Patrick Herron, Author at The MoCo Show

Montgomery County Funds Development of 76-Unit Apartment Building to Bolster Affordable Housing Opportunities Along the Burgeoning Purple Line Corridor in Silver Spring

Published October 8, 2023 at 11:30AM

Per Montgomery County: Montgomery County made another bold move to expand its number of affordable housing units by providing funding for the construction of Park Montgomery West, a new 76-unit rental apartment building to be built at 8856 Piney Branch Road in Silver Spring. Conveniently located along the developing Purple Line Corridor, Park Montgomery West will help preserve and meet the increasing demand for transit-oriented affordable housing in one of Maryland’s most populated counties.

Montgomery County’s Department of Housing and Community Affairs (DHCA) facilitated $10.6 million in financing, along with a Payment in lieu of Taxes (PILOT) agreement with Enterprise Community Development, Inc. (ECD) to support the construction of the 76 new apartments and the renovation of 141 existing units. The PILOT agreement waves County real estate taxes for ECD on its affordable units.

Restaurant

Nick’s Diner Reopens After Temporary Closure Due to Water Main Break

By Patrick Herron

Published October 8, 2023 at 11:22AM

Nick’s Diner at 11199 Veirs Mill Rd in Wheaton has announced that its water supply has been restored and the restaurant is back open for business. The restaurant had posted the following message on its social media pages on Saturday morning: “Attention valued patrons, due to a water main break, Nick’s Diner is temporarily closed. Stay tuned for updates. Thank you for understanding.”

Nick’s recently celebrated its 40th anniversary and serves diner classics like pancakes, French toast, omelets, hot & cold sandwiches, chili, souvlaki, and gyros. Featured photo courtesy of Nick’s Diner on Instagram.

Gaithersburg

Update: Police Investigating Snouffer School Road Fatality

By Patrick Herron

Published October 8, 2023 at 9:54AM

Montgomery County police has issued a brief summary of events regarding a fatal pedestrian collision that occurred on Saturday, October 7: “At approximately 9 p.m., Montgomery County Fire Rescue and MCPD responded to the 8200 block of Snouffer School Road, just before Bonanza Way, for a pedestrian struck. Upon arrival, they found an adult male, who was pronounced dead at the location. The driver of a Hyundai Elantra remained on scene. The Montgomery County Department of Police – Collision Reconstruction Unit is investigating this fatality. More information will be released when it is available, including the name of the deceased, following proper notification of next of kin.”

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

MoCo Government

‘Glow-in-the-Dark Pickleball,’ Fall Harvest Festivals and ‘Spooktacular’ Happenings Highlight Montgomery Recreation’s October Special Events

By Patrick Herron

Published October 8, 2023 at 9:37AM

Per Montgomery County: A variety of fall harvest festivals and Halloween-themed happenings highlight Montgomery County Recreation’s calendar of special family-friendly events in October. The events will include “Glow-in-the-Dark” pickleball, swimming with pumpkins and haunted houses.

The festivals and events will be hosted at community recreation centers, senior centers and aquatic facilities across the County. Registration for events can be completed online at ActiveMONTGOMERY.org. Not all events require registration. Registration for fall programs is also currently underway. Winter program registration begins Monday, Nov. 13.

Maryland

Governor Wes Moore’s Statement Regarding Senator Melony G. Griffith’s Hiring as New President and Chief Executive Officer of the Maryland Hospital Association

By Patrick Herron

Published October 7, 2023 at 11:08PM | Updated October 7, 2023 at 11:27PM

Per the State of Maryland: Governor Wes Moore today released the following statement regarding Senator Melony G. Griffith’s hiring as new president and chief executive officer of the Maryland Hospital Association:

“Melony Griffith has represented Prince George’s County with distinction in the Maryland General Assembly. We are grateful for her fierce advocacy for reducing health disparities, driving economic development, and building a responsible budget. Senator Griffith’s legacy of service will strengthen our communities for generations to come.

Germantown

Sexual Health Services to Begin at New Germantown Location This Monday

By Patrick Herron

Published October 7, 2023 at 12:53PM

Per Montgomery County: The Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) will begin providing sexual health services at the new Upcounty Sexual Health & Wellness Clinic beginning Monday, Oct. 9. The clinic, located at the Sidney Kramer Upcounty Regional Services Center, 12900 Middlebrook Road in Germantown, will offer free and low-cost testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections (STI) and HIV infection.

“While Montgomery County ranks as the healthiest county in Maryland, we have seen an increase in infection rates for STIs, and access to early testing and treatment services is essential to sexual health and wellbeing,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “This new clinic location will help residents living in the Upcounty region get services where they live. Many STIs are treatable or curable but early detection is important to successful outcomes.”

Restaurant

Nick’s Diner Temporarily Closed Due to Water Main Break

By Patrick Herron

Published October 7, 2023 at 12:05PM | Updated October 8, 2023 at 11:43AM

Nick’s recently celebrated its 40th anniversary and serves diner classics like pancakes, French toast, omelets, hot & cold sandwiches, chili, souvlaki, and gyros. Featured photo courtesy of Nick’s Diner on Instagram.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CyGl5a3OdLP/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Maryland

Attorney General Brown Announces $49.5 Million Multistate Settlement with Software Company Blackbaud for 2020 Data Breach Impacting Thousands of U.S. Nonprofits

By Patrick Herron

Published October 6, 2023 at 4:26PM

Per the Maryland Attorney General’s Office: Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown announced today that the State has reached a multistate settlement with Blackbaud, Inc., a software company, to resolve allegations that Blackbaud failed to protect consumers’ personal information when it experienced a data breach in 2020 that impacted thousands of nonprofit organizations nationwide, including 290 nonprofits in Maryland. Under the settlement, Blackbaud has agreed to overhaul its data security and breach notification practices and make a $49.5 million payment to the states, of which Maryland will receive $820,156.

Blackbaud provides software to manage constituent data, including contact and demographic information, Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers, financial information, employment and wealth information, donation history, and protected health information to various nonprofit organizations, including charities, higher education institutions, K-12 schools, healthcare organizations, religious organizations, and cultural organizations. This type of highly sensitive data was exposed during the 2020 data breach, impacting over 13,000 Blackbaud nonprofit organizations nationwide.

Aspen Hill

Detectives Investigating Residential Burglary; Surveillance Video of Suspect Released

By Patrick Herron

Published October 6, 2023 at 4:17PM

Per MCPD: Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police – 4th District Investigative Section are investigating a residential burglary that occurred in the 3900 block of Wendy Lane in Aspen Hill, on Sunday, September 3, 2023. Detectives have released surveillance video of the male suspect and are asking for the public’s assistance in identifying him.

The investigation by detectives has revealed that at approximately 11:54 p.m., the suspect forced entry into the residence, stole property and left the residence. Detectives reviewed the surveillance footage of a camera inside the home and obtained a description of the suspect. The suspect is described as a 50-year-old male, with short hair, approximately 5-feet, 7-inches tall and 160 pounds. He was last seen wearing glasses, a dark shot sleeve collared shirt and blue jeans.

Poolesville

Bassett’s to Reopen Next Week

By Patrick Herron

Published October 6, 2023 at 2:50PM

Bassett’s Restaurant at 19950 Fisher Ave in Poolesville has announced it will reopen on Monday, October 9. The restaurant closed due to a fire on June 5. The fire was located in a small building in the back and thankfully there was no extension to the main building/restaurant.

MCPD

Driver in Fatal “Bottomless Mimosas” DUI Crash Faces 15 Years in Prison

By Patrick Herron

Published October 6, 2023 at 2:38PM

According to the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office, “in the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, MD, before the Honorable Sharon Burrell, a jury has convicted defendant, Kevin Orihuela, 22, of Rockville, on charges of Homicide by Motor Vehicle while Under the Influence of Alcohol and Gross Negligent Manslaughter by Motor Vehicle for causing the crash that killed 62-year-old Noel Powell of Germantown. The jury reached its verdict late yesterday afternoon, October 5^th, 2023. Orihuela faces up to 15 years in prison. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 15^th, 2023.

The fatal crash occurred on Sunday, August 14^th, 2022, at Josiah Henson Pkwy and Randolph Rd, at the intersection of Josiah Henson with the exit ramp from route 355 at approximately 4:12 p.m. The defendant, Orihuela, had gone to brunch at a restaurant in the Pike and Rose center with a large group of friends to celebrate one of their 21st birthdays, where they ordered “bottomless mimosas.” Based on a review of surveillance video, the defendant drank 11 mimosas over the course of one hour and 55 minutes (1:06 pm to 3:01 pm). The video depicts the defendant consistently sitting with his head on the table and head in his hands in the minutes before he leaves. He then got into his Audi A4, left Pike and Rose via the Towne Road exit, turned right onto Josiah Henson, and quickly accelerated his Audi toward the intersection with the ramp from route 355. The event data recorder from his vehicle showed that as he approached that intersection, he was accelerating at one hundred percent of his vehicle’s capability and reached a speed of 70 miles per hour. The speed limit on that road is 40 mph.