MCFRS

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) responded to a fire in the 9000blk of Center Way Rd, near Goshen Rd in Montgomery Village on Monday, November 6 around 10am. According to Chief Spokesperson for MCFRS Pete Piringer, the fire was located in a pre-fabricated chimney and was caused by an overloaded fireplace. There was minor extension into the second floor of the home. There are no reported injuries and two occupants have been displaced.

Per @mcfrsPIO on Twitter: “Centerway Rd, Flower Hill/Montgomery Village, pre-fabricated chimney, overloaded fireplace, (burning construction debris in fireplace), no injury, 1 family displaced” We will provide an update if additional information becomes available.


Crime

Per MCPD: “Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police – Major Crimes, Homicide Division, have requested and obtained warrants for two men wanted in connection with a March homicide and are asking for the public’s assistance in locating them. 21-year-old D’Andre Lukes and D’Angelo Holley are wanted for their alleged involvement in the shooting death of Deandre Keith Ellis on Sunday, March 5, 2023.  Ellis was shot and killed inside of a car outside of the Sweet Sweet Kitchen in the 900 block of Bonifant Street.

Two other suspects, Kajohn McCombs and Ahmahd McCombs, both 22-years-old, were arrested and charged with first-degree murder on Tuesday, March 14, for their alleged involvement in Ellis’s death. They are being held without bond.


MDLottery

“I wanted to get a scratch ticket and was deciding which one to buy when I saw 50 Years!” the young professional said. The instant ticket, issued in February to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Maryland Lottery, offers a staggering $5 million top prize. Not surprisingly considering the big prizes it carries, the scratch-off costs $50. “I’m not one to spend that kind of money on a Lottery ticket,” the Olney resident said, “but I decided to, just this once.”


Bethesda

Westfield Montgomery has announced details for this year’s ‘Home for the Holidays Celebration’ taking place on Saturday, November 18th. The event will be hosted by The Holderness Family (The Amazing Race, YouTube) and feature performances by the Gay Men’s Chorus of DC’s, the Maryland Youth Ballet, and Rockapella. Full details below courtesy of Westfield Montgomery:

Westfield Montgomery Mall is getting into the seasonal spirit with their Home for the Holidays Tree Lighting Celebration in support of Children’s National Hospital on Saturday, November 18. Award-winning content creators and best-selling authors, Penn and Kim Holderness of The Holderness Family will host the free celebration that welcomes the winter holidays. With over one billion views across social media, The Holderness Family will bring their signature brand of family comedy and joy to Bethesda, Maryland for the day. The duo are best known for winning Season 33 of The Amazing Race and chronicling their marriage and family life through hilarious videos for their eight million followers.


Event

Historic Indigenous Recognition Event to Take Place in Montgomery County, Maryland

The Taino American Indigenous National Organization (T.A.I.N.O.) proudly announces its upcoming signature public event,


Crime

Per the Office of the State’s Attorney: “Today in the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, MD, the Honorable Cheryl McCally sentenced defendant, Tavon Burton, 21, of Gaithersburg, to 20 years in prison suspend all but 15 years to serve and five years of supervised probation upon release. The State requested Burton be admitted to the Patuxent Youthful Offender program and Judge McCally recommended he be admitted to the program while incarcerated.

Burton pleaded guilty on July 24th, 2023 to first-degree assault for an incident on October 10th, 2022 when he fired a gunshot at a 21-year old male from whom he planned to purchase marijuana. The victim told police Burton attempted to hand him counterfeit money and a confrontation ensued. As part of the plea agreement, Burton also pleaded guilty to an unrelated burglary charge from January 2021.”


Crime

Per MCPD: Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police – Major Crimes Division are investigating an armed bank robbery that occurred on Tuesday, October 31, 2023, in the 9800 block of Falls Rd. in Potomac. Detectives have released surveillance photos of the male suspect and asking for the public’s assistance in identifying him. At approximately 11:05 a.m., 1st District officers responded to the location for the report of a bank robbery.

The investigation has revealed that the suspect entered the bank, approached the teller windows, displayed a black handgun and demanded money. The tellers handed over an undisclosed amount of money to the suspect who then left the scene. Detectives reviewed the bank surveillance video and obtained a description of the suspect.


Education

National Apprenticeship will be recognized the week of Nov. 13–19. MCPS in partnership with Montgomery College, Worksource Montgomery and the Maryland Department of Labor will host two events during the week geared towards students and the business community.

On Monday, Nov. 13 an information session will be held for employers interested in learning how to hire students. Then on Wednesday, Nov. 15, students are invited to an apprenticeship job fair to learn about the vocational apprenticeship opportunities available to MCPS students either during school or beyond. The fair is open to students in grades 11 and 12. Representatives from employers will be on hand to provide information.


Maryland

With Americans donating around $500 billion per year to charity, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on the Most Charitable States for 2024, with Maryland coming in as the 4th most charitable state, including 1st in population who donated money. Additional information below:

Generosity in Maryland (1=Most Charitable; 25=Avg.):


Potomac

Avenel Equestrian Center supporters have started a petition to save the facility and barn that they consider central to the Avenel neighborhood’s identity. According to the petition, which has garnered over 1,600 signatures as of November 6th, “WSSC has terminated the longstanding lease with the Equestrian Operator, effective December 1, 2023. The continuation of the Equestrian Facilities was contemplated and addressed in various recorded agreements since WSSC took ownership of the property. In good faith, and despite receiving no formal notice from WSSC relating to the lease termination, The Avenel Community Association, and Natelli Communities (successor to Rock Run, Avenel’s original developer) corresponded and met with WSSC officials, requesting that they reconsider their position and delay termination of the lease. Such a delay would provide the opportunity for constructive discussions between interested parties to identify a path forward that preserves the continued use of the Equestrian Facilities.” The full petition can be seen below:

Please consider joining efforts to preserve the use of the Equestrian Facility and Barn that is central to Avenel’s identity and a significant historic feature in PotomacTo the Residents of The Avenel Community, Residents of Potomac, Maryland and other Interested Parties Concerning the Termination of the Lease for the Equestrian Facility by WSSC: The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) is the owner of approximately 170 acres of property within the Avenel community.


Crime

Per MCPD: “Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police – Major Crimes Division are investigating a fatal shooting that occurred on Saturday, November 4, 2023, at the America’s Best Wings restaurant in the 11200 block of New Hampshire Ave. At approximately 5:51p.m., 3rd District officers and Montgomery County Fire Rescue personnel responded to the location for the report of a shooting.

Upon arrival, officers located two adult male victims, suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. 34-year-old Marvin Jefferson, of Silver Spring, was located outside of the restaurant. The second victim was located nearby. Both victims were transported to an area hospital, where Jefferson was later pronounced dead. The second victim sustained serious but non-life-threatening injuries and has been released from the hospital.


Gaithersburg

Per IKEA, “Our Plan and Order points are smaller stores dedicated to kitchen, bedroom, and living room planning where you can find home furnishing advice and expertise to help design your ideal space.” You can book an appointment to start your design with a planning specialist, or use in-store, self-service tools to design your own solution. “Whilst there are no items to purchase in-store and take home on the day, for your convenience, purchases made at the Plan and Order points can be delivered to your home or picked up from one of our collection points.”

More bout Poke Bros: After the founders were introduced to the Hawaiian staple on a trip to California. The appeal of this fast and casual—while healthy—concept immediately inspired the founders to begin thinking how they could bring this unique dish to the midwest. From its inception, we were confident the foodies of Columbus would love the poké concept, but wanted to provide an inexpensive and accessible product in the larger market. After some intense research and trial and error, the Poké Bros founders developed their own brand of poké bowl flavor they are proud to share and call their own. Modeling similar assembly line casual dining concepts, we developed a unique way to build your “sushi in a bowl” and have fun doing so! As the poké movement has caught on, Poké Bros has rapidly expanded into multiple states across the Midwest and East Coast, offering the same fresh and authentic cuisine to a wider range of customers. We will continue to stick to our roots, as Poké Bros continues to grow, and offer only the best fresh ingredients that fill you up but don’t slow you down.