The Roberto Clemente Middle School community in Germantown is mourning the loss of longtime Building Service employee Charles “Charlie” Ellison Jr., a familiar and deeply respected presence at the school for decades. Ellison passed away peacefully on Sunday, December 28, 2025, at his home in Germantown. He was 70 years old.
Montgomery County Police are investigating a homicide following a fatal shooting Thursday night on Briggs Chaney Road in Fairland.
Metro is moving forward with the next phase of its Bus Shelter Replacement Project, bringing upgraded bus shelters to Shady Grove and several other Metrorail stations across the region.
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…)
Updated to reflect that shooting is now being investigated as a homicide.
Montgomery County Police are investigating a shooting reported Thursday evening in Silver Spring (Fairland).
Join Kaiser Permanente for Healthy at the Harbor, a free community health and wellness event taking place Saturday, June 6, from 11 am to 4 pm at National Harbor in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Bring your family and friends for free full day of fun, fitness, and preventive care along the waterfront.
Throughout the day, Kaiser Permanente nurses and physicians will offer no-cost health screenings, alongside a health and wellness expo focused on preventive care education. A lively Kids’ Zone will keep children active and entertained with spin-art bikes, face painting, balloon art, games, and more.
Four Washington Spirit players have been called up to the U.S. Women’s National Team (USWNT) for the side’s January friendlies, U.S. Soccer announced today. Midfielders Croix Bethune and Hal Hershfelt and defenders Tara Rudd (née McKeown) and Kate Wiesner will take on Paraguay and Chile with the U.S. later this month in southern California.
The new Dunkin’ location in Derwood is officially opening this Friday, January 9. The opening date was confirmed by an employee at the nearby Dunkin’ on Woodfield Road in Gaithersburg. The new restaurant is located at 17700 Muncaster Road, where a former child care facility has been converted into a roughly 2,500 square foot Dunkin’.
Brody Richardson, 19-year-old Boyds man, has been charged in connection with a rollover collision that killed a Germantown woman last summer, according to Montgomery County Police. An MCPD press release that a photo for Richardson was not available.
Urban Outfitters will reopen this Saturday, January 10, in a new location at Westfield Montgomery Mall with an updated store concept focused on a “brighter, more modern, and flexible retail environment.” (more…)
Takoma Park Police have announced the arrest of a man following a reported burglary attempt Tuesday night.
Coming soon signage is now up for Char’d at Pike & Rose, which is taking over the space at 11881 Grand Park Ave. in Pike & Rose that was previously home to BurgerFi for more than six years.
The Montgomery College Foundation has received a $125,000 gift from Ken and Julie Cook to support the Macklin Business Institute and Montgomery College’s nursing program, honoring individuals who have made lasting contributions to the College and its community.