There will be a food distribution event today, July 12, at Germantown Elementary School (19110 Liberty Mill Rd) from 2-3PM. Please remain in your vehicle while food is being delivered.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, Black Rock Center has temporarily transformed into the Upcounty Consolidation Hub. The Hub provides essential food, baby, and household supplies to over 1,000 families disproportionally impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic every week. Learn more at blackrockcenter.org
Montgomery County Police responded to the area of Apperson Way and Apperson Place in Germantown for the report of a traffic collision on Tuesday night around 11pm. According to MCPD, the striking vehicle had caught fire and subsequently caught other parked vehicles on fire.
On July 4, 2022, at approximately 9:20 a.m., 5th District patrol officers responded to the 11300 block of Hawks Ridge Terrace in Germantown, for the report of a male shooting a rifle at people. The suspect, Frederick Njihia, shot multiple times at a WSSC worker, striking his vehicle several times, as well as a male standing next to his truck.
A description of Njihia’s vehicle, a blue Honda Civic, was provided to officers. A short time later, a Montgomery County Officer, along with a police officer candidate riding in the vehicle, were traveling on Germantown Rd. towards Frederick Rd., when they observed the suspect vehicle.
FOX5 reports that a suspect wanted in connection with a Germantown shooting fired shots at a Montgomery County Police officer this morning before initiating a pursuit that ended in Virginia after the suspect crashed their vehicle.
The following is a brief summary of events regarding the incident, courtesy of MCPD:
Joshua Andrew Thomas was last seen on Tuesday, June 28, 2022, at approximately 3 p.m.
Thomas is 5-feet, 10-inches tall, 130 lbs., with brown hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a blue jacket, black shirt, black pants and red and black sneakers. Thomas has a tattoo of a skull and cross on his right, inner forearm.
Cassandra Genevie Clark was last seen on Sunday, June 26, 2022. She may be driving a silver 2005 Acura MDX with Maryland tags 3DK7167.
A Waste Management garbage truck caught fire on SB I270 between Middlebrook Rd and Watkins Mill Road on Monday afternoon just before 1pm. According to Chief Spokesperson for Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services Pete Prirnger, the vehicle was fully engulfed and involved alternative fuel (natural gas).
The fire has been extinguished and there were no injuries reported. Most lanes on SB I270 are currently blocked before Exit 12 and one lane gets by to left. Drivers are advised to seek and alternate route and expect delays. We will post an update when more information is available.
The HealthWell Foundation®, an independent non-profit that provides a financial lifeline for inadequately insured Americans that’s based in Germantown, has enhanced its homocystinuria fund to also provide financial assistance to patients living with organic acidemia. Through the Homocystinuria and Organic Acidemias Fund, HealthWell will provide up to $5,000 in copayment or premium assistance to eligible patients with annual household incomes up to 500 percent of the federal poverty level to obtain prescription medications for the treatment and management of their condition.
Per the press release: Kathy Stagni, Executive Director, Organic Acidemia Association, said, “OAA is honored to provide a financial contribution to support broadening this fund to include organic acidemias. Those living with the condition can be faced with a multitude of symptoms including breathing difficulties, vomiting, slow growth, and lethargy. Organic acidemia may also lead to neurological and physiological harm resulting in toxicity to organs. If undiagnosed and left untreated, the condition can be fatal. Accessing proper care and the ability to afford continued treatment are obstacles that many patients face. We applaud the HealthWell Foundation for recognizing this unmet need and for providing the financial resources these patients need to access lifesaving treatments.”
The number of vendors varies from 50 to 150 depending on the weather. Since the markets are outdoors, weather always plays a part in the activity, but the markets are only canceled for heavy steady rain or high winds. The markets are held on the first Saturday of the month – April though November – and the cold dark early mornings of the first and last months require heavy coats, gloves and flashlights. In the summer months a rogue thunderstorm can send vendors racing to cover their goods with tarps and to seek shelter in their cars, only to pop out again like prairie dogs from their holes when the sun comes out. But that isall part of the adventure.
Vendors are charged $25 for a 10’ x10’ space and must set up before 7am and pack up at 1pm. After the overhead of insurance, port-a-john, signage and security, all the proceeds go to three local non-profit organizations – the Germantown Historical Society, the Button Farm Living History Program, and a Boy Scout Troop. The Germantown Historical Society began the Flea Markets in 1993 to raise funds. There were only about two dozen vendors at that first market
Following a raid on a Germantown apartment that has been serving as a “haven for guns and drugs,” according to the State’s Attorney office, Montgomery County Police have taken seven suspects into custody. The suspects are:
• Devin Bullard (20)
Update: Jonathan Santiago Rius has been located safe and unharmed
Rius is approximately 6-feet, 2-inches tall and weighs 150 pounds. He has brown eyes and brown hair. He also has both ears pierced. He was last seen wearing a dark green t-shirt and dark colored shorts.