Author: Patrick Herron

Rockville

MCFRS Respond to Garbage Truck Fire; Nicholson Lane Closed at Nebel Street

By Patrick Herron

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue services responded to a garbage truck fire on Thursday morning around 10:30am. According to Chief Spokesperson for MCFRS Pete Piringer, firefighters responded to the trash truck fire, plus large pile of trash dumped in parking lot, in the 5000blk of Nicholson Lane (between Nebel Street and Boiling Brook Parkway) in Rockville.  Nicholson Lane is closed at Nebel Street as the result of the fire rescue activity, according to Montgomery County Police. Drivers are advised to seek an alternate route and to expect delays.

Per @mcfrsPIO on Twitter: “5000k Nicholson Lane between Nebel Street and Boiling Brook Parkway, trash truck fire, plus large pile of trash dumped in parking Lot, Nicholson lane blocked”

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Kensington

DC Temple ‘Festival of Lights’ Begins Tonight, December 1

By Patrick Herron

The annual Festival of Lights at the Washington D.C. Temple (9900 Stoneybrook Dr) in Kensington will run from December 1, 2022 to January 2, 2023, including Christmas and New Year’s Day. The lights will be turned on nightly from dusk until 9pm and additional details for the festival will be released in the upcoming weeks.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints cancelled the Festival of Lights in 2021 due to COVID-19 concerns and to focus on the temple’s open house and rededication, which took place this past spring.

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Beyond MoCo

Decedent and Sheriff’s Deputies Identified in Fatal Police Shooting in Frederick

By Patrick Herron

Per the Maryland Attorney General: The Independent Investigations Division of the Maryland Office of the Attorney General has identified the decedent and involved sheriff’s deputies in the fatal shooting that occurred on November 29 in Frederick County.

The decedent has been identified as 23-year-old Aaron Mensah, of Frederick, Maryland. The involved Frederick County Sheriff’s deputies have been identified as Deputy First Class Cassy Boettcher, Deputy Travis Stely, and Deputy Nathan McLeroy. Deputy Boettcher has been with the agency for two-and-a-half years, Deputy McLeroy has been with the agency since July and has a total of 3 years of law-enforcement experience, and Deputy Stely has been with the agency since September and has total of 6 years of law-enforcement experience. The deputies are assigned to the patrol operations section.

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Takoma Park

Upcoming Direct Cash Assistance Application Events in Takoma Park

By Patrick Herron

Per the City of Takoma Park: The City of Takoma Park has partnered with LiveStories (FORWARD) to administer $2.1 million in COVID relief funds to the community. This opportunity will provide a one-time $1,000 direct cash assistance to eligible households in the City to assist those negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

LiveStories (FORWARD) is hosting two in-person application events for individuals who do not have access to a computer, smartphone, or internet-enabled device or would like additional assistance.

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Bethesda

CANCELLED: Cabin John Regional Park Goes to the Dogs on Saturday, Dec. 3, for ‘Holiday Barket’

By Patrick Herron

THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO WEATHER

Per Montgomery County: Every family member must be considered during the holidays and Montgomery Parks will enable dog owners to have outing with their pets at its free “Holiday Barket’ from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at Cabin John Region Park in Bethesda. Cabin John Regional Park is located 7400 Tuckerman Lane in Bethesda. The event will be held in the picnic area across from the park’s train station. The Barket will be an opportunity for dog owners and their pets to explore a handful of small local businesses and outdoor activities. Gifts and accessories for pets will be available from vendors. Food also will be available for dog owners.

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MoCo Government

County Executive Marc Elrich and First 11-Member County Council to be Sworn in at Inaugural Ceremonies on Monday, December 5 at Strathmore

By Patrick Herron

Per Montgomery County: Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich will be sworn in to his second term and the members of the County’s first 11-member County Council also will be sworn in at the Montgomery County Inaugural Ceremonies at 11 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 5, at the Music Center at Strathmore in North Bethesda. The ceremonies are open to all and there is no charge to attend. The Music Center at Strathmore is located at 5301 Tuckerman Lane in North Bethesda. The doors will open at 10:15 a.m.

This will be the 20th version of the Council under the current form of County government. The current County Council has nine members—four at-large and five district Councilmembers. Voters passed a Charter Amendment to change the Council composition to 11 members—four at-large and seven district Councilmembers. The Council districts were reapportioned to accommodate the district change.

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MoCo Government

Vision Zero Annual Report Released Highlighting Accomplishments and Celebrating Completion of Phase 1 of the Bethesda Bikeway

By Patrick Herron

Per Montgomery County: Montgomery County this week released its annual report for the Vision Zero Initiative to end serious and fatal crashes on roadways by 2030. The Fiscal Year 2022 report details progress made on 114 tasks and projects that were undertaken during the year. The report was released at a ribbon cutting for Phase 1 of the Bethesda Bikeway at Woodmont Avenue. The bikeway has pavement separated from the roadway which will make that section of Bethesda safer for bicyclists. The complete FY22 Vision Zero annual report can be found on the County’s Vision Zero website.

“We need our streets to work for everyone whether walking, biking, using an assistive device or driving. That is why I have continued to increase funding for our traffic safety projects,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “In FY22, we spent $101.5 million on Vision Zero and this year I have increased the budget by 23 percent to $123.1 million. We can make our Vision Zero goal a reality through these projects, campaigns and with your help. Keep yourself and everyone on the road safe by putting your phone away while driving, obeying the speed limit, buckling up for every trip and every seat and never drive impaired.”

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Gaithersburg

Olney Art Association Annual Membership Exhibit on Display at Gaithersburg’s Bohrer Park Through Jan. 29

By Patrick Herron

Per Montgomery County: The annual Olney Art Association (OAA) juried member exhibition will be on display at the Activity Center at Bohrer Park in Gaithersburg through Jan. 29. The exhibit features 46 works of art by 19 member artists of the OAA. The Activity Center at Bohrer Park is located at 506 South Frederick Ave. in Gaithersburg. It is open from 8 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Founded in 1974, the OAA is a professional, learning, creative community of visual fine artists whose expertise ranges in a variety of media. OAA artists work in oil painting, watercolor, acrylics, pastel, colored pencil, pen and ink, printmaking, mixed media, sculpture, ceramics, digital art and photography. More information about the OAA can be found at www.OlneyArtAssociation.org.

Glen Kessler juried the exhibition and chose 10 award winners. Mr. Kessler is an internationally collected and awarded artist, as well as the founder of The Compass Atelier in Rockville. He has an MFA from New York Academy of Art and a BFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art. His works have graced the cover of Professional Artist Magazine and in The Artist’s Magazine among other publications. Mr. Kessler has work displayed in the public collections of King Charles III, Amazon Web Services, Ford’s Theater, Capital One Bank, Dominion Bank and hundreds of private collections around the world. He is a two-time recipient of the Elizabeth Greenshields Grant for Outstanding Figurative Art, a Prince of Wales Fellow and a Maryland State Arts Council Grant awardee.

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Health

Montgomery County Reminds Residents to be COVID-Prepared for the Upcoming Holiday Season

By Patrick Herron

Per Montgomery County: The third holiday season with COVID-19 is underway, and everyone agrees that COVID fatigue exists. A few simple steps of caution can make being with family and friends enjoyable while reducing the risk of illness from COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses such as colds and flu. Montgomery County’s Department of Health and Human Services offers the following things to keep in mind when planning for family gatherings:

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Uncategorized

Two Grant Programs to Assist Disabled, Seniors and Low-Income Residents with Transportation Needs Launched by Montgomery County

By Patrick Herron

Per MCDOT: Two grant programs designed to increase transportation services for disabled, senior and limited-income residents were launched today by the Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT). Approximately $800,000 in operating and capital budget funds will be available to eligible nonprofits to create assistance programs or enhance existing ones.

Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich proposed $1 million to establish a capital and operating grants process using funds from the Transportation Services Improvement Fund in the Fiscal Year 2023 budget. The County Council approved  $800,000 for a joint capital and operating grant program, with $640,000 for capital projects and $160,000 for operating expenses.

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