St. Mary’s News

Calvert Marine Museum December 2024 Events

Calvert Marine Museum December 2024 Events

‘Tis the season for holiday cheer, quality time with loved ones, and festive fun for all ages! Join us for the annual Solomons Christmas Walk—a magical evening that invites you to experience the museum in a whole new light after hours. Plus, make sure to stop by the Museum Store on Museum Store Sunday...
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Judge Joseph Stanalonis Named Administrative Judge for St. Mary’s County Circuit Court

Judge Joseph Stanalonis Named Administrative Judge for St. Mary’s County Circuit Court

Supreme Court of Maryland Chief Justice Matthew J. Fader has named Judge Joseph M. Stanalonis as county administrative judge for the Circuit Court for St. Mary’s County. The designation of Judge Stanalonis is effective November 20, 2024. Judge Stanalonis has been serving as the acting county administrative judge since the passing of County Administrative...
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Maryland Lifts Statewide Ban on Outdoor Burning – November 21st, 2024

Maryland Lifts Statewide Ban on Outdoor Burning – November 21st, 2024

UPDATE 11/21/2024: After 20 days, following a review of weather and ground conditions, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources has rescinded a statewide ban on open-air burning that was implemented to prevent the spread of wildfires across the state. Extremely dry conditions that had persisted throughout the year led to an above average number of wildfires...
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Lusby Man Charged with Threatening Arson and Drug Possession in St. Mary’s County

Lusby Man Charged with Threatening Arson and Drug Possession in St. Mary’s County

On November 16, 2024, James Delonte Butler, 41, of Lusby, was arrested on charges of threatening to commit arson and possession of a controlled dangerous substance. The incident occurred at a residence on Cornwall Drive in California, Maryland, where Butler allegedly made threats to harm the occupant and damage the property. According to court...
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National Weather Services Issues Warning Of High Winds Overnight

National Weather Services Issues Warning Of High Winds Overnight

Rapid Onset of Strong Winds Later This Evening. Forecast – Showers and possibly a thunderstorm before 4am, then showers likely. Low around 44. Southeast wind 6 to 16 mph becoming northwest after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 32 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half...
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Two Injured, One Flown Out After Serious Single Vehicle Rollover in Tall Timbers

Two Injured, One Flown Out After Serious Single Vehicle Rollover in Tall Timbers

On Tuesday, November 19, 2024, at approximately 10:45 p.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the area of Piney Point Road and Driftwood Drive in Tall Timbers, for the motor vehicle collision reported serious with rollover and entrapment. Crews arrived on the scene to confirm a single vehicle off the roadway and...
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Silver Spring Man Charged with Child Neglect, DUI, and Additional Offenses Following Traffic Stop in St. Mary’s County

Silver Spring Man Charged with Child Neglect, DUI, and Additional Offenses Following Traffic Stop in St. Mary’s County

A routine late-night traffic stop on November 16, 2024, escalated into multiple charges for Wulliam Alberto Moreno-Zamora, 26, of Silver Spring, Maryland. Deputy Vincent Pontorno of the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop at approximately 9:25 p.m., after observing a gray 2017 Honda Civic traveling at 68 mph in a 50...
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UPDATE: Four Injured After Serious Motor Vehicle Collision Involving School Bus in Hughesville

UPDATE: Four Injured After Serious Motor Vehicle Collision Involving School Bus in Hughesville

UPDATE 11/20/2024: Crews arrived on the scene to find a two vehicle collision involving a 4-door sedan with the operator trapped, and Charles County Public School Bus #117, which had no children on board. Firefighters extricated the trapped patient in under 25 minutes. Due to significant injuries, Maryland State Police Aviation Command was requested....
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Lexington Park Woman Arrested Again on Multiple Charges After Incident in St. Mary’s County

Lexington Park Woman Arrested Again on Multiple Charges After Incident in St. Mary’s County

On November 18, 2024, Mackenzie Willow Sheriff, 25, of Lexington Park, was arrested following an incident involving multiple assaults and unlawful entry into a residence. According to the report by Officer Ryan McLean of the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office, authorities responded to a call from Liberty Street, where a barefoot woman, identified as...
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Leonardtown Man Convicted for Second-Degree Rape and Sexual Abuse of a Child

Leonardtown Man Convicted for Second-Degree Rape and Sexual Abuse of a Child

UPDATE 11/19/2024: State’s Attorney Jaymi Sterling announced today that a St. Mary’s County Jury found Crosby Dawson, 41, of Leonardtown, Maryland, guilty of two counts of second-degree rape and the sexual abuse of a minor involving a child victim. Dawson faces a maximum penalty of 65 years in prison and will be required to...
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St. Mary’s County Elementary School Teacher Arrested on Assault Charge After Domestic Incident

St. Mary’s County Elementary School Teacher Arrested on Assault Charge After Domestic Incident

Lisa Christine Nassuk, 41, of California, Maryland, who listed her occupation as a St. Mary’s County Public Schools Teacher in court documents at the time of her arrest, is facing a criminal charge of second-degree assault following a domestic incident that occurred on October 22, 2024. According to the arrest report, Deputy Hudson of...
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CSM’s Small Business Deveopment Center Director Wynne Briscoe is Named 2024 Maryland Manufacturing Start

CSM’s Small Business Deveopment Center Director Wynne Briscoe is Named 2024 Maryland Manufacturing Start

The College of Southern Maryland (CSM) Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Director Wynne Briscoe was recognized Nov. 14 as one of the state’s Manufacturing Stars for 2024. As the Maryland statewide subject matter expert for manufacturing for the Maryland Small Business Development Center, Briscoe “has been an integral part to making the center’s technology...
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Testing of Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant Sirens on December 2, 2024

Testing of Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant Sirens on December 2, 2024

There will be a full-cycle test of the alert and notification sirens throughout St. Mary’s, Calvert, and Dorchester counties on Monday, December 2, 2024, 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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Leonardtown Rotary Club Recognizes Heroes During Annual “Flags for Heroes”

Leonardtown Rotary Club Recognizes Heroes During Annual “Flags for Heroes”

The Leonardtown Rotary Club held its annual Flags For Heroes celebration on November 10. Flags For Heroes recognize personal heroes both past and present with American flags displayed at the College of Southern Maryland, Leonardtown Campus. The flags will remain in place throughout November. This year, 76 heroes’ names were recognized during the roll...
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St. Mary’s County Launches New Website for Comprehensive Plan Update: “St. Mary’s 2050 – Charting Our Tomorrow”

St. Mary’s County Launches New Website for Comprehensive Plan Update: “St. Mary’s 2050 – Charting Our Tomorrow”

St. Mary’s County Government’s Department of Land Use & Growth Management (LUGM) is excited to announce the launch of a new website dedicated to the upcoming Comprehensive Plan update, St. Mary’s 2050: Charting Our Tomorrow. This update will serve as a roadmap for ensuring a robust economy, directing growth, and prioritizing preservation over the...
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International Programs Student Interns Gain Experience, Enhance Learning

International Programs Student Interns Gain Experience, Enhance Learning

The NAVAIR SYSCOM Security Cooperation Office’s (SSCO) Junior Personnel Development Program (JPDP) provides an opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students to gain valuable work experience while earning their degrees, network with existing team members and strengthen their marketability post-graduation. “The mission of the SSCO is to advance U.S. Strategic Objectives by establishing and growing key allied...
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California Man Charged with Child Abuse After Assaulting a 10-Year-Old Boy

California Man Charged with Child Abuse After Assaulting a 10-Year-Old Boy

On November 1, 2024, Justin Wayne Bell, 40, of California, Maryland, was arrested following an incident at an apartment complex on FDR Boulevard. The charges stemmed from a reported case of child abuse involving a ten-year-old boy. According to court documents, Deputy Glenn Knott from the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office responded to a...
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UPDATE: Bail Denied for Leonardtown Man Charged with Attempted Murder Following Stabbing in Lexington Park

UPDATE: Bail Denied for Leonardtown Man Charged with Attempted Murder Following Stabbing in Lexington Park

UPDATE 11/18/2024: Lucas Graham Hockaday, 23, of Leonardtown has been charged with multiple offenses after an altercation in Lexington Park on November 10, 2024. Lucas Graham Hockaday is facing charges of attempted second-degree murder, first-degree assault, and second-degree assault. According to court records filed by Detective David M. Lawrence of the St. Mary’s County...
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Maryland’s Two-Week Deer Firearms Season Opens Nov. 30, 2024

Maryland’s Two-Week Deer Firearms Season Opens Nov. 30, 2024

Maryland’s two-week firearms hunting season for sika and white-tailed deer opens Saturday, Nov. 30 and runs through Saturday, Dec. 14. The two-week season includes Sunday hunting in all but three counties, affording hunters more weekend opportunities to hunt and contribute to managing Maryland’s deer population. “The two-week firearms season remains one of Maryland’s most popular...
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Lexington Park Man Arrested After Pulling a Knife at Solomons Marijuana Dispensary After Disagreement with Management

Lexington Park Man Arrested After Pulling a Knife at Solomons Marijuana Dispensary After Disagreement with Management

Eric Nathan Smith, 45, of Lexington Park, was arrested on November 17, 2024, following a confrontation at Greenwave Dispensary in Solomons, Calvert County. According to court documents, deputies were dispatched to the dispensary at approximately 4:15 p.m. after reports of a man threatening people with a knife. Police arrived to find Smith, who was...
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Domestic Disturbance in Mechanicsville Leads to Three Arrests and Multiple Charges

Domestic Disturbance in Mechanicsville Leads to Three Arrests and Multiple Charges

A domestic disturbance call on Sunday, November 17, 2024, resulted in the arrest of three men at a residence on North Sandgates Road. John Edward Nichols, Jr., 34, of Mechanicsville, was arrested during the incident. Nichols, Jr. was charged with violations of protective orders and resisting arrest. John Edward Nichols, Sr., 57, of Mechanicsville,...
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Jury Convicts Great Mills Man for Drive-By Shooting Murder of Teenager

Jury Convicts Great Mills Man for Drive-By Shooting Murder of Teenager

State’s Attorney Jaymi Sterling announced today that Keion Steven Brooks, 26, of Great Mills, was convicted of the first-degree murder of a 19-year-old victim and the attempted first-degree murders of five additional teenagers for his participation in a drive-by shooting that occurred on January 12, 2022. “I want to thank the members of the...
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UPDATE: Court Clears Deputies of Wrongdoing in St. Mary’s County Murder Trial – Sentencing Scheduled for December 23, 2024

UPDATE: Court Clears Deputies of Wrongdoing in St. Mary’s County Murder Trial – Sentencing Scheduled for December 23, 2024

UPDATE 11/15/2024: The sentencing in the murder case of Latres Javontae Cockerham is moving forward after new evidence came to light. The State of Maryland recently shared additional information about two police officers who were involved in the investigation. After reviewing the officers’ internal records, Judge Joseph Stanalonis found nothing that needed to be...
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New Holiday Event ‘Evening Tides’ Brings Candlelight Christmas to Piney Point

New Holiday Event ‘Evening Tides’ Brings Candlelight Christmas to Piney Point

St. Mary’s County Government’s Museum Division, which oversees Piney Point Lighthouse Museum & Historic Park, is excited to present a brand-new event this holiday season, Evening Tides: Candlelight Christmas at Piney Point. On Saturday, November 30, 2024, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., visitors are invited to a festive holiday evening on the grounds...
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Alcohol Compliance Checks for September and October: 24 of 24 Businesses Pass Compliance Checks

Alcohol Compliance Checks for September and October: 24 of 24 Businesses Pass Compliance Checks

On September 27, 2024, at 3 p.m., the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Alcohol Enforcement Unit conducted a series of alcohol compliance checks in St. Mary’s County. These undercover checks involved a 19-year-old Confidential Informant (CI) from the Sheriff’s Office, dressed in athletic-style pants and shirt, who attempted to purchase alcohol to test each...
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