Update: May 14, 2022 – Christopher Calderon-Esquivel has been located safe and unharmed.
Detectives from the Montgomery County Police – Special Victims Investigations Division (SVID) are asking for the public’s assistance in locating a missing 13-year-old male from Silver Spring. Christopher Calderon-Esquivel was last seen Friday, May 13, 2022 at approximately 9 a.m., leaving the 700 block of Forest Glen Road.
Per MCPD:
Dear Friends,
LIHWAP is a one-time benefit grant of $100 – $2,000 that can be paid toward residential water and/or wastewater accounts that have accumulated arrearages. Arrearages must be a minimum of at least $100 and 30 days old to apply. LIHWAP will assist in the payment of arrearages for immediate restoration of residential water and/or wastewater services and/or to prevent the disconnection of service by placing the account back in good standing.
“No one should have to worry about not being able to pay for something as essential as water,” said Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich. “Through these funds, we can relieve some of the pressure that working families are facing and provide greater peace of mind that basic needs are being met. I encourage any Montgomery County family that qualifies to apply today and get the relief you deserve.”
The presentation spans a cross-section of automobile history across the State, from the earliest cars and paving of The National Road to post-war leisure travel and the opening of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge
“Addressing the economic impacts of the pandemic will take a sustained and intentional effort by governments at all levels,” said Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich. “We want our most vulnerable families that have been negatively affected by COVID-19 to be able to stay in their homes, and this fourth phase of rental relief funds will help us do just that. Thank you to our state and federal partners who have helped our County in this collective work to keep our families whole.”
Funding for this fourth phase comes from U.S. Department of the Treasury Emergency Rental Assistance funds in direct allocations to the County and as a sub-grantee to the State of Maryland. $78 million in rental assistance has been distributed to approximately 10,500 Montgomery County households in the previous three phases of the program.
Pride in the Plaza will feature food, music, an LGBTQ+ focused resource and vendor fair, bilingual Drag Queen Story Hour, and the championship finale of Live in Your Truth Program’s Drag Duels series. The day will conclude with the second annual Pride in the Plaza Mini-Ball, a free voguing competition with cash prizes, starting at 5 p.m., in partnership with Capitol Ballroom Council. Local businesses that want to support Pride in the Plaza can visit PrideInThePlaza.com/partners-in-pride.
Pride in the Plaza will showcase a diverse cross-section of local nonprofit organizations, LGBTQ+ owned businesses, artists, and networks tabling to share information about their services for Montgomery County’s LGBTQ+ communities. HIV and other health screenings will be provided free of charge, in honor of National HIV Testing Day (June 27).
Florin Vaduva, age 31, of Dania Beach, Florida pleaded guilty on Monday to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud. As part of his plea agreement, Vaduva will be ordered to pay at least $1,085,151.42 in restitution. Though specific details have not been released regarding the institutions that were defrauded, Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department was among those who announced the guilty plea indicating that at least part of the illegal activity occurred in Montgomery County.
Per the press Maryland District U.S. Attorney’s press release: The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Acting Postal Inspector in Charge Greg L. Torbenson of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service – Washington Division; Acting Special Agent in Charge Selwyn Smith of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Acting Special Agent in Charge Quenton Sallows, of the Mid-Atlantic Region, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG); Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department; Chief Toni Dezomits of the Cary, North Carolina, Police Department; and Sheriff Dusty Rhoades of the Williamson County, Tennessee, Sheriff’s Office.
“We live in a time where people’s rights are under attack – from the Supreme Court to the halls of Congress, to State Houses throughout this nation,” said County Executive Elrich. “We must do all we can to protect women’s health and their personal rights. With this allocation of funds, we are helping ensure that any woman who needs assistance will be able to access it. I want to thank our nonprofit partners, doctors, and nurses who are so critical to our efforts. In Montgomery County, we are committed to working in partnership to stand up for all people and will continue to do so.”
“The County Executive’s initiative is in great alignment with the County Council’s resolution on reproductive rights, which I spearheaded,” said County Councilmember Nancy Navarro. “The resolution affirmed our commitment to ensuring that health care organizations that provide reproductive health services have the appropriate supports and capacity to safeguard the reproductive rights of residents in our communities. As the lone woman Councilmember on the Council, I will continue to do all I can to support the County executive and the County Council in doing the right thing – protecting our reproductive rights and safeguarding the welfare of all our residents. I also call on Governor Hogan to support reproductive rights in Maryland by releasing the $3.5 million earmarked by the legislature for training.”
Montgomery County Police will be holding a community event this Saturday, May 14, from 12-6pm at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds in celebration of the departments 100th anniversary. According to MCPD, this will be the largest community event the department has ever hosted and will feature food trucks, police displays, music, face painting, and more. The event is scheduled to take place rain or shine.
Montgomery County Ride On bus riders can donate non-perishable food to the County Department of Transportation’s (MCDOT) Ride On food drive from May 15-22. Non-perishable food items can be dropped off on all Ride On, extRa, Flex and Flash buses. A food donation bag will be available next to the farebox.
“We must ensure that no one in Montgomery County goes hungry,” said Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich. “Food insecurity was prevalent before the pandemic hit—and COVID-19 made it even worse. So many people lost jobs and higher food prices continue to make it exceedingly difficult for families to make ends meet. I am grateful to MCDOT and Manna Food Center for this important effort and encourage residents to donate non-perishable food items on all of our buses between May 15 and May 22.”
“The potential overturning of Roe v. Wade is outrageous and devastating for all women and a clear violation of women’s rights,” said Councilmember Navarro, who chairs the Government Operations and Fiscal Policy Committee. “This would be a culmination of a coordinated and relentless effort to eliminate hard-fought progress. For decades, I have joined the fight to ensure women’s access to quality and safe reproductive health services.
“In Montgomery County, we need to be prepared to be a beacon for women in need of this potentially life-saving medical treatment. As President Biden said, it is up to the nation’s elected officials at all levels of government to fight for a woman’s right to choose, and we are stepping up to the challenge. It is also up to all of us to use our voice, our vote and our collective power to protect women’s rights.”