The Police Accountability Board (PAB) is asking for public feedback about public safety. This Thursday, they’ll host a hybrid listening session in White Oak. Please register beforehand if you plan to join online from 7pm to 9pm. Additional information, by the Montgomery County Government website, is available below:
Per MCDOT: The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) on Monday, April 10, will begin its semi-annual interior washdown to degrease and clean 21 County-owned parking garages in Bethesda, Silver Spring and Wheaton on nights and weekends. The cleanings will start with the Bethesda garages and are scheduled to conclude with the Silver Spring garages on Saturday, June 3. Some garages will experience partial closures during the cleanings, including select entrance/exit areas and ramps. The full schedule of garage cleanings can be viewed here.
Per Montgomery County: The Montgomery County Council will meet on Tuesday, March 21 at 9:15 a.m. and the meeting will begin with a proclamation presentation recognizing National Agriculture Day, presented by Council Vice President Andrew Friedson and Councilmembers Marilyn Balcombe and Dawn Luedtke. The afternoon session will begin at 1:15 p.m. with a proclamation recognizing Ramadan, led by Council President Evan Glass and County Executive Marc Elrich. More detail on each agenda item is provided below.
Vote expected: The Council is expected to vote on LMA Application H-147 for property located at 11105 New Hampshire Ave. in Silver Spring. The application is a request by White Oak Self Storage to rezone approximately 2.62 acres of property from the CR-2.5, C1.5, R-1.5, H-200’ (Commercial Residential) to CRTF 2.25, C-2.25, R-1.5, H-200’ (Commercial Residential Town Floating). The applicant proposes to use the property to continue self-storage, expand the existing structure by 3,600 square feet and build a new freestanding 116,000-square-foot self-storage building. The hearing examiner recommends approval of the local map amendment.
As technology advances faster than ever, cybersecurity and defense companies are competing for more than talent—they are seeking exceptional innovators with the expertise to create the next generation of products, services, and breakthrough technologies.
That combination of diverse and specialized talent, and proximity to customers is what positions Montgomery County, Maryland, as a strategic destination and a growing hub for defense, satellite communications, cybersecurity, and advanced manufacturing companies.
Thales Defense & Security, Inc.’s (TDSI) expansion is the latest example.
For more than six decades, TDSI, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Thales U.S.A, has supported critical national security missions, delivering advanced communications, intelligence, surveillance, and defense technologies to military and government customers around the world.
Last week, the company celebrated a significant expansion of its manufacturing operations in Clarksburg, Maryland.
Over the past year, TDSI also doubled its manufacturing floor footprint through a $4 million investment, expanding production capacity to support the company’s continued growth.
Today, TDSI employs approximately 675 people in Montgomery County, including roughly 250 manufacturing employees.
As demand for its technologies continues to grow, the company continues to expand and has added more than 225 positions locally over the past three years.
A leading U.S. supplier of tactical radio and SATCOM communications, including EW/SIGINT kits, tactical power, Helmet Mounted Cueing Systems (HMCS), mounted/dismounted EO/IR sensors, missile fusing, cyber protection technology and Anti-Submarine Warfare sonars, TDSI supports customers across the U.S. Armed Forces, including the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, Department of Homeland Security, other federal agencies, and global security partners. (more…)
By Councilmembers Nate Engle and Conor D. Crimmins, from the Town of Kensington newsletter: In our pursuit to situate Kensington as a leading “green” community, the Town recently installed several public, electric vehicle (EV) charging stations.* The chargers are located at two station sites within the Town – the MARC station parking south of the CSX tracks and the other in the municipal parking lot at Kensington’s Town Hall. Each station consists of four, level-two EV chargers using the J1772 connection standard. The stations were installed and are maintained as part of Pepco’s EV charging station program.
To facilitate the process, the Town Council approved a License Agreement with Pepco in 2021, which allowed for the installation, operation, and maintenance of the facilities on Town property. The stations, which have been operating for several months now, are part of the Shell Recharge network, a nationwide network of over 2,500 EV charging stations. There is no membership fee to register for Shell Recharge; charging rates of the stations is set by Pepco, and currently runs $0.17/kwh. Users may download the Shell Recharge app from their preferred app store to use the charging stations.
Connect with neighbors, learn about Lafayette Federal, and grab fun giveaways! All while enjoying food from local Tacos Pretzel & Pizza Creations.
First 75 registrants can receive free food.*
About Arbor Day: Arbor Day is also a time to recognize that a city can be a hard place for trees to live, and that they need our tender love and care! It is a time to redouble our commitment to providing our trees what they need to thrive in our urban environment. One of the most important acts you can take to support our urban forest is to plant a tree where there wasn’t one. Residents and property owners across the City are planting trees this season in solidarity with this mission. For the trees you already have, remember that a broad area of woody or leafy mulched soil for the roots to grow in is ideal. And don’t forget to water your new trees. Typically, fifteen gallons once a week is sufficient for a new young tree, though watering twice a week can be a good idea during times of drought.
Maryland Arbor Day: This year, Maryland Arbor Day is April 5, while nationally recognized Arbor Day is April 28. Tree planting is best done earlier in the spring, but any time is a good time to celebrate trees! See the City’s Urban Forestry page to learn more about tree care and City tree programs.
Per Takoma Park Police: On March 20, at approximately 8:50 am, Takoma Park Police responded to the 7000 block of Carroll Avenue for the report of a carjacking that had just occurred. The victim was inside her vehicle when an unknown suspect walked up to her window and demanded property. The victim complied by opening her window slightly. The suspect took advantage of that opportunity to reach in and open the victim’s door from the inside and demanded her to get out of the vehicle. The victim complied and the suspect stole her vehicle, last seen driving down Carroll Avenue towards the District of Columbia.
The suspect is described as a Black male, approximately 5’7-5’11, approximately 190 lbs., last seen wearing a black hoodie jacket and a full mask covering. A lookout was broadcast to all surrounding jurisdictions. The stolen vehicle is described as a 2006 gray Nissan Pathfinder, MD#740M503. The outstanding vehicle has been entered into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) stolen vehicle database. Investigation continues. Anyone with information about this crime is asked to please call us at 301-270-1100 and refer to case #230013413. Featured photo courtesy of Google Maps
The City celebrates and honors Arab American Heritage Month in April with programs and a proclamation highlighting the culture, heritage, and achievements of our Arab American neighbors. An official proclamation designating April 2023 as “Arab American Heritage Month” in the City of Gaithersburg will be presented at the Mayor and City Council meeting on Monday, April 3 at 7:30 p.m. The public is welcome to attend the meeting at City Hall, watch it live on YouTube or watch it via Zoom by registering here.
Mayor Jud Ashman will present the proclamation to Dr. Shaza M. Ahmed, M.D., a paraeducator with Montgomery County Public Schools who works with children with special needs. Having an autistic child of her own motivated Dr. Ahmed to be more involved and become an advocate for her own child and all students, and their parents, who learn differently. She manages weekly educational sessions for parents on bullying, safety, understanding the system, available resources, and how to be an advocate for themselves and their children.
Four separate crashes resulted in overturned vehicles across Montgomery County on Monday, March 20, according to various reports by Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) Chief Spokesperson Pete Piringer.
The first was a single vehicle collision with rollover on I-270 on Monday morning around 9am. According to Chief Spokesperson for MCFRS Pete Piringer, the crash occurred on SB I270 in the HOV/Express Lane between Shady Grove Road and Route 28, prior to Exit 6. There were no injuries reported.
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) responded to a single vehicle collision with an overturned vehicle on Monday, March 20, around 4:30pm in Sandy Spring.
According to Chief Spokesperson for MCFRS Pete Piringer, the collision occurred in the 16900 blk of Norwood Rd when a single vehicle traveled about 200 feet off road and across the yard of a horse farm/stable. One adult was evaluated but refused transport to the hospital. There were no injuries to nearby dogs or horses. Property damage included one horse trailer and a few Japanese Maple trees.
Per MCPD: Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police – Special Victims Investigations Division (SVID) have arrested 30-year-old Jamaal Germany, of Gaithersburg, for an attempted kidnapping that occurred this morning, Monday, March 20, 2023. SVID detectives are asking for anyone who believes that they may have been a victim of Germany to call 240-773-5400.
At approximately 7:54 a.m., the Community Engagement Officer (CEO) of Redland Middle School responded to the school for the report of an attempted kidnapping. The victim stated that they were standing at the bus stop in the 17600 block of Towne Crest Dr., at approximately 7:20 a.m., when the suspect allegedly grabbed the child and pulled them toward an apartment building. Several students who were standing at the bus stop attempted to intervene and the victim was able to break free. When the school bus arrived, all the students boarded the bus and the incident was reported to school staff.
According to the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office, “Today in the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, MD, before the Honorable John Maloney, defendant, Julia Birch, 27, of Kensington, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for the death of her 92-year-old roommate, Nancy Ann Frankel. Birch faces up to 40 years in prison. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 29th at 10 a.m.before Judge Maloney.
On July 28, 2021 Montgomery County Police and Montgomery County Fire and Rescue personnel responded to a residence on Spruell Drive in Kensington, Maryland for a death investigation. Upon their arrival, the complainant, 26-year-old Julia Birch, told officers that she had suffocated and killed her 92-year-old roommate, identified as Nancy Ann Frankel, who was found deceased in her bedroom. Birch had staged the body to look more presentable, laying the victim on a pillow, folding her arms over her chest, and putting perfume on her. This was after initially unsuccessfully trying to get the body back into her bed. Birch was taken into custody and transported to Montgomery County Police Headquarters to be interviewed. She admitted to killing Nancy Ann Frankel by trying to place a plastic bag over Frankel’s head to suffocate her, and when the victim poked a hole in the bag, Birch took her to the ground and strangled her to death. Physical evidence and autopsy confirmed the method of death. Birch admitted to then calling 911 to report the death.