County

Maryland Comptroller’s Office Launches New System to Modernize Unclaimed Property Process

Maryland Comptroller’s Office Launches New System to Modernize Unclaimed Property Process

Maryland Comptroller Brooke E. Lierman announced today the launch of a modernized unclaimed property website and system that will make it easier for residents to reclaim their lost assets. The upgraded platform replaces a mainframe system that had been in use for decades with a contemporary cloud-based solution, allowing Marylanders to submit claims online...
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St. Mary’s County Health Department and University of Maryland School of Public Health Launch Partnership to Strengthen Community Well-being and Public Health Workforce

St. Mary’s County Health Department and University of Maryland School of Public Health Launch Partnership to Strengthen Community Well-being and Public Health Workforce

The St. Mary’s County Health Department (SMCHD) and the University of Maryland School of Public Health are proud to announce a new academic health department partnership aimed at improving public health outcomes, strengthening the local public health workforce, and advancing learning opportunities in the region. The Academic Health Department model serves as a bridge between...
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Chesapeake Bay 2025 Young-of-Year Striped Bass Survey Results

Chesapeake Bay 2025 Young-of-Year Striped Bass Survey Results

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) 2025 juvenile striped bass survey recorded a young-of-year index of 4.0. This is an improvement over recent years, but still well below the long-term survey average of 11. This marks the seventh consecutive year of low spawning success for striped bass. The annual survey tracks the reproductive...
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Skimmer Facing Charges in Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania After Multiple Investigations

Skimmer Facing Charges in Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania After Multiple Investigations

On October 8th, 2025, the Mount Vernon Police District in Fairfax County, VA, released the following information. They identified the suspect as Marko Puskas, 40, of no fixed address. Detectives from our Financial Crimes Unit uncovered a credit card skimming operation that targeted ATMs and payment devices inside stores across the Richmond Highway corridor,...
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Documents Show Szechuan Garden’s Long History of Violations Before Health Department Shutdown

Documents Show Szechuan Garden’s Long History of Violations Before Health Department Shutdown

SMNEWSNET.COM filed a Maryland Public Information Act (MPIA) request with the Maryland Department of Health seeking all food inspection reports from the past 12 months for Szechuan Garden, located at 11149 Mall Circle in Waldorf. Those records reveal a long pattern of violations and state enforcement actions culminating in an emergency suspension of the...
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Leonardtown Man Sentenced to 65-Years in Prison for Sexual Abuse of a Child

Leonardtown Man Sentenced to 65-Years in Prison for Sexual Abuse of a Child

State’s Attorney Jaymi Sterling announced that Crosby Dawson, 42, of Leonardtown, Maryland, was sentenced to 65 years in prison with 35 years of active incarceration, ordered to lifetime sexual offender supervision, and required to register as a sex offender for life, for the sexual abuse and rape of a child. Following a multi-day jury...
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Anne Arundel County Angler Breaks State Record for Pompano Dolphinfish, Earns Master Angler Award in Same Week

Anne Arundel County Angler Breaks State Record for Pompano Dolphinfish, Earns Master Angler Award in Same Week

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has officially recognized James L. Frazetti Jr. of Crownsville with a state record for a 7-pound, 8-ounce pompano dolphinfish (Coryphaena equiselis) and also as recipient of a FishMaryland Master Angler Award. Frazetti is a saltwater and offshore fishing specialist who says fishing the blue water offshore is his...
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UPDATE: Juvenile Identified After Indecent Exposure Caught on Camera in Waldorf

UPDATE: Juvenile Identified After Indecent Exposure Caught on Camera in Waldorf

CCSO UPDATE 10/14/2025: The individual previously shown in this post has been identified. The image has been removed as the subject is a juvenile. The individual voluntarily contacted police after seeing the photo circulating on social media. We are continuing to investigate. We appreciate the public’s assistance in this matter. 10/14/2025: On October 11,...
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Waldorf Man Facing Four Separate Criminal Cases in Charles County Including Assault, Identity Fraud, Drug Charges, and Theft

Waldorf Man Facing Four Separate Criminal Cases in Charles County Including Assault, Identity Fraud, Drug Charges, and Theft

Jerome Anthony Warren, 64, of Waldorf, is currently facing criminal charges in four separate cases in Charles County District Court. The charges span from September 2024 through September 2025 and include multiple counts of assault, fraud, drug possession, trespassing, and theft. Charging documents reveal a pattern of alleged confrontations with law enforcement, correctional staff,...
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Lexington Park Man Charged with Indecent Exposure After Incident in Leonardtown

Lexington Park Man Charged with Indecent Exposure After Incident in Leonardtown

Glenn Rodney Battle, 39, of Lexington Park, has been charged with indecent exposure and malicious destruction of property after a reported incident on October 11, 2025, on Lawrence Avenue in Leonardtown, according to charging documents filed by the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office. Deputy Rachael Roszell responded to the 22000 block of Lawrence Avenue...
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Waldorf Man Sentenced to 65 Years in Prison for Sexual Abuse of a Minor

Waldorf Man Sentenced to 65 Years in Prison for Sexual Abuse of a Minor

On October 10, 2025, Daniel Joseph Bliss, 42, of Waldorf, pleaded guilty in Calvert County Circuit Court to 3 counts of second degree rape and 1 count of sexual abuse of a minor. Judge Mark S. Chandlee sentenced Mr. Bliss to 65 years of active incarceration, followed by probation with the requirement of lifetime...
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No Injuries Reported, Building Inspector Requested After Vehicle Strikes Nick’s of Clinton in Waldorf

No Injuries Reported, Building Inspector Requested After Vehicle Strikes Nick’s of Clinton in Waldorf

On Tuesday, October 14, 2025, at approximately 1:25 p.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the Nick’s of Clinton located at 3953 St Charles Parkway in Waldorf, for the reported motor vehicle collision involving the structure. 911 callers reported a vehicle struck the side of the building resulting in damage inside, with...
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Calvert County Opioid Restitution Fund Grant Application Process Now Open

Calvert County Opioid Restitution Fund Grant Application Process Now Open

The Calvert County Department of Community Resources announces the opening of the Calvert County Opioid Restitution Fund (ORF) grant application process. The fund supports local initiatives that address the opioid crisis through prevention, harm reduction, treatment, recovery and public safety strategies. Funding for this program is made possible through statewide opioid restitution settlements and...
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Maryland’s Small Game Seasons Provide Abundant Fall Hunting Opportunities

Maryland’s Small Game Seasons Provide Abundant Fall Hunting Opportunities

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources reminds hunters that squirrel, rabbit, fall turkey, and other small game seasons are either underway or set to open in the coming weeks. Some of these species offer generous seasons and bag limits and are abundant throughout Maryland. “Although many hunters turn their attention to deer during this time of year, small game...
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Calvert County Hosting Free Paper Shredding Events

Calvert County Hosting Free Paper Shredding Events

The Calvert County Department of Public Works, Solid Waste Division, will host free paper shredding events for county residents and businesses. Shredding documents helps prevent identity theft by destroying confidential or sensitive information. The following shred events will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., rain or shine: Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, at...
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Lexington Park Man Ordered Held Without Bond After Drug Distribution Arrest in St. Mary’s County

Lexington Park Man Ordered Held Without Bond After Drug Distribution Arrest in St. Mary’s County

Thomas Emanuel Gross, 39, of Lexington Park, was ordered held without bond following his arrest on felony and misdemeanor drug charges stemming from a search warrant executed earlier this year, according to court documents filed in the District Court for St. Mary’s County. Gross faces four charges: one felony count of possession with intent...
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St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Limits Access to Public Information, Favoring Facebook Over the Public

St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Limits Access to Public Information, Favoring Facebook Over the Public

UPDATE: Prior to publishing our recent article on transparency, SMNEWSNET.COM filed two formal complaints with the Maryland Office of the Public Access Ombudsman against the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office for withholding public information. The Ombudsman reviewed our complaints and found them valid for mediation — a process designed to resolve disputes through open...
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Pursuit of Justice – Police Seeking Any Information in Murder of 14-Year-Old Sterling Emmanuel Settle

Pursuit of Justice – Police Seeking Any Information in Murder of 14-Year-Old Sterling Emmanuel Settle

Pursuit of Justice – Charles County Sheriff’s Office Cold Case Files – Sterling Settle, Jr. On October 13, 1995, at approximately 4:00 p.m.,, officers with the Charles County Sheriff’s Office responded to a logging road off Covington Road in Brandywine, for the report of a deceased male. Officers located the male, identified as Sterling...
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61-Year-Old Male Run Over by Wife After Domestic Incident in Indian Head, Police Investigating

61-Year-Old Male Run Over by Wife After Domestic Incident in Indian Head, Police Investigating

On Sunday, October 12, 2025, at approximately 7:15 p.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the 4000 block of Doncaster Drive in Indian Head, for the reported pedestrian struck by a vehicle. The 911 caller — identified as an adult female — told dispatchers that she and her husband had been involved...
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PHOTOS: Police Investigating Hit and Run in Mechanicsville That Sends Two to Hospital

PHOTOS: Police Investigating Hit and Run in Mechanicsville That Sends Two to Hospital

On October 10, 2025, at approximately 9:23 p.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the area of the Maryland International Raceway in Mechanicsville, for the reported motor vehicle collision with injuries. Crews arrived on the scene to find a two vehicle rear-end style collision with the striking vehicle having fled the scene....
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Calvert County to Host Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025

Calvert County to Host Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025

Calvert County will participate in National Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, Oct. 25, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Southern Community Center, located at 20 Appeal Lane in Lusby, and the Northeast Community Center, located at 4075 Gordon Stinnett Ave. in Chesapeake Beach. Residents are encouraged to safely dispose of unused...
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Two Charles County Nonprofit Groups Awarded Unrestricted Grants from 2025 NBCUniversal

Two Charles County Nonprofit Groups Awarded Unrestricted Grants from 2025 NBCUniversal

NBC4 Washington/WRC-TV, Telemundo 44 Washington/WZDC, and Comcast NBCUniversal announced $227,272 in unrestricted funds were awarded to six local nonprofit organizations through the 2025 NBCUniversal Local Impact Grants. Among this year’s recipients is New Hope Community Outreach Services, a Waldorf-based Non-profit, which received $25,000, and Upward Thrive Academy, Inc, a Charles County non-profit which received...
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NAS Patuxent River Hires First Child and Youth Programs Registered Nurse, Stefania Hoover

NAS Patuxent River Hires First Child and Youth Programs Registered Nurse, Stefania Hoover

NAS Patuxent River is well known for its groundbreaking work in the field of naval aviation. But not far from the airfield and hangars, Pax River’s Child and Youth Programs (CYP) has made history as well, hiring the Navy’s first CYP registered nurse. The new position is a part of a two-year pilot program...
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Using Virtual Reality, Students Help Visualize Climate Change Solutions at Point Lookout State Park

Using Virtual Reality, Students Help Visualize Climate Change Solutions at Point Lookout State Park

You’re on a walkway in a park. You can see trees, a road, a marsh and a coastline against a vibrant blue sky all around you. Then, you hear the toll of a bell. The marsh expands, the water edges up the grass. Another bell and the water creeps up to the base of...
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Prince George’s County Police Department Mourn Passing of Officer Alex Belcher

Prince George’s County Police Department Mourn Passing of Officer Alex Belcher

The Prince George’s County Police family is mourning the loss of Police Officer First Class Alex Belcher #4204. He passed away on October 8, 2025, after a hard-fought medical battle. POFC Belcher was a seven-year veteran of the agency. He spent his entire career serving as a patrol officer in District I – Hyattsville...
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