Charles News

14-Year-Old Charged After Setting Fire Inside Mattawoman Middle School, Police Recover Water Bottles Filled with Light Fluid and Gasoline

14-Year-Old Charged After Setting Fire Inside Mattawoman Middle School, Police Recover Water Bottles Filled with Light Fluid and Gasoline

The Office of the State Fire Marshal charged a juvenile after determining he was responsible for intentionally setting a fire inside a bathroom trash container at Mattawoman Middle School in Waldorf. Thursday, February 5, 2026, around 8:25 a.m., police and firefighters responded to the school due to a trashcan set on fire. A short...
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Southern Maryland Equine Seminar: Taking Care of You & Your Horse – Just $10 for All Day Event Seminar!

Southern Maryland Equine Seminar: Taking Care of You & Your Horse – Just $10 for All Day Event Seminar!

The Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission (SMADC), a division of the Tri-County Council for Southern Maryland, will host the 2026 Southern Maryland Equine Seminar: Taking Care of You & Your Horse. The event runs from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Charles County Soil Conservation District Office, 4200 Gardiner Road, Waldorf, MD 20601....
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Waldorf Woman Arrested After Stabbing Boyfriend in Face, Victim Transported to Trauma Center

Waldorf Woman Arrested After Stabbing Boyfriend in Face, Victim Transported to Trauma Center

On Sunday, February 8, 2026, at approximately 10:43 a.m., police and emergency medical services responded to Westwood Drive in Waldorf, for the reported stabbing. 911 callers reported a adult male was stabbed in the face by his girlfriend, with the suspect attempting to leave. Crews arrived on the scene to find the male victim...
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DOJ Civil Rights Investigator Arrested in Charles County on Handgun Charges After Traffic Stop

DOJ Civil Rights Investigator Arrested in Charles County on Handgun Charges After Traffic Stop

Earl Henry Saunders, 59, of Clinton, is facing two misdemeanor firearm charges following a traffic stop in Charles County on February 1, 2026, according to court documents. Saunders is charged with having a loaded handgun on his person and transporting a handgun in a vehicle. According to charging documents, the arrest occurred at about...
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No Injuries Reported, Neighbor Saves Dog After Fire Destroys 5th Wheel Camper in Clements

No Injuries Reported, Neighbor Saves Dog After Fire Destroys 5th Wheel Camper in Clements

On Friday, February 6, 2026, at approximately 5:05 p.m., firefighters from Seventh District, Leonardtown, Hollywood, Mechanicsville and Charles County responded to the 24000 block of Horse Shoe Road in Clements, for the reported structure fire. 911 callers reported a camper was on fire with the fire threatening nearby exposures. Crews arrived on the scene...
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Montgomery County Man Arrested in St. Mary’s County After Pursuit Involving Stolen Tractor-Trailer

Montgomery County Man Arrested in St. Mary’s County After Pursuit Involving Stolen Tractor-Trailer

On Thursday, February 5, 2026, at 2:00 a.m., a patrol officer was flagged down in the area of Ell Lane and Route 5 in Waldorf, by a person reporting their 2015 Kenworth truck tractor, without the trailer, had been stolen and was actively being tracked through a GPS device. The victim advised that the...
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Firefighters from Calvert, Charles, Anne Arundel and St. Mary’s County Respond to Working House Fire in Prince Frederick

Firefighters from Calvert, Charles, Anne Arundel and St. Mary’s County Respond to Working House Fire in Prince Frederick

On Saturday, February 7, 2026, at approximately 10:26 a.m., firefighters from Price Frederick and surrounding departments were dispatched to the 4000 block of Sparkleberry Court in Prince Frederick, for the working structure fire. 911 dispatchers advised they were receiving multiple calls reporting the house is on fire, with the homeowner reporting all occupants and...
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High Wind Warning and Cold Weather Advisory Issued for Southern Maryland Region

High Wind Warning and Cold Weather Advisory Issued for Southern Maryland Region

UPDATE 2/7/2026: High wind warning remains in effect until 7pm this evening, with cold weather advisory remaining in effect until 10 am Sunday morning. WHAT…For the High Wind Warning, northwest winds 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 60 mph expected. For the Cold Weather Advisory, very cold wind chills as low as 7...
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Free Trees Available for Maryland’s ‘Backyard Buffers’

Free Trees Available for Maryland’s ‘Backyard Buffers’

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is offering free tree seedlings to landowners statewide who have a creek, drainage ditch, stream, or other waterway on or near their property through the Backyard Buffers program, Each “buffer in a bag” includes 20-30 native tree and shrub bare-root seedlings, approximately 1 to 2 feet in height. Maryland Forest Service staff...
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UPDATE: Woman Sentenced to Just 3-Years After High Speed DUI Crash Kills Three Young Men

UPDATE: Woman Sentenced to Just 3-Years After High Speed DUI Crash Kills Three Young Men

UPDATE 2/5/2026: Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Tara Jackson has announced that 25-year-old Cori Clingman has been sentenced to 15 years in prison, suspending all but 3 years, after being convicted of three counts of negligent homicide under the influence of alcohol. In July 2024, Clingman and the victims, 24-year-old Khyree Jackson, 23-year-old Isaiah...
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3-Year-Old Flown to Children’s Center with Serious Injuries After Falling from 2nd Floor Window in Charles County

3-Year-Old Flown to Children’s Center with Serious Injuries After Falling from 2nd Floor Window in Charles County

On Wednesday, February 4, 2026, at approximately 7:05 p.m., emergency medical services responded to Cabinwood Court in Indian Head, for the reported injuries after a fall. 911 callers reported a 3-year-old female fell from the homes second floor window, with the child being conscious but not alert. Crews arrived on the scene to find...
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Governor Moore Announces $79 Million in Federal Funding to Expand High Speed Internet Access

Governor Moore Announces $79 Million in Federal Funding to Expand High Speed Internet Access

Governor Wes Moore today announced that the United States Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration has approved Maryland’s Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) plan. The approval enables the State to access $79.1 million in federal funding to support the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development’s Connect Maryland initiative to provide all...
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$6.9 Million Awarded to Partners for Chesapeake Bay Watershed Conservation

$6.9 Million Awarded to Partners for Chesapeake Bay Watershed Conservation

Today, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in partnership with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, announced $6.9 million in funding from the Chesapeake Watershed Investments in Landscape Defense (Chesapeake WILD) Program to support 33 partner-led conservation projects in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The grants will generate $6 million in matching contributions, resulting in...
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Maryland Traffic Fatalities Drop in 2025, Reaching Decade-Low Levels

Maryland Traffic Fatalities Drop in 2025, Reaching Decade-Low Levels

Governor Wes Moore today announced significant progress toward safer roads in Maryland in 2025, with traffic fatalities falling by approximately 18% statewide, according to preliminary data. Motor vehicle crash deaths declined from 582 in 2024 to 480 in 2025, marking the first time fatalities have fallen below 500 since 2014. “There is no greater...
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Former Maryland Blue Crab Andrew Thurman Signed by San Diego Padres

Former Maryland Blue Crab Andrew Thurman Signed by San Diego Padres

Former Blue Crabs pitcher Andrew Thurman has been signed by the San Diego Padres after making his professional comeback with the Blue Crabs this past season. Thurman had not pitched professionally since 2017 before taking the mound to begin the Atlantic League season in 2025 with Southern Maryland. The former second round pick (40th overall)...
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Yes, Gas Delivery Is a Thing—and It’s Local

Yes, Gas Delivery Is a Thing—and It’s Local

Did You Know Southern Maryland Has a Mobile Fuel Delivery Service? Most of us are used to planning our day around gas station stops. But many people don’t realize that right here in Southern Maryland, there’s a local company that will actually bring the fuel to you. S J Johnson Mobile Fuel Service is quietly serving businesses...
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Governor Moore Announces Maryland Overdose Deaths Falling for Fourth Straight Year, Reaching 10-Year Low

Governor Moore Announces Maryland Overdose Deaths Falling for Fourth Straight Year, Reaching 10-Year Low

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Governor Wes Moore today announced the latest provisional data from Maryland’s Overdose Data Dashboard, which show that drug overdose deaths decreased by 26 percent last year—marking the fourth consecutive year of reported decreases in the state. There were 1,315 overdose deaths in the state in 2025, representing the lowest level seen in the...
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Four Displaced After Candle Ignites Late Night House Fire Sending 11-Year-Old and 14-Year-Old to Hospital

Four Displaced After Candle Ignites Late Night House Fire Sending 11-Year-Old and 14-Year-Old to Hospital

On Sunday, February 1, 2026, at approximately 10:23 p.m., firefighters from Waldorf and surrounding departments responded to the 10 block of Marshall Road in Waldorf, for the reported house on fire. 911 callers reported a bedroom was on fire, with all occupants out of the residence. Crews arrived on the scene within minutes of...
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Charles County First Responders Rescue Multiple Dogs Due to Icy Conditions

Charles County First Responders Rescue Multiple Dogs Due to Icy Conditions

On Tuesday, January 27, 2026, at 6:30 p.m., firefighters responded to Oakridge Court in Newburg, for the reported animal rescue. 911 callers reported a dog stuck at the bottom of an incline in their backyard. Firefighters arrived on the scene to find the entire backyard was a sheet of ice, with the dog stuck...
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Former General Services Administration Employee Pleads Guilty to Bribery Conspiracy

Former General Services Administration Employee Pleads Guilty to Bribery Conspiracy

A former General Services Administration (GSA) contracting officer’s representative pled guilty today, for his role in agreeing to accept bribes from construction companies. Lennie Lamont Miller, 60, of Brandywine, Maryland, pled guilty to two counts of conspiracy to commit bribery of a federal official. According to his guilty plea, Miller conspired with Christopher Brackins,...
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Multiple Vehicles Damaged After Ice Flies Off Uncleaned Car; One Officer Injured After Ice Strikes Police Cruisers Windshield

Multiple Vehicles Damaged After Ice Flies Off Uncleaned Car; One Officer Injured After Ice Strikes Police Cruisers Windshield

The Anne Arundel County Sheriff’s Office released the following information on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, This morning, one of our deputies was traveling on Interstate 97 when a large sheet of ice slid off another vehicle and struck his windshield, causing it to shatter. Despite the impact, the deputy was able to maintain control...
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Indian Head House Destroyed, One Firefighter Injured and Homeowner Burned; Ice Hampers First Responders Response

Indian Head House Destroyed, One Firefighter Injured and Homeowner Burned; Ice Hampers First Responders Response

On Thursday, January 29, 2026, at approximately 4:00 a.m., firefighters from the Tenth District Volunteer Fire Department and surrounding departments responded to 5450 Powerline Place in Indian Head, for the reported house on fire. 911 callers reported the house was on fire with all occupants attempting to evacuate. Within 5 minutes of the initial...
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One Displaced After Bryans Road House Fire, No Injuries Reported and Fire Remains Under Investigation

One Displaced After Bryans Road House Fire, No Injuries Reported and Fire Remains Under Investigation

On Wednesday, January 28, 2026, at approximately 10:20 p.m., firefighters from the Bryans Road Volunteer Fire Department and surrounding departments responded to the 6700 block of McCormick Drive in Bryans Road, for the reported garage on fire. Multiple 911 callers reported fire showing from the attached garage with all occupants accounted for and out...
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St. Mary’s and Charles County Schools CLOSED – Calvert Opening on 2 Hour Delay for January 29th, 2026

St. Mary’s and Charles County Schools CLOSED – Calvert Opening on 2 Hour Delay for January 29th, 2026

St. Mary’s County – Schools Closed – Code 4 for Staff – January 29, 2026 Prince George’s County – Thursday, January 29 and Friday, January 30, 2026 | CODE YELLOW | Schools are closed. All Offices are closed. Emergency personnel only must report to work. Meal distribution will open… Anne Arundel County – Due to continuing...
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Bryans Road Volunteers Rescue Dog Stuck at Bottom of Icy Hill

Bryans Road Volunteers Rescue Dog Stuck at Bottom of Icy Hill

On Wednesday, January 28, 2026, at approximately 9:45 a.m., firefighters responded to Dakota Street in Bryans Road, for the reported animal rescue. 911 callers reported their dog was stuck on the ice and needed assistance. Firefighters from the Bryans Road VFD responded and found the small dog at the bottom of a icy hill....
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