Charles News

Maryland’s Striped Bass Emergency Closure Continues into May

Maryland’s Striped Bass Emergency Closure Continues into May

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources reminds anglers that Maryland’s striped bass fishing closure began on April 1 and runs until May 15, 2024 in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. Emergency regulations, enacted by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and approved by Maryland General Assembly’s Joint Committee on Administrative, Executive, and Legislative...
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No Injuries Reported After Large Garage Fire in Sunderland

No Injuries Reported After Large Garage Fire in Sunderland

On Sunday, April 28, 2024, at approximately 2:15 p.m., firefighters from Huntingtown, North Beach, St. Leonard, Dunkirk and surrounding departments reported to the 7000 block of Dorothy Drive in Sunderland, for the reported structure on fire. Crews arrived on the scene to find a 2 story detached garage with heavy fire showing. Firefighters extinguished...
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UPDATE: Police Investigating and Seeking Information in Connection to 15-Year-Old Being Stabbed At St. Charles Towne Center

UPDATE: Police Investigating and Seeking Information in Connection to 15-Year-Old Being Stabbed At St. Charles Towne Center

UPDATE 4/29/2024: On Saturday, April 27, 2024 at 9:05 p.m., officers were working secondary employment at a carnival in the parking lot at St. Charles Towne Center when a 15-year-old male approached and said he had been shot. The officers provided first aid until EMS responded and transported the teen to a hospital. It...
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Light the Night for Fallen Firefighters – Event to Remember Our Fallen Heroes

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

Each year firefighters from across the nation gather in Emmitsburg, Maryland at the National Fire Academy to honor their fallen brothers and sisters from the previous year, who lost their lives in the line of duty. This is a solemn event that is held dear to firefighters and the Fire Hero families who have...
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No Injuries Reported After House Fire in Waldorf, Cause Under Investigation

No Injuries Reported After House Fire in Waldorf, Cause Under Investigation

On Friday, April 27, 2024, at approximately 8:58 p.m., firefighters from Waldorf Volunteer Fire Department and surrounding departments responded to the 10000 block of Lyles Place in Waldorf, for the structure fire. Crews arrived on the scene to find a single story residence with fire showing. Firefighters utilized two attack lines and made entry...
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77th Annual Southern Maryland Convention Parade Called Off – Event Now Held at Blue Crabs Stadium in Waldorf, Sunday April 28th, 2024

77th Annual Southern Maryland Convention Parade Called Off – Event Now Held at Blue Crabs Stadium in Waldorf, Sunday April 28th, 2024

Unfortunately the Southern Maryland Convention Parade this year has been called off due to Charles County Officials not signing off on the permits for parade routes presented, due to the area being too busy. Instead, the 77th Annual Convention will be Sunday, April 28, 2024, 12:00 p.m., located at the Bluecrabs Stadium, 11765 St...
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UPDATE: Waldorf Man Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison for Murder of 60-Year-Old Man on Old Washington Road

UPDATE: Waldorf Man Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison for Murder of 60-Year-Old Man on Old Washington Road

UPDATE 4/26/2024: Tony Covington, State’s Attorney for Charles County, announced that on Wednesday, April 24, 2024, Charles County Circuit Court Judge Donine Carrington Martin sentenced Mehki Joseph Smith, 24, of Waldorf, to Life with all but 35 years suspended in prison for the First-Degree Murder of Michael Anthony Dodson, Sr. and the Use of...
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Maryland State Police Participating In National Drug Take Back Day April 27th, 2024

Maryland State Police Participating In National Drug Take Back Day April 27th, 2024

Maryland State Police are encouraging people to take part in National Drug Take Back Day in an effort to combat opioid addiction. People can drop off unwanted prescription drugs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 27, at all 23 state police barracks—no questions asked. Maryland State Police are participating in this...
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UPDATE: Police Requesting Assistance in Locating Wanted Man Yet Again for Failure to Register as Sex Offender

UPDATE: Police Requesting Assistance in Locating Wanted Man Yet Again for Failure to Register as Sex Offender

UPDATE 4/26/2024: Members of the Charles County Sheriff’s Office Warrant Unit are seeking the whereabouts of Steven Richard Davis, Jr, 34, of no fixed address, who has an active warrant charging him with failure to register as a sex offender. Davis is known to stay in Baltimore. He is 6’1”, weighs approximately 165 pounds,...
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Cold Case – Information Needed – Missing Person – Dawn Michelle Holt

Cold Case – Information Needed – Missing Person – Dawn Michelle Holt

Today marks 28 years since Ms. Holt was last seen. The Maryland State Police La Plata Barrack is asking for the community’s help with information. Let’s come together and bring the family closure. Dawn Michelle Holt was last seen at the Howard Johnson’s Motel in Waldorf, Maryland on April 25, 1996. Ms. Holt was...
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Police in Charles County Arrest Five Suspects Linked to Armed Robberies Orchestrated via Social Media

Police in Charles County Arrest Five Suspects Linked to Armed Robberies Orchestrated via Social Media

On April 22, 20224, detectives assigned to the Charles County Sheriff’s Office, Criminal Investigations Division Robbery Unit arrested five suspects, ages 17 to 21, who were identified as suspects in several armed robberies that go back to April 9, 2024. In these cases, the suspects used a fake profile of a female on a...
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No Injuries Reported After Townhouse Fire in Waldorf, Cause Remains Under Investigation

No Injuries Reported After Townhouse Fire in Waldorf, Cause Remains Under Investigation

On Tuesday, April 23, 2024, at 2:08 p.m., firefighters responded to 11264 Flagstaff Place in Waldorf, for the reported structure fire. Crews arrived on the scene to find a three story end of the row townhouse with fire showing from the second floor balcony. Firefighters extinguished the fire in under 20 minutes. No injuries...
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Davis Middle School Student Charged After Inappropriately Touching Another Student

Davis Middle School Student Charged After Inappropriately Touching Another Student

On April 16, 2024, the school resource officer at Davis Middle School was made aware of an assault that occurred on April 15 in which a male student inappropriately touched a female student during class. The student will be charged on a Juvenile Offense Report with assault. Anyone with additional information is asked to...
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Drunk Waldorf Woman Arrested with Two Children in Vehicle, Released Within 24 Hours on Own Recognizance

Drunk Waldorf Woman Arrested with Two Children in Vehicle, Released Within 24 Hours on Own Recognizance

On Sunday, April 21, 2024, at approximately 12:22 a.m., a La Plata Police Department Officer observed a vehicle speeding and driving erratically in the area of Crain Highway and Centennial Street. The vehicle was stopped and upon interviewing the driver the officer noticed signs of impairment. The officer also observed two children ages 4...
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UPDATE: Tall Timbers House Fire Causes Over $1.3 Million in Damage, Cause of Fire Remains Under Investigation

UPDATE: Tall Timbers House Fire Causes Over $1.3 Million in Damage, Cause of Fire Remains Under Investigation

UPDATE 4/25/2024: On Wednesday, April 24, 2024, at approximately 3:55 a.m., firefighters from Second District and surrounding departments responded to 17581 Whitestone Drive in Tall Timbers, for the reported structure fire. Crews arrived on the scene to find a two and a half story residence fully engulfed in flames threatening two nearby residences and...
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UPDATE: 6 Displaced After House Fire in Waldorf, State Fire Marshal Investigation Ongoing

UPDATE: 6 Displaced After House Fire in Waldorf, State Fire Marshal Investigation Ongoing

UPDATE 4/25/2024: On Tuesday, April 23, 2024, at approximately 5:47 p.m., firefighters from Waldorf and surrounding departments responded to 2129 Briarwood Drive in Waldorf, for the reported house on fire. Crews arrived on the scene within minutes of dispatch to find fire showing from the rear of the split foyer single family dwelling. Firefighters...
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Critical Missing Person: Gerard McCormick – Believed to be in the Area of La Plata High School

Critical Missing Person: Gerard McCormick – Believed to be in the Area of La Plata High School

UPDATE 4/23/2024 @ 12:30 p.m.: Mr. McCormick is still missing. Officers and resources from four different agencies have deployed, including blood hounds from the Charles County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) and Prince George’s County Police Department. Maryland State Police helicopter Trooper 2 assisted with an aireal search that was supplemented by CCSO and LPPD drones....
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UPDATE: Police Investigating Motor Vehicle Collision in Waldorf That Killed Fort Washington Man

UPDATE: Police Investigating Motor Vehicle Collision in Waldorf That Killed Fort Washington Man

UPDATE 4/23/2024: On Monday, April 22, 2024, at approximately 2:58 p.m., Troopers from Maryland State Police La Plata Barrack responded to United States Route 301 (Crain Hwy) at Acton Lane for a report of a serious motor vehicle collision. Due to the circumstances, the Maryland State Police CRASH Team responded to assume the investigation....
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Southern Maryland Equity in History Coalition Announces Website Launch and Celebration

Southern Maryland Equity in History Coalition Announces Website Launch and Celebration

The Southern Maryland Equity in History Coalition is excited to announce the launch of its new searchable website celebrating the diverse history of Southern Maryland. This new searchable website will enable our community, students and teachers, and those interested to access this rich and extensive history. This includes access to information on notable individuals,...
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State Highway Administration Performs Routine Maintenance on MD 4 and MD 231 Bridges in Southern Maryland

State Highway Administration Performs Routine Maintenance on MD 4 and MD 231 Bridges in Southern Maryland

The Maryland State Highway Administration will perform routine maintenance on two bridges over the Patuxent River in southern Maryland this month. Maintenance crews will clean the bridge grates and drains along the MD 4 (Governor Thomas Johnson) Bridge on Sunday April 21, and then will work along the MD 231 (Benedict) Bridge on Sunday,...
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Charles County Public School Applications Open for Maryland Corps/Service Year Option Program for 18 and Older

Charles County Public School Applications Open for Maryland Corps/Service Year Option Program for 18 and Older

Applications are open for the Maryland Corps and the Service Year Option Program, two streams of service created by Gov. Wes Moore’s administration as part of its commitment to public service. The programs were launched last year when the state’s newly created Department of Service and Civic Innovation piloted the service pathway to education...
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UPDATE: Man Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Car Crash in Nanjemoy That Killed 20-Year-Old Woman

UPDATE: Man Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Car Crash in Nanjemoy That Killed 20-Year-Old Woman

UPDATE 4/19/2024: Tony Covington, State’s Attorney for Charles County, announced that on Wednesday, April 10, 2024, Charles County Circuit Court Judge Makeba Gibbs sentenced Michael Darrell Dukes, 22, to 10 years with all but 18 months suspended in prison for the Gross Negligent Manslaughter of Zkiara Kemp. Dukes will also be on supervised probation...
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La Plata Police Department to Conduct Sobriety Checkpoint on Friday, April 19

La Plata Police Department to Conduct Sobriety Checkpoint on Friday, April 19

The La Plata Police Department will be conducting a Sobriety Checkpoint on Friday, April 19, 2024, 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 and...
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Last Day of School for Charles County Students Set for June 10th; Last Day for Teachers is June 11, 2024

Last Day of School for Charles County Students Set for June 10th; Last Day for Teachers is June 11, 2024

The last day of school for Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) students for the 2023-2024 school year is Monday, June 10. The last day of school for teachers is Tuesday, June 11. These dates are final, barring any unforeseen inclement weather as CCPS still has two inclement weather days left for use if needed....
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Summer Boost and Summer School Set for Charles County Public School Students

Summer Boost and Summer School Set for Charles County Public School Students

Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) is preparing for summer with academic programs such as Summer Boost for elementary school students and Summer School for middle and high school students. High school students who have at least one year of high school under their belt who are looking to get ahead for the upcoming school year...
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