“Montgomery College has had a presence in the East County since 2015, when we established a community engagement center inside the East County Regional Service Center on Briggs Chaney Road,” said MC President Williams. “[Since 2015] the College has served thousands of people seeking training and job skills. These individuals have been empowered to take advantage of classes and learning opportunities –many of them free, such as English classes and computer trainings—that have improved their earning potential. Now it’s time to expand those opportunities and we can do so with the help of everyone here today.”

Montgomery College currently has three campuses (Germantown, Rockville, Takoma Park/Silver Spring) and two training centers in Gaithersburg and Wheaton. The ECEC will be the largest of the College’s three centers and nearly four times larger than the Gaithersburg site.


Adventist HealthCare White Oak Medical Center has been awarded the Healthcare LEED GOLD certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) for the design, construction and operations of its more than 500,000 thousand-square-foot hospital and 48-acre campus. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), developed by the USGBC, is the most widely used green building rating system in the world and an international symbol of excellence.

Per the press release: LEED-certified buildings and campuses are helping to make the world more sustainable through practices that improve environmental and human health. White Oak Medical Center is the first hospital campus in Maryland to receive this prestigious Healthcare LEED Gold certification and recognition. White Oak Medical Center’s campus received the certification based on a number of design and construction features positively impacting the environment, community and the hospital. Some of these features include:


A police pursuit ended on Monday after a Montgomery County Police vehicle collided with a suspect’s vehicle that had just crashed into a Metrobus on Georgia Ave near Downtown Silver Spring. Northbound Georgia Ave is closed at Burlington Avenue and 13th Street as a result of the collision.  According to MCPD, “At approximately 2:41 p.m., 3rd District officers responded to the 9300 block of Piney Branch Rd. for an armed robbery. Officers located the suspects at the White Oak Shopping Center. The suspects drove off and officers pursued the suspect vehicle, until it crashed into the rear end of a Metro bus. A Montgomery County Police cruiser subsequently crashed into the rear of the suspect vehicle.

 


On Thursday, May 5, 2022, at approximately 9:50 p.m., Davee Mannah Kromah was driving north on Columbia Pike in a dark gray 2014 Ford Fusion when he ran a red light and struck an adult male, who was in a marked crosswalk at the intersection of Columbia Pike and Prelude Drive.

Responding officers were able to identify the make and model of the suspect vehicle and conducted a search of the surrounding area. The damaged Ford Fusion was found on Heather Hollow Circle, close to Kromah’s home and officers identified him as the possible driver. Collision Reconstruction Unit detectives interviewed Kromah, and during the investigation, discovered items of evidentiary value connecting him to the hit and run.


The initial investigation has revealed that a gray 2009 Mazda 5 minivan was traveling east in the 1600 block of East Randolph Road when it crossed the centerline and struck a white 2015 Toyota Highlander. The driver of the Highlander was transported to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The driver of the Mazda was transported to an area hospital where they were pronounced dead. The decedent has been identified as 41-year-old, Edwin Enrique Mejia Dubon, of Riverdale.


 At approximately 9:12 a.m., 3rd District officers and Montgomery County Fire Rescue personnel responded to the area of Randolph Road and Hammonton Place for the report of a traffic collision involving two vehicles.   The driver of the Chevy Silverado was transported to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.  The driver of the Honda CRV was pronounced dead at the scene.  

 A formal news release will be distributed as more information becomes available. The decedent’s name will be released following proper notification of next of kin.”


“The Costco in Gaithersburg is the 7th circle of hell” is just one of many answers we received when we asked the question, “What is the worst parking lot in MoCo?” on social media.  Everyone has had their share of terrible experiences in MoCo parking lots, and while there are more than 26 “bad” parking lots, we’ve narrowed down a list (in no particular order) of what we feel are the worst.

 


The classes are being in-person after being held virtually over the past two years due to the COVID-19 health crisis. They will be taught by instructors certified in Rape Aggression Defense (RAD).

The self-defense seminars will be offered from 7- 9 p.m. at each of the locations. The seminar schedule:


 Montgomery Parks will host a ribbon cutting for The Pit at Fairland Bike Park from 1 – 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 29. The Pit is a new mountain bike skills park that includes a variety of features such as rollers, kicker ramps, wall rides, drops, and skinnies of all types. Montgomery Parks Principal Natural Resources Specialist Bob Turnbull oversaw the completion of the project. He said Montgomery Parks’ trail crew, in collaboration with consultants American Ramp Company, has created a space that beginner, intermediate and advanced mountain bikers will love to ride.

“It’s built on the idea of progression, on the idea of building your skills so you can get better. And it’s just a lot of fun,” Turnbull said. “And honestly, I think the trail crew knocked this one out of the park.” The new mountain bike skills park is located at the intersection of Green Castle Ridge Terrace and Green Castle Road within Fairland Recreational Park. Limited parking for the event will be onsite across from Greencastle Terrace. Overflow parking will be available at the park’s soccer field No. 5 along Greencastle Road in Burtonsville.


We are about a month into fall and the colors around us are changing. Whether it’s the taste of a warm pumpkin-flavored latte, the cool breeze of a crisp fall morning, weekends full of football, or the yellow glow of the sun on a tall birch tree, autumn is often a contender for MoCo residents’ favorite season (however short it may be). Many locals are looking forward to combining all the best parts of fall and enjoying the foliage outdoors, so we’ve put together a small list of 10 where you can enjoy the foliage across the county:

Agricultural Reserve: A drive through the rural areas that the 93,000 acre Agricultural Reserve encompasses, along with the larger rural communities of Damascus and Poolesville and small crossroad communities such as Beallsville, Sunshine and Dickerson, are sure to give you your fill of fall foliage.


The Montgomery County Planning Department and Dallas-based nonprofit Better Block Foundation are working with the Fairland and Briggs Chaney to bring to life the goals of the Fairland and Briggs Chaney Master Plan. The Fairland and Briggs Chaney Placemaking festival will temporarily reimagine the Briggs Chaney Park and Ride. The effort will bring together residents, visitors, local business owners, and representatives of civic associations to make the space a vibrant place for the community to gather.

Community members will work with the Better Block team through the summer and fall to build, paint, and construct their ideas and bring them to life. This transformed outdoor space will host food and retail vendors, Montgomery Parks’ activities and features, and a welcoming place for residents to gather with their family, neighbors and friends during the October 2022 public celebration. The schedule of events can be seen below:


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