Effective October 1, 2019, the statewide sales age increases to 21 for all tobacco products, including electronic smoking devices (e-cigarettes, vapes, pod-based devices such as JUUL and their e-liquids, and component parts and accessories). Important changes impacting tobacco sales: There is no “grandfather,” phase-in, or grace period for individuals who are 18 years of age prior to...
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Moving one’s belongings from one place to another is, at best, a hectic process. There are many things to remember, to keep track of and safeguard. Luckily, a Laurel woman had her mother helping with the move and her mom found a forgotten $50,000 winning Powerball ticket. “I almost never buy tickets,” said the...
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U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Gari Terrell Miller, 39, of Clinton, to 9 years in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, and to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. Miller was one of the first defendants charged as...
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The Office of the State Fire Marshal has seen numerous burn injuries as a result of open air burning this month. State Fire Marshal Brian S. Geraci would like to remind residents about the necessary steps to reduce their risk of injury while conducting an open air burn. “Burning a large pile of brush...
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The Maryland Department of Health and Opioid Operational Command Center (OOCC) has released its 2019 second quarter report, which shows that Maryland has experienced its first six-month decline in the total number of opioid-related fatalities in at least a decade. Release of the report comes during National Recovery Month, a time to raise awareness...
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With this week being national Child Passenger Safety Week, Maryland State Police are reminding the public the importance of ensuring that motorists are utilizing the correct car seat and that it is being properly installed and utilized. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 723 children ages 12 and younger died and...
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Cocaine hasn’t received as much attention in recent years, but it is increasingly playing a role in the opioid epidemic, state data show. Despite some good news from the first quarter of this year, cocaine-related deaths have skyrocketed annually in Maryland since 2015, with nearly half of those occurring in Baltimore. The vast majority...
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The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has announced the winners of the 2019 Natural Resources Photo Contest, with the grand prize going to David Illig of Gambrills for his stunning close-up shot of an eastern tiger swallowtail butterfly. This year’s grand prize package includes $500, a Maryland State Parks Passport, a five-year subscription to Maryland Natural Resource...
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Maryland State Police are investigating after a small plane crashed into at least one passenger vehicle on Route 50 Thursday morning in Prince George’s County. Around 11:20 a.m., on Thursday, September 12, 2019, troopers from the Maryland State Police College Park Barrack responded to eastbound Route 50 at Church Road on a report of...
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As part of its ongoing commitment to prevent vehicle crashes and save lives on Maryland roads, the Hogan Administration has announced the statewide distribution of nearly $12 million in federal highway safety funds. The funds will be dispersed by the Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration’s (MDOT MVA) Highway Safety Office to nearly...
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The Maryland Department of Commerce has awarded nine small and mid-sized Maryland companies with ExportMD grants to help promote their products and services in the global marketplace. The ExportMD grant program helps businesses finance the costs of marketing internationally, including trade show fees and travel expenses. Applications are accepted on a monthly basis and...
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On Wednesday, September 11, 2019, at approximately 5:05 p.m., firefighters from Charles, Calvert, Prince George, and St. Mary’s County responded to the area of La Plata Road and Hawkins Gate Road in La Plata, for the reported large fire involving power lines. Firefighters reported an estimated 19 acres were on fire. Charles County Volunteer...
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The Maryland Department of Health (MDH) confirmed the first case of West Nile Virus (WNV) in Maryland this year. The infected individual is an adult living in the National Capital Region in Maryland. MDH routinely tracks and responds to mosquito-borne infections; no other locally acquired arboviral infections have been identified this year. The number...
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As part of our ongoing efforts to improve customer service, the Maryland State Police is proud to announce that the application process for a Maryland Wear and Carry Permit will be transitioned from a hand-written paper application to the online Licensing Portal. Beginning Oct. 1, 2019, those applying for a Maryland Wear and Carry...
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Governor Larry Hogan proclaimed September as International Underground Railroad Month, which recognizes Maryland as the most powerful destination for authentic Underground Railroad history. It also commemorates all those involved in the Underground Railroad, including Maryland’s courageous Harriet Tubman, the brilliant orator Frederick Douglass, and thousands of freedom seekers. “Maryland has the most documented successful...
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On Sunday, September 1, 2019, at approximately 4:55 a.m., firefighters from Anne Arundel, Annapolis Fire Department, Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department, Dunkirk Volunteer Fire Department responded to 1002 Henry Avenue in West River, for the reported house on fire. Crews arrived on the scene to find a two-story house with fire showing from the...
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Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative (SMECO) held its 81st Annual Meeting on August 29, 2019, at Middleton Hall in Waldorf. The Board of Directors election was conducted online and by mail prior to the meeting. The following SMECO members were elected to serve on SMECO’s Board for three years: W. Michael Phipps in Calvert County;...
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The Maryland Department of Health (MDH) and the Maryland Poison Center at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy have identified five individuals who in the last two months developed severe lung illness after using e-cigarettes, often referred to as “vaping.” Respiratory symptoms reported by patients included shortness of breath, pain associated with breathing...
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Today, Commuter Connections and the Maryland Transportation Institute at the University of Maryland launched incenTrip, a new mobile app that allows commuters in the Washington D.C. region to save time, money, and fuel while earning rewards for planning trips. The incenTrip app recommends the best travel mode, departure time, and route based on real-time...
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Homicide Unit detectives identified and arrested a Fort Washington man in connection with the double fatal shooting Tuesday evening in Oxon Hill. He is 42-year-old Aaron Lanier Wilson, Jr., of the 10000 block of Indian Head Highway. He’s accused of fatally shooting 46-year-old Beaudouin Tchakounte of Frederick and 32-year-old Casey Xavier Robinson of Accokeek....
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Maryland State Police are gearing up for the Labor Day holiday, Maryland State Police will have additional troopers on patrol who will be using a variety of initiatives to keep traffic moving, respond quickly to highway incidents and take appropriate enforcement action when violations are observed that threaten the safety of travelers. Beginning today,...
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Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative (SMECO), through its charitable foundation, is inviting local organizations that are working to end the opioid crisis in Southern Maryland to apply for the charitable funds that will be raised in 2020. As part of its commitment to the community, each year SMECO raises money for a different local charity....
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A recent analysis of organ donation rates around the world reports that U.S. states, including Maryland, lead the world in organ donation with 43 of the top 50 performing international jurisdictions being U.S. states. Maryland donation rates rank an impressive 14th out of the study’s 90 national and international donation regions. In addition, Maryland’s...
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The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and the National Institute of Justice today released Juvenile Arrests, 2017, which documents recent trends by analyzing arrest data reported by local law enforcement agencies to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report. Overall, juvenile arrests have been declining for more than a decade, but patterns vary by...
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The U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs’ Bureau of Justice Assistance is pleased to announce that it is seeking applications for funding under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program. This program furthers the Department’s mission by assisting state, local and tribal efforts to prevent or reduce crime and violence....
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