Maryland

With the U.S. government experiencing its 23rd funding lapse since 1976, and its 11th actual shutdown (this time a partial one), the personal-finance company WalletHub today released its report on the States Most & Least Affected by the 2025 Government Shutdown with Maryland coming in ranked as the 5th most affected state.

(more…)


Crime

Former FBI Supervisory Special Agent Eduardo Valdivia, 41, of Gaithersburg, was sentenced in Montgomery County Circuit Court to 80 years in prison, with all but 60 years suspended, after being convicted of multiple sex offenses involving three young women he lured to his tattoo studios under false pretenses. (more…)


Arts

Bethesda-based Imagination Stage received a three-year grant from the Kaiser Permanente Fund at the East Bay Community Foundation to expand its educational theater programs promoting children’s mental health. The initiatives include Empathy Quest, an interactive play for elementary students focused on empathy and self-regulation, and RISE UP, a virtual workshop designed to help educators address mental health challenges in schools.


Aspen Hill

According to the Maryland Lottery, a $128,772 Big Money Doubler progressive jackpot ticket sold on October 12 at the Shell gas station located at 4101 Aspen Hill Road remains unclaimed as of October 14.

(more…)


Community

After more than eight years of brewing, community building, and championing Montgomery County’s craft beer scene, Tony and Lacy Prebula, co-founders of Saints Row Brewing, have announced that they are stepping away from the business (Saints Row Brewing will remain open during this time as Tony and Lacy look for new ownership).

(more…)


Bethesda

The Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) arrested 22-year-old Terrance Barfield and 18-year-old Jaylen Cunningham, both of Washington, D.C., in connection with an armed robbery at Manny & Olga’s Pizza in Bethesda, with investigators later linking Barfield to three additional pizza restaurant robberies across Montgomery County between September 23 and October 1.

(more…)