Fairland

In addition to the distribution of school supplies, the event will have free sports physical assessments, music, Assurance wireless free phones and service, a moon bounce, food and refreshments.

The event will be at the picnic area of Fairland Recreational Park, which is located at 3928 Greencastle Rd. in Fairland. The Back to School Giveaway is being sponsored by CTO Health Services, a behavioral health agency in Silver Spring.


Restaurants

Miss Toya’s Creole House is now open at 923 Ellsworth Dr in Silver Spring. Menu items include Catfish & Grits, Garlic Butter Clams, Gumbo, Jambalaya, Oysters, Rib Eye, and Seafood Po Boy.  According to a post on the restaurant’s Instagram page, “Downtown Silver Spring, are you ready for the heat? Miss Toyas Creole House is finally open. It’s time for some great southern creole food, incredible drinks, friendly vibes, and a good time. Who’s ready? Miss Toyas is finally here. Let’s eat.”

Back in July we reported that Miss Toya’s Southern Kitchen will be taking over the space recently occupied by BGR at 229 Boardwalk in Rio. We’re told the Rio location will be a fast-casual restaurant, while Miss Toya’s Creole Kitchen in Downtown Silver Spring is full-service (wait staff, etc.).


Gaithersburg

OmniFun Indoor Play Center at 831 Russell Ave Gaithersburg has announced it will be reopening.  In an email sent to customers that was shared with us by Empowering You, the company said, “Get ready for the new excitement! We will reopen! OmniFun has partnered with Me Land to bring back the indoor playground that you loved. The soft opening date will be announced soon!” Me Land is an indoor playground located in Frederick, MD. that opened in 2020.

OmniFun closed its doors back on May 23 of this year. At the time, OmniFun’s owner Mike Tian said the business could not recover after the coronavirus pandemic brought business to a standstill. “The business was a success on the first day we were open.  It served as a sweet spot for kids to socialize with others and for parents to relax and have a chat. We were very well received and recognized by the community. We had parents traveling hours to OmniFun every weekend. Our birthday parties were fully booked every weekend.”


Germantown

Assistant State’s Attorney Gordon King prosecuted this case. Jones and an accomplice broke into home in Germantown and robbed and assaulted the homeowner.  Jones was linked to the crime by DNA evidence inside latex gloves found tossed near the scene. On July 5th, 2022, co-defendant Andrew Miller was sentenced to 10 years in prison and 5 years supervised probation upon release. Jones is already serving two consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole and an additional 30 years for a double murder. The robbery/home invasion was unrelated to the murders and predated that incident by several months. Details regarding the double murder below:

On February 15, 2018, the bodies of Joshua Frazier and Ashley Dickinson, both Virginia residents, were discovered in Ms. Dickinson’s running 2013 Audi SUV at a home on Aldora Circle in the Briggs Chaney area of Burtonsville, Montgomery County, Maryland. Both had been shot once in the back of the head from the back seat of the vehicle. Police located two 9mm shell casings in the car, as well as a projectile on a sidewalk near the vehicle.


Beyond MoCo

When responding to public health threats such as COVID-19, Maryland school districts have flexibility in determining mask-wearing policies. In July, PGCPS transitioned from mandatory mask-wearing to a mask-optional policy for the first time since the onset of the pandemic.

 


Rockville

Beginning Monday, Aug. 15, the Montrose store, which is located at 1205-B Rockville Pike in Rockville, will have its hours reduced to 11 a.m-7 p.m. Monday-Saturday. The store will be closed on Sundays.

The Oak Barrel & Vine branded stores feature handpicked items with a focus on spirits and local products. The upgraded Montrose store will have 25 percent more shelf space, a dedicated tasting area, queue lines for faster checkout and wayfinding signs for a more inviting shopping experience.


MoCo Government

Moody’s Investors Service, Inc., Standard & Poor’s, and Fitch Ratings all affirmed the Triple-A rating—the highest achievable—for the County. Montgomery County has earned Triple-A ratings from Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. every year since 1973 (50 consecutive years); from Standard & Poor’s every year since 1976 (47 consecutive years) and from Fitch every year since 1991 (32 consecutive years).

All three rating agencies emphasized Montgomery County’s large and diverse tax base, proximity to the District of Columbia, growing commercial and residential development as well as the County’s strong fiscal management policies and strong financial position.


Burtonsville

A 54-year-old man died Thursday morning after a house fire on the 3700blk of Monmouth Pl in Burtonsville.  According to Chief Spokesperson for Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Pete Piringer, the fire was located on the 2nd floor of the home and was quickly extinguished. Firefighters located and removed a man from the 3rd floor who was then transported to the hospital but did not survive. The cause of the fire was electrical in nature and began in an outlet behind a sofa. Damages to the home are estimated to be around $150K and police will be conducting a death investigation.

Piringer reports that the initial dispatch came in at 10:40am for a location on the14600blk of Monmouth Dr, off of Greencastle Rd, for an alarm sounding. When  firefighters arrived they found no smoke or fire evident at the dispatched location, however firefighters then located the fire at the townhouse on Monmouth Pl.


MCPS

On Aug. 20, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Northwest High School will host a clusterwide event featuring activities, games, and MCPS and PTA resources. Learn more here.

On Aug. 21, from noon to 4 p.m., Rockville High School will host Rockville Day, a back-to-school bash also with activities and community partner support. Learn more here.


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