Prince George’s News

DNR Extends Maryland Commercial Oyster Season for Two Additional Weeks Due to Weather and Ice

DNR Extends Maryland Commercial Oyster Season for Two Additional Weeks Due to Weather and Ice

Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources is moving forward with a two-week extension of the commercial  oyster season to help watermen make up for lost harvesting opportunities after many waterways and parts of the Chesapeake Bay froze during frigid temperatures in January and early February. The change will extend the state’s commercial oyster season to...
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UPDATE @ 7:45 a.m.: 100 Active Outages for SMECO Leaves 13,000 Without Power – Crews Continue to Work After Winter Storm Causes Damage Across Region

UPDATE @ 7:45 a.m.: 100 Active Outages for SMECO Leaves 13,000 Without Power – Crews Continue to Work After Winter Storm Causes Damage Across Region

UPDATE @ 7:45 A.M.: SMECO currently has over 100 active outage reports, affecting over 13,000 customers. SMECO remains working throughout the region with over 13,000 without power and over 100 active outages. Some workers have been on shift working to restore outages for over 13 hours. View active outages or report an outage by...
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Maryland Under State of Emergency, Liberal Leave in Effect for Maryland State Government As Winter Storm Hits

Maryland Under State of Emergency, Liberal Leave in Effect for Maryland State Government As Winter Storm Hits

Governor Wes Moore declared a State of Emergency as the threat of a powerful winter storm impacts Maryland through Monday, February 23. Travel tonight and overnight will be extremely hazardous, especially in areas under a blizzard warning. Marylanders are urged to avoid travel, to follow local forecasts, to stay prepared for winter storm hazards,...
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School and Government Closures for Southern Maryland on Monday, February 23, 2026

School and Government Closures for Southern Maryland on Monday, February 23, 2026

CALVERT: Calvert County Public Schools will be closed on Monday, February 23, 2026. Code RED for staff. CHARLES: Charles County public schools will be closed on Monday, Feb. 23, 2026. There is a Code Two, which is a two-hour delayed arrival, for Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) staff who follow the code system. If needed, CCPS...
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UPDATE: Winter Storm Warning in Effect With 3 to 8 Inches of Snow Expected for Southern Maryland

UPDATE: Winter Storm Warning in Effect With 3 to 8 Inches of Snow Expected for Southern Maryland

UPDATE 2/22/2026 @ 6:45 A.M.: The National Weather Service has upgraded our winter storm watch to a Winter Storm Warning in effect from today, to Monday morning, for Portions of north central, northeast, and southern Maryland WHAT…Heavy snow expected. Total snow accumulations between 5 and  10 inches. Locally higher amounts up to 14 inches are...
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Future Engineers on Display as CSM Hosts Regional Robotics Tournaments

Future Engineers on Display as CSM Hosts Regional Robotics Tournaments

Hundreds of students from across the region traveled to the College of Southern Maryland (CSM) in January and February to showcase their engineering skills during a series of VEX Robotics competitions. Separate tournaments were held on the CSM La Plata Campus for elementary and middle school, high school, and college level teams. Competitors demonstrated...
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Two Prince George’s County Men Arrested After Maryland State Police Seize Five Ghost Guns, Improvised Explosive Device From Home in Allegany County

Two Prince George’s County Men Arrested After Maryland State Police Seize Five Ghost Guns, Improvised Explosive Device From Home in Allegany County

Maryland State Police arrested and charged two Prince George’s County men with firearm-related charges after seizing five ghost guns and an improvised explosive device from a residence in Cumberland. The accused are identified as Darnell Demond Levy Jr., 21, and Paul Thomas Baylor III, 21, both of Bowie, Maryland. Levy and Baylor are charged...
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PG County Schools Employee and Dance Academy Founder Indicted on Alleged Child Sex Abuse Crimes

PG County Schools Employee and Dance Academy Founder Indicted on Alleged Child Sex Abuse Crimes

A Prince George’s County Public Schools’ employee made his initial appearance in federal court in connection with alleged child sexual abuse crimes. Xaviour Smith, 28, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, is charged with five counts of producing child sexual abuse material. Smith is also the founder of 1101 Dance Academy, Inc., in Temple Hills, which...
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PG County Man Sentenced to 3 Years for Assaulting MPD Officer With ATV

PG County Man Sentenced to 3 Years for Assaulting MPD Officer With ATV

Gerard Stokes, 31, of Greenbelt, Maryland, was sentenced to 36 months in prison for driving an ATV into an MPD officer on March 15, 2025, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Stokes pled guilty to one count of felony assault on a police officer in December 2025, in the Superior Court of the District...
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CSM Hosts “Private Sector Pivot” to Share Resources with Federal Employees and Veterans

CSM Hosts “Private Sector Pivot” to Share Resources with Federal Employees and Veterans

The College of Southern Maryland (CSM) hosted a virtual program last month for federal employees and military veterans to explore opportunities and local resources available to help begin a career in the private sector. More than 70 residents from across the region registered for ‘Private Sector Pivot,’ organized by CSM and local partnerships including...
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Governor Moore Signs Legislation to Prohibit Maryland Jurisdictions from Deputizing Officers for Federal Civil Immigration Enforcement

Governor Moore Signs Legislation to Prohibit Maryland Jurisdictions from Deputizing Officers for Federal Civil Immigration Enforcement

Governor Wes Moore this week signed legislation to prohibit State and local jurisdictions from deputizing officers for federal civil immigration enforcement activity. The law, created under SB 245/HB 444, is effective immediately. “In Maryland, we defend Constitutional rights and Constitutional policing—and we will not allow untrained, unqualified, and unaccountable ICE agents to deputize our...
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VA Pauses Enforcement of New Disability Rating Rule After Nationwide Backlash

VA Pauses Enforcement of New Disability Rating Rule After Nationwide Backlash

The Department of Veterans Affairs has halted enforcement of a newly issued rule that would change how disability compensation is calculated, following widespread criticism from veterans and advocacy groups who warned the policy could reduce benefits. The interim final rule, titled “Evaluative Rating: Impact of Medication,” amends 38 CFR § 4.10 within the VA...
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UPDATE: Attorney General Brown Urges Court to Rule in Favor of Maryland in FBI Headquarters Lawsuit

UPDATE: Attorney General Brown Urges Court to Rule in Favor of Maryland in FBI Headquarters Lawsuit

UPDATE 2/20/2026: Attorney General Anthony G. Brown and Prince George’s County today filed a motion for judgment on the pleadings in their lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s unlawful attempt to sabotage the FBI headquarters project in Greenbelt, Maryland. The motion asks the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland to rule in Maryland’s...
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Police in Charles County Arrest Two in Mall Circle Macy’s Shoplifting Case After Stealing Over $1,500 in Merchandise

Police in Charles County Arrest Two in Mall Circle Macy’s Shoplifting Case After Stealing Over $1,500 in Merchandise

Melissa Nazareth Lozano-Rodriguez, 21, and Carlos Alberto Mondragon-Guevara, 48, both of Temple Hills, are each facing felony theft charges following an alleged shoplifting incident at Macy’s in Waldorf. Both defendants are charged with theft of property valued at $1,500 to under $25,000 in connection with an incident reported on February 14, 2026, at the...
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Charles County Sheriff’s Detectives Charge Three Suspects in October Murder Case at Westlake Dash-In on Smallwood Drive West

Charles County Sheriff’s Detectives Charge Three Suspects in October Murder Case at Westlake Dash-In on Smallwood Drive West

Detectives charge three suspects in October 2025 murder at Westlake Dash-In on Smallwood Drive West: Charles County Sheriff’s detectives charged three suspects in connection with an October 2025 murder case. On October 29 at 12:14 a.m., officers responded to the Westlake Dash-In in the 2000 block of Smallwood Drive West in Waldorf for a...
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DNR Seeks Public Input for Upcoming Hunting Seasons and Bag Limits

DNR Seeks Public Input for Upcoming Hunting Seasons and Bag Limits

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is accepting public comment on proposed changes to the 2026-2028 hunting and trapping seasons and the proposed 2026-2027 Migratory Game Bird Seasons and Bag Limits. The public can view the proposed regulations and comment online, as well as view and comment on the proposed migratory game bird seasons and bag limits now through February 28. “We thank...
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Governor Moore Secures Win from PJM, Saving Marylanders from Billions on Electricity Bills

Governor Moore Secures Win from PJM, Saving Marylanders from Billions on Electricity Bills

Governor Wes Moore announced that the Board of Managers for grid operator PJM Interconnection released a decision to extend the capacity market price cap through the end of the decade. This decision follows sustained advocacy from Governor Moore and a coalition of 13 governors who demanded the grid operator take action to protect families and...
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California Man Sentenced to 10-Years After Police Arrest Him in PG County and Recover Over 100 Kilos of Cocaine, Three Firearms

California Man Sentenced to 10-Years After Police Arrest Him in PG County and Recover Over 100 Kilos of Cocaine, Three Firearms

U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar sentenced a California man to prison in connection with a federal investigation that led to law enforcement seizing more than 100 kilograms of cocaine. Mario Valencia-Birruetta, 35, of Corning, California, received a 121-month sentence for conspiracy to distribute cocaine. Valencia-Birruetta’s sentence also covers a possession with intent to...
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Maryland Hunters Harvest 71,649 Deer for 2025-2026 Season

Maryland Hunters Harvest 71,649 Deer for 2025-2026 Season

Maryland deer hunters harvested 71,649 deer during the combined archery, firearms, and muzzleloader seasons, from Sept. 5, 2025 through Feb. 4, 2026. The statewide harvest reported to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources included 29,814 antlered and 37,925 antlerless white-tailed deer, and 1,874 antlered and 2,036 antlerless sika deer. The harvest was 14.9% lower than the 2024-2025 total of 84,201 deer and 7.2% lower than...
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Maryland Office of the State Fire Marshal Issues Urgent Fire Alarm Recall Due Failure to Warn During Fire, Alarms Sold Exclusively on Amazon

Maryland Office of the State Fire Marshal Issues Urgent Fire Alarm Recall Due Failure to Warn During Fire, Alarms Sold Exclusively on Amazon

The Maryland Office of the State Fire Marshal is issuing an urgent recall notice from the Consumer Product Safety Commission regarding certain smoke alarms due to a potential alarm failure. This defect may cause the alarm to malfunction or fail to alert occupants during an emergency, posing a serious life-safety hazard. Residents are strongly...
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$50,000 Scratch Win for Prince George’s County School Bus Driver

$50,000 Scratch Win for Prince George’s County School Bus Driver

After delivering his last load of students safely to school last week, a bus driver in search of a good lunch found it and more. The Suitland resident told officials when he visited Lottery headquarters Feb. 12 that while the sandwich was tasty, the $50,000 dessert served him by a 50X the Cash scratch-off...
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Statement from Comptroller Lierman on the Trump Administration’s Decision to Overturn the EPA Endangerment Finding

Statement from Comptroller Lierman on the Trump Administration’s Decision to Overturn the EPA Endangerment Finding

Comptroller Brooke E. Lierman today issued this statement on the Trump Administration’s decision to overturn the EPA Endangerment Finding: “The Trump Administration’s decision to overturn the 2009 endangerment finding is a dangerous and deeply irresponsible choice and one that puts both individual Marylanders and our state at risk. “The endangerment finding is the legal basis...
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PG County Man Arrested After Multiple Cell Phone Store Robberies in Calvert County

PG County Man Arrested After Multiple Cell Phone Store Robberies in Calvert County

UPDATE 2/13/2026: The Calvert County Sheriff’s Office has arrested Melsun Shamel Perry, 34 of District Heights, in connection with multiple crimes targeting cell phone retail businesses in Calvert County. The charges stem from incidents that occurred on December 29, 2025, at the Verizon Wireless store in Dunkirk, and on February 3, 2026, at the...
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Leadership Maryland Announces Executive Program Class of 2026

Leadership Maryland Announces Executive Program Class of 2026

Leadership Maryland officially announces the Executive Program’s Class of 2026, consisting of 53 business and community leaders from across the state chosen to participate in the professional development program dedicated to building a better Maryland. The Class of 2026, the Executive Program’s 33rd class, reflects a cross-section of the state, including diversity of geographic...
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Police Investigating 19-Year-Old Waldorf Teen Shot and Killed in Capitol Heights

Police Investigating 19-Year-Old Waldorf Teen Shot and Killed in Capitol Heights

Prince George’s County Police Department Homicide Unit detectives are investigating a fatal shooting that occurred Wednesday afternoon in the town of Capitol Heights. The victim is 19-year-old Ky-Mari Bowman of Waldorf. On February 4, 2026, at approximately 3:20 pm, officers responded to the 500 block of Abel Avenue for a shooting. Once on scene,...
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