Beyond MoCo

$630,000 and $500,000 Winning Lottery Tickets Sold in Maryland Remain Unclaimed

By Patrick Herron

Per the Maryland Lottery: “In the span of four Multi-Match drawings between Oct. 12 and Oct. 23, three Maryland Lottery players matched all six numbers and took home the jackpot. One of those winners, a Hagerstown resident, claimed his $510,000 prize at Lottery headquarters on Oct. 26. The Washington County retailer who sold the $510,000 winning ticket can celebrate, too. Old Orchard Liquors located at 17619 Virginia Avenue in Hagerstown will receive a $1,000 bonus.

The two other winning tickets remain unclaimed. A $630,000 jackpot-winning ticket was sold for the Oct. 12 drawing at the Eagles Nest on Herman Highway in Chesapeake City, and a $500,000 ticket from the Oct. 23 drawing was purchased at Seabrook BP in Seabrook.

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DMV

Tucker Barnes Named FOX 5’s Chief Meteorologist; Position Previously Held by the Retired Sue Palka

By MCS Staff

Earlier this week Tucker Barnes, the Emmy award-winning meteorologist on FOX 5, was named the station’s chief meteorologist. He takes over for Sue Palka, the longtime FOX 5 chief meteorologist and local legend who retired from her weather duties after 36.5 years back in 2022. The announcement was made just before Barnes introduced FOX 5’s 2023-2024 Winter Outlook.

According to FOX 5, Barnes grew up watching the network and joined them in 2003 as an intern. His passion for the weather began at the age of 5, when he began issuing forecasts to his kindergarten class. By his teenage years, he was immersed in hisfavorite subject, offering often highly-inaccurate, long-range forecasts to his own high school class.

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Gaithersburg

Virtual Public Meeting on the Shady Grove Road Bikeway and Pedestrian Safety Improvement Project in Gaithersburg to be Held on Monday, Nov. 6

By Patrick Herron

Per MCDOT: “On Monday, Nov. 6, at 6:30 p.m., the Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) will hold a virtual public meeting to discuss the project scope, details and projected schedule of the Shady Grove Road Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Improvement project in Gaithersburg. The public will have an opportunity to ask questions and provide comments.

The Shady Grove Road Bikeway and Pedestrian Safety Improvement Project provides for a facility planning study to enhance safety for pedestrians, bicyclists and people with disabilities as they travel to nearby schools and facilities. The project will also address intersection safety and traffic calming using signage and pavement markings as well as side paths, separated bike lanes and other traffic calming methods. The project limits are from Darnestown Road to Midcounty Highway. Public input is encouraged and may influence the design of this project.

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MCPD

MCPD Respond to Shots Fired Thursday Afternoon in Silver Spring

By Patrick Herron

Montgomery County Police responded to a report of shots fired Thursday afternoon in Silver Spring. According to police, “The call was received at approximately 4:24 p.m.  3rd District officers responded to the area of Quebec Ter. and Ruatan St. for the report of shots fired.  No victims were located, but officers did find evidence of a shooting.  No suspects are in custody at this time.”

We will provide an update if additional information becomes available. 

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Uncategorized

Montgomery County Receives $2 Million Grant to Conduct Bus Rapid Transit Study That Will Serve as Blueprint for Washington Metropolitan Region

By Patrick Herron

Per MCDOT: “The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) has been awarded a $2 million grant by the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) Regional Infrastructure Accelerators (RIA) program to support the expansion of the Flash Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) network in the County through a new research partnership with the University of Maryland. Administered by the USDOT Build America Bureau, RIA provides funding for research of best practices in project planning, studies and analysis, preliminary engineering and design. The project will serve as a blueprint for the region.

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems are part of a national movement toward upgraded bus systems focused on faster, more convenient and reliable bus services. BRTs are known to have limited-stop bus service implemented along set routes in metropolitan areas across the U.S. and worldwide. Flash is Montgomery County’s BRT system and includes plans for a network of eight fixed routes.

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Entertainment

Five Free Fall Events This Weekend in MoCo

By Patrick Herron

It will be a great opportunity to learn more about Montgomery College classes, offerings, scholarships and financial assistance programs. There will be information available about WDCE (Workforce Development and Continuing Education) offerings, such as information technology, cosmetology, real estate, youth programs, early childhood education, automotive technology and building trades, and more.

For residents seeking information in Spanish, the College’s Hispanic Business Institute and the Early Childhood Education program will have Spanish-speaking representatives on site to answer questions. The whole family is welcome at this free event. Held rain or shine.

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Montgomery Planning

Montgomery County Planning Board/Planning Department Announce Nov. 2023 Calendar of Events

By MCS Staff

The Montgomery County Planning Board and Montgomery County Planning Department have announced their November 2023 calendar of events and meetings. The public can participate in Planning Board meetings by testifying in-person, testifying virtually, over the phone, or by sending in written comments to the Planning Board. Information about submitting written testimony and testifying live at Planning Board meetings can be found below. Contact us for accessibility accommodations.

The public may attend Planning Board meetings in-person, watch them live or on-demand, or listen over the phone. View individual agendas, which are usually made public 10 days prior to the start of a meeting. Consult the Development Review Committee (DRC) and Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) websites for their agenda information. For more details, review the list of events below and visit www.montgomeryplanning.org. These events are subject to change. The Montgomery County Planning Department and Planning Board offices will be closed on November 10 in observance of Veterans Day and on November 23 and 24 for Thanksgiving. There is no Planning Board meeting on November 23. November Calendar of Events:

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Maryland

Edward Garrison Draper Posthumously Admitted to Maryland Bar 166 Years After Being Rejected For Not Being White

By MCS Staff

The Supreme Court of Maryland held a Special Session on October 26, 2023, for the posthumous bar admission of Edward Garrison Draper, the earliest known individual found fully qualified to practice law in Maryland, but who was denied the privilege of doing so based on his race. The recording of the proceedings can be seen here.

Per the Supreme Court of Maryland: On October 29, 1857, Mr. Draper—a graduate of Dartmouth who had studied the law for more than two years under the guidance of a Maryland attorney—presented himself for examination for admission to the Maryland Bar before Baltimore Superior Court Judge Zachaeus Collins Lee. After the examination, Judge Lee found Mr. Draper to be “qualified in all respects to be admitted to the Bar in Maryland,” except that he was not white. Mr. Draper was thus precluded from practicing law in Maryland based exclusively on the color of his skin.

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I-270

Four Open House Meetings on Future of I-270 and I-495 To Be Held by MDOT This Fall

By MCS Staff

The Maryland Department of Transportation announces the addition of a fourth open house meeting this fall to engage the public on the American Legion Bridge and 270 Corridor Program and gather community feedback as the program advances. The meetings provide the opportunity for corridor travelers, project neighbors and other stakeholders to directly engage with the program team on potential multimodal transportation solutions for the corridor. The newly announced open house is centrally located in the program corridor:

The series of open houses follow Governor Wes Moore’s August 21 announcement of the path forward for the future of the I-495 and I-270 corridors with a comprehensive program to improve access, opportunity, and quality of life in the Washington region through multimodal enhancements along the I-495 and I-270 corridors, including replacement of the aging American Legion Bridge. The previously announced open houses will take place at three venues along the program corridor:

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Education

Statement from Board of Ed. President Karla Silvestre Concerning MCPS Superintendent Dr. Monifa B. McKnight’s Medical Leave

By MCS Staff

Montgomery County Board of Education President Karla Silvestre made the following statement at the Board’s business meeting today, Thursday, Oct. 26, concerning Superintendent Dr. Monifa B. McKnight’s medical leave.

“Dr. McKnight is on temporary medical leave to receive treatment for a persistent health issue. We are in contact with her and happy to report that she is in good condition and recovering at home. During the time she is out of the office, Brian Hull, the current Chief Operating Officer, will serve as Acting Superintendent. The Board sends our support to Dr. McKnight and her family and wish her a speedy recovery and safe return to work.”

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