Maryland

“I believe that we can be a state that lifts up both workers and businesses. I believe that we can help families thrive economically, and help businesses to grow. Those who say it’s one or the other are offering a false choice,” said Governor Moore. “My legislative agenda rejects that false choice. It proposes new investments in Maryland’s economic competitiveness and invests in the innovation economy. These proposals will help Maryland businesses to grow and support the next generation of small business owners.”

The Fair Wage Act will also increase the family income of hundreds of thousands of Marylanders, including approximately 126,000 Maryland children. The bill indexes the minimum wage to the Consumer Price Index beginning on July 1, 2025, capped at 5% per year. Indexing allows for employee wages to keep pace with inflation and provides more predictability for businesses who are able to plan around regularly scheduled, incremental increases in labor costs.


Education

The Montgomery County Board of Education (Board) held a business meeting on Tuesday, February 7, 2023. During the meeting, the Board discussed Human Resources and Development Key Practices for a Diverse Workforce; discussed Wellness and Restorative Practices; took final action and adopted updated Policy ABA, Community Engagement; took tentative action on Board of Education Policy ABC, Parent and Family Involvement and Policy BBB, Ethics; and made four administrative appointments. The agenda for the meeting, with related links, can be viewed on the Board website. Watch the meeting recording.

Human Resources and Development Key Practices for a Diverse Workforce: MCPS staff presented teacher hiring data for fiscal year 2023, shared data-driven approaches to recruitment and highlighted increased efforts for the current year. Staff also outlined the Grow Your Own program for both current staff and students, and shared higher education partnerships for employees and community members, and various other supports, trainings, and professional development opportunities for staff. Read the memorandum to the Board. View the PowerPoint Presentation


MCPS

MCPS addressed safety concerns regarding student restrooms in a recent update sent out to the community, titled MCPS Commitment to Safety, Security and Well-Being in All Schools. The portion on student restrooms can be seen below:

Our restrooms must be safe places for students and cannot be places for activities that violate our code of conduct, such as drug and tobacco use. Staff are increasing the frequency of their visual monitoring and checks inside restrooms throughout the school day, between class periods and during lunch periods.


Crime

A federal jury in Maryland has convicted Diape Seck, age 29, of Rockville, Maryland for his role in a bank fraud scheme in which he and his co-conspirators obtained or attempted to obtain almost $2 million by fraud, including by stealing checks from the mail of churches and religious institutions.  The guilty verdict was returned late on February 24, 2023.

Per the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Maryland: According to the evidence presented at his eight-day trial, from at least January 2019 to January 2020, Seck, a customer service representative with Bank A, conspired with Mateus Vaduva, Marius Vaduva, Vlad Baceanu, Nicolae Gindac, Florin Vaduva, Marian Unguru, Daniel Velcu, Vali Unguru and others to commit bank fraud.  Specifically, the evidence showed that Seck fraudulently opened bank accounts in fake identities in exchange for cash bribes.  Co-conspirators engaged in fraud that included fraud involving rental cars and the deposit of checks stolen from the incoming and outgoing mail of churches and other religious institutions, into the fraudulently opened bank accounts.  The co-conspirators then withdrew the funds and spent the fraudulently obtained proceeds.


Business

Today, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin announced that Amentum Services, Inc., a leading provider of engineering and advanced solutions and services to the U.S. government, allies, and commercial companies, will invest $495,000 to relocate its headquarters from Germantown, Maryland (20501 Seneca Meadows Parkway #300) to Fairfax County. In 2022, the company acquired PAE Incorporated, another leading government services contractor, and will consolidate its integrated operation at Amentum’s office at 4800 Westfields Boulevard in Chantilly. Virginia successfully competed with Maryland for the project, which will create 157 new jobs.

Per the announcement: “Fairfax County offers the location, access to decision-makers, and talent pipeline that global providers like Amentum are seeking, and we are proud to welcome the company’s leadership and operations team to Virginia,” said Governor Glenn Youngkin. “Amentum joins the ranks of the Commonwealth’s diversified ecosystem of more than 800 corporate headquarters across a broad cross-section of industries.”


Gaithersburg

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) responded to a a collision that occurred on Shady Grove Rd near MidCounty Highway on Monday afternoon.

According to MCFRS Chief Spokesperson Pete Piringer, the collision trapped one person inside the vehicle. That person was extricated by MCFRS crews and transported to the hospital with priority 2 (urgent) trauma.


Beyond MoCo

A $100,000 winning $100,000 Extreme Cash scratch-off sold at Hillandale Beer ‘N’ Wine (10117 New Hampshire Blvd) was the top lottery prize claimed in Montgomery County for the week of February 20 – 26. Other local winners this past week included a $10,000 winning scratch-off sold at Safeway (9807 Main Street) in Damascus and a $14,204 winning Racetrax ticket sold at Beer on Tapz (19520 Walters Road) in Germantown.  Additional information on winners across the state of Maryland, including a $2 million winner in Millersville, below courtesy of the Maryland Lottery:

Winners of prizes larger than $25,000 must redeem their tickets at the Maryland Lottery Claims Center in Baltimore, which is open by appointment only. Prizes of up to $5,000 can be claimed at any of more than 400 Expanded Cashing Authority Program (XCAP) locations. All Maryland Lottery retailers are authorized to redeem tickets up to and including $600. More information is available on the How To Claim page of mdlottery.com.


MoCo Government

Nominating Committee for the Montgomery College Board of Trustees

Interview: The Council is expected to interview two candidates, Rahul M. Jindal and Althea Lloyd‐White, to serve on the Nominating Committee for the Montgomery College Board of Trustees. Composition of the committee consists of two members appointed by the County Executive, one by the Montgomery College Alumni Association and two by the Council. Current Council appointees are Dr. Kenneth Jones and Ms. Althea Lloyd‐White, who is currently serving on the committee until a replacement is appointed.


Business

White Oak Bowling Lanes at 11207 New Hampshire Ave, which opened in 1959, has announced plans to reopen after the business closed due to flooding and a subsequent dispute with the building’s landlord back in September 2021. The bowling alley is hoping to be opened by September 1, 2023 and will have new lanes, approaches, and pin decks. White Oak Bowling Lanes released the following message on February 27:


Rockville

Live Crawfish & Seafood at 765 Rockville Pike Ste. FG in Rockville has permanently closed. Menu items included crawfish, blue crabs, king crab legs, lobster, mussels, and shrimp.  Live Crawfish & Seafood was located in the Ritchie Center, which is also home to Ding Tea, Kiin Imm Thai, and El Mariachi. According to its website, the restaurant has additional locations at 6168 Arlington Blvd in Falls Church, Virginia and in Smithfield, North Carolina.


Events

Montgomery Parks, part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, has an inviting lineup of special events and programs in March, including a variety of hikes, birdwatching, Parks Ale Trail and more. March events in Montgomery Parks include:

Mini Open House | March 1 | 6 – 8 p.m.: Lodge at Little Seneca Creek, 14500-A Clopper Road, Boyds, MD 20841 Surrounded by 26 acres of wooded parkland, The Lodge at Little Seneca Creek is the perfect natural setting for all types of special occasions, as well as business meetings. Free.