Montgomery County’s very own Noah Bratschi, a 2018 graduate of Churchill High School, has brought home the silver medal in Speed Climbing from the Pan American Games. Speed Climbing is a sport where athletes compete on identical routes with the goal of reaching the top of a 15m-high wall as quickly as possible.

Bratschi previously won the bronze medal at the 2021 International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) World Championship in Moscow, Russia to become the first American speed climber to win a World Championship medal in thirty years (since 1991). With that, he also became the first American to ever win a medal on the modern IFSC homologated speed climbing wall.


Per Montgomery County: “Montgomery County’s Asian American Health Initiative (AAHI), a program of the County’s Department of Health and Human Services, has awarded 14 local programs a total of $1.5 million from its Healthy Communities Fund. The funding will be used to develop new and sustain existing culturally and linguistically appropriate programs and services in behavioral health, senior wellness and health and social support services for the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities.

AAPI communities account for about 15 percent of Montgomery County’s overall population and the County is one of the most diverse communities in the United States, with more than 49 percent of population comprised of minorities. The AAPI community can be further broken down into multiple communities, each characterized by a unique mix of language, culture, religion and social norms. Because of the growing diversity and wide range of languages, cultures and socioeconomic status within AAPI communities, providing community health education, services and programs to residents of AAPI descent is more complex and requires custom approaches to reach the at-need communities.


Richard Montgomery (3-5) at Gaithersburg (7-1): Air vs Ground: A high-scoring showdown awaits as Richard Montgomery’s Anthony “Air Attack” goes head-to-head with Gaithersburg’s “Gideon Ground n’ Pound.” While a repeat of last week’s 64-50 spectacle may be a tall order, the stage is set for an epic clash. RM’s Dixon has been in sensational form all season, but don’t sleep on Gaithersburg’s underrated defense, led by ballhawk Michael Nwaogwugwu. With the Trojans boasting a more balanced offense and the ability to control time of possession, the ingredients seem to favor Gaithersburg as they aim to secure the 3 seed and their best record in 13 years. Prediction: Gaithersburg by 13

Sherwood (6-2) at Quince Orchard (8-0): Unexpected Showdown: While this matchup may have flown under the radar this season, don’t be too quick to dismiss Sherwood’s chances against an undefeated Quince Orchard on paper. After a closer-than-expected contest against Northwest, QO may have some adjustments to make. The teams haven’t faced each other for nine years, and that adds an element of intrigue. Sherwood could make things interesting early, but Quince Orchard is poised to take control as the game progresses. Prediction: Quince Orchard by 35


Kayla DiCello, a 2022 graduate of Northwest High School in Germantown, won the all-around gold on Monday at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile. According to USA Gymnastics, “DiCello won the women’s all-around with a 54.699, thanks to posting the highest scores of the evening on uneven bars (13.633) and floor exercise (13.733) and scoring a 13.200 on balance beam and 14.133 on vault.” She is the first U.S. woman to win all-around gold at the Pan American games since 2011.

DiCello is a six-time USA National Team Member and currently attends the University of Florida. In 2021, DiCello made the Olympic team as an alternate and participated in the Olympic Games in Tokyo.


Per Montgomery County: “Montgomery County residents can virtually attend the free third “Summit on Aging” from 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 26, that will give older adults the opportunity to hear about County initiatives for the aging community. During the event, residents can voice concerns, engage in discussions with County and State leaders and help envision the County as a community for a lifetime. There will be a 45 minute lunch break from noon-12:45.

The summit will be held in-person at the Silver Spring Civic Building at 1 Veterans Place in Downtown Silver Spring, but early reservations have already filled the event. However, those who still want to benefit from the event can participate virtually by visiting https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMocuGpqDssG90cl2L9TwSFxV94xXYHYGL-.


Everyone has had their share of terrible experiences in MoCo parking lots, and while there are more than 25 “bad” parking lots, we’ve narrowed down a list (in no particular order) of what may be the worst based on our experiences and comments left by readers throughout the years.

Featured image courtesy of Google Maps. 


WHAT: Representatives from the Maryland Department of Transportation will meet with Montgomery County officials to discuss the agency’s Draft FY 2024-2029 Consolidated Transportation Program, which details a $21.2 billion, six-year capital budget investment in the state’s transportation network. The meeting is part of the department’s tour of 23 Maryland counties and Baltimore City. Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul J. Wiedefeld and other officials will outline the state’s investment plan and discuss Montgomery County’s transportation priorities.

WHEN: 7 p.m. Thursday, October 26, 2023


MHP, a Montgomery County-based non-profit in Silver Spring, held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of renovations at Colonnade at the Creek, an affordable housing community in Takoma Park, MD. The ceremony featured remarks by Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich, Takoma Park Mayor Talisha Searcy, and other notable speakers. MHP President Robert A. Goldman provided welcoming remarks and served as emcee.

The property consists of 96 units of 1-, 2-, 3- and 4-bedroom apartments in brick-framed, three-story buildings. MHP spent more than a year fully renovating this property. With access to transit, major roads, and the Sligo Creek trail, this garden-style property provides residents with tremendous accessibility and quality, modernized, affordable apartment homes.


View More Stories