MoCo

MCPD Holiday Alcohol Task Force Arrest 50 People for DUI During Week 5 of Enforcement

By Patrick Herron

Montgomery County Police have announced that 50 people were arrested by the Alcohol Holiday Task Force between December 7 and 11. The task force arrested 28 people in week one, 38 in week two, 31 in week three, and 40 in week four. Earlier this week we reported that over the past five weeks, four police cruisers have been hit while conducting police related activities.  In each case, it was determined that the drivers of the striking vehicles were impaired.

Per MCPD: “Members of the Montgomery County Police Alcohol Holiday Task Force will be devoting their full time and attention to detecting alcohol-related offenses this holiday season.   During the week of December 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11, task force officers arrested 50 people for driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs (DUI).

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‘Glen Echo’s Wurlitzer Band Organ—A 50-Year Perspective’ Will Be Focus of Montgomery History Free Online Presentation Starting Monday, Dec. 19

By Patrick Herron

Per Montgomery County: Durward Center, the restorer and caretaker of Glen Echo’s Wurlitzer 165 Band Organ for the last 50 years, will explore the journey of the organ at the historic park in a free online presentation from Montgomery History. The presentation will be available for a one-week period starting Monday, Dec. 19.

Glen Echo Park is an arts and cultural center in Glen Echo. The park’s site was initially developed in 1891 as a National Chautauqua Assembly. Following the foreclosure and sale of the Chautauqua grounds in 1903, leisure facilities were developed there to serve Washington’s growing population. In 1911, the site was expanded to become the privately owned Glen Echo Amusement Park, a popular facility that operated until 1968. The National Park Service now operates the park, which serves the Washington area as a regional cultural resource offering classes, workshops and performances in the visual and performing arts.

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Montgomery County’s Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security Offers Tips to Prepare for the Winter Storm Season

By Patrick Herron

Per Montgomery County: As the winter season begins, Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich and the County Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (OEMHS) are encouraging community members to familiarize themselves with what to do before, during and after a winter storm.

With winter weather, there are several factors that residents should be aware of and prepare for, such as: slippery road/sidewalks, cold temperatures, heavy snow and ice, frostbite, hypothermia, wind chill and power loss.

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Maryland Public Schools Officially Permit High School Athletes to Monetize Their NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness)

By Damon Anderson

On Tuesday, the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association officially permitted high school athletes to monetize their NIL and maintain their eligibility. Under the new policy, it is permissible for student-athletes to financially gain from the use of their own NIL in commercial endorsements, promotional activities, social media presence, product or service advertisements or NFTs.  Student-athletes must keep their NIL activities and participation in interscholastic activities separate.

The guidance prohibits high school student athletes from doing NIL deals to promote video games.  The MPSSAA also prohibits the formation of collectives – groups of boosters that support schools through NIL activities – by employees, contractors and vendors of member schools. MPSSAA Guidance for Name, Image, and Likeness Related To Interscholastic Athletics:

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Montgomery County Launches Maryland’s First ‘EV Purchasing Co-op Dealership Incentive Program’ to Share Information and Reduce Cost of Buying Electric Vehicles

By Patrick Herron

Per Montgomery County: The Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) will be helping residents find discounts on electric vehicles (EVs) with the launch of its new “EV Purchasing Co-op Dealership Incentives” web page. The program is the first in Maryland where a local jurisdiction is partnering directly with local automobile dealerships to provide incentives and discounts for EV purchases.

The program will amplify limited-time promotions and discounts on battery-electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. The initiative is the cornerstone of the next phase of the County’s EV Purchasing Co-op and will make the benefits of EVs more accessible by helping residents reduce the cost of going electric.

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Police Investigating Death of Man Found Unresponsive in Yard of Residence in Olney

By MCS Staff

Per our public safety reporter, Cordell Pugh, At approximately 3:10PM on Tuesday on Heritage Hills Drive, just West of Georgia Avenue (Montgomery County, MD), a male was found unresponsive in the yard of a residence and was pronounced dead on scene. Montgomery County Police working to determine circumstances of death.

We’ll update with additional information as soon as it’s available. Featured photo courtesy of Google Maps

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Four Police Cruisers Struck by Impaired Drivers Over the Past Five Weeks

By Patrick Herron

Per MCPD: Over the past five weeks, four police cruisers have been hit while conducting police related activities. In each case, it was determined that the drivers of the striking vehicles were impaired. On Sunday, November 13, 2022, at approximately 12:24 a.m., a Gaithersburg Police officer, assigned to the Holiday Task Force, was outside of his cruiser conducting a traffic stop in the area of northbound I-270 and Montgomery Village Ave., when his cruiser was side swiped by a red 2021 Ford Explorer. Following the collision, it was determined the driver of the Explorer was under the influence.

On Sunday, November 20, 2022, at approximately 1:38 a.m., a Maryland State Police Trooper, assigned to the Holiday Task Force, was initiating a traffic stop, in the area of northbound I-270 and Middlebrook Rd., with all emergency lights and sirens activated, when his cruiser was sideswiped by a 2011 Nissan Maxima, in the travel lanes of the roadway. The officer attempted to stop the Nissan Maxima, but the driver did not immediately come to a stop. When the driver stopped a short distance later, it was determined that the driver was under the influence.

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MoCo’s Joshua Pitsenberger Named Ivy League Rookie of the Year

By MCS Staff

Joshua Pitsenberger has been named the Ivy League Rooking of the Year after an impressive freshman year at Yale. Pitsenberger, who is from Bethesda and attended North Bethesda Middle School before going on to star as a student-athlete at The Avalon School, helped lead Yale to a 8-2 overall record (and 6-1 in the conference).

This season, Pitsenberger has rushed for 667 yards on 120 carries for 5.6 yards per carry and 6 touchdowns. He also has 10 catches for 53 yards and one receiving touchdown. He has been named Rookie of the Week four times this season and was a finalist for the Jerry Rice Award, which is awarded annually to the most outstanding freshman player in the NCAA. As a senior at Avalon, he rushed for 1,156 yards on 188 carries and scored 13 touchdowns, and had 36 receptions to go along with two receiving touchdowns. He also added two returns for touchdowns. Growing up he played football in Bethesda’s Maplewood Athletic Association and comes from a large, football-loving family. According to the Yale athletics website, he has eight brothers who have also played football.

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Montgomery County Council Meets on Dec. 13 at 9:15 a.m. to Receive an Update on the County’s Fiscal Condition

By Patrick Herron

Fiscal Plan

Briefing: The Council will receive an update from Executive staff about the County’s fiscal plan. The fiscal plan provides a high-level overview of the County’s fiscal condition and position based on current revenue and expenditure assumptions. The December 2022 update includes revisions to the County’s revenues based on actual collections to-date, assumed additional revenue that will be received in the coming months, and estimated annual expenditures based on quarter one spending for the County government.

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Montgomery County Police Respond to Stabbing in Silver Spring

By MCS Staff

Per Montgomery County Police: At approximately 11:04 a.m., 3rd District officers responded to the unit block of Inventa Pl. (off of Wayne Ave.) for the report of a stabbing. An adult male was transported to an area hospital with non-life threatening injuries. No suspect is in custody at this time.

Featured photo courtesy of Google Maps

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