Author: Patrick Herron

Maryland

Montgomery County Sends Over $4 million in Tax Refund Checks to Homeowners After State Error

By Patrick Herron

Montgomery County has sent out over $4,000,000 in tax refund checks after a tax error by the state of Maryland. The mistake was first discovered by Olney resident Louis Wilen back in 2016, which FOX 5 first reported on in 2020.  Maryland had been miscalculating the Homeowner Tax Credit, which is for seniors and low-income residents.  Montgomery County has issued over 5,000 checks to homeowners eligible for the $346 senior supplement, according to FOX.

Per Montgomery County, “Homeowner tax credit refunds for the County portion (issued by Montgomery County Treasury Office in Finance), have now been completed and refund checks are being mailed out to taxpayers now. Refunds are being issued because of a State Department of Assessment and Taxation (SDAT) error that was made in the calculations. Checks and letters for the State portion of the refund have already been mailed out to taxpayers from the State Department of Assessments and Taxation.  The refunds cover levy years 2017, 2018 and 2019, however, not all homeowners will receive refunds for all years, it just depends on what the homeowner applied for and were deemed eligible for.”

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Silver Spring

‘Feeding Our Community: How Shepherd’s Table Provides Over 100,000 Meals A Year’ Will Be Focus of Virtual Forum on Monday, May 9

By Patrick Herron

The forum is being presented by Silver Spring Town Center, Inc. To view the forum, go to Meeting Registration – Zoom.

The mission of Shepherd’s Table’s is to improve quality of life, create a pathway toward self-sufficiency and inspire hope for the most vulnerable experiencing food insecurity, homelessness and poverty. It provides meals and access to social services, provided with compassion and respect.

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Restaurant

MCFRS Respond to Fire at Rockville Restaurant Sunday Morning

By Patrick Herron

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services responded to a fire at Eerkin’s Uyghur Cuisine at 1701 Rockville Pike # B1 in Rockville on Sunday morning around around 10am.  First responders arrived to the sprinkler/warer flow alarm going off and smoke coming from building.  According to Chief Spokesperson for MCFRS, the fire was located in the kitchen and has been put out. There were no injures reported and the building inspector and health department have been requested.

Update – Rockville Pike, commercial restaurant, fire in kitchen of restaurant, fire knocked down, checking for extension, @mcfrs E723, AT723, PE703B, PE721, PE726, E705, AT703, RS703, A723, BC702, BC704, RS742, AT718, M723, PE720, SA700, C703G/H on scene https://t.co/QT2ZO9YkdZ

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White Oak

22-Year-Old Sentenced to Life in Prison Without Possibility of Parole for 2019 Murders

By Patrick Herron

On Friday,  22-year-old Andy Panton was sentenced by a Montgomery County Judge to two life sentences without the possibility of parole, plus an additional 60 years. Panton was convicted by a jury on September 9th, 2021 on two counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of 23-year old Jordan Radway of Laurel and 24-year old Christian Roberts of Silver Spring, along with several other charges including robbery with a dangerous weapon and use of a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence.

The incident occurred on January 28, 2019 when the two victims were shot to death execution style and found inside a crashed car in White Oak. Dontaye Jamahl Hunt and Noah Foster Barnett, both 18-years-old at the time, were also arrested in connection to the murders. Barnett was sentenced to 42 years in prison for his role as an accessory after the fact in October and Hunt is scheduled to be sentenced later this month, according to Bethesda Beat.

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Gaithersburg

Signage Up at Burtons in Gaithersburg

By Patrick Herron

Permanent signage is up at Burtons (109 Commerce Square Pl) at the Kentlands in Gaithersburg.  The restaurant is scheduled to open in “late May” according to its website. Management at the location tell us that they are currently in the process of hiring and training staff, and the interior of the restaurant is almost finished.

Menu items will include braised short ribs, filet mignon, chicken risotto, and market fresh seafood.  You can view the Riverdale Park location’s menu here.

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MoCo Government

Montgomery County Supports Preservation of Affordable Housing at Snowden’s Ridge in Silver Spring

By Patrick Herron

The property, located at 2035 Harlequin Terrace, Silver Spring, held its grand reopening celebration Friday. This is APAH’s first property in Montgomery County, as well as the State of Maryland. “Here at Snowden’s Ridge, the County supported preservation of existing affordable housing,” said Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich. “To expand affordable housing efforts, I proposed $140 million housing budget – the largest in County history – including a dedicated $40 million NOAH fund to preserve affordable housing. Preserving affordability preserves communities and protects families from displacement. We need the $40 million NOAH Fund to protect more residents, as we did here at Snowden’s Ridge.”

The County provided a $1.5 million CDBG loan and $1.25 million HIF loan in 2019 to support the acquisition. When the initial HIF loan was repaid, the property retained the existing CDGB loan and the County provided a new $5 million HIF loan for recapitalization and renovation, along with a Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) agreement.  The loans and PILOT provided by Montgomery County support affordability, with all 87 apartment units utilizing project-based vouchers targeting families at 30 percent AMI. The property includes 12 one-bedroom units; 21 two-bedroom units; and 54 three-bedroom units. Five units were converted to be fully accessible.

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Germantown

Germantown Oral Surgeon Indicted on Murder Charges by Grand Jury

By Patrick Herron

Dr. James Ryan, the the oral surgeon accused of second-degree murder for the death of his girlfriend earlier this year, was indicted by a grand jury on Thursday.  According to the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office, now that Ryan has been indicted, motions and a trial date will be scheduled next week. Ryan was arrested on March 22 and charged in connection with the death his of 25-year-old girlfriend, Sarah Harris.

Ryan is accused of providing controlled substances, including Propofol, ketamine, diazepam, and midazolam to Harris, who died from a drug overdose on January 26. In addition to second-degree murder, Ryan’s charges also include reckless endangerment and possession of a controlled or dangerous substance with the intent to sell or distribute. Ryan is an oral surgeon who owns a practice on Observation Drive in Germantown. If convicted of all charges, Ryan could face 78 years in prison.

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Potomac

Potomac: Lahinch Tavern & Grill to Close This Month

By Patrick Herron

Lahinch Tavern and Grill at 7747 Tuckerman Ln (Cabin John Village) in Potomac will be closing by the end of this month. The official last day is May 31 but the restaurant could close before then, according to a representative at the location. Lahinch opened in April 2016, replacing Benny’s Bar, and is owned by the same family that has operated The Irish Inn at Glen Echo since 2003. According to its website, Lahinch offered American regional cuisine along with a unique twist on traditional Irish dishes by Chef Ted Hughes.  Menu items include fish & chips, Shepherd’s Pie, corned beef, lamb chops, and steak.

Lahinch is located in the Cabin John Village shopping center that is also home to the recently opened Pretzel Bakery, Colada Shop, Shake Shack, and Sisters Thai.  Broadway Pizza, which was located at 7965 Tuckerman Ln in the shopping center, closed in December 2021 after announcing that the shopping center had decided not to renew the restaurant’s lease.  Baskin Robbins closed its Cabin John Village location in February.

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Silver Spring

Detectives Investigate Armed Robbery of Silver Spring McDonald’s; Surveillance Video of Suspect Released

By Patrick Herron

The investigation by detectives determined that the suspect entered the restaurant and waited in line. While waiting, the suspect became irate and eventually cut to the front of the line. When the cashier told the suspect he needed to wait in line, the suspect pulled a folding knife from his waistband, jumped over the counter and demanded the cashier to give him the money from the register. The cashier then fled to the kitchen. The suspect then removed the register drawer, pried it open with the knife and stole an undisclosed amount of cash.

The suspect is described as Black male, approximately 6-feet, 2-inches and 180 pounds. He was wearing a black winter hat, dark colored hoodie, blue jeans and black boots.

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White Oak

Montgomery County Police Investigating Pedestrian Hit and Run Collision That Occurred Thursday Night

By Patrick Herron

At approximately 9:54 p.m., 3rd District officers and Montgomery County Fire Rescue personnel responded to the location for the report of a hit and run collision involving a pedestrian.

Officers arrived at the scene and located a 19-year-old male of Gaithersburg, suffering from serious injuries. The pedestrian was transported to an area hospital with life-threatening-injuries.

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Silver Spring

MCFRS Respond to Smoke at Trader Joe’s in Silver Spring 

By Patrick Herron

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue services responded to a report of a light haze inside the Trader Joe’s at 10741 Columbia Pike in Silver Spring on Friday afternoon.  According to our Public Safety correspondent Cordell Pugh, first responders determined the source was a malfunctioning rooftop HVAC unit.  MCFRS units then disconnected power to the unit and cleared the scene. No injuries were reported and the store is currently open for business. 

Trader Joe’s, which has five locations in Montgomery County, recently opened its latest store at 7900 Wisconsin Avenue in Bethesda.  You can also find them at 6831 Wisconsin Ave in Bethesda, 10076 Darnestown Rd and 12268 Rockville Pike in Rockville. The company closed its Gaithersburg location in September 2018.

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