St. Mary’s News

Unlicensed Lexington Park Man Arrested on Drug and Traffic Charges Following Collision with Sheriff’s Vehicle

Unlicensed Lexington Park Man Arrested on Drug and Traffic Charges Following Collision with Sheriff’s Vehicle

William Samuel Parks Jr., 34, of Lexington Park, was arrested on June 2, 2025, and now faces multiple drug and traffic charges after allegedly striking a St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office vehicle and being found in possession of suspected cocaine and related paraphernalia. According to court documents, Deputy Senatore of the St. Mary’s County...
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Upcoming June 2025 Events at Historic St. Mary’s City

Upcoming June 2025 Events at Historic St. Mary’s City

Historic St. Mary’s City has a full lineup of engaging programs for families, homeschoolers, and history enthusiasts this June. Homeschool Wednesday Workshops – June 4 Join Historic St. Mary’s City for the final Homeschool Wednesday Workshops of the spring season. These hands-on, history-focused sessions are designed for homeschool families with students of all ages....
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Former St. Mary’s County EMS Chief Convicted of Fentanyl Possession in Calvert County

Former St. Mary’s County EMS Chief Convicted of Fentanyl Possession in Calvert County

On June 2, 2025, Thomas Patrick Raley, 40, of Leonardtown, was convicted of possession of fentanyl and theft under $100 in Calvert County District Court. Raley received a sentence of 1 year incarceration, suspended down to 90 days, followed by 3 years of supervised probation. The conviction stemmed from an incident that occurred on...
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Minor Injuries Reported After Accident Involving Tractor in Leonardtown

Minor Injuries Reported After Accident Involving Tractor in Leonardtown

On Tuesday, June 3, 2025, at 11:49 a.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the area of Hollywood Road and St. Johns Road in Leonardtown, for the reported motor vehicle collision involving a tractor. Crews arrived on the scene to find a single tractor off the roadway with the operator being conscious alert...
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Young Adult Transported to Hospital After Deputy Talks Them Off Thomas Johnson Bridge

Young Adult Transported to Hospital After Deputy Talks Them Off Thomas Johnson Bridge

On Monday, June 2, 2025, at 5:32 p.m., police from Calvert and St. Mary’s County responded to the Thomas Johnson Bridge for the reported subject sitting on the barrier. Additional police, fire and rescue personnel were dispatched to stage in the area. A Calvert County Sheriff’s Deputy quickly arrived in under 2 minutes from...
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Naval Air Station Patuxent River Announces Closure of Gate 1 on Tuesday, June 3rd, 2025

Naval Air Station Patuxent River Announces Closure of Gate 1 on Tuesday, June 3rd, 2025

Naval Air Station Patuxent River announced that Gate 1 will be closing for over 2 hours for barrier maintenance on Tuesday, June 3, 2025, from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Pax River’s Gate 3 will remain open until 11 a.m. June 3 to accommodate traffic. Delays will be expected throughout the area.
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Two Arrested After Police Recover Large Amounts of Fentanyl and Cocaine After Traffic Stop in Lexington Park

Two Arrested After Police Recover Large Amounts of Fentanyl and Cocaine After Traffic Stop in Lexington Park

On Sunday, June 1, 2025, at approximately 7:40 a.m., patrol deputies conducted a traffic stop on a Hyundai Sonata near the intersection of Three Notch Road and Lei Drive for an equipment violation. The driver, identified as James Perry Bond, 34, of Lexington Park, was known to deputies as an unlicensed individual. During the...
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Two Teens Flown to Trauma Center After Being Ejected from ATV in St. Mary’s County

Two Teens Flown to Trauma Center After Being Ejected from ATV in St. Mary’s County

On Sunday, June 1, 2025, at approximately 12:41 a.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the area of Three Notch Road and Trapp Road in Dameron, for the reported motor vehicle collision involving an ATV. Crews arrived on the scene to find a single four-wheeler had flipped and ejected both occupants, with...
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Maryland Department of Natural Resources Reports Sustainable Population in 2025 Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab Winter Dredge Survey

Maryland Department of Natural Resources Reports Sustainable Population in 2025 Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab Winter Dredge Survey

The Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab Winter Dredge Survey, a cooperative effort between the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, estimates 238 million blue crabs in the Chesapeake Bay in 2025, a decrease from last year’s 317 million crabs. The results showed decreases in the abundance of adult male and...
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Leonardtown Man Sentenced to 30 Days in Jail for Series of Copper Thefts from Lowe’s

Leonardtown Man Sentenced to 30 Days in Jail for Series of Copper Thefts from Lowe’s

Zachary Lee Pratz, 29, of Leonardtown, was sentenced on May 29, 2025, in the District Court for St. Mary’s County after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor theft scheme involving repeated shoplifting of copper plumbing fittings from the Lowe’s Home Improvement store located on Worth Avenue in California, Maryland. According to court records and the...
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California Man Convicted of Animal Cruelty of Neglected Dog in St. Mary’s County Sentenced to 5 Days in Jail

California Man Convicted of Animal Cruelty of Neglected Dog in St. Mary’s County Sentenced to 5 Days in Jail

Javonte Marcel Bonds, 33, of California, was convicted of animal cruelty in St. Mary’s County District Court after authorities discovered a severely neglected dog linked to his residence. Bonds pleaded guilty to one count of animal cruelty and was sentenced to 90 days in jail, with 85 days suspended, and ordered to serve 5...
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Severe Geomagnetic Storm Watch Issued for June 2nd, 2025

Severe Geomagnetic Storm Watch Issued for June 2nd, 2025

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Space Weather Prediction Center reported on May 29th, a G4 (Severe) geomagnetic storm watch is in effect for June 2nd. A powerful coronal mass ejection (CME) erupted from the Sun the evening of 30 May. The CME is anticipated to arrive at Earth later on Sunday, 1 June....
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Marylanders Hiring Tree Service Contractors Should Always Verify Credentials

Marylanders Hiring Tree Service Contractors Should Always Verify Credentials

As Maryland homeowners freshen up their properties and landscape for the summer season, they should know the proper steps to take when hiring tree removal companies to clear damaged and downed trees, limbs, and branches. In addition to the damage that can be caused by storms, the aftermath of storms can also bring responses...
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It’s Officially Hurricane Season! NOAA Predicts Above Normal 2025 Atlantic Hurricane Season

It’s Officially Hurricane Season! NOAA Predicts Above Normal 2025 Atlantic Hurricane Season

Forecasters within NOAA’s National Weather Service predict above-normal hurricane activity in the Atlantic basin this year. NOAA’s outlook for the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, which goes from June 1 to November 30, predicts a 30% chance of a near-normal season, a 60% chance of an above-normal season, and a 10% chance of a below-normal...
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Southern Maryland Placed Under Tornado Watch and Flood Watch As Severe Thunderstorms Head Our Way

Southern Maryland Placed Under Tornado Watch and Flood Watch As Severe Thunderstorms Head Our Way

TODAY, Friday, May 30th, 2025. The National Weather Service has placed St. Mary’s, Calvert, Charles, Anne Arundel, Prince George’s Counties under a Tornado Watch is in effect for the entire region until midnight. A couple tornadoes are possible during this time, while also bringing a threat for damaging wind gusts and large hail. A...
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Three Children Transported to Hospital After Dog Attack in Lexington Park

Three Children Transported to Hospital After Dog Attack in Lexington Park

On Wednesday, May 28, 2025, at approximately 8:10 p.m., police and emergency medical services responded to the 20800 block of Freedom Run Drive in Lexington Park, for the reported animal bite. Multiple 911 callers reported a dog got out of the crate and bit at least five people. Police arrived on the scene to find 6...
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UPDATE: Critical Missing Hollywood Woman Located Safe

UPDATE: Critical Missing Hollywood Woman Located Safe

UPDATE 5/28/2025: Catherine has been located and is safe. Thank you for your assistance and sharing. 5/27/2025: The St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office requests assistance in locating a critical missing person. Catherine Johnson 54-year-old female went missing in the morning hours of May 27th, 2025, and was last seen in the area of Maple...
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Great Mills High Students Shine Bright in STEM Pitch Competition Sponsored by Carolyn E. Parker Foundation

Great Mills High Students Shine Bright in STEM Pitch Competition Sponsored by Carolyn E. Parker Foundation

In a night filled with boundless potential, innovation, and hope, students from Great Mills High School lit up the room at the Pitch for Your Pocket, STEM competition hosted by the Carolyn E. Parker Foundation. The early Spring 2025 event concluded with the awarding of 7 student innovators, ready to bring their bold ideas to life....
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Leonardtown’s Got Talent – Now Accepting Auditions!

Leonardtown’s Got Talent – Now Accepting Auditions!

Do you have a hidden talent or a show-stopping skill? Now’s your chance to step into the spotlight! The Town of Leonardtown is excited to announce that audition submissions are officially open for the first-ever Leonardtown’s Got Talent — a community-wide talent competition designed to showcase the incredible performers of St. Mary’s County. From...
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Testing of Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant Sirens on June 2nd, 2025

Testing of Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant Sirens on June 2nd, 2025

There will be a full-cycle test of the alert and notification sirens throughout St. Mary’s, Calvert, and Dorchester counties on Monday, June 2, 2025, at noon. This includes a three-minute activation of all sirens within the 10-mile area around Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant. All citizens should be aware of this scheduled testing and...
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Maryland Oyster Stock Assessment Records Long-Term Increase In Oyster Abundance

Maryland Oyster Stock Assessment Records Long-Term Increase In Oyster Abundance

The population of Maryland’s oysters has grown significantly in the past 20 years, according to the results of the latest benchmark stock assessment for the species. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science released the summary results of the stock assessment on Monday. “Good news for...
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New Unmanned Test System Accelerates UAS Development at NAWCAD

New Unmanned Test System Accelerates UAS Development at NAWCAD

The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) is boosting its testing capabilities with a new UAS experimentation system showcased recently at a training event at Naval Air Station Patuxent River’s Webster Outlying Field. Designed to accelerate unmanned aviation development, the Tethered Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Experimentation Payload System (TULEPS) allows developers to test software...
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Police Investigating Hit-and-Run Involving Stolen Hyundai with 5 Juveniles

Police Investigating Hit-and-Run Involving Stolen Hyundai with 5 Juveniles

Deputies from the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office responded to a reported motor vehicle collision with a possible disturbance on Sunday, May 18, 2025, at approximately 4:38 p.m. around MacArthur Boulevard and South Poteat Court in California, MD. While enroute, a deputy observed a group of five juveniles walking away from the vicinity of...
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One Flown Out, One Other Injured After Head-on Collision in Leonardtown

One Flown Out, One Other Injured After Head-on Collision in Leonardtown

On Tuesday, May 27, 2025, at approximately 2:55 p.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the area of St. Andrew’s Church Road and Benswood Road in California, for the reported motor vehicle collision with injuries. Prior to the arrival of fire and rescue personnel, due to the nature of multiple 911 callers...
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UPDATE: Police Seeking Identity of Armed Robbery Suspect Who Stole Candy Bar and Cash from California Sheetz

UPDATE: Police Seeking Identity of Armed Robbery Suspect Who Stole Candy Bar and Cash from California Sheetz

UPDATE 5/27/2025: On Sunday, May 25, 2025, at approximately 1:07am, Troopers from the Leonardtown Barrack responded to the Sheetz gas station located 22711 Three Notch Road, California, MD 20619 for the report of an armed robbery. A black male, wearing a gray shirt, camouflage bandana (covering his face) and jeans, entered the Sheetz and...
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