Author: Patrick Herron

Damascus

Ridge Road Closed Tuesday Afternoon After Vehicle Driven Into Utility Pole

By Patrick Herron

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) responded to the 27,100 block of Ridge Rd., between Woodfield Road & Gue Rd., in Damascus for the report of a collision involving a vehicle into a utility pole. Ridge Rd is currently closed at Woodfield Rd. According to Chief Spokesperson for MCFRS Pete Piringer, “lanes are blocked by downed pole and wires, road will be closed to large vehicles, likely, i.e. School buses, delivery trucks, etc..”

Drivers are advised to seek an alternate route and to expect significant delays. We will post an update if additional information becomes available.

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MCFRS

Pedestrian Hospitalized With Minor Injuries After Being Struck by Driver Tuesday Morning Near Northwood High School

By Patrick Herron

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) and Montgomery County Police responded to a collision involving a pedestrian on Tuesday, October 17. According to police, “MCPD responded to the 900 block of University Blvd. for the report of a collision involving a pedestrian. The driver of the striking vehicle remained on scene. An adult male was transported to an area hospital with minor injuries. This is an ongoing investigation.”

We will provide an update if additional information becomes available. Featured image courtesy of Google Maps.

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Restaurant

Tropics Ice Cream & Jerk Has Closed

By Patrick Herron

Tropics Ice Cream & Jerk at 9324 Georgia Ave in Silver Spring has permanently closed, according to a report by Source of the Spring. The restaurant, which originally opened as Tropical Café, served York Castle Caribbean Ice, Jamaican patty’s, smoothies, and jerk chicken. The location is currently available to lease on LoopNet.

Last week, Milk & Honey, a southern inspired brunch and soul food restaurant which has locations across DC, Maryland, and Virginia, opened in the space next door at 9326 Georgia Avenue. The news of its opening was first reported by Source of the Spring.

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MCPD

Wheaton Mall and MCPD to Host “Boo Bash”

By Patrick Herron

Westfield Wheaton Mall (11160 Veirs Mill Rd) and Montgomery County Police will host their 2nd annual Boo Bash on Sunday, October 29 from 12-3pm.  According to Westfield, “this free Halloween event offers festive fun for all ages including a safety stage show, costume contest and a card and candy donation design center (in partnership with the National Institute of Health) benefitting children who are unable to trick-or-treat this year.  Attendees can get creative with cupcake decorating, pumpkin painting, and witnessing a “zombie apocalypse” via social media. After getting down at a family dance party, enjoy trick-or-treating throughout the mall until 4pm. All activities will take place in the lower level Macy’s Court.

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Silver Spring

Police Investigating 4th Degree Sexual Assault on Sligo Creek Trail Involving Suspect in Ski Mask

By Patrick Herron

Per the Maryland-National Capital Park Police:  On October 15, 2023, at approximately 3:55 pm, a woman was assaulted while walking on the Sligo Creek Parkway near the intersection of Three Oaks Drive, Silver Spring, Maryland. The victim was walking along the trail when an unknown male grabbed her buttocks. The victim turned and confronted the suspect, who ran off along Three Oaks Drive. The Maryland-National Capital Park Police detectives will be handling the follow-up investigation. There will be increased patrols in the area. Detectives are asking anyone with information or camera footage to contact them.

Suspect Description: The suspect is approximately 5’8”, medium build, light-skinned young male, wearing a teal blue windbreaker, brown or tan cloth backpack with a buckle fastener, and a black ski mask covering most of his face.

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Health

Maryland Attorney General Urges Supreme Court to Protect Access to Safe and Effective Abortion Medication

By Patrick Herron

Per the Maryland Attorney General’s Office: Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown has joined a multistate coalition of 24 Attorneys General in protecting access to abortion medication nationwide. The coalition filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Supreme Court in support of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) and Danco Laboratories LLC’s petitions to reverse the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit’s ruling that reinstated certain medically unnecessary, and previously eliminated, restrictions on the medication.

The coalition is urging the Supreme Court to grant the petitions to bring the case on medication abortion before the court. The coalition also asks the Supreme Court to reverse the Fifth Circuit’s decision that restricts how mifepristone can be prescribed and dispensed. The brief highlights that the Fifth Circuit’s decision ignores decades of high-quality evidence and clinical research that shows mifepristone is safe and effective.

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MoCo Government

Tipped Workers to Speak at Public Hearing on Bill Proposing to End Tip Credit and Increase Wages for Tipped Employees

By Patrick Herron

The Montgomery County Council will hold a public hearing on Bill 35-23, County Minimum Wage – Tipped Employees on Tuesday, October 17 at 1:30pm. Workers from restaurants and other tipped professions are expected to weigh in on the bill, which would adjust the calculation of the minimum wage for tipped workers and phase out the tip credit amount under the Montgomery County’s minimum wage law. Currently, businesses are required to pay servers $4.00 per hour; if a server does not make the current minimum hourly wage ($15-16.70) per hour, employers are required to make up the difference.

The bill’s lead sponsors are Councilmembers Will Jawando and Kristin Mink. Per Montgomery County, “The tip credit represents an amount of the minimum wage a worker is expected to receive in tips. The current amount of the credit is the hourly minimum wage minus four dollars or a lesser credit if the employee or representative of the employee satisfies the Executive Director of the Office of Human Rights that the employee receives a lesser amount in tips. The limit and phase-out of the tip credit would be staggered over multiple years as proposed in the legislation.”

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MCPD

MCPD Investigating Threat Against Montgomery Blair High School

By Patrick Herron

Montgomery Blair sent the following message to the Blair community at 2:19pm: “All students will dismiss at 2:30 today using their regularly scheduled transportation. Students with a 9th period will dismiss to our stadium and shuttles will take them to Eastern MS. They will board buses with middle school magnet students to go home. All athletic programs, clubs, and RecZone are canceled until further notice. Athletic games will be reevaluated at 4:30.” We will provide an update if additional information becomes available.

To maintain a safe environment, we made the decision to dismiss all students at 2:30 p.m. Ninth period students were directed to the stadium until they could be safely transported to Eastern Middle School where they will board buses to go home. As a result of this threat, all after-school activities and athletics have been canceled this evening until further notice. We are working closely with the authorities to investigate the threat and take appropriate measures to ensure the ongoing safety of our school community.

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Kensington

“The Catalina Haunt” Has Been a Kensington Halloween Staple Since 2015

By Patrick Herron

Holly Agouridis started “The Catalina Haunt” (video below) at her Kensington home back in 2015. The haunted house, located on Catalina Terrace, is now in its 9th year with a growing audience each year. “Between October 1st and Halloween night I have about 500-600 people stop by. The last Halloweens I have been on the news and we have about 300+ come on Halloween night.” Agouridis told us in 2022.

She started really getting into decorating in 2015- initially using small props and homemade scarecrows and pumpkins. Then, she found the store Spirit Halloween and it took off from there. Agouridis has lived in MoCo for nearly 20 years, since 2003. When she was trying to figure out a name for her haunted house, a neighbor’s child who was 7 or 8 and would sit on her driveway everyday to watch her work on the house said “Ms. Holly, we live on Catalina Terrace so let’s call it the Catalina Haunt Yard” and the rest was history.

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Maryland

Governor Wes Moore Announces $69 Million in Federal Funds to Support High-Speed, Affordable Internet Access for Unserved Marylanders

By Patrick Herron

Per the State of Maryland: Governor Wes Moore today announced $69 million in federal funding for two new programs to help more Marylanders access high-speed, affordable internet. Administered by the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development’s Office of Statewide Broadband, the two programs, Home Stretch for Public Housing and Home Stretch for Difficult to Serve Properties, are expected to provide internet access to an estimated 15,000 unserved Maryland households.

“Getting all Marylanders online is crucial in a society where internet access can determine your job or your child’s education,” said Gov. Moore. “We are grateful for the support of the U.S. Treasury in our efforts to close the digital divide and create a more equitable Maryland.”

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