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Man arrested for drugs, guns and indecent exposure On Feb. 23, officers responded to Angelos Liquors on St. Patricks Drive in Waldorf for the report of indecent exposure and the possible sale of drugs. Upon arrival at the scene, officers talked to a witness who informed them that a man in a camouflage jacket allegedly got out of a black Hyundai Elantra, began urinating in the parking lot and was...
Calvert to hold hearing on 911 dial-out law compliance
It took a tragedy over a decade ago to expose a dangerous flaw in multiple-line phone systems that require an additional access digit to reach an outside line, like those in some hotels. At the time, callers found attempts to reach 911 met with no success. In 2018 Congress enacted Kari’s Law, named in memory of Kari Hunt, who was murdered by her estranged husband in a Texas motel room in 2013. Hunt’s oldest daughter dialed 911 four times but couldn’t get through because the...
Lotierzo files for St. Mary's school board seat
There are three seats on the St. Mary’s County’s school board that are up for election in 2024. Anthony Lotierzo filed Feb. 5 for a seat in District 2. The 54-year-old Leonardtown resident has been married for 20 years to his wife Kathryn. The couple has two daughters, Lillian and Sophia, both of whom attend Leonardtown Middle school. ...
Victims’ rights group gets grant
Maryland Crime Victims’ Resource Center received funding from the National Association of VOCA Assistance Administrators through a grant from the Office for Victims of Crime, within the Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. These grants are used to promote community awareness of crime victims’ rights and services during the 2024 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week which takes place April 21-27 this year, according to a release from the MCVRC. The group is one of the 105 recommended by the national association and selected...
Igniting empowerment with Women's History Month fireside chat
In observance of Women’s History Month, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and Reserve Affairs Gwendolyn Defilippi facilitated a fireside chat focused on opportunities for growth and empowerment during a leadership symposium Friday at the Gen. Jacob E. Smart Conference Center. The event, themed “Celebrating Women Who Have Made Great Achievements,” honored the role of women in the Department of Defense and welcomed members from across installation and community to take part in the discussion of women’s achievements, progression, and empowerment. ...
Air Force leader reflects on family, life and the value of hard work
JOINT BASE ANACOSTIA-BOLLING — With two and half decades of service in the United States Air Force, Chief Master Sgt. Clifford Lawrence Lawton, the senior enlisted leader of Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling and the command chief of the 11th Wing, reflects on his remarkably unique experiences growing up in the small town of Elloree, South Carolina. From the invaluable lifelong guidance his family poured into him and the examples they set, to his own personal experience laboring in the Southern farm fields as a youth, his experience has indeed set him up for success in the military and beyond. ...
Clinton native serves aboard Navy’s newest warship
Petty Officer 3rd Class James Dunn a native of Clinton, Maryland, serves aboard USS John L. Canley. Dunn graduated from Westlake High School in 2020. The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Clinton. “I grew up on the swim team and love to fish so I...
Campaign launched to beautify Charles commercial areas
Charles County government is launching a targeted campaign urging businesses to voluntarily remove illegal signage in commercial areas across the county. This initiative aims to create a cleaner, more attractive environment and align with the county’s broader economic development goals. Businesses will have 90 days after the program begins on March 1 to bring all signage into compliance, according to a release from county government. Following the 90 days, businesses...
‘It’s certainly over': Aid-in-dying bill falters for the year
Lawmakers have tabled a fiercely debated bill that would have granted terminally ill Maryland residents the right to end their lives, a setback to supporters who hoped it would finally pass this year. Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore city) said in a press conference Friday that the measure had not won enough support among the 11 members of the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee to move forward this term. Ferguson indicated he was unwilling to bring the bill for a vote if it was likely to...
Retirement crisis threatens current workers, experts warn
The worsening retirement crisis impacting senior citizens will overtake current workers down the line if not fixed, experts say. “The data clearly shows most Americans will not have enough money for a financially secure retirement and they are worried about it,” Dan Doonan, executive director of the National Institute of Retirement Security, told the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on Feb. 28. Thirty-eight percent of middle-income and 71%...
Lawmakers propose task force to probe long-term inequities facing Black women
The persistence of economic, educational and legal disparities in the lives of Black women and girls would be the target of a federal task force recently proposed by a group of House members. “Simply acknowledging our country’s history of targeted discrimination, harassment and violence against Black women and girls will not correct years of systemic racism and sexism,” Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.) said in a statement after the legislation creating the task force was introduced earlier this month. ...
Relays led the way for Northern girls swimming
On a day when they attained a grand sum of one in individual title, the Northern High School girls captured the Maryland 3A/2A/1A state swim championship at the University of Maryland Courtesy to a pair of relays that recorded first-place efforts and another that placed second. Northern's girls attained 307 points in the state championship meet to finish 50 points clear of runner-up Damascus and 120 ore than fellow Southern Maryland Athletic Conference foe La Plata, which claimed three first-place medals sin individual events, two...
State capitol’s emergency alert system worries lawmakers
A day after a threat to the state capitol prompted a near two-hour lockdown, lawmakers on March 1 applauded the quick work of law enforcement but raised concerns about efficient communication. Sen. Antonio Hayes (D-Baltimore city) said he was voting in a Finance Committee meeting on Feb. 29 when a member of the press texted him about a security threat to the State House. A few minutes later, a state trooper in the room notified committee members to shelter in place, before they were escorted...
Charles martial arts instructor charged with sexual abuse of minors
Charles County Sheriff’s detectives last week arrested Steven James Hardeman, 37, of Newburg in connection with two alleged cases of sexual abuse of minors. The Feb. 29 arrest occurred after two individuals reported that they were allegedly sexually harassed by Hardeman, who was a martial arts instructor at the American Martial Arts Gym in Waldorf, according to a sheriff’s office press release. The press release says the alleged assaults occurred...
Tech director urges caution on the internet
During an overview of his department’s planned capital projects expenditures in the next fiscal year, Stephen Pereira, Calvert County government’s technology services director, spoke about a global scourge that might have local impact. In extolling the amazing advances that have been made in technology, which Pereira said was “exciting,” he warned, “there’s a flip side to all of that — you have to defend against all of the new cyberattacks that we are facing as a result of all these technology advancements.” ...
Calvert man dies after truck crashes
A single-vehicle crash that occurred during the late morning hours of Feb. 28 claimed the life of an 81-year-old Huntingtown man, Calvert County authorities reported. According to a Calvert County Sheriff’s Office press release, at approximately 11:41 a.m. Wednesday, patrol bureau deputies responded to the area of Hunting Creek Road and Deep Landing Road in Huntingtown for the report of a crash. “Upon arrival, deputies determined that the operator sustained...
One dead in St. Mary’s shooting
A 23-year-old man who was shot Monday night while driving in Lexington Park has died, the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office reported Wednesday morning. The motorist has been identified by investigators as Malic Quinn Freeland. According to a sheriff’s office spokesperson, his family lives in Lusby. The vehicle Freeland had been driving crashed into a fence and shed near Valley Drive and Fox Ridge Road, the sheriff’s office said in...
Emergency medical services study shows good coverage, room for improvement
St. Mary’s County is considered to have a good emergency services department, but the county commissioners learned what they can do to make it even better through a study they requested. Rick Harrison of Mission Critical Partners gave a 39-minute presentation on his findings of a countywide review of emergency medical services study Tuesday in Leonardtown. Harrison told the commissioners that standard guidelines — even in rural settings — dictate...
Lawmakers praise ARC officials and clients
Elected officials in the region see plenty of positives with some ongoing challenges in making life less stressful for those with disabilities. Three Southern Maryland lawmakers were guests on The ARC of Southern Maryland's podcast on Feb. 21 in observance of Developmental and Disabilities Day in Annapolis. The annual event — also known as "DD Day" — is co-sponsored by the Maryland Disabilities Council and Developmental Disabilities Coalition. The podcast...
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