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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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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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Firefighters Quickly Contain Chimney Fire That Spread Into Walls and Attic in Huntingtown Residence

Firefighters Quickly Contain Chimney Fire That Spread Into Walls and Attic in Huntingtown Residence

On Friday, February 6, 2026, at approximately 6:40 a.m., firefighters from Huntingtown Volunteer Fire Department and surrounding departments responded to the 6000 block of Jupiter Drive in Huntingtown, for the reported chimney fire. Crews arrived on the scene to find nothing evident and began investigating. During the investigation, crews located a fire within the...
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Free Trees Available for Maryland’s ‘Backyard Buffers’

Free Trees Available for Maryland’s ‘Backyard Buffers’

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is offering free tree seedlings to landowners statewide who have a creek, drainage ditch, stream, or other waterway on or near their property through the Backyard Buffers program, Each “buffer in a bag” includes 20-30 native tree and shrub bare-root seedlings, approximately 1 to 2 feet in height. Maryland Forest Service staff...
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Prince Frederick Man and Sunderland Woman Charged After Traffic Stop Leads to Drug Arrests

Prince Frederick Man and Sunderland Woman Charged After Traffic Stop Leads to Drug Arrests

Dontray Joseph Creek, 31, of Prince Frederick, and Amy Michelle Drye, 46, of Sunderland, are facing multiple drug-related charges stemming from a traffic stop conducted in Calvert County on January 22, 2026, according to court records and charging documents. Court documents state that deputies with the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office stopped a dark gray...
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St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office to Conduct Saturation Patrols

St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office to Conduct Saturation Patrols

The St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office will conduct saturation patrols during the upcoming Super Bowl weekend, focusing on impaired driving, speeding, and other dangerous traffic violations. Additional deputies will be assigned to major travel routes and neighborhoods across the county during one of the busiest weekends of the year for gatherings and celebrations. Before...
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California Woman Held Without Bond After Felony Child Abuse Arrest in St. Mary’s County

California Woman Held Without Bond After Felony Child Abuse Arrest in St. Mary’s County

Elizabeth Ann Quade, 43, of California, Maryland, is facing multiple felony and misdemeanor charges after being arrested on January 29, 2026, in connection with an alleged assault involving a juvenile, according to court documents filed in the District Court for St. Mary’s County. Quade is charged with two counts of second-degree child abuse, both...
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Traffic and Criminal Charges Pending After California Crash Sends Two to Trauma Center

Traffic and Criminal Charges Pending After California Crash Sends Two to Trauma Center

On Wednesday, February 4, 2026, at approximately 6:58 p.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the area of Three Notch Road and First Colony Boulevard in California, for the reported motor vehicle collision with injuries. Crews arrived on the scene to find a two vehicle rear-end style collision with two patients for...
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Governor Moore Announces $79 Million in Federal Funding to Expand High Speed Internet Access

Governor Moore Announces $79 Million in Federal Funding to Expand High Speed Internet Access

Governor Wes Moore today announced that the United States Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration has approved Maryland’s Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) plan. The approval enables the State to access $79.1 million in federal funding to support the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development’s Connect Maryland initiative to provide all...
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Calvert Marine Museum Otter Trot 5K Returns Saturday, April 18th, 2026

Calvert Marine Museum Otter Trot 5K Returns Saturday, April 18th, 2026

Get ready for some otterly awesome fun at the third annual CMMS Otter Trot 5K, happening Saturday, April 18, 2026, at the Calvert Marine Museum. This timed 5K is open to runners, walkers, families, stroller-pushers, and yes—even otter fans who just want to enjoy the atmosphere. Registration Fees $35 – CMM Members (with discount...
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Noise Advisory – NAS Patuxent River Sets Noise Advisory for February 4, 2026 for NAS Patuxent River, Webster Outlying Field

Noise Advisory – NAS Patuxent River Sets Noise Advisory for February 4, 2026 for NAS Patuxent River, Webster Outlying Field

NAVAL AIR STATION PATUXENT RIVER, MD. – Communities surrounding Webster Outlying Field are advised that a low altitude aircraft flight test events is scheduled to take place Feb. 4, 2026 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Residents may notice increased noise levels due to these operations. As with all operations, NAS Patuxent River takes...
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$6.9 Million Awarded to Partners for Chesapeake Bay Watershed Conservation

$6.9 Million Awarded to Partners for Chesapeake Bay Watershed Conservation

Today, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in partnership with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, announced $6.9 million in funding from the Chesapeake Watershed Investments in Landscape Defense (Chesapeake WILD) Program to support 33 partner-led conservation projects in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The grants will generate $6 million in matching contributions, resulting in...
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Save the Dates: Community Invited to Review Draft of St. Mary’s 2050 Plan During Upcoming Open Houses

Save the Dates: Community Invited to Review Draft of St. Mary’s 2050 Plan During Upcoming Open Houses

St. Mary’s County Government’s Department of Land Use & Growth Management (LUGM) invites the community to take part in the next phase of engagement for St. Mary’s 2050: Charting Our Tomorrow, the County’s long-range Comprehensive Plan. A series of Open Houses will be held in February, providing an opportunity to review the first draft of the...
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