Detectives in Charles County assigned to the Narcotics Enforcement Section initiated an investigation that led to the arrest of a Maryland father and son charged with illegally distributing more than a kilogram of fentanyl. What began as a local case in Waldorf quickly expanded into a larger, multi jurisdictional effort as our detectives uncovered...
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As students across Southern Maryland return to school, some high school juniors and seniors are jumpstarting their college careers at the College of Southern Maryland (CSM) through the Early College program. For Julianna Conte, the opportunity to earn college credit while still in high school made Early College an easy choice. Now in her second year, she plans...
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Governor Moore and the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy (GOCPP) today announced $10 million in State Fiscal Year 2027 Protection Against Hate Crimes (PAHC) grant awards to more than 100 nonprofit organizations, houses of worship, and community centers across 16 Maryland counties and Baltimore City. The awards will fund security guards, access...
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On Friday, August 28, 2026, at approximately 4:10 a.m., firefighters from Charles and St. Mary’s County were dispatched to the Green Acres Nursing and Rehab located at 10200 LaPlata Road, for the reported structure fire. Crews arrived on the scene to find fire showing from the attic space. Due to the nature of the...
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On Wednesday, August 26, 2026, at approximately 8:00 p.m., firefighters and emergency medical services responded to the 10 block of First Street in Indian Head, for the reported traumatic injuries. 911 callers reported a 4-year-old male was run over with a lawnmower, with the child no longer trapped underneath of the machine. Due to...
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Qualifying agricultural operations are now eligible to extend their nutrient management plans from three to five years following a regulatory update outlined in the Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR) 15.20.07. The update applies to no-land, pasture-only and organic poultry operations that are considered low-risk because they do not spread manure or other sources of nutrients...
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UPDATE 8/27/2027: The Independent Investigations Division (IID) of the Maryland Office of the Attorney General is investigating a police-involved collision that occurred on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, in Brandywine, near the county line between Prince George’s County and Charles County, Maryland. The preliminary investigation revealed that on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, at approximately 10:20 a.m.,...
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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is proposing to eliminate a federal requirement that currently guarantees the public notice and an opportunity to comment on certain air pollution permits — a change that could affect data centers and the diesel generators and other equipment used to support them. The proposal comes as communities across the...
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Kristina Elaine Sharpe, 37, of Waldorf, is facing nine drug-related charges following an August 20, 2026, traffic stop in Lexington Park, including felony possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, possession of cocaine, possession of Xanax, possession of amphetamine, three counts involving drug paraphernalia, intentionally removing or altering a prescription label, and possession of...
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Mark Antwaune Majors Jr., 31, of Indian Head, faces two handgun charges and four traffic allegations after a Maryland State Police trooper said he found Majors asleep behind the wheel of a running SUV early Aug. 22, 2026, before discovering a handgun on him during the arrest. Majors is charged with having a handgun...
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A Port Tobacco woman has been charged after Deputy State Fire Marshals determined she allegedly intentionally set a fire inside a Charles County home last month. On Monday, July 27, 2026, at around 2:00 a.m., firefighters responded to a reported house fire in the 8400 block of Wooddy Road in Port Tobacco. The Office...
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On Wednesday, August 26, 2026, at 12:20 a.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services were dispatched to the 15100 block of Rock Point Road in Newburg, for a serious motor vehicle collision with people trapped. The 911 caller, a SMECO worker, reported a single vehicle struck multiple utility poles and was resting on its...
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The Maryland Department of Health is declaring an outbreak of measles in St. Mary’s, Carroll and Cecil counties and the identification and investigation of 14 new confirmed cases in unvaccinated Maryland residents. No public exposures have been identified in these cases. There is currently no evidence of widespread community transmission, as most cases occurred...
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Cornell Fields Jr., 35, of Waldorf, is facing first-degree assault, two second-degree assault charges, reckless endangerment and six traffic-related charges after authorities say he struck a Charles County Sheriff’s Office lieutenant with a four-wheeler and fled from officers during a pursuit in Waldorf on August 21, 2026. The criminal charges include first-degree assault, second-degree...
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When Southern Maryland News Net publishes an article about someone facing criminal charges, readers frequently ask the same question: “Why isn’t there a booking photo?” The answer is usually that the defendant was charged without being taken to jail and photographed. In other cases, a photograph may exist but has not been released, cannot...
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On Monday, August 24, 2026, at approximately 9:46 a.m., firefighters from Seventh District, Mechanicsville, Hollywood, Leonardtown, Bay District, Bel Alton, and Newburg were dispatched to the 38000 block of Manor Road in Chaptico, for the reported house on fire. 911 callers reported the living room was on fire with call takers advising everyone to...
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On Sunday, August 23, 2026, at 11:20 a.m., firefighters from Waldorf Volunteer Fire Department responded to 11789 Sunset Ridge Place in Waldorf, for the reported vehicle fire. Crews arrived on the scene to find a vehicle on fire and extinguished it within 10 minutes. The Office of the Maryland State Fire Marshal responded to...
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The Powerball jackpot is back down from the stratospheric range at $68 million after a $1.04 billion win last week in Illinois. But as the big prize is starting to build again, Maryland had a $50,000 third-tier winner in the Aug. 19 drawing on a ticket sold in Waldorf. Missing the big money by...
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On Sunday, August 23,2026, at approximately 5:35 p.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services were dispatched to the area of Billingsley Road and Crain Highway in Waldorf, for the serious motor vehicle collision with entrapment. Multiple 911 callers reported a SUV jumped the median and struck multiple vehicles head-on, with one subject possibly trapped....
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Pumpkin lovers, this one’s for you. The flavors everyone waits all year for have officially arrived, and Rita’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard, the largest Italian Ice concept in the world, is putting a refreshingly cool twist on the season. Pumpkin and Apple Butter are back at Rita’s for a limited time, bringing all the cozy, spiced...
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On Sunday, August 23, 2026, at 2:56 p.m., firefighters and emergency medical services were dispatched to the Wicomico MX & ATV park located at 11100 Kingston Place in Charlotte Hall, for the reported traumatic injuries after a dirt bike crash. 911 callers reported a 17-year-old male was conscious, not alert but breathing after a...
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On Saturday, August 22, 2026, at approximately 5:48 p.m., firefighters from Waldorf and surrounding departments responded to the 2000 block of Hadley Drive in Waldorf, for the reported structure fire. 911 callers reported a dryer was on fire with the occupants evacuating. Crews arrived on the scene to find a two-story middle of the...
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On Friday, August 21, 2026, at approximately 9:10 p.m., a Deputy with the Charles County Sheriff’s Office attempted to stop a man on an ATV in the area of the Nicks of Clinton located at 3953 St Charles Parkway in Waldorf. The suspect reportedly stopped for the deputy and once approached by the officer...
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CCSO Warrant Unit and U.S. Marshals Task Force Seek Fugitive Wanted in Armed Carjacking and Robbery: The Charles County Sheriff’s Office, in coordination with the U.S. Marshals Service Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force, is actively seeking the whereabouts of David Thomas Alston, age 21, of Indian Head, MD. Alston is wanted in connection...
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Michael Kenneth Morton, 46, of La Plata, has been charged with second-degree assault of a law enforcement officer, resisting or interfering with arrest, disorderly conduct, causing a public disturbance while intoxicated, and failing to obey a reasonable and lawful order following an August 13, 2026, encounter with police outside a Dash-In in Prince Frederick....
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