MoCo Archives - Page 355 of 629

Montgomery County Highlights Free Tax Help and Earned Income Tax Credits as 2022 Tax Filing Season Begins

Published January 27, 2023 at 1:07PM

Per Montgomery County: In recognition of National Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Awareness Day on Jan. 27, low-to-moderate income Montgomery County residents are reminded that valuable tax credits, including the State and Federal Earned Income Tax Credit, Child Tax Credits and County’s Working Families Income Supplement, may help them and provide thousands of dollars in tax refunds.

To help residents access these credits, the Community Action Agency’s (CAA) Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Partnership hosts free tax sites throughout the community for households earning $60,000 or less. VITA sites offer in-person appointments in Gaithersburg, Silver Spring, Rockville and Wheaton. Virtual appointments also are available.

MCPS Student Program is Looking For Car Donations (Tax Deduction); Next Car Sale to Take Place February 11

By MCS Staff

Published January 26, 2023 at 5:05PM

The Montgomery County Students Automotive Trades Foundation (ATF) is looking for car donations. Donations will help more high school students learn how to evaluate, repair and restore used cars. The ATF is a nonprofit that fosters automotive education by offering students hands-on instruction in maintenance, repair, sales and marketing. The students run a mini-dealership where people can purchase the refurbished cars. The ATF accepts donations year-round by appointment at Damascus, Gaithersburg and Seneca Valley high schools, at Thomas Edison High School of Technology and at the Shady Grove Bus Depot. Donations may be tax deductible. Call 240-740-2047 to donate.

MCPS students engage in a hands-on curriculum to refurbish used cars. As part of the automotive program, students sell the cars at three sales throughout the school year (www.cars2purchase.org). The next sale is coming up from 9–11 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 11 at Damascus High School. Potential inventory of available cars will be posted closer to sale date (end of January/ early February). Additional information about the program below:

Panel Discussion on the State of Rental Housing Affordability in Montgomery County to Take Place January 30

By Patrick Herron

Published January 26, 2023 at 9:47AM

The panel will cover topics including the economics of affordable housing, market rate housing and a discussion surrounding rent burden and rent relief. Panelists will include leaders from County agencies, the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG), nonprofits, including AHC, Montgomery Housing Partnership, Renters Alliance and PolicyLink, and the private sector, including Stonebridge Real Estate, EYA, Southern Management Companies and the Small Multifamily Owners Association.

The members of the PH Committee aim to connect data, context and conversation with a variety of stakeholders to guide future policymaking around the affordability of rental housing. The committee plans to subsequently delve into additional critical housing matters, including home ownership programs, and the Housing Initiative Fund and Housing Production Fund, the county’s primary financing vehicles to subsidize affordable housing projects.

Springbrook’s Gary Frace Named Maryland Coach of the Year

By MCS Staff

Published January 26, 2023 at 8:23AM

Per MCPS: Gary Frace, Springbrook High School’s longtime cross country coach, was named state Cross Country Coach of the Year by the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association (MPSSAA).

Frace has been at Springbrook for nearly 50 years. Will Jawando, Montgomery County Councilmember and chair of the council’s Education and Culture Committee, offered his congratulations in the video below (featured photo– From left to right, MCPS athletics director Jeff Sullivan; Springbrook principal Stephanie Valentine; Gary Frace; athletic director Dan Feher and athletic assistant Melissa Turowski) :

Montgomery Community-wide Greenhouse Gas Emissions Decreased by 30 Percent Between 2005 and 2020, According to Council of Governments

By Patrick Herron

Published January 25, 2023 at 5:21PM

Per Montgomery County: Montgomery County community-wide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions decreased by 30 percent between 2005 and 2020, despite a 13 percent growth in population, according to the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) GHG emission inventories. COG has 24 member jurisdictions in the Washington Region, including Montgomery County. Montgomery County’s inventory covers GHG-emitting activities from the entire community, including the County government, businesses, industry, residents and visitors.

“This inventory demonstrates that in every sector of our County—from our businesses to our residents and local governments—we are successfully working together to bring down greenhouse gas emissions,” said Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich. “Our Countywide efforts, including moving toward electrification and away from fossil fuels, encouraging electric vehicle adoption, planting more trees and making it easier and safer for people to bike and walk, are all contributing to our goals to cut GHG emissions 80 percent by 2027 and 100 percent by 2035.”

Energy Assistance Programs and Energy Savings Information Tables Will Be Available at Montgomery County Public Libraries Through April

By Patrick Herron

Published January 25, 2023 at 5:07PM

Per Montgomery County: Montgomery County Public Libraries will offer staffed information tables to learn about energy assistance programs and energy saving resources on seven select Mondays through April. The resource tables will be staffed by the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services and Pepco.

For more information about the energy savings display tables, contact Clotilde Puértolas at [email protected].

16 Multiple Electric Vehicle Charging Ports Added in County Parking Facilities, Bringing Total to 56 in County Garages and Parking Lots

By Patrick Herron

Published January 25, 2023 at 4:52PM | Updated January 25, 2023 at 5:31PM

Per Montgomery County: The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) has added 16 electric vehicle charging ports in County garages over the last four months, increasing the total of electric vehicle (EV) charging ports to 56 for public use in County parking garages and parking lots. Eight ports were added in the NOAA Garage (G58) in Silver Spring this month, four ports were added in the Cordell-St. Elmo Garage (G40) in Bethesda in December and four ports were installed in the Wheaton Market Place Garage (G13) in October. MCDOT has eight more charging ports planned. Four will be installed in the Bethesda-Elm Garage (G57) later this winter and four ports have been ordered for the Cameron Street Garage (G7) in Silver Spring.

EV charging ports are now available in the following County parking facilities within each of the three County maintained Parking Lot Districts (PLD):

$116K in Funds Distributed to Families Affected by November 26 Explosion and Fire at Potomac Oaks Condominiums in Gaithersburg

By MCS Staff

Published January 25, 2023 at 4:06PM

More than $116,000 in funds have been distributed to families affected by the catastrophic November 26 explosion and fire at the Potomac Oaks Condominium in Gaithersburg through a collaborative effort involving governmental agencies and nonprofits, including Making Homes Possible (MHP). The dedicated relief fund, which totals more than $138,000 thanks to generous donors, is being managed by MHP. One hundred percent of donations are going to affected families to cover costs and damage resulting from the explosion/fire.

Ten people were transported to the hospital, two with critical injuries and eight (4 adults/4 children) with mild/moderate injuries following the explosion and fire. Dozens of residents from 24 different units across four buildings were also displaced. It was announced that the body of the deceased recovered from the wreckage on Thursday had been positively identified as 36-year-old Juan Pablo Marshall Quizon. The manner of death was ruled a suicide and the cause of death was smoke inhalation and burns. MHP anticipates closing the Potomac Oaks relief fund by the end of February. Those interested in contributing to the fund should complete their donations by February 28. You can donate here.

Damascus High School Alumna, Ava Piedrahita, named Penn State Student-Athlete of the Week

By MCS Staff

Published January 25, 2023 at 3:01PM

Ava Piedrahita, a 2022 graduate of Damascus High School has been named Penn State student-athlete of the week. Ava, a native of Gaithersburg, also attended John T. Baker Middle School in Damascus. According to her website, Ava started gymnastics because her sister Kaitlyn was in gymnastics back in 2007 and she was just tagging along running around in the waiting room. She started with recreational classes for a couple of years then was invited to team at Hill’s Gymnastics in Gaithersburg.

Penn State on Ava: “In the first Big Ten meet of her career against No. 16 Minnesota, Piedrahita shined with three career-highs in a fantastic all-around competition for the freshman. The freshman started off her night with a 9.800 on bars as one of four Nittany Lions to post a 9.800-or-better on the apparatus. She continued with a career-best 9.875 on vault, which led the team in the event and became Penn State’s best mark on the apparatus this season. Her career-best 9.775 on the balance beam closed out the night for her and helped her set a new lifetime best 39.225 in the all-around to claim second place in the meet. The score also became Penn State’s best all-around mark in the 2023 season. In a tough Big Ten road environment, the freshman rose to the occasion and performed extremely well for the Nittany Lions”

Nominations Now Being Accepted for Montgomery County’s Commission for Women’s 2023 ‘Women Making History Award’

By Patrick Herron

Published January 24, 2023 at 10:25PM

Recipients of the Women Making History Award will be recognized and featured during Women’s History Month in March and again at a panel discussion and dinner to be held at a later date. To be eligible, nominees should exemplify one or more of the following:

MoCo Natives to Start New Weekly FM Radio Show on February 5th

By MCS Staff

Published January 24, 2023 at 8:11AM | Updated January 24, 2023 at 7:55PM

Montgomery County natives Brandy Louis Simms and George Johnson will start broadcasting their new radio show, ‘Sports Rap’, on Sunday, February 5th on Radio Arlington (WERA 96.7fm). Simms graduated from Newport Prep in Kensington Johnson is a graduate of Walter Johnson HS in Bethesda. Johnson has previously worked at Home Team Sports/Comcast SportsNet, while Simms is the manager former Sports Director at Montgomery Community Media’s “Cable News 21”.

The weekly show, ‘Sports Rap’, will air every Sunday at noon (12pm) and will primarily discuss local high school, college and professional sports along with other issues within the world of sports. Not a fan of sports? No worries, Simms tells us they’ll also talk about pop culture and comedy, music, movies, television, and more.