St. Mary’s News

Ghost Gun Deal Involving Juvenile Results in Arrest of Two St. Mary’s County Men

Ghost Gun Deal Involving Juvenile Results in Arrest of Two St. Mary’s County Men

Jayden Robert Coates, 20, of Lexington Park, and Omari Lee Miles, 18, of California, have both been criminally charged in separate but connected incidents involving the possession and sale of illegal firearms. Court documents filed in the District Court for St. Mary’s County outline how an investigation beginning in June 2025 ultimately linked the...
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Prince Frederick Man Arrested After Loaded Handgun Stolen From St. Mary’s County Found in Toilet Tank in Calvert County

Prince Frederick Man Arrested After Loaded Handgun Stolen From St. Mary’s County Found in Toilet Tank in Calvert County

Clifton Jermaine Cole, 20, of Prince Frederick, has been charged with possession of a firearm by a minor following the execution of a search warrant at his residence earlier this month, according to court documents filed in the District Court for Calvert County. The charge stems from a joint investigation involving the Calvert County...
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Hughesville Man Accused in Beauty Store Break-In and Tractor Supply Theft

Hughesville Man Accused in Beauty Store Break-In and Tractor Supply Theft

Michael Hemi Fischer, 28, of Hughesville, is facing multiple charges after being linked to two separate theft-related incidents in Southern Maryland, according to court documents filed in Charles and St. Mary’s counties. In the most recent case, Fischer has been charged with second-degree burglary and theft in connection with a break-in at a beauty...
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UPDATE: 26-Year-Old Drayden Man Succumbs to Injuries After Mechanicsville Collision

UPDATE: 26-Year-Old Drayden Man Succumbs to Injuries After Mechanicsville Collision

UPDATE 12/17/2025: The family has sadly announced the passing of Darius Jackson-Jordan, age 26 of Drayden. Funeral arrangements and additional information will be provided in the coming days. The motor vehicle collision remains under investigation. Anyone who witnessed the crash or events leading up to it and has not already provided a statement is...
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Leonardtown Man Arrested on Drug Charges Following Traffic Stop

Leonardtown Man Arrested on Drug Charges Following Traffic Stop

Ryan Michael Page, 40, of Leonardtown, was arrested on December 12, 2025, and charged with two drug-related misdemeanors following a traffic stop conducted by the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office. According to court documents, Deputy Devin Absher observed a silver 2003 Chevrolet Silverado fail to stop completely at the intersection of Old Great Mills...
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Lexington Park Woman Charged Again After Violent Encounter with Deputies, Weeks After Prior Assault Allegations

Lexington Park Woman Charged Again After Violent Encounter with Deputies, Weeks After Prior Assault Allegations

Jasmen Eliana Reyes, 19, of Lexington Park, has been charged in a new case involving multiple misdemeanors after a confrontation with law enforcement on December 10, 2025, at her residence on Chapman Drive. The charges follow an earlier incident from April 2025 in which Reyes was also charged with second-degree assault in a separate...
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NAVAIR Releases V-22 Comprehensive Review Findings

NAVAIR Releases V-22 Comprehensive Review Findings

NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, PAXUTENT RIVER, MD.: Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) released the findings of a comprehensive review Dec. 12, 2025, on the V-22 Osprey aircraft flown by the Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy. The review reaffirmed the airworthiness of the V-22 platform under established controls allowing the continued safe operations of...
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Local Youth Baseball Leaders Represent Southern Maryland at Prestigious Ripken Futures Games

Local Youth Baseball Leaders Represent Southern Maryland at Prestigious Ripken Futures Games

For three Southern Maryland baseball leaders, a recent trip to the Ripken Futures Games in Florida offered a unique opportunity to serve the sport from a different perspective. James Jones (President, St. Mary’s Little League), Mikey Farrell (President, Chesapeake Ghost), and RJ Bean (President, Southern Maryland Bob Richardson League) traveled to Panama City Beach...
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UPDATE: Mechanicsville Man Convicted for Attempted Kidnapping, Assault and Armed Robbery After Attacking Woman with Knife

UPDATE: Mechanicsville Man Convicted for Attempted Kidnapping, Assault and Armed Robbery After Attacking Woman with Knife

UPDATE 12/15/2025: State’s Attorney Jaymi Sterling announced today that William Francis Dixon, 52, of Mechanicsville, Maryland was convicted of attempted kidnapping, armed robbery, and other charges stemming from a March 2025 incident where he attacked a female victim with a knife in Mechanicsville, Maryland. After a five-day trial, a St. Mary’s County jury found Dixon...
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33 Students in Class 167 Graduate from U.S. Naval Test Pilot School

33 Students in Class 167 Graduate from U.S. Naval Test Pilot School

NAVAL AIR WARFARE CENTER AIRCRAFT DIVISION, PATUXENT RIVER, MD.: The U.S. Naval Test Pilot School (USNTPS) graduated its Class 167 during a ceremony near Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland on December 12th, 2025. “As graduates of USNTPS, you are now part of an elite group of professionals who play a vital role in...
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UPDATE: Capitol Heights Man Sentenced to Life After Shooting Hollywood Teen in the Head and Placing Body Into Trash Can

UPDATE: Capitol Heights Man Sentenced to Life After Shooting Hollywood Teen in the Head and Placing Body Into Trash Can

UPDATE 12/16/2025: State’s Attorney Jaymi Sterling announced today that Lee L. Richardson, 24, of Capitol Heights, Maryland, was sentenced to LIFE in prison for the first-degree murder of a 19-year-old victim. In January 2025, the victim’s family reported their loved one missing. The family communicated daily with the young man until January 21, 2025, when...
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Dancing in a Winter Wonderland: 2026 Mother-Son Dance & Daddy-Daughter Dance Coming to Loffler Center

Dancing in a Winter Wonderland: 2026 Mother-Son Dance & Daddy-Daughter Dance Coming to Loffler Center

St. Mary’s County Government’s Department of Recreation & Parks (R&P) is pleased to announce the opening of registration for the 2026 Mother–Son Dance and Daddy–Daughter Dance on CivicPlus, the new online registration platform for county recreation programs. Registration starts Thursday, December 18, 2025. The Mother–Son Dance will be held Saturday, January 24, 2026, from 6–8 p.m. and the Daddy–Daughter Dance will be on Saturday, February 7, 2026,...
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Hollywood VFD Regrets to Announce Passing of Past President and Life Member, George R. Thompson

Hollywood VFD Regrets to Announce Passing of Past President and Life Member, George R. Thompson

It is with deep regret and profound sadness that the members of the Hollywood Volunteer Fire Department announce the passing of Past President and life member George R. Thompson. George began his fire service career as a Probationary Active Member of the Hollywood Volunteer Fire Department on April 9, 1964, after serving seven years...
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Recreation & Parks Celebrates the Launch of New Registration Platform with Free Facilities Open House Day

Recreation & Parks Celebrates the Launch of New Registration Platform with Free Facilities Open House Day

St. Mary’s County Government’s Department of Recreation & Parks (R&P) is excited to announce the opening of winter program registration on Thursday, December 18, 2025. Registration will be available through the department’s new online registration platform, CivicPlus. In preparation for the official transition to the new system, R&P recreation facilities will be closed to the public on Monday, December 15,...
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Southern Maryland Schools on Two Hour Delays for Monday, December 15th, 2025

Southern Maryland Schools on Two Hour Delays for Monday, December 15th, 2025

ST. MARY’S COUNTY: 2-Hour Delayed Opening – Code 5 for Staff – December 15, 2025 All SMCPS Schools will have a delayed opening of two hours Monday, December 15, 2025. Ten and eleven-month employees report to work two hours late. Twelve-month employees and food service workers are to report to work on time. Liberal leave...
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Pedestrian Flown Out After Being Struck by Vehicle; Police Investigating Firefighter Struck While on Scene

Pedestrian Flown Out After Being Struck by Vehicle; Police Investigating Firefighter Struck While on Scene

On Friday, December 12, 2025, at approximately 6:45 p.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the area of Great Mills Road and Suburban Drive in Lexington Park, for the reported motor vehicle collision involving a pedestrian. Crews arrived on the scene to find a Chevrolet HHR struck a 36-year-old male who was...
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Noise Advisory – NAS Patuxent River Sets Noise Advisory for Dec. 16, 2025

Noise Advisory – NAS Patuxent River Sets Noise Advisory for Dec. 16, 2025

Communities surrounding the Naval Air Station, Patuxent River, Outlying Field Webster, and the Northern Neck of Virgina are advised that a noise-generating night-time test event is scheduled to take place December 16, 2025 from 5:30 p.m. through 7:30 p.m. Night testing and training is essential for the precision and safety of our military aviators...
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NAS Pax River SAR Dogs, Navy Corpsman Complete Rigorous Qualification Flight, Enhancing Combat Readiness

NAS Pax River SAR Dogs, Navy Corpsman Complete Rigorous Qualification Flight, Enhancing Combat Readiness

Story by Maria Scott, PATUXENT RIVER, MD.: Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Arsides Garay, assigned to Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command (NMRTC) Patuxent River, has completed the rigorous L00A Joint Qualification Requirement (JQR), culminating in a successful final qualification flight. The achievement provides Navy Medicine with another highly skilled corpsman ready to deliver advanced life...
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UPDATE – Court Documents Added: Fire Marshals Make Quick Arrest After String of Arsons in Mechanicsville

UPDATE – Court Documents Added: Fire Marshals Make Quick Arrest After String of Arsons in Mechanicsville

UPDATE 12/12/2025: Court documents added; Jeffrey Wathen, 41, of Mechanicsville, has been charged with Arson First Degree, two counts of Arson Second Degree, and two counts of Malicious Burning First Degree, after determining that multiple fires along Three Notch Road were intentionally set Monday night. At approximately 9:05 p.m., the Hollywood Volunteer Fire Department...
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Fun Spring Events to Support Care and Community at Hospice of the Chesapeake

Fun Spring Events to Support Care and Community at Hospice of the Chesapeake

Hospice of the Chesapeake invites the community to celebrate spring with three unforgettable signature events designed to fuel its mission of providing compassionate hospice, supportive and grief care across the region. Mark your calendars for these April, May and June experiences that each offer their own blend of excitement, elegance and community impact: Bubbles...
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Sports Wagering Contributes $19 Million to the State During November 2025

Sports Wagering Contributes $19 Million to the State During November 2025

Maryland’s sports wagering market continued a strong performance in Fiscal Year 2026 by generating $19,012,033 in contributions to the state during November. Sports bettors in Maryland wagered $720,180,853 during the month and won back $622,895,669 in prizes. Sportsbook operators held 13.5% of the handle, leading to the largest single-month return to the state since...
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Maryland DNR Announces Opening Weekend Results from the 2025 Deer Firearm Season

Maryland DNR Announces Opening Weekend Results from the 2025 Deer Firearm Season

Maryland hunters reported harvesting 9,633 deer on the opening weekend of the 2025 firearm season from Nov. 29 – Nov. 30, according to data collected by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. The opening weekend harvest decreased 11.5% from last year’s official opening weekend harvest of 10,889 deer. This was 7.2% lower than the 5-year average of 10,384...
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Maryland State Police Leonardtown Barrack Collecting Food and Toy Donations for Local Families

Maryland State Police Leonardtown Barrack Collecting Food and Toy Donations for Local Families

The Maryland State Police Leonardtown Barrack is collecting food, hygiene items, and toys this month to help support local families in need during the holiday season. The effort is being done in partnership with several community programs, including the Mary Lou Gough of Our Lady of the Wayside and Saint Cecilia Catholic Church Food...
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UPDATE: Lexington Park Woman Shot by Police After Stealing Handgun, Firing at Deputy

UPDATE: Lexington Park Woman Shot by Police After Stealing Handgun, Firing at Deputy

UPDATE 12/12/2025: Court documents added; On October 23, 2025, police responded to the 46000 block of Anita Court in Lexington Park, for the reported check the welfare. The 911 caller reported that his roommate Paige Hartness, had stolen his .45 ACP 1911 handgun from  his room and left the residence after a verbal argument...
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UPDATE: No Injuries Reported, Police Investigating Crash Involving NAS Patuxent River Truck 13

UPDATE: No Injuries Reported, Police Investigating Crash Involving NAS Patuxent River Truck 13

UPDATE 12/10/2025: Witnesses reported the red sedan had previously entered into the left hand turn lane prior to the intersection of Hollywood Road and Three Notch Road, before re-entering the Southbound lanes of Three Notch Road. The vehicle then continued to travel South on Three Notch Road until entering the left-hand turn lane to...
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