A firefighter from Odenton, MD is $50,004 richer after purchasing a winning Powerball lottery ticket from Royal Farms at 100 Monument Avenue in Oxon Hill.  According to the Maryland Lottery, no one has won the Powerball jackpot since a $1.08 billion winning ticket was sold in California back in July. Tonight’s jackpot has an estimated annuity of $638 million and an estimated cash value of $304.2 million, making it the 10th largest jackpot in Powerball history.

The Anne Arundel County resident confessed that he told a few coworkers about his Lottery luck when he arrived at the station. “I couldn’t keep it to myself. It was hard to contain.”  His $10 ticket had four of the five winning numbers along with the Powerball to secure the third-tier prize in the drawing. He also won $4 on another line of the ticket, giving him a total prize of $50,004.


The University of Maryland has earned its highest-ever ranking among national universities from U.S. News & World Report, cracking the top 50 for the first time. Per the Maryland  Office of Marketing and Communications:

UMD rose nine spots since last year to No. 46 in the national listing and held steady at No. 19 among public schools in the influential 2023-24 “Best Colleges” report released on Monday.  The university now has a combined 69 top-25 undergraduate and graduate programs, according to U.S. News, which began its annual rankings 40 years ago.


“Hitting our goals will help us defend against the consequences of climate change. But I’m not here to just talk about avoiding tragedy – I’m here to talk about helping people find greater opportunity.”

“Our communities of color – our working parents – our middle-class families: They are the ones who stand to benefit most from our aggressive climate goals. Those are the hands that will install new solar panels at the local rec center. Those are the minds that will invent next-generation wind turbines that power millions of homes. Those are the hearts that will shape a stronger America, where we aren’t just building pathways to sustainability – we’re also building pathways to work, wages, and wealth.”


Sugarloaf Mountain, a Stronghold property, has been closed since an attempted break-in at the Strong Mansion on August 19th. Stronghold Inc., the non-profit that owns and operates the property for the public’s “enjoyment and education in an appreciation of natural beauty”, has posted the following message:

The Stronghold property will be closed to the public until further notice.  Stronghold Incorporated will be focused on providing for and reassessing the security needs for the entirety of the Stronghold property.  On Saturday August 19, 2023 an unidentified individual attempted to make entry into the Strong Mansion between the hours of 8:30 am and 10:30 am.  Physical evidence was collected at the scene, including a DNA sample. Security camera footage is being reviewed.  If anyone happened to see anything suspicious or has any information pertaining to this situation please contact Deputy Wheeler with the Frederick County Sheriff’s office at (301) 639-4866, reference case number 2023-090125.  We appreciate any information as well as your understanding and patience at this time.


A loyal Maryland Lottery player knows his games as well as he knows his favorite Lottery retailers and their employees. So, when a new store clerk gave him a ticket for the wrong game and tried but couldn’t void the ticket, the Upper Marlboro resident accepted the employee’s profuse apologies and continued on his way home with one very lucky Multi-Match ticket in hand. Full story below, per MD Lottery:

Little did he know that the $10 quick-pick ticket in his possession would win a $580,000 jackpot in the Sept. 11 drawing. “This is the biggest prize of my life,” he said, sitting with his wife in the Winner’s Circle at Lottery headquarters in Baltimore. The happy husband said he has read a lot of Lottery winner stories and just cannot believe it is his turn to tell the story of a win that his wife described as “divine intervention.”


Metro Transit Police in coordination with U.S. Capitol Police will conduct a full-scale law enforcement exercise on Sunday, Sept. 17, at the Capitol South Station. The exercise will simulate a real-life security threat to test operational coordination, communications, and response between law enforcement agencies. 

During this time, the Capitol South Station will be closed from opening until approximately 2 p.m. Free shuttle buses will replace trains between Eastern Market and Federal Center SW. The exercise will simulate a real-world response to an active assailant in the Metrorail system. People in the area will see and hear a large emergency response and police activity in and around the station, including simulated ammunition (blanks). Please be assured this is only a drill.


Dave Chappelle will be performing at the Lincoln Theater (1215 U St) in DC from October 10-13. Tickets for the shows went on sale on this morning and immediately sold out.  Dave Chapelle grew up in Silver Spring, attending Woodlin Elementary School before attending Duke Ellington School of the Arts in DC.

According to Ticketmaster, “THIS IS A CELL PHONE FREE EVENT. We’re making shared memories. With your confirmation, you agree to place your phone in a locked pouch which you keep throughout the evening. If you need to use your phone, return to the distribution tent at the entrance. Anyone caught using a cell phone during the show will be immediately ejected. Live Special Taping. Please arrive on time. Admittance is not guaranteed after taping begins.”


The Great Frederick Fair begins September 15 at the Frederick Fairgrounds (797 E Patrick St) and will run through September 23.  Entry to the fair is $10 and children 10 and under get in free. Special events include tractor pulls and a demolition derby. On Friday, Gin Blossoms, Sugar Ray, Tonic & Fastball will be performing. Zach Williams, Elle King, Tracy Byrd, and Walker Hayes also have concerts scheduled. Last year’s fair featured one of the last performances by Coolio, who passed away on September 28, 2022.

TMZ reports that rapper Coolio has passed away. The video shows one of his last performances at the Frederick State Fair last Thursday, 9/22. RIP, Coolio.


Prince George’s County Police Department’s Homicide Unit has arrested a juvenile male for the murder of 16-year-old DuVal High School student Jayda Medrano-Moore of Greenbelt. According to PGPD, “on September 11, 2023, at approximately 3:45 pm, officers responded to calls for a shooting in the 9800 block of Palamar Drive. The victim was located outside suffering from a gunshot wound(s). She was pronounced deceased a short time later at a hospital.

The preliminary investigation reveals the victim was walking on Palamar Drive after leaving DuVal High School when a dispute occurred between two groups. During that dispute, a suspect(s) shot the victim. Investigators continue to work to determine the circumstances of the dispute and the shooting.”


Per the State of Maryland: Governor Wes Moore today announced that Maryland will direct $17.4 million toward adult education providers in support of key investments to grow Maryland’s economy. The announcement came as part of the program during President Joseph R. Biden’s visit to Prince George’s County Community College in support of the Biden Administration’s vision for growing the country’s economy.

“Together, we will grow an economy that works for everyone, from the bottom up and the middle out,” said Gov. Moore. “President Biden has been very clear about his vision to empower and educate workers to grow the middle class. It’s a vision I stand by because it’s good for Maryland, good for our people, and good for our economy. Together, we are going to work in partnership to follow the president’s lead, build out our workforce, grow the economy, and win this decade.”


S. District Judge Paula Xinis sentenced Brayan Alexander Torres, a/k/a “Spooky,” age 29, of Adelphi, Maryland, yesterday to 28 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for a racketeering conspiracy, including murder, related to his participation in the Weedams Locos Salvatrucha (“WLS”) clique of the MS-13 gang, which operated primarily in Adelphi, Maryland.  Torres was the clique’s leader or “First Word.”  Judge Xinis also ordered that Torres pay restitution in the full amount of the victims’ losses, including any funeral costs incurred by Victim 4’s estate.

According to court documents, La Mara Salvatrucha gang, also known as “MS-13,” is an international criminal organization composed primarily of immigrants or descendants of immigrants from El Salvador, with members operating in Maryland and throughout the United States.  MS-13 members are organized in “cliques,” smaller groups that operate in a specific city or region, and are required to commit acts of violence, both to maintain membership and discipline within the gang and against rivals.  One of the principal rules of MS-13 is that its members must attack and kill rivals, known as “chavalas,” whenever possible.  MS-13 members earn promotions and improved standing within the gang for participating in attacks on rival gang members, often at the direction of MS-13 leadership.


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