Beyond MoCo

An arrest was made after disturbing videos that were widely viewed on social media Friday appeared to show different children being abused at a day care facility in Prince George’s County, FOX5 reports. Additional information available below, courtesy of the Prince George’s County Police Department:

The Prince George’s County Police Department’s Child and Vulnerable Adult Abuse Unit arrested and charged an employee for abusing children in her care at a daycare center in Oxon Hill. The suspect is 23-year-old Kayla Greenwell of Oxon Hill.   On April 7, 2023, the PGPD received multiple videos showing the suspect assaulting children at the center. Investigators immediately responded to the business in the 6000 block of Oxon Hill Road. Detectives gathered evidence, identified the suspect and ultimately obtained an arrest warrant. 


Gaithersburg

In honor of Autism Acceptance Month, Goldfish Swim School is raising awareness about the increased risk of drowning for children on the autism spectrum and the heightened need for water safety education among kids in this group and their families. Goldfish Swim Schools in Winter Park, Florida, where the foundation is based, and Gaithersburg, Maryland (801 Center Point Way), will award three-month swim lesson packages to 10 local children through the Alijah’s Swimmers Scholarships program. The program was launched in 2021 and has provided swim lessons for dozens of children.

Local residents in Gaithersburg and Winter Park can submit themselves or nominate a child from April 1 through April 30 by visiting https://bit.ly/AlijahsSwimmers. According to a Goldfish Swim School press release, children with autism are 160 times more likely to die from drowning than the general pediatric population, according to a study by Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, due to their increased tendency to explore and wander away from parents, teachers or caregivers and the affinity for water that many autistic kids share. Children on the spectrum can be highly focused, and if they slip away from a known adult, their curiosity can be life-threatening near any water source.


Beyond MoCo

Candytopia opened a couple weeks back in Tyson’s Corner and tickets are available for the exhibit that boasts an experience close to “scoring a golden ticket.” The exhibit, which also has a location in New York and one coming soon to Cleveland, has tickets available through May 31st. Tickets go for $23 for children 4-12, $30 for adults, and free for children 3 and under. Additional information on what to expect below:

“Welcome to Candytopia, where colossal candyfloss constructions meld with a tantalizing taffy twistedness. If you’ve ever dreamed of nibbling your way through Candyland or scoring a Golden Ticket, you’ve come to the right place.


Event

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.


Bethesda

The Bethesda Circulator is a free way to get around town in Bethesda. There is now a new app to see the buses on the route. Scan the QR Code below to download the app through RidePingo. You can also go to your smartphone’s app store with the links below to download the app through RidePingo (orange icon with arrow pointing to the right).

1. Open, then Select “Get started”


Events

The Town of Poolesville will be holding its annual youth fishing tournament next month. The Richard S. McKernon Youth Fishing Tournament will take place at Stevens Park Pond on May 13 from 9am until 11am. All youths between the ages of 6 and 16 are invited to come on out and “catch some fun”.  Cost is $1.00 and the event is held rain or shine. Prizes awarded for each age category. Tournament Rules (and registration) below:

Register here.


Business

Deka Biosciences (“Deka”), a clinical-stage biotechnology company headquartered at 20271 Goldenrod Lane in Germantown and focused on developing novel cytokine therapies to treat cancer and inflammatory diseases, announced that the first subject has been dosed in a Phase 1 clinical trial of DK210 (EGFR) at NEXT Oncology in Fairfax, Virginia. The Phase 1, first-in-human, multicenter clinical study seeks to characterize the safety, potential efficacy and evaluate possible biomarkers of response to DK210 (EGFR) in patients with advanced solid cancer(s) who are expressing epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFR) (NCT05704985).

Per the press release: “We are beyond thrilled to begin the clinical trial of DK210 (EGFR), marking our first program to enter clinical development,” said John Mumm, Ph.D., President and CEO of Deka. “Importantly, we anticipate that the results of the study will confirm the clinical safety, pharmacokinetics, exploratory efficacy and correlative biomarker responses to our first DiakineTM, establishing a solid foundation for the expanded use of this treatment in cancer patients.”


Bethesda

Kindbody, a technology-driven fertility clinic network and family-building benefits provider for employers, announced the opening of a new clinic– Kindbody Bethesda. The clinic is located at 6000 Executive Blvd in Rockville/N. Bethesda. The announcement comes at a time of extraordinary growth for the company which owns and operates 32 clinics nationwide, including a state-of-the-art fertility clinic and IVF lab conveniently off of Dupont Circle and 19th Street in Washington, D.C. Kindbody Bethesda was built to meet the growing demand for comprehensive fertility and family-building benefits by local employers including Kindbody client GEICO, which is headquartered in Chevy Chase, MD, and employs nearly 7,000 corporate associates in the greater Washington, D.C.metro area. In addition to GEICO, Kindbody serves 21 large employers in the region, covering more than 27,000 lives.

Per the press release: “Since opening our doors in Washington, D.C. last spring, we’ve seen unprecedented demand from local employers who understand the critical role fertility benefits play in attracting and retaining world-class talent and building inclusive workplaces,” said Taryn Branca, Chief Revenue Officer at Kindbody. “Our new Bethesda location allows them to provide a premium fertility benefit with significant cost savings, as a result of working directly with the healthcare provider.”


Business

MTV Entertainment Studios announced that Gaithersburg’s Passion for Learning is among 22 non-profit organizations in more than 20 cities that will receive grant funding for local activations taking place on the third annual Mental Health Action Day on Thursday, May 18, 2023.

Passion for Learning | Gaithersburg, MD | Take Action! For Mental Wellness event on Mental Health Action Day 2023 will provide an opportunity for high-school and college-aged students to take a meaningful break from the hustle and grind of AP tests and final exams and discover strategies for reclaiming their mental wellness through guided meditation and deep relaxation. This event will be hosted at the Takoma Park/ Silver Spring campus of Montgomery College and will be open both to students and to the local community.


Germantown

Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center has provided an update on the mother who gave birth to her baby girl on southbound I-270 early Friday morning: “Alexa Almonte never expected her first daughter to arrive roadside, but baby Valentina had other ideas. Mom and baby are resting comfortably at Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center after the exciting delivery Friday, April 7. Valentina was born along southbound I-270 in Germantown at about 2 a.m.

Valentina weighs 7 pounds, 15 ounces and measures 21 inches. Her name means “healthy and strong” says Alexa, who also has two sons. Alexa says the delivery was “very unexpected” and came just 30 minutes after experiencing signs that she might be in labor. She praised the outstanding nurses at Shady Grove Medical Center for the care and emotional support they are providing to her family after the experience. “It’s so important to have,” Alexa says.


Restaurants

Japong Bakery, which opened at 785 Rockville Pike in the Ritchie Center nearly five years ago in October 2018, has announced that it’ll temporarily close for approximately three weeks as the bakery transitions to its new location at 765 A Rockville Pike within the same shopping center.

“Dear Japong Customers, We will be moving to our new and improved location, to better serve you in the future! Please excuse our closing from 4/17/2023 to 5/09/2023, as we transition our operations to the new storefront. We thank you for your continuous support and understanding, and we look forward to seeing you again soon for our grand reopening! Let’s Japong! 765 A Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20785”