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Society distributes dresses
A local group hoping to make every girl’s dream date special held a two-day event at the St. Mary’s Fairgrounds in Leonardtown last weekend. This “free-for-all,” held at the fairgrounds’ Tolerance Hall was a royally noble cause. The Cinderella Society, a Park Hall based organization, spent the weekend giving away gently used formalwear. Katrina Cropp of the Cinderella Society told Southern Maryland News all the items, including dresses and shoes,...
St. Mary's commissioners mull income hike for schools
St. Mary’s residents could soon be paying more taxes, and it would all be in the name of education. The St. Mary’s County commissioners proposed an income tax hike at their final fiscal 2025 budget work session Tuesday in Leonardtown. Under the proposal, the income tax rate would go from 3.0% to 3.2% — the highest allowed under Maryland state law — and the proposed $7 million in new revenue...
Spring sports set to start
Athletes from across the Southern Maryland Athletic Conference have been preparing the upcoming spring sports season that gets under way in earnest this afternoon through a bevy of practices and scrimmages designed to hone their skills in their respective sport. There was ample activity last Thursday afternoon, March 14, at Calvert High School as the baseball and softball teams took part in extended practices while the school’s boys’ lacrosse team entertained Chopticon for both varsity and junior varsity scrimmages. A quartet of Calvert softball players...
Tennis schedule 3/22-3/28
Friday, March 22 Patuxent at Thomas Stone, 4 p.m. Huntingtown at Chopticon, 4 p.m. McDonough at Leonardtown, 4 p.m. Westlake at Lackey, 4 p.m. Northern at North Point, 4 p.m. Calvert at St. Charles, 4 p.m. Great Mills at La Plata, 4 p.m. Monday, March 25 Huntingtown at Southern, 4 p.m.
Substitute allegedly allowed students to fight at Davis Middle School
On March 15, Theodore G. Davis Middle School in Waldorf had two physical altercations that the Charles County Sheriff’s Office is actively investigating. Robert Griffiths, the principal of Davis Middle, said in a letter to parents, “The first incident involved a substitute inserting themselves into a situation involving a teacher and an administrator. The substitute went to an area of the building that they were not teaching in, became aggressive and physically reached toward the teacher, assaulting that teacher, before another staff member intervened and...
SMAC male winter athletes of the year
Swimming — Gavin Abelende, La Plata High, junior After winning a pair of individual events at the Southern Maryland Athletic Conference swim championships and two more at the 2A/1A regional meet, Gavin Abelende capped a stellar season by earning 3A/2A/1A state titles in both the 50-yard freestyle (20.79 seconds), and the 100 free (46.04) and he also anchored the Warriors’ triumphant 200 free relay (1:27.84) that included teammates Clinton Cupples, Jackson Donnick and Mario Curtis. Calvert senior Drew Lynch also won a pair of SMAC...
SMAC female athletes of the winter season
Swimming — Addy Donnick, La Plata High, senior After signing her National Letter of Intent to continue her academic and athletic prowess at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington, Addy Donnick capped her third consecutive undefeated season in individual events by taking both the 3A/2A/1A state titles in the 100-yard freestyle and 100 backstroke, marking the third consecutive year she had attained both titles. Northern’s girls, led by seniors Aspen Gallaudet, Lyla Smith and Mary Katheryn Stum, captured the 3A/2A/1A team title courtesy of two relay...
Southern Maryland police briefs
Man allegedly stabs two during argument On March 10, Charles sheriff’s officers responded to 3033 October Place in Waldorf around 10:20 p.m. for reports of a stabbing. Upon arrival, officers located a man who had a towel, soaked with blood, around his head, charging documents say. The man’s hand was severely cut between his middle and ring finger, exposing tendons, the documents say. After emergency treatment was administered, officers learned...
Hoyer talks keeping government open, bases functional
On March 15, Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md., 5th) addressed Southern Maryland’s delegates virtually about his efforts to ensure the government stays open, his current legislative priorities, Southern Maryland’s U.S. Navy facilities and tens of millions of dollars in funding for projects. “The most important thing we’re doing immediately is making sure the government stays open, particularly the defense department,” Hoyer said last Friday. “Frankly, this has been the worst appropriations process I’ve ever seen in the 43 years I’ve been in the House of Representatives.” ...
Leonardtown developing waterfront property
The town of Leonardtown could have an even more unique look to its waterfront property in the near future. Plans are underway to turn part of the Leonardtown Wharf Waterfront Park into a multi-dining establishment. “We own the park on both sides of the road where parking is undeveloped,” Leonardtown Town Administrator Laschelle McKay said, “and we’ve always had the idea of having a restaurant, but there’s never been anyone...
College of Southern softball off to perfect start
Through the first three weeks of the current spring season, the College of Southern Maryland softball team is off to a perfect start as the Hawks improved to 7-0 following a sweep of visiting Orange County Monday afternoon on a sunny, breezy afternoon in La Plata. CSM (7-0) has benefited from stellar hitting, solid pitching and a stout defense through its first seven contests this spring and all were clearly on display on March 18 when the Hawks swept Orange County 11-0 and 12-2. Five...
Prince Frederick man indicted for February murder
A 27-year-old Prince Frederick man arrested in February after another man was found beaten, stabbed, unconscious and left for dead has been indicted for murder. Thomas Eugene Harris II has been behind bars since his arrest for the murder of Shaquille Quadry Braxton, 30, also of Prince Frederick. Calvert County Sheriff’s Office Detective William Freeland stated in charging papers that the two men allegedly got into a verbal argument on...
Skating with the bunny
Girl Scout leaders Kari Messick, left, and Maria West of troops 12096 and 12004 join the Easter Bunny at the March 16 skating event at the Capital Clubhouse in Waldorf. The Scouts served attendees hot cocoa and, of course, cookies.In addition to skating on the facility’s National Hockey League-size ice rink, attendees posed for photos with the bunny and participated in an event-long egg hunt.
Spartans previous state semifinal berth nixed by the COVID-19 pandemic
Last Friday evening marked the first 3A state final appearance for the St. Charles High School boys basketball program and it came four years to the day after the Spartans’ expected initial berth in that contest was among the first scheduling casualties of the COVID-19 pandemic. St. Charles, as was the case with the Westlake High girls basketball team, had advanced to the Maryland state semifinals during the 2019-2020 season, but none of those contests were ever played. Basketball observers from across the state anticipated...
The unbreakable bond: Remembering Military Working Dog Crock
The 316th Security Support Squadron, joined by base leadership and community members Monday, honored the life and service of Military Working Dog Crock, who passed on March 4 from medical complications after five years of honorable service to the U.S. Air Force. Assigned to the 316th Security Support Squadron, Crock served a distinguished career supporting national security and defense with his explosive detection and patrol capabilities, and he was posthumously awarded the Meritorious Service Medal. ...
Maryland’s education ‘Blueprint’ struggles to expand pre-K
As a group of 4-year-old boys worked to create a towering building block castle in their colorful Montgomery County Public Schools pre-K classroom, Head Start teacher Molly Scherf reminded them it is important to build a strong foundation. The boys used their tiny hands to create the tower piece by piece, building the foundation to their castle — and also for their future education. With research showing children who attend...
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