St. Mary’s News

MDOT SHA Conducting Routine Maintenance on Thomas Johnson Bridge This Sunday, October 5th, 2025

MDOT SHA Conducting Routine Maintenance on Thomas Johnson Bridge This Sunday, October 5th, 2025

The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration will perform routine maintenance on the MD 4 (Governor Thomas Johnson) Bridge at the Calvert County / St. Mary’s County line starting at 6 a.m., this Sunday, October 5th, 2025. One of two lanes will be closed, and the lane will open to traffic no later than...
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St. Mary’s County Department of Aging & Human Services Health and Wellness Fair in California on Friday, October 10th

St. Mary’s County Department of Aging & Human Services Health and Wellness Fair in California on Friday, October 10th

The St. Mary’s County Department of Aging & Human Services is pleased to announce that the 2025 Community Health & Wellness Fair will be held on Friday, Oct. 10, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., at the University of Maryland – Southern Maryland, located at 44219 Airport Road in California, MD. This year’s screenings...
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Calvert Marine Museum Hosting FREE 47th Annual Patuxent River Appreciation Day

Calvert Marine Museum Hosting FREE 47th Annual Patuxent River Appreciation Day

The Calvert Marine Museum will host the 47th annual Patuxent River Appreciation Day (PRAD) on Saturday, Oct. 11, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., continuing a tradition that began in 1978. The free festival is one of Southern Maryland’s longest-running traditions, offering family fun, live music and a celebration of the river. PRAD promises...
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GoFundMe Started for Next Step Produce After Accidental Fire Causes Over $1 Million in Damages

GoFundMe Started for Next Step Produce After Accidental Fire Causes Over $1 Million in Damages

UPDATE 10/02/2025: On October 1, 2025, at approximately 10:18 P.M., firefighters from Maryland and Virginia responded to 10615 Benton Road in Newburg,for the reported structure on fire. Firefighters arrived on the scene to find a 100′ x 75′ Produce Barn fully engulfed in flames. Fortunately, no injuries were reported and no animals were harmed....
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Lexington Park Man Arrested on Gun and Assault Charges Following Disturbance

Lexington Park Man Arrested on Gun and Assault Charges Following Disturbance

At around 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday, October 1, 2025, deputies from the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office responded to an establishment located in the 22000 block of Three Notch Road in Lexington Park for the report of a disturbance between several individuals and a subject with a gun. When deputies arrived, they did not...
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Offshore Aviation Announces Bold Redevelopment of Piney Point Terminal Into Global Hub for Unmanned Technology

Offshore Aviation Announces Bold Redevelopment of Piney Point Terminal Into Global Hub for Unmanned Technology

Offshore Aviation Group (OAG), a veteran-owned Maryland business, announced the purchase of the historic Piney Point Terminal in St. Mary’s County, Maryland. The company plans to transform the 320-acre waterfront property into a world-class center for unmanned systems development, testing, and operations, restoring the site’s proud aviation and maritime heritage while positioning St. Mary’s...
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College of Southern Maryland Celebrates Reopening of the Southern Maryland Studies Center

College of Southern Maryland Celebrates Reopening of the Southern Maryland Studies Center

Nearly 100 faculty, staff, and community members gathered at the College of Southern Maryland’s Dr. Elaine Ryan Library in the Learning Resource Building on the La Plata Campus on September 17, 2025, to celebrate the reopening of the Southern Maryland Studies Center, a resource dedicated to preserving and sharing the region’s history. The day’s...
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Sterling-Backed Legislation Creating a New Felony Crime for Concealment of Death and Dismemberment Becomes Law

Sterling-Backed Legislation Creating a New Felony Crime for Concealment of Death and Dismemberment Becomes Law

Legislation strongly supported and championed by St. Mary’s County State’s Attorney Jaymi Sterling, House Bill 674 / Senate Bill 394, Criminal Law – Concealment of Death and Disturbing and Dismembering Human Remains, is enacted into law today, October 1st, 2025. This new statute is a criminal felony punishable by up to five years in...
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Governor Moore Announces Resources for Federal Workers as Team Maryland Stands United in Response to Federal Government Shutdown

Governor Moore Announces Resources for Federal Workers as Team Maryland Stands United in Response to Federal Government Shutdown

Governor Wes Moore today announced support and resources available to help meet the needs of federal workers who live in Maryland and are impacted by the federal government shutdown. The renewed surge of resources and support comes as President Trump and Congressional Republicans have failed to reach an agreement to keep the government open, continuing...
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US, French In-Flight Refueling Extends E-2D Advanced Hawkeye’s Reach

US, French In-Flight Refueling Extends E-2D Advanced Hawkeye’s Reach

The E-2D Advanced Hawkeye (AHE) achieved a breakthrough in global airpower this summer, successfully refueling mid-air from three French-made tankers – a historic first that dramatically extends the Advanced Hawkeye’s reach and for seamless joint operations while providing unprecedented airborne surveillance capabilities. The French Navy and Air Force conducted qualitative aerial refueling testing with...
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Maryland Department of Natural Resources to Begin Fall Trout Stocking for 2025

Maryland Department of Natural Resources to Begin Fall Trout Stocking for 2025

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will begin its annual fall trout stocking program the first full week in October. The program will bring thousands of hatchery-raised rainbow, brown, and golden rainbow trout to streams and impoundments across the state. This initiative provides recreational fishing opportunities for anglers of all ages and skill...
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Maryland’s Black Bears More Active in Fall

Maryland’s Black Bears More Active in Fall

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources reminds residents that black bears are beginning a period of increased feeding activity in preparation for winter hibernation. As the leaves change and the weather cools, bears will travel across roads more frequently. They also can become more attracted to human-provided food sources and lose their natural fear of people, which...
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UPDATE: Lexington Park Man Sentenced to Life Plus Five Years for Fatal Shooting of Ex-Wife

UPDATE: Lexington Park Man Sentenced to Life Plus Five Years for Fatal Shooting of Ex-Wife

UPDATE 9/29/2025: State’s Attorney Jaymi Sterling announced today that Jayson David Pressley, 39, of Lexington Park, Maryland, was sentenced to LIFE in prison plus an additional five years for first-degree murder and the use of a firearm in the commission of a crime of violence for a domestically related fatal shooting. On January 3,...
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Mechanicsville Mother Charged with Child Neglect After Children Call 911 from Trash-Filled Home

Mechanicsville Mother Charged with Child Neglect After Children Call 911 from Trash-Filled Home

Irene Elizabeth Hammond, 33, of Mechanicsville, has been formally charged with two counts of misdemeanor child neglect following an incident on August 21, 2025, in which her two children called 911 after she allegedly passed out from drinking inside their home. According to charging documents filed in the District Court for St. Mary’s County,...
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Mechanicsville Man on Federal Probation Arrested in St. Mary’s County on Drug Charges

Mechanicsville Man on Federal Probation Arrested in St. Mary’s County on Drug Charges

Cliffton Cornelious Pickeral, 43, of Mechanicsville, was arrested on September 26, 2025, and faces multiple drug-related charges after St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s deputies reported finding cocaine packaged for distribution during a traffic stop. According to charging documents, Pickeral has been charged with: Possession with intent to distribute narcotics (felony), Possession of equipment for the...
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Gun Theft Suspect Charged in Jail Assault That Sent Inmate to Hospital in St. Mary’s County

Gun Theft Suspect Charged in Jail Assault That Sent Inmate to Hospital in St. Mary’s County

  Maliq Rasheed McGill, 23, of Lexington Park, is facing multiple criminal charges in St. Mary’s County stemming from two separate incidents — one involving the alleged theft of a firearm from a family member’s home, and another involving an alleged assault while in custody at the county detention center. McGill has been indicted...
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UPDATE: Sheriff’s Deputy Injured After Drunk Driver Crashes Into Cruiser; Suspect Also Faces Drug Charges

UPDATE: Sheriff’s Deputy Injured After Drunk Driver Crashes Into Cruiser; Suspect Also Faces Drug Charges

Newly obtained court documents provide additional information about the September 26, 2025, crash in Mechanicsville that left a St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s deputy injured and led to multiple charges against Juwaun Tirek Queen, 22, of Hollywood. According to the statement of probable cause, Queen was driving a silver Toyota Corolla when he ran a...
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Maryland Hosts Annual Walktober Celebration to Promote Pedestrian Safety, Access and Health

Maryland Hosts Annual Walktober Celebration to Promote Pedestrian Safety, Access and Health

The Maryland Department of Transportation is joining partner agencies, nonprofits and communities across the state for the annual Walktober celebration, a series of walking events and online webinars throughout October highlighting Maryland’s official state exercise and the importance of pedestrian safety, equitable access, transportation options and healthy lifestyles. For 2025, Governor Wes Moore has...
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Fake News of ICE Conducting Raids or Operating in St. Mary’s County Busted By Police

Fake News of ICE Conducting Raids or Operating in St. Mary’s County Busted By Police

The St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office is aware of social media posts circulating in the community that claim Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is conducting raids in Lexington Park neighborhoods today, September 29, 2025. After confirming directly with the regional ICE office, we can state that there are no ICE operations taking place in...
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Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission Grants $16,000 to Maryland Market Money Program

Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission Grants $16,000 to Maryland Market Money Program

Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission Grants $16,000 to Maryland Market Money Program The Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission (SMADC), a division of the Tri-County Council for Southern Maryland, announced today that it has granted $16,000 to the Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) to support the ongoing operation of the Maryland Market Money (MMM) program....
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St. Mary’s County Installs Second Water Storage Tank to Improve Emergency Water Access for Local Fire Departments

St. Mary’s County Installs Second Water Storage Tank to Improve Emergency Water Access for Local Fire Departments

St. Mary’s County Government’s (SMCG) Department of Public Works & Transportation (DPW&T) has installed a second 30,000-gallon water storage tank to support local fire departments in emergency response efforts. The tank was placed on Thursday, September 25, 2025, at the Ridge Firehouse carnival grounds, as part of a multiyear capital project in partnership with...
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Hospice of the Chesapeake’s Popular Golf Tournament Raises More Than $210K

Hospice of the Chesapeake’s Popular Golf Tournament Raises More Than $210K

Thanks to an impressive lineup of sponsors, the dedication of volunteers and the hundreds of golfers who came out to play, Hospice of the Chesapeake’s annual Golf Tournament was another great success. The event raised more than $210,000 in support of the nonprofit’s mission to care for families in Anne Arundel, Calvert, Charles and...
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Hunting Ancient Species: Prehistoric Shark Teeth Can Be Found at Public Lands Near You

Hunting Ancient Species: Prehistoric Shark Teeth Can Be Found at Public Lands Near You

Walking the sandy shorelines of the Chesapeake Bay can be a tranquil and rewarding experience for lovers of Maryland’s outdoors. Some beachcombers pursue sea glass and shells, while some have been lucky enough to find prehistoric fossils including shark teeth and ancient artifacts such as arrowheads. The majority of shark teeth found in Maryland are remnants...
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Firefighters Quickly Extinguish Kitchen Fire in Solomons

Firefighters Quickly Extinguish Kitchen Fire in Solomons

On Tuesday, September 23, 2025, at approximately 12:30 pm, firefighters from Calvert and St. Mary’s County responded to the 11700 block of Asbury Circle in Solomons, for a reported structure fire on the fourth floor of a multi-unit residential building. Solomons Volunteers quickly responded with Engine 31, Truck 3, Ambulance 37, Ambulance 203, Paramedic...
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Southern Maryland Volunteer Firemen’s Association Antique Fire Apparatus Muster

Southern Maryland Volunteer Firemen’s Association Antique Fire Apparatus Muster

The Southern Maryland Volunteer Firemen’s Association will host its Antique Fire Apparatus Muster on Sunday, October 19, 2025, at the Hollywood Volunteer Fire Department, located at 24801 Three Notch Road in Hollywood, Maryland. The event runs from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., with registration from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. and judging beginning at 11:30...
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