Maryland
‘Culture’ of violence: Maryland National Guard abused at-risk teens, records claim
MARYLAND (WBFF) — At the Maryland National Guard Freestate Challenge Academy, a residential boot camp and educational program for at-risk and troubled youth owned and operated by the Guard, staff abused the teens in their care, according to court records and criminal complaints The Baltimore Sun reviewed. The teens then, in turn, assaulted each other, even participating in an after-hours fight club.
The Sun reviewed more than 400 pages of documents, including two sets of criminal charges, a lawsuit and all serious incident reports filed since 2019 that documented allegations of cadet violations, as well as investigations into allegations of inappropriate staff behavior and subsequent disciplinary records.
In all internal documents provided by the program, the names of cadets and staff involved were redacted.
Time and again, staff members hit, humiliated or encouraged others to hurt the teens in their care at the Aberdeen Proving Ground camp, internal records indicate. Time and again, camp leaders fired the offending staff members, or cadre, as they are called in the camp’s military parlance; put them on administrative leave or “took them off the schedule,” the records said. At times, they referred the allegations to law enforcement.
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MARYLAND (WBFF) — It’s that time of year again — spotted lanternflies have made a comeback across Maryland and most of the eastern U.S.
Spotted lanternflies typically hatch in late April and early May, meaning juveniles of the species are popping up around the state. The Maryland Department of Agriculture predicted in March that Baltimore City and central Maryland counties will be heavily infested with the pests.
The invasive insect has been present in nearly all of Maryland since 2018 and was previously thought to have caused ecosystem harm. But recent studies on the insect’s assimilation into its environment have shown that the lanternfly has caused no large-scale damage.
“This is mainly just a nuisance pest,” Emily Zobel, University of Maryland Extension’s agriculture and food systems agent for Dorchester County, said. “[The spotted lanternfly] is big, it’s kind flashy, it’s a little intimidating, but studies have shown that in residential gardens and landscapes, it doesn’t do any significant damage to otherwise healthy plants.”
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PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY, Md. (7News) — A South Carolina man is dead after he shot his ex-girlfriend in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, on Tuesday, the Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD) said.
The man was identified as 30-year-old Dante Morris of Fort Mill, South Carolina.
Police said officers were called to the 10400 block of Birdie Lane around 7:15 a.m. on Tuesday for the domestic-related shooting. A woman was found outside with gunshot wounds. She remains in the hospital in critical condition.
READ | Stolen car chase across Montgomery County and DC leads to 4 juveniles arrested
PGPD obtained an arrest warrant for Morris, but learned that he had driven back to South Carolina after the shooting. He was found dead on Tuesday evening.
Police confirmed Morris and the woman had been a prior relationship.
SEE ALSO | Prince George’s County steps up enforcement, penalties against illegal dumping
Anyone with information that could help police in their investigation should call 301-516-2512.
If you or someone you know is facing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 or text BEGIN to 88788.
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