St. Mary’s News

FDA to Consider Banning Red Food Dye #3, An Ingredient Banned in Skin Products, But Fine for Children to Eat

FDA to Consider Banning Red Food Dye #3, An Ingredient Banned in Skin Products, But Fine for Children to Eat

The FDA is actively reviewing a petition filed for FD&C Red No. 3, which is authorized for use as a color additive in food and ingested drugs. The petition states that the Delaney Clause obligates the FDA to repeal the color additive regulations that permit the use of FD&C Red No. 3 in foods...
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Celebrate the Season with Music, Dance, and Giving at CSM this December

Celebrate the Season with Music, Dance, and Giving at CSM this December

A Voice that We Have Ignored: Works by Miyuki Akai Cook. Through Dec. 13. Tony Hungerford Memorial Art Gallery, La Plata Campus at 8730 Mitchell Road in La Plata. Textile artist Miyuki Akai Cook uses weaving, knitting, and crochet to explore themes of generational well-being and environmental awareness. A unique, illustrative pedagogy pairs earlier work...
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Second Half of Maryland’s Muzzleloader Deer Hunting Season Opens December 21, 2024

Second Half of Maryland’s Muzzleloader Deer Hunting Season Opens December 21, 2024

The second part of Maryland’s split muzzleloader deer hunting season will open Dec. 21 and run through Jan. 4. 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 provides hunters with another opportunity to...
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Police Investigating Reported Strong-Armed Robbery at Wawa in Lexington Park

Police Investigating Reported Strong-Armed Robbery at Wawa in Lexington Park

On Tuesday, December 10, 2024, at approximately 1:00 a.m., police responded to the Wawa located at 22520 Three Notch Road in Lexington Park, for the reported strong-armed robbery 911 callers reported a white male wearing a black hoodie and red mask had stolen multiple packs of cigarette’s before shoving an employee and fleeing on...
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Upcoming Alcohol Beverage Board Meeting in St. Mary’s County to Address Violations Involving Big Dog’s Paradise & Bar

Upcoming Alcohol Beverage Board Meeting in St. Mary’s County to Address Violations Involving Big Dog’s Paradise & Bar

The Alcohol Beverage Board of St. Mary’s County will hold its next meeting on Thursday, December 12, 2024, at 1:00 PM in the County Commissioners Conference Room, Chesapeake Building, 41770 Baldridge Street, Leonardtown. The meeting is open to the public, and citizens are welcome to attend in person or watch the live broadcast on...
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UPDATE: St. Mary’s County Deputies Arrest Hughesville Man on Assault and Gun Charges

UPDATE: St. Mary’s County Deputies Arrest Hughesville Man on Assault and Gun Charges

Joseph Robert Willet III, 31, of Hughesville, was arrested on December 8, 2024, following an alleged domestic assault at a residence in California, Maryland. The St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office responded to the incident, which resulted in multiple charges against Willett, including assault and firearm-related offenses. According to court documents, Deputy Ocasio-Rivera responded to...
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First Responders Respond to Two Buildings Struck in Under An Hour, No Injuries Reported

First Responders Respond to Two Buildings Struck in Under An Hour, No Injuries Reported

On Monday, December 9, 2024, at approximately 1:00 p.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the PNC Bank located at 37650 Oak Station Drive in Charlotte Hall, for the reported motor vehicle collision with injuries involving a structure. Crews arrived on the scene to find a single vehicle in the support pillar...
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DNA Evidence Links Suspect to Seabreeze Restaurant Break-In 2 Years Ago in Mechanicsville

DNA Evidence Links Suspect to Seabreeze Restaurant Break-In 2 Years Ago in Mechanicsville

Michael Anthony Deep, 31, of Lexington Park, has been charged in connection with a burglary at the Seabreeze Restaurant on South Sandgates Road in Mechanicsville. The incident, which occurred over 2 years ago, on October 13, 2022, involved theft, property damage, and unauthorized entry, according to court documents filed by the St. Mary’s County...
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Routine Bridge Inspection for Governor Thomas Johnson Bridge Set for Monday Night, December 9th, 2024

Routine Bridge Inspection for Governor Thomas Johnson Bridge Set for Monday Night, December 9th, 2024

The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration will continue its routine bridge inspection of the MD 4 bridge over the Patuxent River (Governor Thomas Johnson Bridge) on Monday night, December 9, 2024. Starting at 9 p.m., crews will close one lane and alternate traffic in the open lane using a flagging operation. Overnight...
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VIDEO: What to Expect at a Sobriety Checkpoint and How to Act

VIDEO: What to Expect at a Sobriety Checkpoint and How to Act

Sobriety checkpoints are common tools law enforcement uses to ensure road safety by identifying impaired drivers. If you find yourself approaching one, it can be helpful to know what to expect and how to handle it smoothly. As you approach a sobriety checkpoint, you’ll likely notice signs and flashing lights, along with uniformed officers...
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Police in St. Mary’s County to Conduct Sobriety Checkpoint on Friday, December 6, 2024

Police in St. Mary’s County to Conduct Sobriety Checkpoint on Friday, December 6, 2024

To mitigate alcohol-related accidents and their devastating consequences, the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office (SMCSO) will conduct a roadside sobriety checkpoint in the vicinity of California, MD, on Friday evening, December 6, 2024. Deputies will evaluate drivers for signs of alcohol or drug impairment. SMCSO recognizes that roadside sobriety checkpoints are highly visible and...
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Maryland State Police Leonardtown Barrack – Weekly Press Release 12/4/2024

Maryland State Police Leonardtown Barrack – Weekly Press Release 12/4/2024

The Maryland State Police Leonardtown Barrack is a full-service barrack, meaning it provides a comprehensive range of law enforcement services to the community in St. Mary’s County. These services include enforcing motor vehicle and criminal laws, conducting investigations into various offenses such as assaults, burglaries, drug-related crimes, murders and serious violent incidents. Additionally, the...
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Unsolved Cold Case File of Henrietta Ragan – A Rape and Murder in Leonardtown 1959

Unsolved Cold Case File of Henrietta Ragan – A Rape and Murder in Leonardtown 1959

Unsolved Cold Case Files: HENRIETTA RAGAN – In 1959, Leonardtown, Maryland, was a quaint little place where everyone knew one another. Tonight, 65 years ago, there was an incident that shook our quiet community; Henrietta Wilmer Ragan was raped and murdered. Her killer was never apprehended. Henrietta Ragan was born and raised in Leonardtown;...
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Mother and Two Children Flown Out After Single Vehicle Rollover in Mechanicsville

Mother and Two Children Flown Out After Single Vehicle Rollover in Mechanicsville

On Wednesday, December 4, 2024, at 9:10 a.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the area of 40517 New Market Turner Road and Morgan Brothers Road in Mechanicsville, for the serious motor vehicle collision with entrapment. The 911 caller reported she was involved in a single vehicle rollover with her, and her...
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Avenue Man Faces Second-Degree Assault Charges in St. Mary’s County

Avenue Man Faces Second-Degree Assault Charges in St. Mary’s County

Joseph Franklin Burch, 27, of Avenue, has been charged with second-degree assault following an incident on July 28, 2024, according to court documents filed in the District Court for St. Mary’s County. The charge stems from an alleged altercation at the defendant’s residence on Burch Road. According to the statement of charges filed by...
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Fort Washington Man Arrested on Multiple Offenses Following Lexington Park Incident

Fort Washington Man Arrested on Multiple Offenses Following Lexington Park Incident

Andre Timothy Green, 35, of Fort Washington, was arrested after an altercation at a residence in Lexington Park, on November 25, 2024. The charges stem from incidents that occurred at a home on the 46800 block of Flower Drive and involved multiple individuals, according to court records and the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office....
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UPDATE: One Injured After Vehicle Strikes Wentworth Nursery Greenhouse, Police Investigating

UPDATE: One Injured After Vehicle Strikes Wentworth Nursery Greenhouse, Police Investigating

UPDATE 12/4/2024 @ 15:10: Audio added – We provided details given about the incident as stated over the air by St. Mary’s County Dispatchers, and First Responders in real time due to the serious nature of the call, and alert for the possible road closures/delays in the area. The incident was dispatched as a...
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Prosecutors Successfully Argue for Murderer’s LIFE Sentence to Endure

Prosecutors Successfully Argue for Murderer’s LIFE Sentence to Endure

State’s Attorney Jaymi Sterling announced today that a convicted murderer’s sentence of LIFE without the possibility of parole will stand. Earlier this year, Dana Collins, 63, asked the Court to reconsider his sentence stemming from a 1995 murder. The State argued against Collins’s motion. The Court agreed with the State, denied Collins’s motion, and...
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Lexington Park Woman Arrested After Handgun Found During Traffic Stop

Lexington Park Woman Arrested After Handgun Found During Traffic Stop

On November 27, 2024, Rayshona T. Jones, 35, of Lexington Park, was arrested after a traffic stop conducted by the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Vice Narcotics Investigation Division near Willows Road in Lexington Park. During the traffic stop, officers asked Jones, who was the front-seat passenger in a 2017 Hyundai Genesis, to exit...
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Fourteen of 18 Businesses Pass Tobacco and Alcohol Compliance Checks

Fourteen of 18 Businesses Pass Tobacco and Alcohol Compliance Checks

On November 26, 2024, The St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Alcohol Enforcement Unit conducted a succession of Tobacco and Alcohol compliance checks within St. Mary’s County. The covert compliance checks involved using an underage Sheriff’s Office Confidential Informant (CI). The CI is 19 years of age and was wearing jean pants and a long-sleeved...
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Lexington Park Man Arrested on Drug Charges Following Traffic Stop

Lexington Park Man Arrested on Drug Charges Following Traffic Stop

On November 27, 2024, John F. Dorsey, a 36, of Lexington Park, was arrested after a routine traffic stop in St. Mary’s County led to the discovery of narcotics and drug paraphernalia. According to court documents, Deputy Joseph Senatore of the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office initiated the stop after observing a gold Toyota...
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UPDATE: Police Arrest 25-Year-Old Wanted Man in Hollywood After His Fifth Violation of a Protective Order Within the Past Year

UPDATE: Police Arrest 25-Year-Old Wanted Man in Hollywood After His Fifth Violation of a Protective Order Within the Past Year

Kaimrhon Emmanuel Bonaventure, 25, of Douglas Georgia, was arrested in St. Mary’s County, Maryland, on November 27, 2024, for violating a protective order and attempting to break into a residence in Hollywood, Maryland. He faces charges including violating a protective order, third-degree burglary, and fourth-degree burglary. According to court records, officers from the St....
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Suttler Post Farm’s 6th Annual Holiday Open House Fundraiser For Hospice Of St. Mary’s Set for December 14th and 15th, 2024

Suttler Post Farm’s 6th Annual Holiday Open House Fundraiser For Hospice Of St. Mary’s Set for December 14th and 15th, 2024

The community is warmly invited to Suttler Post Farm’s 6th Annual Holiday Open House, taking place on December 14 and 15, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Suttler Post Farm. This cherished event will benefit Hospice of St. Mary’s, offering a festive celebration for a meaningful cause. This year’s open house will feature...
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Natural Resources Police Toy Drive Underway for 2024 Holiday Season

Natural Resources Police Toy Drive Underway for 2024 Holiday Season

The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) is conducting its annual “Boatload of Toys” holiday gift drive at several locations across the state in advance of the 2024 holiday season. NRP officers are collecting donations of new, unopened toys for local children in need. The program is part of the national United States Marine Toys for...
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Maryland’s ‘Gift of Trees’ Available for 2024 Holiday Season

Maryland’s ‘Gift of Trees’ Available for 2024 Holiday Season

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is offering holiday shoppers a different type of gift this year–one that can be in honor of a loved one, to benefit future generations, and improve the environment. The Gift of Trees is a program where Marylanders purchase native trees — either a single tree or a grove...
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