Columbus
Maryland Independent
Library links
A teen collaborative art project will be held all day June 7-8 and June 10-13 at the Waldorf West branch. Help make Teen Central an art space. Homeschool recess: The Pisgah Park summer games will be held 10 a.m. to noon Friday, June 7, at Pisgah Park, 6645 Mason Springs Road in La Plata. Pop-Up Library services include Wi-Fi access, library card services, crafts to go, 500 by 5 starter kits, and materials for check out. Registration required. ...
Community briefs
Art submissions sought The Maryland Center for School Safety is accepting submissions for its Art Showcase through June 7. The theme is Safe Spaces. Go to bit.ly/SchoolSafetyShowcase. Youth concerts planned Charles County Youth Orchestra will hold concerts on Saturday, June 8, at noon at the Indian Head Village Green in Indian Head and at 3...
'The Christians' continues at Hard Bargain Theater
Hard Bargain Players will continue to stage “The Christians” at 8 p.m. Fridays, June 7 and 14, and Saturdays, June 8 and 15, at the Alice Ferguson Foundation’s Hard Bargain Amphitheater, 2001 Bryan Point Road in Accokeek. Twenty years ago, Pastor Paul’s church was nothing more than a modest storefront. Now, he presides over a congregation of thousands, with classrooms for Sunday School, a coffee shop, and a baptismal font as big as a swimming pool. Today should be a day of celebration. But Pastor...
Man dies in single-vehicle crash in Indian Head
Maryland State Police are investigating a fatal single-vehicle crash that occurred May 29 in Indian Head. Shortly before 9:30 p.m. Wednesday night, troopers from the state police La Plata barrack responded to the area of westbound Livingston Road, east of Marbury Freeland Place for a report of a single-vehicle crash. The driver and sole occupant of a Chevrolet Suburban involved in the crash, identified as Tyvon Gray, 34, of Cheltenham,...
Waldorf man killed in Route 5 hit-and-run
On Monday at approximately 5:46 a.m., Maryland State Police troopers responded to Route 5 in the area of Lakewood Place in Waldorf for a report of a person lying in the median of the roadway. The male subject was pronounced deceased on the scene and car parts were located near the person, according to a release from the La Plata barrack of the Maryland State Police. The Maryland State Police...
Waldorf firefighters battle house fire
On May 17, at approximately 2:36 a.m., Waldorf Company 3 was dispatched to the 3100 block of Heartleaf Lane for a house fire. Upon arriving on scene, fire was showing from the roof of a single family home. Units operated for approximately three hours.
Community briefs
Audition scheduled Auditions for “Blue Mermaid” will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, June 1, at the Solomons Library, 13920 HG Trueman Road in Solomons. Auditions will be cold reading from the script. The play, which is directed by Sid Curl, will be performed July 12-14 and July 19-21 at the Black Box Theater in Indian Head. Email openingnites@gmail.com. STEM camp deadline nears ...
Charles County briefs
Sheriff’s office implements program for records requests The Charles County Sheriff’s Office recently announced the implementation of the NextRequest application, a solution designed to enhance and expedite the process of obtaining police records and Maryland’s Public Information Act requests. All requests for police records and PIAs can be done by accessing the NextRequest Portal on the agency’s website at www.ccso.us or directly at ccso-md.nextrequest.com. Commissioner town hall dates set ...
Library links
Free showers will be available 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Friday, May 31, at the Waldorf West branch. No registration required. Dino Day will be held 2 to 3 p.m. Saturday, June 1, at the Potomac branch. Games and arts and crafts. The Mobile Library: Race cars will be held 10:30 a.m. to noon Monday, June 3, at Laurel Springs Park, 5940 Radio Station Road in La Plata. Pop-Up Library services include Wi-Fi access, library card services, crafts to go, 500 by 5 starter kits, and materials for check out. Registration required. Walk With Ease will be held 1:30 to...
Vehicles, trailer scorched
The Waldorf Volunteer Fire Department responded to 2580 Old Washington Road in Waldorf for the report of a fire on May 22 at 9:50 p.m. The blaze torched 12 vehicles and one trailer at Mega Imports Auto Sales, totaling a loss of $70,000. The fire took 20 minutes to control. One firefighter sustained non-life threatening injuries and was transported.
One injured in apartment fire
On May 22 at 10:57 p.m., the Waldorf Volunteer Fire Department responded to a fire at 3002 Gallery Place in Waldorf. The blaze took ten minutes to control and caused a loss of $50,000. The cause of the fire is under investigation. The occupant of the apartment, Clarissa Pickeral, was transported by EMS during the investigation.
Charles school board continues to deal with budget shortfalls
Schools in Charles County have steadily lost a chunk of the county budget every fiscal year since 2021. From having 45.2% of the total county funding in the $433.4 million fiscal year 2021 budget to having 41.2% of the $561.3 million fiscal year 2025 budget, the school system has had to continue to make hard calls to keep up with the continually growing county and school system this year. This...
In split vote, Charles board seeks affordable housing grant
In a push for affordable housing in La Plata, the Charles County commissioners approved pursuing a grant in a 3-2 split vote. The state of Maryland, through the Department of Housing and Community Development, has solicited applications from eligible jurisdictions to apply for funding under the Community Development Special Projects. The resolution the commissioners put through authorized the submittal of an application to procure funds, not to exceed $800,000, to...
Charles veterans remember those who served
As Memorial Day approaches, members of the local veterans’ commission are remembering those who served. “On this Memorial Day, we honor and remember the brave men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country,” the Commission of Veterans Affairs for Charles County said in a statement to Southern Maryland News. “Their courage and dedication have secured our freedoms and protected our way of life. We pay tribute to their memory and express our deepest gratitude for their selfless service. Let...
Serving up heritage
Ros Trapp of Prince George’s County, center, helps to serve chicken pancit at the Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month celebration at the Port Tobacco Players Theater on Saturday. Despite the rain, a large crowd came out to enjoy cultural performances, music and cuisine.
Agriculture secretary visits Charles County for farmer roundtable
Some farmers in Charles County do not see mandates coming from the state as feasible to accomplish, especially pertaining to renewable energy. That was the general sentiment during a roundtable discussion on May 20 with Maryland’s Secretary of Agriculture Kevin Atticks at Bunker Hill Farm in Newburg. “We know that it’s getting more and more expensive to farm,” Atticks said at the beginning of the discussion. “Development pressure is higher...
Lexington Park teen arrested for alleged rape in Waldorf
On May 17 around 1 a.m., the Charles County Sheriff’s Office responded to Charles Regional Medical Center for the report of an alleged rape. Officers arrived at the hospital and met with the juvenile victim, a 16-year-old female. The girl reported she was invited to a house on Waddell Road in Waldorf where she was allegedly raped by a man. She did not know the suspect’s name, but she had...
Town hall dives into charter ahead of the June due date
A charter form of government remains on the mind in Charles as the June deadline for the submission of the draft to the county commissioners rapidly approaches. Commissioner Ralph E. Patterson II (D) held a town hall with members of the charter board in attendance to answer any questions on May 20 at Selby’s Grab and Go in St. Charles. “I just want to make sure the county knows what’s...
Southern Maryland police briefs
Man allegedly holds woman at knifepoint On May 14, Charles sheriff’s officers arrived at Trotter Road in Bryantown for the report of an assault. Upon arrival, officers made contact with a woman who said she was sitting in her residence watching a movie when she heard footsteps coming up her basement stairs. She turned around and saw her ex-boyfriend, Clifton Jerome Goldring, 63, of Bryantown, with a steak knife in...
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