University of Maryland Charles Regional Medical Center (UM Charles Regional), a member organization of the University of Maryland Medical System, has been recognized on Becker’s Hospital Review’s list of the “396 cleanest hospitals” in the nation after earning a 5-star cleanliness rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). UM Charles Regional...
Read More »
UPDATE 5/28/2026: Tony Covington, State’s Attorney for Charles County, announced that on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, Charles County Circuit Court Judge Monise A. Stephenson, following an eight-day jury trial, declared a mistrial in the case against Anthony Dangelo Wilkins regarding the charges of Second-Degree Murder in the death of Miaquita Gray and the Attempted...
Read More »
A pair of FAST PLAY tickets delivered last week’s two biggest Maryland Lottery wins, with a $176,777 progressive jackpot in Willards and another progressive jackpot of $114,257 in Accokeek. FAST PLAY tickets are games that play like scratch-offs, but are printed on-demand by Lottery terminals and vending machines. Select FAST PLAY games have progressive...
Read More »
On Tuesday, May 26, 2026, at approximately 9:23 a.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services were dispatched to the area of the Bradfords Neighborhood Market located at 23860 Hollywood Road in Hollywood, for the reported house on fire. Multiple 911 callers reported smoke coming from the residence. Crews quickly arrived on the scene to find fire...
Read More »
On May 21, 2026, members of the CCSO’s Judicial Services Section assigned to the United States Marshals Service Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force (CARFTF) and detectives from the Criminal Investigations Division arrested Jose Mercedes Pineda-Callejas, age 45, of Riverdale, MD, in connection with multiple sexual offenses involving a minor. Pineda-Callejas had been indicted...
Read More »
Governor Wes Moore announced that the Maryland Energy Administration took the first step toward launching the “Megawatts for Maryland” clean energy auction program and has released a Request for Information seeking stakeholder input. Governor Moore and leaders in the Maryland General Assembly worked together to create the new program, which will speed-up the deployment of large-scale...
Read More »
The Talons Robotics Team represented the College of Southern Maryland (CSM) at the VEX U Robotics World Championship in St. Louis in April, competing among the top college and university teams from around the world. The VEX U Robotics competitions test students’ ability to design, build, program, and operate robots to complete a series...
Read More »
On Thursday, May 21, 2026, at approximately 7:20 p.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the area of Port Tobacco Road and Durham Pointe Place in La Plata, for the serious motor vehicle collision with one trapped. Crews arrived on the scene to locate a single vehicle collision and confirmed one occupant...
Read More »
On May 21, members of the Charles County Sheriff’s Office’s Judicial Services Section assigned to the United States Marshals Service Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force (CARFTF) and detectives from the Criminal Investigations Division arrested Jose Mercedes Pineda-Callejas, age 45, of Riverdale, MD, in connection with multiple sexual offenses involving a minor. Pineda-Callejas had...
Read More »
On May 11, 2026, at approximately 5:46 a.m., officers responded to a residence in the 4600 block of Smallwood Church Road in Indian Head to serve multiple outstanding warrants on Sean Patrick Heckman, 23, of Indian Head. While relatives inside the home told officers they did not know Heckman’s whereabouts, officers conducted a search...
Read More »
On May 4, 2026, patrol officers responded to a reported burglary at the Swan Point Golf Course pro shop in Swan Point, MD. Officers learned that at approximately 9:35 p.m., on May 3, a male suspect forced entry into the business using a pry tool and stole approximately $5,300 worth of golf clubs and...
Read More »
On May 20, 2026, after completing an afternoon bus route transporting students home from Glymont Middle School, a school bus driver noticed that one of the bus seats had been damaged and appeared to have been sliced multiple times with a knife. The damage was reported to school administrators the following morning. On May...
Read More »
UPDATE 5/22/2026: Annaya Lisette Hines, 26, of Waldorf, is facing multiple fraud, identity theft, and theft-related charges after detectives from the Charles County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division said she used stolen personal information to lease an apartment on Talbert Place in Waldorf. Court records show Hines was arrested on May 20, 2026, and...
Read More »
UPDATE 5/22/2026: On May 20, 2026, detectives from the Criminal Investigations Division arrested Annaya Lisette Hines, age 26, shortly after she was released from the Charles County Detention Center on electronic monitoring. Hines had initially been arrested on May 14 on an active warrant. While she was in custody, detectives served her with a...
Read More »
May 20, 2026: Pennsylvania State Police recently concluded “Operation Wrong Place” a three-day undercover sting targeting individuals seeking to sexually exploit children online. Police conducted the operation from May 15 to May 17, which utilized online ads to lure suspects to designated meeting spots where troopers made arrests. Undercover troopers posted ads on a...
Read More »
On May 18, 2026, at approximately 3:39 a.m., an officer from the Charles County Sheriff’s Office initiated a traffic stop on Chicamuxen Road near High Ground Farm Place in Indian Head. The driver slowed but continued traveling for a short distance. During that time, the driver was observed placing items into the back seat...
Read More »
On Tuesday, May 19, 2026, at approximately 6:33 p.m., firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the 13000 block of Sankston Place in Newburg, for the reported hazardous materials investigation with injuries. 911 callers reported a 12-year-old male was conscious alert and breathing after spilling acid on his face. Firefighters arrived on the scene...
Read More »
Thousands of horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus) have started landing on Maryland’s shores this spring for what is believed to be the world’s oldest wildlife migration. Dating back an estimated 350 million years, the annual spawning occurs from May through July, peaking with high tides on or around the full and new moons in June....
Read More »
On Tuesday, May 19, 2026, at approximately 8:15 p.m., police, firefighters, emergency medical services and dive teams responded to the Port Tobacco River in Welcome, for the reported missing person in the water. 911 callers reported a 40-year-old female was last seen in the water with her location currently unknown. Crews arrived on the...
Read More »
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources cautions anyone who encounters a fawn to avoid disturbing it and resist the urge to feed or handle it. Removing deer from the wild and keeping them in captivity is against the law in Maryland in order to protect animal welfare and ensure public safety. Even if no adult deer are...
Read More »
The Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab Winter Dredge Survey, a cooperative effort between the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, estimates a total of 349 million blue crabs in the Chesapeake Bay in 2026, a 46% increase over the estimate of 238 million crabs last year. The survey also estimated...
Read More »
Three Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) Unified track and field teams raced to the winner’s circle earlier this week at the Special Olympics Maryland Unified Track and Field state competition. The teams each took home first place in their respective divisions which are based on the number of students on a team. A combined...
Read More »
The number of wildfires in Maryland in 2025 remained steady but total acres burned nearly doubled, largely due to arson, according to the Maryland Forest Service’s Annual Wildland Fire Report. The report covers wildfires across 3.2 million acres of land overseen by the Maryland Forest Service. In Maryland, 172 wildland fires burned 8,167 acres during...
Read More »
Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) today announces two assistant principal appointments and five assistant principal transfers. The appointments and transfers take effect July 1 and include appointments at the elementary and middle school levels. The following appointments were approved by the Board of Education. Assistant Principal Appointments Melissa Griffith, instructional resource teacher at T.C....
Read More »
St. Mary’s College of Maryland, the National Public Honors College, graduated 400 students with Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts in Teaching degrees during an outdoor ceremony on the College’s Townhouse Green. Alumnus Brandon Scott ’06, Baltimore’s 52nd mayor, delivered the keynote address. In his message, Scott told the Class...
Read More »
