Community

Now in its third year, Watkins Mill alumnus Joseph Hooks’ 480 Club’s Student Athlete Mentor Program (SAMP) has become one of Montgomery County’s most impactful youth-led initiatives for leadership development, community building, and violence prevention. The program pairs high school student-athletes with younger students through athletic mentorship, social-emotional learning, and consistent peer support. What began as a school-based effort is now influencing sports culture across the Clarksburg, Northwest, and Watkins Mill clusters and extending into community sports programs throughout the region.

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Education

Governor Wes Moore announced $19 million in expanded Grow Your Own Educators grants to help non licensed school staff become teachers, part of a broader strategy that has cut statewide teacher vacancies nearly in half over the past year.

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Event

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.


Celebrities

Tennis legend Andre Agassi is in Maryland this week as part of a multi-day filming project with JOOLA, the global pickleball and table tennis brand that recently relocated its U.S. headquarters to Pike & Rose. The company also opened a retail store in the development on Black Friday, sitting just steps away from several popular restaurants.

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Education

Montgomery County Public Schools issued a community-wide apology on Tuesday after announcing a two hour delay at 4:55am (with the text to the community coming at approximately 5:01am), a decision that left many families scrambling to adjust morning plans. In a letter sent to all MCPS households, Superintendent Dr. Thomas Taylor acknowledged the widespread frustration surrounding the timing of the call and the handling of before-school childcare.

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Crime

The Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) arrested an 18-year-old Kensington man on ten counts of possessing child pornography following a months-long investigation that began with a national cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

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Community

Community volunteer Sheena Saydam began hosting free monthly yard sales after noticing how many families felt overwhelmed by clutter or the stress of moving. With so many people looking to downsize and so many others in need of essential items, she saw an opportunity for what she describes as a collective win. What started as a simple idea revealed a much deeper level of need in the community.

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MCPS

Walter Johnson High School is officially beginning the search for its next varsity football coach following the departure of Head Coach Aaron Fiddler from the program. Fiddler, who led the Wildcats for the past three seasons, will remain a teacher at the school, but is stepping away from his coaching role.

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MoCo Government

The City of Rockville will prohibit plastic carryout bags at most businesses beginning Jan. 1 after the Rockville Mayor and Council voted to adopt Montgomery County’s Bring Your Own Bag Law, which aims to reduce waste and encourage reusable bag use.

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