Rockville

Police and Family Concerned for Missing 15-Year-Old

By Patrick Herron

Per MCPD: Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police – Special Victims Investigations Division (SVID) are asking for the public’s assistance in locating, Corey Kacala, a missing 15-year-old from Rockville.  Kacala was last seen on Sunday, March 5, 2023 at approximately 3:20 p.m., in the 11300 block of Schuykill Road. Kacala is approximately 5-feet, 7-inches tall and weighs 160 pounds. He has red hair and brown eyes.  He was last seen wearing a gray sweatsuit and brown boots. Police and family are concerned for his welfare.

Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Corey Kacala is asked to call the police non-emergency number at (301)279-8000. Callers may remain anonymous.

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Damascus

Retired Landscaper Wins $50,000 at Local Laundromat

By Patrick Herron

The Damascus resident describes himself as a once-in-a-while Lottery player. “I rarely think to play. If the machine hadn’t been there in the laundromat, I never would have bought a ticket that day.” The Crazy 8s game debuted in November 2022 with eight $50,000 top-prize winning instant tickets. There are still five $50,000 winners in stores, along with six $5,000 second-tier prizes. Hats off to Aspen Hill Laundromat at 14201 Georgia Avenue in Silver Spring for supplying the scratch-off that led to this happy ending. Management there will receive a $500 bonus from the Lottery for selling the $50,000 top-prize winning scratch-off.”

Feature photo courtesy of Google Maps.

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Education

Third Family Forum on Fentanyl Set for March 25

By MCS Staff

In partnership with Montgomery Goes Purple, MCPS is hosting a third Family Forum on Fentanyl from 9 a.m.–noon on Saturday, March 25, at Paint Branch High School.

Panelists, including representatives from the county health department and the police department, will share information on the dangers and prevalence of illegally made fentanyl, prevention tools and protective factors for students, and resources for treatment. There will be Narcan training and distribution of Narcan kits to help reverse an overdose, breakout discussions for students and parents/caregivers (in English and Spanish) and a resource fair. The Community Opioid Prevention & Education (C.O.P.E.) trailer (a mock teen bedroom) will be available for tours to learn signs of substance use. Students can earn Student Service Learning (SSL) hours for attending.

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MoCo Government

Montgomery Parks and Planning departments present Spring 2023 Semiannual Report to the county council

By MCS Staff

The Montgomery Parks and Montgomery Planning(opens in a new tab) departments presented their Spring 2023 Semiannual Report to the Montgomery County Council on Tuesday, March 7, 2023. The presentations showcased key projects, park activities and plans from the past six months, and initiatives that will be completed over the next six months and beyond. The presentation is given to the County Council every spring and fall and allows County Councilmembers to provide feedback to Montgomery Parks and Planning leadership and staff. Watch the Spring 2023 Semiannual presentation to the County Council here or read highlights available below.

Montgomery County Planning Board Chair Jeff Zyontz began the presentation by highlighting the work of the temporary acting Planning Board. “I’m grateful to Commissioners Cherri Branson, David Hill, and Amy Presley – over the last four months, they were engaged and dedicated to the task they were given, including approving 133 individual regulatory items in addition to recommending approval of master plans for the County Council’s consideration. I look forward to working with the new Planning Board members.”

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Takoma Park

Circle Woods Restoration Project Coming Soon Following PEPCO Grant

By MCS Staff

The City of Takoma Park has announced that they are the recipient of a grant from PEPCO to perform environmental improvements on the Circle Woods property. Circle Woods is located in Ward 2 with pedestrian entrances in the 6600 block of Cockerille Avenue and 6700 Poplar Avenue. The property was acquired by the city in 1995 with the goal of preserving the floodplain from development.

Per the Takoma Park newsletter: Over the years, various stages of work have been done to improve the site, including stabilizing the streambanks and improving stormwater management. This site is noted as a significant resource to our residents and environment as a naturalized floodplain forest and short grass prairie.

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Boyds

Manslaughter Conviction in Shooting Death of 23-Year-Old in Clarksburg Neighborhood

By Patrick Herron

According to the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office, “in the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, MD, before the Honorable Kevin Hessler, a jury has found defendant, Rodjaun Neal-Williams, 21 of Clarksburg, guilty of Voluntary Manslaughter and Use of Firearm in Commission of a Crime of Violence for the death of 23-year-old Javon Gordon of Boyds. The jury returned the verdict on Tuesday, March 7th, 2023. Defendant, Neal-Williams, faces a maximum of 30 years in prison. A sentencing hearing is scheduled before Judge Hessler on May 31st at 1:30 p.m.

This stems from an incident on April 13, 2021, on the 12900 block of Ethel Rose Way in Boyds. The defendant who was 19-years old at the time, was a passenger in a vehicle that pulled up to small group of individuals in the street. There was an altercation between Neal-Williams and Gordon while Neal-Williams was seated inside of the vehicle, and he fired a handgun, killing Gordon.”

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Education

MCPS: Annual Report to the Community for 2021–2022 School Year and the Updated MCPS Strategic Plan for Fiscal Year 2022-2025 Now Available

By MCS Staff

The Annual Report to the Community for the 2021–2022 school year and the updated MCPS Strategic Plan for Fiscal Year 2022-2025 are now available.

The report provides the community with information about the district—student performance data, operational performance data, and the steps the district has taken to fulfill the vision and mission of MCPS. The 2021-2022 school year brought students back to classrooms, with a full return to in-person learning, five days a week. This return reunited students with peers, teachers and many other trusted adults in school communities. Schools worked to rebuild strong school communities, with supports for students and families still dealing with ongoing public health concerns.

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Education

Poolesville ES Principal, Douglas Robbins, Wins Library Media Award

By MCS Staff

Poolesville Elementary School principal Douglas M. Robbins has been honored with the Nancy C. Walker Award for Outstanding Support to a Library Media Program for the 2022-2023 school year. The award is given annually by the Montgomery County Educational Media Specialists Association (MCEMSA) to highlight the role of administrative leaders in supporting library media centers.

Clair Ketchum, the library media specialist at Poolesville, nominated Robbins because he fully supports the media program, “Anything to get the kids more involved in the library is always going to be a yes from me!” Robbins supports having Ketchum participate in weekly grade-level planning meetings and is enthusiastic about the new flexible scheduling shift. This allows Ketchum to bring lesson ideas, enrichment opportunities and field trips that integrate media into existing elements of the curriculum in a timely manner.

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Events

Montgomery Parks announces March virtual speaker series: Birding in Maryland

By MCS Staff

Montgomery Parks is hosting a virtual speaker series on birding in Maryland. This month’s guest speaker, Gabriel Foley, who coordinates the Maryland-D.C. Breeding Birds Atlas will give an overview of the project and discuss how the public can document breeding birds and support nesting birds in their own communities.

WHAT: Montgomery Parks Speaker Series(opens in a new tab): Birding in Maryland with Gabriel Foley

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Potomac

Update on Kema by Kenaki

By Patrick Herron

Permanent signage is up at Kema by Kenaki at Cabin John Village. According to a representative at Kenaki, the restaurant has just started the hiring process for all positions and are hoping to open sometime in April.

The almost 2,000 square foot restaurant will be very similar to what Kenaki in Kentlands offers, but will be more “fast paced,” in what will be a hybrid between Kenaki and AKO. Kenaki is a full-service restaurant while AKO is a sushi counter at a food hall. Kema will offer signature rolls from Kenaki/AKO such as the Black Magic roll- made with “forbidden rice”, spicy tuna, pickled jalapenos, and truffle oil, the Donkey Kong roll- made with eel, fried plantain, cream cheese, cucumber, tempura flakes, togarashi spice mayo, and sweet shoyu, among others.

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Calverton

Cherry Hill Rd Closed Following Collision Thursday Morning

By MCS Staff

Update: The road is no longer closed, but some lanes remain blocked. Delayed expected.

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) responded to a collision on Cherry Hill Rd at FDA Blvd in Calverton around 6:30am on Thursday morning. According to Battalion Chief Steve Mann, the vehicle rolled over due to the collision, trapping two inside. The two patients, including one adult, were extricated and transported to the local hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Some lanes on Cherry Hill Rd are now blocked between Powder Mill Rd & Gracefield Rd/Calverton Blvd

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