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...
Read More »
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...
Read More »
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...
Read More »
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...
Read More »
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...
Read More »
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...
Read More »
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...
Read More »
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...
Read More »
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...
Read More »
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...
Read More »
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...
Read More »
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...
Read More »
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...
Read More »
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...
Read More »
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...
Read More »
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...
Read More »
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...
Read More »
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,...
Read More »
UPDATE 3/23/2026: Tony Covington, State’s Attorney for Charles County, announced that on Friday, March 20, 2026, a Charles County jury, after a 5-day trial, found Amar Julio Barrera, 44, guilty of Home Invasion, Kidnapping, and related charges. On September 25, 2025, officers with Charles County Sheriff’s Office responded to the University of Maryland Charles...
Read More »
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...
Read More »
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...
Read More »
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...
Read More »
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...
Read More »
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...
Read More »
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...
Read More »
