Herrera is approximately 5-feet, 5-inches tall and weighs 140 pounds. She has brown eyes and dark brown hair. She was last seen wearing a grey zip-up hoodie with the number ‘23’ on the back. Police and family are concerned for her welfare. Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Brianna Herrera is asked to call the police non-emergency number at (301) 279-8000 (24-hour line) or the Special Victims Investigations Division at (240) 773-5400. Callers may remain anonymous.
According to the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office, “in the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, MD, before the Honorable Kevin Hessler, a jury has found defendant, Rodjaun Neal-Williams, 21 of Clarksburg, guilty of Voluntary Manslaughter and Use of Firearm in Commission of a Crime of Violence for the death of 23-year-old Javon Gordon of Boyds. The jury returned the verdict on Tuesday, March 7th, 2023. Defendant, Neal-Williams, faces a maximum of 30 years in prison. A sentencing hearing is scheduled before Judge Hessler on May 31st at 1:30 p.m.
This stems from an incident on April 13, 2021, on the 12900 block of Ethel Rose Way in Boyds. The defendant who was 19-years old at the time, was a passenger in a vehicle that pulled up to small group of individuals in the street. There was an altercation between Neal-Williams and Gordon while Neal-Williams was seated inside of the vehicle, and he fired a handgun, killing Gordon.”
The Montgomery County Planning Board recommended the Montgomery County Council designate the Edward U. Taylor School in Boyds as historic by adding it to the county’s Master Plan for Historic Preservation at a public hearing on Thursday, February 23. The County Council makes final decisions on historic designations of properties in the county. “We commend the Planning Board’s recommendation that the County Council designate the Edward U. Taylor Elementary School as a historic site,” said Acting Planning Director Tanya Stern. “This school is a landmark in the history of the Black community in Boyds and served as a community anchor. The Taylor School represented the efforts of individuals like Edward U. Taylor and Black organizations, parents, and teachers to obtain quality educational facilities for Black children in Montgomery County in the mid-20th century.” Historic designation criteria are established in Chapter 24A in the Montgomery County Code. The Planning Board evaluated the sites against the criteria and found that the Edward U. Taylor School met the following criteria:
About the Edward U. Taylor School site: The former Edward U. Taylor School (19501 White Ground Road, Boyds, MD) was built as an elementary school for Black students at a time when Montgomery County used legally sanctioned racial segregation to prohibit Black children from attending white schools. The Modern Movement-influenced building was completed in 1952, and features several additions built between 1954 and 1969. The facility was built to modern school design standards and represents the cumulative efforts of the county’s Black community to obtain better facilities and opportunities after decades of public underinvestment in educational facilities for Black children. The building currently serves as the Taylor Science Center for the processing and storage of science kits for Montgomery County Public Schools. The recommendation to study the school was brought forward in the MARC Rail Communities Plan, which was approved by the County Council in April 2019. View a short video on the Legacy of the Edward U. Taylor School. View the September 2022 Edward U. Taylor Elementary School Master Plan for Historic Preservation Designation Form.
The Montgomery County Planning Board will consider the Edward U. Taylor School and Weller’s Dry Cleaning sites for historic designation at the Planning Board meeting on February 23, 2023. The public is invited to offer testimony during the public hearing either in person or virtually. At the meeting, the Planning Board will make a recommendation for or against designation which will be sent to the Montgomery County Council for their final decision. The last amendment to the Master Plan of Historic Preservation was the historic designation of the Potomac Overlook District in 2022. View the public hearing draft of the amendment.
“We are so pleased to bring two important Montgomery County sites to the Planning Board for their consideration for historic preservation,” said Montgomery County Planning Department Historic Preservation Office supervisor Rebeccah Ballo. “Historic preservation is an integral part of planning, economic development and what makes our community special.”
Kayla DiCello, a freshman from Boyds who recently graduated from Northwest High School in Germantown, was recently named the “SEC Specialist of the Week” a week after being named the “SEC Freshman of the Week.” DiCello won the all-around in the quad meet against Ball State, Lindenwood and West Virginia with a top score of 39.475. DiCello’s score was the highest all-around mark among SEC freshmen, second among nation’s freshmen and tied for nation’s 10th highest for the opening weekend.
She is now one of seven Gators to win the all-around in their first meet since 1986. DiCello tied with Trinity Thomas (2019) for Florida’s top all-around in the first collegiate meet. She shared second place on balance beam with teammate Ellie Lazzari at 9.90, and also captured third place on bars (9.925) and floor (9.875). In July DiCello was selected to compete at the upcoming Pan American Championships. In August, DiCello competed at the National Championships. She finished finished fourth in the all-around and third on balance beam.
Friends of Black Hill Nature Programs will host a virtual talk and silent auction on Friday, November 18, 2022, at 6 p.m. to support the development of the new, self-sustaining classroom
Montgomery Parks and The Friends of Black Hill Nature Programs will host a virtual talk and silent auction on November 18, 2022, from 6 – 8 p.m. tocelebrate and support the future development of Black Hill Regional Park’s new, sustainable classroom. The silent auction takes place through November 19 and will be available on the Friends of Black Hill Nature Programs website.
Montgomery County Park Police will be conducting a multi-agency Search and Rescue exercise this Saturday, November 5th from 7am-7pm at Black Hill Regional Park.
Per Park Police: “The park will remain open, however do not be alarmed if you see search and rescue dog teams, horse teams, and a large police presence throughout the day.”
We are about a month into fall and the colors around us are changing. Whether it’s the taste of a warm pumpkin-flavored latte, the cool breeze of a crisp fall morning, weekends full of football, or the yellow glow of the sun on a tall birch tree, autumn is often a contender for MoCo residents’ favorite season (however short it may be). Many locals are looking forward to combining all the best parts of fall and enjoying the foliage outdoors, so we’ve put together a small list of 10 where you can enjoy the foliage across the county:
Agricultural Reserve: A drive through the rural areas that the 93,000 acre Agricultural Reserve encompasses, along with the larger rural communities of Damascus and Poolesville and small crossroad communities such as Beallsville, Sunshine and Dickerson, are sure to give you your fill of fall foliage.
The Boyds Transit Center project will provide a new bus loop and parking lot on the former Anderson property at the Boyds MARC station. This project will address the increased demand for commuter parking at the Boyds MARC station and the Ride On needs for future expansion of service from Clarksburg to the MARC station.
Online registration is required to attend. On the morning of the hearing, an electronic invitation to participate in this hearing will be emailed to you. Testimony and information provided will become a matter of public record and may influence final design plans.
Ishaan Bhardwaj, age 18, was last seen on Monday, June 20, 2022, at approximately 10:30 a.m., in the 14300 block of Brass Wheel Road.
Bhardwaj is 6-feet, 1-inch tall and weighs approximately 170 pounds. He has brown hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a black t-shirt and grey Nike shorts.
The King Barn Dairy MOOseum Barn at South Germantown Recreational Park will open for the season this upcoming Saturday, May 7th from 10am-3pm. It will be open every Saturday from 10am-3pm and every 4th Sunday for special Farm Family days until October (Admission to the MOOseum is free to individual visitors and families on regular open days).
“Special Events each year include Montgomery County History Tour Weekend, the last weekend in June; Montgomery County Farm Tour & Sale, the last weekend in July, and we’ll also hope to see you at the Montgomery County Fair in late August. ” The Museum’s History can be seen below: