UPDATE 12/10/2025: Witnesses reported the red sedan had appeared to get into the left hand turn lane prior to the intersection, before re-entering the Southbound lanes of Three Notch Road. The vehicle continued to travel on Southbound Three Notch Road until entering the left-hand turn lane to travel onto Mervell Dean Road, at the same time, Truck 13, who was travelling routine with no lights, no sirens and was returning to quarters from a training event, was driving Southbound...
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UPDATE 12/10/2025: On Wednesday, December 10, 2025, at around 6:42 a.m., patrol units from the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to a serious motor vehicle collision in the area of Three Notch Road and Charlotte Hall School Road in Charlotte Hall. Deputies arrived at the site to find one person trapped. The preliminary investigation indicates that a 2018 gray Hyundai Tucson was traveling northbound on Three Notch Road and attempted to turn left onto Charlotte Hall School...
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UPDATE 12/10/2025: Deputy State Fire Marshals have charged a Mechanicsville man in connection with a series of intentionally set fires that occurred Tuesday evening along the 26400 block of Three Notch Road. Jeffrey Allen Wathen, 41, is facing multiple charges, including first-degree arson, after investigators—assisted by K9 “Taylor”—identified him as a suspect. Wathen approached investigators at one of the scenes and claimed he was also a victim of a fire, prompting additional scrutiny. The Hollywood Volunteer Fire Department responded shortly...
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UPDATE 12/9/2025: Paige Taylor Hartness, 34, of Lexington Park, has been charged with multiple felony and misdemeanor offenses following an incident on October 23, 2025, during which she allegedly pointed a firearm at deputies from the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office. According to court documents, Hartness faces a total of eight charges, including first-degree assault, use of a firearm in a felony crime, reckless endangerment, and possessing a loaded handgun on her person. Deputies responded to a welfare check...
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On Tuesday, December 9, 2025, at 8:20 a.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the 45000 block of Joeys Way in Valley Lee, for the reported shooting. 911 callers reported a 65-year-old male student had accidentally shot himself in the foot. EMS arrived on the scene to find a tourniquet had been placed on the victim and requested a helicopter to land nearby. Flight medics were advised the patient had a self-inflicted gunshot wound which grazed the...
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Southern Maryland residents young and old should look skyward today, Tuesday, Dec. 9, between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. ET as Adm. Saint Nicholas takes to the air on his annual holiday readiness flight — now with an expanded route that includes additional regional schools. Locals can catch a glimpse of Nicholas — flying under his seasonal call sign “Claus” — as he lifts off in a U.S. Navy MH-60S Seahawk helicopter, accompanied by his team of elves and...
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On Monday, December 8, 2025, at approximately 7:40 p.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the area of Crain Highway and Substation Road in Waldorf, for the reported motor vehicle collision with injuries. Crews quickly arrived on the scene to find a two vehicle collision with three patients suffering injuries. EMS found a 2-year-old female suffering injuries to the head/face and requested a helicopter to respond. U.S. Park Police Eagle 2 landed nearby and transported the child...
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On Monday, December 8, 2025, at approximately 8:10 a.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the area of 5760 Sixes Road in Prince Frederick, for the reported commercial vehicle overturned with unknown entrapment. Crews arrived on the scene to find a propane truck overturned and actively leaking, with the operator still inside of the vehicle. Firefighters placed a handline in service to precautionary reasons and began removing the operator from the vehicle, along with evacuating nearby residents....
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On Friday, December 5, 2025, at approximately 4:11 p.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the area of Three Notch Road and Kessler Court in Lexington Park, for the reported motor vehicle collision involving an occupied school bus. Crews arrived on the scene to find a three vehicle collision involving a Nissan sedan, a Toyota hatchback, and St. Mary’s County School Bus 222 which was occupied by three students, the driver and an aide. The aide was...
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The College of Southern Maryland (CSM) Foundation will expand scholarships and break down student financial barriers through the Lorraine Diana ’79 and Robert Guite Pathways to Possibility Fund, established with the largest donation in the college’s history. The fund will provide students with traditional scholarships, as well as financial support for other needs which can create barriers to education, such as food, transportation, living expenses, or essential school supplies like nursing equipment or trade program tools. Donors Lorraine Diana...
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On Sunday, December 7, 2025, at approximately 12:36 p.m., firefighters from Leonardtown, Second District, Seventh District, Hollywood, Bay District and Solomons were dispatched to the Wilderness Run RV Resort (formerly called La Grande RV Park) located at 23285 Point Lookout Road in Leonardtown, for the reported trailer on fire. The owner reported a fire in the trailer, with multiple additional 911 callers reporting the trailer engulfed in flames. Crews arrived on the scene to find a small trailer well...
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Prince George’s County Police Department Homicide Unit detectives are investigating a homicide after human remains were located at a park in College Park. The victim is 14-year-old Jefferson Amaya-Ayala of Washington, DC. On November 3, 2025, while assisting the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and FBI Cross Border Taskforce with a joint missing persons investigation, what appeared to be possible human remains were located during a search of Indian Creek Stream Valley Park. The remains were sent to the Office...
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PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY: Schools will open 2 HOURS LATE on Friday, Dec. 5th, 2025. ST. MARY’S COUNTY: St. Mary’s County, Maryland is under a Winter Weather Advisory from 4 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, December 5, 2025. Snowfall totals for St. Mary’s County are expected between 1–4 inches with very low temperatures. Snowfall is expected to begin in the early morning hours, around 3–5 a.m. Peak timing for snowfall is expected to be between 4 a.m.– noon. Impacts to...
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On Wednesday, December 3, 2025, at approximately 9:25 p.m., firefighters from Waldorf and surrounding departments responded to the 800 block of Copley Avenue in Waldorf, for the reported garage on fire. 911 callers reported the garage was on fire and spreading to the attached residence. Firefighters quickly arrived on scene to find a two-story residence with the attached garage fully engulfed in flames and requested the working fire dispatch, which alerted additional units to the scene. The fire was...
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UPDATE 12/04/2025: PGPD’s Homicide Unit identified and charged a man in connection with Wednesday’s fatal shooting at the MGM National Harbor. The suspect is 22-year-old Benjamin Williams of Fort Washington. He is charged with the murder of 23-year-old Darnell Hawkins Jr. of Washington, DC. On December 3, 2025, at approximately 11:55 am, officers responded to a shooting at the MGM National Harbor. Officers located Hawkins on the ground suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Hawkins died at the scene. Through...
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Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, MD.: The Navy and Marine Corps Small Tactical Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) program office (PMA-263) recently announced that the Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) Services UAS surpassed one million flight hours in support of operations on land and at sea. Sailors aboard achieved the one million flight hours...
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Published Dec. 5, 2025 by Whitney Wetsig, 711th Human Performance Wing Commander’s Action Group – WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio; A mobile medical documentation tool developed by Air Force Research Laboratory researchers is now deployed and being tested on Maryland State Police medevac helicopters. This marks the first time medical providers are using Battlefield Assisted Trauma Distributed...
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On Monday, December 8, 2025, at approximately 5:28 p.m., firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the 22000 block of Upland Drive in Bushwood, for the reported traumatic injuries. The 911 caller reported a tree fell on him, with the caller reporting he had trouble breathing and passed out several times. Maryland State Police Aviation...
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The Prince George’s County Police Department’s Homicide Unit is actively working to determine the circumstances of a fatal shooting late Monday night inside of a business. During this incident, an armed private security guard fatally shot a patron. The deceased patron is 50-year-old Donald Wayne Hunt of Waldorf. On December 8, 2025, at approximately...
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On Tuesday, December 9, 2025, at 3:43 a.m., firefighters from Mechanicsville, Hollywood, Leonardtown, Hughesville, Bay District, and Seventh District responded to the 38000 block of Copsey Farm Lane in Mechanicsville, for the reported building on fire. Crews arrived on the scene to find a 20 x 40 structure fully engulfed in flames and advised...
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Attorney General Anthony G. Brown and the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights (MCCR) announced a settlement with Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc., resolving allegations that the company discriminated against a group of students from Dr. James Craik Elementary School based on their disabilities during a visit to its Waldorf, Maryland restaurant. The incident occurred...
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NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, PATUXENT RIVER, MD.: The Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft Program (PMA-290) and the P-8A program team planned and executed several Aircraft on Ground (AOG) events in recent months. The successful AOG events were completed outside of the continental U.S. (OCONUS) with cooperative partnerships between the U.S. Navy and the Royal...
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A Washington Commanders fan from Prince George’s County is celebrating a Ravens win. Not the actual team, but rather his $50,000 win on the Ravens X10 scratch-off game. Though he does not root for the Ravens, he enjoys playing the Ravens scratch-off. “I keep playing it because I win a little here and there,”...
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Whitney Anne Arnold, 39, of Mechanicsville, is currently facing three separate criminal cases in St. Mary’s County involving drug possession, a reported retail theft scheme, and an alleged unlawful entry into a vacant residence, according to court documents filed by the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office. In the most recent case, deputies responded on...
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Governor Wes Moore announced that his proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2027 will maintain $10 million in funding for the Protecting Against Hate Crimes Grant Program. The program, which saw its funding doubled in the governor’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget, provides vital support to nonprofit organizations and faith-based institutions for security enhancements to protect their...
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Governor Wes Moore on Dec. 2 led the Chesapeake Bay Program’s Executive Council in approving the revised Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement, which includes goals that will improve the health of the Chesapeake Bay, increase access to nature, and support livelihoods that depend on this nationally treasured resource. The revised agreement supports the environmental and...
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When a St. Mary’s County man played his favorite numbers and those five digits -10238 – were picked at midday on Dec. 2, his $1 straight bet gave him a $50,000 top prize. The school bus driver said Dec. 4 when he claimed his winnings at Lottery headquarters in Baltimore he doesn’t play every...
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Michael Edward Emmel, 41, of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, has been charged in Calvert County after a traffic complaint led deputies to a drug possession incident on November 21, 2025, according to court documents filed by the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office. According to a report by Deputy McIntosh, a caller reported a “black Chrysler 300 heading...
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Avelino Tavares Da Silva Jr., 49, of College Park, has been formally charged with misdemeanor theft following an incident at the Walmart in Dunkirk, according to court documents filed in Calvert County District Court. The incident occurred on December 2, 2025, at the store located on Town Center Boulevard. According to the Calvert County...
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The Prince George’s County Police Department’s Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Unit is investigating a now fatal crash that occurred in July of 2025 in Temple Hills. The deceased driver is 36-year-old Joseph McGainey of Brandywine. He died of his injuries on November 24, 2025. On July 8, 2025, at approximately 11:25 am, officers responded...
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The second half of Maryland’s muzzleloader deer hunting season will be open Dec. 20 through Jan. 3, 2026. The first half of the split season was held in October. Hunters may use muzzleloading firearms to harvest sika and white-tailed deer during this time. “The late muzzleloader season coincides with the holidays, offering hunters a...
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In the last week of October, Maryland’s outdoor recreation community gathered in Baltimore for our second annual Maryland Outdoor Recreation Summit. Bringing together the partners that comprise and support Maryland’s outdoor recreation community – local and state government, environmental organizations, educators, outfitters, and other businesses – is essential. The science is clear: time in...
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