Maryland Archives - Page 342 of 406

Maryland’s First Raising Cane’s to Open This Thursday

Published January 10, 2023 at 8:57AM

Raising Cane’s will hold the grand opening of its first Maryland location at 4 W Towsontown Blvd Suite in Towson this Thursday, January 12. Last month Raising Cane’s opened its first Metro area restaurant at 45545 Dulles Eastern Plaza in Sterling, VA. No Montgomery County locations have been announced yet.

Founded by Todd Graves in 1996 in Baton Rouge, La., Raising Cane’s has more than 460 restaurants in 27 states, Bahrain, Kuwait, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates with multiple new restaurants under construction. The international expansion began in 2015. The menu is simple and focuses on chicken finger combos , chicken finger sandwiches, crinkle-cut fries, Texas toast, sweet/iced tea, and Cane’s sauce.

Montgomery County Man Sentenced Following Scheme Involving Tax Returns Filed With Information Taken From The Trash of Office Building

By MCS Staff

Published January 10, 2023 at 6:46AM

Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown today announced the sentencing of Patrick Mpeck, 51, of Silver Spring, Maryland, for felony theft scheme. Anne Arundel County District Court Judge Kemp W. Hammond sentenced Mpeck to five years of incarceration, all suspended, with two years of supervised probation. Mpeck was also ordered to pay $5,000 in restitution.

During tax years 2007, 2008 and 2009, Mpeck filed false tax returns with the comptroller and received refunds to which he was not entitled. Mpeck obtained the personal identifying information of unsuspecting victims from the trash at the office building where he worked. He then filed the returns using that information supported by fraudulent W-2’s. Mpeck would then use fraudulent driver’s licenses with the victim’s information, but displaying his own photo to cash the refund checks at check cashing facilities.

Governor Hogan to Deliver Farewell Address Tuesday Evening

By Patrick Herron

Published January 9, 2023 at 12:51PM

Per the State of Maryland: Governor Hogan will deliver his farewell address to Marylanders tomorrow evening, Tuesday, January 10, at 5:00 p.m. ET. “We have come a long way together over the last eight years changing Maryland for the better,” said Governor Hogan. “I look forward to having one final opportunity to express to Marylanders how grateful I am for the privilege to serve as governor, and share some thoughts about the direction of our state and our country.”

Over the course of his last year in office, Governor Hogan has visited every region of the state to highlight administration initiatives and accomplishments.

Governor Hogan Announces Appointment of Bernice Mireku-North to Represent Legislative District 14 in the House of Delegates

By MCS Staff

Published January 9, 2023 at 8:41AM | Updated January 14, 2023 at 4:13PM

Governor Larry Hogan announced the appointment of Bernice Mireku-North—a former assistant state’s attorney in Anne Arundel County—to represent Legislative District 14 in the House of Delegates. This appointment will be effective January 11, 2023, the date that the 445th session of the Maryland General Assembly convenes. Mireku-North succeeds Del. Eric Luedtke, the incoming Chief Legislative Officer for Governor-Elect Wes Moore.

“I want to congratulate Bernice Mireku-North on her appointment to the General Assembly, and wish her well in representing the people of Montgomery County,” said Governor Hogan. District 14 is also represented by Sen. Craig Zucker, Del. Anne Kaiser, and Del. Pam Queen.

Maryland Ranked 19th in WalletHub’s ‘2023’s Best & Worst States to Raise a Family’ List

By MCS Staff

Published January 9, 2023 at 8:25AM | Updated January 10, 2023 at 2:50PM

With rampant inflation making raising children much more costly than usual, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2023’s Best & Worst States to Raise a Family. Maryland was ranked 19th overall, coming in at 8th place for ‘affordability’ and 10th place for ‘education & child care.’

To determine the best states in which to put down family roots, WalletHub compared the 50 states across 51 key indicators of family-friendliness. The data set ranges from the median annual family income to housing affordability to the unemployment rate.

“Odometer Rollback on the Rise” in the DMV, According to Carfax

By MCS Staff

Published January 9, 2023 at 8:04AM

Over 1.9 million vehicles on the road have rolled-back odometers, a 7% increase from the previous year, according to Carfax research. That includes an increase of 18% in odometer scale in Maryland, a 6% increase in DC, and Virginia leading the area– coming in 8th in the nation in odometer scams.

“Many people think odometer fraud disappeared with the invention of digital odometers,” said Emilie Voss, Public Relations Director for CARFAX. “But that couldn’t be further from the truth. We’re still seeing the number of vehicles on the road with a rolled-back odometer rise year-over-year.” According to Carfax data, consumers lose an average of $4,000 in value from unknowingly buying a car with a rolled-back odometer, and that doesn’t include unexpected maintenance costs.

Germantown Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for the Illegal Possession and Distribution of Firearms and Drugs

By MCS Staff

Published January 7, 2023 at 4:21PM

Per the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Maryland: U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang today sentenced Dwight Luis Clarke, age 32, of Germantown, Maryland, to 10 years in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, for two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and four counts of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. Clarke admitted that he sold crack cocaine and seven firearms, including five privately manufactured firearms, known as “ghost guns” to an undercover law enforcement officer.

According to his plea agreement, during late 2021 and early 2022, Clarke was identified as a suspected trafficker of narcotics and firearms. In February 2022, an ATF Special Agent, acting in an undercover capacity (the UC) contacted Clarke, who agreed to sell the UC crack cocaine and firearms. During three meetings that month, Clarke sold the UC: two privately made firearms (PMFs) that Clarke referred to as “ghost guns,” specifically, Polymer80 Inc. 9mm semi-automatic pistols, bearing no apparent serial numbers; a.22-caliber semi-automatic AR-style pistol; a 33 round 9mm extended magazine, which contained one 9mm cartridge; a .22-caliber extended AR-style magazine loaded with three .22-caliber cartridges, a .22LR caliber mini mag ammunition box containing 95 cartridges; a .380 caliber semi-automatic pistol; and 44.48 grams of crack cocaine.

Two MoCo Giant Pharmacy Locations Now Offering On-Site Flu and Strep Throat Testing with Results in 10 Minutes

By MCS Staff

Published January 6, 2023 at 12:15PM

Giant Food, the regional grocery chain, recently announced that 14 Giant Pharmacy locations throughout Maryland and Virginia, including two Montgomery County locations, are now offering on-site testing for flu A and B strains and strep throat for individuals three years of age and older. Testing is administered by Giant’s certified in-store pharmacists or certified technicians and results will be received within 10 minutes. If further consultation is needed, Giant Pharmacy offers an optional telehealth visit with a healthcare provider through Physician 360 ($29.95 fee applies payable to Physician 360 with discount code “GIANT”) to receive a consultation and any needed prescriptions, without ever leaving the pharmacy.

Per Giant: “Giant Food is committed to helping our customers by being a one-stop solution for not just their food needs, but also as part of their whole wellness package. By offering these new testing services, we are enabling customers to get their results instantly, speak to a doctor, and receive their medicine without ever leaving a Giant Pharmacy,” said Paul Zvaleny, Director of Pharmacy Operations at Giant Food. “Our Giant Pharmacy team is committed to keeping our communities in good health and we continue to keep our flu and cold products stocked for customers during this time of year when seasonal illness is often at a high.”

MCDCC Nominates Bernice Mireku-North for D14 Delegate

By MCS Staff

Published January 5, 2023 at 3:06PM

Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee announces the selection of Bernice D. Mireku-‐North to fill the unexpired term within the 14th General Assembly legislative district created by the resignation of outgoing Delegate Eric Luedtke. Luedtke resigned effective January 2 to join the incoming Moore-‐Miller Administration as Chief Legislative Officer. The Committee’s selection serves as a recommendation to be delivered to Governor Hogan, who must confirm the appointment.

The MCDCC would like to thank all of the candidates who applied for the District 14 delegate seat. Their passion, desire and commitment to serve the district’s residents demonstrates the energy and dedication found throughout Montgomery County for public service. The Committee will be sending its recommendation to Governor Hogan tonight, January 3, and asks that the Governor confirm the nomination as expeditiously possible for the nominee to be sworn-‐in in time for the upcoming legislative session to begin.

State Retirees’ Group Awarding $2,000 Scholarships To Three Maryland School Employees

By MCS Staff

Published January 4, 2023 at 5:37PM

The Maryland Retired School Personnel Association (MRSPA) will award three $2,000 scholarships to public school employees in Maryland who are enrolled in a program leading to teacher certification, or certification as a school counselor, speech and language pathologist, physical or occupational therapist, school social worker, administrator or supervisor, media specialist, supervisor or administrator, or school psychologist. Teachers who have a current certification and are enrolled in a program pursuing certification in another education-related area are also eligible to apply, as are uncertified teachers, teacher assistants or aides, or substitute teachers.

Applicants must hold a high school diploma or GED certificate. They must be current employees of a public school system in Maryland, and must intend to work in a Maryland public school while working toward certification and after completing their requirements for certification.The deadline for submitting applications is 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 31. Apply here. Winners will be notified in March. Frequently Asked Questions

Beyond MoCo: Howard County’s Columbia Ranked Second in “2023’s Best Places to Find a Job” List

By MCS Staff

Published January 4, 2023 at 8:16AM

With the unemployment rate at 3.7% and employers planning to hire 15% more new graduates from the Class of 2023 than they did from the Class of 2022, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2023’s Best Places to Find a Job, with nearby Columbia, MD (Howard County) ranked #2 on the list.

Columbia, Maryland, has the highest median annual household income (adjusted by cost of living), $104,486, which is 3.5 times higher than in Newark, New Jersey, the city with the lowest at $30,271. To determine the strongest local job markets in the U.S., WalletHub compared more than 180 cities across 32 key metrics. The data set ranges from job opportunities to employment growth to monthly average starting salary. Top 10 and bottom 10 can be seen below: