Per MCPD: Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police – 2nd District Investigative Section are investigating a burglary that occurred on Monday, August 7, 2023, at the Bone Jour store in the 4900 block of Del Ray Ave. in Bethesda. Detectives have released surveillance video of the suspects and are asking for the public’s assistance in identifying them.
The investigation has revealed that the rear door of the store was pried open, and a female suspect entered the store. A bundle of permanent balloons was stolen from outside of the store.
Detectives reviewed surveillance cameras and obtained a description of the suspects. One of the suspects is described as a White male, in his twenties, with short hair, a medium build, wearing glasses, a t-shirt, short pants and shoes. The other suspect is described as a White female, in her twenties, with long hair, wearing a winter hat, a long-sleeved sweater, short pants and shoes.
Anyone with information regarding these suspects or this crime is asked to visit the Crime Solvers of Montgomery County, MD website at www.crimesolversmcmd.org and click on the “www.p3tips.com” link at the top of the page or call 1-866-411-8477. A reward of up to $10,000 is being offered for information that leads to the arrest of the suspects. Tips may remain anonymous.
The Metro Transit Police Department (MTPD) and Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) responded to a call at the Forest Glen Station in Silver Spring where a man was struck by a Red Line train shortly before noon Friday morning.
According to MTPD, the man was transported to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. “Based on a review of video, he appears to intentionally place himself in the path of the train.” Due to the ongoing investigation, Red Line trains continue to single track between Silver Spring & Forest Glen. Check @Metrorailinfo for latest service info. Featured photo courtesy of Google Maps.
Per Westfield Montgomery: Westfield Montgomery is proud to partner with Bethesda-based non-profit organization, The Napkin Network for the “Napkin Nook” initiative in a testament to the mall’s ongoing commitment to the community. As 1 in 3 families struggle to afford diapers for their children, the Napkin Nook welcomes those in need to take home essential baby items such as diapers and formula, making their parenting journey a little easier. Stationed on the lower level in front of the PlaySpace, the activation aims to bridge the gap between families in need and those eager to help, recognizing the challenges of motherhood and the persistent need within the community.
“The Napkin Network is here to assist in this messy, wonderful, challenging, and necessary journey known best as ‘motherhood,” says Founder Lindsay Gill. Echoing Gill’s objective, Zeina Davis, Director of Marketing for Westfield Montgomery says: “As a native of Montgomery County and a mother myself, it’s my pleasure to facilitate the betterment of mothers and families who contribute to the vitality of our center and are at the heart of our vibrant community. We aim to be a cornerstone of the community, offering both support for families and a platform for local artists.”
Visitors will be greeted with a mural feature designed by Hannah Johnson, a senior Montgomery County Public School student and winner of “Best in Show” at the 2023 Quince Orchard Spring Art Show. “I was honored when asked to be the commissioned artist for the Family Lounge,” says Hannah. “I wanted to incorporate a blend of color and fun designs to appeal to all eyes which I had an amazing time creating. I love supporting the Napkin Nook and integrating its colors into my design. It’s such a privilege to have my art displayed and I can’t wait to see where my art takes me.” Assisting in this mural’s creation is Hannah’s mother, Nikki Johnson, an art educator at Poolesville Elementary. For anyone looking for additional support from The Napkin Network, or those in a position to donate to this mission, more information can be found at www.thenapkinnetwork.com.
At Westfield Montgomery’s Napkin Nook, patrons are invited to witness firsthand the power of community collaboration, where commerce and compassion unite to make a difference.
On Friday, August 18, 2023, officers from the Montgomery County Department of Police and allied agencies will be conducting a sobriety checkpoint and will conduct focused enforcement on impaired driving laws. The exact location of the checkpoint will not be disclosed in advance.
What: Sobriety Checkpoint
When: Friday, August 18, 2023, beginning at approximately 10 p.m.
Where: Undisclosed Location
Per Montgomery County:
Dear Friends,
I want to begin my letter this week commenting on a report in The Washington Post that first surfaced last Friday about a Montgomery County Public Schools high school principal with multiple sexual harassment allegations against him and who was subsequently promoted. That principal is currently on leave and the school system has hired an outside law firm to investigate.
These allegations raise many questions about how the accusations were handled. Did the school system conduct the reviews of the complaints before promoting this principal? And why is the school district now hiring a law firm to investigate the complaints if the complaints were properly reviewed when they were made?
There may be some serious problems that need to be addressed if this case is in indicative of how complaints are normally handled. We, as a County Government, have very little authority over the schools, but I want to see the right resolution.
If the allegations are true, we need people to be held accountable, and we need improvements. We know there are thousands of dedicated staff across our schools working with our children and they deserve better.
County Search and Rescue Deployed to Hawaii
Maryland Task Force 1 has joined ongoing recovery operations in the fire ravaged community of Lahaina in Maui County, Hawaii. The Task Force includes 70 rescuers and 10 support personnel, including 50 members from the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service. We greatly appreciate them and the other first responders who have answered the call for help. They willingly put themselves in harm’s way and often sacrifice time with their families to lend help to others. We wish them the best on this difficult, but important mission.
Our thoughts are with them and their families as well the families and friends of all the victims.
It is very concerning that there was a lapse of proper warnings and alerts provided to those on the island about these fires. I have asked our emergency management and public safety agencies to look at what happened in Hawaii regarding this lack of notification and to ensure that does not happen here in Montgomery County.
You can help and support relief efforts via the Red Cross. You can donate online at Donate Now – Online Donations | American Red Cross. You can also call 1-800-RED-CROSS (800-733-2767) or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.
Shop Maryland Tax-Free Week
We are in the midst of Shop Maryland Tax-Free Week, which helps families with the cost of school clothes, supplies and backpacks. Tax-free week ends on Saturday, Aug. 19.
The incentives include tax-free purchases for qualifying apparel and foot ware, and each item cannot exceed $100. Sweaters, shirts, underwear, belts and shoes are examples of items that qualify. The first $40 of a backpack or bookbag also is tax-free.
This promotion is unique to Maryland and not available in neighboring jurisdictions like Washington, D.C., or Northern Virginia. This is good for County retail businesses to attract shoppers from neighbor states to shop in our stores. This week, Maryland Comptroller Brooke Lierman joined my weekly media briefing to discuss how the sales tax break is good for our local businesses. You can watch her here. For families with limited means, these savings can make a difference in back-to-school expenses.
Health Update
We are less than two weeks away from the beginning of school, so it is very important that parents make sure their children have the proper shots and immunizations needed to attend school. You can learn more about those requirements by following this link. Our Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) team has been working with MCPS to ensure that all students and their families are aware of the requirements and are providing access to receive them if needed.
Our COVID-19 numbers continue to slightly increase. This is happening across the nation, not just here in Maryland. The good news is that we have yet to see dramatic increases in serious illness or deaths. You can track that information on our COVID-19 Information Portal.
I am glad that our DHHS team and the County continue to monitor COVID and we report out information each week. Our society, and the media, is moving on from this virus as if it is gone. But it is still in our community, and we are going to continue to focus on it. It remains more deadly than the flu, but that does not have to be the case. COVID vaccines are widely available, and they are extremely effective in lessening the impact of the virus.
The new COVID booster vaccine is expected herein about a month. It is going to be a challenge for us to re-focus efforts to get people re-boosted. Last fall, fewer residents came out for the COVID booster shot than we normally see for the annual flu shot. We would like our residents to get both COVID and flu shots this year because that will reduce the number of serious illnesses we see.
Promotion of Human Rights Worldwide Comes to Montgomery County
For decades, local jurisdictions have relied on commissions to investigate, fight for and protect human and civil rights. This week, Montgomery County was host to the International Association of Official Human Rights Agencies in North Bethesda. The organization, which was founded in 1949, provides opportunities and forums for the exchange of ideas and information for its member agencies and other human rights advocates. These agencies seek to make equity, inclusion and respect for everyone’s human dignity a reality for all.
Our Office of Human Rights, which is led by James Stowe, hosted this year’s conference. It featured a number of notable speakers and panelists. It was the 74th Annual Conference and the theme was “Embracing Truth and Healing: Securing Equity and Justice for All.” The conference included sessions that reflected on the 1963 March on Washington and the issues we are still grappling with as a society as we approach the 60th anniversary of the march.
I had an opportunity to address the conference participants and I talked about some of our efforts in Montgomery County. I shared that we have a Racial Equity and Social Justice bill that I championed and signed into law during my first term in office. It made Montgomery County the first County in Maryland to make racial equity public policy. You can watch my comments about the law and the bill signing for the event here. That led to my appointing the County’s first-ever chief equity officer to review policies and practices to ensure that they do not adversely affect racial equity and to begin to address the inequities of the past. You can read more about that office at https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/ore/
I also shared with them the landmark rent stabilization bill law that I recently signed and the incredible partnership and teamwork it took among stakeholders, housing advocates and members of our County Council. This new law makes Montgomery County the only County in Maryland to have a permanent rent stabilization law.
These are a few examples of the achievements that I shared with the human rights leaders from around the country. I am proud of the policies we have implemented to help all our residents live in a more equitable and just County.
National Farmers Market Week
This is National Farmers Market Week. There are 22 farmers markets in Montgomery County. You can find a list of them here or search for them on the Office of Agriculture website.
How our food is produced also makes a significant environmental impact as well. Through the use of Best Management Practices (BMPs), Montgomery County farmers are reducing their greenhouse gas emissions. You can read more about BMPs here.
Farming is evolving and we are seeing greater efforts to rebuild soil and use cover crops, maintain insect diversity, use less pesticides and create border areas for wildlife. These are practices that contribute to the conservation of resources and the long-term viability of our local ecosystems.
By attending farmers markets and speaking directly to the men and women that farm here, you can learn more about local practices. By understanding production methods, you can choose foods with lower environmental footprints that are grown with sustainable or regenerative agriculture practices.
Another often-overlooked aspect of the connection between local food sourcing and climate change is the reduction of food waste. When food is transported over long distances, it is more likely to spoil before reaching its destination. Locally sourced food helps reduce the time between harvest and consumption, minimizing waste and the associated methane emissions from decomposing organic matter.
Climate change is a pressing global issue, and the cumulative effect of small choices—like growing local and shopping local—are forces for positive change. Here in Montgomery County, we continue to forge ahead with our Climate Action Plan and continue to support farming measures that are carbon neutral.
By understanding the broader context and consequences of our everyday actions, we can all make more informed decisions that collectively contribute to a more sustainable and resilient future.
Vinyl Day at Library in Silver Spring
Montgomery County Public Libraries hosted a “Vinyl Day” dedicated to hip hop music on Aug. 12. The free event welcomed hundreds of hip hop and music lovers to the Brigadier General Charles E. McGee Library in Silver Spring.
The event had some great community partners, like the Mid-Atlantic Scratch League, eager to show off their skills and share their love of vinyl records with the community. Visitors were able to search for albums to buy, learn to scratch and take part in breakdancing classes. The DJs also mixed in a little Hotel California per my request.
I want to thank the Friends of the Library Montgomery County, Levine Music and Classroom 2 Community for putting together this wonderful event. It helped those interested learn about music production and song writing and showed how the local DJ community works together and encourages others to participate.
This event was also a way to welcome families into a library—maybe for the first time. It introduced kids and adults to the services offered by our libraries. They have more than just books: our libraries lend music, audio books, movies and more.
Please keep up with events and news at our local libraries and check out the library closest to you soon as a source for all sorts of entertainment and learning.
Agricultural Fair Up and Running
We are having an eventful County fair this year. Since it opened last Friday, at least two calves have been born at the fairgrounds, a 4-H king and queen have been named and thousands of people have been out to enjoy the food, carnival, animals and entertainment. I want to thank 4-H and the Future Farmers of America for inviting me to be in Sunday’s parade.
The fair is a great way to celebrate all that happens throughout the year in Montgomery County’s agricultural community, and especially, in the Agricultural Reserve. Organizations like the Montgomery County Farm Bureau, the University of Maryland Extension and many others who participate in the fair help promote and protect agriculture in our County. There are 93,000 County acres designated as the Agricultural Reserve.
The Ag Reserve was conceived more than 40 years ago to stop suburban sprawl and protect farmland and agriculture. Our County is home to more than 550 working farms that add $281 million to our local economy.
We continue to find ways to help the agricultural community. This summer we celebrated the opening of The Crossvines in Poolesville, which is designed to help our growing wine industry. Crossvines provides a shared grape-crush facility and a restaurant and event space. We have the right kind of land to replicate what Virginia has done with its wine industry and now we have provided a grape-crushing facility to help our local farmers keep costs down while producing excellent, high-quality wines.
The Ag Fair gives everyone an opportunity to head to Gaithersburg and see some of our County’s Agriculture. Please enjoy the fair before it ends on Saturday, Aug. 19.
The Passing of Lonnie Luther
In closing, I would like to express how sad I am to learn about the passing of Dr. Lonnie Luther. He served as president of the Montgomery County Farm Bureau and was a fierce advocate for Montgomery County farmers. You can read more about his chicken farm as it prepared for the County Fair by reading this article from WTOP. He was a leader that our farmers could count on.
Our thoughts and condolences are with the Luther family, the Farm Bureau and those in our agricultural community who worked with him over the years.
As always, my appreciation for all of you,
Marc Elrich
County Executive
Per MCPD: The Special Victims Division is asking for the public’s assistance in locating Tanease Callands, a missing 15-year-old. Callands was last seen on Friday August 11, 2023, at approximately 2:30 p.m., in the 11200 block of Georgia Ave. in Silver Spring. She is 5’5″, 130 lbs, with black hair, brown eyes, and a nose ring. She was last seen wearing a pink t-shirt, whitewashed jean shorts and grey Crocs.
Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Tanease Callands is asked to call Montgomery County Police Non-Emergency (301) 279-8000 (24-hour line).
The City of Gaithersburg Public Works Department has been evaluating the possible installation of a pedestrian bridge over Great Seneca Highway (MD 119) between mile point 2.10 and 2.55 at the intersection of Kentlands Boulevard/Orchard Ridge Drive. At the July 10, 2023 meeting, the City Council directed Staff to move forward with an amendment to the City’s agreement with AstraZeneca to terminate the pedestrian bridge project and reallocate approximately $2.0 million for intersection pedestrian improvements at the City’s highest need locations, under the newly created “AstraZeneca Safety Improvement Fund.”
Project Background: MedImmune (now AstraZeneca) partnered with the City to fund the design and construction of a new pedestrian bridge across Great Seneca Highway. The bridge planned to have two approach access ramps for pedestrians and bicyclists. The City started the initial evaluation of the project in 2017, which was followed by early concepts in 2018 and continued with procurement of an engineering consultant for final design services starting in 2021.
In 2023, the city received the 75% design submittal from the City’s engineering consultant. The associated construction cost estimate showed the total bridge construction cost at approximately $5.9 million, which is $1.3 million over the original cost estimate. In addition, the pedestrian bridge includes annual maintenance costs over the lifetime of the bridge which are substantial and would need to be funded entirely by the City. Great Seneca Highway is a state owned and maintained roadway. Kentlands Boulevard and Orchard Ridge Drive are City owned and maintained.
The Mayor and City Council received design and cost updates at public meetings on November 14, 2022 and July 10, 2023. At the November 14, 2022 meeting, the City Council directed Staff to explore options to invest in alternative pedestrian safety improvements at the bridge intersection as well as other intersections throughout the City that demonstrated a need for safety improvements. The preliminary results of the City’s Intersection Pedestrian Safety Study were presented to the Mayor and City Council at the March 13, 2023 Mayor and City Council meeting. The study showed that safety improvements could be completed at eight study intersections at a total construction cost of approximately $1.2 million.
The July 2023 Mayor and City Council Presentation can be found here. Information courtesy of the City of Gaithersburg.
Per The City of Gaithersburg: Gaithersburg currently maintains a patchwork of permit parking programs in both residential and commercial neighborhoods. In order to address community concerns about permit parking, the City established a work group with representation from different departments in the spring 2023 to analyze, develop, and implement a new permit-parking program.
This page is intended to provide the community with updates on the Permit Parking Program Project. City staff conducted a presentation to the Mayor and City Council about the program on March 27, 2023. Information about that meeting is below:
The Permit Parking Program will consolidate the variety of existing City Parking Permits into one program. The existing programs are Residential Permit Parking, Commercial Permit Parking, The Crossings Permit Program, Commuter Permit Parking, and Temporary Permit Parking. The scope of this project will:
- Make amendments to City Code, Section 14 -17A Resident Parking Permit Areas.
- Establish City Regulations on the Permit Parking Program. The Permit Parking Regulations will:
- Establish definitions of terms.
- Establish criteria for neighborhood eligibility.
- Procedures to establish, modify or remove permitted areas.
- Establish procedures for registering, issuing, and purging old permits, etc.
The timeline for this project is to be presented to the Mayor and City Council for City Code changes and new Parking Permit Regulations for review and approval in the first quarter of 2024, with an anticipated implementation date on or around mid–2024.
We need your help in this process. We are interested in learning about existing parking conditions in your neighborhood. Please complete this survey to provide us your feedback, which will be used by the project team to develop a robust City Code and new regulations concerning the Parking Permit Program.
| TAKE THE SURVEY |
For any feedback or comments, you may email [email protected].
Per MCPD: The Montgomery County Department of Police is investigating a serious collision that occurred on Thursday, August 17, 2023. At approximately 6:39 p.m., Montgomery County 4th District officers and Fire Rescue personnel responded to the area of Georgia Avenue and Kayson Street for the report of a serious traffic collision involving four vehicles.
The preliminary investigation has revealed that a gray Audi A6 was traveling southbound on Georgia Avenue when it struck a Red heavy duty Ford Truck and trailer that was attempting to turn onto northbound Georgia Avenue. The truck spun, detaching from its trailer and collided with a Chevy Traverse. The detached trailer then spilled into the road and was hit by a white Ford Taurus.
The driver and three passengers of the Ford Truck were transported to an area hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. The drivers from the Audi A6 and Ford Taurus were also transported to area hospitals with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. A pedestrian who was in the area at the time, was injured while attempting to avoid the collision. The pedestrian was transported to an area hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. This is an active and ongoing investigation.
