St. Mary’s News

P-8A Program Leverages Partnerships to Achieve Winning Operational Outcomes

P-8A Program Leverages Partnerships to Achieve Winning Operational Outcomes

NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, PATUXENT RIVER, MD.: The Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft Program (PMA-290) and the P-8A program team planned and executed several Aircraft on Ground (AOG) events in recent months.  The successful AOG events were completed outside of the continental U.S. (OCONUS) with cooperative partnerships between the U.S. Navy and the Royal...
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Mechanicsville Woman Faces Drug, Theft, and Burglary Charges Across Three Open Cases

Mechanicsville Woman Faces Drug, Theft, and Burglary Charges Across Three Open Cases

Whitney Anne Arnold, 39, of Mechanicsville, is currently facing three separate criminal cases in St. Mary’s County involving drug possession, a reported retail theft scheme, and an alleged unlawful entry into a vacant residence, according to court documents filed by the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office. In the most recent case, deputies responded on...
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UPDATE: Man Cited After Lexington Park Collision Involving St. Mary’s County School Bus in Lexington Park

UPDATE: Man Cited After Lexington Park Collision Involving St. Mary’s County School Bus in Lexington Park

On Friday, December 5, 2025, at approximately 4:11 p.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the area of Three Notch Road and Kessler Court in Lexington Park, for the reported motor vehicle collision involving an occupied school bus. Crews arrived on the scene to find a three vehicle collision involving a Nissan...
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Governor Moore Commits $10 Million to Nonprofit and Faith-Based Organizations to Help Protect Against Hate Crimes

Governor Moore Commits $10 Million to Nonprofit and Faith-Based Organizations to Help Protect Against Hate Crimes

Governor Wes Moore announced that his proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2027 will maintain $10 million in funding for the Protecting Against Hate Crimes Grant Program. The program, which saw its funding doubled in the governor’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget, provides vital support to nonprofit organizations and faith-based institutions for security enhancements to protect their...
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Governor Moore and Chesapeake Bay Program Executive Council Approve Revised Agreement to Protect Jobs, the Environment, and Coastal Communities

Governor Moore and Chesapeake Bay Program Executive Council Approve Revised Agreement to Protect Jobs, the Environment, and Coastal Communities

Governor Wes Moore on Dec. 2 led the Chesapeake Bay Program’s Executive Council in approving the revised Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement, which includes goals that will improve the health of the Chesapeake Bay, increase access to nature, and support livelihoods that depend on this nationally treasured resource. The revised agreement supports the environmental and...
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Historic Donation Creates New Fund for CSM Scholarships and Student Support

Historic Donation Creates New Fund for CSM Scholarships and Student Support

The College of Southern Maryland (CSM) Foundation will expand scholarships and break down student financial barriers through the Lorraine Diana ’79 and Robert Guite Pathways to Possibility Fund, established with the largest donation in the college’s history. The fund will provide students with traditional scholarships, as well as financial support for other needs which...
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St. Mary’s Bus Driver Wins $50,000 on Pick 5 Ticket!

St. Mary’s Bus Driver Wins $50,000 on Pick 5 Ticket!

When a St. Mary’s County man played his favorite numbers and those five digits -10238 – were picked at midday on Dec. 2, his $1 straight bet gave him a $50,000 top prize. The school bus driver said Dec. 4 when he claimed his winnings at Lottery headquarters in Baltimore he doesn’t play every...
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Fire Marshal Investigating Trailer Fire in Leonardtown That Sends Woman to Hospital with Smoke Inhalation

Fire Marshal Investigating Trailer Fire in Leonardtown That Sends Woman to Hospital with Smoke Inhalation

On Sunday, December 7, 2025, at approximately 12:36 p.m., firefighters from Leonardtown, Second District, Seventh District, Hollywood, Bay District and Solomons were dispatched to the Wilderness Run RV Resort (formerly called La Grande RV Park) located at 23285 Point Lookout Road in Leonardtown, for the reported trailer on fire. The owner reported a fire...
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Muzzleloader Deer Hunting Season Resumes December 20

Muzzleloader Deer Hunting Season Resumes December 20

The second half of Maryland’s muzzleloader deer hunting season will be open Dec. 20 through Jan. 3, 2026. The first half of the split season was held in October. Hunters may use muzzleloading firearms to harvest sika and white-tailed deer during this time. “The late muzzleloader season coincides with the holidays, offering hunters a...
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Secretary’s Message: Investment in Outdoor Recreation Pays Back Dividends Now and for the Future

Secretary’s Message: Investment in Outdoor Recreation Pays Back Dividends Now and for the Future

In the last week of October, Maryland’s outdoor recreation community gathered in Baltimore for our second annual Maryland Outdoor Recreation Summit. Bringing together the partners that comprise and support Maryland’s outdoor recreation community – local and state government, environmental organizations, educators, outfitters, and other businesses – is essential. The science is clear: time in...
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UPDATE: Third Arrest Made After 16-Year-Old Poses As 19-Year-Old with Fake Account in Setup Robbery and Stabbing of Volunteer Firefighter in Lexington Park

UPDATE: Third Arrest Made After 16-Year-Old Poses As 19-Year-Old with Fake Account in Setup Robbery and Stabbing of Volunteer Firefighter in Lexington Park

UPDATE 12/5/2025: An arrest warrant for Dmontre Montez Bush, 25, of Lexington Park, was conducted on Wednesday, December 3rd, 2025, in connection with the November stabbing and robbery in Lexington Park. Bush was taken into custody and transported to the Detention and Rehabilitation Center in Leonardtown, where he is being held on a no...
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ALDI Scheduled to Open New Lexington Park Store on December 11th – Giveaways, and Prizes

ALDI Scheduled to Open New Lexington Park Store on December 11th – Giveaways, and Prizes

ALDI is officially opening its newest Southern Maryland location next week, bringing its well-known low-price grocery model to 21853 Three Notch Road, Unit 101, in Lexington Park. The grand opening celebration is set for Thursday, December 11, 2025, and the company is inviting the community to join in a morning of giveaways, prizes, and...
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School and Weather Updates for This Weekend – December 5th, 2025

School and Weather Updates for This Weekend – December 5th, 2025

PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY: Schools will open 2 HOURS LATE on Friday, Dec. 5th, 2025. ST. MARY’S COUNTY: St. Mary’s County, Maryland is under a Winter Weather Advisory from 4 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, December 5, 2025.  Snowfall totals for St. Mary’s County are expected between 1–4 inches with very low temperatures. Snowfall is...
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St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Launches Redesigned Website to Improve Public Access and User Experience

St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Launches Redesigned Website to Improve Public Access and User Experience

The St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office has launched a newly redesigned website at www.FirstSheriff.com, offering the community a clearer, more accessible, and user-friendly way to find important public safety information. The updated site features improved navigation, a cleaner layout, and a modern design that is easier to read on both desktop and mobile devices. Community...
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Felony Convictions Obtained in Largest Narcotics Seizure in St. Mary’s Counties History

Felony Convictions Obtained in Largest Narcotics Seizure in St. Mary’s Counties History

State’s Attorney Jaymi Sterling announced that Antwian Marquis Johnson, 39, of Great Mills, Maryland, was convicted of multiple drug-related charges following a lengthy investigation that resulted in the seizure of approximately 47 pounds of narcotics. On December 5, 2024, detectives from the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office seized 21.5 kilograms of suspected cocaine and...
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Comptroller Brooke E. Lierman Releases State’s First Feasibility Report for Baby Bonds Program in Maryland

Comptroller Brooke E. Lierman Releases State’s First Feasibility Report for Baby Bonds Program in Maryland

Maryland Comptroller Brooke E. Lierman today released a comprehensive report on the feasibility and potential impacts of implementing a statewide “Baby Bonds” program. The report, requested by the Maryland General Assembly, outlines how publicly funded trust accounts for children born into low-wealth households could help close the racial wealth gap, promote economic mobility, and strengthen the state’s...
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St. Mary’s County Police Searching for Wanted Baltimore Man, Carlonte Antoine Knott

St. Mary’s County Police Searching for Wanted Baltimore Man, Carlonte Antoine Knott

The St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the whereabouts of Carlonte Antoine Knott, 33, of Baltimore, for escape. Knott is described as a Black male, 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighing approximately 250 pounds. Deputies were notified on December 1 that the ankle-monitoring GPS device assigned to Knott had been deactivated, and...
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Southern Maryland Residents Called to Share Family Recipes and Stories for New Feature Film, ‘The Long Table’

Southern Maryland Residents Called to Share Family Recipes and Stories for New Feature Film, ‘The Long Table’

The Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission, the Tri-County Council for Southern Maryland, and the Southern Maryland National Heritage Area are calling on residents of Southern Maryland to submit family recipes and personal stories for a new feature film, ‘The Long Table’. Sponsored by the Southern Maryland National Heritage Area, the project aims to capture...
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SMECO Employees Raise $63,000 for Three Southern Maryland Shelters

SMECO Employees Raise $63,000 for Three Southern Maryland Shelters

Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative (SMECO) employees recently held a fund-raising event and donated $63,000 to three shelters serving Southern Maryland: Lifestyles of Maryland, Inc.—Robert J. Fuller Transitional House of Charles County, Project Echo, Inc. of Calvert County, and Three Oaks Center of St. Mary’s County. “A home is more than shelter from the elements....
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Troopers Say Anti-Theft Magnet, Glass Pipes Found During Arrest of Scotland Woman at Target

Troopers Say Anti-Theft Magnet, Glass Pipes Found During Arrest of Scotland Woman at Target

Jill Marie Knittel, 46, of Scotland, and Kevin Bryan Wright, 41, of California, are facing misdemeanor theft charges after store staff reported a shoplifting incident at a grocery store in California in November 2025, according to court documents. In a separate case days later, Knittel is also charged with drug offenses after a Maryland...
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Winter Safety is SNOW Joke – Plan Ahead & Prepare Early!

Winter Safety is SNOW Joke – Plan Ahead & Prepare Early!

St. Mary’s County Government’s Department of Emergency Services encourages all residents to plan ahead and prepare early to ensure they are ready for winter. Prolonged cold conditions and winter storms raise the risk of freezing home plumbing, community water main breaks, automobile failures, transportation interruptions, automobile accidents, power outages, home heating system failures, hypothermia,...
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The Patuxent Partnership 2025 Defense Summit

The Patuxent Partnership 2025 Defense Summit

On Wednesday, November 19th, 2025, an audience of 200+ attended the 3rd Annual TPP Defense Summit, a full-day program of dynamic panels and speakers, including NAWCAD leadership. Ms. Bonnie Green, TPP Executive Director, welcomed everyone and discussed the challenges of organizing the Defense Summit during a government shutdown. Delivering a useful, informative full-day Summit,...
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St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Announces Increased Holiday Patrols to Enhance Public Safety

St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Announces Increased Holiday Patrols to Enhance Public Safety

The expanded patrols will focus on preventing theft from vehicles, promoting responsible driving, and ensuring residents and visitors feel safe during one of the busiest times of the year. Deputies will be highly visible in commercial areas, particularly during peak shopping hours, and will continue proactive patrols in residential communities. In addition to crime...
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DNR Scientists Chart Future for Freshwater Mussel Restoration in Maryland

DNR Scientists Chart Future for Freshwater Mussel Restoration in Maryland

On a chilly fall morning, as fog drifted over the Potomac River, scientists with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources hauled three concrete balls out of the water. Inside each of these 25-pound, thick-walled bowls was a chamber containing several small shells—a group of year-old freshwater mussels. Their concrete shelters, or silos, allowed the...
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Santa Claus to Spread Cheer Over Southern Maryland on December 9th, 2025, Courtesy of the U.S. Navy

Santa Claus to Spread Cheer Over Southern Maryland on December 9th, 2025, Courtesy of the U.S. Navy

Southern Maryland residents young and old should look skyward on Tuesday, Dec. 9, between 10 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. ET as Adm. Saint Nicholas takes to the air on his annual holiday readiness flight. Locals can catch a glimpse of Nicholas — flying under his seasonal call sign “Claus” — as he lifts off...
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