Patrick Herron, Author at The MoCo Show

19-Year-Old Arrested for Running “Chop-Shop” Out of Rockville Home

Published September 12, 2023 at 11:50AM

Per MCPD: Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police – Major Crimes Division have arrested and charged 19-year-old Bill Gomez with auto theft related offenses that occurred over the span of several months in the Rockville and Baltimore areas. Detectives from the Auto Crime Enforcement Section (ACES) were investigating the rise of Infiniti G37 models being stolen in the county and developed Gomez as a suspect.

The investigation revealed that Gomez was running a pseudo “chop-shop” out of his residence located in the 800 block of Westmore Avenue in Rockville. Gomez had also obtained Vehicle Identification Numbers from wrecked/salvaged vehicles and placed them onto stolen vehicles to conceal their stolen status.

MoCo Government

Montgomery County Government to Host Job Fair on October 3rd

By Patrick Herron

Published September 12, 2023 at 11:42AM

Per Montgomery County: Montgomery County Government has nearly 1,000 full-time and part-time jobs, currently open for employment. Interested job seekers 18‐and‐over are encouraged to attend the Montgomery County Career Fair and Hiring Expo from 3-7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 3, at the Silver Spring Civic Building at Veterans Plaza, located at 1 Veterans Place in downtown Silver Spring.

This is the County’s second major job and hiring event this year designed to attract job seekers across various careers. During the County’s first career fair and hiring expo in May, one in seven attendees received a contingent job offer.

Health

FDA Approves Updated mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines to Protect Against Currently Circulating Variants

By Patrick Herron

Published September 12, 2023 at 10:01AM

Per the FDA (9.11.23): Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration took action approving and authorizing for emergency use updated COVID-19 vaccines formulated to more closely target currently circulating variants and to provide better protection against serious consequences of COVID-19, including hospitalization and death. Today’s actions relate to updated mRNA vaccines for 2023-2024 manufactured by ModernaTX Inc. and Pfizer Inc. Consistent with the totality of the evidence and input from the FDA’s expert advisors, these vaccines have been updated to include a monovalent (single) component that corresponds to the Omicron variant XBB.1.5.

What You Need to Know

Maryland

Attorney General Brown Joins $22.5 Million Settlement with Crypto Asset Platform Nexo

By Patrick Herron

Published September 12, 2023 at 8:51AM

Per the Maryland Attorney General’s Office: Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown’s Securities Division announced that it has joined a $22.5 million multistate settlement with Nexo Capital, Inc. In September 2022, Maryland filed an action against Nexo in connection with its Earn Interest Product (EIP) accounts. The Securities Division had alleged that the EIP accounts enabled customers to deposit crypto assets with Nexo. In exchange, customers automatically earned interest on those deposits. Nexo offered investors interest rates of up to 36% on their deposits, significantly higher than rates offered for short-term, investment grade, fixed-income securities, or bank savings accounts. As of September 2022, over 93,300 United States residents had EIP accounts worth approximately $800 million, with more than 1,800 Maryland residents holding accounts worth about $15 million.

The Securities Division’s Consent Order, which details the case and formalizes the terms of the settlement, concluded that Nexo’s EIP accounts were unregistered securities, and that the company operated as an unregistered broker-dealer. The Order further concluded that Nexo engaged in dishonest and unethical practices and misrepresented and failed to provide important facts to its customers, such as information related to its regulatory compliance, profit-making activities, and interest generation.

Education

Board of Education Seeks Public Comments on Parent and Family Involvement and Counseling Programs

By Patrick Herron

Published September 12, 2023 at 8:16AM

Language translations are available.

A description of the changes, draft changes, and public comment questionnaires are available on the Public Comment Page.

Health

MoCo Restaurants Must Offer Healthy Meal and Healthy Drink Options for Children Beginning This Friday, September 15

By Patrick Herron

Published September 11, 2023 at 10:01PM

Last March, Bill No. 1-22 Healthy Meals for Children, which requires restaurants in Montgomery County that offer a children’s meal to provide a healthy option (meal and drink) for their youngest customers, was passed. The first phase (healthy beverage option) went into effect in March, and the second phase (healthy meal option) goes into effect this Friday, September 15. This is the first bill of this nature to be fully implemented in the country. It should be noted that while a healthy option must be presented, customers are not limited in selecting any menu item of their choice.

“Childhood obesity remains a longstanding problem in our nation and the rate continues to climb impacting our children’s health and quality of life. Especially in a time when our busy lifestyles have more families eating out, it is imperative that as a County we encourage healthy options in our children’s meals,” said former Councilmember Rice after the bill was initially passed. “I applaud the many restaurants, large and small, in our community that are already providing healthier selections. This bill lays out a minimum threshold over an extended period to ensure that our children have a healthier beverage and meal option available to them, all in order to promote more healthful eating habits throughout their lives.”

Maryland

Governor Moore and First Lady Moore, Lieutenant Governor Miller Honor 9/11 Day of Remembrance

By Patrick Herron

Published September 11, 2023 at 6:26PM

Per the State of Maryland: Governor Wes Moore, First Lady Dawn Moore, and Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller today honored 9/11 Day of Remembrance in Maryland, participating in events throughout the day to honor those who lost their lives during the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, including 69 Marylanders.

“Twenty two years ago, our world changed forever. This isn’t just a day of mourning—it is a day of gratitude,” said Gov. Moore. “We feel gratitude for the first responders who rushed to the scene, we feel gratitude for the Americans who answered the call to serve and deployed to defend our freedom overseas. Today, as we climb these stairs, let’s recommit ourselves to living with courage, grace, grit, fearlessness, and with an abiding commitment to leaving no one behind.”

Health

Maryland Department of Health Announces Summit, Toolkit and Trainings in Support of National Suicide Prevention Month

By Patrick Herron

Published September 11, 2023 at 5:09PM | Updated September 11, 2023 at 5:26PM

Nationally, suicide is the 12th leading cause of death. Since the pandemic, many communities have seen an increase in suicide.

Older adults (85+) have the highest rates of suicide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Chevy Chase

Maryland State Highway Administration to Hold Virtual Meeting on MD 190 (River Road) Corridor Safety Study Regarding Chevy Chase Area on Thursday, Sept. 21

By Patrick Herron

Published September 11, 2023 at 4:37PM

MD 190 (River Road) Corridor Safety Study Map

The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration will host a virtual public meeting from 6:30-8 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 21, to share information and answer questions about the MD 190 (River Road) Corridor Safety Study. The study is examining ways that pedestrian and bicyclist safety can be improved along approximately 4,000 feet of MD 190 in the Chevy Chase area from Springfield Drive to Little Falls Parkway.

MD 190 is a State-maintained road and not a road maintained by the Montgomery County Department of Transportation.

MoCo Government

Montgomery County’s ‘Triple-A’ Bond Rating Streak Continues

By Patrick Herron

Published September 11, 2023 at 4:36PM

Per Montgomery County: Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich and County Council President Evan Glass today announced Montgomery County has continued earning the highest possible bond ratings from all three major Wall Street bond rating agencies. Having maintained its “Triple-A (AAA or Aaa)” bond ratings for 2023, the County retains its status as a top-rated issuer of municipal securities, with the highest credit ratings possible for a local government.

Moody’s Investors Service, Inc., Standard & Poor’s and Fitch Ratings all affirmed the AAA ratings—the highest achievable—for the County. Montgomery County has earned AAA ratings from Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. every year since 1973 (51 consecutive years); from Standard & Poor’s every year since 1976 (48 consecutive years) and from Fitch every year since 1991 (33 consecutive years). 

Crime

Twenty-One-Year-Old Woman Charged with Second Degree Murder After Allegedly Stabbing Boyfriend Sunday Night in Gaithersburg

By Patrick Herron

Published September 11, 2023 at 11:42AM

Courtesy Google Maps

Per MCPD: Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police – Major Crimes Division have arrested and charged 21-year-old Jennifer Abigail Espinoza Orellana, of Gaithersburg, with the homicide of 20-year-old Jose Manuel Zavala Marquez. On Sunday, September 10, 2023, at approximately 5:51 a.m., 1st District officers responded to the Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center in the 9900 block of Medical Center Drive in Rockville for the report of a male who was dropped off with trauma to his body.

The investigation has revealed that Espinoza Orellana had an argument with her boyfriend, Zavala Marquez, at her residence in the 8000 block of Shady Spring Drive in Gaithersburg. The argument continued outside the residence, where Espinoza Orellana allegedly stabbed Zavala Marquez in the chest with a knife. Espinoza Orellana then placed Zavala Marquez in her vehicle and dropped him off at the hospital, where Zavala Marquez was later pronounced dead.