‘Laurel’s Finest’: Brian Bennett Remembered As Devoted Dad, Leader After Crash ‘Laurel’s Finest’: Brian Bennett Remembered As Devoted Dad, Leader After Crash
‘Laurel’s Finest’: Brian Bennett Remembered As Devoted Dad, Leader After Crash Brian Bennett was the kind of guy people counted on — at work, at home, and everywhere in between. Now, his sudden death is leaving a hole across Laurel that won’t be easy to fill. Bennett, a longtime City of Laurel public works employee, beloved husband and father of two, was killed in a car crash in Pasadena on Sunday, April 19, leaving behind a devastated community. He was 43. A Laurel native, Bennett spent his life building deep roots in the community he loved, both on the job and off it. Since joining the Department of Public Works in 2017, he worked his way up to Street Maintenance…
Maryland DEA Agent Dies Months After Retirement Following Two-Year Battle With Cancer Maryland DEA Agent Dies Months After Retirement Following Two-Year Battle With Cancer
Maryland DEA Agent Dies Months After Retirement Following Two-Year Battle With Cancer A longtime federal agent who spent nearly three decades serving his country has died just months after retiring in Maryland, leaving behind a wife, two daughters, and a legacy that stretched far beyond the badge. Sean O’Brien Fitzpatrick, 59, died Sunday, April 19, in Salisbury, after a two-year battle with cancer, according to his loved ones. The Maryland resident had just stepped away from a 28-year career as a Special Agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration in December 2025. For those who knew him, though, Fitzpatrick was more than his title. He was the guy with U2 blasting thro…
Young Mom Gunned Down In DC Alley Leaves Behind 2-Year-Old Son Who Was 'Her Whole World' Young Mom Gunned Down In DC Alley Leaves Behind 2-Year-Old Son Who Was 'Her Whole World'
Young Mom Gunned Down In DC Alley Leaves Behind 2-Year-Old Son Who Was 'Her Whole World' A young mother who was “her son’s whole world” has been taken too soon, loved ones say, leaving behind a 2-year-old boy and a grieving family now trying to rebuild after a deadly shooting. Jamillah Gales, 25, was shot and killed late Tuesday night in DC, leaving loved ones searching for answers and leaning on each other in the days since. Her 2-year-old son, Royce Hawkins, was with her shortly before the shooting and was reported missing in the hours that followed, prompting an AMBER Alert that drew widespread attention. He was found safe within an hour. But for those who knew Gales, the …
Maryland Dad, Business Owner Scott Chait Dies Suddenly, Leaves Wife, Four Kids Maryland Dad, Business Owner Scott Chait Dies Suddenly, Leaves Wife, Four Kids
Maryland Dad, Business Owner Scott Chait Dies Suddenly, Leaves Wife, Four Kids Scott Chait left behind more than just a business when he died unexpectedly — he left behind a wife, four kids, and a Maryland community helping to pick up the pieces. The owner of Sparks Electric, Chait was the breadwinner for his family before his death on Friday, April 17, according to organizers of a fundraiser set up for his wife and children in the days after his passing. “With the sudden passing of Scott Chait, we have created this GoFundMe page to help his family with expenses during this difficult time,” organizer Mary Beth Brubaker wrote. "Scott leaves behind a wife and four child…
Democratic Congressman Dies After 20 Years In Office Democratic Congressman Dies After 20 Years In Office
Democratic Congressman Dies After 20 Years In Office David Scott, a 12-term Democratic congressman has died. His death was confirmed Wednesday, April 22, by his office and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. The 80-year-old Scott represented Georgia’s 13th Congressional District, which includes parts of metro Atlanta, since 2003.  Known for his focus on economic development, civil rights, and veterans’ affairs, Scott was a trailblazer in Congress and a respected advocate for his constituents. He was the first Black chair of the House Agriculture Committee, Scott’s political career spanned nearly five decades. Before joinin…
Washington Post Editor Found Dead After Layoff: Reports Washington Post Editor Found Dead After Layoff: Reports
Washington Post Editor Found Dead After Layoff: Reports Dan Eggen, a Pulitzer-prizewinning reporter and longtime Washington Post editor, was found dead at 60 years, the outlet reports. Eggen was laid off earlier this year in a round of mass cuts. His ex-wife, Stephanie Armour, confirmed Eggen's death to the Washington Post. No foul play is suspected and a formal cause is pending an autopsy. A GoFundMe created by Jenna Johnson for Eggen's children, Madeleine and Max, had a goal of raising $45,000. Eggen joined The Washington Post in 1997, starting as a Metro reporter before covering the Justice Department, national security, and the Wh…
Rif Hutton Dies: Beloved Actor Starred On 'Doogie Howser,'  'JAG' Rif Hutton Dies: Beloved Actor Starred On 'Doogie Howser,'  'JAG'
Rif Hutton Dies: Beloved Actor Starred On 'Doogie Howser,' 'JAG' Rif Hutton, a veteran actor best known for his roles on "Doogie Howser, M.D." and "JAG," has died. Hutton's death at age 73 came on Saturday, April 18, at his home in Pasadena, California, following a battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Hutton was a prolific performer with a career spanning decades. He played Dr. Ron Welch, a recurring character and close friend of Neil Patrick Harris’s character on "Doogie Howser, M.D.," appearing in 17 episodes from 1989 to 1993.  On "JAG," he portrayed Lt. Cmdr. Alan Mattoni in five epi…
Maryland Father Dies Suddenly From Ruptured Aorta, Leaves Two Kids Behind: ‘Immeasurable Void’ Maryland Father Dies Suddenly From Ruptured Aorta, Leaves Two Kids Behind: ‘Immeasurable Void’
Maryland Father Dies Suddenly From Ruptured Aorta, Leaves Two Kids Behind: ‘Immeasurable Void’ Fernando Martinez wasn’t sick. He wasn’t in the hospital. And then, suddenly, he was gone. The Maryland father died unexpectedly on Friday, April 17, after suffering a ruptured aorta, a catastrophic medical emergency that left his family with no time to prepare for life without him. He leaves behind two young children, Alejandro and Sophia, who were at the center of everything he did. Fernando Martinez GoFundMe “Fernando was more than a neighbor - he was a kind, hardworking, and caring presence whose warmth touched so many,” family friend Kyra Vocci wrote. In Greenbrier, where…
Family Of Maryland Man Killed On Lawnmower Racing To Bring Him Home To Mexico Family Of Maryland Man Killed On Lawnmower Racing To Bring Him Home To Mexico
Family Of Maryland Man Killed On Lawnmower Racing To Bring Him Home To Mexico The family of a Maryland man killed while riding a lawnmower along a highway shoulder is now racing to bring him home to Mexico. Joel Garcia, 42, died on Wednesday, April 15 in Denton, after being hit by a pickup truck while riding a John Deere lawnmower on the shoulder of Burrsville Road near Garland Road, Maryland State Police said. Now, days after the deadly crash, Garcia’s family says they are facing an even more difficult task — laying him to rest. “Yesterday, April 15, my husband lost his life in a tragic accident; he was struck by a car while working as a lawnmower,” his wife wrote …
AmandaStrong: Community Steps Up For Family Of Beloved Maryland Lax Coach, Mom Killed In Crash AmandaStrong: Community Steps Up For Family Of Beloved Maryland Lax Coach, Mom Killed In Crash
AmandaStrong: Community Steps Up For Family Of Beloved Maryland Lax Coach, Mom Killed In Crash A Maryland community is wrapping its arms around the family of Amanda Rae Regan, the beloved coach, mom, and former national champion who was killed in a crash last week. Regan, 37, died on Tuesday, April 14, after a single-vehicle crash on East Mount Harmony Road in Owings, leaving behind her husband, Brandon, and their two children, Griffin and Jillian. In Calvert County, Maryland State Police said Regan lost control of her vehicle for unknown reasons and crashed into a tree. She was pronounced dead at the scene. But in the days since her death, the story has become about much more than …
Virginia Community Remembers James 'Poodie' Smith After Fatal Shooting: 'A Light In Every Life' Virginia Community Remembers James 'Poodie' Smith After Fatal Shooting: 'A Light In Every Life'
Virginia Community Remembers James 'Poodie' Smith After Fatal Shooting: 'A Light In Every Life' James “Poodie” Smith was "a light in the lives of everyone who knew him" before the young man was gunned down during a dispute outside a Virginia shopping center. Smith was one of the victims in a double fatal shooting on Wednesday, April 16, outside the Walmart and Dollar Tree stores at the Ashland Square shopping center, according to police. Both victims were pronounced dead at the scene. A suspect was later arrested in connection with the shooting. Now, loved ones are rallying support from the community to give Smith a proper sendoff. "James was a light in the lives of everyone who kne…
‘A Light That Touched So Many’: Community Steps Up To Send Branson Oduor Back Home To Kenya ‘A Light That Touched So Many’: Community Steps Up To Send Branson Oduor Back Home To Kenya
‘A Light That Touched So Many’: Community Steps Up To Send Branson Oduor Back Home To Kenya A local community is stepping up in a big way to send 27-year-old Branson Oduor home to Kenya after his body was pulled from the Inner Harbor in Maryland. Oduor had been reported missing for more than a week after going out for drinks with a friend in Fells Point, according to his family. He was found on Tuesday, April 14, in the water in the 500 block of E. Pratt Street.  Loved ones celebrated Oduor's life when news of his death spread. "Those who knew Branson, I'm sure, will remember his warm and welcoming smile—a light that touched so many lives, including ours," a friend of the famil…