🌱 Could La Plata phone scammers quietly switch your number without consent?

Hi there, La Plata! We've got your morning read ready! Read on to stay connected. ☀️

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In today's newsletter:

• Could La Plata phone scammers quietly switch your number without consent?
• How La Plata responders safely evacuated 32 residents during August's fire
• How many new affordable homes could be coming to La Plata?

Also on today's calendar: Janet Hall Foundation Breast Cancer Walk Registration and 7 more events.

Today's riddle: What is clean when it is black and dirty when it is white? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

• Thursday: Mostly sunny and very warm, with a high of 80 and low of 46 degrees.
• Friday: Pleasant with sunshine, temps: high: 74, low: 49.
• Saturday: Sun through high clouds, with a high of 73 and low of 60 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Slammed: La Plata business phone illegally switched (somdnews.com) — A longtime La Plata office supply shop temporarily lost its main phone line after a scammer illegally switched the business to another carrier, cutting off customers for about a month. The owner has since recovered the number and is urging La Plata residents to guard against "telephone slamming" by freezing accounts and closely checking phone bills, echoing FCC guidance.
   

2. Charles County Honors First Responders Who Helped Evacuate 32 Residents During Sage Point Fire (thebaynet.com) — Charles County commissioners in La Plata publicly honored first responders who evacuated 32 residents during an August fire at a local nursing and rehabilitation center, highlighting body-camera footage of the rescue. Firefighters from La Plata and nearby departments, along with La Plata Police and state and county agencies, quickly contained the blaze, credited safety systems, and ensured all residents and staff were accounted for without additional serious injuries.
   

3. A Year In, Charles Affordable Housing Plan Shows Progress (southernmarylandchronicle.com) — Charles County's affordable housing strategy is beginning to show results, with about 289 subsidized units funded and roughly 1,400 more in the pipeline, including projects inside the town of La Plata. Officials are pursuing tax abatements, zoning changes for smaller homes and accessory units, and new rental standards to close a 1,200-unit affordability gap over the next decade.
   

4. Thomas Stone High is selected for the Charles swearing-in ceremony (somdnews.com) — Charles County commissioners have chosen Thomas Stone High School, rather than the College of Southern Maryland in La Plata, to host the Dec. 1 swearing-in ceremony for key county officials. Officials weighed seating, rental costs, and reception space, ultimately favoring the high school's larger capacity and free use while explaining why La Plata's college, though attractive, wasn't the best logistical fit.
   

5. Afterschool Hang Out Gives Students Time Away From Screens In Charles County (thebaynet.com) — Milton M. Somers Middle School in La Plata is testing a new end-of-month afterschool hangout where about 70 students stayed to play games, eat pizza, and step away from their phones. Backed by the school's PTSO and Charles County Public Schools, organizers hope to grow these Friday events with themes like tournaments, fashion shows, and even parents-versus-kids games.
   

📸 Around La Plata

Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!

🗓 Upcoming Events in La Plata

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

★ Featured events ★

Saturday October 10
• Dining at Zekiah Ridge Farm →
  Bliss in the Barn, 11770 Charles St, La Plata
  5:00 pm

Want to see your event featured? Click here!

Other local events

Saturday October 10
• Janet Hall Foundation Breast Cancer Walk Registration →
  La Plata Town Hall, 305 Queen Anne Street, La Plata
  8:30 am
• 1976 Lackey High School 50th Class Reunion →
  La Plata American Legion, La Plata
  6:00 pm
Tuesday October 13
• Board of Education meeting, 1 p.m. Public forum, 6 p.m.
  Charles County Public Schools, 5980 Radio Station Rd, La Plata
• Special Education: Intro to Basic Sign Language Vocabulary (Part 2
  Charles County Public Schools, 5998 Radio Station Rd, La Plata
  6:00 pm
Wednesday October 14
• CTE, AP and Dual Enrollment/ Early College Information Night at Ma
  Mattawoman Middle School, 10145 Berry Rd, Waldorf
  6:00 pm
• CTE, AP and Dual Enrollment/ Early College Information Night at Ha
  John Hanson Middle School, 3165 John Hanson Dr, Waldorf
  6:00 pm
Friday October 16
• Lackey at La Plata →
  La Plata High School, 6035 Radio Station Rd, La Plata
  6:00 pm
• Girls Just Want To Create! Bag Edition →
  Joyful Studio, 115A La Grange Avenue, La Plata
  7:00 pm
Saturday October 17
• Nursing Home Ministry →
  Complete Care at La Plata, 1 Magnolia Dr, La Plata
  3:00 pm

📣 La Plata Shout Outs!

Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!

🗓 Events Nearby

Thursday October 8
• Boys Varsity Soccer Conference Game vs. Calvert @ MHS
  McDonough High School Pomfret, MD 20675
  4:30 pm
• Southern Maryland Lacrosse Association
  McDonough High School Pomfret, MD 20675
  5:30 pm

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.

💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

• Thinking about putting up a new shed, carport, garage, pole barn, or other structure this fall?
  We're running a fall special through TIN DUX Building Co. — qualifying builds come with a FREE two hundred dollar Texas Roadhouse gift card. If you… (Nextdoor Cooksey Rd)

• College of Southern Maryland posted a job opening for Tutors - Arts, Humanities, Social Science, and Education in La Plata. Apply here.
• Charles County Public Schools posted a job opening for Bus Driver in La Plata. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near La Plata here.

Ok La Plata! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: "What is clean when it is black and dirty when it is white?" — A chalk board (Thank you Charlie H. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!

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