As mail-in and provisional ballots continue to be counted in the Democratic primary for Montgomery County Executive, the latest update by the Maryland State Board of Elections (9:17pm, 8/2) shows that incumbent Marc Elrich (50,765, 39.30%) has increased his lead over David Blair (50,592, 39.17%) to 173 votes.

David Blair led by 1,191 votes when early voting and Election Day votes were tallied. Elrich took the lead early on during the canvassing of mail-in votes, but Blair closed the gap and eventually reclaimed the lead. Elrich regained the lead on the first day of August, and increased it by 53 additional votes in Tuesday night‘s update. Overall, Blair has received 21,238 mail-in/provisional ballot votes compared to 22,737 for Marc Elrich. Marc Elrich defeated David Blair by just 77 votes in the 2018 Democratic Primary.


The Long Branch Library is located at 8800 Garland Ave. in Silver Spring,

The book drop will remain open for returns while the building is closed. During the closure, Long Branch Library users are encouraged to use other MCPL branches for checking out books and other materials, and using the catalog and internet computers. Nearby branches are the Brigadier General Charles E. McGee in Silver Spring, Wheaton and White Oak libraries.


Carmen Facciolo, who was appointed as Montgomery County’s first civilian assistant police chief in June 2021, is no longer employed by the Montgomery County government, according to a report by WTOP.  Facciolo was suspended by the Montgomery County Police Department back in June of this year.  At the time, Chief Marcus Jones issued a department-wide email acknowledging the suspension, saying “Effective immediately, all duties and authority vested in the Chief of the Community Resources Bureau are vested in Captain Marc Erme. This will remain in place until further notice.”  No statement was released by MCPD or Montgomery County on why Facciolo was originally suspended, citing that it was a “personnel matter.”

From a June 2021 article: “Assistant Chief Facciolo joins the Montgomery County Police Department from the Bronx District Attorney’s Office where he served as a Deputy Chief overseeing the Strategic Enforcement and Intergovernmental Relations Division. In this role, Assistant Chief Facciolo directed all intelligence and crime strategies efforts, technical investigations including crime scene, photo, cell-site analysis, and digital forensics, forensic science services, strategic technology, the planning and analysis unit, and the alternatives to incarceration bureau.  Assistant Chief Facciolo served as District Attorney Clark’s liaison to federal, state, and local law enforcement, forensics, and intelligence agencies, and managed her relationships with federal and state elected officials, local legislators, The Hill, and stakeholder organizations.  Lastly, Assistant Chief Facciolo coordinated the county’s response to major law enforcement incidents, the opioid epidemic and mental health and crisis intervention services.


As mail-in and provisional ballots continue to be counted in the Democratic primary for Montgomery County Executive, the latest update by the Maryland State Board of Elections (9:08pm, 8/1) shows that incumbent Marc Elrich (49,804, 39.29%) has regained the lead over David Blair (49,684, 39.20%) by 120 votes.

David Blair led by 1,191 votes when early voting and Election Day votes were tallied. Elrich took the lead early on during the canvassing of mail-in votes, but Blair closed the gap and eventually reclaimed the lead. Elrich has now taken the lead on the first day of August. Overall, Blair has received 20,330 mail-in/provisional ballot votes compared to 21,776 for Marc Elrich. Marc Elrich defeated David Blair by just 77 votes in the 2018 Democratic Primary.


The “sign sweep” will take place on County-maintained roads and at intersections with State highways. DPS will not be removing signs from private property.

DPS Zoning and Code Compliance Manager Greg Nichols said inspectors will be forming teams to target assigned areas around the County.


The Montgomery County Animal Services and Adoption Center (7315 Muncaster Mill Road, Derwood) is waiving adoption fees for all animals from Aug. 1 – Aug. 31 as part of their annual participation in the  Clear the Shelters event. Full details below from the MCASAC:

Montgomery County Animal Services and Adoption Center (MCASAC) is once again teaming up with NBC, Telemundo, and animal shelters across the country to find loving homes for pets in need! All adoption fees will be waived for all animals from August 1st through August 31st, 2022 during the annual Clear The Shelters adoption event!


As mail-in and provisional ballots continue to be counted in the Democratic primary for Montgomery County Executive, the latest update by the Maryland State Board of Elections (10:23am, 7/31) shows that David Blair (47,980, 39.27%) leads incumbent Marc Elrich (47,959, 39.25%) by just 21 votes.

Some updated canvass numbers, per the Board of Elections for Montgomery County:


Per Montgomery County: The Montgomery County Council voted Tuesday to approve a new zoning measure introduced by Councilmember Andrew Friedson that will help attract and retain biohealth companies in Montgomery County and spur economic development, particularly in transit-oriented locations. The new zoning measure continues the Council’s ongoing efforts to support innovation and the biohealth sector, which is an essential part of Montgomery County’s economic engine.

ZTA 22-02 Density and Height Limits, Parking – Biohealth, will allow additional height and increased flexibility in density allocation for urban biohealth facilities in recognition of the unique mechanical challenges of biohealth buildings.


As mail-in and provisional ballots continue to be counted in the Democratic primary for Montgomery County Executive, the latest update by the Maryland State Board of Elections (8:11pm, 7/29) shows that David Blair (46,824, 39.32%) leads incumbent Marc Elrich (46,693, 39.21%) by 131 votes.

David Blair led by 1,191 votes when early voting and Election Day votes were tallied. Elrich took the lead early on during the canvassing of mail-in votes, but Blair closed the gap and eventually reclaimed the lead. Overall, Blair has received 17,470 mail-in/provisional ballot votes compared to 18,665 for Marc Elrich. Marc Elrich defeated David Blair by just 77 votes in the 2018 Democratic Primary.


Earlier this week, Montgomery County’s Community Covid-19 Level was back up to ‘High’, according to the county’s Covid-19 surveillance dashboard. The CDC, however, still had Montgomery County at the ‘Medium’ level. The community levels are based on metrics released by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on February 25, 2022, enabling communities and individuals to make better decisions based on their local context and unique needs.

After many publicly questioned the discrepancy between Montgomery County’s numbers and the CDC’s numbers for the county, the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services tweeted the following:


MCPS hosted the Summer 2022 Safety Summit at Walter Johnson High School bringing together school leaders and community safety partners for discussions and training. The conference provided information and clarity around the new memorandum of understanding between MCPS and police. A video recap of the Safety Summit is available below:

https://youtu.be/hQWN0pyGw9U


View More Stories