Maryland Preserves Another Farm As Protected Farmland Tops 43,000 Acres Maryland Preserves Another Farm As Protected Farmland Tops 43,000 Acres
Maryland Preserves Another Farm As Protected Farmland Tops 43,000 Acres Some things aren't meant to disappear. Maryland has permanently preserved another piece of its agricultural landscape after a 69-acre farm in Washington County was protected through a state conservation program, pushing the county's total preserved farmland beyond 43,000 acres. The 69.32-acre crop farm on Park Hall Road in Rohrersville was permanently preserved through the Maryland Agricultural Resource-Based Industries Corporation's Next Generation Farmland Acquisition Program, county officials announced Monday, Aug. 3, after the conservation easement was finalized late last month. The pr…
Johns Hopkins Researcher Detained By ICE At BWI Released In Texas, Returning To Maryland Johns Hopkins Researcher Detained By ICE At BWI Released In Texas, Returning To Maryland
Johns Hopkins Researcher Detained By ICE At BWI Released In Texas, Returning To Maryland She never made it onto her flight. Now, it's her coworkers making the trip. Dr.. Fatima Ameaka, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health researcher detained by ICE while boarding a domestic flight at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, has been released from federal custody and is on her way back to Baltimore, loved ones say. The update came over the weekend from the organizer of a GoFundMe launched by Ameaka's coworkers just hours after her detention. "I am writing with wonderful news!" organizer Sarah F. wrote. "Fatima was released from a detention f…
Banana Ball Players Surprise Maryland Fans With Game Tickets At Busy Dunkin' Banana Ball Players Surprise Maryland Fans With Game Tickets At Busy Dunkin'
Banana Ball Players Surprise Maryland Fans With Game Tickets At Busy Dunkin' Baseball has never looked quite like this. Maryland got a taste of the viral phenomenon known as Banana Ball on Saturday, Aug. 1, when players from the Loco Beach Coconuts and Indianapolis Clowns traded gloves for coffee cups during a surprise stop at a Dunkin' in Bowie ahead of their sold-out showdown at Prince George's Stadium. Long before first pitch, the party had already started. Banana Ball fever hit Bowie as players surprised fans with tickets, autographs and plenty of laughs before Saturday night's game at Prince George's Stadium. Alliance Marketing Partners Players laughed…
You've Probably Never Heard Of OJ Jackson. Thousands Benefited From His Work You've Probably Never Heard Of OJ Jackson. Thousands Benefited From His Work
You've Probably Never Heard Of OJ Jackson. Thousands Benefited From His Work If you've driven through Leesburg over the past quarter-century, chances are OJ Jackson had something to do with it. The longtime Virginia public works leader who spent 26 years helping keep the town's streets safe, clean and moving is calling it a career. Orland "OJ" Jackson officially retired Friday, July 31, after more than two decades with the Town of Leesburg's Public Works Department, where he served as Streets Superintendent. Jackson joined the town in February 2000 as Superintendent of Streets, Buildings and Grounds before transitioning to Streets Superintendent in 2006, a role he …
Johns Hopkins Researcher Detained By ICE As Coworkers Race To Bring Her Home Johns Hopkins Researcher Detained By ICE As Coworkers Race To Bring Her Home
Johns Hopkins Researcher Detained By ICE As Coworkers Race To Bring Her Home Fatima Ameaka never made it onto her flight. Instead, the Maryland research associate at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health was detained by ICE agents while boarding a domestic flight on Tuesday, July 28, according to her coworkers.  Now they're doing everything they can to get her back. In less than a day, colleagues launched a GoFundMe to help pay for Ameaka's legal representation, saying they were blindsided by her detention and determined to help secure her release.  By Thursday, the campaign had raised more than $32,000 from hundreds of donors. To the…
Jailed Overseas For Credit Card Fraud, ICE Arrests Repeat Suspect In Downtown DC Jailed Overseas For Credit Card Fraud, ICE Arrests Repeat Suspect In Downtown DC
Jailed Overseas For Credit Card Fraud, ICE Arrests Repeat Suspect In Downtown DC He'd already served prison time overseas for credit card fraud. Federal authorities say he came to the United States anyway, overstayed his visa, and wound up accused of doing it again. A Hungarian-Romanian man wanted in Virginia on credit card fraud charges has been arrested after a weeks-long hunt that ended with ICE officers tracking him down in downtown DC. Sebastian Mihai Caraba was taken into custody by officers with ICE Washington's Fugitive Operations Team after investigators identified both him and his vehicle and followed him to a location he had been frequenting in the city, the…
'Save Ezra's Walls': Community Fights To Preserve Late Maryland Artist's Legacy Alive 'Save Ezra's Walls': Community Fights To Preserve Late Maryland Artist's Legacy Alive
'Save Ezra's Walls': Community Fights To Preserve Late Maryland Artist's Legacy Alive The murals outlived Ezra Berger. Now, the community is fighting to make sure they stay that way. In Maryland, just days after the beloved Havre de Grace artist's death, residents have launched a growing campaign to preserve Berger's iconic Graw Alley murals as plans move forward for a long-planned expansion of the Harmer's Town Art Center. The effort, led by community member George Wagner, calls on the Harmer's Town Board of Directors, Havre de Grace City Council and local leaders to explore ways to save the mural walls rather than see them demolished as part of the project's next phase. "…
SCOTUSblog Founder From Maryland Who Argued 40+ Supreme Court Cases Learns Fraud Prison Fate SCOTUSblog Founder From Maryland Who Argued 40+ Supreme Court Cases Learns Fraud Prison Fate
SCOTUSblog Founder From Maryland Who Argued 40+ Supreme Court Cases Learns Fraud Prison Fate He spent years arguing before the nation's highest court. Now, the man who helped build one of its most influential news websites is headed to federal prison. Thomas C. Goldstein, 56, of Chevy Chase, was sentenced on Friday, July 24, after a federal jury convicted the prominent appellate attorney and SCOTUSblog co-founder in a yearslong tax evasion and mortgage fraud scheme tied to millions of dollars in high-stakes gambling. For years, Goldstein built a national reputation arguing more than 40 cases before the US Supreme Court while running the boutique law firm Goldstein & Russell, P…
Maryland Family Torn Apart After Father Of Four Is Detained By ICE On Way To Work Maryland Family Torn Apart After Father Of Four Is Detained By ICE On Way To Work
Maryland Family Torn Apart After Father Of Four Is Detained By ICE On Way To Work One trip to work changed everything. A Maryland family is scrambling to keep its life together after a Baltimore father was detained by ICE during his morning commute, leaving behind a wife, four children, and the family's only steady source of income. According to a GoFundMe organized by his eldest daughter, Segundo Quizhpi Quizhpi was detained on Saturday, July 11, while on his way to work in Baltimore.  Hours later, at 3 a.m. the following morning, his wife learned he had been taken to the ICE detention center in Farmville, Virginia, roughly four hours from the family's home. Sinc…
Virginia Councilman Encouraged AI Child Sex Abuse Images, Traded Pics Of Himself: DOJ Virginia Councilman Encouraged AI Child Sex Abuse Images, Traded Pics Of Himself: DOJ
Virginia Councilman Encouraged AI Child Sex Abuse Images, Traded Pics Of Himself: DOJ A Virginia town councilman is accused of encouraging others online to create AI-generated images of children being sexually abused, federal authorities announced. Steven Wayne Erickson, 48, of Pulaski, was arrested on Thursday, July 23, on federal charges of receiving and distributing child sexual abuse material, according to the US Attorney's Office for the Western District of Virginia. Pulaski has served on the Pulaski Town Council since 2024, WDBJ reports. His image remained on the town's website as of Monday, July 27. The FBI investigation began after agents received a cyber tip involvi…
Twice-Deported Illegal Immigrant Tried To Trade 900 Pounds Of Cocaine In Murder Plot: Feds Twice-Deported Illegal Immigrant Tried To Trade 900 Pounds Of Cocaine In Murder Plot: Feds
Twice-Deported Illegal Immigrant Tried To Trade 900 Pounds Of Cocaine In Murder Plot: Feds Revenge had a price. Nearly a kilogram of cocaine. Federal prosecutors say a twice-deported illegal immigrant tried to use discounted cocaine to hire someone to kill a suspected informant before the alleged murder-for-hire plot was cut short by authorities in Maryland. Now, Frelin Hernandez Guardado, 30, has been sentenced to 12 years in federal prison for his role in the scheme, the US Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland announced on Friday, July 24. According to court records, Hernandez Guardado had already come onto investigators' radar months earlier after illegally selling …
Maryland Officials Push Back After ICE River Chase, Clarify Police, Firefighters' Role Maryland Officials Push Back After ICE River Chase, Clarify Police, Firefighters' Role
Maryland Officials Push Back After ICE River Chase, Clarify Police, Firefighters' Role Montgomery County leaders are pushing back after a dramatic ICE operation along the Clara Barton Parkway ended with multiple people in the Potomac River, making one thing clear: County police and firefighters were there to save lives, not help make arrests. In a joint statement released on Thursday, July 23, County Executive Marc Elrich and County Council President Natali Fani-González said the chaos that unfolded near Lock 7 the day before has fueled fear in the community and stressed that Montgomery County agencies did not participate in federal immigration enforcement. "Yesterday's incid…
Maryland Landlord Slipped Cash In City Hall Bathroom To Wipe Out $145K In Bills, Feds Say Maryland Landlord Slipped Cash In City Hall Bathroom To Wipe Out $145K In Bills, Feds Say
Maryland Landlord Slipped Cash In City Hall Bathroom To Wipe Out $145K In Bills, Feds Say Sometimes, the strangest meetings play out in a City Hall bathroom. A Maryland property owner who admitted slipping cash-filled envelopes to a Baltimore City finance employee, including during meetings in a men's restroom inside a municipal building, has been sentenced to federal prison after prosecutors say the scheme erased more than $145,000 in city debts. Glen Arm resident James Carroll Erny Jr., 55, was sentenced on Thursday, July 23, by a federal judge in Baltimore to 13 months in prison, followed by eight months of home confinement, according to the US Attorney's Office for the Distr…
Illegal Immigrant Charged In Death, Sexual Assault Of 2-Year-Old Virginia Girl: ICE Illegal Immigrant Charged In Death, Sexual Assault Of 2-Year-Old Virginia Girl: ICE
Illegal Immigrant Charged In Death, Sexual Assault Of 2-Year-Old Virginia Girl: ICE A 2-year-old girl never made it out of the hospital. Now, weeks later, the investigators have charged a 29-year-old Mexican national with sexually assaulting her in a case that has drawn national attention. The investigation began on the Fourth of July, when the child's mother arrived at the Goochland County Sheriff's Office around 3:10 p.m. after driving from a home on Owens Creek Road in Louisa County with the unresponsive girl. Deputies began life-saving efforts until paramedics arrived to rush the child to St. Mary's Hospital, where she later was pronounced dead, according to the Louis…
'Not ICE': Montgomery Police Push Back After Maryland SWAT Raid Sparks Rumors 'Not ICE': Montgomery Police Push Back After Maryland SWAT Raid Sparks Rumors
'Not ICE': Montgomery Police Push Back After Maryland SWAT Raid Sparks Rumors An early morning SWAT operation in Maryland quickly fueled speculation online that federal immigration agents were carrying out an ICE raid. Montgomery County police say that's not what happened. Members of the Montgomery County Police Department's SWAT team executed a search warrant Thursday, July 23, at a home in the 15300 block of Graaf Place in Burtonsville as part of an ongoing criminal investigation. As photos and reports from the scene began circulating on social media, rumors spread claiming the operation was tied to immigration enforcement. By late Thursday morning, the departmen…
Police Reveal What Sent Blind Students' School Bus Crashing Into Maryland Storefront (UPDATED) Police Reveal What Sent Blind Students' School Bus Crashing Into Maryland Storefront (UPDATED)
Police Reveal What Sent Blind Students' School Bus Crashing Into Maryland Storefront (Updated) No one inside the school bus caused it to end up buried inside a Parkville storefront. Police now say it never had a chance. Baltimore County crash investigators announced Wednesday that a Ford Focus crossed the center line on Harford Road Tuesday afternoon and slammed head-on into a Baltimore County Public Schools bus carrying students from the Maryland School for the Blind. The Parkville crash. Baltimore County Fire Department The impact triggered the violent chain reaction that ended with the bus plowing through the front of a commercial building. The crash happened around 2:25…
Kids Among Four Hurt After School Bus Smashes Through Maryland Storefront (DEVELOPING) Kids Among Four Hurt After School Bus Smashes Through Maryland Storefront (DEVELOPING)
Kids Among Four Hurt After School Bus Smashes Through Maryland Storefront (Developing) A school bus barreled through the front of a Maryland storefront Tuesday afternoon, leaving the vehicle lodged inside the building and sending four people to the hospital. The crash happened shortly after 2:25 p.m. on July 21 in the 700 block of Harford Road in Parkville, where Baltimore County firefighters found the bus embedded inside a commercial building after smashing through its front entrance. Photos from the scene show the bus buried beneath the collapsed storefront with shattered glass, twisted metal, and debris scattered across the sidewalk as firefighters worked around the wrecka…
Maryland To Finally Have A State Park In Every County With New Eastern Shore Addition Maryland To Finally Have A State Park In Every County With New Eastern Shore Addition
Maryland To Finally Have A State Park In Every County With New Eastern Shore Addition A piece of Maryland history is about to become part of its future. State officials on Tuesday unveiled Wetipquin Creek State Park, a 445-acre preserve on the Eastern Shore that will become Wicomico County's first-ever state park, marking the first time every Maryland county will have at least one state park. The new park, now in the planning stages, sits along Wetipquin Creek near the Nanticoke River and features more than 400 acres of marsh, forest, and shoreline, along with the historic Long Hill plantation house, which dates to the mid-1700s. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources…
Maryland Named In White House Voter Roll Disclosure; AG Says Elections Remain Secure Maryland Named In White House Voter Roll Disclosure; AG Says Elections Remain Secure
Maryland Named In White House Voter Roll Disclosure; AG Says Elections Remain Secure Maryland found itself at the center of President Donald Trump's primetime address on election security. During a nationally televised speech on Thursday night, July 16, Trump announced the release of declassified intelligence records that he said showed voter registration rolls in at least 18 states had been "compromised" by the People's Republic of China.  Maryland was among the states identified by name in a White House document released ahead of the address. The document states that more than 200 million voter records were compromised by China and says Trump is alerting congression…
Trump DOJ Sues Maryland To Kill In-State Tuition, Scholarships For Undocumented Students Trump DOJ Sues Maryland To Kill In-State Tuition, Scholarships For Undocumented Students
Trump DOJ Sues Maryland To Kill In-State Tuition, Scholarships For Undocumented Students Maryland’s DREAM Act is headed for a federal courtroom. The Trump administration sued the state on Thursday, July 16, seeking to strip undocumented students of access to reduced tuition, scholarships, and other financial aid at public colleges and universities. The 23-page complaint targets Maryland, the Maryland Higher Education Commission, and the University System of Maryland Board of Regents, arguing that the state gives undocumented residents benefits denied to US citizens living elsewhere. At the center of the fight is a 2011 law that allows qualifying undocumented students to pay in…
She Walked Into The Villa From Virginia. She Walked Out $100K Richer She Walked Into The Villa From Virginia. She Walked Out $100K Richer
She Walked Into The Villa From Virginia. She Walked Out $100K Richer Virginia has a new reality TV champion. Newport News model Trinity Tatum and Bryce Dettloff were crowned the winners of Love Island USA Season 8 during the live finale after earning the most votes from viewers, taking home the show's $100,000 grand prize. Tatum, 25, is the latest Hampton Roads native to find herself in the national spotlight after spending the summer on one of the country's most-watched reality competition series, which pairs contestants in search of romance while America ultimately decides the winning couple. The victory capped a whirlwind run for Tatum, who entered the v…
Convicted MS-13 Associate Sent To ICE Custody After Virginia Murder Sentence Convicted MS-13 Associate Sent To ICE Custody After Virginia Murder Sentence
Convicted MS-13 Associate Sent To ICE Custody After Virginia Murder Sentence His prison sentence is over. His trip out of the country is just beginning. Virginia officials turned over a convicted murderer and suspected MS-13 associate to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement after honoring a federal immigration detainer, the agency announced. Jose Jairo Rivas-Santiago, 32, a Honduran national, was taken into ICE custody on June 15 after completing the portion of his incarceration that made him eligible for release from the Virginia Department of Corrections. According to ICE, Rivas-Santiago was arrested by Homeland Security Investigations agents in Richmond in Apr…
Domestic Terrorism Charges Filed Against Maryland Man Over Supreme Court Threats: DOJ Domestic Terrorism Charges Filed Against Maryland Man Over Supreme Court Threats: DOJ
Domestic Terrorism Charges Filed Against Maryland Man Over Supreme Court Threats: DOJ A Maryland man who lobbed threats at the US Supreme Court and other officials is facing years behind bars, federal authorities announced. Daniel Amos, 51, has been indicted following a series of harassing phone calls over the course of two years before his arrest, according to the US Attorney's Office. Court records say that between April 15, 2024, and April 16, 2026, Amos made multiple calls and initiated communication with a telecommunications device specifically to harass three people. It is further alleged that Amos made threats targeting a federal law enforcement officer who work…
Cash For Supplies That Never Arrived: Former DC School Official Admits Bribery Cash For Supplies That Never Arrived: Former DC School Official Admits Bribery
Cash For Supplies That Never Arrived: Former DC School Official Admits Bribery She was supposed to be buying supplies for students. Instead, federal prosecutors say a longtime DC school administrator was taking cash under the table while approving payments for orders that never showed up. District resident Tracy Hatton, 60, admitted to her role in the scheme after pleading guilty to bribery, according to the US Attorney's Office for DC.  The guilty plea, entered in November 2025, was unsealed Thursday, July 9. Hatton worked as the administrative officer at McKinley Technology High School, where she controlled the school's supply budget, selected vendors, approv…
DOJ Sues Maryland Over 'Sanctuary' Policies, Claims State Is Blocking Immigration Enforcement DOJ Sues Maryland Over 'Sanctuary' Policies, Claims State Is Blocking Immigration Enforcement
DOJ Sues Maryland Over 'Sanctuary' Policies, Claims State Is Blocking Immigration Enforcement Maryland is now in the Trump administration's legal crosshairs. The US Department of Justice filed a federal lawsuit on Thursday, July 9, accusing the state and Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown of adopting so-called sanctuary policies that federal officials say unlawfully interfere with immigration enforcement. The lawsuit claims Maryland's policies prevent state and local facilities from cooperating with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement by refusing to honor immigration detainers and transfer people in custody to federal agents. According to the Justice Department, those polic…
Maryland Teen Nearly Used State-Record Fish As Bait Before Realizing What He'd Caught Maryland Teen Nearly Used State-Record Fish As Bait Before Realizing What He'd Caught
Maryland Teen Nearly Used State-Record Fish As Bait Before Realizing What He'd Caught Cooper Clark almost threw away a record-setting catch. Instead, a Maryland teenager wound up in the state record books after a fish he and his crew planned to use as bait turned out to be the biggest false albacore ever officially landed in Maryland's Atlantic Division. The catch came on Friday, July 3, off Ocean City at an offshore fishing spot known as the Jackspot, according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Clark, 19, and his fishing party were trolling for bluefin tuna with skirted ballyhoo when Clark hooked what everyone assumed was a small tuna. It wasn't. The fish …
Maryland Community Keeps 51-Year-Old Pool Afloat After 7-Day Fight To Stay Open Maryland Community Keeps 51-Year-Old Pool Afloat After 7-Day Fight To Stay Open
Maryland Community Keeps 51-Year-Old Pool Afloat After 7-Day Fight To Stay Open For seven days, the clock was ticking. A Maryland swim club that warned it could be forced to close within a week says it's staying open after an overwhelming wave of donations, new memberships, and community support helped meet its most urgent financial need. The Smallwood Village Swim Club in Waldorf announced on Tuesday, July 7, that it has met its immediate $25,000 financial need, allowing the 51-year-old pool to remain open while leaders continue working toward longer-term repairs and financial stability. "The immediate need means that the doors and schedule for Smallwood will remain …
Twice-Deported Man Charged In Virginia Rape Case Lands Back In ICE's Crosshairs Twice-Deported Man Charged In Virginia Rape Case Lands Back In ICE's Crosshairs
Twice-Deported Man Charged In Virginia Rape Case Lands Back In ICE's Crosshairs He was deported. Twice. Now, federal immigration officials say a man charged with rape and abduction in connection with an alleged sexual assault in Northern Virginia is once again facing removal after his latest arrest. Juan Arevalo Mendez, who DHS identifies as a citizen of El Salvador, was arrested on June 30 in Prince William County in connection with a September 2025 assault in Falls Church, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Mendez is charged in Fairfax County with rape by force and abducting an adult with the intent to sexually assault, officials said. The same day h…
Maryland Olympian Indicted After Allegedly Damaging Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool: DOJ Maryland Olympian Indicted After Allegedly Damaging Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool: DOJ
Maryland Olympian Indicted After Allegedly Damaging Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool: DOJ A Maryland Olympian's stop at one of the nation's most iconic landmarks has now turned into a felony case that has gone viral. David Hearn, 67, a Bethesda native, was indicted this week by a grand jury in DC on a charge of felony destruction of property after prosecutors alleged he vandalized the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool during an incident last month. According to the US Attorney's Office, Hearn allegedly ripped away part of the recently installed blue sealant lining the bottom of the Reflecting Pool on Thursday, June 19. The landmark had recently undergone renovations as part of a…
$65.7M Refinance Secured For Morgan Stanley-Anchored Baltimore Office Tower $65.7M Refinance Secured For Morgan Stanley-Anchored Baltimore Office Tower
$65.7M Refinance Secured For Morgan Stanley-Anchored Baltimore Office Tower A major Maryland waterfront office tower has landed a multimillion-dollar financial vote of confidence. In Baltimore's Harbor Point neighborhood, the eight-story Thames Street Wharf office building has secured a $65.7 million refinancing package, according to commercial real estate firm JLL, which arranged the transaction on behalf of owner AH Realty Trust. The five-year loan covers the 263,426-square-foot waterfront property overlooking the Inner Harbor, one of the first buildings developed as part of Harbor Point's transformation from a former industrial brownfield into one of Baltimore's…
'She Doesn't Realize She's Missing A Leg Yet': Virginia Family's Hero Dog Fights Back 'She Doesn't Realize She's Missing A Leg Yet': Virginia Family's Hero Dog Fights Back
'She Doesn't Realize She's Missing A Leg Yet': Virginia Family's Hero Dog Fights Back She still thinks she has four legs. A 9-year-old Virginia dog is learning to navigate a life she doesn't yet understand after being shot while protecting her family, according to her owner, leaving behind a recovery that has touched hearts far beyond her own home. Bella-Jean Newman was rushed to an animal hospital in Fredericksburg after she was shot on Monday, June 29, during what Kayla Baker described only as "an awful situation." "Bella is a protector, and when an awful situation occurred, Bella was unfortunately shot," Baker wrote. "Bella is a HERO!!!" The injuries were devastating. …