Sue Ann Armitage Town of residence: Drayden Age: 58 Question 1: Under what circumstances would you consider imposing a sentence above state recommended guidelines? Judges are given guidance about the reasons they can consider deviating upward from the guidelines. Those...

Brandie Edelen Town of residence: Mechanicsville Age: 51 Question 1: Do you feel board of education members should weigh in on what books are allowed or banned from schools St. Mary’s public schools’ media specialists/librarians are responsible for developing the...

Cathy Allen Town of residence: Hollywood Age: 68 Question 1: Do you feel board of education members should weigh in on what books are allowed or banned from schools? The school system has a well defined process for selecting books...

Charles Carrington Town of residence: Lexington Park Age: 27 Question 1: Do you feel board of education members should weigh in on what books are allowed or banned from schools? I believe the school board should weigh in on the...

Pascale Small Town of residence: Waldorf Age: 35 Question 1: Do you feel board of education members should weigh in on what books are allowed or banned from schools? In Maryland, parents are able to review our K-12 curriculum. This...

Name: Jeanette Flaim Town of residence: Town of Chesapeake Beach Age: 60 Question 1: Do you feel board of education members should weigh in on what books are allowed or banned from schools? I support the school board’s Policy 2305...

James E. Richmond, a 47-year career retired Charles public schools educator and former longtime superintendent, died at age 80 on April 24. Richmond came to the Charles public school system in 1966 as a classroom teacher at La Plata High School, according to a release posted by the school system after his death. He transferred to Thomas Stone High School in 1969 when it opened and became principal there in 1973. ...

County administered departments are all seeing funding increases in the proposed $559.7 million fiscal year 2025 budget. At the April 23 Charles County commissioners meeting, Acting Director of Fiscal and Administrative Services Jacob Dyer detailed the changes in funding. Funding increases for agencies are anywhere from 0.8% to 15.7% in the fiscal 2025 budget, with the Department of Planning and Growth Management having the highest percentage increase. ...

Not all state mandates yield excessive heartburn for local officials. In Calvert, where the elected county commissioners and appointed planning commission have made an effort to assure the area maintains its rural character, the Maryland General Assembly’s updated forest conservation laws should be assimilated into the rewritten zoning ordinance, which remains a work in progress. Will Hager of the planning and zoning department during an April 17 work session with the two local panels said, “The rewrite will be significant. It will need to be...

The Charles board of education has had to make some tough calls to address a $17 million shortfall in funding from the county. On April 22, the school board held a work session where the school system’s chief financial officer, Karen Acton, laid out various cuts and reductions to the budget. The school board had proposed a $523.4 million budget for next fiscal year, an increase more than $42 million...

Planet Earth gets special attention in April and each year eager students get to explore four major environmental categories with guidance from instructors. CHESPAX, Calvert public school system’s environmental program, hosted teams from three high schools — Huntingtown, Northern and Patuxent — on Tuesday at King’s Landing Park. The Huntingtown tract, which extends to the Patuxent River, gave the science students a great location for studying the four perennial Envirothon categories of aquatics, wildlife, soil and forestry. ...

A quartet of Southern Maryland Athletic Conference outdoor track and field teams, at least one from each of the three counties that comprise the region, were on hand at Calvert High School on Tuesday afternoon as the numerous athletes tuned up for the upcoming SMAC championships at St. Charles on May 7 and 9. Tuesday afternoon offered male and female athletes alike from host Calvert, La Plata, Leonardtown and St. Charles high schools a chance to prep for the championships that the Spartans will host...

Taylor Hill, a senior, keeps the band on beat as they practice their pieces before taking the stage. The St. Charles High School Performing Arts Program competed in the 2024 Music in the Parks event where they took home four 1st place trophies and two 2nd place trophies. After their performances the students spent the day at Kings Dominion.

Despite escalating costs, St. Mary’s County government workers who need day care for their children will soon see an option close to work. The county commissioners heard an update Tuesday about developments for a child care facility that will be next to the Leonard Hall Junior Naval Academy on the county’s governmental campus. A 6,347-square-foot modular trailer is expected to be constructed at the site and be able to hold...

In a sense, the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs’ coaches and players will be afforded the luxury of competing in two opening day games, one on the road April 26 at Gastonia and the second on Tuesday, April 30, when they return to Regency Furniture Stadium in Waldorf for their Atlantic League home opener. Two years removed from enjoying a banner first half, winning a league record 48 of 66 games and finishing the season with 84 wins to establish a club record with a veteran...

Friday, April 26 McDonough, Northern, St. Charles and Thomas Stone in Gator Invitational at Reservoir, 2 p.m. Saturday, April 27 McDonough, Northern, St. Charles and Thomas Stone at Gator Invitational at Reservoir, 9 a.m. Tuesday, April 30 ...

Friday, April 26 Patuxent at St. Charles, 4 p.m. Huntingtown at North Point, 4 p.m. McDonough at Lackey, 4 p.m. Leonardtown at Northern, 4 p.m. ...

Friday, April 26 Chopticon at McDonough, 5 p.m. St. Charles at North Point, 5 p.m. Leonardtown at Great Mills, 5:30 p.m. Northern at La Plata, 6 p.m. ...

Friday, April 26 Patuxent at Great Mills, 4:30 p.m. McDonough at St. Charles, 4:30 p.m. Chopticon at Lackey, 4:30 p.m. Calvert at Leonardtown, 4:30 p.m. ...

Friday, April 26 McDonough at Chopticon, 5 p.m. Thomas Stone at Patuxent, 6 p.m. Great Mills at Leonardtown, 6 p.m. La Plata at Northern, 6 p.m. ...