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John Thomas Hess Sentenced to 50 Years in Major Fentanyl Trafficking Case

John Thomas Hess Sentenced to 50 Years in Major Fentanyl Trafficking Case

John Thomas Hess, 33, of St. Inigoes, has been sentenced to 85 years in prison, with 50 years of active incarceration, for his role in a large-scale fentanyl trafficking operation. State’s Attorney Jaymi Sterling announced that Hess orchestrated an extensive drug distribution network that funneled fentanyl throughout St. Mary’s County. During the investigation, law...
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8-Year-Old Transported to Children’s Center After ATV Crash in Bryans Road

8-Year-Old Transported to Children’s Center After ATV Crash in Bryans Road

On Sunday, March 9, 2025, at approximately 6:48 p.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the 5400 block of Sir Douglas Drive in Bryans Road, for the reported motor vehicle collision involving a motorcycle. Shortly after dispatch, responding units were advised the 911 caller reported a child had serious bleeding with a...
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Fire at St. Charles Mall Under Investigation, One Victim Transported to Burn Center

Fire at St. Charles Mall Under Investigation, One Victim Transported to Burn Center

On Friday, March 7, 2025, at approximately 12:25 p.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the Macy’s Department Store located in the St. Charles Mall in Waldorf, for the reported structure fire. Fire and emergency response units from multiple stations, including Waldorf Fire Stations 3 and 12, La Plata, Hughesville, Bryans Road,...
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Firefighters Respond to Large Brush Fire in St. Mary’s County

Firefighters Respond to Large Brush Fire in St. Mary’s County

On Sunday, March 9, 2025, at approximately 3:05 p.m., firefighters from Leonardtown and Second District responded to the 23000 block of Point Lookout Road in Leonardtown, for the reported large brush fire. Dispatchers advised the 911 caller was calling from the provided address and stated their was an elderly male yelling to call 911,...
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Deputies in Calvert County Recover PCP, Heroin, Crack Cocaine After High-Speed Chase

Deputies in Calvert County Recover PCP, Heroin, Crack Cocaine After High-Speed Chase

A high-speed chase in Calvert County resulted in the arrest of two suspects and the seizure of multiple controlled dangerous substances (CDS), according to law enforcement officials. On March 2, 2025, at approximately 12:49 a.m., Sgt. Mark Robshaw of the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office was stationed in the median of Maryland Route 4 near...
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Waldorf Man who Killed 17-Year-Old Westlake High School Student Found Guilty of Murder

Waldorf Man who Killed 17-Year-Old Westlake High School Student Found Guilty of Murder

UPDATE 3/7/2025: Tony Covington, State’s Attorney for Charles County, announced that on Friday, March 7, 2025, a Charles County jury, after a 5-day trial, convicted Elijah Bernard Barnes, 20, of the Second-Degree Murder of Rajon Lateef Jackson, III, as well as related charges. On January 13, 2023, officers responded to Harvest Fish Place in...
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Lexington Park Woman Arrested for Impaired Driving After Single Vehicle Crash Involving NAS Patuxent River Security Fence

Lexington Park Woman Arrested for Impaired Driving After Single Vehicle Crash Involving NAS Patuxent River Security Fence

On Thursday, March 6, 2025, at approximately 3:25 p.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the area of Three Notch Road and Southampton Drive in Lexington Park, for the reported single vehicle collision involving the NAS Patuxent River Security Fence. Crews arrived on the scene to confirm a single vehicle off the...
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UPDATE: More Charges Added for Prince Frederick Man Who Filmed Firefighters for Social Media is Charged with Arson

UPDATE: More Charges Added for Prince Frederick Man Who Filmed Firefighters for Social Media is Charged with Arson

UPDATE 3/5/2025: The social media creator arrested last Friday in Charles County was arrested today in St. Mary’s County on nearly identical charges. Joshua Christian-Stanley Jackson, charged with setting fire to a vacant commercial property and making a false 911 call in Charles County, was arrested this afternoon in connection with a new arson...
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Calvert County Firetruck Involved in Minor Crash While Responding to Assist During House Fire in Anne Arundel County

Calvert County Firetruck Involved in Minor Crash While Responding to Assist During House Fire in Anne Arundel County

On Tuesday, March 4th, 2025, at approximately 6:50 p.m., firefighters were dispatched to the 6605 Revell Road in Tracy’s Landing, for the reported outside fire. A short time after dispatch, the incident was upgraded to a structure fire with multiple callers reported the house was on fire. Along with the upgraded assignment, Maryland State...
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Hollywood Woman at Assisted Living Facility Accused of Stealing Patient Medications Arrested on Drug Distribution and Elder Abuse Charges

Hollywood Woman at Assisted Living Facility Accused of Stealing Patient Medications Arrested on Drug Distribution and Elder Abuse Charges

A St. Mary’s County woman has been arrested and charged with multiple felony and misdemeanor offenses, including drug distribution, elder abuse, and financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult. Judy Marie Smith, 45, of California, MD, was taken into custody on Wednesday, March 5, 2025, by deputies from the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Patrol...
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Southern Maryland Under Severe Thunderstorm Watch

Southern Maryland Under Severe Thunderstorm Watch

UPDATE 3/5/2025: This Afternoon and Tonight – A line of strong to severe thunderstorms will impact the region later this morning and continue into this afternoon. Severe thunderstorms will be capable of producing damaging wind gusts, large hail and potentially an isolated tornado. Isolated severe thunderstorms capable of producing damaging wind gusts and hail...
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VIDEO: Another Shooting in Lexington Park: Man Survives Gunshot Wounds to Face

VIDEO: Another Shooting in Lexington Park: Man Survives Gunshot Wounds to Face

In the early hours of Wednesday, March 5, 2025, deputies from the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office responded to reports of a shooting in the area of Marshall Boulevard, in Lexington Park. At approximately 1:10 a.m., multiple 911 callers reported hearing around 20 gunshots. Firefighters and emergency medical personnel arrived at the scene and...
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UPDATE: Burning Debris Sparks Massive Fire in St. Mary’s County, Injuring One

UPDATE: Burning Debris Sparks Massive Fire in St. Mary’s County, Injuring One

UPDATE 3/5/2025: A fire that started from a pile of burning debris quickly spread out of control Tuesday afternoon, leaving an adult male injured and causing approximately $100,000 in damages. According to the Office of the Maryland State Fire Marshal, the blaze occurred on March 4, 2025, at approximately 12:34 p.m. at a property...
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Lusby Woman Sentenced for Impaired Driving and Child Neglect in Calvert County

Lusby Woman Sentenced for Impaired Driving and Child Neglect in Calvert County

On March 3, 2025, Ronni Laine Davis, 34, of Lusby, was sentenced in Calvert County Circuit Court to 8 years incarceration, with 60 days of active time, followed by 3 years of supervised probation. The sentence was imposed by the Honorable Mark S. Chandlee. Evidence revealed that Davis was observed by concerned citizens to...
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Community Survey! How Should Charles County Budget for Fiscal Year 2026?

Community Survey! How Should Charles County Budget for Fiscal Year 2026?

We want to hear from you! The second resident survey for the Charles County Government Fiscal Year 2026 budget is now open. Resident input is critical in ensuring that the budget accurately addresses community priorities and needs. Share your input on spending priorities and offer suggestions on how the county can address changes in...
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Governor Moore Announces Additional Actions to Support Maryland’s Federal Workforce

Governor Moore Announces Additional Actions to Support Maryland’s Federal Workforce

Governor Wes Moore announced a series of actions to help Marylanders impacted by federal workforce layoffs, firings, and changes to federal funding. After convening a roundtable with impacted federal workers, business and union leaders, and Moore-Miller Administration cabin​et officials, Governor Moore announced expanded resource webpages across state government, partnerships to launch job fairs across...
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Lexington Park Man Flushes Baseball Sized Bag of Cocaine Down Toilet at St. Mary’s County Jail After Arrest

Lexington Park Man Flushes Baseball Sized Bag of Cocaine Down Toilet at St. Mary’s County Jail After Arrest

Danielyn Marshall Winder, 44, of Lexington Park, is facing multiple drug-related charges after a traffic stop led to his arrest on February 27, 2025. According to court documents, detectives from the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Vice/Narcotics Unit had been conducting an ongoing investigation into the alleged drug-related activities of Winder. As part of...
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Father Said He Would “Gladly Take Out” Son After Choking and Threatening to Kill Him

Father Said He Would “Gladly Take Out” Son After Choking and Threatening to Kill Him

James Levi Curtis, 59, of Waldorf, is facing multiple felony charges after allegedly attacking his teenage son in their home and making violent threats, according to court documents. Curtis was arrested on February 22, 2025, and charged with first-degree assault, second-degree assault, and second-degree child abuse. According to the charging documents, deputies responded to...
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Indian Head Woman Charged with First-Degree Assault Following Stabbing at Motel

Indian Head Woman Charged with First-Degree Assault Following Stabbing at Motel

Lisa Maria Genao, 41, of Indian Head, has been charged with first-degree assault following an alleged stabbing incident at a motel in Charles County. Genao was arrested on February 24, 2025, after deputies from the Charles County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of an assault with a weapon at the Indian Head Inn,...
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Maryland State Police Investigating Two Found Unresponsive in St. Ingoes, Both Transported in Critical Condition

Maryland State Police Investigating Two Found Unresponsive in St. Ingoes, Both Transported in Critical Condition

On Wednesday, February 26, 2025, at approximately 6:15 p.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the area of Grayson Road and Villa Road in St. Inigoes, for the report of two subjects possibly not breathing. According to the initial 911 call, a concerned family member was searching for a male relative when...
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No Injuries After Vehicle Strikes Pole, Road Sign, and Garage in Leonardtown

No Injuries After Vehicle Strikes Pole, Road Sign, and Garage in Leonardtown

On Thursday, February 27, 2025, at approximately 8:00 a.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to 26961 Point Lookout Road in Leonardtown, for the reported residential structure fire after a vehicle struck the building. Multiple 911 callers reported a vehicle into a garage with smoke throughout the building. Firefighters from Leonardtown, Seventh District,...
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UPDATE: Waldorf Man Charged with Attempted Murder in Charles County Shooting

UPDATE: Waldorf Man Charged with Attempted Murder in Charles County Shooting

  A Waldorf man has been arrested and charged with attempted first-degree murder, assault first degree, assault second degree, and reckless endangerment, following a shooting incident in Charles County on February 26, 2025. James Wendell Andrews, 54, of Waldorf, was taken into custody after allegedly shooting a man with a high-powered air rifle during...
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Firefighters Quickly Extinguish Shed Fire That Spreads to House in Lexington Park, No Injuries Reported

Firefighters Quickly Extinguish Shed Fire That Spreads to House in Lexington Park, No Injuries Reported

On Wednesday, February 26, 2025, at approximately 2:34 p.m., firefighters from Bay District, NAS Patuxent River, Second District and Hollywood responded to the area of Franklin Road in Lexington Park, for the reported shed on fire. Shortly after dispatch, the St. Mary’s County 911 center advised to all responding units they were receiving multiple...
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UPDATE: Police Arrest St. Mary’s County Man and Find Cash Drugs and Guns After Early Morning Raid at Great Mills Drug House

UPDATE: Police Arrest St. Mary’s County Man and Find Cash Drugs and Guns After Early Morning Raid at Great Mills Drug House

UPDATE 2/27/2025: Authorities in St. Mary’s County have arrested Daiquan Malik Barnett, 28, of Great Mills, on multiple felony drug and firearm-related charges following a police investigation that led to the execution of search warrants at his residence and associated vehicles. Barnett was taken into custody on February 26, 2025, after detectives from the...
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Red Cross, National Pan-Hellenic Council Partner to Save Lives

Red Cross, National Pan-Hellenic Council Partner to Save Lives

The American Red Cross is committed to maintaining a diverse blood supply to ensure the right blood product is available at the right time, and every blood and platelet donor has an important role in meeting that need. Community partners play an integral part in expanding the donor base and the Red Cross is...
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