Gaithersburg Mayor Jud Ashman has entered the race for Montgomery County Council, seeking the District 3 seat that will be open in the 2026 election due to term limits. Montgomery Perspective first reported Ashman’s candidacy in November, shortly after he was re-elected to a third term as mayor of Gaithersburg. Ashman today announced his official campaign launch event scheduled to take place on January 10th.
Even without parallel parking on the driving test, Maryland still holds the distinction of being the hardest state in the country to earn a driver’s license.
A local veteran-owned martial arts gym, The Compound Fight House, has launched a GoFundMe after receiving a 60-day eviction notice, according to the gym’s owner. Owner Pow Srikachorn claims the eviction stems from years of unresolved flooding damage allegedly caused by another tenant, which he says was not properly addressed by the landlord.
The gym, which serves children, families, and veterans, is seeking $150,000 to help cover disputed back rent and legal fees. Srikachorn alleges that long-term damage to the space led to significant financial losses, despite what he says was the landlord’s acknowledgment that the gym was not at fault. We have reached out to Guardian Realty for comment and will update if they respond.
Montgomery County, MD is commonly known as being a suburb of the nation’s capital, but what might surprise some is that it is also home to a thriving biotech ecosystem. With over 350 life sciences companies, including global brands like AstraZeneca, United Therapeutics, and Novavax, Montgomery County anchors the third largest biophama hub in the U.S., behind only Boston and San Francisco.
Running annually in Washington D.C. for over 25 years, World Vaccine Congress attracts an international audience from over 80 countries and convenes more than 3,000 people to learn about the latest trends, research, and technologies in the vaccine industry. This year, Montgomery County took center stage, with a featured session on the extensive Biologics Value Chain in the County, as well as a session during which County Executive Marc Elrich spoke about the extensive resources available to companies here, and an exhibit space showcasing these resources.
A Complete Biologics Value Chain in One Region
One of the defining strengths of Montgomery County is its ability to support the full lifecycle of biologics, all the way from early research to large-scale manufacturing. During the panel discussion, moderated by Dr. Stefanie Trop, Director of Life Sciences at the Maryland Department of Commerce, local leaders emphasized that the region’s strength lies in its network of partners who work collaboratively across discovery, development, testing, and production. Panelists from companies in all stages of the value chain spectrum included Dr. Andrew Lees, Founder of Fina Biosolutions, Benjamin Moutier, Senior Vice-President, Vaccines and Immune Therapies at AstraZeneca, Dr. Helen Sabzevari President & CEO of Precigen, and Dr. Frederick Holtsberg, Chief Scientific Officer of Integrated BioTherapeutics.
This end-to-end capability in close geographical proximity gives companies a unique advantage and is rare to find in other markets, even established ones like San Francisco and Boston. In fact, only a handful of places worldwide offer the combination of infrastructure, expertise, and collaboration found in Montgomery County and if diversity, education and population density are taken into consideration – then Montgomery County standouts even more.
“Gaithersburg is one of the six places in the world where we can do what we’re doing,” explained Benjamin Moutier, Senior Vice-President, Vaccines and Immune Therapies, AstraZeneca. “We have the right partners at every step of the value chain [in Montgomery County].”
A Strong Partnership Network
Biotech breakthroughs rarely happen in isolation. They depend on strong partnerships between private companies, local and state governments, academic institutions, and workforce training organizations. Montgomery County has intentionally cultivated these connections, making collaboration and coordination defining characteristics of its life sciences ecosystem.
Dr. Frederick Holtsberg, Chief Scientific Officer at IBT Bioservices, a full service CRO offering clinical & preclinical contract research services, says the company’s close partnerships between them and local stakeholders have been crucial to its success. “As a Rockville-based company, we’re grateful for the partnership and support from city, County, and state leaders,” explained Dr. Holtsberg. “These programs have helped fuel our growth, and we’re excited about the continued momentum of our community.” (more…)
The Montgomery County Police Department says its Alcohol Holiday Task Force is ramping up enforcement efforts as the holiday season continues, with dozens of arrests and hundreds of citations already issued during a recent multi-day crackdown.
Beautiful venue; great art, gifts and hand-crafted items; refreshments; and meet the award-winning painters, photographers, mixed media artists, ceramicists, fiber artists, and more – some 40 artists in all. It’s an extraordinary array of framed wall works, 3-d media including sculpture, ceramics, jewelry, and fiber pieces, and unframed prints.
Among them, you’ll see:
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) responded to a single-family home fire on Beaver Terrace in Aspen Hill on Monday after multiple 911 callers reported a house and rear deck on fire shortly before 2:45 p.m. Firefighters arrived to find heavy smoke and fire, and the blaze was brought under control, though the home sustained significant damage. (more…)
Update: It was gone by the next run of the models💨
After a storm that delivered up to five inches of snow in parts of upper Montgomery County, including Damascus, while areas closer to Washington, DC picked up less than an inch, the region has already gotten an early taste of winter weather. That’s notable considering the calendar still technically says it’s fall.
The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) has released winter holiday schedule changes showing that Ride On and Metro services will generally run on weekday schedules on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, while shifting to Sunday or holiday schedules on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. (more…)
Sakura Go is coming to 20940-B Frederick Road in Germantown, opening in the Neelsville Village Center in the former home of BGR, short for “Burgers Grilled Right,” which closed in January. (more…)
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) responded to a vehicle fire Monday evening along Beach Drive near Grosvenor Lane, behind the Parkside condominiums in Bethesda. (more…)
A federal jury has convicted a Montgomery County man on a cyberstalking charge following a two-week trial, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland.
There are seasons that blur together, and then there are seasons that leave behind a clear hierarchy, of programs, of players, and of performances that forced everyone else to adjust. This year in Montgomery County football was firmly the latter, and the MoCo All-County Team reflects a fall defined by dominance, adaptability, and elite two-way impact. Graphics below, listing all players, by Sam Nosoff (Blair he’s coach).