MCFRS

Update: Eight Displaced After Duplex Fire

By Patrick Herron

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) responded to a call on the 12200 block of Centerhill St in Silver Spring on Friday, August 4, for a report of a fire at a two-story duplex with one person trapped inside. According to Assistant Chief David Pazos, MCFRS units arrived and located all occupants uninjured and safely outside of the home. Units extinguished the fire on the first and second floor and continued to “open up walls” of the home.

The fire displaced eight residents (five adults and three children) from two residential homes. Red Cross has supplied immediate assistance while renovations are occurring. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation. MCFRS units returned to the neighborhood on Saturday and went door-to-door offering to check/install smoke alarms.

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Crime

Woman Sentenced to Nine Years in Federal Prison for the Voluntary Manslaughter of Her Girlfriend

By MCS Staff

Per the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Maryland: Chief U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar sentenced Janice Martina Mason, age 30, of Melbourne Florida, today to nine years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release for voluntary manslaughter.  On May 18, 2023, Mason was convicted after trial for running over her girlfriend on the Baltimore-Washington (“BW”) Parkway and leaving her to die.

According to the evidence presented at her eight-day trial, in the early morning hours of November 24, 2021, USPP officers responded to a citizen report for a body on the side of the BW Parkway northbound, north of Route 197, an area within the territorial jurisdiction of the United States.  Officers found the victim lying face down on the shoulder of the road.  Medics arrived on the scene and pronounced the victim dead.  The evidence showed that that there were no skid marks or vehicle parts located at the scene.  A cellphone belonging to the victim was found on the grass and another cellphone with a broken screen was found in the roadway and was later determined to belong to Mason.

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Gaithersburg

Gold’s Gym to Close Gaithersburg Location

By Patrick Herron

Gold’s Gym will be closing its Gaithersburg location at 18810 Woodfield Rd, next to the Montgomery County Airpark. The gym’s last day in business will be August 25. The gym sent the following email to members:

We have some important news to share about your membership at Gold’s Gym Airpark and want to be transparent in our communication of some upcoming changes set to occur this month. The county is taking the land back under what is called eminent domain relating to the neighboring airfield – we are being required to exit and turn the building back over to the landlord. This is out of our control, unfortunately, and we are forced to permanently close Gold’s Gym Airpark on August 25th, 2023.

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MDLottery

This Tuesday’s Mega Millions Jackpot Now at $1.55 Billion

By Patrick Herron

Per Mega Millions: “Onward and upward! The next Mega Millions drawing on Tuesday, August 8, will flirt with the game’s record jackpot of $1.537 billion, won in South Carolina on October 23, 2018. After no ticket matched all six numbers drawn Friday night – the white balls 11, 30, 45, 52 and 56, plus the gold Mega Ball 20 – the estimated jackpot rolls to $1.55 billion ($757.2 million cash). With enthusiastic players across the country, many of whom are newcomers to the game, it is indeed likely that there will be a new record Mega Millions jackpot. However, we won’t know for sure until we get closer to Tuesday’s drawing; at this level, jackpots are hard to predict with complete accuracy.

“It’s exciting to watch Mega Millions grow,” said Georgia Lottery President and CEO Gretchen Corbin, lead director of the Mega Millions Consortium. “As the jackpot climbs ever higher, we thank our players and retailers for their support, which benefits the many good causes funded by our participating lotteries.”

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Restaurants

Class 520 in Rockville For Sale, According to Facebook Post

By Patrick Herron

Class 520 at 5 Dawson Ave. in Rockville has been listed for sale, according to a post by the restaurant on Facebook Marketplace (seen below). The store specializes in Thai-style rolled ice cream and was recently featured in Mr. MoCo’s 15 Favorite Ice Cream Spots in Montgomery County.  According to the post, titled “SEEKING NEW OWNER,” the sale price is $80,000 and the monthly rent is $3,000. “Owner will provide training and the ingredients. Lots of parking spaces, small strip shopping center, very busy areas.”

Menu items at Class 520 include ice cream, milk tea, fruit tea, and “lightbulb” drinks, which are served in giant plastic lightbulbs. According to its website, ” Class 520 is the very first Thai-inspired ice cream establishment opening in the state of Maryland. We are open. Handcrafted rolls made with no preservatives or stabilizers, so you know it’s fresh. Thai-inspired ice cream has flourished in NYC, and it’s time to bring it down to Maryland.”

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Bethesda

Montgomery County Green Bank and National Capital Bank Join Forces to Fund Energy Efficiency Project at Kenwood House Cooperative

By MCS Staff

The Montgomery County Green Bank (Green Bank) and National Capital Bank (NCB) have collaborated to provide a customized financing solution for an energy efficiency project at Kenwood House Cooperative (Kenwood House) in Chevy Chase, MD. Through a participation loan transaction totaling $1,200,000, Kenwood House will implement crucial upgrades such as a domestic hot water heating system, building envelope improvements, and electric vehicle charger infrastructure. This groundbreaking financing structure marks a significant milestone for the partnership between the Green Bank and National Capital Bank.

“We are delighted to collaborate with National Capital Bank for our inaugural venture at Kenwood House. This project exemplifies the very essence of the Green Bank’s mission to forge innovative partnerships in order to provide clean energy solutions that benefit the entire County,” says Steve Morel, CEO, Montgomery County Green Bank. “This customized loan structure further demonstrates our adaptability and commitment to crafting personalized solutions that precisely cater to specific financing requirements.” Kenwood House investment, supporting an overall $2 million capital improvement project at Kenwood House, was made possible through the flexible and affordable financing provided by the Green Bank and National Capital Bank. As a result of their participation, Kenwood House secured a blended interest rate on the loan, ensuring a cost-effective and favorable financial arrangement.

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MCFRS

MCFRS Responds to Fire at Duplex With Report of 1 Person Trapped Friday Night

By MCS Staff

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) responded to a call on the 12200 block of Centerhill St in Silver Spring for a report of a fire at a two-story duplex with one person trapped inside.

According to an update by Assistant Chief David Pazos, MCFRS units arrived and located all occupants uninjured and safely outside of the home. Units extinguished the fire on the first and second floor and continued to “open up walls” of the home. In an additional update, Pazos confirmed that all occupants from both sides of the duplex were located and uninjured. Red Cross has been contacted to help with relocation for both families.

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MCFRS

Over $10,000 Raised For Mother of Three Who Was Killed By Person Driving The Wrong Way on I-270 Earlier This Week

By MCS Staff

Shortly before midnight on Tuesday night, police received 9-1-1 calls reporting a white Mercedes CLS 450 traveling southbound in the northbound lanes of I-270 near Rockledge Drive. The preliminary investigation indicates the driver, later identified as Jayleen Hannor, 23, of Macon, Georgia continued driving the wrong direction on I-270 on to the outer loop of I-495 when he crashed into a Nissan Pathfinder and a Lexus SUV at exit 34, Route 355. Hannor continued driving until he bailed out of the vehicle and fled on foot in the area of Connecticut Avenue. The crash killed Elizabeth Velez, 36, of Easton, Pennsylvania.  She was the driver of a Nissan Pathfinder involved in the crash. Velez is the mother of three children, ages 2, 5, and 15, all of whom were passengers in the vehicle.

A GoFundMe has been started for the family of Elizabeth Velez, whose 15-year-old daughter was also seriously injured in the crash, according to the fundraiser. In just one day, over $10,000 has been raised to help support her husband Johnny and their three daughters as they move forward.

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MCPD

Release of Body Camera Footage of Officer Involved Shooting Delayed 

By Patrick Herron

Per the Maryland State’s Attorney’s Office: “In order to carry out an appropriately thorough investigation and conduct untainted interviews, the Independent Investigations Division (IID) is delaying the release of the body-worn camera footage from the Montgomery County Police officer-involved shooting that occurred on July 22, 2023.

A key component of IID investigations is witness interviews. While typically the IID is able to interview relevant witnesses within 14 days so that the video may be released, that timeline cannot always be met. To ensure witness interviews are not compromised by their viewing of external evidence, the release of the body-worn camera footage will be delayed. Once the release of the video will not compromise the investigation, the IID will make public the body-worn camera footage on its video channel.

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MCPD

Police and Family Searching for Missing Child

By Patrick Herron

Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Maribel Mackenzee Galeas is asked to call Montgomery County Police Non-Emergency (301) 279-8000 (24-hour line).

The Special Victims Investigations Division is asking for the public's assistance in locating a missing 12-year-old.https://t.co/ZyoqzP0RXo#mcpnews #missingperson pic.twitter.com/lyTsrZLL2W

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Education

Maryland Teens Complete Outdoor Jobs Skills Program

By MCS Staff

The Maryland Park Service graduated 33 young Marylanders from the Conservation Jobs Corps after four weeks of job training, conservation education, hard work, and fun. A celebration and ceremony was held August 1 at Sandy Point State Park in Anne Arundel County with the Acting Superintendent of the Maryland Park Service, Ranger Angela Crenshaw, as the keynote speaker.

The Maryland Conservation Jobs Corps is a summer program that provides opportunities for youth ages 14-17 and young adults ages 18-20 to complete hands-on projects throughout Maryland’s State Parks. They engage in tasks that benefit communities and public lands while learning about public service and stewardship, and participate in exciting outdoor activities, including camping and wildlife observation.

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