Lottery officials encourage the winner to sign the back of the ticket immediately and put it in a safe location. Winners have 182 days from the date of their win to claim their prize. Instructions on claiming prizes in person or by mail are available HERE. Players must redeem prizes larger than $25,000 by mail or at Lottery headquarters in the Montgomery Park Business Center, 1800 Washington Blvd., Suite 330 in Baltimore. The Lottery’s Claims Center in Baltimore is open by appointment only (no walk-ins). Click HERE to schedule an appointment.

The FAST PLAY Gold Fish game has a progressive jackpot that starts at $2,500 and increases with the sale of each ticket until a winning ticket is purchased. There are 15 progressive jackpots remaining in the game along with prizes ranging from $2 to $1,000. Giant #192 receives a $317 bonus from the Lottery for selling a top-prize winning FAST PLAY ticket.


Per the City of Gaithersburg: Several Gaithersburg neighborhoods are joining communities across the country to participate in the National Night Out (NNO) Against Crime campaign.

On Tuesday, August 1, these neighborhoods will hold events to increase drug prevention awareness, generate support for anti-crime programs, encourage residents to be involved in their communities, and send a message that neighborhoods and businesses are organized to fight back against crime. The NNO programs help bring together residents, law enforcement agencies, local officials, civic groups, and neighborhood organizations. Participating neighborhoods will be posted closer to event. Participating neighborhoods include:


According to a representative from the Maryland lottery, a winning Mega Millions lottery ticket with the Megaplier option worth $4 million was sold at the Lobby Shop at 1 North Charles Street in Baltimore. The base prize amount for a second-tier win in Mega Millions is $1 million, and the person who bought that ticket paid an additional $1 to add the Megaplier option to the ticket, which multiplies any prizes won except the jackpot. The multiplier for last night was 4X, so it quadrupled the $1 million prize to $4 million. There was also a $1 million second-tier winning ticket (without the Megaplier) sold at National Pike Fuel at 5931 Baltimore National Pike in Catonsville.

Locally, there were two third-tier winning tickets worth $10,000 each sold in Gaithersburg: one at Watkins Mill Beer & Wine at 857 Russell Avenue; and the other at the 7-Eleven at 8946 North Westland Drive.


Dog Haus Biergarten, which has three Montgomery County locations (Gaithersburg, Bethesda, and Silver Spring), is offering a free hot dog to those who text FREE DOG to 833.440.1110. “We can’t think of a better way to celebrate National Hot Dog Day than offering a free Haus Dog to all our fans,” says Dog Haus Co-Founder André Vener. “We have the best hot dogs and sausages in the business – the industry’s gold standard. We hope to get a Haus Dog into the hands of hot dog lovers far and wide as we celebrate our favorite day of the year!”

The restaurant recent announced that all three of its Montgomery County locations will be offering delivery service 24 hours a day, making it one of the only non-fast food restaurants offering 24-7 delivery service in the area.  Dog Haus’ virtual brands, including Bad Ass Breakfast Burritos, Plant B (All plant base food) Impossible Shop, Bad Mutha Cluka and Jail Bird (all chicken options), are also available 24-7.


The Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber of Commerce (GGCC) has hosted its 29th Annual Public Safety Awards Breakfast honoring men and women who provide public safety in the Upcounty. A total of 39 public safety officials from several jurisdictions were recognized and awarded a citation from the Maryland State Senate and Congressman David Trone.

The awards ceremony took place on Friday, June 14 at 7:30am at the Montgomery County Agricultural Center in Gaithersburg.The program with details on each award winner can be seen in the links above. A link to the photo album from the event is available here.


Auntie Anne’s/Cinnabon combination restaurant opened last week at 220 Boardwalk Place in Rio, taking over the location that was recently home to Lilly Magilly’s– as the cupcakery is still preparing for a move to a new location. Until today, the restaurant had only Cinnabon products available. Auntie Anne’s pretzels have made their debut today as the new oven has arrived and employees are working towards stocking the display counter.

The two brands, popular for their presence in malls, are co-branding to open locations across the country. In recent years, Cinnabon left then returned to Montgomery Mall. There’s also an existing Cinnabon location in Wheaton Mall. Auntie Anne’s has locations at the outlets in Clarksburg, Ellsworth Place Mall, Montgomery Mall, and Wheaton Mall in MoCo.


Per Montgomery County: Today the Council unanimously passed Bill 24-23, sponsored by Councilmember Dawn Luedtke, to establish an Airpark Community Advisory Committee (ACAC) for neighbors of the Montgomery County Airpark (MCA), Airpark users, and other key stakeholders to address facility operations as well as noise and safety impacts. Councilmember Luedtke represents Council District 7, which includes communities adjacent to the Airpark.

“Creating an Airpark Community Advisory Committee is an important step many communities around the country are taking to provide a platform for residents impacted by air traffic to better understand operations and discuss potential improvements with regulators – most prominently the Federal Aviation Administration,” Councilmember Luedtke said. “I’m pleased for the unanimous support of my Council colleagues and thankful to the many residents, Airpark users, and the leadership of the MCA for their feedback to help strengthen the new ACAC.”


Nando’s Peri Peri is offering a free ¼ chicken in exchange for a donation of a new back-to-school item today, July 18, from 4-7pm at all its locations. The promotion is recognition of Nelson’s Mandela’s birthday.  Nando’s has Montgomery County locations in Gaithersburg, North Bethesda, Silver Spring, and Wheaton.

“July 18th is Nelson Mandela’s birthday. His birthday is recognized and celebrated world wide as Mandela day; a day for us all to inspire change and make a difference in our communities. At Nando’s we are proud of our South African heritage. We will join in celebrating his birthday on July 18th by following his example and giving back to our communities. Come to any Nando’s during this time and bring new school supplies to donate in exchange for a Free ¼ Chicken on us. All supplies will be donated to local schools and students.”


Proposed ordinances to amend Chapters 15A of the City Code to apply restrictions to the use of marijuana, including but not limited to the same restrictions that now apply to smoking, were introduced to the Gaithersburg Mayor and City Council at last night’s regular session. Per the City of Gaithersburg, this has become necessary since Maryland State voters in the 2022 elections approved the use of cannabis, including marijuana, in small amounts for more than medical purposes.

The proposed ordinance would amend Section 15A-1, establishing restrictions in City parks, by adding cannabis and marijuana to the definitions.  The proposal would also amend Sections 15A-7 to add cannabis and marijuana to current restrictions on tobacco and controlled substances to sell or distribute and package or transport with the intent to sell or distribute cannabis and marijuana, while Section 15A-8 also specifies that smoking and vaping of cannabis, unlike tobacco, is also prohibited.


Sam’s Club is offering a $20 annual membership for verified teachers (60% off), according to its website. “Verify your Teacher status now & become a member for just $20 after savings. Get access to low prices, Scan & Go™ shopping & more perks. Ends Aug 17”

Sam’s Club has one Montgomery County location, at 610 N Frederick Ave. Additional details per Sam’s Club: This offer is limited to U.S. teachers. Must join as a new Sam’s Club member through the link provided via ID.me to qualify for this Offer. Offer is valid for new Sam’s Club members only; and is not valid for (i) membership renewals, those with a current membership, those who were Sam’s Club members less than six (6) months prior to joining, or Walmart and Sam’s Club associates. You must be 18 years or older to become a Sam’s Club member and membership is subject to Sam’s Club’s qualifications. Membership cards are nontransferable, and valid at all Sam’s Club locations nationwide. Primary memberships are valid for one (1) year from the date of issue. Visit http://samsclub.com/privacy  to view our privacy policy.


Today we are starting our “where to park” series so that you can enjoy different shopping areas across MoCo with a little less worrying about where to park. We’ll explore popular shopping centers and developments across the county and let you where (and where not to) park. Today we begin with Rio Lakefront, formerly the Rio Washingtonian Center, in Gaithersburg:

If you leave the roundabout and enter between Dick’s and True Food Kitchen on Rio Blvd (photo below), you may have to deal with some congestion during busy times, which is why we recommend avoiding doing so during those times. There’s an immediate left you can make where you can find a few spots in a very small lot or you can turn right into the YardHouse lot. The small lot on the left is almost always full and the YardHouse lot is convenient, but fills up quickly. Luckily, you can see if there are any spaces as you drive by so you can make a decision without much of an impact. Then you arrive at the crosswalk between Uncle Julio’s and Corner Bakery. This is the cause for the congestion, as people are often crossing the street– individuals, big groups, families with children, etc.  


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