Charles News

Waldorf Felon Sentenced to 16-Years for Murdering His Girlfriend’s Husband

Waldorf Felon Sentenced to 16-Years for Murdering His Girlfriend’s Husband

Keyon Slaughter, 28, of Waldorf, Maryland, was sentenced to 16 years in prison for the December 2022 murder of Dana Bailey, Jr., announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Slaughter pleaded guilty to second-degree murder while armed on June 20, 2025. Slaughter was sentenced on September 12, 2025, by the Honorable Danya Dayson. In addition...
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Court Ruling Ends Vape and Smoke Shop Sales of Hemp Products That Get You High

Court Ruling Ends Vape and Smoke Shop Sales of Hemp Products That Get You High

Maryland’s courts and cannabis regulators have shut down what many people saw as a “hemp loophole.” The Appellate Court of Maryland ruled on September 9 that the state’s cannabis law is valid, that Delta-8 and Delta-10 THC were never legal in Maryland, and that only licensed cannabis dispensaries can sell intoxicating THC products. Days...
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Charles County Commissioners Meeting Update – September 9th, 2025

Charles County Commissioners Meeting Update – September 9th, 2025

Friday, September 12, 2025 – On Tuesday, Sept. 9, Commissioners held their annual Preliminary State Legislative Proposals Public Hearing. The yearly process allows residents and government officials to propose legislation to state legislators to be added to the county’s state legislative package during the 2026 Maryland General Assembly Session. Commissioners heard 23 proposals during the...
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Keep Maryland Beautiful Grant Applications Now Being Accepted for 2026

Keep Maryland Beautiful Grant Applications Now Being Accepted for 2026

The Maryland Environmental Trust in partnership with the Maryland Department of Transportation, Maryland Department of Agriculture, and the Chesapeake Bay Trust are proud to present this year’s Keep Maryland Beautiful Grants program. The deadline to apply is December 1, 2025. About $357,000 is available for this year’s grant round.  The Keep Maryland Beautiful Grants program...
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La Plata VFD Regrets to Announce Passing of Life Member and Past President Luther A. Della, Jr

La Plata VFD Regrets to Announce Passing of Life Member and Past President Luther A. Della, Jr

It is with profound sadness that the La Plata Volunteer Fire Department announces the passing of Life Member and Past President Luther A. Della, Jr. President Della was both figuratively and literally a giant of a man—one whose presence, wisdom, and heart left a lasting mark on everyone who had the privilege of knowing...
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Commercial Vehicle Inspection Detail Conducted in Charles County Results in 33 Violations

Commercial Vehicle Inspection Detail Conducted in Charles County Results in 33 Violations

On September 9, 2025, the Charles County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Operations Unit, the Maryland Transportation Authority Police, and the Field Enforcement Bureau of the Comptroller of Maryland conducted a commercial vehicle inspection detail at 3220 Mattawoman Beantown Road in Waldorf. Officers inspected 35 vehicles, issued 33 violations, and placed 5 vehicles and 3 drivers...
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Jackpot Chasers in Charles County Miss Massive Money by One, but Win $150K

Jackpot Chasers in Charles County Miss Massive Money by One, but Win $150K

A lottery team who work together whenever a climbing jackpot makes the news are well pleased having won more than $150,000, even though they – like millions of other Americans – were dreaming about a much larger prize. It was Powerball’s near-historic jackpot roll, which topped out at $1.7 billion, that inspired their recent...
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13-Year-Old Flown to Children’s Center After Being Struck by Vehicle in Waldorf

13-Year-Old Flown to Children’s Center After Being Struck by Vehicle in Waldorf

On Thursday, September 11, 2025, at approximately 7:48 p.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the area of St Charles Parkway and Post Office Road in Waldorf, for the reported motor vehicle collision involving a pedestrian. As fire and rescue personnel arrived on the scene, First Responders reported the striking vehicle was...
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Maryland’s Early Teal Season Opens September 18, 2025

Maryland’s Early Teal Season Opens September 18, 2025

Maryland’s September teal-only hunting season will be open from Sept. 18 through Sept. 27 in the September Teal Hunting Zone. Shooting hours are one half-hour before sunrise until sunset, the daily bag limit is six teal (blue or green-winged), and the possession limit is 18 teal, or three times the daily bag limit. Seasons and...
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Governor, Comptroller Highlight Importance of Increasing Housing Supply in Maryland

Governor, Comptroller Highlight Importance of Increasing Housing Supply in Maryland

Comptroller Brooke E. Lierman joined Governor Wes Moore in approving more than $782 million today during a meeting of the Board of Public Works. Treasurer Dereck E. Davis was unable to attend. During the meeting, Governor Moore highlighted his recent executive order directing state agencies to invest in strategies that will increase housing production in Maryland. The Board of...
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Police Seeking Whereabouts of First Degree Assault Suspect Who Is Possibly Armed with Handgun

Police Seeking Whereabouts of First Degree Assault Suspect Who Is Possibly Armed with Handgun

The Charles County Sheriff’s Office Domestic Violence Unit is seeking the public’s help locating Rome Delmar Watkins, 27, of Waldorf, who is wanted in connection with an assault involving a handgun. On Sunday, April 20, 2025, Watkins assaulted a woman inside a residence after being asked to leave. During the assault, Watkins reportedly choked...
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Sports Wagering Contributes $9 Million to the State During August 2025

Sports Wagering Contributes $9 Million to the State During August 2025

Maryland’s sports wagering market generated $9,039,368 in contributions to the state during August 2025. Sports bettors in Maryland wagered $434,220,458 during the month and won back $381,761,359 in prizes. Sportsbook operators held 12.1% of the handle. Retail sports wagering operators contribute 15% of their taxable proceeds to the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future Fund, which...
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Man Flown to Trauma Center With Life-Threatening Injuries After Vehicle Strikes Tree in Indian Head

Man Flown to Trauma Center With Life-Threatening Injuries After Vehicle Strikes Tree in Indian Head

On Tuesday, September 9, 2025, at approximately 10:20 a.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the area of Chicamuxen Road and Stump Neck Road in Indian Head, for the reported motor vehicle collision with one unconscious. 911 callers reported a single vehicle was off the roadway and into a tree with the...
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CSM Recognizes Graduates of Seven Healthcare Career Programs

CSM Recognizes Graduates of Seven Healthcare Career Programs

The College of Southern Maryland (CSM) recognized 46 students on August 28, 2025, for completing programs that prepare them to step directly into critical healthcare roles. These graduates earned credentials across seven high-demand fields, helping meet a growing regional and national need for skilled professionals. “Tonight, we celebrate students who completed their programs with...
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14 Charles County Students Earn Scholarships Through Local Juneteenth Foundation

14 Charles County Students Earn Scholarships Through Local Juneteenth Foundation

Fourteen Charles County high school graduates from the Class of 2025 were recently awarded scholarships through the Charles County Juneteenth Foundation Inc. The foundation is a nonprofit organization with a mission to provide educational opportunities about Juneteenth and its history, bring awareness to the rich African American heritage of Charles County, provide scholarship opportunities...
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UPDATE: Brandywine Man Sentenced to 40 Years After Violent Crime Spree in Charles and St. Mary’s County Involving Armed Carjacking, Home Invasion and High Speed Pursuits

UPDATE: Brandywine Man Sentenced to 40 Years After Violent Crime Spree in Charles and St. Mary’s County Involving Armed Carjacking, Home Invasion and High Speed Pursuits

UPDATE 9/10/2025: Tony Covington, State’s Attorney for Charles County, announced that on Thursday, September 4, 2025, Charles County Circuit Court Judge Donine Carrington Martin sentenced Kenneth Tyrell Wade-Greene, 35, to 40 years in prison for three counts of Second-Degree Assault, Attempted Robbery, and Possession of a Firearm with a Felony Conviction. Upon release, Wade-Greene...
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Joint Base Andrews Air Show – Saturday and Sunday September 13th, and 14th, 2025

Joint Base Andrews Air Show – Saturday and Sunday September 13th, and 14th, 2025

The 2025 Joint Base Andrews Air Show will open its gates on Saturday, September 13, and Sunday, September 14, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. The event is free to attend, requires no tickets, and is expected to draw more than 100,000 visitors from across the National Capital Region. The theme of...
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Maryland Governor Wes Moore Announces 2026 Re-Election Campaign

Maryland Governor Wes Moore Announces 2026 Re-Election Campaign

In a video released Tuesday, September 9th, 2025, Wes Moore announced he is running for Re-Election. “Marylanders need a governor who will continue to look out for them and stand up for our jobs, our health care, and our rights.” “While we stand up for middle-class Marylanders, the president of the United States is bending...
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Maryland Comptroller Releases Analysis of Federal Tax Changes

Maryland Comptroller Releases Analysis of Federal Tax Changes

The Maryland Comptroller’s Office today released the 60-Day Report, an analysis of P.L 119-21 (One Big Beautiful Bill Act ) and its expected impact on revenue administration and collection in Maryland. The Bureau of Revenue Estimates projects an estimated $189.3 million reduction in general fund revenue between fiscal year 2026 ($117.9 million) and fiscal year...
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Imagination Library of Charles County Program Celebrates Over 100,000 Books Gifted

Imagination Library of Charles County Program Celebrates Over 100,000 Books Gifted

The Charles County Public Library (CCPL) is proud to announce a major milestone for its Imagination Library of Charles County program. As of July 2025, the program has officially mailed over 100,000 free books to children under five in Charles County. Launched in partnership with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library and the Southern Maryland Regional...
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Two 14-Year-Old Westlake High School Students Charged with Theft, Assault

Two 14-Year-Old Westlake High School Students Charged with Theft, Assault

On Wednesday, September 3, 2025, shortly after 1 p.m., school administrators at Westlake High School were made aware of a reported theft and assault that occurred inside the school. The victim was standing near a school bathroom when one student grabbed a ski mask from the victim’s head and ran into the bathroom. The...
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Maryland State Police Arrest Three; Seize Multiple Firearms, Following Maryland Car Rally Task Force Investigation

Maryland State Police Arrest Three; Seize Multiple Firearms, Following Maryland Car Rally Task Force Investigation

Maryland State Police arrested a Prince George’s County man and two Charles County men, seizing multiple firearms, following a Maryland Car Rally Task Force investigation. The accused are identified as Malachi James, 21, of Temple Hills; Khadeem George, 20, and Kareem Isaroon, 50, both of Indian Head, Maryland. James was charged with unlawful taking...
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UPDATE: Woman Killed, Driver Flown to Trauma Center After UTV Crash in Port Tobacco

UPDATE: Woman Killed, Driver Flown to Trauma Center After UTV Crash in Port Tobacco

UPDATE 9/8/2025: On Friday, September 5, 2025, at approximately 11:30 p.m., officers from the Charles County Sheriff’s Office responded to a motor vehicle collision involving a UTV. The initial investigation revealed the driver of the UTV was traveling eastbound in the 7600 block of Carol Road in Port Tobacco when, for unknown reasons, the...
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Charles County Cold Case Murder of Karen Wills, 20 Year-Old Waldorf Woman

Charles County Cold Case Murder of Karen Wills, 20 Year-Old Waldorf Woman

On September 4, 2001 at approximately 1:30am, officers with the Charles County Sheriff’s Office responded to a residence on Kings Warf Place in the Wakefield subdivision of Waldorf, for the report of a shooting. Upon arrival, officers located the victim inside the residence, suffering from a gunshot wound. The victim was identified as of...
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Police Investigating Serious Crash in Waldorf That Sends Two Adults, One Child to Trauma Centers

Police Investigating Serious Crash in Waldorf That Sends Two Adults, One Child to Trauma Centers

On Sunday, September 7, 2025, at approximately 1:10 p.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to 2855 Crain Highway in Waldorf, for the reported motor vehicle collision with possible ejection. Dispatchers advised they received multiple 911 calls reporting a serious motor vehicle collision with one male victim laying in the roadway. Crews arrived...
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