St. Mary’s News

Saint Mary’s County Planning Commission Meeting Summary: August 19, 2024

Saint Mary’s County Planning Commission Meeting Summary: August 19, 2024

The August 19, 2024, meeting of the Saint Mary’s County Planning Commission was particularly focused on the approval process for the Bay Ridge Estates townhouse development, located on Bay Ridge Road in Great Mills, Maryland. Below is an overview of the key points and discussions from the meeting. Bay Ridge Estates Townhouse Development The...
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Navy Completes Install of First MQ-25 Unmanned Air Warfare Center Aboard USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77)

Navy Completes Install of First MQ-25 Unmanned Air Warfare Center Aboard USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77)

The Navy recently installed the world’s first Unmanned Air Warfare Center (UAWC) aboard USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77), where Air Vehicle Pilots (AVPs) will control future MQ-25™ Stingray airborne operations. This major installation was a multi-year effort coordinated across multiple ship availability periods and the ship’s deployment schedule. The CVN-based control room, known...
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The Budweiser Clydesdales Are Coming to Southern Maryland!

The Budweiser Clydesdales Are Coming to Southern Maryland!

To celebrate 14 years of partnership with Folds of Honor, a nonprofit organization that provides families of fallen or disabled U.S. service members and families of first responders with scholarships toward educational opportunities, Budweiser and the iconic Clydesdales are embarking on a cross-country tour – and they’re coming to Southern Maryland. There will be...
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Final VH-92A Presidential Helicopter Delivered

Final VH-92A Presidential Helicopter Delivered

Presidential Helicopters Program Office (PMA-274) and the Marine Corps accepted delivery of the final VH-92A helicopter, built by Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin Company, in August. The achievement signifies the completion of the program of record to deliver 23 new presidential helicopters in support of the executive lift mission. The total inventory of 23 VH-92A...
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Little Flower School Annual Patriot Day Run/Walk to Honor 9/11 and Local ‘Patriots’ on September 7th, 2024

Little Flower School Annual Patriot Day Run/Walk to Honor 9/11 and Local ‘Patriots’ on September 7th, 2024

Little Flower School will host its ninth annual Patriot Day 5K run/walk September 7 to commemorate the anniversary of Sept. 11 and honor local patriots: military members, firefighters, police officers and emergency medical technicians. Participants can run or walk the 5K course, which begins at the school campus in Great Mills at 8:30 a.m....
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St. Mary’s County’s Unique Approach to Police Accountability Raises Concerns Over Oversight and Public Trust

St. Mary’s County’s Unique Approach to Police Accountability Raises Concerns Over Oversight and Public Trust

St. Mary’s County in Maryland is taking a different approach when it comes to holding police officers accountable for their actions, and some people are concerned that this approach may not serve the best interests of the community. Maryland’s Police Accountability Act, passed in 2021, was designed to ensure that police officers are held...
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Abell Man Sentenced to Eight Years for Theft of Cannabis from Licensed Facility

Abell Man Sentenced to Eight Years for Theft of Cannabis from Licensed Facility

Eric Dwayne Dickerson, 51, of Abell, Maryland, has been sentenced to eight years in the Maryland Division of Corrections for stealing nearly $100,000 worth of cannabis from his employer, Story Cannabis, a licensed marijuana manufacturing and cultivating company located in St. Mary’s County. The thefts occurred in August 2023. According to court documents, Dickerson,...
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Motorcycle Fire Under Investigation in Leonardtown

Motorcycle Fire Under Investigation in Leonardtown

Authorities are investigating a motorcycle fire discovered on a remote section of private property in Leonardtown. The incident was reported on August 18, 2024, at approximately 7:58 p.m., after a passer-by noticed the charred remains of a motorcycle on Parson’s Mill Road. The property owner was alerted to the situation and found the severely...
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UPDATE: No Injuries Reported After Fire Destroys La Plata Home Under Renovation, Investigation Underway

UPDATE: No Injuries Reported After Fire Destroys La Plata Home Under Renovation, Investigation Underway

UPDATE 8/19/2024: In the early hours of Sunday, August 18, 2024, a fire broke out at a home located at 4490 Jimmy Green Place in La Plata, Charles County, Maryland. The house, which was undergoing renovations and unoccupied at the time, was fully engulfed in flames by the time emergency responders arrived. The fire...
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Lexington Park Woman Faces Multiple Charges After Incident at Liquor Store

Lexington Park Woman Faces Multiple Charges After Incident at Liquor Store

On August 10, 2024, Shameka L. Harrod, 32, of Lexington Park, was arrested after an incident at Canopy Liquors on Great Mills Road escalated into a confrontation with law enforcement. Harrod now faces multiple charges, including drug possession, possession of drug paraphernalia, destruction of evidence, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest. The St. Mary’s County...
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Dameron Woman Arrested for Domestic Violence Assault

Dameron Woman Arrested for Domestic Violence Assault

Beth Michelle Williams, 52, of Dameron, was arrested on July 28, 2024, after a reported domestic altercation at her home on Ellyn Court. She is facing a charge of second-degree assault, a misdemeanor that could result in up to 10 years in prison and a $2,500 fine if convicted. According to court documents, the...
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One Adult Male Injured After Grease Fire in Lusby, Four Animals Safely Removed

One Adult Male Injured After Grease Fire in Lusby, Four Animals Safely Removed

On Wednesday, August 14, 2024, at approximately 11:45 a.m., firefighters from Solomons, Prince Frederick, St. Leonard, Hollywood, and Bay District responded to the 900 block of Johnswoods Road in Lusby, for the reported kitchen fire with injuries and animals trapped. Crews arrived on the scene to find a two-story residence with a kitchen fire....
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Maryland State Police Arrest Hollywood Man After Domestic Violence Assault

Maryland State Police Arrest Hollywood Man After Domestic Violence Assault

On August 3, 2024, Geoffry Daryll Meng, 34, of Hollywood, was taken into custody by the Maryland State Police following a domestic violence incident at his residence. According to court documents, the incident began when Meng and an adult female got into an argument at their home on Captains Point Lane. The confrontation escalated...
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UPDATE: No Injuries After House Fire in Prince Frederick, Cause Under Investigation

UPDATE: No Injuries After House Fire in Prince Frederick, Cause Under Investigation

On Saturday, August 17, 2024, at approximately 1:08 a.m., firefighters from Prince Frederick, Huntingtown, St. Leonard, Solomons, and Charles County were dispatched to the 4900 block of Sandy Point Road in Prince Frederick, for the possible house on fire. 911 callers reported the garage was on fire with cats trapped in the basement. First...
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Three Men from St. Mary’s County Charged After Selling Stolen Equipment for Crack Money

Three Men from St. Mary’s County Charged After Selling Stolen Equipment for Crack Money

Three St. Mary’s County men have been charged in connection with the theft of a chainsaw and leaf blower from a residence in Mechanicsville. According to court documents, the suspects, Alexander Wade Foote, 26, of California, Tavares Antonio Thompson, 30, of Chaptico, and Roger Glenn Chin, 41, of Leonardtown, have been charged with stealing...
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Could a Passenger Ferry System be the Answer to Crossing the Bay to the Eastern Shore and Ocean City

Could a Passenger Ferry System be the Answer to Crossing the Bay to the Eastern Shore and Ocean City

The Chesapeake Bay Passenger Ferry Consortium, comprising representatives from Anne Arundel, Calvert, Queen Anne’s, Somerset, and St. Mary’s counties, released the findings of a feasibility study for a Chesapeake Bay passenger ferry system at this year’s Maryland Association of Counties (MACo) Conference in Ocean City, MD, on August 15, 2024. The results of the...
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NAS Patuxent River and Webster Field Main Gate Maintenance on Friday, August 16th, 2024

NAS Patuxent River and Webster Field Main Gate Maintenance on Friday, August 16th, 2024

Pax River Gate 1, Webster Field Main Gate Maintenance Friday, Aug. 16 – NAS Patuxent River will close Gate 1 on Friday, Aug. 16, 2024 from 9-10:30 a.m. for scheduled maintenance. NAS Pax River’s Gate 2 will keep three lanes open for inbound traffic during that time. Webster Field’s Main Gate will close on...
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Piney Point Elementary School First Day of School Delayed Due to Well Pump Failure

Piney Point Elementary School First Day of School Delayed Due to Well Pump Failure

Leonardtown, MD – As a result of well pump failure at Piney Point Elementary School, the opening school schedule for this site is impacted, with the first day for students at Piney Point Elementary delayed one day. The full schedule for Piney Point’s beginning of the 2024-2025 school year is outlined below. The Capital Improvements Program...
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St. Mary’s Goes Purple Hosts 3rd Annual Walk for Recovery

St. Mary’s Goes Purple Hosts 3rd Annual Walk for Recovery

The St. Mary’s County Health Department (SMCHD) will host the third annual St. Mary’s Goes Purple Walk for Recovery on Saturday, September 14, 2024, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in Leonardtown Square.  This family-friendly, FREE event will celebrate those recovering from substance use, help end the stigma surrounding mental health and addiction, and bring awareness to the...
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Farmers Feeding St. Mary’s Today, at Bay District Volunteer Fire Department Station 3 in Lexington Park

Farmers Feeding St. Mary’s Today, at Bay District Volunteer Fire Department Station 3 in Lexington Park

Today’s the day! Make sure to join us at the Bay District Volunteer Fire Department (46900 S Shangri-La Dr, Lexington Park, MD 20653) for Farmers Feeding St. Mary’s starting at 1 p.m. We will be handing out food to anyone who shows up until supplies run out. Many, many thanks to Great Mills Trading...
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Navy Jet Design Competition for Southern Maryland Students Launches Sept. 4

Navy Jet Design Competition for Southern Maryland Students Launches Sept. 4

The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD), in collaboration with the Program Executive Office for Tactical Aircraft, has launched an exciting initiative to ignite the imaginations of students across Southern Maryland. The Navy’s Next Jet Competition, a pioneering STEM education program, challenges young minds to design the next-generation jet aircraft for the United...
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Rep. Steny Hoyer Reportedly Doing Well After Suffering Mild Ischemic Stroke

Rep. Steny Hoyer Reportedly Doing Well After Suffering Mild Ischemic Stroke

Below is a statement attributable to Deputy Chief of Staff and Spokesperson Margaret Mulkerrin: “On Sunday night, August 11, Rep. Steny Hoyer experienced a mild ischemic stroke and sought medical treatment. Mr. Hoyer has responded well to treatment and has no lingering symptoms. He expects to resume his normal schedule next week. Mr. Hoyer’s...
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State Police Arrest Leonardtown Man on Multiple Firearm and Explosive Charges

State Police Arrest Leonardtown Man on Multiple Firearm and Explosive Charges

Mark A. Buckler, 42, of Leonardtown, has been arrested and charged with multiple offenses following an investigation that led to the discovery of illegal firearms, ammunition, and explosives at his home on Point Lookout Road, in Leonardtown. The arrest took place on August 14, 2024, after a search warrant was executed by the Maryland...
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Understanding Phone Spoofing: How Scammers Deceive and How to Protect Yourself

Understanding Phone Spoofing: How Scammers Deceive and How to Protect Yourself

Phone spoofing is a deceptive tactic where scammers manipulate the information transmitted to your caller ID to make it appear as though the call is coming from a trusted source, such as a local business, government agency, or even a friend. This method is increasingly common and can be highly convincing, making it important...
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St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Incident Leads to Ammunition Possession Charge, Raising Questions on Resource Allocation

St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Incident Leads to Ammunition Possession Charge, Raising Questions on Resource Allocation

On August 12, 2024, an intense law enforcement response in Lexington Park resulted in the arrest of 44-year-old Dametries L. Jennings. The operation, initiated after reports of a disturbance involving a firearm, led to the discovery of ammunition but no firearms, ultimately resulting in a single misdemeanor charge for illegal possession of ammunition. The...
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