Columbus
Maryland Independent
Indian Head man sentenced to 5 years for sexual abuse of a minor
The State’s Attorney for Charles County announced Charles County Circuit Court Judge Makeba Gibbs on July 17 sentenced Daevian Davon Christian Hurd, 23, of Indian Head to five years in prison for the sexual abuse of a minor. On July 31, 2023, Hurd entered a guilty plea to the above-mentioned charge. On March 8, 2021, a detective with the Charles County Sheriff’s Office received a copy of an interview conducted...
Man found guilty in 1979 Bryans Road cold case murder
The Charles County State’s Attorney office announced that on July 18 a Charles County jury, after a 9-day trial and approximately two hours of deliberation, convicted Andre Taylor, 63, of the 1979 first-degree murder and first-degree rape of Vickie Lynn Belk. Commenting on the case, State’s Attorney Anthony “Tony” Covington (D) said, “I can’t give enough credit to the assistant state’s attorneys that put in ridiculously long hours and effort to achieve justice in this case. John Stackhouse and Jonathan Beattie were phenomenal.” ...
Charles students earn awards at International Thespian Festival
Charles County public high school students in school-based theater programs recently took their skills to the International Thespian Festival at Indiana University in Bloomington, Ind. The 28 students who attended were accompanied by five Charles County theater teachers. For the first time in seven years, students competed in the festival’s closing ceremony showcase, according to a release from the school system. There are 1,500 groups at the event and only...
Charles County briefs
Resource Day to give parental support, activities for kids The Charles County Advocacy Council for Children, Youth, and Families/Local Management Board is hosting the Children and Families Resource Day on Saturday, Aug. 3, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at St. Charles High School, located at 5305 Piney Church Road in Waldorf. The event will help families find resources available in Charles County to support their child and the family. ...
Indian Head church receives food grant
Metropolitan United Methodist Church Outreach in Indian Head has received $2,300 from the Food Lion Feeds Charitable Foundation to help nourish neighbors experiencing hunger. The Feeding the Hungry grant supports community feeding partners by helping neighbors increase their access to nutritious food and providing nutrition education to eliminate health risks for those experiencing food insecurity. “This generous donation from Food Lion Feeds Charitable Foundation will help relieve the food insecurities that face our community on a daily basis,” Paulette Connelly, the grants coordinator for Metropolitan...
Waldorf farmer helps grow the next generation
One of only 10 people in the country to be selected, Karl Shlagel, a generational farmer from Waldorf, recently joined a national fellowship by the American Farm Bureau Federation. Shlagel, 42, was recently selected to join the Partners in Advocacy Leadership program, a two-year national fellowship that strives to create leaders and advocates for agriculture. He is only the second person from Maryland to be selected. Shlagel said the fellowship...
1 in 20 students drop out of school in Charles County
Charles public schools’ dropout rate approximately doubled from 2019 to 2023, according to information presented at a recent school board meeting. Kevin Lowndes, chief of teaching and learning for the school system, presented the most current data during the board of education’s work session on June 17, showing the county’s dropout rate, which was less than 3% in 2019, increased to almost 6% in 2023. This increased dropout rate indicates...
Charles sheriff's office announces body-worn camera program
The Charles County Sheriff’s Office is moving forward with body-worn cameras for all officers on the force, the agency announced last week. The agency has been preparing for the program and the funding has been fully authorized for implementation, according to a release from the sheriff’s office. “These devices not only protect the rights of citizens but also provide an unbiased record of our officers’ actions. We welcome the implementation...
Library links
Free showers are available 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Friday, July 19, at the Waldorf West branch. No registration required. Cookie trivia will be held all day July 19-20-22-23 at the Waldorf West branch. Try and win some cookies. Teen game night will be held 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, July 19, at the Waldorf West branch. Registration required. ...
Charles sheriff addresses community safety
Sheriff Troy Berry (D) wants to make it “abundantly clear” that the Charles County Sheriff’s Office takes all complaints and concerns of community members seriously. During the July 9 county commissioners’ meeting, Berry sat down to explain priorities and clear up what he said was “misinformation” from the June 25 and 26 commissioner meetings, where the Stonehaven community of St. Charles complained of large, unruly gatherings. In videos that Nichole...
Bringing a taste of Korea to Charles County
Korean cuisine was on the menu at Waldorf West Library on July 8. The library hosted a Korean food workshop to help educate groups of all ages on how to make dishes like gimbap and yubuchobap. Gimbap is a Korean dish made from cooked rice, vegetables, fish and meat rolled in seaweed. Yubuchobap is a variation of gimbap, with contents stuffed into a fried tofu pocket. ...
State park hosts early July events
While the summer heat challenged visitors to Smallwood State Park in Marbury July 6, there was relief and much to see at two of the 628-acre park's indoor venues. The Mattawoman Creek Art Center had, for the final weekend of the display compiled by the Women's Caucus for Art of Greater Washington, D.C. The "Flora" show was presented by the local membership, which includes patrons and artists from the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. The art center is open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from...
Fight at Sky Zone reportedly leads to Charles officer deploying pepper spray
A trampoline park in Waldorf had a weekend event for teenagers turn violent after the establishment reported an officer was assaulted and had to deploy pepper spray. “Amid the ongoing violence in our area, we strive to be a space where teens can come together and have a great time,” Sky Zone Waldorf said on its Facebook page this weekend after its High School Glow Night event held on Saturday, July 6. ...
Garage fire damages La Plata home
On July 6 at 1:58 a.m., the La Plata Volunteer Fire Department responded to 6955 Ellenwood Court in La Plata for a fire in a two-story home. There were no injuries, but structural losses totaled $25,000 and approximately $50,000 was lost in contents of the home, according to the state fire marshal’s office. The blaze took 15 minutes to control and the preliminary cause is undetermined and under investigation. The fire originated in the attached garage. The family was displaced as a result and is being assisted by the American Red Cross.
Exploring rail history
Jacob Cook, left, and Ronald Jones explore the interior of the La Plata Train Museum on June 29. The museum opens sporadically and teaches the history of the Pope's Creek branch of the Pennsylvania Railroad and how it helped grow La Plata. The museum's next scheduled opening is July 27.
Charles County briefs
Commissioner sets town hall to talk charter and development Commissioner Gilbert “BJ” Bowling (D) will be holding a town hall on July 18 to discuss charter government and development within Charles County at the Legends Club at Blue Crabs Stadium, located at 11765 Linus Drive in Waldorf. The town hall will run from 6 to 8 p.m. and will be livestreamed to Facebook, dependent on connectivity. Resource Day to give...
NFL rookie from Waldorf among three dead in Upper Marlboro crash
An NFL rookie is among three dead in a fatal car crash in Upper Marlboro on the morning of July 6. Shortly after 3:14 a.m., Maryland State Police troopers from the Forestville Barrack responded to a crash on northbound Route 4 and Presidential Parkway north of Dower House Road in Upper Marlboro. The three vehicles involved in the crash were a silver Infinity Q50, a silver Chevrolet Impala and a maroon Dodge Charger, a release from state police said. ...
Warrant served in Waldorf shooting, three arrested and fireworks confiscated
While the Stonehaven community remains in an uproar about safety concerns, the Charles County Sheriff’s Office took action to locate alleged shooters on July 4. Members of the sheriff's office Emergency Services Team, along with sheriff's detectives and the Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office, served a search warrant in the 11200 block of Thackeray Lane in White Plains. The search warrant was related to a shooting that occurred in June...
14-year-old critically injured in dirt bike crash in La Plata
A 14-year-old was seriously injured in La Plata after being ejected off a dirt bike. On June 25 at 9:07 p.m., patrol officers from the La Plata Police Department responded to Charles Street and Washington Avenue for a motor vehicle collision involving a car and a dirt bike. A preliminary investigation revealed a Chevy Malibu was attempting to make a left turn onto Charles Street from Washington Avenue. ...
Growth in Charles County narrowly outpaces goal
Charles County continues to grow and plenty of development will follow suit. The local planning commission heard key statistics from last year in their 2023 annual report at a July 1 meeting. While it may appear on the surface that the county is growing rapidly, the average annual rate of growth has decreased over the last several decades, the annual report said. ...
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