There are 182 public high schools in Maryland with an approximate average of 1,030 students per school. All of the 20 largest schools when it comes to enrollment have at least double the average. Full list below using data following the 2021-2022 school year (Montgomery County high schools in bold):
20. Duval High School (Prince George’s County): 2,206 students
Per MCPD: A 32-year-old Damascus man was shot and killed on the evening of Sunday, June 18, 2023. At approximately 9:57 p.m., Montgomery County Department of Police – 5th District officers were dispatched to the 9800 block of Bethesda Church Rd., for multiple calls for a shooting that just occurred.
Upon arrival, officers located the victim, James Joel Austin, suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. Despite lifesaving efforts by officers and Montgomery County Fire Rescue personnel, Austin was pronounced dead at the scene. There is no one in custody and no suspect information is available at this time. The victim has been transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for an autopsy.
With the Fourth of July approaching but America troubled by issues like high inflation and elevated homicide rates, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2023’s Most Patriotic States in America, with Maryland coming in as the 12th most patriotic state.
To determine where Americans have the most red, white and blue pride, WalletHub compared the 50 states across 13 key indicators of patriotism. Their data set ranges from the state’s military enlistees and veterans to the share of adults who voted in the 2020 presidential election to AmeriCorps volunteers per capita. Below are some additional highlights from the report. Patriotism in Maryland (1=Most Patriotic; 25=Avg.):
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…)
Per MCPD: Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police – Special Victims Investigations Division (SVID) are asking for the public’s assistance in locating Makayla Osborne, a missing 15-year-old from Briggs Chaney.
Osborne was last seen on Friday, June 16, 2023, at approximately 2 p.m. on Shepperton Ter. Osborne is approximately 5-feet, 4-inches tall and weighs 130 pounds. She has waist length braids, that are colored pink and blonde, and brown eyes. Osborne has a nose piercing and pierced ears. She was last seen wearing a brown hoodie with pink letters on the front, black leggings and grey and green sneakers. She was carrying a black duffle bag with “Pink” written in pink. Police and family are concerned for her welfare.
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.
Chick-Fil-A at 700 N. Frederick Ave in Gaithersburg has announced it will open next Thursday, June 29. The restaurant is located in the new Progress Labs, a 44-acre property that directly fronts I-270 at the Montgomery Village Avenue exit. Progress Labs will also be home to Montgomery County’s first Sheetz, which is expected to open on August 10.
Chick-fil-A has additional MoCo locations in Bethesda, Gaithersburg (Kentlands), Germantown, Olney, Rockville, and Silver Spring.
Last summer we let you know that Andy’s Pizza, the 2021 winner of the International Pizza Challenge™, is coming to Montgomery County with an upcoming location at 4600 East West Highway– the former site of sandwich shop Booeymonger in Bethesda. Last month the restaurant had its hearing with Montgomery County’s Alcoholic Beverage Services (ABS) and we’re told Andy’s is currently targeting a mid to late July opening.
Andy’s Pizza currently has locations in Adams Morgan, NoMa, Navy Yard, and Shaw in DC, with an additional NoVa location at Tysons. Another upcoming location is planned for Old Town Alexandria. Owner Andy Brown, who grew up in Bethesda, stated that he had been looking in the area since his restaurant began expanding. According to Business Journal, “The Bethesda location will also have more space than average — its other locations run roughly 1,800 square feet — to accommodate larger parties.”
Montgomery County Police responded to a stabbing on Sunday night at the corner of New Hampshire Ave and Powder Mill Rd (Exxon) in Hillandale. According to MCPD, “The call for a stabbing was received at approximately 10:55 p.m., on Sunday, June 18th, 2023. 3rd District officers responded to the location and located an adult male victim suffering from non-life threatening injuries. He was transported to an area hospital. No suspect(s) are in custody at this time.”
We will post an update if additional information becomes available. Featured image courtesy of Google Maps.
The Lube Center, known for its 10 minute oil changes, has signed a lease to take over the vacant location that was previously home to Ziki Japanese Steakhouse at 10009 Fields Rd in Gaithersburg.
Plans from the Lube Center, which currently operates next door at 10007 Fields are will soon be submitted so that the building can be knocked down and a new car wash can be constructed. The existing Lube Center will remain and offer a free car wash to anyone who gets their oil changed at the neighboring location. The car wash will also offer monthly memberships to customers.
Per MCPD: Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police – Special Victims Investigations Division (SVID) are asking for the public’s assistance in locating Darwin Rivera, a missing 17-year-old from Silver Spring.
Rivera was last seen on Tuesday, June 13, 2023, at approximately 2 p.m., in the 900 block of Browning Ave. Rivera is approximately 5-feet, 3-inches tall and weighs 130 pounds. He has medium length black hair and brown eyes. Rivera has a mustache, pierced ears and tattoos on his left forearm and hands. It is unknown what clothing he was last seen wearing.
Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown joined a coalition of 24 Attorneys General in a comment letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services supporting stronger protections for patients’ reproductive health information. The Biden administration is considering adding amendments to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule, the federal law that governs the disclosure of protected health information (PHI). If implemented, the changes would make it illegal to share a patient’s PHI if the PHI is being sought for certain criminal, civil, and administrative investigations, and proceedings against a patient in connection with a legal abortion or other reproductive care.
These changes are critical to protecting patients as the U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade spurred many anti-abortion states to enforce draconian restrictions that could lead to criminal or civil penalties for anyone seeking, providing, or assisting with reproductive care. In the letter, the coalition welcomes the federal government’s proposed HIPAA amendments, which aim to protect against such misuse of this data. The coalition asserts that additional guardrails would help safeguard reproductive health data from being wrongfully accessed and exploited to harm pregnant people or healthcare providers.
Leading up to Public Works Week, eleven Montgomery County middle schools participated in the “Paint the Plow” contest to celebrate the many contributions made by public works employees that keep the County running.
The snowplow entries were showcased during MCDOT’s family-friendly ‘Truck Day’ event that was held on Saturday, May 20. The free event had more than 1,000 attendees who were invited to vote for their favorite snowplow design. The decorated plows will be part of the MCDOT fleet that will be clearing snow from streets this winter. The middle school winners selected were (pictured below):