MoCo Government

Montgomery County Council and Committees Meet on March 14 for Briefings on Fire Inspections and Fire and Housing Code Enforcement

By Patrick Herron

Per Montgomery County: The Planning, Housing and Parks (PHP), Public Safety (PS) and Economic Development (ECON) Committees will meet on Tuesday, March 14 at 9:30 a.m. to receive a briefing from the Department of Permitting Services (DPS) to discuss fire inspections and fire code compliance. The PHP Committee will meet at 11 a.m. to receive a briefing on housing code enforcement and troubled properties from the Department of Housing and Community Affairs (DHCA). The members of the PHP Committee include Chair Andrew Friedson and Councilmembers Natali Fani-González and Will Jawando. The members of the PS Committee include Chair Sidney Katz and Councilmembers Dawn Luedtke and Kristin Mink. The members of the ECON Committee include Chair Fani-González, Councilmember Marilyn Balcombe, Council President Evan Glass and Councilmember Laurie-Anne Sayles. More detail on each agenda item is provided below.

There are 80 buildings in Montgomery County that currently are not yet retrofitted with sprinklers. DPS serves as the regulatory body for fire codes that are adopted from the national and state level. According to County Code, a building permit cannot be issued for the construction or reconstruction of a residential building without a fire sprinkler system. The County Code also provides a property tax credit for any residential building where a fire sprinkler system was not legally required, if installed on or after July 1, 2000.

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Wheaton

Suspect Charged With Multiple Counts of Carjacking and Attempted Murder at Wheaton Mall

By Patrick Herron
Courtesy Google Maps

Per MCPD: A Washington, D.C. man is in custody following multiple carjackings and shootings in D.C. and Montgomery County. The suspect was apprehended by Montgomery County Police 4th District officers in Wheaton. Through the course of the investigation, Major Crimes detectives learned that earlier in the day, 43-year-old Monteray Horn had boarded a Metro train in Anacostia, and armed with a handgun on the train, Horn shot at an adult male. The bullet went through the victim’s clothing but did not strike the victim.

When the train stopped, Horn left the Metro and carjacked a vehicle at gunpoint in Washington, D.C. He abandoned that vehicle and boarded the Metro train, riding it to the Wheaton Metro stop where, at approximately 11:06 a.m., he attempted to carjack an Audi at the Westfield Wheaton Mall. Horn pointed the gun at an adult female with two young children and demanded the keys to the Audi. The woman was able to get her children out of the car and run away. Horn entered the Audi and although he had the key, he was not able to start the car.

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Kensington

Husband Found Guilty in Brutal Murder of Wife

By Patrick Herron

According to the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office, “in the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, MD, before the Honorable Margaret Schweitzer, a jury has found defendant, Reginald Dunlap, 45, of Silver Spring, guilty of First-Degree Murder for the brutal slaying of his wife, 40-year-old Lauren Charles.

Charles’ body was found inside the couple’s home on March 7th, 2021. She had asphyxiated due to a pillowcase forced down her throat and was beaten to death. A decorative Buddha statue is believed to have been the murder weapon. After murdering his wife, defendant, Dunlap poured bleach on her body and ransacked their bedroom in order to stage a crime scene.

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Gaithersburg

Fry Guy Southern Cuisine Has Closed its Gaithersburg Location

By MCS Staff

Fry Guy Southern Homestyle Cuisine has closed its Gaithersburg location. The restaurant opened at 7601 Airpark Rd Suite B in Gaithersburg, the former site of Penang Garden, in July of 2021 and offered a wide variety of southern cuisine. Fry Guy has an additional location in Capitol Heights.

Per the Fry Guy Southern Cuisine website: “Fry Guy Southern Homestyle Cuisine is a family owned black business that is centered around great cooking, love family recipes with a southern homestyle flavor. Fry Guy was a name given to me by a close friend because I always use to cook fish and chicken in the early morning hours and he started calling me Fry Guy.  But it didn’t start there my cooking was inspired by watching my grandmother cook and helping her clean fish for dinner.  She loved her some fresh fish and I loved her cooking, so I watched her every moved in the kitchen.  Yes, grandma Dorothy “Dottie” Johnson I paid attention. I can also remember growing up in my neighborhood “Lincoln Park” when Mrs. Beet Offutt and Ella Hawkins will sell Friday night dinners  and the whole community would be talking about it and they would sell out so fast because it was that good.  As a child that always stayed in my head of how good the food was when they cooked along with my children grandmother Francis Hawkins whose chicken I would do anything for I mean it was the best.  I can’t leave out my mom who made the best old bay chicken ever the Queen B.  As time went on my passion grew for cooking on the grill  and watching people enjoy eating my food, from having the fish fry’s  on the football field for coach Rob Hill (RIP), holidays and selling dinners for my Germantown Hardknocks Basketball AAU program.  Cooking at coach Big Dog house after a great season or tournament and seeing how it bought everyone to gather in  love and happiness, I knew I was going to open a restaurant one day.  I use to tell my son one day were going to have our own restaurant and here it is Fry Guy Southern Homestyle Cuisine.  GOD IS GOOD”

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Colesville

Peri Peri Original is Coming to Colesville Center

By MCS Staff

Peri Peri Original has signed on to move into the space that was previously home to Pollo Mex at 13436 New Hampshire Ave in the Colesville Center. Pollo Mex closed last summer after 12 years in the location.

Peri Peri Original is an international chain that has over ten locations in Virginia and Maryland, as well as an additional location coming to Rockville (location not yet available). “Peri Peri chicken is marinated for 24hrs in our unique Portuguese Peri Peri sauce flamed grilled for serving from the spice selection of your choice.” The first United States location was opened in 2018 in Alexandria, Virginia.

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North Potomac

MCFRS Respond to Kitchen Fire Early Monday Morning; One Family Displaced

By Patrick Herron

(~145a) 15200blk Dufief Dr, off Darnestown Rd, SFH, kitchen fire @mcfrs PE731, PE732, PE708, PE703, PE722, T731, PAT708, RS703, M731, BC703, BC705, RS729, AT703, A732, ALS708 & others responded, all occupants got out, fire extinguished, no injuries , 1 family displaced pic.twitter.com/Hgs97dc2Xm

— Pete Piringer (@mcfrsPIO) March 13, 2023

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Damascus

Jimmie Cone Prepares to Open for 61st Season

By MCS Staff

Aside from the last few days, the recent weather has been a reminder that spring is around the corner. Another reminder for many who grew up in MoCo is that March 17th means Jimmie Cone opens for the season. Jimmie Cone has been serving soft serve ice cream and frozen yogurt in Damascus since 1962, which make this year its 61st season.

One of the reasons Jimmie Cone’s soft serve ice cream is loved by many could be because it is made with 10 percent butterfat, which is approximately twice as much as in McDonald’s and Dairy Queen soft serve. Cars usually pack the Damascus location on warmer days with long lines that move relatively quick.

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Education

MCSP Superintendent Dr. Monifa McKnight To Hold Town Hall Discussing Vision for MCPS and Recent Anti-Semitic Incidents in Schools

By MCS Staff

MCPS Superintendent Dr. Monifa McKnight will share her vision for MCPS and discuss the recent spate of anti-Semitic incidents in Montgomery County schools at a town hall sponsored by the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC). The town hall will take place on Thursday, March 23 at 6:30pm at the Congregation Har Shalom in Potomac. RSVP here. 

Per JCRC: Dr. Monifa B. McKnight currently serves as the superintendent for MCPS. Prior to this role, she served as MCPS’ deputy superintendent. She also served as the Chief School Management and Instructional Leadership Officer for Howard County Public Schools.

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MoCo

Sardi’s Announces Scholarship in Memory of Co-Founder Philip G. Sardelis

By MCS Staff

Sardi’s, the local restaurant chain founded by two Montgomery County natives (Walter Johnson and Wheaton graduates), has announced the Sardi’s Scholarship in memory of co-owner Philip G. Sardelis. Additional information below:

“As a company we have always been proud to give back. Due to the passing of our beloved co-owner Philip G. Sardelis we have decided to create the Sardi’s Scholarship in Memorial of Philip G Sardelis. We hope this continues to impact our community as this was always an important priority for Phil. He was always involved in donating time, money and food to all of the local schools, hospitals, churches, firehouses and police stations. We hope to honor his legacy and continue the good work with this fund. If you would like to contribute please go to the below link. Give Back – PayPal.

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