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Maryland State Police Arrest Prince George’s County Man on Child Pornography Charges

Maryland State Police Arrest Prince George’s County Man on Child Pornography Charges

Maryland State Police arrested a Prince George’s County man on Thursday on charges related to the production, possession and viewing of child pornography. Edwin Antonio Valdez Olivar, 41, of Beltsville, Maryland is charged with seven counts of possession of child pornography, seven counts of accessing and viewing child pornography, and seven felony counts of...
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Maryland Department of Natural Resources Reports Sustainable Population in 2025 Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab Winter Dredge Survey

Maryland Department of Natural Resources Reports Sustainable Population in 2025 Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab Winter Dredge Survey

The Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab Winter Dredge Survey, a cooperative effort between the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, estimates 238 million blue crabs in the Chesapeake Bay in 2025, a decrease from last year’s 317 million crabs. The results showed decreases in the abundance of adult male and...
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Calvert Department of Public Works Conducting Annual Fire Hydrant Inspections June 2nd to 13th, 2025

Calvert Department of Public Works Conducting Annual Fire Hydrant Inspections June 2nd to 13th, 2025

The Department of Public Works, Water & Sewerage Division advises that annual fire hydrant inspections will occur June 2-13, 2025. The inspections will start in the Prince Frederick area at Armory Square and continue south through Kenwood, St. Leonard, Lusby, concluding in Solomon’s. Contractors will inspect the hydrants for proper operation, maintenance and flow...
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Leonardtown Man Sentenced to 30 Days in Jail for Series of Copper Thefts from Lowe’s

Leonardtown Man Sentenced to 30 Days in Jail for Series of Copper Thefts from Lowe’s

Zachary Lee Pratz, 29, of Leonardtown, was sentenced on May 29, 2025, in the District Court for St. Mary’s County after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor theft scheme involving repeated shoplifting of copper plumbing fittings from the Lowe’s Home Improvement store located on Worth Avenue in California, Maryland. According to court records and the...
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Severe Geomagnetic Storm Watch Issued for June 2nd, 2025

Severe Geomagnetic Storm Watch Issued for June 2nd, 2025

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Space Weather Prediction Center reported on May 29th, a G4 (Severe) geomagnetic storm watch is in effect for June 2nd. A powerful coronal mass ejection (CME) erupted from the Sun the evening of 30 May. The CME is anticipated to arrive at Earth later on Sunday, 1 June....
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Marylanders Hiring Tree Service Contractors Should Always Verify Credentials

Marylanders Hiring Tree Service Contractors Should Always Verify Credentials

As Maryland homeowners freshen up their properties and landscape for the summer season, they should know the proper steps to take when hiring tree removal companies to clear damaged and downed trees, limbs, and branches. In addition to the damage that can be caused by storms, the aftermath of storms can also bring responses...
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It’s Officially Hurricane Season! NOAA Predicts Above Normal 2025 Atlantic Hurricane Season

It’s Officially Hurricane Season! NOAA Predicts Above Normal 2025 Atlantic Hurricane Season

Forecasters within NOAA’s National Weather Service predict above-normal hurricane activity in the Atlantic basin this year. NOAA’s outlook for the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, which goes from June 1 to November 30, predicts a 30% chance of a near-normal season, a 60% chance of an above-normal season, and a 10% chance of a below-normal...
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Four Transported to Trauma Centers After Serious Crash in La Plata

Four Transported to Trauma Centers After Serious Crash in La Plata

On Saturday, May 31, 2025, at approximately 2:36 p.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the area of Port Tobacco Road and Chestnut Hill Place in La Plata, for the motor vehicle collision reported serious with entrapment. Multiple 911 callers reported a two vehicle collision with one trapped. Firefighters arrived on the...
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UPDATE: Victim Fatally Struck by Vehicle Identified as 44-Year-Old Waldorf Man

UPDATE: Victim Fatally Struck by Vehicle Identified as 44-Year-Old Waldorf Man

UPDATE 5/30/2025: On Friday, May 30, 2025, at approximately 1:58 hours, Troopers from Maryland State Police La Plata Barrack along with Charles County Sheriff Deputies responded to United States Route 301 north of Smallwood Drive for a report of a serious motor vehicle collision. Due to the circumstances, the Maryland State Police CRASH Team...
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Southern Maryland Placed Under Tornado Watch and Flood Watch As Severe Thunderstorms Head Our Way

Southern Maryland Placed Under Tornado Watch and Flood Watch As Severe Thunderstorms Head Our Way

TODAY, Friday, May 30th, 2025. The National Weather Service has placed St. Mary’s, Calvert, Charles, Anne Arundel, Prince George’s Counties under a Tornado Watch is in effect for the entire region until midnight. A couple tornadoes are possible during this time, while also bringing a threat for damaging wind gusts and large hail. A...
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UPDATE: Critical Missing Hollywood Woman Located Safe

UPDATE: Critical Missing Hollywood Woman Located Safe

UPDATE 5/28/2025: Catherine has been located and is safe. Thank you for your assistance and sharing. 5/27/2025: The St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office requests assistance in locating a critical missing person. Catherine Johnson 54-year-old female went missing in the morning hours of May 27th, 2025, and was last seen in the area of Maple...
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Great Mills High Students Shine Bright in STEM Pitch Competition Sponsored by Carolyn E. Parker Foundation

Great Mills High Students Shine Bright in STEM Pitch Competition Sponsored by Carolyn E. Parker Foundation

In a night filled with boundless potential, innovation, and hope, students from Great Mills High School lit up the room at the Pitch for Your Pocket, STEM competition hosted by the Carolyn E. Parker Foundation. The early Spring 2025 event concluded with the awarding of 7 student innovators, ready to bring their bold ideas to life....
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Leonardtown’s Got Talent – Now Accepting Auditions!

Leonardtown’s Got Talent – Now Accepting Auditions!

Do you have a hidden talent or a show-stopping skill? Now’s your chance to step into the spotlight! The Town of Leonardtown is excited to announce that audition submissions are officially open for the first-ever Leonardtown’s Got Talent — a community-wide talent competition designed to showcase the incredible performers of St. Mary’s County. From...
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Calvert County Treasurer Nova Tracy-Soper to Retire After 30 Years of Public Service

Calvert County Treasurer Nova Tracy-Soper to Retire After 30 Years of Public Service

Calvert County Government announces the retirement of Nova Tracy-Soper, who will retire from her role as County Treasurer on May 30, 2025, after serving 30 years in an elected capacity. Tracy-Soper held responsibility for overseeing the county’s tax collection operations. During her tenure, the office implemented several customer-facing improvements, including online credit card payments...
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Proceeds of King’s Way Car, Truck & Bike Show on May 31st, 2025 to Benefit Hospice of the Chesapeake

Proceeds of King’s Way Car, Truck & Bike Show on May 31st, 2025 to Benefit Hospice of the Chesapeake

Car enthusiasts and community members are invited to come out and support a meaningful cause at the King’s Way Car, Truck & Bike Show on Friday, May 31 (rain date: June 7). This special event is held in memory of Ollie Brown and to honor those affected by cancer, with all proceeds benefiting Hospice...
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Testing of Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant Sirens on June 2nd, 2025

Testing of Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant Sirens on June 2nd, 2025

There will be a full-cycle test of the alert and notification sirens throughout St. Mary’s, Calvert, and Dorchester counties on Monday, June 2, 2025, 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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Maryland Transit Administration Launches Next Phase of Southern Maryland Rapid Transit Project

Maryland Transit Administration Launches Next Phase of Southern Maryland Rapid Transit Project

The Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration invites residents, business owners and stakeholders to attend the upcoming open house meetings for the Southern Maryland Rapid Transit (SMRT) Planning and Environment Linkages (PEL) Study. These meetings offer an opportunity to learn about potential mode and route alignment options, key project considerations, technical updates and...
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Six Charles County Students Advance to 2025 National ACT-SO Competition

Six Charles County Students Advance to 2025 National ACT-SO Competition

Six Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) students are advancing to the national ACT-SO competition this summer after earning a Gold medal award at the April 26th regional event held at the College of Southern Maryland. ACT-SO — the NAACP’s Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics — is an achievement program open to high school...
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Maryland Oyster Stock Assessment Records Long-Term Increase In Oyster Abundance

Maryland Oyster Stock Assessment Records Long-Term Increase In Oyster Abundance

The population of Maryland’s oysters has grown significantly in the past 20 years, according to the results of the latest benchmark stock assessment for the species. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science released the summary results of the stock assessment on Monday. “Good news for...
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New Unmanned Test System Accelerates UAS Development at NAWCAD

New Unmanned Test System Accelerates UAS Development at NAWCAD

The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) is boosting its testing capabilities with a new UAS experimentation system showcased recently at a training event at Naval Air Station Patuxent River’s Webster Outlying Field. Designed to accelerate unmanned aviation development, the Tethered Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Experimentation Payload System (TULEPS) allows developers to test software...
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Virginia Man Arrested After Alleged I-95 Road-Rage Shooting on Memorial Day in Prince George’s County

Virginia Man Arrested After Alleged I-95 Road-Rage Shooting on Memorial Day in Prince George’s County

A Virginia man is facing attempted murder charges following a Memorial Day road-rage shooting on Interstate 95 in Prince George’s County. The accused is identified as Fredy Gonzalez-Esquivel, 22, of Leesburg, Virginia. Gonzalez-Esquivel is charged with two counts of attempted second-degree murder, felony assault, using a firearm during a felony crime, malicious destruction of...
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Waldorf Native Serves With The Next Generation of U.S. Naval Aviation Warfighters

Waldorf Native Serves With The Next Generation of U.S. Naval Aviation Warfighters

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Tracey Bannister, Navy Office of Community Outreach. PENSACOLA, Fla. – Ensign Keirra Harvey, a native of Waldorf, Maryland, is serving in the U.S. Navy amongst sailors, Marines and guardsmen at Naval Aviation Schools Command (NASC) who are developing the skills needed to be a combat-ready aviation professional. Harvey is...
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Brandywine Man Sentenced for Federal Identity Theft and Bank, Wire, and Passport Fraud Charges

Brandywine Man Sentenced for Federal Identity Theft and Bank, Wire, and Passport Fraud Charges

United States District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher sentenced Llyod Linwood Comer, 63, of Brandywine, Maryland, to 41 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release — with the first seven months on home detention — for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, passport fraud, identity theft, and possession of a...
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Police Investigating Hit-and-Run Involving Stolen Hyundai with 5 Juveniles

Police Investigating Hit-and-Run Involving Stolen Hyundai with 5 Juveniles

Deputies from the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office responded to a reported motor vehicle collision with a possible disturbance on Sunday, May 18, 2025, at approximately 4:38 p.m. around MacArthur Boulevard and South Poteat Court in California, MD. While enroute, a deputy observed a group of five juveniles walking away from the vicinity of...
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One Flown Out, One Other Injured After Head-on Collision in Leonardtown

One Flown Out, One Other Injured After Head-on Collision in Leonardtown

On Tuesday, May 27, 2025, at approximately 2:55 p.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the area of St. Andrew’s Church Road and Benswood Road in California, for the reported motor vehicle collision with injuries. Prior to the arrival of fire and rescue personnel, due to the nature of multiple 911 callers...
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