Nebi Tsarni of Maryland, a rising senior at Watkins Mill High School was named Outstanding Wrestler after defeating returning Junior Nationals champion Sydney Perry of Illinois.
Gary Abbott of USA Wrestling described the match as “a wild, back-and-forth battle at 144 pounds, 12-10.” He wrote, “With the score tied at 10-10, Tsarni scored a takedown in the closing seconds to capture an intense match. Tsarni was a 2022 16U Nationals champion.”
The new series, Quarterback, that follows NFL quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs), Kirk Cousins (Minnesota Vikings), and Marcus Mariota (Atlanta Falcons) for the entire 2022 season, debuted on Netflix last week and has quickly become one of the most talked about shows on television. The show’s director, Tim Rumpff, is a 2002 graduate of Watkins Mill High School in Montgomery Village.
Rumpff has been with NFL Films for over 15 years and has worked on the hit HBO series Hard Knocks for just about as long as he has been with since the company. He has worked as a producer or director on the NFL’s Hard Knocks, All or Nothing, and more. Rumpff even helped produce the viral Eli Manning video “Chad Powers.” He graduated from Watkins Mill High School in 2002 and went on to study journalism at the University of Maryland, graduating in 2006.
Xavier Gilliam, who has committed to attending and playing at Penn State University, has announced that he will be transferring to Quince Orchard High School in Gaithersburg. Gilliam previously attended Wilde Lake High School in Howard County, where he was a 4-star prospect EDGE.
Gilliam will join a Quince Orchard squad that will be looking to win its third straight State Championship (they defeated Prince George’s County schools Flowers 32-7 last year and Wise 31-13 in 2021). Gillian’s tweet can announcing his move for the upcoming school year can be seen below.
Montgomery County Recreation is hosting a “Pooch Pool Party” on August 26th and 27th from 11am until 3pm at the Upper County Outdoor Pool, located at 8211 Emory Grove Rd. in Gaithersburg. Additional information can be found for this paid event below, per Montgomery County Rec:
“We’ve closed the pool to humans and opened it to dogs! Dogs will be allowed to swim and frolic at the pool before it is closed and cleaned for the winter. Each dog MUST be accompanied by a responsible adult. Any dog displaying any signs of aggression will be asked to leave immediately. ALL DOGS MUST PROVIDE WRITTEN PROOF OF A CURRENT RABIES VACCINATION before they will be allowed into the event, and dogs owned by county residents must have a current Montgomery County dog license, available from the County Police Department. Please register in the name of the responsible adult who will accompany the dog. Due to health concerns, humans may wade only up to the knees at your own risk. For more info, call 240-777-6840.” Anyone interested can register 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. We have received an update that only Cinnabon is available for now with Auntie Anne’s items coming soon.
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.
According to the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office, “Today, in the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, MD, the Honorable Kevin Hessler sentenced defendant, Jean J. Pierre, 50, of Montgomery Village, to 40 years in prison. This is the maximum penalty for second-degree murder, the charge on which the defendant was convicted by a jury.
The jury deliberated for just two hours after a five-day trial in May 2023, prosecuted by Deputy State’s Attorney Ryan Wechsler and Assistant State’s Attorney Gabe Carrera.
The Special Victims Investigations Division is asking for the public’s assistance in locating a missing 16-year-old.
Benito Mabilo, 16, was last seen on Sunday, June 11, 2023, between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m., leaving his residence on Lea Pond Place in Montgomery Village He 5’8″, 130 lbs, with black hair and brown eyes, and was last seen wearing a black jacket and grey sweatpants.
The Blair Witch Project was released on this day in 1999, 24 years ago– the first installment of the Blair Witch franchise. Did you know The Blair Witch Project was primarily filmed right here in Montgomery County?
In the indie supernatural horror, three film students camp in the fictional Black Hills Forest of Burkittsville, Maryland in October of 1994 to film a documentary on the local legend of the Blair Witch. Mysteriously, the trio vanishes, leaving behind hours of footage to be discovered a year later by University of Maryland anthropology students. What the viewer witnesses is this purportedly real home video style footage.
UPDATE: Aiden Offutt has been located safe and unharmed. The Montgomery County Department of Police Special Victims Investigations Division is looking for a 10-year-old missing from Montgomery Village.
10 year-old Aiden Offutt was last seen on Stedwick Road and Watkins Mill Road in Montgomery Village on Thursday July 13, 2023, around 6:45 P.M. He is 4-feet, 10-inches tall, 90 lbsx with short black hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing blue jeans, a white t-shirt, black/yellow sneakers and carrying a red hooded sweatshirt.
La Casita, founded in Montgomery County when the Silver Spring location opened in 2002, has announced an upcoming location in nearby Laurel. La Casita Pupuseria currently has locations serving Germantown, Gaithersburg, Nationals Park & Union Market District.
Per La Casita on social media, “We have a very special announcement to make (and please pardon our dust 👷🏽♂️)…a brand new La Casita Pupuseria is coming to Laurel, MD! Yes, we are super excited to finally be able to reveal after a long project that hopefully by Fall 2023 we will be able to serve the greater Laurel area right on Baltimore Ave.”
Target is kicking off its back-to-school and back-to-college season, announcing deep savings events and season-long deals to make back-to-school shopping easy and affordable for its guests. New this year, Target is also expanding its popular Teacher Appreciation Event to give teachers a one-time 20% discount on an entire shopping trip and bringing back a one-time 20% discount on an entire shopping trip for verified college students through Target Circle, the retailer’s free-to-join loyalty program. With deals starting at under $1 and most under $15, Target is offering even more ways to save as students and teachers prepare to return to school.
“Our back-to-school and back-to-college assortment features a broad range of essentials that are priced right for all families. From on-trend Cat & Jack outfits and fun and functional Room Essentials dorm décor, to supplies of all kinds from Mondo Llama and top national brands, Target has everything to help students from pre-K to college start the school year in affordable style,” said Jill Sando, executive vice president and chief merchandising officer, Target. “We’re also pleased to expand our 20% teacher discount across the entire store and on Target.com, to provide teachers with even greater value on the items they need for their classrooms. Both teachers and students can count on Target for all their school-year gear at great prices.”