Church to host celebratory Blue Mass for law enforcement
A Blue Mass celebration for the law enforcement officers of Charles County will be held at Sacred Heart Catholic Church from 2-3:30 p.m. on Friday, July 29, at 201 St. Mary’s Ave., La Plata. The parish asks that community members “please join state and local politicians along with Sheriff Troy Berry and command staff and deputies/officers from the Charles County Sheriff’s Office, the Maryland State Police, the Town of La Plata Police Department, the Maryland Natural Resources Police, and the Maryland Transportation Authority Police Department (Nice Bridge Command) as we honor their service and pray for their safety.” A reception will follow immediately following.
County named one of the nation’s most digitally advanced
The Charles County Commissioners announced last week that the Center for Digital Government (CDG) and the National Association of Counties (NACo) have selected Charles County as one of the nation’s most digitally advanced county in the 150,000-249,999 population category, placing second. This is the Department of Fiscal and Administrative Services’ Information Technology Division’s 14th consecutive year as a recipient of this award, according to a press release.
The 2016 annual survey recognizes leading examples of counties using technology to improve services and boost efficiencies. The survey, conducted by CDG and its Digital Communities program, in partnership with NACo, identifies best technology practices among U.S. counties, the release states. To be eligible for the award, a county must be a member of NACo. There are 3,069 NACo county members.
The Center for Digital Government is a national research and advisory institute focused on technology policy and best practices in state and local government. CDG is a division of e.Republic, the nation’s only media and research company focused exclusively on state and local government and education.
For more information about the Center for Digital Government, and to view the full list of winners, go to http:// www.govtech.com/ dc/digital-counties/ Digital-Counties-Survey-2016-Winners-Announced.html.
Nominations sought for farm service agency committee
From now through Aug. 1, nominations will be accepted for candidates to run for a position on a local USDA Farm Service Agency county committee. Almost anyone participating or cooperating in an FSA program and of legal voting age can be a candidate.
FSA county committees play a vital and relevant role in delivering important farm programs.
Nomination forms are available at www.fsa. usda.gov/elections or from a local FSA county office. Forms must be postmarked or delivered to a local office by Aug. 1. Voting takes place this fall.
Hazardous waste collection scheduled for Aug. 6
The Charles County Department of Public Works will hold the next household hazardous waste collection on Saturday, Aug. 6. The household hazardous waste collection site is located in the parking lot of the Department of Public Works building, located at 10430 Audie Lane, off of Radio Station Road in La Plata. Collection hours are 9 a.m.–3 p.m.
Items accepted free of charge include: pesticides, herbicides, fertilizer, gasoline, oil-based paint, cleaning supplies, pool chemicals, fluorescent lights, mercury thermometers, and other poisons found in the home. Remember to mark any container that does not have a readable, original label.
Unacceptable materials include bio-medical waste (sharps, needles, anything with bodily fluids), latex paint, prescription drugs, and ammunition. Used motor oil, anti-freeze, propane tanks, and batteries are accepted on a regular basis at various collection sites.
Latex paint is not considered hazardous waste and can be placed in household trash as long as it is solidified. This can be accomplished by adding kitty litter, shredded paper, paint hardener, or sawdust to aid in drying it out. Household hazardous waste collection will occur on the first Saturday of each month through December.
Upcoming 2016 collection dates are: Aug. 6, Sept. 3, Oct. 1, Nov. 5 and Dec. 3.
For more information, call the Charles County Department of Public Works Environmental Resources Division at 301-932-3599 or 301-8702778, or the landfill and recycling information line at 301-932-5656. Citizens with special needs may contact the Maryland Relay Service at 711, or Relay Service TDD: 800-735-2258.
County leaders to learn tech advances, cyber-related trends at MACo conference
The Maryland Association of Counties summer conference is an annual event where county elected officials, county staff, state and federal officials, and business representatives convene to study best practices in local governance and explore partnerships through which to better serve the people of Mar yland.
The 2016 MACo Summer Conference will be held Aug. 17-20 at the Roland Powell Convention Center in Ocean City. The conference is themed “Cyber Solutions: Counties in the Digital Age.” The focus of the conference is on digital trends, cyber threats, and technological solutions for county officials and professionals. Among many topics offered, participants can expect to see demonstrations of drones, hear from experts about autonomous vehicles and talk about the implementation of texting 911.
Also on the agenda, among many other topics, are social media use and telecommuting for county employees, environmental updates, protecting children from cybercrime, concussions, funding methods for technology, and a Q&A session on medical cannabis. Participants will have two opportunities to be certified to administer Naloxone, the opioid overdose treatment drug.
Updates will be given by the Departments of Natural Resources and the Environment. U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin (DMd.) will host a town
hall forum and U.S. Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-Md., 2nd) will moderate a general session on cybersecurity budgeting. Gov. Larry Hogan (R) will deliver the closing address of the conference.
Commissioner Amanda M. Stewart (D) will be in attendance with County Administrator Michael D. Mallinoff. County Attorney Rhonda Weaver will be a speaker on a panel entitled “Beam Me Up — Telecommuting and County Government,” and Chief of 911 Communications Tony Rose will be a speaker on a panel entitled “911: The Next Generation — Everything Will Change, Except the Numbers.”
Shreve appointed to state board for fourth term
On Wednesday, July 20, Director of Public Works Bill Shreve took the oath of office for his fourth four-year term as a member of the state Board of Certification for Waterworks and Waste Systems Operators, a governor-appointed and Senate-confirmed commission, according to a press release. Shreve became a liaison member of the board in 1983, and served in that capacity until 2002 when he received his first commission. He has served as the chair of this board since his first appointment in 2002, and looks forward to continuing to support the efforts of the state to ensure all environmental systems are operated by duly certified individuals.
The Maryland Department of the Environment board establishes the education, experience, and examination standards for water and wastewater treatment system operators and superintendents, and issues and renews certifications based on these standards.
Training to teach indicators of a person thinking about suicide
Suicide awareness and prevention training will take place Monday, Aug. 1, from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. in Br yans Road.
A presentation of LivingWorks — safeTALK will be held. Participants will learn how to identify persons who may be thinking of suicide and four basic steps to begin the helping process and how to activate a suicide alert that connects the person who is thinking about suicide with resources who can complete the helping process.
Call 703-283-5177 for the address for the program, or email John Staples John@StressHelpNow.com.