Germantown

GERMANTOWN SHOOTING: ~7:40PM Tues, Misty Meadow Terrace off Wisteria Dr. (MoCo, MD). Person shot multiple times. Numerous shots fired, at least 1 round found inside a nearby occupied residence. MoCo Police 5D Officers applied 2 tourniquets prior to đźš‘ arrival. @StopTheBleed

— Cordell (@CordellTraffic) May 24, 2023


Restaurants

A huge CONGRATULATIONS to the 2023 graduating seniors – YOU DID IT! Krispy Kreme wants to celebrate you by giving you a FREE Original Glazed® Dozen with your very own Dough-ploma. Come by in-shop or drive-thru with your proof of senior status and pick up your FREE Original Glazed® Dozen to celebrate all you have achieved! The lone Montgomery County Krispy Kreme location, at 14919 Shady Grove Rd in the Fallsgrove shopping center in Rockville, will be participating in this event.

Proof of senior status includes: cap and gown with 2023 tassel, class of 2023 apparel (t-shirt, sweatshirt, etc.), 2023 letterman jacket featuring senior status, 2023 class ring, graduation announcement featuring name with matching ID, student photo ID featuring senior status or any other Class of 2023 senior swag. Additional information can be found here.


Maryland

Attorney General Brown Sues Avid Telecom Over Illegal Robocalls; Service Provider Allegedly Transmitted Calls in Schemes Ranging from Social Security to Auto Warranty Scams

Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown announced today that, along with 48 other Attorneys General’s Offices, his Consumer Protection Division has filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of Arizona, alleging that Michael D. Lansky, LLC, which does business under the name Avid Telecom, and the company’s owner, Michael Lansky, and Vice President, Stacey S. Reeves, initiated and facilitated billions of illegal robocalls in violation of the federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act, the federal Telemarketing Sales Rule, the Maryland Telephone Consumer Protection Act, and other federal and state telemarketing and consumer laws.


Sponsored

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…)


Education

The Montgomery County Board of Education is seeking to fill one vacancy on its five-member Ethics Panel (Panel).  The vacancies are for a three-year term beginning on July 1, 2023.  Members serve without compensation.

As noted in Board Policy, BBB, Ethics, among the Panel’s responsibilities are:  (1) approving financial disclosure forms; (2) interpreting the Board of Education’s Ethics Policy and issuing advisory opinions concerning its application; and (3) conducting hearings on complaints filed regarding an alleged violation.


Aspen Hill

Sephora opened inside Kohl’s in Calverton and Germantown earlier this year, after Kohl’s announced a major partnership with Sephora that would open 850 Sephora “shop-in-shops” in Kohl’s locations across the country by 2023, in a similar deal to the one struck between Target and Ulta. Sephora previously had a partnership with J.C. Penney that has been slowly winding down ever since J.C. Penney filed for bankruptcy in 2020.

Kohl’s will now be opening Sephora locations in its two remaining Montgomery County locations– Aspen Hill and Gaithersburg. Both are expected to open in mid/late June, according to store representatives. Sephora products that are available online and can be shipped to any of the Kohl’s locations in the area.


Montgomery Parks

Montgomery Parks announces Memorial Day operating hours, including extending its Open Parkways through Tuesday, May 30, for the holiday weekend. Open Parkways Schedule:  

The Open Parkways will be extended during the Memorial Day holiday weekend. During this time, parkways are open to pedestrians and bicyclists and closed to motor vehicles.


MCPD

Per MCPD: A Washington, DC man has been arrested and charged in connection with the death of his girlfriend’s 16-month-old son. On Thursday, March 11, 2023, at approximately 4 a.m., Montgomery County Department of Police 3rd District officers and Montgomery County Fire Rescue responded to the 7900 block of Chicago Avenue in Silver Spring, for a child not breathing.

The child, Zavier Giron was transported to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead. Montgomery County Major Crimes Detectives interviewed the child’s mother who stated that her son had not been feeling well and when she woke up at 4 a.m., she found the toddler not breathing, and 911 was called.


Crime

Per Rockville Police: Officers from the Rockville City Police Department responded to the Exxon Gas Station in the 200 block of N. Washington Street on May 22, 2023 for the report of an attempted armed robbery. At approximately 8:15 p.m. two unknown men approached a customer who was filling up their car with gas, one man produced a handgun, and demanded the victim’s keys. The victim refused and drew attention to nearby customers as to what was happening. The two suspects fled south on N. Washington St. without obtaining the vehicle or any personal property. Video surveillance was obtained of the two suspects wanted in connection with this incident.

Anyone with information as to the identity of the suspects, or the attempted robbery, is asked to contact the RCPD Criminal Investigations Unit at 240-314-8938 or submit detailed information through the City’s Anonymous Suspicious Activity Report via this link https://www.rockvillemd.gov/FormCenter/Police-3/Suspicious-Activity-Report-41.


MoCo Government

Montgomery Parks—Visit www.MontgomeryParks.orgfor complete information. Additional information:


Events

Loyalty & patriotism will be on full display as the City joins the nation in honoring all who have given their lives in military service at its Memorial Day Observance on Tuesday, May 30, 2023, at 11 a.m. at Christman Park. The public is invited to join the Mayor & City Council, Junior Mayor Milly Abdo, City staff and honored guests in a tribute to those of all generations who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

Joining the May 30 observance is guest speaker retired Army Lt. Col. Larry D. Williams. Williams is a trial attorney, a member of the U.S. Supreme Court, Supreme Court of Virginia, and the Armed Forces Court of Appeals. He has been a guest lecturer at the FBI Academy, and has published articles in the “American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology.”