Per Maryland Governor Wes Moore: “Having been advised by Maryland Department of Emergency Management- MDEM on the impending impact of severe weather predicted as part of Tropical Storm Ophelia, I am declaring a state of emergency.
We are asking all Marylanders to remain vigilant, to stay tuned to local news stations for the latest updates, and to follow any instructions local officials may provide during this state of emergency.
Per Montgomery County: Montgomery County Alcohol Beverage Services (ABS) has received the “Best Enforcement Program” award from national trade magazine StateWays for its loss prevention program that reduces theft, fraud and operational errors. The program preserves profits that are then used for County programs. It is one of the publication’s nine annual Best Practices awards.
The StateWays Best Practices Award will be presented to ABS at a ceremony on Oct. 24 at the National Alcohol Beverage Control Association’s Administrators Conference in Charleston, W. Va.
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) responded to the 8400 blk of Old Georgetown Road, near Greenwich Neighborhood Park, in Bethesda for the report of a child pedestrian struck by a driver. According to Montgomery County Police, Old Georgetown Road is closed at Glenwood Rd. Drivers should seek an alternate route and expect significant delays.
TRAFFIC ADVISORY: Old Georgetown Road at Glenwood Road is shut down following a collision.
Drivers should seek an alternate route. #MCPD #MCPNews pic.twitter.com/rRwe3ctVAc
Montgomery County, MD is commonly known as being a suburb of the nation’s capital, but what might surprise some is that it is also home to a thriving biotech ecosystem. With over 350 life sciences companies, including global brands like AstraZeneca, United Therapeutics, and Novavax, Montgomery County anchors the third largest biophama hub in the U.S., behind only Boston and San Francisco.
Running annually in Washington D.C. for over 25 years, World Vaccine Congress attracts an international audience from over 80 countries and convenes more than 3,000 people to learn about the latest trends, research, and technologies in the vaccine industry. This year, Montgomery County took center stage, with a featured session on the extensive Biologics Value Chain in the County, as well as a session during which County Executive Marc Elrich spoke about the extensive resources available to companies here, and an exhibit space showcasing these resources.
A Complete Biologics Value Chain in One Region
One of the defining strengths of Montgomery County is its ability to support the full lifecycle of biologics, all the way from early research to large-scale manufacturing. During the panel discussion, moderated by Dr. Stefanie Trop, Director of Life Sciences at the Maryland Department of Commerce, local leaders emphasized that the region’s strength lies in its network of partners who work collaboratively across discovery, development, testing, and production. Panelists from companies in all stages of the value chain spectrum included Dr. Andrew Lees, Founder of Fina Biosolutions, Benjamin Moutier, Senior Vice-President, Vaccines and Immune Therapies at AstraZeneca, Dr. Helen Sabzevari President & CEO of Precigen, and Dr. Frederick Holtsberg, Chief Scientific Officer of Integrated BioTherapeutics.
This end-to-end capability in close geographical proximity gives companies a unique advantage and is rare to find in other markets, even established ones like San Francisco and Boston. In fact, only a handful of places worldwide offer the combination of infrastructure, expertise, and collaboration found in Montgomery County and if diversity, education and population density are taken into consideration – then Montgomery County standouts even more.
“Gaithersburg is one of the six places in the world where we can do what we’re doing,” explained Benjamin Moutier, Senior Vice-President, Vaccines and Immune Therapies, AstraZeneca. “We have the right partners at every step of the value chain [in Montgomery County].”
A Strong Partnership Network
Biotech breakthroughs rarely happen in isolation. They depend on strong partnerships between private companies, local and state governments, academic institutions, and workforce training organizations. Montgomery County has intentionally cultivated these connections, making collaboration and coordination defining characteristics of its life sciences ecosystem.
Dr. Frederick Holtsberg, Chief Scientific Officer at IBT Bioservices, a full service CRO offering clinical & preclinical contract research services, says the company’s close partnerships between them and local stakeholders have been crucial to its success. “As a Rockville-based company, we’re grateful for the partnership and support from city, County, and state leaders,” explained Dr. Holtsberg. “These programs have helped fuel our growth, and we’re excited about the continued momentum of our community.” (more…)
According to the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office, “Today, in the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, MD, the Honorable Karla Smith sentenced defendant, Dakari Thomas, 20, of Silver Spring, to 25 years in prison suspending all but 12 years to serve and five years of supervised probation upon release. Judge Smith recommended Thomas be admitted into the Patuxent Youthful Offenders program while incarcerated.
On July 6, 2023, Thomas pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for the stabbing death of Getro Marius Benamna. The defendant and victim encountered one another along the 900 block of Ellsworth Drive in Silver Spring on December 7th, 2021 and began to conduct a drug transaction. Thomas was attempting to pass off another substance as marijuana. The two men became involved in a physical altercation and Thomas produced a knife, fatally stabbing Benamna. Assistant State’s Attorneys Cortenous Herbert and John Lalos prosecuted this case.”
Beautiful venue; great art, gifts and hand-crafted items; refreshments; and meet the award-winning painters, photographers, mixed media artists, ceramicists, fiber artists, and more – some 40 artists in all. It’s an extraordinary array of framed wall works, 3-d media including sculpture, ceramics, jewelry, and fiber pieces, and unframed prints.
Among them, you’ll see:
Per Montgomery County: Governor Wes Moore today announced a record investment in Maryland arts organizations through the state’s Arts Relief initiative. Through $40 million in supplemental funding added to the Maryland State Arts Council’s annual appropriation of $28.9 million in FY23, this record investment is helping arts organizations cope with the lasting financial impacts of the pandemic, spurring arts projects and employment in all 24 Maryland jurisdictions, and has elevated Maryland to second in the nation in per capita spending on the arts in FY23.
“Even as the world continues to reopen, we know that many arts organizations are finding it difficult to return to pre-pandemic audience levels. The same is true for artists, who are still getting back on their feet after recent challenges,” said Gov. Moore. “Thanks to this historic investment, which illustrates how much we value a strong creative economy, our arts ecosystem is poised to thrive in the coming years.”
Per Westfield Montgomery: This autumn, fall fashion takes center stage at Westfield Montgomery Mall’s remix event on Saturday, October 7. The city-making destination for high-brand fashion, luxury, and entertainment will welcome the new season with appearances from reality TV personalities, designer customizations, personal styling, fun photo opportunities, and more.
Ashley Darby and Gabby Prescod will headline the event with a fireside chat from 1pm to 2pm in the Nordstrom Wing on the Lower Level. Fresh off the latest season of runway shows from New York and Paris Fashion Week, Fashion editor Gabby Prescod will lead a lively discussion with fan favorite and Montgomery County native, Ashley Darby. Get a sneak peek into their lives and behind-the-scenes tales of their most memorable fashion statements. Beyond the glitz and the glam, discover the heart, passion, and sensibilities that drive their styles.
We will provide an update if additional information becomes available.
Per Burtonsville Day organizers: “The Burtonsville Day Celebration Planning Committee met this morning and have decided to cancel our 2023 32nd Annual Burtonsville Day Parade and Celebration event. This we did in concern of both participants’ and organizers’ health and safety concerns. This is an unfortunate and sad decision for all of us and also event participants who show up each year but was a necessary decision to be made. Thank you for all your support and understanding. We hope to see you all next year. Stay safe.”
Prior to Cancellation: “The 32nd Annual Burtonsville Day Parade and Festival on Saturday, Sept. 23, will celebrate the theme of “Discovering East County.” The festivities will include three musical performances in association with the Music Center at Strathmore. The one-mile parade will begin at Paint Branch High School and conclude at the Marilyn J. Praisner Library and Community Recreation Center, which is located at 14906 Old Columbia Pike in Burtonsville. The festival will follow from 11 a,m.-3 p.m. on the grounds of the community center.
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS) responded to a collision with vehicle fire on Friday, September 22 on Great Seneca Highway, near Wisteria Dr. in Germantown. According to Chief Spokesperson for MCFRS Pete Piringer, “Several people left the scene quickly, otherwise vehicle fire is being being extinguished. It appears people that left the scene are in the company of police.
We will provide an update if additional information becomes available. Featured photo courtesy of @shxt_idk on Instagram.
Margarita Bar & Grill is now open at 19201 Frederick Rd in Germantown. The restaurant’s menu features a variety of tacos, burritos, chimichangas, pupusas, fajitas, steaks, salad, and seafood. Margarita options include Cadillac, Skinny, Flavored, Diablo, and Crazy. A video of the space and a few menu items is available in the video below.
Margarita Bar & Grill has taken over the space that was previously occupied by the Fraternal Order of Eagle #3509 and Captain Mori’s Seafood House. Seafood in the Buff, a mobile steamed crab business, operates out of the parking lot next to this location in the summer months.
Per Montgomery County: The Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) will host a free residential scrap tire drop-off event from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 25–29 at the Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station located at 16101 Frederick Rd, in Derwood. The limit for the free recycling is 10 tires per County resident.
“The more items we can put to reuse the better for all of us, said County Executive Marc Elrich.”This event is a convenient opportunity for residents to do their part for our environment by turning old tires into new products and materials. By recycling more materials, we are throwing away less trash which moves us closer to our zero waste goals.”