“Our Independence Day fireworks displays are such wonderful events and the perfect opportunity to enjoy music, outdoors and time with family and friends,” said Montgomery County Recreation Director Robin Riley. “We look forward to celebrating together once again this summer.”
Tuesday, July 4, 7 p.m.: Germantown Glory at South Germantown Recreational Park, located at 18041 Central Park Circle in Germantown (Boyds)
Sheetz, a major Mid-Atlantic gas station and convenience chain with an upcoming location in Gaithersburg and an additional Gaithersburg location likely coming soon, announced it will celebrate Independence Day by reducing its gas prices to $1.776 a gallon. This reduced pricing commemorates the year when the Declaration of Independence was signed.
This limited time promotion began at 12:01am on July 4th and will last all day, or while promotional gallons last. The discounted price will apply to regular, E85 (flex fuel), Unleaded 88, mid-grade and premium fuel grades at all of Sheetz 675+ locations in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio, North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia. It will not apply to any diesel or Ethanol Free (E0) fuel offerings.
Last week, Montgomery County released the following message regarding an increased police presence over the holiday weekend: “As Independence Day weekend approaches, the Montgomery County Department of Police and the County’s Department of Transportation (MCDOT) are warning motorists: Impaired driving is drunk driving. County Police and allied local and State police departments will be on the road with enhanced patrols and sobriety checkpoints throughout the weekend.
Nationally, the holiday weekend, marked by celebrations and increased travel, often comes with a surge in traffic crashes caused by excessive speed, impairment and distracted driving. The National Safety Council estimates 619 people may die on U.S. roads this Independence Day holiday.
Home to over 6,000 advanced technology companies working on the technologies of the future, spanning all the way from health-tech to quantum to clean energy to artificial intelligence, Montgomery County, Maryland, is earning global attention for its ability to attract investment and support companies in high-growth industries, including quantum, cyber, artificial intelligence, life sciences and more.
A top destination for companies in the innovation economy, it’s no surprise that leading brands choose to be here. With a unique combination of world-class talent, established infrastructure, and proximity to federal agencies and research institutions, this strategic location is home to 18 federal agencies and 36 federal research laboratories and some of the world most pioneering companies including Lockheed Martin, United Therapeutics, Hughes Network Systems, Vaisala Xweather, and X-energy. Additionally, the County offers a robust entrepreneurial ecosystem with private and publicly-owned incubators, accelerators and extensive opportunities for partnerships and collaborations—all of which enable startups and early-stage companies to have key strategic advantages and access to the capital and resources they need to grow and thrive.
Known for having one of the most highly educated workforces in the country with approximately one-third of its adult residents age 25 or older holding a master’s degree or higher, the County has a deep talent pool which ranks 5th highest in the technology sector, the 2nd highest concentration of PhDs in the country, and is home to approximately 90,000 technology professionals. The County also boasts top ranking public schools, the #1 community college in the state of Maryland, and proximity to over a dozen academic institutions, including the Universities at Shady Grove, which offers a consortium of nine public institutions on one campus located at Shady Grove. (more…)
The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) has forecast Code Orange air quality for the metropolitan Washington region tomorrow: Tuesday, July 4 through Thursday, July 6. On Tuesday, Fourth of July fireworks are expected to contribute to increased levels of fine particle pollution. On Wednesday and Thursday, a different pollutant, ground-level ozone, is expected to cause the unhealthy air quality. The Code Orange levels mean the air is unhealthy for sensitive groups, including older adults, children, and people with heart or lung disease. COG advises the following health precautions:
Residents can check current air quality conditions on COG’s website or the Clean Air Partners website. On unhealthy air days, COG advises the following actions to improve the air:
Join Us for StoryBox Comics Fair, a two-day festival celebrating local and independent comics authors!
Day 1 – Saturday, June 27th, 11-5pm @ DwightMess compound (805 Silver Spring Ave): Events are open to the public, admission is FREE. Featuring Special Guest Artists, gallery exhibitions, workshops, artist talks, a modeling session (suggested donation) and exhibitors, you can dig in to indie comics and also tour the compound, which features an extensive comics collection, a rare video collection, Risograph and screenprinting studios.
Per Montgomery County: Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich was joined by County Councilmembers Gabe Albornoz and Sidney Katz for the groundbreaking of a new 6th District County Police Station in Gaithersburg on June 29. The project represents County Executive Elrich’s commitment to renewable energy as it will be the first public NetZero, sustainably designed energy-efficient building in the County.
Serving the Upcounty, including the Gaithersburg and Montgomery Village communities, the new 6th District station will be constructed at the northeast intersection of I-270 and Watkins Mill Road, near 222 Paramount Park Drive. Scheduled to open in spring 2025, the new 6th District Police Station will replace an outdated facility. It will have space to accommodate up to 178 department staff and volunteers and has been sized to meet the needs projected in the Police Chief’s Staffing Plan.
Per the Office of Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown: Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown today announced that his Consumer Protection Division (CPD) has reached a settlement with CarMax, Inc. over its alleged failure to disclose open safety recalls on the used vehicles it offered and sold. The CPD alleged that CarMax’s failure to disclose the recall status was an unfair and deceptive trade practice in violation of the Maryland Consumer Protection Act.
CarMax advertises vehicles as “CarMax Quality Certified,” alleging that its vehicles have undergone a 125+ point inspection and a detailed reconditioning process. CPD alleged that CarMax made these representations a focal point of its advertising for many years, and, before CPD began its investigation, failed to disclose to consumers that the inspection and reconditioning process did not include fixing open recalls. CPD alleged that consumers unknowingly bought vehicles with open safety recalls on them, which potentially placed those consumers’ safety at risk.
A Severe Thunderstorm Watch is in effect until 10pm for all locations along & east of I-81 (including all of Montgomery County). According to the National Weather Service this afternoon, “Wind & hail are the primary threats along with an isolated tornado. Mariners on the bay & tidal Potomac beware as these storms push east over the next 2-4 hours.”
Earlier today the National Weather Service stated, “Numerous showers and thunderstorms today, with some becoming severe, mainly along and east of the Blue Ridge. Damaging winds and large hail are possible with storms today and an isolated tornado can’t be ruled out.”
Per the State of Maryland: Governor Wes Moore today announced the introduction of new Medicaid benefits that will enhance health care access and support for Marylanders. The new benefits expand pregnancy care coverage, support interventions for community violence prevention, and increase access to care for certified peer recovery services, in addition to expanding the settings where such services are provided.
“These new benefits will help improve the well-being of Maryland Medicaid participants and contribute to the overall health of Maryland communities,” said Gov. Moore. “The new benefits mark a significant milestone in Medicaid’s ongoing efforts to ensure accessible and inclusive health care for all Marylanders.”
Per MCPD: Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police – 5th District Investigative Section are asking for the public’s assistance in locating Alonzo Quinard Green, a missing 28-year-old from Germantown.
Green was last seen on Saturday, July 1, 2023, at approximately 1:46 p.m., in the 19700 block of Germantown Rd. Green is approximately 6-feet, 2-inches tall and weighs 190 pounds. He has brown hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a black t-shirt, black jean shorts, black leggings and black boots. He also has a nose ring. Police and family are concerned for his welfare.
Per WMATA: Metro is launching a new tool to give customers better access to Metrorail performance information. Late next week, MetroMeter will be available to the public providing information similar to MetroHero, a third party application that has become popular with customers since its launch in 2015. The developers of MetroHero recently announced that the application will no longer be updated after July 1.
MetroMeter, a new web application, will provide easy access to real-time data on headway adherence, schedule adherence, the number of trains in service, and more. “MetroHero was popular with customers for good reason, and Metro is excited to provide our customers with a similar tool to track our performance in real time and bring more transparency to our operations,” said Metro General Manager and Chief Executive Officer Randy Clarke. “Metro thanks the creators of MetroHero for their years of service to our customers, and we’re proud to continue their work to shine light on our progress providing excellent service to the region.”
Two private fireworks displays will take place in Montgomery County tonight (Monday, July 3rd). The events will take place at Chevy Chase Country Club (located at 6100 Connecticut Ave., Chevy Chase) and Montgomery Country Club (located at 20908 Golf View Dr., Laytonsville).
According to Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services Chief Spokesperson Pete Piringer, the clubs are hosting a ‘private/permitted event’ which will include a fireworks display & aerial explosions. The displays are scheduled to start at approximately 9:30pm at Chevy Chase Country Club and at approximately 9:20pm at Montgomery Country Club. The displays should last between 20 and 30 minutes. While the events are private, the fireworks will be visible in the surrounding areas.