MoCo Police

Defendant in Fifty-One-Year-Old Cold Case Ordered Held Without Bond

By MCS Staff

Today in the District Court for Montgomery County, in Rockville, MD, Judge Aileen Oliver ordered defendant, Larry Smith, 71, of Little Falls, NY, held without bond pending trial. A preliminary hearing was scheduled for October 7th at 9:30 am. Smith, (a.k.a. Larry Becker) is facing murder charges for the death of Montgomery County Special Deputy Sheriff Captain James Tappen Hall in 1971.

Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police – Major Crimes Division Cold Case Unit arrested 71-year-old Larry David Smith (also known as Larry David Becker) last week for killing Montgomery County Special Deputy Sheriff Captain James Tappen Hall, in 1971. On Saturday, October 23, 1971, at approximately 10:40 p.m., Montgomery County Police officers were called to the Manor Country Club in the 14900 block of Carrolton Rd. in Rockville, MD, after witnesses reported a man lying face down in the southeast parking lot. Officers arrived at the scene and located Captain Hall suffering from a gunshot wound. Hall was transported to an area hospital where he succumbed to his injuries on October 26, 1971. Investigators believe that Hall interrupted a residential burglary in progress.

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Maryland

CSX Notifies MDOT of Potential Strike That Could Affect MARC Commuter Service

By MCS Staff

As a result of an ongoing labor dispute between CSX Transportation and its labor unions, CSX has notified MDOT MTA that there is the potential for a labor strike starting the morning of Friday, September 16. Since CSX owns and maintains the Camden and Brunswick lines in addition to dispatching MARC trains, any labor strike would result in the immediate suspension of all MARC Camden and Brunswick Line service until a resolution is reached.

MDOT MTA recommends MARC Camden and Brunswick Line passengers plan for alternate travel options in the event of a strike.  Penn Line service will not be impacted on Friday, September 16, and will operate full service as scheduled. The following is a list of stations on the Camden and Brunswick Lines along with alternate transportation options that passengers should consider. The MTA Commuter Buses listed below will honor all MARC tickets during this disruption. In addition, WMATA and RideOn buses always honor MARC weekly and monthly passes and Camden Line tickets are always cross-honored on the Penn Line.

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Gaithersburg

Unclaimed $100,000 Powerball Ticket Sold in Gaithersburg

By Patrick Herron

A $100,000 winning Powerball ticket was sold on September 5 at the Harris Teeter located at 323 Copley Place in Gaithersburg. The ticket remains unclaimed as of September 12, according to the Maryland Lottery.  Other MoCo winners from the past week include a $10,000 scratch off sold at 7-Eleven (121 Kentlands Blvd) in Gaithersburg, a $15,000 Keno ticket sold at Brighton Beer & Wine (225 Muddy Branch Road) in Gaithersburg, and a $10,606 Racetrax ticket sold at Sunshine Ethio (6907 New Hampshire Ave) in Takoma Park.

Winners of prizes larger than $25,000 must redeem their tickets at the Maryland Lottery Customer Resource Center in Baltimore, which is open by appointment only. Prizes of up to $5,000 can be claimed at any of more than 400 Expanded Cashing Authority Program (XCAP) locations. All Maryland Lottery retailers are authorized to redeem tickets up to and including $600. More information is available on the How To Claim page of mdlottery.com.

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Montgomery Mall

Baskin Robbins Coming to the Montgomery Village Shopping Center

By MCS Staff

Back in January, @themocosource reached out to let us know that Baskin Robbins would be coming to the Montgomery Village Shopping Center and we now have confirmation from klnb that the ice cream shop will be coming to the vacant space next to Suburban Hair and Linda’s Nails. Baskin Robbins joins a growing list of restaurants that are all expected to open in the redeveloped MV shopping center by the end of the year that includes Antojitos Salvadoreños Isabel, Boo Boo Pho, Dickey’s BBQ, Hangry Joe’s Hot Chicken, and Kobe Japan. The new Starbucks is at the former site of the Montgomery Village Denny’s (19290 Montgomery Village Ave) opened in last month.

klnb has also announced that Fiesta Laundromat, which currently has a location  7601 New Hampshire Ave in Takoma Park, will be opening in the center, joining The Joint chiropractic care center and Safe Splash Swim School as non-restaurant businesses that have signed leases in the strip mall.

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Event

Heat for Heroes Chili Cook-Off

Lone Oak Farm Brewery

5000 Olney Laytonsville Rd

Olney, Maryland 20832

Website Contact

General admission is $25 per person, which includes chili tastings. Free Admission for kids under 18, Police Officers and their Family is provided by MCPF). All proceeds benefit the Foundation’s mission to strengthen community-police relationships, support officers wellness, and enhance public safety initiatives across Montgomery County.

In addition to delicious chili, attendees can enjoy local craft beer from Lone Oak Brewery, family activities, and opportunities to meet and interact with Montgomery County police officers in a fun, relaxed setting.

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Montgomery Parks

Montgomery Parks in Collaboration with County Agencies Repurpose Parking Spaces as a Creative Installation for PARK(ing) Day

By MCS Staff

Montgomery Parks in cooperation with the Wheaton Urban District, Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Montgomery County Recreation (MCR), One Montgomery Green and Montgomery Energy Connection invite the public to celebrate PARK(ing) Day on Friday, September 16, 2022. The organizations will repurpose part of a parking lot in Wheaton, Md., behind the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) building, into a temporary parklet. Games, a DJ, and free Italian ice will be available for guests to enjoy. There will also be an LED light bulb exchange where residents can trade energy-inefficient incandescent bulbs for more energy-saving LED ones.

“PARK(ing) Day provides an opportunity to create a fun, new experience to bring people together in Wheaton and surrounding areas,” said Mike Riley, director of Montgomery Parks. “The parklet allows us to demonstrate how small, activated urban green spaces can create big impacts in our communities.” The public is invited to stop by the pop-up parklet to play games, relax, and meet staff from Parks, DEP, MCR, and co-sponsoring community organizations.

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Maryland

Governor Hogan Announces More Than $13 Million in Highway Safety Grants, Including Over $150,000 to the Montgomery County Police Department

By Patrick Herron

“Since the beginning of our administration, we have worked to ensure safety on our highways through innovative projects and partnerships,” said Governor Hogan. “These grants will continue to help reduce crashes and fatalities all across the state and ensure highway safety remains a top priority.”

In 2021, there were 562 traffic deaths on Maryland roadways, including 131 pedestrians and six bicyclists. While that number is a decrease compared to 2020 when the state had 573 fatalities, including 138 pedestrians and 15 bicyclists, police reports continue to show speed, impairment, and inadequate or improper seat belt use as the most common contributing factors in motor vehicle fatalities.

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Rockville

BMX Athlete Tony Hoffman to Speak About Drug Abuse and Recovery at Richard Montgomery High School

By Patrick Herron

Professional BMX racer Tony Hoffman will be speaking about addiction and recovery at Richard Montgomery High School (250 Richard Montgomery Drive) in Rockville from 6-8:30pm on Tuesday, September 27. September is National Recovery Month and this event is part of the City of Rockville’s “Rockville Goes Purple” campaign.

During his senior year at Clovis High School he was featured on the cover of BMXer Magazine, and was sponsored by Fox Racing, Spy Sunglasses and Airwalk Shoes. On the surface, Tony’s path seemed destined for stardom. However, in reality, Tony experienced crippling anxiety, depression and suicidal ideations. Tony’s substance use began during his senior year, leading to the deterioration of his mental health and opioid addiction soon followed. Due to his misuse of Oxycontin, & other drugs a life of addiction, crime, homelessness and incarceration became his reality.

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Education

MCPS: Negotiations to Restore Covid-19 Leave Benefit Underway, Announcement Expected Soon

By MCS Staff

MCPS Superintendent Dr. Monifa McKnight has sent a letter to MCPS employees informing them of negotiations underway to restore Covid-19 leave for this school year. The Covid-19 leave benefit was not extended after last school year. Per the message, an announcement is expected to be made soon. The full message can be seen below.

“Dear MCPS Colleagues,

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