MoCo Government

New this year will be the featured “Innovation Alley,” a display of innovative products and services available to the commercial and multifamily building sector to aid in building energy efficiency, renewable energy, electrification, building decarbonization, healthy buildings and zero-emission vehicles. Exhibitors interested in participating should submit an expression of interest on the Energy Summit website by Wednesday, Feb. 1.


Rockville

Regal Cinemas has announced plans to close 39  U.S. theaters, including its location at 199 E Montgomery Ave in Rockville, according to a report today by Business Insider. The Regal Rockville opened on November 6, 1998. Insider reports that Cineworld, the parent company of Regal that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2021, plans to “reject the leases” of the 39 locations starting February 15.  The company expects the move to save them close to $22 million a year and “the debtors are hopeful that these negotiations will lead to lease concessions and modifications that will obviate the need for rejection and enable additional theater sites to remain open.”


Education

1. Fentanyl Awareness: Family Forum Set for Jan. 28: In partnership with MCPS, Montgomery Goes Purple invites families to come out Saturday, Jan. 28 for an event and discussion on this deadly drug. Panelists will share important information on the dangers and prevalence of fentanyl, prevention tools and protective factors for students, and resources for treatment when needed. The event will be from 9:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m. in the Clarksburg High School cafeteria, 22500 Wims Road in Clarksburg. The event will also be livestreamed on the MCPS homepage.

Thursday News Conference with School and County Leaders and Advocates


MoCo Recreation

If you know a centenarian living in the County, fill out this online form or contact the senior programs team at [email protected]. Please include the centenarian’s name and address and the contact person’s name, email and telephone number. The deadline to submit is March 10.”


Gaithersburg

Per Gaithersburg Police: On January 9, 2023 at approximately 11:43 p.m., a Gaithersburg Police Department patrol officer observed a U-Haul box truck traveling on Clopper Road. The officer ran the vehicle registration plate several times, with no return listing for a registered owner. The officer having knowledge that there have been several instances of individuals switching out invalid registration plates on U-Haul vehicles, a traffic stop was initiated.

Upon approaching the truck, the officer smelled an odor of marijuana emanating from the vehicle which led to a probable cause search. During the vehicle search, the officer located a loaded Bersa Thunder 380 handgun in the driver side door pocket. The handgun had a round in the chamber, but no rounds in the magazine. A check of the handguns serial number returned that it had been stolen out of Washington DC. A criminal history query on the driver revealed that he is prohibited from possessing firearms due to a prior robbery with a handgun arrest out of Prince George’s County, MD. Additionally, there was a female passenger, who had multiple arrest warrants to include theft and malicious destruction of property. The driver, a 31-year-old male from Upper Marlboro, MD was arrested and charged with the following:


Silver Spring

Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Meriam Kidanemaryma Bahta is asked to call the police non-emergency number at (301) 279-8000 (24-hour line) or the 3rd District Investigative Section at (240) 773-6870. Callers may remain anonymous.

 


Bethesda

Montgomery Parks will host a virtual public meeting on Wednesday, February 15, 2023, from 7 – 8:30 p.m. to present data from traffic studies conducted on Little Falls Parkway between Arlington Road and Dorset Avenue. The meeting will take place on Zoom. (Click the link to join.) Participants have the option to register online for the meeting to receive project updates. The traffic counts were conducted during May, July, September, and December of 2022 as part of the Little Falls Parkway pilot project, The pilot project was initiated to address concerns with cut-through traffic in adjacent neighborhoods associated with the weekend closures of Little Falls Parkway while retaining space for recreation on the parkway. “We initiated the Little Falls Parkway pilot project to study whether two lanes between Dorset Avenue and Arlington Road could adequately accommodate vehicle traffic and potentially create more space for park users,” said Mike Riley, director of Montgomery Parks. “Now that the analysis is complete, we want to share this information with the public.”

After the public meeting, Montgomery Parks will present the findings of the traffic studies to the Montgomery Planning Board in a hearing during which members of the public will have the opportunity to testify. The Planning Board will then review the Parks Department’s recommendations and the public testimony and determine whether to proceed with the pilot project in a subsequent meeting. The Planning Board public hearing and meeting dates are yet to be determined but will likely be held in late March and early April. Once the dates are set, they will be publicly announced and posted on the Parks Department’s website on the project page. 


Gaithersburg

Opening soon signage is up at EggMania at 385 Muddy Branch Road (previously Curry Place) in Gaithersburg. While no opening date has been announced, representatives from the restaurant tell us they plan on opening this spring. The menu consists of egg-centric Indian street food, including a masala omelet, egg curry, and Goti Fry (sliced boiled eggs cooked with ginger, garlic and chili. Topped with American cheese and onion-tomato based gravy).

The restaurant tells us, “There’s lots of misconception when it comes to “EggMania”. In American culture eggs based dishes are primarily used during breakfast whereas in popular Indian street food culture, eggs based dishes are made for entrees and served during lunch / dinner and full menu items, not just breakfast. EggMania is not breakfast place. Hope to serve the community and bring this delicious food options for our MoCo residents and surrounding very soon…!!”


Takoma Park

Per TPPD: The Takoma Park Police Department’s policy directives require investigations of all complaints against the Department or its employees, and that annual statistical summaries of such investigations by the internal affairs function be made available to the public. The following is a summary of complaints filed for calendar year 2022.

Six complaints were recorded in 2022 with four subjected to internal investigations and two subjected to administrative review. Two complaints were submitted by community members and four were submitted internally by an employee, the Chief of Police, or a member of Command Staff. The majority of complaints received in 2022 were initiated by police department employees. There were two compliments submitted using the on-line option thanking officers for their handling of calls for service.


Events

Playtime: Black Hill Regional Park is the place to bring your children three and older for exploring, creating, and climbing during Wild Forest Time(opens in a new tab) on Sunday, January 22, from 1 pm to 3 pm. Staff will supply materials and space in the woods, and your kids supply imagination and sense of adventure. Free drop-in program. Meet at Shelter F on Parking Lot 3.

Health: Adults, increase your flexibility and strength, and cultivate your mental focus with Yoga at Brookside Gardens(opens in a new tab) on Saturday, January 21, 9:30 am. Bring your own mat. Ages eighteen and older only.


Maryland

“We need to keep guns out of the hands of those who would do violence in our communities. It is lawful and Constitutional for states to enact legislation that protects their residents from bad actors in the gun industry,” said Attorney General Brown. “These entities should be held accountable under the law for any misconduct that threatens public safety.”

Several members of the firearms industry sued New York, arguing that the statute is preempted by federal law and is unconstitutional. The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York dismissed the lawsuit. The coalition of Attorneys General is now asking the appellate court to affirm the lower court’s ruling, which found that the law is not preempted by the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, a federal law that limits civil remedies against gun industry members for harms caused solely by the misconduct of individuals who use firearms. The court also found that the law did not run afoul of either the Dormant Commerce Clause or the Due Process Clause of the U.S. Constitution.