DC Sports

Jamison Crowder was picked by Washington in the fourth round with the 105th overall pick of the 2015 NFL Draft. Now, Crowder will return to the team after signing to the practice squad, according to the Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala.

Crowder played four seasons in Washington, catching over 200 passes in that time, before moving on to sign with the New York Jets. While with the Jets he had the best season of his career in terms of receptions, with 78 in 2019. Crowder stayed with the Jets until 2021 and played for the Bills last season. He provides quality receiver depth on the practice squad and has previous experience returning punts as well.


Bethesda

Montgomery County Police tweeted the following at 8:22am on Wednesday, September 6: “TRAFFIC ADVISORY: A traffic collision has Westbound River Road closed at Springfield Drive. Drivers are advised to take an alternate route. Expect delays.” According to public safety reporter Cordell Pugh, the collision involved a school bus. We will post an update when additional information is available.

TRAFFIC ADVISORY: A traffic collision has Westbound River Road closed at Springfield Drive. Drivers are advised to take an alternate route. Expect delays. #mcpd #mpcnews #traffic pic.twitter.com/htu4RhxGg0


Sponsored

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…)


MCPS

Montgomery County Public Schools sent out the following community message on Wednesday, September 6:

Community members are encouraged to stay well hydrated, limit outdoor activities if necessary, and review the information below on extreme heat safety. MCPS will continue to monitor conditions and communicate any changes as necessary.


DMV

Per the National Weather Service: “A Heat Advisory is in effect for much of the area this afternoon. Record heat is once again possible today. Drink plenty of fluids today and take plenty of breaks. Be sure to know the warning signs of heat-related illnesses.” The advisory begins at noon and lasts until 7pm today (Wednesday, September 6).

Montgomery County officials have also issued an Hyperthermia Alert and urge residents to take precautions to protect themselves, and their loved ones, against heat-related illnesses such as heat stroke and heat exhaustion. A Hyperthermia Alert is issued for the County when forecasted temperatures, and/or heat index, in at least part of the County is at least 95 degrees or higher creating a hazardous situation in which heat-stroke and heat exhaustion are likely.


Colesville

Montgomery County Police are investigating a fatal collision that occurred on Tuesday, September 5, 2023. According to MCPD, “At approximately 9:26 p.m., 4th District officers and Montgomery County Fire Rescue personnel responded to the area of New Hampshire Ave. and Bonifant Rd. for the report of a pedestrian struck.

For reasons still under investigation, the driver of a grey Toyota Prius, that was traveling on New Hampshire Rd., south of Bonifant St., struck an adult male pedestrian who was walking in the roadway. The 61-year-old victim was transported to an area hospital with serious injuries, where he was pronounced deceased.


Colesville

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) responded to a collision involving a pedestrian on Southbound MD-650 New Hampshire Ave, just South of Bonifant/Good Hope Roads in Colesville on Tuesday, September 5 around 9:20pm. According to public safety reporter Cordell Pugh, the patient was was transported to an area trauma center with critical injuries.

Montgomery County Police tweeted the following at 9:53pm: “TRAFFIC ADVISORY: A traffic collision has southbound New Hampshire Ave. closed between Bonifant Rd. and the ICC. Expect significant delays. Drivers are advised to seek an alternate route.” We will post an update when additional information is available.  Featured image courtesy of Google Maps. 


Maryland

Per Montgomery Planning: Green Montgomery County by planting native trees on your property. Download our Reforest Montgomery coupon to receive a $50 discount on any qualifying tree with a retail value of at least $75 from one of the participating nurseries or garden centers below. Adapted to the unique environmental conditions of Montgomery County, these native trees may need less maintenance and offer high quality habitat that supports pollinators and other local wildlife.

This $50 coupon can be combined with the State of Maryland’s $25 Marylanders Plant Trees coupon for $75 off the price of a tree that qualifies for both programs. View trees that qualify for the Marylanders Plant Trees program. Note: This program was formerly known as Leaves for Neighborhoods.


Education

Montgomery Village Middle School (19330 Watkins Mill Rd, Montgomery Village) is partnering with nearby Stedwick Elementary School and Watkins Mill Elementary School to host a Back-to-School Block Party on Thursday, September 14th from 6-8pm. The event will feature a DJ, food, games, free haircuts, free immunizations, and more.

“Our purpose is to bring the community together and create a sense of belonging for all of our stakeholders. Now more than ever, schools should serve as a resource hub for the communities they serve. Our schools created this event to raise awareness of the wealth of resources available to them, right here in The Village. We’re most excited to see our beautifully diverse community come together and celebrate our schools. We can’t wait to see the smiles on the faces of our students, families, and staff as they enjoy all of the free activities and services.”


Downtown Silver Spring

Basketball Tournament, Pop-up Skate Park, Live Painting, DJ & More!

Buckets and Beats: The Silver Spring Block Party will take place on Friday, September 22 from 2pm-7pm at 1 Veterans Plaza in Downtown Silver Spring. Montgomery County Councilmember Kate Stewart and the Silver Spring Regional Services Office will include a variety of activities for youth, such as a 3 v 3 basketball tournament, a pop-up skatepark, and arts activities. There will also be a number of youth programming stakeholders in attendance, sharing opportunities for youth to get involved. To tie it all together, we will have a DJ to truly make this a block party.


MoCo Police

The Rockville City Police Department is offering a free Fair and Impartial Policing training for community members who would like to understand more about bias-free behavior in community policing. This event will be held on Saturday, September 9, 2023 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Social Hall at the F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre. Light refreshments will be served.

This training will give community members the tools needed to better communicate with police officers so that community members and police can work together and make their community safer and more resilient. An FIP national instructor will lead a roundtable discussion session specifically designed for community members, covering the following topics: