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Former DOJ Contractor Pleads Guilty to Mail Fraud in Theft of Cell Phones Valued at More Than $1.3 Million

Former DOJ Contractor Pleads Guilty to Mail Fraud in Theft of Cell Phones Valued at More Than $1.3 Million

Javan King, 42, of Laurel, Maryland, pleaded guilty in connection with stealing thousands of government cell phones when he worked for the Department of Justice, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. King pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud. Judge Jia M. Cobb accepted King’s plea and scheduled sentencing for May 26, 2026....
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A Big Step for a Small Fish: Federal Funding Supports Decades-long Effort to Restore Blackbanded Sunfish

A Big Step for a Small Fish: Federal Funding Supports Decades-long Effort to Restore Blackbanded Sunfish

On a picture-perfect, mid-September Monday, a dozen staff from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service caravaned down a rutted dirt road in a Wildlife Management Area to witness a conservation milestone. Upon exiting their vehicles, attendees gathered around a few five-gallon tanks at the edge of...
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Leonardtown Business Association Announces New Business Updates in Town

Leonardtown Business Association Announces New Business Updates in Town

The Leonardtown Business Association (LBA) is excited to share several positive business updates that highlight continued growth, investment, and momentum throughout the Town of Leonardtown. Domoishi opened today in the former SIP location near Dunkin’ Donuts, bringing a fresh new dining option to the area. Smash House recently celebrated its official ribbon cutting and...
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CSM Offers CDL Certification Courses to Train Students to Fill Critical Workforce Need

CSM Offers CDL Certification Courses to Train Students to Fill Critical Workforce Need

The College of Southern Maryland (CSM) will host a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) virtual orientation on February 11 at 3 p.m. for aspiring students to learn more about this in-demand career field. The CSM Center for Transportation Training, located at 5825 Radio Station Drive in La Plata, offers certifications in CDL Class A, CDL...
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Clinton Man Sentenced to 27 Years for Enticing Production of Child Sexual Abuse Material

Clinton Man Sentenced to 27 Years for Enticing Production of Child Sexual Abuse Material

A Clinton, Maryland, man is headed to federal prison for nearly three decades in connection with child sex abuse crimes. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis sentenced Juan Carlos Puente, 48, of Clinton, Maryland, to more than 27 years in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for producing and possessing child sexual abuse...
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Sports Wagering Contributes $10.9 Million to the State During January 2026

Sports Wagering Contributes $10.9 Million to the State During January 2026

Maryland’s sports wagering market generated $10,928,540 in contributions to the state during January 2026, and with five months remaining in Fiscal Year 2026, state contributions have surpassed the 12-month total for FY2025. Through the first seven months of Fiscal Year 2026 (July 2025 through January 2026), sports wagering contributions to the state are $89,533,261....
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Narcotics Detectives Seize Illegal Cannabis from Six Tobacco and Vape Shops

Narcotics Detectives Seize Illegal Cannabis from Six Tobacco and Vape Shops

Following a five-month investigation, the Charles County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Enforcement Section served multiple search and seizure warrants at tobacco and vape shops found to be illegally selling cannabis. There are currently 18 tobacco and vape shops in Charles County and six were found to be consistently in violation. In August 2025, detectives opened...
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Maryland Department of Transportation, State Leaders Announce Next Round of Pedestrian Safety Action Plan Projects in Southern Maryland

Maryland Department of Transportation, State Leaders Announce Next Round of Pedestrian Safety Action Plan Projects in Southern Maryland

Transportation and safety leaders from the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) and the State Highway Administration (SHA) joined local elected officials today to announce the five corridors receiving safety projects in the next round of Maryland’s Pedestrian Safety Action Plan (PSAP). The PSAP program, a priority of the Moore-Miller Administration, is designed to provide greater...
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St. Mary’s County Recreation & Parks Announces 43rd Annual Easter Egg Festival on Saturday, March 28, 2026

St. Mary’s County Recreation & Parks Announces 43rd Annual Easter Egg Festival on Saturday, March 28, 2026

St. Mary’s County Government’s Department of Recreation & Parks (R&P) is excited to host the 43rd Annual Easter Egg Festival at the St. Mary’s County Fairgrounds on Saturday, March 28, 2026. This rain or shine event will be held from 11:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. and is open to the entire community. This Southern Maryland spring staple will feature egg...
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St. Mary’s County – Free Document Shredding Event Announced on Saturday March 28, 2026

St. Mary’s County – Free Document Shredding Event Announced on Saturday March 28, 2026

It’s time to clean out your filing cabinets and desks to get rid of confidential, private, or other important personal documents that you no longer need to keep! St. Mary’s County Government’s Department of Public Works & Transportation (DPW&T) will host a Community Shredding Event on Saturday March 28, 2026, from 8 a.m. – noon at the St....
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Secretary’s Message: Cold Winter Could Boost Prospects for Striped Bass

Secretary’s Message: Cold Winter Could Boost Prospects for Striped Bass

Deep in one of the coldest winters in recent memory, many Marylanders are already thinking ahead to spring. But thanks to the frozen waters of the Chesapeake Bay, our iconic striped bass could be receiving a boost. Scientists believe environmental factors such as warmer, drier winters and decreased spring water flow rates are the...
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U.S. Navy Awards Contract for Next-Generation Fixed Wing Helmet System

U.S. Navy Awards Contract for Next-Generation Fixed Wing Helmet System

The Navy recently awarded a $22.6 million contract to Gentex Corporation to deliver more than 5,000 Next-Generation Fixed Wing Helmet (NGFWH) systems and spares to support the fielding of these systems across all Navy fixed wing aircraft. The firm-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract is intended streamline and modernize life-support capabilities for fixed-wing aircrews and will eventually...
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UPDATE: Lexington Park Man Sentenced to 40 Years for Possession with Intent to Distribute

UPDATE: Lexington Park Man Sentenced to 40 Years for Possession with Intent to Distribute

update 2/10/2026: State’s Attorney Jaymi Sterling announced that Jerome Damon Estep, 50, of Lexington Park, MD has been sentenced to 40 years in prison with 10 years of active incarceration for the possession with intent to distribute cocaine. On February 22, 2025, Corporal Travis Wimberly of the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office conducted a...
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Noise Advisory – NAS Patuxent River Sets Noise Advisory for February 9-11, 2026 for NAS Patuxent River for Night Test Flights

Noise Advisory – NAS Patuxent River Sets Noise Advisory for February 9-11, 2026 for NAS Patuxent River for Night Test Flights

Communities surrounding Naval Air Station Patuxent River are advised that noise-generating testing events are scheduled to take place Monday, February 9 and Wednesday, February 11, 2026 from 6:30 p.m.-10 p.m. Pilots at NAS PAX will be conducting Field Carrier Landing Practices (FCLPs), simulated carrier landings conducted to prepare the pilot to land safely on...
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Spring Travel Made Easy: Recreation & Parks Announces Bus Trips to Philadelphia & New York City

Spring Travel Made Easy: Recreation & Parks Announces Bus Trips to Philadelphia & New York City

St. Mary’s County Government’s Department of Recreation & Parks (R&P) is pleased to announce two exciting bus trips planned for Spring 2026, offering residents the opportunity to explore two iconic cities with convenient roundtrip transportation and free time to enjoy each destination at their own pace. R&P bus trips are a great way to...
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Maryland State Police Raise Awareness On Safer Internet Day Urging Digital Safety For All Ages

Maryland State Police Raise Awareness On Safer Internet Day Urging Digital Safety For All Ages

Investigators from the Maryland State Police Computer Crimes Unit raise awareness on Safer Internet Day with advice on how to exercise digital safety for all ages. February 10th is Safer Internet Day, a global rally that aims to raise awareness of emerging online issues as people of all ages surround themselves with a myriad...
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A Magical Evening at Waldorf West Branch Library on Friday, April 17, 2026

A Magical Evening at Waldorf West Branch Library on Friday, April 17, 2026

The Charles County Public Library (CCPL) invites the community to attend A Magical Evening at the Library, a 21+ after-hours fundraising celebration. The event will take place on Friday, April 17, 2026, at the Waldorf West Branch, 10405 O’Donnell Place, Waldorf, MD. Doors open at 7:30 PM, with a special VIP Cocktail Hour beginning at...
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Record Spatset Found in St. Mary’s River With Unprecedented Number of Juvenile Oysters Spawned in 2025

Record Spatset Found in St. Mary’s River With Unprecedented Number of Juvenile Oysters Spawned in 2025

A yearly study that monitors oyster reproduction in the St. Mary’s River measured a record number of juvenile oysters in 2025. Strong reproduction is a positive sign for the river’s oysters, which filter the water, provide habitat, and support a significant local fishery. The St. Mary’s River Watershed Association (SMRWA) has tracked oyster reproduction...
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Southern Maryland Equine Seminar: Taking Care of You & Your Horse – Just $10 for All Day Event Seminar!

Southern Maryland Equine Seminar: Taking Care of You & Your Horse – Just $10 for All Day Event Seminar!

The Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission (SMADC), a division of the Tri-County Council for Southern Maryland, will host the 2026 Southern Maryland Equine Seminar: Taking Care of You & Your Horse. The event runs from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Charles County Soil Conservation District Office, 4200 Gardiner Road, Waldorf, MD 20601....
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NAWCAD Patuxent River Supervisor of The Year Leads With Mission Focus, Integrity

NAWCAD Patuxent River Supervisor of The Year Leads With Mission Focus, Integrity

NAVAL AIR WARFARE CENTER AIRCRAFT DIVISION, PATUXENT RIVER, MD.: Naval Air Systems Command honored Michelle Passfeld, Air Traffic Control and Landing Systems (ATC&LS) division’s Expeditionary and Range Systems branch head at Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division at Webster Outlying Field (NAWCAD WOLF), with the 2025 Supervisor of the Year Award for NAWCAD Jan....
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UPDATE: St. Mary’s County Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking and Weapon Charges After Police Recover 5 Guns and 964 Fentanyl Pills

UPDATE: St. Mary’s County Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking and Weapon Charges After Police Recover 5 Guns and 964 Fentanyl Pills

UPDATE 2/9/2026: A Lexington Park, Maryland, man pled guilty in federal court today, to drug trafficking and weapons crimes. Dominick Mackall, 37, is charged with possessing firearms and ammunition as a felon and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea...
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DOJ Civil Rights Investigator Arrested in Charles County on Handgun Charges After Traffic Stop

DOJ Civil Rights Investigator Arrested in Charles County on Handgun Charges After Traffic Stop

Earl Henry Saunders, 59, of Clinton, is facing two misdemeanor firearm charges following a traffic stop in Charles County on February 1, 2026, according to court documents. Saunders is charged with having a loaded handgun on his person and transporting a handgun in a vehicle. According to charging documents, the arrest occurred at about...
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No Injuries Reported, Neighbor Saves Dog After Fire Destroys 5th Wheel Camper in Clements

No Injuries Reported, Neighbor Saves Dog After Fire Destroys 5th Wheel Camper in Clements

On Friday, February 6, 2026, at approximately 5:05 p.m., firefighters from Seventh District, Leonardtown, Hollywood, Mechanicsville and Charles County responded to the 24000 block of Horse Shoe Road in Clements, for the reported structure fire. 911 callers reported a camper was on fire with the fire threatening nearby exposures. Crews arrived on the scene...
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Montgomery County Man Arrested in St. Mary’s County After Pursuit Involving Stolen Tractor-Trailer

Montgomery County Man Arrested in St. Mary’s County After Pursuit Involving Stolen Tractor-Trailer

On Thursday, February 5, 2026, at 2:00 a.m., a patrol officer was flagged down in the area of Ell Lane and Route 5 in Waldorf, by a person reporting their 2015 Kenworth truck tractor, without the trailer, had been stolen and was actively being tracked through a GPS device. The victim advised that the...
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Firefighters from Calvert, Charles, Anne Arundel and St. Mary’s County Respond to Working House Fire in Prince Frederick

Firefighters from Calvert, Charles, Anne Arundel and St. Mary’s County Respond to Working House Fire in Prince Frederick

On Saturday, February 7, 2026, at approximately 10:26 a.m., firefighters from Price Frederick and surrounding departments were dispatched to the 4000 block of Sparkleberry Court in Prince Frederick, for the working structure fire. 911 dispatchers advised they were receiving multiple calls reporting the house is on fire, with the homeowner reporting all occupants and...
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