St. Mary’s News

DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, set for Saturday, October 26, 2024

DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, set for Saturday, October 26, 2024

The DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, set for Saturday, October 26, 2024, from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM, provides several collection sites across Southern Maryland for safe disposal of unused or expired medications. According to the DEA’s official Take Back Day webpage, drop-off locations include Maryland State Police Barrack T in Leonardtown,...
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National School Bus Safety Week: October 21-25

National School Bus Safety Week: October 21-25

As we recognize National School Bus Safety Week from October 21 to 25, it’s a perfect time for drivers and students alike to brush up on essential safety tips that keep everyone safe on the road. With millions of children relying on buses to get to and from school, it’s critical that we all...
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Man and Child Flown to Trauma Centers After Single Vehicle Collision in California

Man and Child Flown to Trauma Centers After Single Vehicle Collision in California

On Wednesday, October 23, 2024, at approximately 10:38 a.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the area of Indian Bridge Road and Long Bow Drive in California, for the motor vehicle collision with injuries. Crews arrived on the scene to find a single vehicle off the roadway and into a drainage ditch...
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Make a Difference This Winter: Volunteer Drivers Needed for WARM in St. Mary’s County

Make a Difference This Winter: Volunteer Drivers Needed for WARM in St. Mary’s County

With colder weather settling in, St. Mary’s County Government’s Department of Aging & Human Services (DAHS) is seeking volunteer drivers for Wrapping Arms ‘Round Many (WARM), an emergency shelter program for people experiencing homelessness in St. Mary’s County, Maryland. This year’s WARM season begins Sunday, November 10, 2024, and runs through Monday, March 27,...
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Large Multi-Agency Investigation Ongoing After Shed Fire in Hollywood, Charges Pending

Large Multi-Agency Investigation Ongoing After Shed Fire in Hollywood, Charges Pending

UPDATE 10/21/2024 – The St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office released the following statement: On October 21st, 2024, Deputies with the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office responded to a residence on the 42000 block of St. Johns Road in Hollywood to assist the Fire Department with a shed fire involving possible ammunition exploding inside. In the...
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Lexington Park Man Arrested for Burglary, Attempted Arson, and Drug Possession

Lexington Park Man Arrested for Burglary, Attempted Arson, and Drug Possession

On October 20, 2024, Cesar Augusto Gonzalez-Lopez, 34, of Lexington Park, was arrested and charged with burglary, attempted arson, and drug possession, after threatening to burn down a home, breaking into the property, and causing significant damage. According to court documents, the incident stemmed from an argument between Gonzalez-Lopez and the homeowner the previous...
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Protect Yourself and Loved Ones: Scammers Impersonating Local Law Enforcement in St. Mary’s County

Protect Yourself and Loved Ones: Scammers Impersonating Local Law Enforcement in St. Mary’s County

While the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office has acknowledged receiving multiple reports of scammers impersonating deputies and demanding money, their public warning has provided limited details about how these scams are being carried out. To help shed more light on the issue, one local resident, whom we will refer to as Brian, has shared...
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UPDATE: Drunk Driver Arrested After Causing Serious Crash in Dameron That Sends One to Trauma Center

UPDATE: Drunk Driver Arrested After Causing Serious Crash in Dameron That Sends One to Trauma Center

UPDATE 10/21/2024: David R. Brunk, age 63, of Dameron, is facing a series of traffic and alcohol-related charges after a late-night incident on October 20, 2024. According to court documents from the District Court for St. Mary’s County, Brunk was charged after an accident on Route 235 near Trapp Road in St. Mary’s County....
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Lexington Park Man Faces Multiple Charges After Traffic Incident in Leonardtown

Lexington Park Man Faces Multiple Charges After Traffic Incident in Leonardtown

On October 16, 2024, Marvin Laquawn Rash, 39, of Lexington Park, was arrested following a traffic incident in Leonardtown. According to court documents, Rash is facing several charges, including failing to obey a lawful order, resisting arrest, and obstructing a police investigation. The incident occurred on Maryland Route 5 near 26825 Point Lookout Road...
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Clements Man Arrested for Assault After Female Victim Suffers Severe Injuries

Clements Man Arrested for Assault After Female Victim Suffers Severe Injuries

Jonathan David Pease, 39, of Clements, was arrested on October 18, 2024, and charged with first and second-degree assault following a violent incident on October 15, 2024, at his residence on Mount Chance Court in Clements. According to court documents, Pease allegedly assaulted a female victim during a heated argument, resulting in serious injuries...
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Port Republic Man Arrested for Trespassing and Drug Possession in Ridge

Port Republic Man Arrested for Trespassing and Drug Possession in Ridge

On October 5, 2024, Parris Commodore, 54, of Port Republic, was arrested and charged with multiple offenses, including fourth-degree burglary, drug possession, trespassing, and obstructing law enforcement. The charges stem from an incident in Ridge, St. Mary’s County, Maryland. According to the Maryland State Police, officers responded to a call at approximately 9:33 a.m....
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Lexington Park Resident Charged with Drug Possession and Identity Fraud in St. Mary’s County

Lexington Park Resident Charged with Drug Possession and Identity Fraud in St. Mary’s County

On October 15, 2024, Sara Wagner Zetty, 39, of Lexington Park, was arrested by the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office on multiple charges following a traffic stop on Lexwood Drive in an area known for drug activity. According to court documents, Deputy Wimberly conducted a traffic stop on a silver Honda Odyssey, which was...
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Results of Chesapeake Bay 2024 Young-of-Year Striped Bass Survey Show Little Change

Results of Chesapeake Bay 2024 Young-of-Year Striped Bass Survey Show Little Change

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced results of this year’s juvenile striped bass survey, which tracks the reproductive success of Maryland’s state fish in the Chesapeake Bay. The 2024 young-of-year index is 2.0, well below the long-term average of 11.0, and marks the sixth consecutive year of poor reproduction. “These results underscore the complexity of managing...
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Rural Legacy Farmers and Partners Celebrate 25 Years of Preserving Maryland’s Bucolic Landscape and Working Farms

Rural Legacy Farmers and Partners Celebrate 25 Years of Preserving Maryland’s Bucolic Landscape and Working Farms

Whether it’s waterfront farmland , culturally important land where Harriet Tubman resided, a working farm in Baltimore County, or a stretch of quiet woodlands in Western Maryland, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Rural Legacy Program has been protecting it for a quarter century. The Maryland Rural Legacy Program protects the viability of agriculture while...
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Bay District Volunteer Fire Department, Fire Chief Gould Honored with Hometown Hero Award

Bay District Volunteer Fire Department, Fire Chief Gould Honored with Hometown Hero Award

The St. Mary’s County Benevolent Protective Order of Elks (BPOE) has named Fire Chief Joe Gould the first recipient of its Hometown Hero Award in the firefighter category. Chief Gould will be officially honored on Saturday, November 9, 2024, in recognition of his exceptional dedication to the fire service and his unwavering commitment to...
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Man Flown to Trauma Center After Chainsaw Accident in Dameron

Man Flown to Trauma Center After Chainsaw Accident in Dameron

On Sunday, October 20, 2024, at approximately 11:30 a.m., emergency medical personnel were dispatched to the 50000 block of Malone Bay Court in Dameron, for the reported traumatic injuries with serious bleeding. 911 callers reported a 68-year-old male suffered a large cut after an accident involving a chainsaw. Crews arrived on the scene to...
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Man Flown to Trauma Center with Life-Threatening Injuries After Being Struck by Vehicle at Crash Scene

Man Flown to Trauma Center with Life-Threatening Injuries After Being Struck by Vehicle at Crash Scene

On Saturday, October 19, 2024, at 10:07 p.m., police responded to the intersection of Patuxent Beach Road and South Patuxent Beach Road in California, Maryland, for a reported motor vehicle collision with no injuries. Troopers from the Maryland State Police Leonardtown Barrack arrived at the scene and discovered a two-vehicle collision involving a 2021...
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Leonardtown Man Charged After Alleged Assault on Wife and Child

Leonardtown Man Charged After Alleged Assault on Wife and Child

Donald Keith Kaspar, 57, of Leonardtown, has been charged with first- and second-degree assault following a domestic violence incident at his home in Leonardtown . The charges stem from an altercation that took place on October 16, 2024, involving his wife, who remains unnamed for privacy reasons. According to court documents, officers from the...
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All Arrests and Criminal Summons Issued in St. Mary’s County 10/11/2024 to 10/17/2024

All Arrests and Criminal Summons Issued in St. Mary’s County 10/11/2024 to 10/17/2024

Each week, SMNEWSNET.COM will provide a list of all arrests and criminal summonses issued in St. Mary’s County. In the spirit of transparency, we are committed to keeping our community informed about local law enforcement activities. This list includes arrests made by both the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office and the Maryland State Police,...
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Domestic Violence Awareness in St. Mary’s County: A Call for Action

Domestic Violence Awareness in St. Mary’s County: A Call for Action

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, a time dedicated to highlighting the devastating impact that domestic violence has on individuals, families, and communities. Unfortunately, St. Mary’s County has witnessed two tragic domestic violence-related murders in the past nine days, a stark reminder that this issue is very real and close to home. On October...
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Domestic Argument Over Rifle Leads to Assault Charges for Nanjemoy Man

Domestic Argument Over Rifle Leads to Assault Charges for Nanjemoy Man

Troy Landon Collins, 47, of Nanjemoy, is facing multiple charges following a domestic incident at a residence on Port Tobacco Road on October 5, 2024. According to court records, Collins has been charged with first-degree assault, a felony, as well as two counts of second-degree assault, both misdemeanors. The charges stem from an altercation...
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The St. Mary’s College of Maryland Board of Trustees Approve New Policies, Budget Revisions

The St. Mary’s College of Maryland Board of Trustees Approve New Policies, Budget Revisions

The St. Mary’s College of Maryland (SMCM) Board of Trustees met on Oct. 11 and 12, working through an ambitious agenda. The Board approved items including revisions to the Faculty Bylaws and Title IX policy, a new Freedom of Expression policy, the 2024 Performance Accountability Report, revision of the FY25 operating budget and reconciliation...
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Probation Violation Leads to Major Drug Trafficking Arrest in Lexington Park

Probation Violation Leads to Major Drug Trafficking Arrest in Lexington Park

On Wednesday, October 16, 2024, detectives from the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division, along with the Emergency Services Team (EST), executed search and seizure warrants at a residence on Rue Woods Drive in Lexington Park. The operation followed an investigation into suspected drug trafficking activities involving Daisaun Altay Eric Culpepper, 31,...
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Canceling Subscriptions Has to be as Easy as Signing up, FTC Says in a New Rule

Canceling Subscriptions Has to be as Easy as Signing up, FTC Says in a New Rule

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has announced a groundbreaking “click-to-cancel” rule, aimed at making it easier for consumers to cancel recurring subscriptions and memberships. The new rule mandates that sellers must make the cancellation process as straightforward as the initial sign-up. It will apply to most negative option programs, addressing concerns about deceptive practices...
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Second Domestic Violence Murder in St. Mary’s County in Nine Days

Second Domestic Violence Murder in St. Mary’s County in Nine Days

Tragedy struck St. Mary’s County once again, marking the second fatal domestic violence incident within just nine days. On October 16, 2024, shortly before 11:00 a.m., first responders were called to Rosewood Drive in Lexington Park after reports of a domestic shooting. Emergency services arrived to find Alasia Janell Milburn, 25, suffering from a...
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