Education

Governor Wes Moore Announces Maryland Higher Education Commission Appointments

By Patrick Herron

The Maryland Higher Education Commission is the state’s higher education regulatory and coordinating board, responsible for establishing statewide policies for Maryland public and private colleges and universities, as well as for the for-profit career schools. The commission also administers $130 million in financial assistance to more than 65,000 Maryland students each year.

The commission consists of twelve members appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the Senate. One member is a student, serving a one-year term; all other members are appointed for five-year terms.

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Kensington

First Look at Stella Point Grille; Now Open in Kensington

By MCS Staff

Our very own Mr. MoCo stopped by a friends & family event at Stella Point Grille, which has officially opened today (video below). The restaurant is located at 3739 University Blvd in Kensington– the former home of China Gourmet. Stella Point Grille is owned by Graham Gursky (former general manager at Quincy’s South) and Stephen Lee (principal owner of China Gourmet).

Gursky is a Montgomery County native, who was raised in Germantown and attended Watkins Mill High School. He has worked in the restaurant business since he was in high school, only leaving Montgomery County for a few years while attending college in New Hampshire. Lee is also local, born in Washington DC. He has been in the restaurant industry his whole life and attended college in Kentucky before managing restaurants for decades. He has been married to his wife Christina for 51 years and has two daughters four grandchildren. Much of Lee’s staff from China Gourmet was getting ready to retire so he was ready to change concepts at the location. Gursky has brought along a lot of his former staff from Quincy’s South including the restaurant’s Assistant GM, Gavin Holt, who is also a MoCo native.

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Entertainment

Where to Park (and where not to park) at Rio Lakefront in Gaithersburg

By MCS Staff

Today we are starting our “where to park” series so that you can enjoy different shopping areas across MoCo with a little less worrying about where to park. We’ll explore popular shopping centers and developments across the county and let you where (and where not to) park. Today we begin with Rio Lakefront, formerly the Rio Washingtonian Center, in Gaithersburg:

If you leave the roundabout and enter between Dick’s and True Food Kitchen on Rio Blvd (photo below), you may have to deal with some congestion during busy times, which is why we recommend avoiding doing so during those times. There’s an immediate left you can make where you can find a few spots in a very small lot or you can turn right into the YardHouse lot. The small lot on the left is almost always full and the YardHouse lot is convenient, but fills up quickly. Luckily, you can see if there are any spaces as you drive by so you can make a decision without much of an impact. Then you arrive at the crosswalk between Uncle Julio’s and Corner Bakery. This is the cause for the congestion, as people are often crossing the street– individuals, big groups, families with children, etc.  

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MDLottery

$900 Million Powerball Jackpot for Tonight’s Drawing

By MCS Staff

The jackpot for tonight’s Powerball lottery drawing (Monday, July 17) has grown to an estimated $900 million, with an estimated cash value of $465.1 million. The jackpot currently ranks as the third largest Powerball jackpot and the seventh largest U.S. lottery jackpot. Additional details below courtesy of Powerball:

The Powerball jackpot rolled Saturday night after no ticket matched all six numbers drawn – white balls 2, 9, 43, 55, 57 and red Powerball 18. The Power Play® multiplier was 2X. Even though there was no jackpot winner, lotteries are reminding players to check their tickets for one of the nine ways to win. Nationwide, the Powerball drawing produced more than 3 million winning tickets, with players winning lower-tier cash prizes worth a combined $24.5 million.

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Montgomery College

Montgomery College Receives $500,000 Donation to Help Students Enroll in Workforce Programs and Gain Employment

By Patrick Herron

Per Montgomery College: A new WDCE scholarship for financially-eligible job seekers, ready to get to work by June 30, 2024, is currently accepting applicants. The Montgomery College Foundation announced the establishment of the Robert I. Schattner Job Training and Certification Scholarship, a one-year opportunity for job training and certification. Scholarships are available for applicants pursuing eligible career path courses with the intention to obtain employment.

The Robert I. Schattner Job Training and Certification Scholarship will receive applications now through Wednesday, August 4, 2023. Information about the scholarship, eligibility requirements, a list of qualified courses, the application and more are now on the WDCE Career Path Scholarship webpage.

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Gaithersburg

Watkins Mill’s Nebi Tsarni Wins Third National Championship

By MCS Staff

Nebi Tsarni of Maryland, a rising senior at Watkins Mill High School was named Outstanding Wrestler after defeating returning Junior Nationals champion Sydney Perry of Illinois.

Gary Abbott of USA Wrestling described the match as “a wild, back-and-forth battle at 144 pounds, 12-10.” He wrote, “With the score tied at 10-10, Tsarni scored a takedown in the closing seconds to capture an intense match. Tsarni was a 2022 16U Nationals champion.”

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Arts

Hit Netflix Series ‘Quarterback’ is Directed by Watkins Mill Alumnus Tim Rumpff

By MCS Staff

The new series, Quarterback, that follows NFL quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs), Kirk Cousins (Minnesota Vikings), and Marcus Mariota (Atlanta Falcons) for the entire 2022 season, debuted on Netflix last week and has quickly become one of the most talked about shows on television. The show’s director, Tim Rumpff, is a 2002 graduate of Watkins Mill High School in Montgomery Village.

Rumpff has been with NFL Films for over 15 years and has worked on the hit HBO series Hard Knocks for just about as long as he has been with since the company. He has worked as a producer or director on the NFL’s Hard Knocks, All or Nothing, and more. Rumpff even helped produce the viral Eli Manning video “Chad Powers.” He graduated from Watkins Mill High School in 2002 and went on to study journalism at the University of Maryland, graduating in 2006.

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Damascus

Concern for Missing Twenty-Five-Year-Old Woman

By MCS Staff

Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police – 5th District Investigative Section are asking for the public’s assistance in locating missing 25-year-old missing adult from Damascus– Johnnai Slater.

She was last seen on Friday, July 14th at approximately 2pm leaving her residence on Honeysuckle Ct. in Damascus. She is 5’5, black hair, a scar above her left eye on her forehead, and has a Roman numeral tattoo on her arm. She was last seen wearing a black t-shirt and black shorts.

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Gaithersburg

Penn State Commit, Xavier Gilliam, Announced Transfer to Quince Orchard High School

By MCS Staff

Xavier Gilliam, who has committed to attending and playing at Penn State University, has announced that he will be transferring to Quince Orchard High School in Gaithersburg. Gilliam previously attended Wilde Lake High School in Howard County, where he was a 4-star prospect EDGE.

Gilliam will join a Quince Orchard squad that will be looking to win its third straight State Championship (they defeated Prince George’s County schools Flowers 32-7 last year and Wise 31-13 in 2021). Gillian’s tweet can announcing his move for the upcoming school year can be seen below.

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Crime

Suspect Arrested After Threatening Victim With Machete at North Bethesda Metro Station

By MCS Staff

Montgomery County Police (MCP) say that on Saturday, July 15, 2023, at approximately 11:18 p.m., MCP officers responded to the 5400 block of Marinelli Road for the report of an assault. 

Per Montgomery County Police, “The preliminary investigation has revealed that there was an argument between the male victim and the adult male suspect. The suspect then displayed a machete and threatened the victim who then managed to enter his vehicle and leave the scene. The victim then contacted the police. Officers located the suspect close to the area where the crime occurred and took him into custody.” Featured photo courtesy of Google Maps.

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