Bethesda

Walter Johnson Announced Aaron Fiddler as New Varsity Football Coach, Replacing Larry Hurd

By MCS Staff

Walter Johnson High School has announced the new varsity football head coach, Aaron Fiddler, a couple weeks after previous coach Larry  Hurd made the decision to step down as coach to become the Athletic Coordinator (position previously known as Athletic Director) at the school. Walter Johnson Athletics announced the following:

The Walter Johnson Community would like to extend a warm welcome and congratulations to Coach Aaron Fiddler as our new Head Football Coach.  Coach Fiddler brings incredible knowledge, experience, passion, success, and an ability to develop long lasting relationships with all his students/athletes.  Coach Fiddler will be meeting with his team for the first time on Friday Morning at 7:30 am in the Weight Room at Walter Johnson High School!

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Colesville

Two Acres Burned By Wind-Driven Brush Fire on Wednesday Evening

By MCS Staff

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) were called to the scene of a brush fire at 300 Scott Drive, near Vierling Drive, in Colesville on Wednesday evening. According to MCFRS Chief Spokesperson Pete Piringer, approximately 30 firefighters, four fire engines, three brush trucks, one aerial tower, and several utility trucks worked to contain the wind-driven brush fire.

The fire occurred in a relatively remote area along the Northwest Branch/Anacostia River. It was contained  and extinguished, but roughly two acres were burned, according to Piringer. There were no injuries, but “possibly some squirrels, woodchucks, deer, raccoons, maybe a snake or two are displaced.”

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Gaithersburg

Person Struck and Killed By MARC Train Thursday Morning

By MCS Staff

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) responded to scene of a pedestrian who was struck by a MARC train on Thursday morning. The incident occurred on the CSX railroad tracks in the area of Watkins Mill Rd, north of Metropolitan Grove Station, and between Quince Orchard Road and Game Preserve Road.

According to MCFRS Chief Spokesperson Pete Piringer, the pedestrian was declared deceased on arrival and was not transported to the hospital. Rail traffic has been stopped in both directions and the police department is currently on the scene investigating. Approximately 70 train/rail passengers are onboard, all are uninjured. Featured photo courtesy of Google Maps.

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Education

NASA Flight Instructor Visits Rolling Terrace Elementary School Students

By MCS Staff

Third graders at Rolling Terrace Elementary School in Takoma Park got a chance to hear from NASA Flight Director Diana Trujillo of the Johnson Space Center in Texas. She spoke to students about her career with NASA and work on the Artemis mission.

According to MCPS, Trujillo most recently served as the Integrated Planning and Sequencing for Surface Missions Group Supervisor at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California. She supported mission operations for NASA’s ongoing exploration missions on the surface of Mars, and the planned Mars Sample Return mission. Trujillo was born and raised in Colombia, and earned a bachelor’s of science in aerospace engineering from the University of Maryland, College Park.

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Education

Einstein High School Hosts First Ever School-Wide Career Day

By MCS Staff

More than 150 guest speakers visited Albert Einstein High School for the school’s first school-wide Career Day. 1,800 students participated in the event earlier this month.

Speakers included Board of Education members Lynne Harris, Grace Rivera-Oven and Julie Yang, and former NFL player Josh Morgan. Other career fields represented included: novelist, lawyer, hair and makeup artist, statistician, computer programmer, TV news production assistant, entrepreneur, EMT/paramedic, chef, realtor, certified public accountant, circuit court administrator, social worker, professors, dentist, and police officer.

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Takoma Park

Crate Prevents Dog From Being Injured After Large Tree Falls on Home

By Patrick Herron

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) responded to the 6900blk of Cherry Ave., near Sligo Creek Parkway, in Takoma Park on Wednesday afternoon after a large tree fell on a house and caused roof and structural damage. According to Chief Spokesperson for MCFRS Pete Piringer,  the tree collapsed on the house and crashed through to where a dog was located in a crate, which protected/saved the dog from being injured.  No humans were home at time and the house has been posted unsafe to occupy.

Per @mcfrsPIO on Twitter: “Update – Cherry Av., TP, large tree fell on house causing roof & structural damage (flat roof), posted unsafe to occupy, tree collapsed on house & crashed through to where dog was located in a crate which actually protected/saved the dog from being injured, no humans home at time”

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MoCo Government

Council President Evan Glass Releases Statement on the FY24 Recommended Operating Budget

By Patrick Herron

“Reviewing and approving the budget is one of the most critical responsibilities of the Council. Every budget brings its own set of challenges and opportunities, and it’s the Council’s obligation to ensure that this budget positions the County for long-term success and economic prosperity.

“As we undertake this important task, the Council will provide thorough oversight to ensure taxpayer investments are used prudently. We must balance the needs of today with those of tomorrow, which include supporting our schools, our teachers, our first responders, our healthcare professionals and other frontline workers.

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Kensington

Rockville Chuck E. Cheese to Relocate

By MCS Staff

Chuck E. Cheese will be moving from its current Rockville location at 5270 Randolph Rd in Loehmann’s Plaza (10,500 SF) to a larger space (16,331 SF) in White Flint Plaza taking over the space that was previously home to Retro Fitness which closed in May 2020, according to a Biz Journals report. The new location is in what’s technically considered Kensington, just over a mile away from the current location in Loehmann’s Plaza. A Chuck E. Cheese Rockville employee let us know that the current location will not close for a “couple months, probably around the end of May.” The new location is expected to open this summer.

Chuck E. Cheese has an additional Montgomery County location at 1127 University Blvd E in Takoma Park. The children’s indoor entertainment arcade also had a location in Gaithersburg that closed in 2020 after being in business at Gaithersburg Square for over 30 years. Per the Biz Journals report, the new location will “feature a 17-foot digital wall and other technological advances over the older locations. There will still be some Chuck E. Cheese mainstays, including things like skee-ball, air hockey, and, of course, pizza.” The Rockville location has also matched pre-2019 numbers this year, hosting 289 birthday parties.

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MoCo Government

County Executive Recommends 10-Cent Increase in County’s Property Tax Rate to be Used Exclusively to Fully Fund MCPS Budget Request

By Patrick Herron

Per Montgomery County: Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich today released his recommended Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) Operating Budget of $6.8 billion, which is an increase of 7.7 percent from the FY23 approved all funds budget (County Government plus outside agencies.) The recommended FY24 budget reflects record level and significant investments for Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), Montgomery College, affordable housing, economic development, public safety, and efforts to combat climate change.

To access the entire recommended FY24 budget, click here. To watch the County Executive’s FY24 recommended budget presentation, click here.

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MoCo Government

Results of 2022 County ‘Urban Heat Island Mapping Campaign’ Document That Extreme Heat Has Greater Impact on Areas with Less Green Infrastructure

By Patrick Herron

Per Montgomery County: The results of the 2022 Montgomery County “Urban Heat Island Mapping Campaign” document that neighborhoods with less green infrastructure and more concrete experienced temperatures up to 10 degrees higher than nearby cooler areas. The County’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) released the results of the campaign in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Climate Adaptation Planning and Analyst (CAPA).

A StoryMap created by DEP provides a comprehensive overview of the campaign. Among its findings were that areas with low-income households and people of color have higher temperatures than other areas in Montgomery County due to a lack of green spaces and trees, indicating that extreme heat is a social justice issue.

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