Maryland

Governor Wes Moore Honors Environmental Leaders During 2023 Maryland League of Conservation Voters Changemakers Celebration

By Patrick Herron
Governor Moore Honors Environmental Leaders During 2023 Maryland League of Conservation Voters Changemakers Celebration

Per the State of Maryland: Governor Wes Moore today delivered remarks at the 2023 Maryland League of Conservation Voters Changemakers celebration, honoring Marylanders who have demonstrated vision, leadership, and courage in protecting the environment. The event took place at the Colwell Center in downtown Baltimore, home to the Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology.

“Being a changemaker is hard and it takes partnership. We praise these changemakers not only for their individual accomplishments, but also for how their collective accomplishments moved us forward,” said Gov. Moore. “If we follow the example of these changemakers, I know we will meet this moment united and build a better, more sustainable, more resilient, and more equitable future.”

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Health

Reminder: Four Free COVID-19 Rapid Test Kits Now Available by Mail

By Patrick Herron

The U.S. government will continue to make COVID-⁠19 tests available to uninsured individuals and underserved communities through existing outreach programs. Contact a HRSA health center, Test to Treat site or ICATT location to learn how to access low- or no-cost COVID-⁠19 tests provided by the Federal Government. Most Montgomery County Public Libraries also are distributing free test kits provided by the County. Check with your local library to see if it has test kits available.

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MCDOT

Community Meetings on Three School Specific Walkability Studies for Safety Needs of Elementary School Students Walking and Biking to School

By Patrick Herron

Per MCDOT: The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) will hold a series of virtual public meetings to present the findings of three separate elementary school walkability studies including Forest Knolls Elementary (Silver Spring), New Hampshire Estate Elementary (Silver Spring), and North Chevy Chase Elementary (Chevy Chase) schools. The meetings will show study findings and discuss the sidewalk and safety needs of students walking and biking to the studied school.

Each of the walkability studies reviewed the condition of existing infrastructure and recommended improvements that may be implemented within the school walkshed to provide safe and accessible routes for students walking and biking to the school. Most of the improvements that could be implemented quickly, such as signing and marking, have been completed. These community meetings will help County staff better understand safety needs and plan future sidewalk and safety improvement projects within the school walkshed.

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National

President Biden Announces an Additional $9 Billion in Student Debt Relief

By MCS Staff

White House press release (10/4/23): President Biden has long believed that college should be a ticket to the middle class, not a burden that weighs on families. That’s why from day one, his Administration has taken unprecedented steps to fix the broken student loan system, make college more affordable, and bring the promise of higher education in reach for more Americans.

Marking a key step forward in that effort, President Biden is announcing that an additional 125,000 Americans have been approved for $9 billion in debt relief through fixes his Administration has made to income-driven repayment (IDR) and Public Service Loan Forgiveness, and by cancelling debt for borrowers with total and permanent disabilities. Today’s announcement brings the total approved debt cancellation by the Biden-Harris Administration to $127 billion for nearly 3.6 million Americans. The Biden-Harris Administration is announcing it has approved:

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Bethesda

Tractor-Trailer Fire Closes All Lanes of Southbound 270 Thursday Night

By Patrick Herron

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS) responded to a tractor trailer-fire on Thursday, October 5, around 10:30pm. According to Chief Spokesperson for MCFRS Pete Piringer, the incident occurred on the I-270 Spur, in the area of the MCPS school bus depot. The fire was caused by a damaged fuel tank and there were no injuries reported.

Hazmat assisted at the scene due to a fuel spill. We will provide an update if additional information becomes available.  Featured photo courtesy of Aaron Wolf. 

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Crime

Gaithersburg Woman Convicted for Fraud Related to a Debt Elimination Scheme

By MCS Staff

The Defendants Used Fraudulent Debt Elimination Classes to Financially Defraud Victims and Obtain Their Personal Identifying Information

Per the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Maryland– A federal jury returned guilty verdicts yesterday convicting Willie Lamont Hicks, a/k/a “Will Woodward” and “CW,” age 50, of Kansas City, Missouri, and Mary Ann Mendoza, a/k/a “Mary Ann Manuel,” “Trinity,” “M3,” and “Emily James,” age 49, of Gaithersburg, Maryland, on federal charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud related to a debt elimination and wealth management fraud scheme.

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Events

Pike & Rose Hosting Trick or Treat Event on October 29

By MCS Staff

Pike & Rose is hosting a Trick or Treat event that will allow children dressed in costumes to make their way around the shops and restaurants for treats from the businesses on Sunday, October 29th from 10am-12pm. Tickets are required per child (not adult), for $5 each, with all proceeds going directly to Manna Food Center. More per the event listing below:

“Explore the neighborhood shops and collect delightful surprises and treats. Encounter captivating costume characters that will leave you enchanted. Show off your best Halloween costume and join in the fun. Enjoy a variety of kids’ activities and entertainment. Pose for photos next to festive Halloween decorations.Your ticket benefits a great cause!”

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MoCo Government

Anti-Hate Task Force to Hold a Virtual Meeting on Oct. 10 at 7pm; Muslim Cohort to Present Policy Recommendations

By Patrick Herron

Per Montgomery County: The Montgomery County Anti-Hate Task Force’s Muslim cohort will present their policy recommendations to the task force at a virtual meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 10 at 7 p.m.  The Anti-Hate Task Force was formally adopted through a resolution with unanimous support in June. The task force is made up of community and faith leaders working to engage the community and develop recommendations to inform policies that promote safety and combat hate crimes in Montgomery County.

Cohort groups representing the Jewish, Black/African American, LGBTQ+, Asian American and Pacific Islander, Latino/Hispanic and Muslim communities will present their policy recommendations at meetings throughout the fall. Each of the six cohort groups may also hold listening sessions to provide an opportunity for the public to engage and provide input. The Muslim cohort held a listening session on Sept. 11, which can be viewed here.

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MCFRS

MCFRS Respond to House Fire Caused by Space Heater Thursday Evening

By Patrick Herron

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) responded to the 400 block of Feather Rock Dr. in Rockville on Thursday, October 5 for the report of a fire. According to Chief Spokesperson for MCFRS Pete Piringer, around 45 firefighters responded to the single-family house and located a fire in a basement bedroom.

The origin/cause of the fire was an electric space heater next to a mattress. Four adults have been displaced and two occupants of the home were transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries (smoke inhalation).  Damage is estimated to be~$25K. We will provide an update if additional information becomes available.

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Silver Spring

Oprah Winfrey Announces Surprise Donation of $2.5 million to MoCo-Based Non-Profit 

By Patrick Herron

Per the U.S. Dream Academy (located at 8807 Colesville Rd. in Silver Spring) : The U.S. Dream Academy, a 501(c)3 nonprofit that inspires and invests in the lives of children of incarcerated parents, celebrated its 25th Anniversary with a “Power of A Dream” celebration, presented by Amway, welcoming 400 supporters on Monday, October 2nd at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, DC. The U.S. Dream Academy surpassed their fundraising goal, raising $3.5 Million to continue its programs and outreach to empower children (DreamKids) impacted by parental incarceration.

During the festivities, guests were surprised when Oprah Winfrey appeared in a video message praising the work of the team and the leadership of Dr. Wintley Phipps, ending the video pledging a $2.5 million donation. The gift is in line with the two decades of generous support from Ms. Winfrey, who has donated over $10 million to support the mission of The U.S. Dream Academy.

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