Per Imagination Stage: Imagination Stage, the metro DC region’s largest professional theatre for young audiences and leader in positive youth development through the arts, is hosting the Arts for All! Children’s Fest on October 21 from 10:00-1:00 at Imagination Stage in Bethesda. The festival is a FREE, fun, hands-on celebration of performing and visual arts especially for children ages 1-8. Four DMV arts organizations are partnering and leading lively workshops.
Per MCPD: Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police- Major Crimes Division area investigating a commercial armed robbery that occurred on Tuesday, September 12, 2023, at a 7-Eleven in the 12300 block of Middlebrook Road in Germantown. At approximately 12:45 a.m., 5th District officers responded to the location for the report of a commercial armed robbery.
The investigation by detectives has revealed that two suspects entered the 7-Eleven. One of the suspects displayed a black handgun, pointed it at an employee, forced the employee behind the cash register and demanded cash. The employee complied with the suspect’s initial demand. When the employee was unable to comply with the suspect’s demand to open the store safe, the suspect demanded personal property from the employee.
According to the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office, “In the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, MD, the Honorable Christopher Fogelman sentenced defendant, Teymour Peters, 22, of Rockville, to ten years in prison suspend all but one year and five years of supervised probation upon release. In addition, the defendant has served seven months pre-trial and is not receiving credit for time served, so the total sentence is 19 months in prison. The sentencing hearing occurred on Monday, September 11th.
Peters pleaded guilty on June 15th, 2023, to involuntary manslaughter for the death of Kevin Ourand, 20, of Rockville. Ourand was found deceased by his mother in her basement on October 12, 2022. A medical examiner determined cause of death to be fentanyl intoxication. The defendant sold Ourand pills and it was clear from messages recovered from the victim’s phone that the defendant was aware the pills contained fentanyl. These were blue pills stamped with the letter “M” and the number “30” to mimic the appearance of prescription medication. This case was prosecuted by Assistant State’s Attorneys Kimberly Cissel and Jennifer Harrison, who both serve on the Overdose Prosecution Task Force.”
The words “not enough” are heard every day inside of our nation’s foster care system . . . not enough resources, not enough support, not enough families. It doesn’t have to be this way. We work alongside others, and stand together, in our community to make a different reality for children and families.
We need your help. Can you stand with us? Can you open your heart and home to become a foster parent? Foster parents, also called resource parents, are temporary, substitute parents who provide for the physical, emotional, and social needs of children until the biological family can be reunited or a permanent placement can be implemented.
Per MCDOT: On Wednesday, Sept. 27, starting at 6:30 p.m., the Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) will hold a hybrid public meeting to discuss the latest progress of the Old Columbia Pike / Prosperity Drive Improvements project in Burtonsville. The public will have an opportunity to ask questions and provide comments.
The Old Columbia Pike / Prosperity Drive Improvements project provides for a facility planning study to enhance safety for pedestrians, bicyclists and people with disabilities as they travel to nearby schools and facilities, and improve intersection safety and capacity issues. Drainage issues within the project limits will also be addressed. The project limits are from Stewart Lane to Cherry Hill Road. Public input is encouraged and may influence the design of this project.
Flip Circus is coming to Montgomery Mall for 10 days from October 20-30th. The show will be located under a large white and red tent that will be set up in the parking lot area near the Old Navy entrance to the mall. The circus features clowns, jugglers, acrobats, aerialists and “motorcycles inside the Globe of Steal.” Shows will take place at 7:30pm Monday-Friday and 1pm, 4pm, and 7pm on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are currently available through the FlipCircus website.
Per the Maryland Department of Health: The Maryland Department of Health today announced that an adult living in the Eastern Shore region has tested positive for West Nile virus – the first confirmed human case of the virus in Maryland this year. The patient is recovering from the infection.
West Nile is transmitted to humans via mosquitoes infected by feeding on birds that have the virus. In rare instances, the virus may be spread from person to person through organ donation, blood transfusion, breastfeeding or from pregnant mother to fetus. The disease affects the nervous system, and up to 80% of people who are infected will not display any signs of illness. However, those who have underlying health conditions could become seriously ill.
Per Montgomery County: The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) delivered more than 5 million rides on its Ride On bus transit system from March 2023 through June 2023, the last quarter of the 2023 Fiscal Year. That number represents a 9 percent increase in ridership over the same period of the previous year. The trend toward increased ridership on Ride On buses accelerated over those four months, with June recording a nearly 15 percent increase in total ridership over 2022.
“Higher rates of Ride On ridership benefit everyone by reducing the number of cars, improving traffic congestion, and helping our environment,” said Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich. “I hope to see this trend continue. Increased bus ridership is important toward the County reaching our Climate Action Plan goal of a 100 percent carbon emission reduction by 2035. We have invested significant resources into creating a modern, accessible and customer-focused transit network. We have more exciting plans to come for Ride-On including fully transitioning to a zero-emission bus fleet while continuing to provide our riders increased amenities, improved routes and better on-time performance. If you haven’t tried Ride-On recently, please consider getting on board soon.”
White Oak Duckpin Lanes at 11207 New Hampshire Ave, which opened in 1959, has announced it will reopen on Saturday, September 30. The bowling alley has been closed since September 2021 due to flooding and a subsequent dispute with the building’s landlord. According to a post on its Facebook page, “The long anticipated return of the white oak duckpin lanes will be September 30 at 10:00 am. (If nothing crazy happens!!!). Keep a look out…we are planning some prizes and have more updates to roll out!!! Please share and get the word out!!!”
A GoFundMe created for the business in December, 2021 has raised over $27,000. White Oak Lanes announced it would be returning back in February of this year: “As you are probably aware, White Oak Lanes experienced a really bad flooding incident back in September of 2021. This incident caused substantial damage to our lanes. Even though we are going to be sad to see the old lanes leave, we will definitely be excited to see the new lanes when they are completed! When you come back, White Oak will have new lanes, approaches, and pin decks! Hope everyone is as excited about that as we are!”
The Special Victims Investigations Division is asking for the public’s assistance in locating Eduardo Lobos, a missing 16-year-old. Lobos was last seen on Wednesday, August 9, 2023, at approximately 11:40 p.m., in the Kemp Mill area of Wheaton. He is 5’5″, 120 lbs., with black hair and brown eyes, and was last seen wearing a black shirt, gray shorts, and black Crocs.
Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Eduardo Lobos is asked to call Montgomery County Police Non-Emergency (301) 279-8000 (24-hour line).
Per Montgomery County: Montgomery County Alcohol Beverage Services (ABS) is launching an ad campaign to raise awareness about the dangers of under-21 alcohol access and consumption. Starting this month, ABS will place public service advertisements on bus shelters and bus taillights to deter under-21 alcohol use and reduce adolescent access to alcohol.
The bus shelter ads will be placed near high schools and feature the phrase “under 21 drinking can lead to alcohol addiction.” The Ride On bus taillight ads will be placed on upper county routes and feature the phrase “60% of kids who drink get their alcohol from family and friends.” Ads will run for six weeks and include a QR code that can be scanned for more information on reducing under-21 alcohol use and access to alcohol as well as other prevention resources.