St. Mary’s News

Three Suspects Face Burglary Charges After Alleged Unauthorized Stay in Vacant California, MD Home

Three Suspects Face Burglary Charges After Alleged Unauthorized Stay in Vacant California, MD Home

Three individuals are facing misdemeanor burglary charges after deputies from the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office discovered them allegedly living without permission in a vacant home in California, Maryland. Whitney Anne Arnold, 39, of Mechanicsville Amanda Lynn Cantrell, 41, of Lexington Park James Richard Arnold, 63, with no listed address Were all each arrested...
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Is That Stream Healthy? Here’s How DNR Trains People to Survey Streams By Examining Wildlife and Habitats

Is That Stream Healthy? Here’s How DNR Trains People to Survey Streams By Examining Wildlife and Habitats

In some ways, the Maryland Biological Stream Survey Summer Training resembles other education programs. Participants sit through presentations and take tests. But some of those presentations involve walking through the woods to a nearby stream to watch the process of netting, identifying, and counting fish found there. And studying for the exams involves darting...
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Mechanicsville Man Charged with Illegal Firearm and Ammunition Possession

Mechanicsville Man Charged with Illegal Firearm and Ammunition Possession

Allan Eugene Pulliam, 58, of Mechanicsville, has been charged with multiple firearm-related offenses following a search and seizure carried out by the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office, according to court documents. Pulliam faces three misdemeanor charges: illegal possession of a regulated firearm, possession of a rifle or shotgun while disqualified, and illegal possession of...
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Traffic Alert: Nighttime Lane Closures Coming to Southbound MD 5 in St. Mary’s County

Traffic Alert: Nighttime Lane Closures Coming to Southbound MD 5 in St. Mary’s County

The Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) will begin resurfacing a section of southbound MD 5 (Three Notch Road) between MD 6 (New Market Turner Road) and MD 235 the week of August 18. The work, which includes removing the top layer of asphalt, patching, and resurfacing, is expected to wrap up by early October,...
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No Injuries Reported After Vehicle Strikes T-Mobile Store in Lexington Park

No Injuries Reported After Vehicle Strikes T-Mobile Store in Lexington Park

On Thursday, August 14, 2025, at approximately 11:50 a.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the T-Mobile located at 46320 Lexington Village Way in Lexington Park, for the reported motor vehicle collision involving the structure. Crews arrived on the scene to find a single vehicle into the front glass windows/door of the...
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St. Mary’s Alcohol Licensees Continue Strong ID-Checking Performance

St. Mary’s Alcohol Licensees Continue Strong ID-Checking Performance

The St. Mary’s County Health Department (SMCHD) has partnered with the Responsible Retailing Forum to sponsor the 21 Matters™ program. This initiative assists local businesses licensed to sell alcohol in ensuring that staff consistently inspect IDs and refuse sales to underage customers. The majority (95 of 96) of completed inspections from April to June...
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CSM Welcomes Megan Allen as Executive Director of Compliance and Risk Management

CSM Welcomes Megan Allen as Executive Director of Compliance and Risk Management

The College of Southern Maryland is proud to announce Megan Allen as the Executive Director of Compliance and Risk Management, effective July 29th, 2025. Allen fills a vital leadership role at the college, focused on strengthening institutional compliance, advancing risk management strategies, and supporting effective policy governance. Allen has more than 20 years of...
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How Too Many Deer Are Harming Maryland’s Forests

How Too Many Deer Are Harming Maryland’s Forests

Maryland is home to a diversity of native wildlife and plant species, and the balance between the two can sometimes be difficult to manage. Like rabbits overrunning a garden, an overpopulation of deer will have detrimental effects on the undergrowth and vegetation in a forest. For the Maryland Forest Service, successful stewardship requires finding...
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U.S. Navy Names New TACAMO Aircraft the E-130J Phoenix II

U.S. Navy Names New TACAMO Aircraft the E-130J Phoenix II

The U.S. Navy’s Airborne Strategic Command, Control and Communications Program Office (PMA-271) and Strategic Communications Wing 1 (SCW-1) announced the official popular name for the Navy’s new Take Charge and Move Out (TACAMO) mission aircraft: E-130J Phoenix II. In October 2024, the placeholder name E-XX was officially designated as E-130J. As of today, the...
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Waldorf Man Charged with Multiple Child Sexual Abuse Offenses in St. Mary’s and Charles Counties

Waldorf Man Charged with Multiple Child Sexual Abuse Offenses in St. Mary’s and Charles Counties

Terrod Lamar Branson, 39, of Waldorf, has been charged with multiple counts of rape, sexual abuse of a minor, and assault following allegations involving a female juvenile victim, according to court documents filed in the District Court of Maryland for St. Mary’s County. Branson faces charges including first-degree rape, second-degree rape, third-degree sexual offense,...
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Theft and Stolen Tag Arrest for Bushwood Man Whose License Has Been Revoked Six Times

Theft and Stolen Tag Arrest for Bushwood Man Whose License Has Been Revoked Six Times

Dale Lee Buckler, 58, of Bushwood, is facing multiple criminal charges in two separate cases filed in the District Court for St. Mary’s County. In the first case, filed July 28, 2025, Buckler is accused of stealing equipment from Wentworth Nursery in Mechanicsville on July 11, 2025. According to court documents, Dep. Nichols of...
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Jail Incident Leads to Indecent Exposure Charge Against Mechanicsville Woman

Jail Incident Leads to Indecent Exposure Charge Against Mechanicsville Woman

Michelle E. Brown, 46, of Mechanicsville, has been charged with one count of indecent exposure following an incident at the St. Mary’s County Detention and Rehabilitation Center, according to court documents. The charge stems from an August 6, 2025, report in which a female incarcerated individual told the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office that...
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Leonardtown Man Arrested Again and Again In Over $3,500 Theft Spree, Finally Held Without Bond

Leonardtown Man Arrested Again and Again In Over $3,500 Theft Spree, Finally Held Without Bond

Robert James Grinder, 35, of Leonardtown, faces four separate theft cases in the District Court for St. Mary’s County, each tied to alleged incidents at local retailers. Court records show that three cases were filed by application for charges earlier this summer, while the latest case resulted in an on-view arrest and Grinder being...
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Bail Denied for Bushwood Woman After Assault on Family Member and Three Police Officers

Bail Denied for Bushwood Woman After Assault on Family Member and Three Police Officers

Camisha M. Strickland, 53, of Chaptico, has been charged with four counts of second-degree assault and one count of resisting or interfering with arrest following an incident in Bushwood on August 9, 2025, according to court documents from the St. Mary’s County District Court. Deputy Shannon Lacey of the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office...
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Leonardtown Man Charged with Robbery, Assault, and Theft After Assaulting Employee at Birdies

Leonardtown Man Charged with Robbery, Assault, and Theft After Assaulting Employee at Birdies

Dillon Cole Heiston, 32, of Leonardtown, has been charged with robbery, second-degree assault, and misdemeanor theft following an incident at a convenience store on Point Lookout Road, according to court documents filed in the District Court for St. Mary’s County. On August 12, 2025, deputies from the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office responded around...
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Great Mills Man Charged in Connection to 11-Year-Olds Death That Occurred in May 2025

Great Mills Man Charged in Connection to 11-Year-Olds Death That Occurred in May 2025

UPDATE 8/12/2025: On Thursday, May 8, 2025, deputies from the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office along with emergency medical services personnel responded to the 22000 block of Castle Pollard Way in Great Mills, for the report of an 11-year-old male juvenile not breathing. Life-saving efforts were attempted, and the juvenile was transported to a...
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Fairfax Man Charged After Loaded Handgun, DUI Arrest at Maryland Raceway

Fairfax Man Charged After Loaded Handgun, DUI Arrest at Maryland Raceway

Jamere Andre Alexander, 37, of Fairfax, VA, is facing multiple firearm and traffic charges following an incident at the Maryland International Raceway in Mechanicsville on August 2, 2025, according to court documents. Troopers were called to the raceway after a vehicle struck a parked, unoccupied RV near a concession stand. Officers identified Alexander as...
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Founder of Mid-Atlantic Severe Weather Alert Facebook Page Suddenly Passes At Age 50

Founder of Mid-Atlantic Severe Weather Alert Facebook Page Suddenly Passes At Age 50

John Kelly, the founder and administrator of the popular Mid-Atlantic Severe Weather Alert Facebook page, suddenly passed away on August 5, 2025, at the age of 50. His partner, Jennifer Kelly, announced his death in a heartfelt social media post, noting the loss was unexpected and that he had no life insurance. For years,...
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Swing for a Cause at Hospice of the Chesapeake’s Golf Tournament

Swing for a Cause at Hospice of the Chesapeake’s Golf Tournament

The Annual Golf Tournament benefiting Hospice of the Chesapeake is one of the region’s most popular charity golf event. It’s held at a spectacular time, on a beautiful course and for an even better reason — every swing brings hope and every putt makes a difference. This year’s event will take place Thursday, Sept....
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New Members Sought for St. Mary’s County Boards, Commissions & Committees

New Members Sought for St. Mary’s County Boards, Commissions & Committees

The Commissioners of St. Mary’s County are seeking applications from residents who are interested in serving on a local Board, Committee, or Commission. Volunteering to serve as a member of these groups is an excellent way to meet new people while contributing to the successful operation and development of our community! Visit www.stmaryscountymd.gov/boards for...
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U.S Navy and Marines Demo Range of Long Range UAS for Future Operations

U.S Navy and Marines Demo Range of Long Range UAS for Future Operations

The Navy and Marine Corps Small Tactical Unmanned Aircraft Systems (PMA-263) program team put Long Range Tactical (LRT) systems through their paces during a two-week technical demonstration in Chaptico, Maryland in mid-July. Five vendors attended the event to help inform the Marine Corps of the functions and capabilities available on the commercial market for...
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3rd Annual Beach Party at the Second District Volunteer Fire/Rescue Department This August 23rd, 2025

3rd Annual Beach Party at the Second District Volunteer Fire/Rescue Department This August 23rd, 2025

Join the Second District Volunteer Fire Department & Rescue Squad for our Third Annual Beach Party! We’re bringing the community together for an afternoon of fun, food, games, and summer celebration — perfect for the whole family. 📅 Date: Saturday, August 23, 2025 🕒 Time: 3:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. 📍 Location: SDVFDRS Fire...
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Two Injured After Head-on Collision with Entrapment in Great mills

Two Injured After Head-on Collision with Entrapment in Great mills

On Sunday, August 10, 2025, at approximately 3:30 p.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the area of Chancellors Run Road and FDR Boulevard in Great Mills, for the reported motor vehicle collision with injuries. Crews arrived on the scene in under 1 minute to find a two vehicle head-on style collision...
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UPDATE: Missing Person Alert Cancelled – Cassandra Located Unharmed

UPDATE: Missing Person Alert Cancelled – Cassandra Located Unharmed

UPDATE 8/9/2025 @ 10:45 P.M.: Per the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office, Cassandra has been located unharmed – thank you for sharing. The St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office is requesting the community’s assistance in locating Cassandra Dorothy Foard, a 27-year-old White female, who was last seen in Lusby, Maryland, at approximately 9:30 a.m. on...
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CSM Establishes AI Task Force to Guide Integration of Artificial Intelligence Across Campus

CSM Establishes AI Task Force to Guide Integration of Artificial Intelligence Across Campus

The College of Southern Maryland (CSM) has formed a cross-functional Artificial Intelligence (AI) Task Force to lead the strategic integration of AI in teaching, learning, and operations. This initiative reflects the college’s commitment to staying at the forefront of innovation while advancing the goals outlined in its Built for Success strategic plan. Launched in spring...
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