News

NBC4’s Pat Lawson Muse to Retire After 40+ Years

By Patrick Herron

NBC4/WRC-TV anchor Pat Lawson Muse has announced that she will be retiring from the station at the end of the month after 40+ years. Muse first started her career at NBC4 in 1977 as a student researcher before joining the station as a reporter and anchor in 1982. Muse has spent the past 27 years anchoring the 4pm newscast alongside the likes of Barbara Harrison and Leon Harris. Her last broadcast will be March 24.

“After 40+ years w/ NBC4, our anchor Pat Lawson Muse has announced her retirement. She says: “I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your love and your support, and for welcoming me into your homes and your hearts for so many years.” 💕”

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Remembering Jim Vance on What Would Have Been His 81st Birthday 

By Patrick Herron

Local news anchor Jim Vance passed away on July 22nd, 2017 at the age of 75.  January 10th, 2023, would have been Vance’s 81st birthday. Vance worked at WRC-TV (NBC 4) for over 45 years, with the majority of them spent anchoring the 11pm newscast alongside Doreen Gentzler, Bob Ryan, and the late George Michael. Considered by many to be the most trusted voice in the Washington area, Jim was a Silver Spring resident and had won multiple Emmy Award for Outstanding News Anchor during his career.

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Bridge Project Brings Speed Cameras Back to Beltway

By Cordell Pugh

A Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) bridge rehabilitation project is bringing Safe Zones Automated Speed Enforcement (“speed cameras”) back to the Beltway. This project involves the rehabilitation of the bridge carrying I-95 above the Outer Loop of the Beltway (I-495 West) within the I-495/I-95 interchange in College Park. Contractor crews will be repairing the bridge’s deck joints as well as its concrete piers and columns.

The Automated Speed Enforcement is focused on traffic on the Outer Loop of the Beltway, just past the split with I-95 North, headed towards New Hampshire Avenue and into Montgomery County. In a written statement, the State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) highlighted the different phases of this Automated Speed Enforcement effort:

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NBC 4’s Pat Collins to Retire at the End of 2022

By Patrick Herron

NBC Washington (WRC-TV) announced today that longtime reporter Pat Collins will retire at the end of 2022. Collins joined News4 in 1986 and has spent over fifty years covering news in the DC area.  Prior to News4, Collins worked for WJLA-TV (ABC 7) , WDVM-TV (now WUSA-TV), and WLS-TV in Chicago . In addition to covering breaking news, Collins is most well-known for his human interest stories, including a 2011 clip of Collins dressed as a bunch of grapes that went viral(video below), as well as his “Snow Stick.”    NBC4 Washington posted the following message on their social media accounts:

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NBC 4’s Doreen Gentzler to Retire After Tonight’s 6PM Newscast

By Patrick Herron

Tonight’s 6pm broadcast will be the last for longtime NBC4 newscaster Doreen Gentzler.  Gentzler, who joined NBC4 in 1989, following the departure of Dave Marash, has been with the station for 33 years. She announced her plans to retire back in October. Gentzler co-anchored the weekday 6pm and 11pm editions of News4 on WRC-TV (NBC4) and was also the station’s health reporter.  She has also made appearances as herself on NBC shows The Event and The Blacklist. Gentzler anchored WRC’s 6pm news alongside veteran anchor Jim Vance for 28 years – a partnership that lasted until Vance’s death in July 2017.

Per NBC4, Gentzler shared the following, “I have some personal news to share this evening. It may cause me to get a little emotional, so I’ll just say it outright. I’ve decided to retire. Not an easy choice, but something I’ve been considering for a while … I’ve been working here for more than half my life. The babies that I had during the ’90s have grown up and moved out.” Gentzler, a native of Arlington, Virginia, returned home to the Washington area in 1989 to join Jim Vance, Bob Ryan and George Michael on the WRC anchor desk. On her first newscast, Gentzler’s longtime co-anchor and close friend Jim Vance welcomed her by saying, “This is Doreen, folks. Doreen Gentzler. She’s going to be with us for quite a while.” Thirty-three years later, it’s safe to say Vance was right.

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New Maryland Child Passenger Safety Law to Keep Children Rear Facing Until 2-Years-Old

By Francesca Luca

Per Zero Deaths Maryland, “In April 2022, Maryland lawmakers passed SB 176, a bill that will upgrade the state’s law that protects children traveling on our roadways. The new law goes into effect on October 1, 2022, and states that children must be kept rear-facing until at least two years of age, unless the child meets or exceeds the height and weight on the seat’s guidelines. Having a seat that properly fits the child is also another important consideration. SB 176 brought Maryland in line with laws in 16 other states (CA, CT, IL, LA, ME, NE, NJ, NY, NV, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, VA, WA) and the District of Columbia.”

In April 2022, Maryland lawmakers passed SB 176, a bill that will upgrade the state’s law that protects children traveling on our roadways. The new law goes into effect on October 1, 2022, and states that children must be kept rear-facing until at least two years of age, unless the child meets or exceeds the height and weight on the seat’s guidelines. Having a seat that properly fits the child is also another important consideration. SB 176 brought Maryland in line with laws in 16 other states (CA, CT, IL, LA, ME, NE, NJ, NY, NV, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, VA, WA) and the District of Columbia.

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NBC 4’s Leon Harris Speaks About His Sobriety and Recently Served Jail Time

By MCS Staff

On Monday, Doreen Gentzler spoke with Leon Harris on NBC4 about his sobriety, as well as the time he recently spent in jail after his DUI conviction earlier this year.  Harris told that Gentzler that he was in worse shape than he thought at the time and that he could have killed someone while driving impaired, “I thought after having about four glasses of wine I was good.. I wasn’t, nobody is going to be good after that.” Harris said he now spends three hours a day in therapy talking to other people in recovery.

According to WTOP, Harris spent 10 days in jail and is on three years of supervised probation. Harris returns to the anchor desk on tonight’s 6PM newscast. You can watch the full video below courtesy of the @nbcwashington Twitter:

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NBC 4’s Leon Harris to Serve Jailtime for DUI Arrest

By Patrick Herron

Earlier this week, NBC4/WRCTV anchor Leon Harris was sentenced in Montgomery County District Court to one year of jailtime, with all but 10 days suspended, after pleading guilty to driving under the influence. Harris was arrested for DUI in January when he failed a field sobriety test after being involved in a collision on Bradley Boulevard near River Road. Harris was also sentenced to serve three years of supervised probation and must have an ignition interlock device installed on his vehicle, according to NBC4.

In March, Harris returned to the air on NBC4 and called his decision to drink and drive the “stupidest decision he could have made,” and said he knew that he let a lot of people down, and that he had spent the previous month to reflect and seek professional help. On the disease of alcoholism, Harris went on to say, “I’ve learned that this problem is treatable, and that it is possible to embrace recovery and sobriety, and with the help of my family, friends and professional advisers, have sought some help now to do just that.”

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Update: California Man Facing Federal Charges for Attempted Murder of a United States Judge

By Patrick Herron

The United States Attorney for the District of Maryland has released additional information regarding the incident that occurred in the area of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s home in Chevy Chase on Wednesday morning:

Greenbelt, Maryland – A criminal complaint was filed today charging Nicholas John Roske, age 26, of Simi Valley, California, for federal charges of attempted murder of a Supreme Court Justice.  Roske is expected to have an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt today at 3:00 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Sullivan.

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