St. Mary’s News

UPDATE: Family Provides Update – John Michael Garrett Jr., 42, of St. Inigoes Found SAFE

UPDATE: Family Provides Update – John Michael Garrett Jr., 42, of St. Inigoes Found SAFE

UPDATE 11/04/2020 at 1:30 p.m: The family has provided the following update. “John Garrett Jr. Has been located. Now the process of helping him to heal and reconnect with the family unit is paramount.” Our family was overwhelmed with the amount of tips and well wishes that we received from across the country. Those...
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UPDATE: St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Investigating Motor Vehicle Collision in Mechanicsville

UPDATE: St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Investigating Motor Vehicle Collision in Mechanicsville

UPDATE: On November 3, 2020, at approximately 1:21 a.m. deputies from the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office responded to a single vehicle accident with reported injury in the 25800 block of Three Notch Road, in the area of South Sandgates Road in Mechanicsville. Deputies arrived on scene and located the operator, Lawrence Alvin Hoffman...
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Maryland State Police Arrest 17-Year-Old Leonardtown Man After Attempted Armed Robbery at Leonardtown Burchmart

Maryland State Police Arrest 17-Year-Old Leonardtown Man After Attempted Armed Robbery at Leonardtown Burchmart

UPDATE: On Monday, November 3, 2020, at approximately 11:55 p.m., Troopers from the Maryland State Police Leonardtown Barrack responded to a 911 call for a robbery at the Burchmart on Point Lookout Road, in Leonardtown. The investigation revealed the suspect entered the establishment, displayed a knife and attempted to take money from the cash...
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Department of Justice Awards More Than $458 Million to Fight Violent Crime

Department of Justice Awards More Than $458 Million to Fight Violent Crime

The Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP) today announced that it has awarded more than $458 million in grant funding to support state, local, and tribal law enforcement efforts to fight and prevent violent crime in jurisdictions across the United States. “One of the fundamental missions of government is to protect its...
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Annual Veterans Day Celebration Parade Cancelled, Virtual Celebration to be held Instead on Wednesday, November 11, 2020

Annual Veterans Day Celebration Parade Cancelled, Virtual Celebration to be held Instead on Wednesday, November 11, 2020

While the Annual Veterans Day celebration will look differently in 2020 because of COVID-19 precautions, the Commissioners of St. Mary’s County and the Commissioners of Leonardtown are proud to present a virtual celebration of our nation’s heroes. There will not be a parade or any public events but, beginning at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Nov....
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Sheriff’s Office Conducting Patrol Checks for Early Voting Center and Ballot Box Locations

Sheriff’s Office Conducting Patrol Checks for Early Voting Center and Ballot Box Locations

The St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office is conducting regular patrol checks at the Early Voting Center at the Hollywood Volunteer Fire Department, which is open to voters from 7:00 a.m., to 8:00 p.m., each day through Monday, November 2, 2020, to ensure safe and uneventful voting for citizens. The Sheriff’s Office’s goal is to...
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Police in St. Mary’s, Calvert, and Charles County Warn Against Theft of Political Signs

Police in St. Mary’s, Calvert, and Charles County Warn Against Theft of Political Signs

The Calvert County Sheriff’s Office has been made aware of the theft and vandalism of political signs from lawns and private property. All residents are reminded that removing, altering, or tampering with political signage is a crime. Anyone seen taking a sign without permission could be subject to criminal charges to include theft, trespassing...
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Police Investigating Vehicle Stolen from Business That Was Then Used to Steal Multiple Dirt Bikes in St. Mary’s County

Police Investigating Vehicle Stolen from Business That Was Then Used to Steal Multiple Dirt Bikes in St. Mary’s County

On Thursday, October 29, 2020, between 4:00 a.m., to 4:35 a.m., the unknown suspect(s) stole a C&C Plumbing Box Truck from C & C Plumbing & Septic located at 25765 Three Notch Road in Hollywood. The stolen vehicle was then used to steal multiple dirt-bikes from a private residence in St. Mary’s County. The...
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Federal and Maryland State Partners Working Together to Protect the 2020 Election

Federal and Maryland State Partners Working Together to Protect the 2020 Election

Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur, FBI Baltimore Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone, Maryland State Police Superintendent Colonel Woodrow W. Jones III, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations’ Baltimore field office John Eisert and Inspector in Charge, US Postal Inspection Service, Washington Division Peter R. Rendina are...
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No Injuries Reported After Tow Truck Strikes Guard Rail and Embankment in Hugheville

No Injuries Reported After Tow Truck Strikes Guard Rail and Embankment in Hugheville

On Monday, October 26, 2020 at 5:55 p.m., firefighters from Charles, Calvert and St. Mary’s County along with Hazmat Teams responded to Prince Frederick Road and Animal Shelter Road in Hughesville, for the motor vehicle collision involving a tractor trailer over a guardrail. Benedict, Hughesville, La Plata, Mechanicsville, Prince Frederick, Waldorf and the Charles...
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Three Injured, One Transported to Trauma Center After Motor Vehicle Collision in Lexington Park

Three Injured, One Transported to Trauma Center After Motor Vehicle Collision in Lexington Park

On Thursday, October 29, 2020, at approximately 8:05 p.m., police, fire and rescue personnel responded to Great Mills Road and South Shangri-La Drive in Lexington Park, for the reported motor vehicle collision with injuries. Dispatchers then upgraded the assignment to a motor vehicle accident reported serious with one subject trapped. Crews arrived on the...
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Bay District Volunteer Fire Department Conducting Training in Area of Thomas Johnson Bridge on Sunday, November 1, 2020

Bay District Volunteer Fire Department Conducting Training in Area of Thomas Johnson Bridge on Sunday, November 1, 2020

On Sunday, November 1, 2020, the Bay District Volunteer Fire Department along with visiting departments will be conducting a training burn on a residence located on Clearbrook Lane off of Patuxent Beach Road in California. Firefighters will be conducting training scenarios in a residence donated to the department, and will be on the scene...
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UPDATE: Three Injured After Early Morning House Fire in Lusby, Cause of Fire Remains Under Investigation

UPDATE: Three Injured After Early Morning House Fire in Lusby, Cause of Fire Remains Under Investigation

UPDATE: On Thursday, October 29, 2020, at approximately 3:15 a.m., forty-five firefighters from Calvert, St. Mary’s and Charles County responded to 7305 Saw Mill Road in Lusby, for the reported structure fire. Crews arrived on the scene to find a two-story wood framed single family residence with fire showing. The owner/occupants have been identified...
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St. Clement’s Island Museum and the Old Jail Museum to Change Over to Winter Hours of Operation

St. Clement’s Island Museum and the Old Jail Museum to Change Over to Winter Hours of Operation

Starting Sunday, November 1, 2020, museums operated by the St. Mary’s County Museum Division – St. Clement’s Island Museum in Coltons Point and the Old Jail Museum in Leonardtown – will switch hours of operation over to Winter Hours. Piney Point Lighthouse Museum & Historic Park in Piney Point will begin winter hours on...
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COVID-19 Testing Site Closed on Thursday, October 29, 2020 Due to Weather

COVID-19 Testing Site Closed on Thursday, October 29, 2020 Due to Weather

Due to inclement weather anticipated from Tropical Storm Zeta, the following walk-up COVID-19 testing sites will be closed on Thursday, October 29, 2020: St. Mary’s County Health Department (SMCHD) COVID-19 Testing: Main Office in Leonardtown Harm Reduction Program Office in Lexington Park Normal testing operations are expected to resume on Friday, October 30, 2020....
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St. Mary’s County Public Schools Department Food and Nutrition Services Announces Changes to Meal Distribution Services

St. Mary’s County Public Schools Department Food and Nutrition Services Announces Changes to Meal Distribution Services

St. Mary’s County Public Schools Department of Food and Nutrition Services announces changes in the schedule of curbside meal distribution beginning the month of November. Meals are available for students ages 18 years and younger.  Meals can be picked up from any school site even if your student attends a different school. Week of...
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State Fire Marshal Urges Marylanders to “Change Your Clock – Change Your Battery” in Anticipation of Daylight Saving Time Ending on November 1, 2020

State Fire Marshal Urges Marylanders to “Change Your Clock – Change Your Battery” in Anticipation of Daylight Saving Time Ending on November 1, 2020

In anticipation of daylight saving time (DST) ending on November 1st, State Fire Marshal Brian Geraci is urging Marylanders to “Change Your Clock – Change Your Battery” in both smoke alarms and carbon monoxide (CO) detectors in their homes. Recognizing that working smoke alarms and CO detectors double a family’s chance of surviving a...
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St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Seeking Identities of Suspects in Motor Vehicle Theft in Mechanicsville

St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Seeking Identities of Suspects in Motor Vehicle Theft in Mechanicsville

The St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the identities of the persons pictured in a motor vehicle theft investigation. On Sunday, October 25, 2020 at 2:44 a.m., the suspects stole a black 2004 Ford F450 Super Duty tow truck from Rt 5 Auto Sales in Mechanicsville. The suspects arrived on an unknown make...
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UPDATE: No Threat Determined Following Investigation of Incident at Webster Field

UPDATE: No Threat Determined Following Investigation of Incident at Webster Field

UPDATE 10/28/2020 @ 4:30 p.m.: Following reports of an individual with a weapon at Webster Field Oct. 28, 2020, an investigation by Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) has determined that the suspect taken in to custody had no weapon and had not made any threats. The individual has since been released without charge. NCIS...
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St. Mary’s Little League Preparing for Upcoming Season with Volunteer Recruitment

St. Mary’s Little League Preparing for Upcoming Season with Volunteer Recruitment

St. Mary’s Little League (SMLL) is preparing for their spring 2021 season by actively recruiting volunteers for their board of directors. “Every fall we start putting together nominees for our board of directors,” said Tray Neal, current president of SMLL. “Our volunteers are the lifeblood of this organization, and are a valuable asset to...
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Student Life Team Distributes 800 Pounds of Food to College of Southern Maryland Students During Fourth Mobile Hawk Feeder Event

Student Life Team Distributes 800 Pounds of Food to College of Southern Maryland Students During Fourth Mobile Hawk Feeder Event

The College of Southern Maryland (CSM) Student Life team recently held a drive-thru food distribution event at CSM’s Prince Frederick Campus to help CSM students who are struggling financially and experiencing food insecurities. Approximately 800 pounds of food were given to students who pre-registered to come to the campus, and deliveries were made to...
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MDOT SHA and St. Mary’s College of Maryland Archeologists Unearth 300-Year Old Slave Quarters Site in Leonardtown

MDOT SHA and St. Mary’s College of Maryland Archeologists Unearth 300-Year Old Slave Quarters Site in Leonardtown

The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) and St. Mary’s College of Maryland archeologists are working to unearth a 300-year-old slave quarters site at a historic Jesuit plantation in Southern Maryland. Many of the archaeological remains lay buried in farm fields within Newtowne Neck State Park, which is managed by the...
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Longtime St. Mary’s County 911 Dispatcher Norman Pilkerton Passes Away

Longtime St. Mary’s County 911 Dispatcher Norman Pilkerton Passes Away

The St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office regrets to share the news that Norman Alexander Pilkerton Jr. passed away on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020, at the age of 81. Pilkerton worked for the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office as a 911 emergency dispatcher for 34 years when he retired in 2001. During his tenure, Sheriff...
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James ‘Jay’ Harold Hills Memorial Scholarship to Help Students in CSM’s Commercial Truck Driving Program

James ‘Jay’ Harold Hills Memorial Scholarship to Help Students in CSM’s Commercial Truck Driving Program

A new scholarship set to honor the memory of James “Jay” Harold Hills will provide financial assistance to students enrolled in the Commercial Truck Driving Training program at the College of Southern Maryland. The annual fund was established by Hills’ wife, Annie. Hills passed away in 2019 after working in the excavating industry for...
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Maryland Breaks State Record for Highest Single-Day Early Voting Turnout with More Than 161,000 Votes

Maryland Breaks State Record for Highest Single-Day Early Voting Turnout with More Than 161,000 Votes

The Maryland State Board of Elections has announced that today’s unofficial voter turnout of more than 161,000 was the highest single-day early voting turnout in the state’s history. The total surpassed the previous unofficial single-day early voting record of 143,494 set on the final day of early voting in the 2016 general election. “We’re...
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