MoCo

Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection Accepting Holiday Trees for Recycling

By Patrick Herron

“Increasing sustainable practices and habits in our daily life is a great New Year’s resolution,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “Recycling Christmas trees and wreaths is much better for environment than simply throwing them away. I appreciate our Department of Environmental Protection for offering this service to our residents and I encourage everyone discarding live trees and wreaths to recycle them.”

Collected trees are taken to the Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station, where they are shredded and chipped for mulch. The facility is located at 16105 Frederick Rd. in Derwood. Residents also can take their trees to the Transfer Station and drop them off for recycling. Live trees with root balls, or that have their roots intact, cannot be collected as yard trim.

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Gaithersburg

City of Gaithersburg Celebrates Financial Wellness Month

By Patrick Herron

Per the City of Gaithersburg: The City celebrates Financial Wellness Month in January with educational programs that help increase the financial stability & well-being of City residents. In recognition of this month, the Financial Empowerment Center presents a virtual Financial Education Workshop series featuring experts from leading financial institutions & members of the Gaithersburg Financial Wellness Coalition. Workshops are available in both English & Spanish. All sessions will take place from 7 to 8 p.m. To register, e-mail [email protected] with your name, e-mail address & what session(s) you would like to sign up for. A Zoom link will be sent to participants before each session.

With a proclamation at their meeting on January 3, the Mayor & City Council officially proclaimed January as Financial Wellness Month in the City. View the meeting presentation here.

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MoCo Police

MCPD Holiday Alcohol Task Force Arrest 40 People for DUI During Week 8 of Enforcement

By Patrick Herron

Montgomery County Police have announced that the Alcohol Holiday Task Force arrested 40 people for DUI during the week of December 28, 29, 30 and 31. Per MCPD: Officers from the Montgomery County Department of Police – Holiday Alcohol Task Force have been devoting their full time and attention to detecting alcohol-related offenses this holiday season to save lives and reduce impaired driving violations in our roadways.

This task force typically starts the week before thanksgiving and ends the first week of January. Montgomery County Police officers and officers from allied agencies (Maryland Transportation Authority Police, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, Rockville City Police, Takoma Park Police, Gaithersburg Police, Maryland State Police and Maryland National Capital Park Police) volunteer to work the task force.

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MoCo Government

Senator Chris Van Hollen Sworn In for Second Term

By Patrick Herron

“Last Congress – through the united efforts of President Biden in the White House and Democratic majorities in the House and Senate – we led one of the most productive legislative sessions in history – from critical legislation to confront the climate crisis and lower costs for American families to vital investments to modernize our infrastructure to common-sense, bipartisan first steps on gun safety, election integrity, marriage equality, and veterans’ health care.

“This session, it’s essential that we build on this progress by overseeing the effective implementation of these initiatives as we continue to build a more inclusive economy with greater shared prosperity. For Maryland, I’ll be working to invest federal resources in key initiatives across our entire state to support our schools, our workforce, our seniors and our communities, including removing the Highway to Nowhere so we can reunite divided neighborhoods in West Baltimore. And I’ll be fighting to build on the progress we’ve made to preserve and clean up the Chesapeake Bay by moving forward on our proposed Chesapeake National Recreation Area.

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Gaithersburg

MCPD: Two Men Arrested for Gaithersburg Carjacking

By Patrick Herron

Per MCPD: Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police – Major Crimes Division have arrested and charged 38-year-old Darrell Amos Barnes Jr., of Rockville, and 35-year-old Marcus Antonio Umanzor, of Gaithersburg, for a strong-arm carjacking that occurred on Monday, December 19, 2022.

On December 19, at approximately 6:45 p.m., Gaithersburg Police and 6th District officers responded to the 200 block of N. Frederick Ave. for the report of a carjacking that just occurred. The investigation by detectives determined that the victim was sitting in the front passenger seat of a 2012 Honda Insight, when one suspect knocked on the window and told the victim to get out. The second suspect opened the driver’s side door and told the victim to get out. The victim exited the vehicle out of fear. Then, the second suspect drove away in the Honda and the first suspect walked away.

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Burtonsville

Paint Branch High School Junior Malik Aremu Selected for Prestigious CNAF Flight Academy Summer 2023 Class

By MCS Staff

Student Spotlight, per MCPS: Paint Branch High School 11th grader Cadet Malik Aremu is one of 26 students from across the country selected for the prestigious Commander, Naval Air Forces (CNAF) Flight Academy Summer 2023 Class.

According to the Flight Academy, “recognizing that the time to instill a love of aviation is best done early, the Flight Academy is an eight-week STEM program for high school students participating in both Navy and Marine Corps JROTC.” The program is intended to inspire and encourage high school students to consider aviation careers. The program is offered at zero cost to the student, and with no obligations. The program is a new STEM initiative that was selected for funding by the Naval STEM Coordination Office — located at the Office of Naval Research — which oversees investments in STEM education, outreach and workforce initiatives.

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Gaithersburg

Policy Discussion for Plan That Proposes 72 Stacked Townhouses in Gaithersburg is Scheduled for February 6

By MCS Staff

One Central LLC has submitted a schematic development plan that proposes 72 stacked townhouse (2-over-2) units along with green amenity space in Gaithersburg at the northeast quadrant of the intersection of Central Avenue with South Frederick Avenue. A consolidated joint public hearing was held on November 7, 2022. The Planning Commission records remained open until 5pm Friday December 16, 2022 with Planning Commission recommendation scheduled for January 4, 2023. The Mayor and City Council records will remain open until 5pm on Friday January 13, 2023 with policy discussion scheduled for February 6, 2023. Comments on this application may be mailed to 31 South Summit Avenue, Gaithersburg, MD, 20877 or emailed to [email protected] up until the closing of the records.

Additional information from our previous report: One Central LLC has submitted a schematic development plan that proposes 72 stacked townhouse (2-over-2) units along with green amenity space in Gaithersburg. Per the plans submitted to the City of Gaithersburg, the Property is located at the northeast quadrant of the intersection of Central Avenue with South Frederick Avenue. Nearby and vicinal uses (on the north) include the Devol Funeral Home and surface parking lot; (on the west) South Frederick Avenue; (on the south) single family housing structures believed occupied by office/employment use;, and (on the east) Unity of Gaithersburg Church, Rockville Evangelical Church, and single family residential.

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Beyond MoCo

Beyond MoCo: Frederick County Registered Sex Offender Sentenced to 45 Years in Federal Prison for the Sexual Exploitation of Two Minor Girls to Produce Child Pornography

By MCS Staff

Maryland – Chief U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar today sentenced Dennis James Harrison, age 40, of Rocky Ridge, Maryland, to 45 years in federal prison, followed by lifetime supervised release, for the sexual exploitation of children to produce child pornography, related to the sexual exploitation of two minors who were between the ages of 10 and 12 at the time of the abuse.  Chief Judge Bredar also ordered that, upon his release from prison, defendant Harrison must continue to register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (“SORNA”).

Harrison also had a conviction from August 12, 2009, in the Court of Common Pleas of Adams County, Pennsylvania, for possession of child pornography and was a registered sex offender at the time of his arrest in this federal case.

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Beyond MoCo

Beyond MoCo: Howard County’s Columbia Ranked Second in “2023’s Best Places to Find a Job” List

By MCS Staff

With the unemployment rate at 3.7% and employers planning to hire 15% more new graduates from the Class of 2023 than they did from the Class of 2022, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2023’s Best Places to Find a Job, with nearby Columbia, MD (Howard County) ranked #2 on the list.

Columbia, Maryland, has the highest median annual household income (adjusted by cost of living), $104,486, which is 3.5 times higher than in Newark, New Jersey, the city with the lowest at $30,271. To determine the strongest local job markets in the U.S., WalletHub compared more than 180 cities across 32 key metrics. The data set ranges from job opportunities to employment growth to monthly average starting salary. Top 10 and bottom 10 can be seen below:

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Beyond MoCo

Beyond MoCo: Frederick Police Arrest Two for New Years Eve Homicide

By Patrick Herron

Per the Frederick Police Department: The Frederick Police Department has arrested two individuals in relation to an early morning homicide that occurred on New Years Eve.

On December 31, 2022, at approximately 4:47 AM, officers of the Frederick Police Department were dispatched to the Frederick Health Hospital, located at 400 W Seventh Street, in Frederick City, for an adult female who had been stabbed.  Lifesaving efforts were provided to the female, but she was later pronounced dead. The victim was identified as Mary Alice Seward, 41.

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Rockville

New Planet Fitness Location in Rockville Opens

By Patrick Herron

Planet Fitness is now open in the Montrose Shopping Center at 5520 Randolph Rd. in Rockville. The new gym is double in size of that of its previous location at 1776 E Jefferson St. The Planet Fitness locations in Gaithersburg and Germantown also recently completed renovations.  Per Planet Fitness: “We’re thrilled our Rockville club is moving to a new location that will double the size of the current location and include more fitness equipment, better parking and easy access to the Capital Beltway,” said C. Victor Brick, co-owner of PF Growth Partners (PFGP), a franchise division of Planet Fitness. “The new space will provide a bigger and better option for current members and the community of Rockville.”

Offering a hassle-free environment, the future Planet Fitness Rockville will feature new Matrix cardio machines, a new functional training area, new Matrix training cycles, and new rowers and Sci fit, as well as a 30-Minute Express Circuit, fully equipped locker rooms and numerous flat screen televisions.

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