Rockville

Per the City of Rockville: The Mayor and Council will hold a public hearing on recommendations by the Charter Review Commission to increase the number of elected councilmembers from four to six during their Monday, Jan. 30 meeting, which begins at 7 p.m. Lowering the voting age to 16, expanding the size of the Mayor and Council, term limits, representative districts, and consideration of ranked-choice voting were among recommendations the city’s Charter Review Commission presented to the Mayor and Council on Dec. 12.  The charter change recommendation subject to the public hearing would expand the Mayor and Council from five members to seven, meaning that, if enacted, the legislative body would comprise a mayor and six councilmembers.

HOW TO TAKE PART: 


Gaithersburg

On Monday, January 16, Pepco will begin repairs on the transmission tower and power lines that were damaged after a private plane crashed into them on November 27. The crash occurred near the intersection of Goshen Road and Rothbury Drive in Montgomery Village and resulted in an outage to approximately 85,000 customers across the county. The pilot and passenger of the plane suffered non-life threatening injuries. On December 6, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released its preliminary report on the incident.

According to the Village News, “Pepco will begin by replacing the overhead lines that were damaged. This work is scheduled to take place between Monday, Jan. 16 and Friday, Jan. 27. The work to replace the damaged overhead lines will be located on Pepco right-of-way between Montgomery Village Avenue and Fulks Farm Road in Montgomery Village and Gaithersburg. A helicopter will be utilized for some of the work involved in the replacement of the overhead lines.


Derwood

Updated with additional information

Montgomery County Police issued a traffic advisory, at 8:05am on Sunday morning, that states Muncaster Mill Rd. is is closed between Windsor Manor Lane and Sycamore Lane due to a traffic collision. Per the advisory, drivers are advised to seek an alternate route and significant delays are expected.


MoCoSnow

Montgomery County has extended the Hypothermia Alert for 4:00 pm Saturday, 1/14/23 – 1:00 pm Sunday, 1/15/23. Expect wind chill to be at or below 32 degrees. Wear layers and take extra precautions if you spend significant time outdoors during that time. A Hypothermia Alert is issued for the County when forecasted temperatures, and/or wind chill, in at least part of the County fall below 32 degrees creating a hazardous situation in which hypothermia and frostbite are likely. A Cold Emergency Alert could be issued for the County when dangerously cold conditions are present, including, but not limited to, sub-zero temperatures and wind chill for which it will be dangerous to be outdoors for prolonged periods of time.

There is always particular concern for children, seniors, homeless individuals and animals during periods of extreme cold.


Business

This past fall, John Porter was appointed associate executive director at Riderwood, the Erickson Senior Living community in Silver Spring, Riderwood announced in a press release earlier this month. Porter, who most recently served as director of dining at Ashby Ponds, an Erickson Senior Living community in Ashburn, Va., began his senior living career at Riderwood almost 15 years ago. In that time, he’s proven himself to be a dedicated and effective leader who excels at supporting both residents and staff. “We are excited to welcome him back to Riderwood, where he will serve the community at the highest level,” says Dee Dee Gray-Weaver, Riderwood’s executive director. “Our residents will benefit from his proven leadership, expertise in senior living, and unwavering desire to help.”

Believe it or not, Porter has longstanding professional and personal ties to Riderwood. His mother, Sharon Porter, has lived at the community since 2003. “It is a great honor and opportunity to return to Riderwood at this stage in my career,” says Porter. “I look forward to working directly with community members, including my mom.” A graduate of the University of Baltimore with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and management, Porter spent his first years out of college working in the restaurant and mortgage industries. When his parents decided to move to Riderwood, the decision changed not only their lives, but his own as well.


MoCo Government

Bill 1-23, Property Tax Credit – Elderly Individuals and Retired Military Services Members – Amendments

Introduction: Councilmember Sidney Katz will introduce Bill 1-23, which would update eligibility for certain elderly individuals and retired military service members to receive a property tax credit, increasing the assessment threshold by $50,000. This bill seeks to update the assessed value to $700,000 for senior residents and $550,000 for retired members of the military to account for increases in property values during the last few years. The existing credit amount is 20 percent of the County property tax imposed on the dwelling. The credit must be granted each year for seven years, if the individual remains eligible for the credit. Councilmembers Luedtke, Marilyn Balcombe, Natali Fani-González, Gabe Albornoz and Vice President Andrew Friedson are cosponsors of the legislation.


MDLottery

Per the Maryland Lottery: A historic Mega Millions jackpot roll came to an end on Friday night as the Jan. 13 drawing produced a $1.35 billion jackpot winner in the state of Maine. It is the second-largest jackpot in Mega Millions history and fourth-largest overall in U.S. lottery history.

In Maryland, Friday’s Mega Millions drawing produced seven third-tier winning tickets. Six of those tickets are worth $10,000 each, and one delivered a $20,000 prize because the winner added the Megaplier option to the ticket. The winning numbers in the drawing were 30, 43, 45, 46, 61; and the Mega Ball was 14. The Megaplier was 2X.


Crime

Per Takoma Park Police: On 01/13/2023, at approximately 4:00 pm, Takoma Park Police officers responded to the Pupuseria Luisa food truck located in the 6500 block of New Hampshire Avenue, Takoma Park, for the report of an armed robbery that occurred earlier. Upon arrival, officers met with the business owner, who advised on today’s date at approximately 2:00 pm, two Hispanic males stepped into the food truck and one suspect presented what appeared to be a handgun. The suspects demanded cash from the food truck workers. The two suspects fled the scene southbound on New Hampshire Avenue on foot.

Suspect One was described as a tall and skinny Hispanic male wearing a black face mask and red jacket. Suspect Two was described as a short, heavy set, Hispanic male wearing a black face mask and black jacket. Anyone with information on these events should contact the Takoma Park Police Department at 301-270-1100 and refer to case #230002143. Featured photo courtesy of the Pupuseria Luisa Facebook page.


Beyond MoCo

Per the Maryland State Police: Troopers arrested a Prince George’s County man on Thursday after a Maryland State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force investigation developed evidence of sextortion and possession and distribution of child pornography.

The suspect is identified as Isaiah S. Poole, 21, of Suitland, Maryland. Poole is charged with seven counts of possession of child pornography, two counts of soliciting minors to engage in sexual conduct, two counts of causing minors to engage as a subject in a performance that exposes their intimate parts by threatening to inflict emotional distress and one count of distribution of pornography. Poole was transported to the Prince George’s County Detention Center, where he is being held without bond.


MCDOT

The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) will increase service on 31 Ride On bus routes starting Sunday, Jan. 29. The increases are part of the adjustments to 44 routes overall to improve efficiency based on ridership. Throughout the year, ridership data and on-time performance are monitored regularly to identify routes that could achieve increased efficiency with schedule updates.

“Public transit that is reliable and on time is critical to the people who count on it,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “It is a best practice to regularly evaluate and adjust bus service to ensure needs are being met. Dependable and reliable bus service leads to increased ridership which supports our sustainability efforts, reduces congestion and increases the quality of life for our residents.” Montgomery County bus route changes starting Jan. 29 will include: