Per the Washington County Sheriff’s Department: “The Washington County Sheriff’s Office is currently conducting a homicide investigation. On October 19, 2023, at approximately 8:00 PM, Deputies responded to the 19100 block of Olde Waterford Road, Hagerstown, MD, for a reported shooting. The victim, an adult male, was located in the driveway of a residence. The victim was suffering from what appeared to be gunshot wounds. He was transported to Meritus Medical Center, where he later succumbed to his injuries. The victim was identified as Washington County, Maryland Circuit Court Judge Andrew Wilkinson, 52, of Hagerstown.
Update: The Washington County Sheriff’s Office is searching for the below-listed individual in connection to the Olde Waterford Road homicide investigation. Anyone with information on the location of Pedro Argote, 49, is asked to notify law enforcement immediately. Argote is 5’7”, 130 lbs. with black hair and brown eyes. He may be operating a silver 2009 Mercedes GL450, displaying Maryland registration plates 4EH0408. Anyone with information in reference to Argote’s location is asked to not approach him but to immediately notify law enforcement. This continues to be an active investigation, certain details of the case will not be released to the public by law enforcement. The Washington County Sheriff’s Office will hold a press conference at 11:00 a.m. The press conference will be at 100 West Washington Street Hagerstown, MD, 21740, at the Washington County Government Administration Building.”
Per MCPD: “Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police – 6th District Investigative Section are investigating a residential burglary and an attempted residential burglary that occurred on Sunday, September 3, 2023. Detectives have released surveillance video of the male suspect and are asking for the public’s assistance in identifying him.
At approximately 6:09 a.m., 6th District officers responded to the 8100 block of Irwell Court in Gaithersburg for the report of a residential burglary that just occurred. The investigation has revealed that, at approximately 5:54 a.m., the suspect forced entry into the rear sliding door of the home, stole property and left the scene. The victim was in the residence during the time of the burglary. At approximately 2:13 p.m., 6th District officers responded to a home in the 17400 block of Tauton Drive in Gaithersburg for the report of an attempted residential burglary. Investigators determined that at approximately 5:47 a.m., the suspect approached the front door of the home, then jumped over the fence, attempted to force entry into the rear sliding door and left the scene.
Detectives reviewed the surveillance cameras of the homes and obtained a description of the suspect. The suspect is described as a tall and thin Black male, with black short hair, in his twenties or thirties and wearing a bandana over his face, a white tank top, jeans and reflective shoes. He has unknown tattoos on his right forearm.
Anyone with information regarding this suspect or this crime is asked to visit the Crime Solvers of Montgomery County, MD website at www.crimesolversmcmd.org and click on the “www.p3tips.com” link at the top of the page or call 1-866-411-8477. A reward of up to $10,000 is being offered for information that leads to the arrest of the suspect. Tips may remain anonymous.
In January we let you know that Poke Bros will be opening its first Maryland location in Gaithersburg’s Kentlands neighborhood. The restaurant, which opened its first location in 2016 and has since expanded to over 75 restaurants across the country, will be taking over the space that was previously home to Next Day Blinds at 107 Market St W until 2020. Permanent signage went up earlier this summer, and now interior work is nearing completion (photo below). An opening date is not yet available, but it appears that it will be open this fall.
More bout Poke Bros: After the founders were introduced to the Hawaiian staple on a trip to California. The appeal of this fast and casual—while healthy—concept immediately inspired the founders to begin thinking how they could bring this unique dish to the midwest. From its inception, we were confident the foodies of Columbus would love the poké concept, but wanted to provide an inexpensive and accessible product in the larger market. After some intense research and trial and error, the Poké Bros founders developed their own brand of poké bowl flavor they are proud to share and call their own. Modeling similar assembly line casual dining concepts, we developed a unique way to build your “sushi in a bowl” and have fun doing so! As the poké movement has caught on, Poké Bros has rapidly expanded into multiple states across the Midwest and East Coast, offering the same fresh and authentic cuisine to a wider range of customers. We will continue to stick to our roots, as Poké Bros continues to grow, and offer only the best fresh ingredients that fill you up but don’t slow you down.
Per the Maryland Attorney General’s Office: “Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown has joined a coalition of 49 Attorneys General announcing a $10 million settlement with payment processor ACI Worldwide over a 2021 testing error that led to the attempted unauthorized withdrawal of $2.3 billion from the accounts of mortgage-holders. The settlement includes injunctive relief designed to prevent a similar incident in the future.
ACI Payments, a subsidiary of ACI Worldwide Corp., is a payment processor for a variety of third-party clients, including mortgage servicers. Nationstar Mortgage, known publicly as “Mr. Cooper,” offered ACI’s Speedpay product to its customers so they could schedule and electronically pay their monthly mortgage payments through the Automated Clearing House (ACH) system. On April 23, 2021, ACI was testing the Speedpay platform when it erroneously attempted to withdraw mortgage payments from hundreds of thousands of “Mr. Cooper” customers on a day that was not authorized or expected. In many cases, consumers were subjected to the attempted withdrawal of multiple mortgage payments from their personal bank accounts. The Attorneys General allege the April 2021 incident was due to significant defects in ACI’s privacy and data security procedures and technical infrastructure related to the Speedpay platform.
While the vast majority of withdrawals did not ultimately go through or were reversed, 1.4 million transactions totaling $2.3 billion were processed, impacting 477,000 “Mr. Cooper” customers. While ACI took corrective steps to minimize the impact of the testing error, in some cases consumers were not able to access the money at issue and were forced to incur overdraft or insufficient funds fees. Impacted consumers have received restitution from ACI and through other related settlements.
“Over 13,000 mortgage accounts in Maryland were impacted by ACI’s error, causing confusion and worry for many residents and their families,” said Attorney General Brown. “Companies entrusted with consumers’ hard-earned money must be held accountable for failing to safeguard it effectively. Consumers should contact their financial institutions immediately if they
experience unauthorized or unexpected withdrawals from an account to prevent further harm from insufficient funds and associated fees.”
In addition to the payment to the states, today’s settlement requires ACI to take steps to avoid any future incidents, including requiring ACI to use artificially created data rather than real consumer data when testing systems or software, and requiring ACI to segregate any testing or development work from its consumer payment systems. This case was investigated and negotiated with the state financial regulators. From this settlement, Maryland will receive $236,076.98. The state regulators, including Maryland, have entered into a separate agreement with ACI for an additional $10 million.”
Montgomery County Councilmember Will Jawando announced today that he is dropping out of the U.S. Senate race. Jawando announced in May that he was launching a campaign for the U.S. Senate after Senator Ben Cardin, Maryland’s senior senator and Chair of the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, announced that he would not seek re-election at the end of his term. Jawando’s full statement can be seen below (including a video):
“We are all living through such uncertain times. War is raging in the Middle East and Ukraine. Everyday Americans are not sure whether they can afford to keep a roof over their head or food on the table. Our Congress is meeting crisis with chaos and is paralyzed by far-right extremists. MAGA Republicans keep trying to elevate hard right election deniers to Speaker all while marching lockstep behind Donald Trump, a man who is running for president on a platform of revenge in a party that welcomes that with open arms. Now more than ever we need strong Democratic voices in the Senate. That’s why I got into this race.
However, after a lot of thought and prayer and late nights with my wife Michele, I’ve decided that it’s time to take a step back from the race. Not because we believe any less in the cause that started it. The fights we talked about in this campaign are and always will be the fights of my life. But after thinking long and hard about this race in particular, I frankly no longer see a path for myself to victory. And because I have so much respect for my loyal supporters, my constituents in Montgomery County, and my loving wife and children, I cannot remain in a race I do not believe I can win. I am sorry for those who will find this news disappointing – believe me, I am also disappointed. But I am not going anywhere! I will continue serving the people of Maryland no matter what.
I’m proud of the race we’ve run. At the core of my campaign has always been this commitment: to build a shared prosperity that lifts everybody up, no matter who you are or where you come from.
This is what we’ve done each and every day on the trail. We’ve championed bold ideas – enacting Universal Basic Income, raising the minimum wage, creating Medicare for All, reforming the criminal justice system – and so many others. We’ve met so many wonderful people all across the state and learned their struggles. It’s been an honor to be in this race and learn more about the daily lives of so many working families across Maryland.
Our supporters have worked tirelessly on behalf of my candidacy and I could not be more thankful for them. From $1 to $200, every dollar donated has made a huge difference and means the world to me. I am inspired that people from all walks of life found time in their very busy lives to put their faith in me, and for them, I will be eternally grateful.
I am so grateful to the volunteers who stood next to me, whether it was in the rain or 100 degree weather. Thank you so much. To the elected officials and leaders across our state who put their faith in our vision for the state: I am so proud to have earned your support. I look forward to fighting alongside you each and every day. Thank you again to every supporter of my campaign, it truly means the world to me that you believed in me, my message, and our vision. This is not the end – it is only the beginning.”
An important announcement about my U.S. Senate campaign. pic.twitter.com/UPZMD2JZdE
— Will Jawando (@willjawando) October 20, 2023
Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police, Silver Spring Investigative Section are looking for 41-year-old Freddy Hernandez Flores. Hernandez Flores was last seen on Thursday, October 19, 2023, at approximately 1:53 p.m. in the on the 8700 block of Geren Rd in Silver Spring. He is 5’07”, 170 lbs, with short brown hair, brown eyes, and was last seen wearing a red shirt with long, gray sleeves and gray pants.
Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Freddy Hernandez Flores is asked to call Montgomery County Police Non-Emergency (301) 279-8000 (24-hour line).
MoCo High School Sports Scores for Oct 19, 2023 (powered by www.MoCoAI.com):
Field Hockey Varsity
| Magruder High School (Home) | 2 |
| Paint Branch High School (Away) | 0 |
| Wootton High School (Home) | 2 |
| Gaithersburg High School (Away) | 0 |
| Einstein High School (Home) | 4 |
| Springbrook High School (Away) | 0 |
Football JV
| Whitman High School (Home) | 16 |
| Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School (Away) | 22 |
| Clarksburg High School (Home) | 44 |
| Poolesville High School (Away) | 8 |
| Northwood High School (Home) | 16 |
| Blake High School (Away) | 39 |
Football Varsity
| Sherwood High School (Home) | 14 |
| Walter Johnson High School (Away) | 10 |
| Seneca Valley High School (Home) | 0 |
| Damascus High School (Away) | 21 |
| Whitman High School (Home) | 7 |
| Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School (Away) | 42 |
Soccer Boys Varsity
| Damascus High School (Home) | 0 |
| Walter Johnson High School (Away) | 1 |
| Richard Montgomery High School (Home) | 0 |
| Blair High School (Away) | 3 |
| Blake High School (Home) | 2 |
| Paint Branch High School (Away) | 3 |
| Gaithersburg High School (Home) | 1 |
| Poolesville High School (Away) | 0 |
| Wheaton High School (Home) | 0 |
| Rockville High School (Away) | 2 |
| Quince Orchard High School (Home) | 2 |
| Sherwood High School (Away) | 0 |
| Springbrook High School (Home) | 2 |
| Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School (Away) | 2 |
Soccer Girls Varsity
| Churchill High School (Home) | 2 |
| Wootton High School (Away) | 1 |
| Damascus High School (Home) | 0 |
| Walter Johnson High School (Away) | 10 |
| Gaithersburg High School (Home) | 2 |
| Poolesville High School (Away) | 4 |
| Wheaton High School (Home) | 4 |
| Rockville High School (Away) | 1 |
| Quince Orchard High School (Home) | 5 |
| Sherwood High School (Away) | 0 |
| Springbrook High School (Home) | 0 |
| Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School (Away) | 8 |
| Richard Montgomery High School (Home) | 0 |
| Blair High School (Away) | 1 |
Volleyball Girls Varsity
| Churchill High School (Home) | 3 |
| Northwood High School (Away) | 0 |
| Wootton High School (Home) | 3 |
| Quince Orchard High School (Away) | 1 |
| Clarksburg High School (Home) | 3 |
| Einstein High School (Away) | 0 |
| Northwest High School (Home) | 0 |
| Walter Johnson High School (Away) | 3 |
| Paint Branch High School (Home) | 3 |
| Gaithersburg High School (Away) | 1 |
| Rockville High School (Home) | 2 |
| Blake High School (Away) | 3 |
| Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School (Home) | 0 |
| Richard Montgomery High School (Away) | 3 |
| Magruder High School (Home) | 3 |
| Blair High School (Away) | 0 |
Let us know in the comments for any missing scores.
Per the State of Maryland: “In an effort to reinforce the administration’s commitment to ensuring the safety of Marylanders of all faiths, Governor Wes Moore and Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller today met with Muslim community leaders, educators, parents, and students at the Islamic Society of Baltimore. Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski, Jr. and Islamic Society of Baltimore President Hasan Hammad joined the governor and lieutenant governor. Last week, Lt. Gov. Miller visited the Beth El Congregation of Baltimore to attend evening Shabbat service and meet with congregation members.
Following are excerpts from Governor Moore’s remarks as prepared:
“For many, the difficulties of these weeks have felt like the continuation of a seemingly ever-present pain. We are living through a moment when thousands of innocent Palestinian civilians and Israelis are suffering and grieving, both overseas and at home. We are living through a moment when Muslim and Jewish Americans are feeling unsafe in their own skin, even if they’re at school or at a mosque. We are living through a moment when the FBI has reported an increase of hateful rhetoric. We are living through a moment when people everywhere, of every faith and background, need healing, support, understanding, and love.”
“In Maryland we do not—and we will never—tolerate hatred. Not toward Muslims. Not toward Jews. Not toward Christians. Not toward anyone. Now is the time for us to stand together in love and community.”
“We must address the bigotry that continues to permeate our society and turn away from the divisive rhetoric. We must turn toward deeper love and understanding within our communities. We must be able to walk in the shoes of others, understand their pain, and ask them to understand ours. By being able to embrace the humanity of others, we are showing a full understanding of God’s love.”
Following are excerpts from Lieutenant Governor Miller’s remarks as prepared:
“We are currently witnessing a humanitarian crisis—people are attempting to bury their loved ones as they themselves live in a state of constant fear for their own lives. Outside of the Middle East, we have seen how this violence has given rise to division and acts of hatred and violence directed towards both Muslim and Jewish communities.”
“In just the last few days, we’ve seen a synagogue in Berlin firebombed, and in Chicago, a man murdered a 6-year-old Palestinian boy and seriously wounded his mother in a sickening act of pure, pure hatred. These actions lack any shred of humanity. And we cannot allow that hate to seep into our homes, our kitchen tables, our schools, and our communities.”
“As lieutenant governor of the most diverse state on the East Coast, I bear witness every day to the magnitude of respect and compassion that Marylanders have for one another. And as chair of Maryland’s Interfaith Council, I have seen the ability of individuals—imams, rabbis, and pastors—from across the state to come together to address the common challenges we all face. There is always more that unites us than divides us. May we always be united in the pursuit of peace and freedom.”
Marylanders are encouraged to help combat hate in their communities:
- If you are in immediate danger, call 9-1-1
- If you witness or experience a hate crime or hate incident, you can make a report by dialing 1-800-492-TIPS
- For concerns related to schools, dial 1-833-MD-B-SAFE
Below you’ll see the most recent updates or final scores of the 2023 week 8 MCPS football games. The scores will be updated as we receive them. If a score isn’t listed, it’s because we haven’t yet received a report from the game that we can confirm. An ‘F’ signifies the score is confirmed as being final.
Thursday’s Games:
Walter Johnson 10 at Sherwood 14 F
Damascus 21 at Seneca Valley 0 F
BCC 42 at Whitman 7 F
Friday’s Games:
Quince Orchard 34 at Northwest 21 F
Churchill 64 at Richard Montgomery 50 F
Blair 19 at Paint Branch 35 F
Rockville 21 at Gaithersburg 48 F
Blake 40 at Northwood 0 F
Magruder 20 at Wootton 13 F
Einstein 35 at Wheaton 0 F
Poolesville 10 at Clarksburg 24 F
Kennedy 0 at Springbrook 42 F
Chesapeake-AA 49 at Watkins Mill 6 F
Preview and predictions for the week can be found here.
