Author: Patrick Herron

MoCo Government

Meeting Agendas for Today’s Montgomery County Council Committee Meetings

By Patrick Herron

The Education & Culture (E&C) Committee will meet on Monday, June 27 at 1:30 p.m. to discuss a $12 million supplemental appropriation and amendment to the FY23 Capital Budget and FY23-28 Capital Improvements Program (CIP) to MCPS for Major Capital Projects – Secondary. They will also discuss the Office of Legislative Oversight (OLO) Report 2022-5, Community Use of Public Facilities and FY23 Community Use of Public Facilities (CUPF) Operating Budget follow-up.

The members of the E&C Committee include Chair Craig Rice and Councilmembers Will Jawando (Lead for Libraries) and Nancy Navarro.

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Beyond MoCo

Governor Hogan Announces Partnership Between Maryland’s Global Gateway Initiative and Guinness Enterprise Centre in Dublin

By Patrick Herron

Per the State of Maryland:

ANNAPOLIS, MD—As part of his economic development mission to Western Europe, Governor Larry Hogan visited the Guinness Enterprise Centre (GEC), which is the leading university-associated business incubator in the world, to announce a new partnership between the State of Maryland and the Republic of Ireland focused on soft landing spaces, academics, and networking opportunities between the two regions.

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Germantown

Germantown Flea Market Returns Saturday, July 2

By Patrick Herron

The number of vendors varies from 50 to 150 depending on the weather. Since the markets are outdoors, weather always plays a part in the activity, but the markets are only canceled for heavy steady rain or high winds. The markets are held on the first Saturday of the month – April though November – and the cold dark early mornings of the first and last months require heavy coats, gloves and flashlights. In the summer months a rogue thunderstorm can send vendors racing to cover their goods with tarps and to seek shelter in their cars, only to pop out again like prairie dogs from their holes when the sun comes out. But that isall part of the adventure.

Vendors are charged $25 for a 10’ x10’ space and must set up before 7am and pack up at 1pm. After the overhead of insurance, port-a-john, signage and security, all the proceeds go to three local non-profit organizations – the Germantown Historical Society, the Button Farm Living History Program, and a Boy Scout Troop. The Germantown Historical Society began the Flea Markets in 1993 to raise funds. There were only about two dozen vendors at that first market

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MoCo Government

Montgomery County Showcases Its New High-Tech Flood Sensor Program That Can Provide Earlier Alerts to Residents About Potential Flooding

By Patrick Herron

The sensors detect rising water levels and provide early warnings about high water or flooding.  They are being installed at flood prone sites across the County. Each sensor is solar powered and has an internal battery to maintain operations during inclement weather. The sensors use a tethered node that is placed underwater. The node detects the amount of pressure placed upon it by the water and calculates the depth of the water. Every five minutes, data is sent from the sensor by a cell phone card to a master display. A small color camera also sends images back to the main display. Every location has pre-determined thresholds for water depths for the sensor to alert that water levels are approaching or exceeding flood stage. If they are, a crew is sent to investigate the potential flooding and whether a low-lying road needs to be cleared, or if an Emergency Action Plan for a dam needs to be activated.

The Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) led the effort to get the sensors and the County’s Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (OEMHS) worked on a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with DHS and Intellisense Systems Inc., the company that makes the devices.  The County will share the data gathered by the sensors with the company and DHS to improve sensor design based on user feedback.

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MoCo Pride

Happening Today: Pride in the Plaza in Downtown Silver Spring

By Patrick Herron

Pride in the Plaza will feature food, music, an LGBTQ+ focused resource and vendor fair, bilingual Drag Queen Story Hour, and the championship finale of Live in Your Truth Program’s Drag Duels series. The day will conclude with the second annual Pride in the Plaza Mini-Ball, a free voguing competition with cash prizes, starting at 5 p.m., in partnership with Capitol Ballroom Council. Local businesses that want to support Pride in the Plaza can visit PrideInThePlaza.com/partners-in-pride.

Pride in the Plaza will showcase a diverse cross-section of local nonprofit organizations, LGBTQ+ owned businesses, artists, and networks tabling to share information about their services for Montgomery County’s LGBTQ+ communities. HIV and other health screenings will be provided free of charge, in honor of National HIV Testing Day (June 27).

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Burtonsville

Montgomery County Executive Elrich Unveils New ‘Welcome to Burtonsville’ Sign

By Patrick Herron

The sign unveiled today is located on the north side of Route 198 and in the 15000 block of Old Columbia Pike, adjacent to the Burtonsville Town Square Shopping Center. The other sign is located on the south side of Route 198 and in the 3100 block of Spencerville Road, directly across from the Idara Jaferia Islamic Center.

“These new signs not only enhance the sense of community in Burtonsville, but also serve to brand the area and help establish Burtonsville as a desirable destination in the County,” said County Executive Elrich. “Additionally, they are a reminder of the truly transformative improvements made to the façades and sites of several properties located along Route 198 thanks to the County’s Façade Improvement Program. On July 1, we are launching our new Countywide Façade Improvement Program. The program makes available $3.5 million in funding through Fiscal Year 2028 to support commercial property and business owners in transforming their buildings—like those here in Burtonsville—with new, visually appealing exteriors.

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Aspen Hill

Update on Friday’s Fatal Collision Involving Pedestrian Near Leisure World, Identity of Victim Released

By Patrick Herron

At approximately 4:36 a.m., 4th District officers and Montgomery County Fire Rescue personnel responded to the area of Georgia Ave. and Rossmoor Blvd., for the report of a pedestrian struck.

The preliminary investigation by detectives determined that the pedestrian was in the roadway, and not in a crosswalk, when he was struck by a blue 2016 Kia Optima traveling southbound on Georgia Ave.

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Germantown

Detectives Ask for Assistance in Locating Missing Germantown Man

By Patrick Herron

Update: Jonathan Santiago Rius has been located safe and unharmed

Rius is approximately 6-feet, 2-inches tall and weighs 150 pounds. He has brown eyes and brown hair. He also has both ears pierced. He was last seen wearing a dark green t-shirt and dark colored shorts.

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Germantown

14-Year-Old Charged with Germantown Armed Carjacking

By Patrick Herron

On Friday, April 8, at approximately 7:52 p.m., 5th District officers responded to Crystal Rock Drive for the report of an armed carjacking that just occurred.

The investigation by detectives determined that upon exiting his family’s vehicle, the victim was approached by a group of masked teenage suspects, between the ages of 15 and 18-years-old. One of the suspects who approached the victim removed a handgun from his waistband and demanded the keys to the car. The victim initially refused the suspect’s demands and they began to attack him, striking him in the head and body. An unknown female suspect took the keys from the victim’s hand and gave them to the suspect with the gun. The suspects then fled the scene in the victim’s car. Upon fleeing the scene, the suspects struck another vehicle with the stolen car.

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North Bethesda

Traffic: Collision Closes Southbound Lanes of Rockville Pike on Friday Afternoon

By Patrick Herron

A collision has closed all southbound lanes of Rockville Pike (MD-355) at Tuckerman Lane, with northbound now down to one right lane.  Drivers are to expect significant delays and advised to seek an alternate route. The collision occurred on Rockville Pike between Tuckerman Lane and Strathmore Avenue around 1:30pm on Friday afternoon.

According to Chief Spokesperson for Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services Pete Piringer, four patients were transported to the hospital, including two juveniles, all with non life-threatening injuries (one of which was Pri2 trauma.) We will post an update when more information becomes available.

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Silver Spring

Bowie Man Arrested for Attempted Carjacking in Montgomery County

By Patrick Herron

At approximately 10:49 a.m., 3rd District officers responded to the Shell/Dash In gas station in the 11100 block of New Hampshire Ave. for an attempted carjacking call.

The investigation by detectives determined that the adult male victim was pumping gas when the unknown suspect entered the front passenger seat of the car and began searching for property. The suspect then exited the car and began to beat the victim, and knocked him to the ground multiple times. He then demanded the victim’s car keys and ran away. The victim was transported to an area hospital for his injuries.

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