MoCo Government

Advice Available from the Montgomery County Office of Consumer Protection to Residents Who Have Felt Deceived or Taken Advantage of During a Business Transaction

By Patrick Herron

Per Montgomery County: Montgomery County residents who have felt deceived or taken advantage of during a business transaction can turn to the Montgomery County Office of Consumer Protection (OCP) for advice and assistance. OCP and its staff of experts on various matters can help explain complicated terms of a business transaction or get involved when a resident feels they are the victim of deceptive business practices, communication barriers or have experienced a situation when they were treated unfairly by a merchant who does not want to resolve the matter.

Spring is a time that brings out a regular trend of deceptive or fraudulent vendors, especially regarding work to be done around homes. OCP is prepared to help.

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MoCo Government

Winners of Sixth Annual Montgomery County Commission for Women’s ‘Girl Power Contest’ Announced

By Patrick Herron

Per Montgomery County: The winners of the Montgomery County Commission for Women’s (CFW) sixth annual “Girl Power Contest” have been selected. The contest asked entrants to write/illustrate their thoughts on giving advice to the six new female members of the County Council “to make sure our community is a place where women and girls can feel safe and encouraged.” The winners are Natalie Jean (adult category), Morgen Thompson (high school), Mya Twyman (middle school) and Colette Jaksic (elementary school).

The Girl Power Contest ran from March 1-30 in celebration of Women’s History Month. The contestants were asked to address the following question: “We now have six women on the County Council. What advice would you give them to make sure our community is a place where women and girls can feel safe and encouraged?”

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Maryland

Governor Moore Proclaims State Employee Recognition Day in Maryland

By Patrick Herron

Per the State of Maryland: Governor Wes Moore today proclaimed State Employee Recognition Day in Maryland. The proclamation acknowledges the vital role that Maryland State employees play in providing service to the citizens of Maryland and recognizes the diligent and conscientious sense of duty that drives their work every day.

“Maryland State employees embody excellence, they embody what it means to serve, and they make an enormous difference in the lives of more than six million people in our state,” said Gov. Moore. “I am truly grateful for all of our state employees on Team Maryland who serve our great state every day.”

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Celebrities

Olney Native Oguchi Onyewu Named U.S. Soccer Federation’s Vice President of Sporting

By MCS Staff

The U.S. Soccer Federation has named Oguchi Onyewu as the Vice President of Sporting. Onyewu, 40, brings a wealth of experience as a player and sporting executive with over 25 years in the game. The Olney native attended and played for Sherwood High School. During high school, he enrolled in the U.S. residency program for soccer in Bradenton, Florida before returning to Sherwood to graduate.

Per US Soccer: In this newly created role, the two-time World Cup veteran will work closely with U.S. Soccer’s Sporting Director Matt Crocker in supporting all sporting initiatives within the Federation. Reporting to Crocker, Onyewu will also play a prominent role in managing relationships with clubs and leagues in the United States and across the world, along with strengthening other stakeholder relationships.

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MoCo Government

County Council Raises Recordation Tax Rates to Increase Resources for School Construction, Montgomery County Construction Projects and Affordable Housing; New Rates Begin October 1, 2023

By Patrick Herron

Per Montgomery County (5.9.23): Today the Montgomery County Council enacted Bill 17-23, Taxation – Recordation Tax Rates – Amendments, to increase resources for Montgomery County Public Schools’ construction projects, Montgomery County capital projects and the creation and maintenance of affordable housing through the Housing Initiative Fund. Councilmember Kristin Mink was the lead sponsor of the bill and Councilmember Will Jawando was a cosponsor. The Council’s vote was 7-4 to enact the legislation.

As a result of this legislation, resources to fund capital priorities are projected to increase by $187.3 million over the six-year Capital Improvements Program (CIP) which covers fiscal years 2023 through 2028. Montgomery County’s most recent CIP status report shows a funding gap of $207.5 million, and the additional resources generated through updated recordation rates will help close this gap and fund essential construction projects including schools, affordable housing projects and transportation infrastructure improvements.

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Germantown

19-Year-Old From Germantown Killed in Single-Vehicle Collision; Collision Reconstruction Unit Investigating

By Patrick Herron

Montgomery County Police issued a press release Wednesday with additional information on a fatal single-vehicle collision that occurred early Tuesday morning in Germantown. The decedent, who was the sole occupant of the vehicle, has been identified as 19-year-old Samuel Isaac Castaneda, of Germantown. According to a GoFundMe launched to help with funeral expenses, “Sam was the light of his families lives- full of jokes and fun and always keeping the party going. If you knew Sam, you know exactly the type of guy he was. He was and will continue to be amazing.” Castaneda graduated in the top 25 of his class at Northwest High School in 2021.

Additional information per MCPD: Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police – Collision Reconstruction Unit (CRU) are investigating a fatal collision that occurred on Tuesday, May 9, 2023, on Clopper Rd. between Waring Station Rd. and Game Preserve Rd. At approximately 12:37 a.m., 6th District officers and Montgomery County Fire rescue personnel responded to the location for the report of a single-vehicle collision.

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Laytonsville

Laytonsville Town Special Election to Elect a New Mayor Takes Place on June 12

By MCS Staff

A Laytonsville Town Special Election will be held on Monday, June 12, 2023. The election will be held at the Laytonsville Town Hall, 21607 Laytonsville Road, and the polls will be open from 3:00pm to 8:00pm.

All citizens of the Town age 18 years and upward and who are registered, bona fide residents of the Town for not less than thirty (30) consecutive days before the election shall be qualified to vote. CANDIDATES FOR MAYOR: Charles Hendricks and Sharif Hidayat.

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MCFRS

MCFRS Respond to Vehicle Fire in School Parking Lot

By Patrick Herron

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) responded to a vehicle fire in the parking lot of the Melvin J. Berman Hebrew Academy (former home of Peary High School) at 13300 Arctic Ave in Rockville on Tuesday, May 9 around 10pm. According to Chief Spokesperson for MCFRS Pete Piringer,  the fire was contained to the bed of a Ford F250 and was likely caused by “improperly disposed of cooking materials or logs/ash from camp fire placed into bags/boxes that were put in truck bed.” Damage is estimated to be ~$10K and there were no injuries reported.

We will post an update if additional information becomes available.

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Gaithersburg

MCFRS Respond to Collision at I-270 Ramp in Gaithersburg

By Patrick Herron

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) responded to a collision on West Diamond Ave in Gaithersburg at the south bound I-270 ramp on Wednesday, May 10 around 8:30am. According to Chief Spokesperson for MCFRS Pete Piringer, two patients have been evaluated with non-life threatening injuries. Some lanes are currently blocked and drivers should expect delays. We will post an update if additional information becomes available.

Per @mcfrsPIO on Twitter: “(~830a) W Diamond Ave at I270 SB ramp. Collision, Some lanes blocked. @MCFRS_EMIHS Evaluating 2 adults with NLT injuries, @mcfrs  A753, ALS708, PE708 responded

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MCFRS

MCFRS Respond to Fire Caused by Lithium Ion Battery Wednesday Morning

By Patrick Herron

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) responded to a fire in 1300blk of Crawford Dr in Rockville around 2:30am on Wednesday, May 10. According to Chief Spokesperson for MCFRS Pete Piringer, the fire was located on the first floor of the single-family home and was caused by a “40V Lithium Ion battery that was plugged into a charger (battery overheating or electrical malfunction resulting in thermal runaway.)” Damage is estimated to be ~$20K and there were no injuries reported. Two adults, two dogs, and a cat have been displaced.

We will post an update if additional information becomes available.

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Downtown Silver Spring

BIBIBOP Offering Free Bowls to All Nurses on Friday, May 12th 2023

By MCS Staff

BIBIBOP Asian Grill, which has locations in Downtown Silver Spring (935 Ellsworth Drive) and Pike & Rose (11584 Old Georgetown Rd. Unit 1126), is offering free bowls for all nurses on Friday, May 12th (International Nurses Day). BIBIBOP offers fully customizable bowls with your choice of proteins, bases, toppings, and sauces. Options include Korean BBQ, steak, spicy chicken, and tofu.

Per BIBIBOP: “Nurses have gone above and beyond to take care of us, so we would like to take care of them! Offer: We are offering all nurses a complimentary bowl when they stop in at their local BIBIBOP on Friday, May 12th (International Nurses Day). Restrictions: Available in-store on 5/12/23 only. One bowl per nurse. Valid ID or proof of profession required.” Featured photo courtesy of BIBIBOP on Facebook. 

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