Silver Spring

Per Purple Line MD: On or about January 16, 2023, crews will implement long-term lane closures and a new traffic configuration on Wayne Avenue between Sligo Creek Parkway and Fenton Street. Traffic will be limited to one lane in each direction for approximately 18 months for installation of a new storm drain system, curbs, and sidewalk reconstruction.

Residents will have access to their properties and driveways on Wayne Avenue through the construction zone. Pedestrian access will be maintained by always keeping one sidewalk either on the north or south side of Wayne Avenue open around the work zone. On-street parking in the work zones will be prohibited and bus stop access will be maintained. Please follow on-site signage. Work may occur 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., weekdays and weekends, as needed. Featured photo courtesy of Google Maps.


Business

HighTide Therapeutics Inc. (“HighTide”), a globally integrated clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel multifunctional therapies for metabolic and digestive diseases, announced the closing of a $107 million Series C/C+ financing led by the TCM Healthcare Fund of Guangdong, managed by China Development Bank Capital. Other investors included Yuexiu Fund and Yuthai Fund. HighTide’s U.S. headquarters are at 11140 Rockville Pike in Rockville.

Proceeds of the financing will be used to advance multiple global development programs, including mid-to-late-stage clinical trials, and the commercialization and business development of the company’s robust pipeline. HighTide’s lead candidate HTD1801, is a novel multifunctional molecule, being developed for the treatment of patients suffering from complex metabolic and digestive diseases. HighTide has successfully completed multiple clinical trials of HTD1801 and continues to advance its global development programs as follows:


Travel

Per WMATA: Metro Transit Police Officers have a new tool to protect customers and save lives. All active duty MTPD officers and Metro’s crisis intervention specialists will be equipped with naloxone (commonly known as Narcan) to prevent deaths by opioid overdose.

The addition of naloxone as a life-saving resource comes as a result of increased calls to MTPD reporting suspected overdoses, from 27 incidents in 2021 to 43 incidents in 2022. MTPD officers are often first to respond to reports of sick customers possibly experiencing an overdose, and naloxone can temporarily reverse the effects of an opioid overdose in the critical minutes before paramedics arrive. An MTPD officer administered life-saving naloxone to revive an unresponsive person suspected of experiencing an opioid overdose on the first day they were equipped with the drug.


Darnestown

The undefeated and defending National Champion Georgia Bulldogs (14-0) will take on the TCU Horned Frogs (13-1) on Monday night for the 2022 NCAA College Football National Championship. Each team will have one Montgomery County native representing the area, as Jacob Hardie (Good Counsel, Class of 2021), Georgia, and Johnny Hodges (Quince Orchard, Class of 2019), TCU, prepare for Monday night’s game.

Jacob Hardie, who played wide receiver and free safety at Good Counsel, walked on to the Georgia football team when coaches invited him for a workout after seeing him on film while evaluating another player. According to Hardie, older players in front of him and injuries kept him from getting major playing time while he was at Good Counsel, but he knew what he was capable of. The 5’9, 180 pound Olney native is now on the roster of the defending national champions as a running back.


Colesville

Dominic’s Italian Grille, located at 12854 New Hampshire Ave in Colesville, has closed permanently. A post was made on the Dominic’s Facebook page on Wednesday afternoon, stating the following:

When a commenter asked if Gary was leaving or if Dominic’s was closing, the Dominic’s Italian Grille Facebook page replied with “Dominic’s has closed 😔.” In 2022, the owners of Dominic’s planned to open Bourbon, Wings, and Beer in the location that was formerly home to Buffalo Wings and Beer in Cloverly. Last month we received confirmation that the restaurant would no longer be opening.


Crime

A digital sign on the back of a RideOn bus alerted the public to call 911, according to a witness– “HELP! Call 911” The distress signal, for the most part, is used when disruptive or threatening behavior occurs on the bus and the bus operator cannot visibly call for help– using the sign to signal surrounding drivers.

Upon arriving on scene, near Safeway on Darnestown Rd in Gaithersburg, Montgomery County Police officers located an adult male victim who had been assaulted. The victim, who was also the driver of the bus, was transported to an area hospital with minor injuries. No suspects are in custody at this time.


Education

1. Application to 2023-2024 Montgomery Virtual Academy Now Open: The Montgomery Virtual Academy (MVA) application for the 2023–2024 school year is now open through Feb. 2. The MVA is a full-time virtual learning program for students in Kindergarten to Grade 12. The focus is to foster a safe, inclusive online learning environment that meets the individual needs of students in an academic setting where staff know their interests, and want to see them excel. Like other MCPS Choice programs, students can apply through ParentVue.

2. Spring and First Semester Student Service Learning (SSL) Hours Due Friday, Jan. 6: Students who completed SSL hours during the summer and first semester are encouraged to submit the forms to their school’s SSL coordinator by Friday, Jan. 6. Students must earn 75 SSL hours to graduate. Students can find a variety of traditional in-person and virtual/remote opportunities on the MCPS SSL webpage.


Silver Spring

34-year-old Pedro DeJesus Perez Oliveros was arrested on Tuesday, November 15, 2022, following an investigation by the Vice and Intelligence Unit. In September of 2022, Vice and Intelligence detectives learned that a female victim had been forced to work as a prostitute and began an investigation.


Rockville

The Rockville Mayor and Council will consider whether to initiate the public review process for several changes to the city code and zoning ordinance at upcoming meetings in January.

On Jan. 9, the Mayor and Council will determine whether to initiate a review process for proposed code changes to implement regulations for short-term residential rentals, as well as regulate the rental of rooms within a residence. The intent of the code changes are to clarify when short-term rentals, typically booked through services such as AirBnB and VRBO, are permitted. Proposed conditions include limitations on the number of days per year that a unit may be rented, as well as limitations on the amount of rental unit guests. Should the regulations be adopted, landlords would be required to register units with the city and be subject to the city’s hotel tax.


Rockville

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 Mayor and Council are scheduled to discuss, during their Monday, Jan. 30 meeting, whether to adopt any of the recommendations. Recommendations included:

Lowering the age to vote in city elections from 18 to 16, regardless of citizenship. The commission unanimously recommended this change and also recommended that the right to vote in city elections be extended to anyone “who has been a resident of the City of Rockville for six months preceding a municipal election, without regard to citizenship.”