Beyond MoCo Archives - Page 112 of 187

One Maryland Town Included in U.S. News’ “Best Places to Live By the Beach in the U.S.“ List

Published October 10, 2023 at 7:32PM

U.S. News & World Report released its Best Places to Live in 2023-2024 list, which includes 20 places that are ranked according to the following factors; affordability, job market, morning commute, access to quality health care, and more. While places like Los Angeles, Miami, Charleston and others were expected on a list like this, one town in Maryland unexpectedly came in at 14– Salisbury, ranked a couple spots ahead of San Diego (16).

To add a little context, U.S. News includes popular beach destinations like Ocean City (MD), Rehoboth Beach (DE), and Bethany Beach (DE) in Salisbury’s “metropolitan statistical area”, per the U.S. Census. Salisbury is also home to Maryland’s only Cookout location– a popular fast food area focused in the southeast that has slowly expanded further north.

2023 MoCo Haunted Trail & Forest Guide

By Patrick Herron

Published October 10, 2023 at 4:26PM

The haunt is a benefit performance for Calleva, a 501c3 organization dedicated to building young leaders through positive outdoor experiences. “We spend all year empowering people through outdoor experiences that foster teamwork & individual achievement,” says Nick Markoff, one of the three brothers who founded Calleva. “Then we bring them out to Markoff’s Haunted Forest to knock their confidence back a bit.” The haunt began as a small scale event, but has grown into one of the nation’s top-ranked performances. Markoff’s Haunted Forest still helps fund Calleva’s summer camp scholarships, community partnerships, and outdoor education programming. It’s a partnership that delivers seasonal fun AND year-round benefits to our Montgomery County neighborhood. Tickets are on sale now at www.markoffshauntedforest.com.

“Since 1992, when the Markoff brothers started with a Haunted School Bus driven to events and festivals around DC, our haunt has provided fright fest lovers with a creative, dramatic, and – YES — terrifying haunt experience. Our creative team combines music, lights, scents, actors, make-up & prosthetics, and artistic brilliance in a series of high-tech, detailed scenes that consistently place MHF among the top haunts in the country.”

Governor Moore Announces New Annual Record for Chesapeake Bay Oyster Planting

By Patrick Herron

Published October 10, 2023 at 4:07PM

“Planting 1.7 billion oysters this year shows the success of the broad partnership of watermen, scientists, academics, nonprofits, and state and federal government officials dedicated to this vital natural resource and economic driver for Maryland,” said Gov. Moore. “I’d like to thank the partner organizations and our dedicated Department of Natural Resources staff who enabled the state to achieve this significant accomplishment.”

In 2014, Maryland committed to restoring oyster populations in five Bay tributaries, as part of the interstate Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement. The state embraced oyster plantings as a key component of its Chesapeake Bay restoration and replenishment strategy by deploying hundreds of millions of juvenile oysters on both sanctuary reefs and public oyster reefs annually. Oysters are beneficial because they filter excess nutrient pollutants from the bay, provide valuable habitat for other marine species, and boost the state’s commercial seafood industry through annual harvests and oyster aquaculture.

$25,000 Reward Offered in Case of Murdered Montgomery County Man

By MCS Staff

Published October 10, 2023 at 12:45PM

The Prince George’s County Police Department’s Homicide Unit is investigating a fatal shooting in the unincorporated section of Takoma Park. The victim has been identified as 45-year-old Jerome Clarke of Silver Spring. A reward of up to $25,000 is being offered for information leading to an arrest and indictment in this case.

According to PGCPD: On October 8, 2023, at approximately 8:20 pm, officers responded to the 6800 block of Red Top Road for the report of the sound of gunshots. Clarke was located outside suffering from gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead on the scene. Detectives are working to determine a motive and identify a suspect(s). Anyone with information on this case who would like to speak to a Homicide Unit detective may call 301-516-2512.

Maryland Road Named One of America’s Top Autumn Foliage Road Trip Destinations

By Patrick Herron

Published October 10, 2023 at 12:33PM

MarketWatch Guides has released their inaugural Fall Foliage Road Trip guide and the The Chesapeake Country Scenic Byway has been named one of the top destinations. The byway is located about two hours from Montgomery County. Per the article, “Scenic fall drives are often — and understandably – associated with the mountains. But the Chesapeake Country Scenic Byway offers an alternative of catching the colors among the gentle terrain and lulling waters of the Chesapeake Bay region. The National Scenic Byway runs along Maryland Route 213 and Maryland Route 18 between the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal and the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.

At just two-and-a-half hours from Washington, D.C. and an hour-and-a-half from Baltimore, Md., the byway is doable as a daytrip from either city. And while the fall colors and tideland scenery are worth the trip alone, fall color season is also still crab season in eastern Maryland. Make sure to set aside some time for the region’s famed crab cakes at one of the many waterside restaurants along the route in scenic towns like St. Michael’s and Cambridge.” Click here to read the complete top ten list. Featured image courtesy of Market Watch.

Two $50,000 Powerball Tickets Sold in Maryland; Jackpot Climbs to $1.72 Billion

By Patrick Herron

Published October 10, 2023 at 9:53AM

While no one matched all six numbers for last night’s $1.55 billion jackpot, two $50,000 winning tickets were sold in Maryland for the October 9 drawing. The lucky winners purchased their tickets at Your Store (10137 Old Ocean City Blvd) in Worchester County and at 7-Eleven (8900 Edmonston Rd) in Prince George’s County. The winning numbers were 16, 34, 46, 55 and 67; the Powerball was 14. The Powerball drawing scheduled to take place Wednesday, October 11 has an estimated jackpot of $1.73 billion, with an estimated cash option of $756.6 million, making it the 2nd largest jackpot in U.S. history. Powerball drawings take place every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million. The odds of winning a prize are 1 in 24.9. Additional details below courtesy of Powerball:

“Wednesday’s estimated jackpot ranks as the second-largest Powerball jackpot and U.S. lottery jackpot, only behind the world record $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot won in California on November 7, 2022. The Powerball jackpot rolled Monday night, after no ticket matched all six numbers drawn – white balls 16, 34, 46, 55, 67 and red Powerball 14. The Power Play® multiplier was 3X.

Popular NYC Ice Cream Shop, Malai, to Open DC Location in Spring 2024

By MCS Staff

Published October 9, 2023 at 7:02PM

Malai, a New York City-based ice cream shop, is coming to DC. The shop “brings a taste of India in every bite and every cone, through its spice forward flavors, and its creamy textures. We are inspired by the traditions, culture, and heritage that India brings, and we show that through our products, hospitality and design.” The store will be off of the 14th street corridor, according to Eater DC, but an exact address is not yet available.

According to the shop, “Malai, figuratively meaning cream of the crop, draws inspiration from South Asian ingredients, aromatic spices, and our founder’s upbringing. Our ice cream is all eggless, handcrafted, and churned with very little air, resulting in purer, more robust flavors, as well as the creamiest textures you can find. Malai’s unique desserts have been giving our customers joy since 2015.”

Maryland State Police Investigating Shooting At Bowie State University

By Patrick Herron

Published October 9, 2023 at 12:15PM

Per the Maryland State Police: Maryland State Police are investigating a shooting that occurred late Saturday evening on the campus of Bowie State University. At about 11:30 p.m., troopers from the Maryland State Police College Park Barrack, who were assisting Bowie State University with security during Homecoming weekend, responded to the school’s Center for Business and Graduate Studies for a report of a shooting. According to a preliminary investigation, two male victims, both 19, were located in front of the Center for Business and Graduate Studies and were transported by ambulance by the Prince George’s County Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department to a local hospital for treatment of their injuries. There is no indication that either victims were students of Bowie State. No other injuries were reported.

Investigators from the Maryland State Police Criminal Enforcement Division are leading the investigation with assistance provided by troopers from the College Park Barrack and the Bowie State Police Department. Prince George’s County Police also assisted at the scene. Anyone with information on this case is asked to call the Bowie State Police tips line at 301-860-4688. The case remains under investigation.

Nearby Columbia, MD Rated 2nd Safest City in The U.S., Washington D.C. in Bottom 10 According to Study

By MCS Staff

Published October 9, 2023 at 7:39AM | Updated October 9, 2023 at 12:52PM

With the U.S. experiencing over 500 mass shootings and over 25,000 motor vehicle deaths so far this year, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2023’s Safest Cities in America, with nearby cities like Columbia (Howard County) and Washington D.C. making appearances on each side of the list.

To determine where Americans can feel most protected against life’s hazards, including nonphysical forms of danger, WalletHub compared more than 180 U.S. cities across 41 key metrics (WalletHub compared 182 cities — including the 150 most populated U.S. cities, plus at least two of the most populated cities in each state — across three key dimensions: 1) Home & Community Safety, 2) Natural-Disaster Risk, and 3) Financial Safety). The data set ranges from traffic fatalities per capita and assaults per capita to the unemployment rate and the percentage of the population that is uninsured.

Sugarloaf Mountain Sets Reopening Date With Notable Changes

By MCS Staff

Published October 8, 2023 at 10:22AM

Sugarloaf Mountain, a Stronghold property, has been closed since an attempted break-in at the Strong Mansion on August 19th. Stronghold Inc., the non-profit that owns and operates the property, has announced that it will be reopening the property with notable changes. “The Stronghold property will be open to the public under these conditions beginning on October 10^th. Please enjoy the property respectfully.” The changes, per Stronghold, can be seen below:

Notable Changes: Visitors will no longer be allowed to park in the crossroads or “square”. This change will keep the intersection clear of inappropriately parked vehicles, eliminate late night loitering, and stop after hours entry onto the Stronghold property. This change will also provide a needed staging area for all EMS vehicles during emergencies.

Four $50,000 Winning Lottery Tickets Sold in Maryland; Powerball Jackpot Reached $1.4 Billion

By Patrick Herron

Published October 5, 2023 at 4:23PM

Three winning Powerball and one Bonus Match 5 lottery tickets, each worth $50,000, were sold this past week in Maryland. The tickets were sold at:

The Powerball drawing scheduled to take place Saturday, October 7, has an estimated jackpot of $1.4 billion, with an estimated cash option of $643.7 million. Powerball drawings take place every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million. The odds of winning a prize are 1 in 24.9. Additional details below courtesy of Powerball: