MCDOT

Commuters in MoCo Can Get Reimbursed Up to $280/Month for Using Public Transit or Vanpools

By Patrick Herron

In addition to vanpools, the program could cover expenses incurred by commuters using Ride On bus, Metrobus, Metrorail or MARC train to commute to and from a workplace within Montgomery County.

Businesses looking to implement or expand a transportation benefit program must commit to covering the first $25 per month of travel costs for employees who use buses or vanpools. The County will cover expenses over the initial $25, up to $280 a month. The full subsidy could be as high as $3,360 per year, per employee. It is tax-free to both the employee and the employer.

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MoCo Government

Montgomery County Office of Procurement Wins Achievement in Excellence Award from NPI and Four NACo Awards

By Patrick Herron

The award from the National Procurement Institute is the ninth received by the Office of Procurement. The prestigious annual award is presented to organizations that demonstrate excellence based on criteria designed to measure innovation, professionalism, productivity, e-procurement and leadership attributes of the procurement organization.

The Office of Procurement has received 11 NACo awards in the last 10 years. In the past two years, Procurement received eight NACo awards.

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Education

Churchill High School Students Release Book Promoting Entrepreneurship Education in Youth

By Patrick Herron

Make an Impact Through Business: A Teen’s Guide to Entrepreneurship was released on July 18 by two rising seniors at Winston Churhill High School.  According to co-author Amanda Kossof, “Every teen is capable of creating their own impactful thriving business, company, or organization. All they need is guidance, and that’s exactly why Luna and I co-authored Make an Impact Through Business. It is all about spreading business education and promoting youth entrepreneurship. We broke down every step of the process, from getting funding to managing time to filing nonprofit registration papers and much, much more! ” The book is available for purchase through Amazon.

Make an Impact Through Business breaks down the complicated entrepreneurship process into small steps that are more comprehensible and manageable. This new book, featuring the authors’ journey and advice, is an invaluable treasure trove of up-to-date resources and personal insights all in one place! Jam-packed with easy-to-implement tasks and write-in activities, you’ll quite literally work through the entrepreneurial world. 

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MoCo Government

Press Conference Postponed on Resolution to Define and Address Antisemitism

By Patrick Herron

The resolution, introduced by the Council and led by Councilmember Friedson, was introduced in response to the disturbing rise of antisemitism and acts of assault, vandalism and harassment against Jewish community members and Jewish organizations across the County and nation.

As originally drafted, the resolution proposes the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism and reaffirms the Council’s commitment to combat all forms of hate and extremism and reflects the Council’s strong support for and solidarity with Montgomery County’s Jewish community.

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MoCo Government

Montgomery County Council Enacts Bill to Create Private Security Camera Incentive Program

By Patrick Herron

Individuals, business owners can apply to receive a voucher or rebate to offset the cost of a security camera on property in high priority areas

ROCKVILLE, Md., July 26, 2022—The Montgomery County Council voted to enact a new public safety bill today that seeks to deter and solve crime by incentivizing the purchase of private security cameras by residents and businesses in areas experiencing relatively high incidences of crime.

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MoCo Government

Montgomery County’s Community Covid-19 Level is Now ‘High’

By MCS Staff

Montgomery County’s Community Covid-19 Level is Now ‘High’, according to the county’s Covid-19 surveillance dashboard (photo below). On February 25, 2022, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new metrics enabling communities and individuals to make better decisions based on their local context and unique needs. The new “COVID-19 community level” metrics are based on three pieces of data:

The COVID-19 community level is determined by the higher of the new admissions and inpatient beds metrics, based on the current level of new cases per 100,000 population in the past 7 days. To find out the COVID-19 community level:

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Silver Spring

Owner of Silver Spring Pet Grooming Salon Convicted of 17 Counts of Animal Cruelty

By Patrick Herron

Carrie Seek, owner of Pampered Poodles, a pet grooming salon and licensed commercial kennel located at 101 Williamsburg Dr. in Silver Spring, was convicted on July 21 in Montgomery County District Court following prosecution by the Office of the State’s Attorney for Montgomery County.

Ms. Seek was convicted of 17 counts of failure to provide veterinary care and adequate space. She was sentenced by Judge Victor M. Del Pino to 4.2 years of jail time, all 4.2 years were suspended, and two years of supervised probation. She will be prohibited from owning, residing with, possessing or controlling any animals during this period. She was also ordered to receive mental health care services and abide by the treatment recommendations.

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Germantown

Police Investigating Armed Robbery of 7-Eleven In Germantown

By Patrick Herron

At approximately 3 a.m., 5th district officers responded to the 7-Eleven on the 12800 block of Clopper Rd. for a robbery that just occurred.

Upon arrival, officers spoke with the store employee who stated that a male subject entered the store, ran up behind him, placed a gun to his back and demanded that he open the cash registers and give him money. The employee complied with the suspect’s demands and opened all of the registers.

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MoCo Government

Council Passes Bills Requiring Paid Parental Leave for County Employees and Lactation Rooms in County Buildings 

By Patrick Herron

ROCKVILLE, Md., July 26, 2022—Today the Montgomery County Council voted to enact two bills, introduced by Councilmember Andrew Friedson and cosponsored by all other Councilmembers, that will benefit working parents in Montgomery County Government.

Bill 10-22, the Paid Parental Leave Act, will provide six weeks of paid parental leave for County employees at 100 percent of the employee’s salary. Bill 11-22, the Right to Nourish Act, will require the County to provide lactation rooms or alternative accommodations for employees in its buildings.

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DC Sports

Two Options for Lyrics to Revamped Washington Commanders Fight Song Revealed; Fans Can Vote for Their Favorite

By MCS Staff

On August 13th, the date of the Commanders’ first preseason game against the Carolina Panthers, the team will debut its revamped fight song. “The Washington Commanders are revamping the Fight Song arrangement for a new and fresh composition that still stays true to the recognizable lyrics and melody the fans know and love.”

Below you’ll see two different options for the lyrics along with a link that allows you to hear what the lyrics will sound like and vote on your favorite (Music & Lyrics by David Breeskin and Maria Breeskin-McLain based on original music by Barnee Breeskin and lyrics by Corinne Griffith).

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