firefighters for Social Media is Charged with Arson

UPDATE 3/5/2025: The social media creator arrested last Friday in Charles County was arrested today in St. Mary’s County on nearly identical charges. Joshua Christian-Stanley Jackson, charged with setting fire to a vacant commercial property and making a false 911 call in Charles County, was arrested this afternoon in connection with a new arson...
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UPDATE: White Plains Man Arrested After Burglary to Occupied Residence, Released on Own Recognizance Under 24 Hours Later

UPDATE: White Plains Man Arrested After Burglary to Occupied Residence, Released on Own Recognizance Under 24 Hours Later

UPDATE 3/5/2025: A White Plains man has been arrested and charged after breaking into a home, causing property damage, and alarming multiple residents in a neighborhood incident on February 28, 2025. According to court documents, Michael Santa Mendez, 42, of White Plains, was taken into custody by the Charles County Sheriff’s Office after deputies...
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Maryland Stocking Up for Spring 2025 Trout Fishing Season

Maryland Stocking Up for Spring 2025 Trout Fishing Season

Maryland’s trout season officially opens March 29 at 6:30 a.m., and the Department of Natural Resources is set to release thousands of hatchery-raised brown, golden, and rainbow trout across the state. For young anglers, the second annual Youth-Only Trout Fishing Day will take place March 22, one week before opening day. On this special...
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Southern Maryland Under Severe Thunderstorm Watch

Southern Maryland Under Severe Thunderstorm Watch

UPDATE 3/5/2025: This Afternoon and Tonight – A line of strong to severe thunderstorms will impact the region later this morning and continue into this afternoon. Severe thunderstorms will be capable of producing damaging wind gusts, large hail and potentially an isolated tornado. Isolated severe thunderstorms capable of producing damaging wind gusts and hail...
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Governor Moore Releases FY 2026 Supplemental Budget

Governor Moore Releases FY 2026 Supplemental Budget

Governor Wes Moore today released the administration’s FY 2026 supplemental budget. The supplemental budget includes key adjustments to the proposed FY 2026 budget, reflecting a number of technical corrections and updated projections. “At a time of instability and challenge for our state and country, this budget proposal promotes certainty and results. We continue to be guided...
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Hayes Appointed Interim U.S. Attorney for The District of Maryland

Hayes Appointed Interim U.S. Attorney for The District of Maryland

Today, Kelly O. Hayes was appointed and sworn in as Interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland.  Prior to her appointment, she served as the Chief of the Southern Division for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland since 2021. Ms. Hayes began serving the District of Maryland in 2013 as...
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