Tamika Markia Williams-Evans, 46, of Gwynn Oak, and Shermise Artavia Degrafenried, 48, of Baltimore, have both been charged with theft following a shoplifting incident at a Target store in Charles County. According to court documents, officers with the Charles County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of an active theft at the Target store...
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Charles County Sheriff’s detectives assigned to the Criminal Investigations Division, Robbery Unit, have identified and arrested five suspects in connection with a series of armed robberies in which the suspects targeted victims wearing designer clothing and other property. The suspects range in age from 15-years-old to 21-years-old. Between September 19 and September 24, 2025,...
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Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Tara H. Jackson announced today that 35-year-old Harold Landon III has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole after being convicted of first-degree murder in the death of 59-year-old Mariame Toure Sylla. In September 2023, Landon murdered Sylla, a respected educator at Dora Kennedy French...
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Free and low-cost continuing education opportunities expand access, foster community, and enrich the lives of Southern Maryland residents age 60 and up. For residents of Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary’s Counties age 60 and over, the opportunity to explore a variety of continuing education and personal enrichment courses for little-or-no cost is now available...
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Attorney General Anthony G. Brown announced the guilty plea of Philip Robinson, 67, of Laurel, Maryland for violations of Maryland environmental laws regarding the discharge of pollutants in Prince George’s County. The investigation was led by the Attorney General’s Environmental and Natural Resources Crimes Unit (ENRCU). The investigation began after a citizen notified authorities...
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As many commuters may have noticed, our harvest season is ramping up and the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration, in partnership with the Maryland Department of Agriculture and Maryland Farm Bureau, is reminding motorists to share the road safely with large farm equipment as the fall harvest is underway in the state....
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Governor Wes Moore hosted veterans organizations Hiring Our Heroes and Student Veterans of America at the State House to discuss how Maryland can leverage cross-sector partnerships to help veterans find and excel in their post-service careers. The discussion comes as critical federal resources to support veterans transitioning into post-service opportunities—such as the GI Bill...
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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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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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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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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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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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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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The Leadership Southern Maryland (LSM) Board of Directors is pleased to announce the selection of 40 Southern Maryland leaders for its 18th Executive Program—the Class of 2026. From Calvert County – Jane Bachman, Development Director, Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center Larisa Goganzer, Senior Vice President of Operations, CalvertHealth Tosha Lewis Hughes Dr. Amanda...
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The Prince George’s County Police Department’s Gun Crimes Unit charged an armed private security guard in connection with an incident on Wednesday. The suspect is 29-year-old John Mause II of Middle River, MD. On October 8, 2025, at approximately 4:15 p.m., patrol officers responded to a parking lot in the 3300 block of Walters...
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Dr. Boris Lushniak, Dean of the University of Maryland, College Park School of Public Health, convened the Maryland Commission on Public Health for its final meeting on September 25, 2025. Meeting in the Miller Senate Office Building in Annapolis, the Commission concluded its mandate to study the state and local public health system and...
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Last week, Maryland Department of Natural Resources staff joined representatives from other jurisdictions in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed to recommend proposed changes to the revised Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement based on the public feedback we received this year. The updates to this important agreement took place at the Chesapeake Bay Program’s Management Board retreat in Harrisburg,...
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A secret to restoring the Chesapeake Bay is just waiting to be unearthed. In the maritime state of Maryland, dredging is done routinely to keep waterways navigable by removing shoals and making sure channels are deep enough for boats to pass. But the materials removed from the waterways — sediment, sand, mud — have...
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UPDATE 10/8/2025: Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Tara Jackson announced that Michael Collins age 17, has been indicted on charges including theft, unlawful taking of a motor vehicle, unauthorized removal of a motor vehicle, rogue and vagabond, and conspiracy to commit unauthorized removal of a motor vehicle, in connection to the fatal accident that...
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UPDATE 10/7/2025: Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Tara Jackson announced today that Hugo Hernandez-Mendez has been indicted on charges, including common law murder, tampering with physical evidence, and burying/disposing of a body in an unauthorized place, in the death of 19-year-old DaCara Thompson. “Today’s indictment marks a critical step in the criminal justice process,”...
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The Bay District Volunteer Fire Department kicked off Fire Prevention Week™ 2025 this week with a clear message for the community: “Charge into Fire Safety™.” This year’s national campaign, which runs through October 11, centers on the safe use of lithium-ion batteries – the powerful energy sources commonly found in smartphones, laptops, e-bikes, power...
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Maryland’s six casinos combined to generate $151,535,608 in revenue from slot machines and table games during September 2025. The statewide total was down $7,975,301 (-5.0%) compared to September 2024. Casino gaming contributions to the state during September 2025 totaled $64,949,631, a decrease of $7,802,791 (-10.7%) compared to September 2024. The September 2025 contributions included...
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U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow sentenced Daniel Michael Harris, Sr., 44, of Waldorf, Maryland, to 14 years in federal prison for committing four armed robberies while using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the...
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On October 3rd, 2025, a Federal Jury awarded $2.35 million to former Prince George’s County Police Officer Mohamed Magassouba after the verdict found Magassouba’s 2021 termination was “retaliatory” and had “violated his civil rights.” “After an eight-day federal civil rights trial, the jury returned a $2.35 million verdict in favor of our client, Chief...
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UPDATE 10/7/2025: Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Tara Jackson has announced that 24-year-old Christopher Jamar Jenkins has been sentenced to 80 years in prison after being convicted of two counts of first-degree murder on May 16, 2025, in the shooting death of 23-year-old Xavier Matthews and 26-year-old Karon Moore. Jenkins was also convicted of conspiracy...
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