It’s September 23, 2023 and fall is here. Many may want to spend quality time outdoors before winter, and the The Takoma Park police department has asked residents to be mindful of all Montgomery County rules regarding open burning and the use of fire pits. Please be sure you are adhering to all county guidelines and using precautions when using a fire pit:
Courtesy of Takoma Park Police
MCPS has launched a partnership with Future Link, Inc., a leading nonprofit organization that provides low-income, first-generation-to-college young adults with the tools, skills and resources to achieve economic self-sufficiency and success in the workforce.
The collaboration works to bridge the gap between education and career readiness, ensuring that Future Link students—92% of whom are MCPS graduates—receive comprehensive support and opportunities to thrive in their academic and professional journeys. The partnership will provide career exploration programs, mentorship and coaching, and workforce readiness training. Future Link’s mentors and career coaches will offer individualized guidance to help students set goals, develop essential skills and navigate the challenges of transitioning from post-secondary education to the workforce.
The Montgomery County Students Automotive Trades Foundation (ATF) is seeking vehicle donations. Donations will help more than 400 high school students learn how to evaluate, repair and refurbish used cars. The ATF is a nonprofit that fosters automotive education by offering students hands-on instruction in maintenance, repair, sales and marketing. As part of the automotive program, students sell the cars at three sales throughout the school year.
The ATF accepts donations year-round between 8 a.m.–3 p.m. Monday through Friday at Damascus, Gaithersburg and Seneca Valley high schools and at the Thomas Edison High School of Technology. Donations may be tax deductible. The first used car sale will take place on December 9th at Gaithersburg High School from 9am-11am.
Montgomery County, MD is commonly known as being a suburb of the nation’s capital, but what might surprise some is that it is also home to a thriving biotech ecosystem. With over 350 life sciences companies, including global brands like AstraZeneca, United Therapeutics, and Novavax, Montgomery County anchors the third largest biophama hub in the U.S., behind only Boston and San Francisco.
Running annually in Washington D.C. for over 25 years, World Vaccine Congress attracts an international audience from over 80 countries and convenes more than 3,000 people to learn about the latest trends, research, and technologies in the vaccine industry. This year, Montgomery County took center stage, with a featured session on the extensive Biologics Value Chain in the County, as well as a session during which County Executive Marc Elrich spoke about the extensive resources available to companies here, and an exhibit space showcasing these resources.
A Complete Biologics Value Chain in One Region
One of the defining strengths of Montgomery County is its ability to support the full lifecycle of biologics, all the way from early research to large-scale manufacturing. During the panel discussion, moderated by Dr. Stefanie Trop, Director of Life Sciences at the Maryland Department of Commerce, local leaders emphasized that the region’s strength lies in its network of partners who work collaboratively across discovery, development, testing, and production. Panelists from companies in all stages of the value chain spectrum included Dr. Andrew Lees, Founder of Fina Biosolutions, Benjamin Moutier, Senior Vice-President, Vaccines and Immune Therapies at AstraZeneca, Dr. Helen Sabzevari President & CEO of Precigen, and Dr. Frederick Holtsberg, Chief Scientific Officer of Integrated BioTherapeutics.
This end-to-end capability in close geographical proximity gives companies a unique advantage and is rare to find in other markets, even established ones like San Francisco and Boston. In fact, only a handful of places worldwide offer the combination of infrastructure, expertise, and collaboration found in Montgomery County and if diversity, education and population density are taken into consideration – then Montgomery County standouts even more.
“Gaithersburg is one of the six places in the world where we can do what we’re doing,” explained Benjamin Moutier, Senior Vice-President, Vaccines and Immune Therapies, AstraZeneca. “We have the right partners at every step of the value chain [in Montgomery County].”
A Strong Partnership Network
Biotech breakthroughs rarely happen in isolation. They depend on strong partnerships between private companies, local and state governments, academic institutions, and workforce training organizations. Montgomery County has intentionally cultivated these connections, making collaboration and coordination defining characteristics of its life sciences ecosystem.
Dr. Frederick Holtsberg, Chief Scientific Officer at IBT Bioservices, a full service CRO offering clinical & preclinical contract research services, says the company’s close partnerships between them and local stakeholders have been crucial to its success. “As a Rockville-based company, we’re grateful for the partnership and support from city, County, and state leaders,” explained Dr. Holtsberg. “These programs have helped fuel our growth, and we’re excited about the continued momentum of our community.” (more…)
Per the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Maryland – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Jalen Thomas Kelley, age 21, of Abingdon, Maryland, for aggravated sexual abuse, sexual abuse and assault within the territorial jurisdiction. Kelley was arrested by the FBI Charlotte Field Office in Wingate, North Carolina, on September 20, 2023.
According to the indictment, between January 1, 2023 and January 2, 2023, the defendant engaged in a sexual act by force and assaulted Victim 1 without consent on board a cruise vessel Carnival Legend, which had a scheduled departure from and an arrival in Baltimore, Maryland.
Beautiful venue; great art, gifts and hand-crafted items; refreshments; and meet the award-winning painters, photographers, mixed media artists, ceramicists, fiber artists, and more – some 40 artists in all. It’s an extraordinary array of framed wall works, 3-d media including sculpture, ceramics, jewelry, and fiber pieces, and unframed prints.
Among them, you’ll see:
Wiseguy pizza has opened its first MoCo location. The restaurant is located in the space that was previously occupied by Angel’s Pizza at Wheaton Mall (preview video available below).
Wiseguy serves stone-deck oven baked pizza by the slice that’s made with imported ingredients from Italy, homemade sauces, and dough using a special water filtration system. Pizza options include Cheese, Pepperoni, Paneer Tikki (House Masala, Paneer, Mozzarella, Onions, Tomato, Green & Chili Peppers, Cilantro, Jalapeño Sauce), Nashville Hot Chicken, Chicken Parmesan, and Whitestone (Garlic, Ricotta, Mozzarella, Parmigiano, Oregano, Oil from Tuscany Italy).
Per the State of Maryland: In preparation for Tropical Storm Ophelia, Governor Wes Moore has asked State departments and agencies to launch a coordinated effort to keep Marylanders safe and informed in the upcoming days. Governor Moore signed Executive Order 01.01.2023.13 declaring a state of emergency in Maryland on Friday, September 22, 2023. Here is information on what a state of emergency means.
Not all states of emergency are the same. Each state of emergency is different and can change depending on the severity of the event or emergency. Be sure to check with your local news and with MDEM for updated information related to states of emergency. A state of emergency has been declared in order to allow Maryland to coordinate and request emergency resources and support. A state of emergency allows the Governor to access certain resources, like the National Guard, in order to increase the State’s response.
Montgomery Blair Principal Renay Johnson sent the following message to the Blair community on Friday, September 21, regarding an incident that took place at the school which involved students at the school performing an antisemitic salute:
One of our students reported witnessing a distressing incident during our lunch period. A group of students were observed outside filming themselves performing an antisemitic salute. We take this incident seriously, as it goes against our school’s core values of respect, tolerance, and inclusion. A report was made to the Montgomery County Police, and we are conducting thorough investigations to understand the motivations behind this behavior and to prevent any future incidents.
Per MCDOT: The County’s 10th annual Montgomery County Friendship Picnic takes place this Sunday, Sept. 24, from noon to 5 p.m. at Wheaton Regional Park, located at 2000 Shorefield Road in Wheaton. Ride On will provide free shuttle service, with 15 – 20 minute frequency, to and from the Wheaton Ice Rink and Athletic fields located at 11717 Orebaugh Avenue.
All are welcome to the free celebration featuring a wide range of activities for children and adults including music, dancing, moon bounce, face painting, the carousel and rides on the park’s miniature train.
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) responded to the outer loop of I-495 between Connecticut Ave and Rockville Pike, in the area of Cedar Lane, for the report of a jackknifed tractor with fuel spill on Saturday, September 23, around 8am. According to the Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management & Homeland Security, this will be an extended incident and drivers should seek an alternate route if possible.
Chief Spokesperson for MCFRS Pete Piringer also reported the following collisions between 7-8:30am:
The Block Party hosted by REWILD, originally scheduled to take place on Sunday, September 24th, from 11am to 3pm, has been postponed until Sunday, October 1st (same time).
Cabin John Village is set to transform a central stretch into a luxurious urban escape curated by REWILD. Since it’s the end of summer, we’ve chosen a Block Party Theme! The event seeks to offer residents of Potomac, Rockville, and North Bethesda a unique blend of botanical ambiance, gourmet indulgence, art, and activities for all ages. Key Highlights:
Per the University of Maryland Medical Center: “A 58-year-old patient with terminal heart disease became the second patient in the world to receive a successful transplant of a genetically-modified pig heart on September 20. He is recovering well and communicating with his loved ones. This is only the second time in the world that a genetically modified pig heart has been transplanted into a living patient. Both historic surgeries were performed by University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) faculty at the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC).
The first historic surgery, performed in January, 2022, was conducted on David Bennett by University of Maryland Medicine surgeons (comprising UMSOM and UMMC), who are recognized as the leaders in cardiac xenotransplantation. This new patient, Lawrence Faucette, had end-stage heart disease. He was deemed ineligible for a traditional transplant with a human heart, by UMMC and several other leading transplant hospitals, due to his pre-existing peripheral vascular disease and complications with internal bleeding.