For the third straight year, the nationwide Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) and the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility, also known as Responsibility.org, have awarded the Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration’s (MDOT MVA) Highway Safety Office with a grant to support the state’s efforts to prevent motor vehicle crashes involving drug-impaired drivers....
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Parents and guardians who need assistance in registering their child to attend Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) can get in-person help at select schools. Due to employee work schedules during the summer, some schools do not have a dedicated staff member to process registrations. While parents and guardians can complete the registration process online...
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Governor Larry Hogan announced the appointment of Christopher Mincher to serve as Chief Legal Counsel, succeeding Michael Pedone, who has served in the post since February 2020. Pedone will return to practicing law in the private sector. The governor is also naming Heather Shek, currently Director of the Office of Governmental Affairs for the Maryland Department of Health,...
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On Thursday, July 7, 2022, members of the Charles County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Enforcement Section, with assistance from the CCSO Emergency Services Team, Special Operations Division, and K9, served a search warrant at a house in the 9500 block of Kline Drive in La Plata. A resident of the home, James Leroy Brown, III,...
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On Friday, July 8, 2022, as a result of an ongoing investigation into drug distribution allegations, members of the Charles County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Enforcement Section, with assistance from Emergency Services Teams from the Charles County Sheriff’s Office and the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office, served a search warrant in the 5400 block of...
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A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging nine defendants in relation to a Maryland and California CARES Act COVID-19 unemployment insurance scheme. The indictment charges the defendants with wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and theft of United States Postal Office arrow keys. The indictment was returned on June 21, 2022, and unsealed...
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On Wednesday, July 13, 2022, at approximately 1:03 a.m., firefighters from St. Mary’s and Charles County responded to the 36000 block of Army Navy Drive in Mechanicsville, for the reported structure on fire. A firefighter who lives in the neighborhood responded and located two large sheds on fire with exposure to a third large...
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Following an announcement made earlier this summer by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), the Lunch on Us program is pivoting to a curbside meal distribution model. The free meal program is an attempt to ensure all children ages 2 to 18 are receiving meals over...
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On Friday, July 8, 2022, at approximately 5:50 a.m., police responded to 12065 Forgotten Farm Place in Waldorf, for the reported vehicle fire reported out. Officers arrived on the scene to find a 2-door Infiniti G35 sedan completely burnt that had self-extinguished. The owner is identified as Tyrone Holmes with the estimated loss at...
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Charles County Youth Orchestra’s Secret Garden concerts in the beautiful Meditation Garden of Christ Church (112 Charles Street, across from the courthouse) this summer will be held on three consecutive Saturdays, July 16, 23, and 30 at 8:00 p.m. The concerts will include performances by student ensembles who are participants at this year’s CCYO...
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Governor Larry Hogan and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced the award of $18.8 million to 22 ecological restoration projects that will improve water quality and habitat in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, while building local resilience to climate impacts. These awards encompass 77 unique sites that will be restored using best management...
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Just as the members of the College of Southern Maryland (CSM) Hawks golf team took top honors this year, CSM’s Vice President of Student Equity and Success Tracy Harris won the first-place medal in the Senior Family Division at the Veterans Golf Association (VGA) tournament held in Orangeburg, S.C. June 27. The VGA is...
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Governor Larry Hogan today announced that, through the state’s Connect Maryland initiative, the Office of Statewide Broadband has awarded more than $127.6 million to local jurisdictions, Internet Service Providers, educational, and community organizations to increase high-speed internet access and affordability. The funding will help provide broadband service to an estimated 15,000 households that are currently unserved...
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On July 6, 2022, at 9:58 a.m., a student attending a summer school program at Westlake High School lit a non-aerial firework in the main lobby of the school. As a result, officers from the Charles County Sheriff’s Office and school staff evacuated the building due to smoke. Once it was determined to be...
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On June 28, 2022, at 8:00 p.m., officers from the Charles County Sheriff’s Office responded to a neighborhood in the 2600 block of Poplar Court in Waldorf for the report of an domestic dispute. While in route, officers learned a woman involved in the dispute had three open warrants for failing to appear in...
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Governor Larry Hogan awarded a record $122.5 million in funding under the State Aid for Police Protection (SAPP) program. As a key plank of the governor’s Re-Fund The Police Initiative, the funding provides police officers with expanded resources to support operational costs and to help keep communities safe. “Prioritized by our budget, this record 60% increase...
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On Wednesday, July 6, 2022, at 9:58 a.m., a student attending a summer school program at Westlake High School lit a non-aerial firework in the main lobby of the school. As a result, officers and staff evacuated the building due to smoke. Once it was determined to be safe, students returned inside the building....
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UPDATE 7/5/2022: On July 2, at 6:17 p.m., officers responded to the area of Poorhouse Road and Glasgow Lane in Port Tobacco for the report of a single vehicle crash. When officers arrived, they found a vehicle that had crashed into several trees. The driver, John Walter Knott, 52, of Nanjemoy, was pronounced deceased...
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Governor Larry Hogan today issued the following statement: “Over the course of my administration, I have consistently supported the right of law-abiding citizens to own and carry firearms, while enacting responsible and common sense measures to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and the mentally ill. “Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court...
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On Sunday, June 26, 2022, Deputies from the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office responded to Persimmon Creek Road in Mechanicsville, after a resident found anti-Semitism items in their mailbox. A resident in Charles County posted the following photo below, stating they found it in their yard on Sunday morning. Numerous SMNEWSNET readers have contacted...
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Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative (SMECO) is refunding members’ capital credits totaling nearly $7.1 million. Of that total, a general refund of approximately $4.7 million will be issued in July. Eligible active members will receive credits on their bills, and checks will be issued to eligible former members. Special refunds of about $2.4 million will...
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The number of vehicle thefts in Maryland declined for the fourth straight year in 2020. However, work continues by the Maryland State Police, allied law enforcement agencies and the Maryland Vehicle Theft Prevention Council to reduce those rates even further in upcoming years. This come as July is National Vehicle Theft Prevention Month. In...
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Maryland’s waterways are expected to be crowded this weekend, and officials from federal, state, and local law enforcement and water rescue are working to make sure the fun is not mixed with tragedy. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources joined with the U.S. Coast Guard and Anne Arundel County Fire Department to send this...
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As Marylanders prepare to celebrate the Fourth of July holiday, the Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration (MDOT MVA) and law enforcement officials are reminding motorists to stay safe and help protect others by designating a sober ride home. At an event Wednesday at the Maryland State Police (MSP) barrack in Howard County,...
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In response to numerous citizen complaints regarding off-road vehicles (ATVs & dirt bikes) operating recklessly in the roadways, the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Unit conducted a special enforcement effort on Wednesday, June 29, 2022, in Waldorf. Officers were made aware that off-road vehicles were being operated recklessly in the area of St. Thomas...
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