Events

City of Gaithersburg: Celebrate diverse & vibrant holiday traditions at Gaithersburg’s Jingle Jubilee. Enjoy an evening of music, dance & song. Enjoy an evening of music, dance, and song. This year marks the 96th anniversary of the tree lighting ceremony. The festivities take place at the Concert Pavilion in Olde Towne. Admission is free. The outdoor venue features lawn seating with limited chairs. Please feel free to bring your own chair to enjoy the entertainment. Masks are encouraged for this outdoor event.

Children & adults alike will delight in meeting Santa, Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, Paw Patrol, and other characters. Be sure to bring your camera to capture memorable holiday photos. Meet animal characters who benefit from clean streams, pose for pictures with the City’s newly painted snowplows and a beautifully decorated police car, write a letter to Santa, sing along to holiday songs with the Gaithersburg High School Band, and enjoy exhibits of diverse decorations & traditions.


Gaithersburg

Per the Maryland State Police: The pilot and passenger of a single engine plane that crashed yesterday into a power line tower in Montgomery County have been rescued and transported to an area hospital for medical treatment.

The pilot is identified as Patrick Merkle, 66, of Washington, D.C. He was operating a Mooney Mike 20P single engine plane. One passenger on board is identified as Janet Williams, 66, of Marrero, Louisiana. Following the rescue operation, both occupants were transported to Suburban Hospital for medical treatment.


MoCo Recreation

Montgomery County Recreation membership passes for exercise enthusiasts will be free for County residents in 2023. The free pass provides access to full-equipped exercise rooms, open gym activities, and game rooms at any Community Recreation Center during regularly scheduled hours.

This membership makes it easy to work out close to home, near your office, or at any recreation center location that’s convenient. Passes include both the gym and weight room. Please note the free pass does not include access to aquatic centers. List of MoCo Rec Centers below:


Gaithersburg

The pilot and passenger of a small plane that crashed into a power line tower near Goshen Road and Rothbury Drive in Gaithersburg/Montgomery Village around 5:30pm on Sunday were successfully rescued without incident by EMS personnel using two specialty crane/boom trucks just after midnight on Monday.  According to Maryland State Police, the pilot was identified as Patrick Merkle, 65, of Washington, D.C. and the passenger was identified as Jan Williams, 66, of Louisiana. Both were transported to the hospital with serious injuries. The plane was also removed from the power lines early Monday morning.

ICYMI @MontgomeryCoMD Rescue operations @mcfrs @dcfireems Technical Rescue Team(s) rescue/removed 2 adult occupants trapped on plane that crashed into power lines in Gaithersburg, MD area. Tower & Crane company (contractors) working w/ PEPCO & @mcfrs to get plane down. https://t.co/bgesIAf7uQ pic.twitter.com/sY3O0Eq2tG


Event

Historic Indigenous Recognition Event to Take Place in Montgomery County, Maryland

The Taino American Indigenous National Organization (T.A.I.N.O.) proudly announces its upcoming signature public event,


Arts

Dozens of MCPS high school student dancers took the stage at the Music Center at Strathmore on Nov. 21 to represent their schools at the 22nd annual MCPS Latin Dance Competition. The event was organized by the After School Dance Fund, whose mission is to build strong Latin dance clubs in MCPS and to support the academic and social-emotional success of students.

“The annual MCPS Latin dance competition has been taking place at the Music Center at Strathmore since 2010 and is the culmination of Montgomery County’s elite high school Latin dance program which started back in 1999 at Seneca Valley High School. The main objective is to strengthen the social emotional well being of our students and promote health, exercise, and unity through Latin dance education. Students compete in the Junior and Senior categories showcasing their choreographies in Duets/Partner: Salsa, Chacha, Merengue, Bachata, Jack and Jill, Parent/Student, and Best in Show (Group).”


MCPS

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) has announced that schools will be closed on Monday, November 28th, 2022. The closure is due to power outages across the county stemming from a plane crash earlier today in Gaithersburg.

Per MCPS: MCPS schools and offices will be closed Monday, Nov. 28, due to a widespread power outage and its impact on safety and school operations.


MCPS

Per MCPS at 10:06pm on Sunday, November 27: “Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) will continue to assess the impact of the power outage on school system operations. We will have an announcement later this evening. Currently, more than 40 schools and 6 central office facilities are without power, affecting a number of key services such as maintenance, buses and food services.”

plane crash occurred in Gaithersburg around 5:30pm on Sunday night that has caused outages across the county. Based on the 10:06pm announcement, a decision will likely be made at some point tonight.


Maryland

Maryland State Police are on the scene of a single engine plane crash in Montgomery County where rescue efforts are underway. The plane involved is a Mooney Mike 20P single engine plane.  The pilot is identified as Patrick Merkle, 65, of Washington, D.C. The passenger is identified as Jan Williams, 66, of Louisiana. Both the pilot and the passenger are reportedly unharmed inside the aircraft awaiting rescue.

Shortly before 6:00 p.m. today, Maryland State Police at the Rockville Barrack were dispatched to the report of a plane crash located about four miles northwest of the Montgomery County Airpark in the area of Goshen Road and Rothbury Drive.  Arriving troopers found the plane suspended in the air, entangled in a power line tower. Maryland State Police from the College Park and Rockville Barracks are on the scene along with emergency medical service personnel from Montgomery County. Personnel from the Potomac Electric Power Company are also on scene.


Education

MCPS has announced it is “monitoring the situation concerning the large power outage in many areas of the county. Any message about impacts to school operations will come later as more information becomes available.” after a plane crashed has led to widespread power outages across the county.

The plane crash occurred around 5:30pm on Sunday night.  According to the latest information from Montgomery County Fire & Rescue, there appears to be three individuals inside the plane, which is currently suspended about 100ft.  As of right now there are no injuries reported.  Fire and rescue crews are working to rescue the occupants of the plane, but at this time the power lines surrounding the plane are still energized.


Gaithersburg

There are widespread power outages in Montgomery County after a small plane crashed into a power tower/transmission lines in the area of Rothbury Dr & Goshen Road in Montgomery Village. The incident occurred around 5:30pm on Sunday night.  According to the latest information from Montgomery County Fire & Rescue, there appears to be two individuals inside the plane, which is currently suspended about 100ft.  As of right now there are no injuries reported.  Fire and rescue crews are working to rescue the occupants of the plane, but at this time the power lines surrounding the plane are still energized.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cle5YvHgLYE/