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Three fires destroy homes in Charles, displaces over a dozen people
Three separate, destructive fires destroyed two homes and an apartment building in Charles County last week, leaving multiple people displaced. On Saturday, June 8, around 10:30 a.m. the Waldorf Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched to 6016 New Forest Court for an apartment building fire. Two firefighters sustained non-life-threatening injuries while battling the blaze, and it took 52 firefighters on-site to finally extinguish it, according to a release from the Office...
JBAB hosts all-inclusive retreat to combat burnout and promote wellness
The Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling Chapel hosted an all-inclusive wellness retreat weekend in Herndon, Va., from May 3-5. The event was led by Air Force Lt. Col. Meosha Wilson, the 11th Wing Joint Base Senior Chaplain at JBAB. More than 45 service members, military family members and Air Force civilian employees participated in the three-day event, which prioritized mental wellness and burnout prevention. With a commitment to provide attendees with essential tools for stress management, the retreat aimed to instill a lasting skill set to foster...
Pitching and defense key to Leonardtown spring titles
While many observers look for hitters to take charge in baseball and softball championship games, coaches in both sports stress the importance of pitching and defense in those contests as well. The Leonardtown High School baseball and softball teams emerged with state titles this spring because of their strengths in those defensive traits. Leonardtown softball captured its first state title on May 25 with a 14-0, five-inning victory over previously undefeated Eleanor Roosevelt High School of Prince George’s County as junior pitcher Claire Radford fanned...
State releases footage of vehicle pursuit where girl dies
On Monday, investigators with the Maryland Attorney General’s office released body-worn camera footage of a high-speed pursuit that occurred last month, starting in Calvert County and ending in the Harwood area of Anne Arundel County when the fleeing vehicle collided with a pickup truck. An unidentified female juvenile died in the crash, while two other occupants of the fleeing vehicle were injured. The driver of the pickup truck was hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries. ...
St. Mary's College athletic teams earn Presidents' Cup
For the second consecutive school year the St. Mary’s College of Maryland men’s and women’s athletic programs have garnered the United East Conference Presidents’ Cup, a holdover honor from the Colonial States Athletic Conference that merged with the current conference last summer. Over the course of the 2023-2024 school year, the St. Mary’s College men’s teams earned United East Conference titles in soccer and lacrosse while the women’s teams garnered the cross country and lacrosse crowns. Based on a formula that takes into account the...
Grabowski awarded health care Rising Leadership Award
Amber Grabowski loves riding to work on her orange-and-black KTM RC390 motorcycle, but the St. Mary’s County Health Department program manager is also forging her own path. Recently, the Bushwood resident was recognized by the Maryland Assembly with its Rising Leadership Award for her work with the local health department’s school-based health center. “They’re my team and my family and we’re trying to do something for the community,” Grabowski, 34,...
Team Air Force District of Washington builds unity, strength in Readiness Challenge X
The 11th Civil Engineer Squadron from Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling and the 316th CES from Joint Base Andrews joined forces in the Readiness Challenge X, a five-day competition consisting of simulated deployment exercises April 22-27 at Tyndall Air Force Base, Panama City, Fla. The Readiness Challenge is a capstone series between worldwide CES teams, including U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps counterparts. The goal is to test readiness, mitigate deficiencies, and identify training opportunities within the unit. ...
Prince-Mont swimmers prepare to make a splash
When the hundreds of swimmers from across Charles County dive into the pools this weekend for the opening dual meets of the annual Prince-Mont Swim League, many of them will be looking to eclipse personal, team and meet records and perhaps earn a berth in the all-star meet that caps their summer on July 27 at Temple Hills in Prince George’s County. This Saturday morning swimmers from Hawthorne Country Club, Smallwood Village, Indian Head, Westlake Village and Bannister will all dive into the pool at...
Southern Maryland Blue Crabs cap homestand
When the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs capped their recent home stand on Sunday afternoon with a lopsided victory over the visiting Lexington Legends, it marked the continuation of a roller coaster ride through the first half of the season. On June 9, Southern Maryland (20-21) broke open the series finale with the Legends early en route to a 10-1 victory as Gabe Wurtz belted two home runs and collected five runs batted in and shortstop Aaron Hill added a pair of doubles. Blue Crabs starting...
New motor vehicle registration rates kick in next month
The Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration recently announced adjusted vehicle registration rates for fiscal 2025 renewals. The new rates are a result of legislation passed earlier this year — the Budget Reconciliation and Financing Act of 2024 — which supports a balanced approach to maintaining the state’s budget and transportation infrastructure. “As directed by state law, the MVA is required to adjust vehicle registration fees that will help provide critical revenue for the Transportation Trust Fund, which ensures all of the state’s infrastructure is in a...
Charles man found guilty of first-degree murder in 2023 stabbing
A Charles County jury found Deanthony Lamont Warrick, 35, guilty of first-degree murder for the April 12, 2023, murder of Jasmine Hicks. Warrick and Hicks were in a relationship at the time of Hicks’ death. Hicks was stabbed to death in the overnight hours of April 12 after an argument with Warrick. She was 29 at the time. ...
St. Mary’s jury convicts Mechanicsville man of murder
A Mechanicsville man was found guilty of murder by a jury of his peers for shooting a man dead last fall outside a liquor store. Leroy Christopher Neal, 48, was found guilty of first-degree murder and related firearm charges for the killing of Scott Marvin Bernich, who was 46 years old, that occurred on Nov. 4, 2023. At approximately 12:30 a.m., patrol units were dispatched to St. Mary’s Fine Wine & Spirits at 20141 Point Lookout Road in Great Mills, where Bernich was found suffering...
Archaeologist takes part in rat study
They are dirty, disease-ridden and repulse most people, but rats are a fascinating species and now more is known about the vermin during the early days of the region’s European settlers. Historic St. Mary’s City Maryland Heritage Scholar and archaeologist Henry Miller recently helped collaborate on a study titled “The ratting of North America: A 350-year retrospective on Rattus species compositions and competition” that appeared in a recent edition of ScienceAdvances magazine. ...
Trial for man accused of shooting Calvert deputy begins
After taking over one day to select a jury, the trial of a 22-year-old Prince George’s County man charged with shooting and critically wounding a sheriff’s deputy in December 2022 began Tuesday in Calvert County Circuit Court. On Wednesday, Deputy James Flynt, the officer who was shot in the femoral artery, allegedly by defendant Brandon Alexander Turner, testified in court, recounting the events leading up to the incident. “Those injuries...
Potential Waldorf housing development draws outcry from residents
Richland’s Crossing — a proposed housing development along Route 5 — could put nearly 50 townhouses on 10 acres, and some residents of the area are not pleased. The June 3 meeting of the Charles County Planning Commission allowed those residents to write in or voice their concerns on the development, which will be between Mirkwood Lane and Council Oak Drive in Waldorf. The planning commission noted that they do...
Access to angling: Maryland’s license-free fishing days set
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources will offer license-free fishing days for all state residents and visitors again this year. Two of the remaining three days are coming up on June 8 and July 4. These annual events provide anglers a unique opportunity to explore the state’s diverse fishing without needing a fishing license, trout stamp or registration, according to a release from DNR. The department hosts license-free fishing every...
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