This month marks 22 years since Ganignunt “Felicia” Aiemsakul was last seen in the Gaithersburg/Laytonsville area at approximately 2:00 a.m. on March 4, 2002. Her ex-boyfriend told authorities that they had an argument at his residence in the 8200 block of Goodhurst Drive. Per The Charley Project, her ex-boyfriend claimed that Aiemsakul walked away from his house shortly afterwards. She never returned to her home and has not been heard from again.

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Update: All lanes now open.

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) and Montgomery County Police responded to a collision involving a motorcycle on Saturday, February 24.

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As 2023 winds down, we wanted to share with you some of the most-read articles of 2023. This article was originally published on August 12, 2023. (more…)

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) responded to a call for a house fire at approximately 9:30pm on the 7600 block of Hawkins Creamery Rd near Laytonsville on Sunday night.

According to MCFRS Chief Spokesperson Pete Piringer and Assistant Chiefs James Carpenter and David Pazos, crews from Montgomery and Howard County responded last night for an outside fire that extended to the roof of the single family home, before crews were able to extinguish it. A family of five (two adults and three children) along with two dogs and a cat have been displaced, but were uninjured. One firefighter was transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Units were still on the scene conducting overhaul and checking for hotspots around midnight. Today from 1pm-3pm, MCFRS units will be walking the 7600blk of Hawkins Creamery Rd offering to check smoke alarms and answer questions some residents may have. Additional photos of the scene can be found here.

Montgomery County resident John Ols (Laytonsville) has caught a 640.5 lb blue marlin, earning him a world record of $6.2 million at this year’s White Marlin Open in Ocean City, MD.

Per the White Marlin Open: On the last day of the 50th Annual White Marlin Open, the Floor Real out of Ocean City, MD weighed a 640.5-pound blue marlin to take $6,200,000 of the $10.5 million dollar total purse.  The blue was caught by John Ols from Laytonsville, MD.

While there were unofficially 551 white marlin and 46 blue marlin caught, only 3 billfish were brought in and only two were weighed.  The Skirt Chaser out of Manteo, NC just missed with a 67.5-pound white marlin, and the No Limit out of Indian River, DE brought in a blue marlin that missed our 114” minimum length by two inches, so it was not weighed.
The blue marlin from the Floor Real left no doubt when it was measured at 118” in the boat before electrifying the crowd while tipping the scales at 640.5 pounds.  It proved to be the only qualifying billfish and wins most of the money for both white and blue marlin.  The $6.2 million won sets a new world record for the catch of a fish, breaking the previous world record of $4.45 million won in last year’s Open by Jeremy Duffie for his 77.5-pound white marlin.

Two new millionaires were minted in the tuna categories.  Ro Sham Bo out of Ocean City, MD weighed a 215 bigeye tuna caught by Rusty Shriver of Leonardtown, MD.  The fish won all $1,700,000 in the $50K winner take all level because no white marlin or blue marlin were caught in that division and all prize money was diverted to the top tuna.

Reel Tight out of Ocean City, MD won a million for their 265-pound bigeye and the caught by Brian Stewart from Shady Side, MD took $1,000,000 for their efforts.

All figures are unofficial as of tonight, but a full list of winners will be included in our final summary for the 50th-anniversary event this weekend.

https://www.facebook.com/100064327403904/posts/668348535319387/?mibextid=cr9u03

Watch Issued for Western Maryland and Portions of Central Maryland; No Mandatory Water Use Restrictions in Place but Voluntary Reductions Encouraged

Per The Maryland Department of the Environment: The Maryland Department of the Environment is urging citizens and businesses in a large part of the state to voluntarily reduce their water usage as a drought watch has been issued. “Water conservation is a good practice year-round, but we are asking residents and businesses to pay particular attention during the summer months when the State can experience hot and dry conditions,” said Maryland Department of the Environment Secretary Serena McIlwain.

“You can do your part by limiting the use and duration of sprinklers for lawns, taking short showers as opposed to baths, and not leaving the faucet running while brushing your teeth. These things sound simple, but it all adds up.” A drought watch has been issued for Western Maryland and portions of Central Maryland based on lower-than-normal stream flows and groundwater levels for this time of year. During a drought watch, MDE increases oversight of water supply conditions and encourages voluntary water conservation practices. No mandatory water use restrictions have been issued.

The affected region includes Allegany, Baltimore, Carroll, Cecil, Frederick, Garrett, Harford, Howard, Montgomery and Washington Counties, except for areas served by the Baltimore City or Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission  public water systems.

At this time, the State currently has enough water to meet the needs of residents and businesses, but water conservation measures are being encouraged to help avoid any future water shortages. Recent rainfall in the area is not expected to have a significant effect in reducing the precipitation deficit. Homeowners should consider water conservation measures listed in our fact sheet. Recommendations on conserving water for certain types of businesses, such as restaurants and commercial buildings, are also available.

Two private fireworks displays will take place in Montgomery County tonight (Monday, July 3rd). The events will take place at Chevy Chase Country Club (located at 6100 Connecticut Ave., Chevy Chase) and  Montgomery Country Club (located at 20908 Golf View Dr., Laytonsville).

According to Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services Chief Spokesperson Pete Piringer, the clubs are hosting a ‘private/permitted event’ which will include a fireworks display & aerial explosions. The displays are scheduled to start at approximately 9:30pm at Chevy Chase Country Club and at approximately 9:20pm at Montgomery Country Club. The displays should last between 20 and 30 minutes. While the events are private, the fireworks will be visible in the surrounding areas.

Featured photo courtesy of Chevy Chase Club on Facebook.

The Family Room Laytonsville will be hosting “The Fourth at the Family Room”’on Monday, July 3rd. Nearby Montgomery Country Club will be setting off their fireworks on Monday, July 3rd and the display can be seen from the parking lot of The Family Room (6820 Olney Laytonsville Rd), featuring “The Best Burger in the DMV” Steeze Burger.

The fireworks display begins at 9:15pm, but it is advised to arrive early to secure your spot. Per The Family Room: “We will be open late on July 3rd for ice cream, Steezeburgers and local fireworks. @steeze.burger will be serving burgers starting at 5p until they sellout! 🍔 We will also have live music from local artist @katekeeleymusic starting at 6:30p! Grab dinner, dessert and enjoy live music and fireworks with us at The Family Room!” Additional events across the county that include fireworks can be seen here.

A Laytonsville Town Special Election will be held on Monday, June 12, 2023. The election will be held at the Laytonsville Town Hall, 21607 Laytonsville Road, and the polls will be open from 3:00pm to 8:00pm.

All citizens of the Town age 18 years and upward and who are registered, bona fide residents of the Town for not less than thirty (30) consecutive days before the election shall be qualified to vote. CANDIDATES FOR MAYOR: Charles Hendricks and Sharif Hidayat.

Absentee ballots will be available for this election.  The application for an Absentee Ballot must be obtained from the Clerk at the Town Hall, 21607 Laytonsville Road, no later than 1:00 p.m., on Thursday, June 8, 2023. Completed Absentee Ballots must be received by the Clerk at 21607 Laytonsville Road (P.O. Box 5158) by mail, or hand delivery so that the same is received by the Town Clerk no later than 4:00p.m. on Election Day, June 12, 2023.  There is no procedure for write-in ballots. Courtesy of the Town of Laytonsville.

Mayor and Town Council

Laytonsville Elementary School principal Maria Watson sent a letter to the Laytonsville community on Monday informing them of vandalism discovered on a bench outside of the school. According to the letter, the vandalism included a “drawing of a swastika with the name Hitler” drawn on a bench outside of the school. The full letter, with additional information, can be seen below:

“Dear Laytonsville Elementary School Community,

I am extremely disappointed to report to you that a drawing of a swastika with the name Hitler was recently discovered on a bench outside of Laytonsville Elementary School (LES). Due to the timely response by an LES staff member, it was quickly removed, and we subsequently informed Montgomery County Police (MCPD), the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Office of School Security and Emergency Management (OSSEM), and the MCPS Office of School Support and Well-Being (OSSWB) to assist in the investigation of this serious action.

We are deeply saddened that this news comes on the same day that a community letter from LES leadership was sent affirming our dedication to making all students and families feel welcome and safe in our school community. While there is no indication that this was written by LES students, it is important that we continue our work with our students to help them understand the impact of hateful and hurtful words and symbols of antisemitism. We value and appreciate all of our students and staff, and in order for this to continue to occur, respect has to be evident in our school. This means that we need to continue to recognize our differences and show understanding, acceptance, and empathy towards each other. When we use inappropriate words to describe each other – or draw hateful symbols that we know will cause hurt and harm – we are not respecting each other, nor are we creating a community of care. In addition, we are well-aware of the larger context here within our school district and have been partnering with the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) to bring supports to MCPS.

I encourage parents to talk with their children about respecting our differences. Please help them to understand the weight that intolerable symbols, words, and actions carry with them. HERE is a link for parents of suggested tools and strategies to talk with children about important societal issues. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at 240-740-1660.

Sincerely,

Maria Watson

Principal”

Featured photo by Google Maps