Beyond MoCo Archives - Page 154 of 191

Beyond MoCo: Maryland State Police Aviation Crew Rescue Injured Hunter Who Fell From Tree In Howard County

Published October 11, 2022 at 9:05AM

The aviation crew from Washington Section, Trooper 2, based out of Joint Base Andrews Air Force Base, configured the helicopter for an aerial hoist rescue and responded to the scene. While enroute, it was determined that an ATV would not be able to reach the patient. Due to the extended distance and extrication coupled with the patient’s significant injuries, it was requested that Trooper 2 hoist the patient out of the wooded area and transport the patient.

As the pilots located the extrication site in the wooded area, the pilots maneuvered the Augusta AW-139 helicopter into a steady 150-foot hover. A state trooper/flight paramedic was deployed from the helicopter to the wooded area where the injured hiker was located. The trooper flight paramedic performed an assessment and used a PEP bag to package the patient with the assistance of HCDFRS personnel. The patient was hoisted into the helicopter where Trooper 2 transitioned to a medevac and flew the patient to the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore.

DC and Baltimore Named Among ‘Worst Cities For Driving’ in New Report

By MCS Staff

Published October 11, 2022 at 7:16AM | Updated October 11, 2022 at 6:02PM

With Americans losing an average of $564 per year in wasted time due to traffic congestion, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2022’s Best & Worst Cities to Drive in. Washington DC and Baltimore, the two closest major cities included in the list, were both ranked among the worst cities to drive in, ranked in the bottom 7 of the 100 cities listed.

To determine the most driver-friendly places in the U.S., WalletHub compared the 100 largest cities across 30 key metrics. The data set ranges from average gas prices to annual hours in traffic congestion per auto commuter to auto-repair shops per capita.

Beyond MoCo: Columbia, MD (Howard County) is ‘Safest City in America’, According to Report

By MCS Staff

Published October 10, 2022 at 3:28PM

Personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2022’s Safest Cities in America, and nearby Columbia MD (Howard County) was ranked the safest city in America. It appears that only Baltimore and Columbia, the two areas in MD with a population over 100,000 were the only places in Maryland included in the report.

Per WalletHub, 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 42 key metrics. The data set ranges from the percentage of residents who are fully vaccinated and assaults per capita to the unemployment rate and road quality.

Beyond MoCo: Howard County Plans to Repurpose “Snow Days” as Asynchronous Instruction Days

By MCS Staff

Published October 10, 2022 at 7:13AM

The Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) has approved a plan for the 2022-2023 school year that would repurpose “snow days”, also known as inclement weather days, as asynchronous learning days. According to the HCPSS website, HCPSS is planning to repurpose up to three inclement weather days as asynchronous instruction days, which will be used at the discretion of the Superintendent. No word yet on if MCPS plans to follow suit.

For the 2022-2023 school year, the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) is allowing local school systems to repurpose up to three inclement weather days as asynchronous instruction days. The HCPSS vision for the asynchronous instruction day includes minimizing the disruption to instructional momentum with a greater value than when adding days to the end of the academic calendar.

Beyond MoCo: Arundel Mills Placed on Lockdown After Accidental Discharge of Firearm in Food Court

By Patrick Herron

Published October 1, 2022 at 5:16PM

Anne Arundel Police responded to Arundel Mills Mall (7000 Arundel Mills Cir) in Hanover, MD around 4pm on Saturday, October 1 after reports of shots fired. A preliminary investigation/review of video revealed that a male subject accidentally discharged a firearm in the mall’s food court. There were no injuries reported from the discharge and police are currently on scene investigating.

FOX5 reports that the mall was placed under a lockdown after the incident and has since reopened and resumed normal operations. In a tweet sent out at 4:30pm, the Anne Arundel County Police stressed that nobody was shot inside the mall; “PIO will update staging area once on scene and briefed. AGAIN no one shot!” Arundel Mills is home to Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World, Books-A-Million, Cinemark Egyptian Theatres, Dave & Buster’s, and Medieval Times Dinner. Maryland Live Casino is located next the mall.

MPD Seeks Public’s Assistance in Murder of Montgomery County Man Last Thursday

By MCS Staff

Published October 1, 2022 at 6:28AM

Per the Metropolitan Police Department: Detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Homicide Branch are seeking the public’s assistance in identifying and locating a suspect and vehicle in reference to a homicide that occurred on Thursday, September 22, 2022, in the 3000 block of Adams Street, Northeast. At approximately 12:41 pm, members of the Fifth District responded to the listed location for the report of a shooting.

Upon arrival, the members located an adult male victim suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services responded to the scene and after finding no signs consistent with life, the victim remained on the scene until transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. The decedent has been identified as 57-year-old Bacilio Villatoro, of Silver Spring, MD.

Rockville Couple Facing Federal Indictment for Allegedly Providing Confidential Information to Russian Representative to Assist Russia in Connection to the Conflict In Ukraine

By Patrick Herron

Published September 29, 2022 at 9:03PM

Gabrielian is scheduled to have initial appearance at 11:30 a.m. today, in U.S. District Court in Baltimore before U.S. Magistrate Judge Brendan A. Hurson. Henry is also expected to have an initial appearance today, although a time has not yet been set. The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.

As stated in the indictment, Gabrielian is an anesthesiologist and worked at Medical Institution 1, located in Baltimore, Maryland. Henry, a Major in the United States Army, who held a Secret-level security clearance, is Gabrielian’s husband and a doctor. During the time of the alleged conspiracy, Henry worked as a staff internist stationed at Fort Bragg, the home of the Army’s XVIII Airborne Corps, headquarters of the United States Army Special Operations Command, and the Womack Army Medical Center.

Beyond MoCo: This Weekend’s Oceans Calling Festival Cancelled

By Patrick Herron

Published September 29, 2022 at 3:35PM

This weekend’s Oceans Calling Festival that was scheduled to take place on the Ocean City Boardwalk from September 30-October 2 has been cancelled due to to the forecast of inclement weather. The three day music and art festival was put together in partnership with Rockville natives O.A.R, who were also scheduled to preform several sets at the event. Rapper Logic, who is from Gaithersburg, was also scheduled to perform.

The members of O.A.R. met each other while attending Wootton High School in Rockville. They would play together at the Grand Marquis in Onley and pass out CDs to other students at school. After high school the band went to Ohio State, using Columbus’ nightlife to build the O.A.R.’s reputation. The band even came back to Wootton High School and played a concert on the football field, back in May of 2001. They achieved their biggest commercial success with the single “Shattered (Turn the Car Around) in 2008.

Beyond MoCo: DC Bars Allowed to Remain Open 24 Hours a Day During World Cup

By MCS Staff

Published September 29, 2022 at 2:54PM | Updated November 2, 2022 at 8:43AM

The D.C. Council has approved an emergency measure that will “allow bars, restaurants, and breweries/distilleries who register for the privilege to remain open 24 hours a day during the upcoming November/December soccer World Cup, with alcoholic beverage service allowed from 6am to 4am.” Per the measure, alcohol cannot be served between 4am and 6am. The 2022 FIFA World Cup is scheduled to be the 22nd running of the FIFA World Cup competition, the quadrennial international men’s football championship contested by the senior national teams of the member associations of FIFA. It is scheduled to take place in Qatar from 20 November to 18 December 2022.

In addition, the tournament will be the last to involve 32 teams, with an increase to 48 teams scheduled for the 2026 tournament in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Due to Qatar’s intense summer heat, this World Cup is being held from late-November to mid-December, making it the first tournament not to be held in May, June, or July and to take place in the northern autumn; it will be played in a reduced timeframe of around 29 days. The first match played at the tournament will be contested between Qatar and Ecuador at Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor. The final is due to be held on 18 December 2022, which also is Qatar National Day.

Virginia Declares State of Emergency in Advance of Hurricane Ian; Maryland Governor Larry Hogan Monitoring Storm

By Patrick Herron

Published September 29, 2022 at 9:53AM

On Wednesday, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin declared a State of Emergency ahead of Hurricane Ian, which is expected to start impacting parts of DC, Maryland, and Virginia on Friday evening. According to a press release, the State of Emergency “allows the Commonwealth to mobilize resources and equipment needed for response and recovery efforts. Virginians should be prepared for the potential of severe rainfall, flooding, wind damage, tornadoes, and other storm-related impacts.” The full text of Executive Order 22 is available here.

Beyond MoCo: Lion Dies at Smithsonian’s National Zoo

By Patrick Herron

Published September 27, 2022 at 10:12PM

In March, Great Cats keepers noticed that Naba was chewing in an exaggerated manner and not consuming all of her diet. Naba was trained to voluntarily participate in awake health exams and blood draws. When keepers gave Naba the cue to open her mouth, they observed some dental issues, and blood tests showed chronic renal disease, both of which can be common in older lions. Zoo veterinarians prescribed pain medications to ease Naba’s discomfort, and keepers presented her diet in a variety of ways to encourage her to eat. Zoo veterinarians and an outside veterinary dental specialist treated Naba’s dental disease over the next few months, but despite intermittent improvements in her behavior and appetite, she continued to decline.

During a complete veterinary exam last Friday to identify the cause of her ongoing decline, a new dental concern was addressed, and Naba’s team of keepers and veterinarians were cautiously optimistic she could recover. However, she did not eat well, was not defecating throughout the weekend and her discomfort was noticeable to the team. Concluding that further attempts to investigate Naba’s illness would be invasive and difficult on her, the team made the hard decision to euthanize Naba. Initial necropsy findings showed a large mass in her small intestine and a cystic lesion in her brain. A final pathology report will provide more information in the coming weeks.