A Silver Spring resident is $50,000 richer after purchasing a winning Bonus Match 5 lotter ticket from Safeway at 116 University Boulevard. Full story below courtesy of the Maryland Lottery:
“A Montgomery County resident who dreamed about purchasing a winning Bonus Match 5 ticket decided, upon awakening, to buy tickets for the next few days of drawings. On the fourth day, she won the game’s top prize of $50,000, which was a major boost from the amount won during her nighttime slumbers.
“In my dream, I only won $400,” she said, laughing.

The big winner was sitting at home when she discovered her brush with Lottery luck in the July 23 drawing. She checked for a win using the Lottery mobile app on her phone. The Silver Spring woman loves to play Bonus Match 5, explaining that she appreciates the rules and the structure of the game.
“The rewards of this game are very fair. I think the payout of this game is better compared to most games.” The childcare worker plans to use her prize to purchase a car.

The 52-year-old said she thought Lottery luck had passed her by until this spring. She won a $10,000 scratch-off prize in May and her $50,000 Bonus Match 5 prize in July. She encourages everyone to keep playing responsibility.
“I thought I was unlucky, but I never gave up,” she said. “I kept playing until it was my time to win.”

Per Montgomery County: From the Office of Councilmember Will Jawando
Montgomery County Councilmember Will Jawando (At-Large), chair of the Education and Culture (EC) Committee, applauds the Montgomery County Board of Education for releasing a redacted full report from Jackson Lewis on the investigation of misconduct allegations by a Montgomery County Public Schools principal:

“I applaud the Board of Education for taking this important step forward in accountability and transparency for the families, students and staff within the school system. It has been two months since the allegations of employee misconduct by an MCPS principal were revealed through the press. At the EC Committee session held on Sept. 28, I called for the full release of a redacted report and my colleagues echoed that sentiment. It is only through transparency that we are able to have effective accountability and facilitate improvement in processes that protect our school community.

The release of the redacted report does not impact the ongoing investigations. The investigation through the Montgomery County Office of Inspector General (OIG) continues. Once the OIG releases its investigation findings, I will work with my colleagues to schedule a public meeting to discuss the findings and any recommended actions.”

The full redacted report can be viewed here.

The Montgomery County Board of Education (BOE) released a statement regarding the release of the redacted Jackson-Lewis Investigation Report. In a Thursday afternoon tweet, the Board of Education stated that the redacted report can be found on the Board’s website. As of press time at 3:30pm, we have been unable to find it on the website, but it can be accessed at this link. The (BOE) statement can be seen below:

“We believe that restoring trust with our staff and community is of utmost importance and it is our hope that by releasing this report, which is redacted to protect the right of our employees, will be a step toward a renewed belief in the integrity of our public-school system.

We are bound by the Maryland Public Information Act, which while being a law intended to ensure public access to documents, explicitly excepts personnel records. That we will comply with what is expected of under this law is a given, but we have also heard from our staff and our community that access to a copy of the Jackson-Lewis report outlining the facts surrounding the promotion and appointment of the principal is essential in restoring trust in our school system. We have tried to balance these interests by releasing the redacted report that complies with the Maryland Public Information Act.

We will not be releasing a redacted version of the exhibits as that information contains personally identifiable information of staff and personnel. Releasing that information would result in a document with blacked out pages because of the amount of personally identifiable information found within those exhibits.”

BOE statement regarding the release of the redacted Jackson-Lewis Investigation Report. The redacted report can be found on the Board's website. pic.twitter.com/0Jj2D6PWHl

— Moco BOE (@mocoboe) October 12, 2023

Marcus & Millichap  a leading commercial real estate brokerage firm specializing in investment sales, financing, research and advisory services, recently announced the sale of Gaithersburg Citgo| Daytona Auto Care, a 2,506-square foot retail property located in Gaithersburg, Maryland. The property sold for $2,500,000 plus inventory, or $837.99 per square foot.

“The property attracted offers from several buyers,” Zhao said. “It’s not a typical Marcus & Millichap net leased deal.  This deal involved real estate and its 35 years of business operation.  Ultimately, an investor with a keen interest in auto care was found who enlisted the help of an experienced operator from California to assist with the business operation of the auto care facility. The buyer negotiated strategic termination of the property’s current fuel supply agreement as a contingency to close.” The property is located at 401-409 E Diamond Av. in Gaithersburg and includes Gaithersburg Citgo gas station and Daytona Auto Care LTD, which have been in business for more than 35 years.

Dany Zhao, an investment specialist in Marcus & Millichap’s Washington, D.C. office, had the exclusive listing to market the property on behalf of the seller, Taris Investment LLC and Daytona Auto Care, LTD. The buyer, Beroya LLC and East Diamond, LLC, was also secured and represented by Zhao.

According to the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office, “This week, in the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, MD, the Honorable Michael McAuliffe sentenced defendant, Terry Tompkins, 42, of Temple Hills, to 15 years in prison suspend all but four years to serve and five years of probation upon release. Tompkins pleaded guilty on December 19^th, 2022, to one count of robbery and three counts of theft stemming from four incidents at hardware stores in June and July of 2022. The sentencing hearing was held on Wednesday, October 10^th.

In one of the incidents, on July 30^th, 2022, Tompkins exited the Ace Hardware store in the 800 block of Wayne Avenue in Silver Spring, with a cart full of copper wire and other electric cable products without paying for the items. He then attacked a store employee who attempted to film him on a cell phone. Tomkins stole the phone as he fled.

Tompkins was charged in five separate Maryland counties with over a dozen total thefts from hardware stores during the summer of 2022.  In December 2022, after he plead guilty to the Montgomery County charges, he committed additional thefts in multiple counties while out on bond pending sentencing.  Judge McAulliffe noted these additional thefts as reason for imposing a sentence at the top of the Maryland sentencing guidelines.

Assistant State’s Attorney Kyle O’Grady handled prosecution of this case. We thank Montgomery County Police Detectives Sean Petty and Jesse Dickensheets for their thorough investigation, linking Tompkins to numerous thefts.”

Montgomery County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Monifa McKnight sent a message to MCPS staff on Wednesday, October 11, announcing that deputy superintendent Dr. Patrick Murphy was no longer employed by the district. The message, provided to us by MCPS Communications Director Chris Cram, also states that two members of the MCPS Office of School Support and Well-Being (OSSWB), Dr. Donna Redmond Jones and Dr. Eugenia (Jeanie) Dawson are currently on leave.

Dr. Patrick Murphy was appointed as the MCPS deputy superintendent in 2022, a position previously held by Dr. McKnight. He was recently superintendent of Berkeley County Schools in West Virginia until 2022 and previously superintendent of Arlington Public Schools and in various instructional leadership positions in Fairfax County Public Schools. The message sent to staff can be seen below (note: We have been told by several MCPS staff members that they have not received this message):

Dear Colleagues:

 

I am writing to provide you an update regarding personnel changes in Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS). Dr. Patrick Murphy, deputy superintendent, is no longer employed by the district. I want to thank Dr. Murphy for his service to MCPS and wish him well in his future endeavors.

 

Within the Office of School Support and Well-Being (OSSWB), Dr. Donna Redmond Jones and Dr. Eugenia (Jeanie) Dawson are currently on leave. To minimize any disruptions, Dr. Peter Moran, associate superintendent, and Mr. David Adams, acting associate superintendent, will be providing supervision to the schools and other staff under Dr. Redmond-Jones and Dr. Dawson in the days ahead. They will follow up with additional details tomorrow, October 12, 2023.

 

I recognize that leadership transitions may be challenging, and we will continue to update you on any additional staffing changes.

 

In addition, please do not hesitate to reach out to Mr. Brian Stockton, chief of staff, with any questions at [email protected].

 

Thank you for your commitment to our staff, students, and communities.

 

Sincerely,

 

Monifa B. McKnight

Superintendent of Schools

News of the change(s) made by MCPS was first reported by Moderately MoCo.

Per Montgomery County: Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich has transmitted a request to the Montgomery County Council to approve a supplemental budget appropriation for $22,784,400 to purchase 60,000 Dell Chromebook laptops for residents who do not have a computer. The budget request is funded by a Federal Communications Commission Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF) grant secured by the County Department of Technology & Enterprise Business Solutions (TEBS) and Montgomery County Public Libraries (MCPL), with the support of Congressman David Trone. The new computer distribution program requires Council action to proceed, but could launch as early as next month.

“We are closing the digital divide in Montgomery County,” said County Executive Elrich. “Over the last year, our County has been spearheading efforts to get more computers into the hands of children and adults who need them. While the need continues to be out there, our computer distribution efforts are having an impact.  As a result, most low-income families in our County will have digital access for homework, for remote work or to find a job. It is a way of helping end the poverty cycle and it doesn’t require anything but a library card. Computer and internet access are key equity issues. I appreciate the Montgomery County Libraries and TEBS for securing this grant and am grateful for the support of our Congressional delegation for this funding.”

According to the United Way, in addition to the eight percent of County households living at or below the Federal poverty rate, 24 percent of County households do not earn enough to meet the costs of household essentials (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed—or “ALICE” households). Through this new Federal grant, combined with three previous computer grants, the County will be able to provide 119,000 computers to the combined 124,286 ALICE and below-poverty-level households in the County.

“I’m very proud of the work that Montgomery Connects is doing to expand rural internet access, enrollment in the Affordable Connectivity Program internet subsidy program, access to computers and Senior Planet training for older adults in three languages,” said TEBS Director and County Chief Information Officer Gail M. Roper. “This new Federal ECF funding for 60,000 more computers is in addition to the 55,000 computers the County has already distributed using grant funds from ECF, Maryland Emergency Educational Relief and the Maryland Connected Devices (MCD) Program.”

Eligibility for the new computer program is limited to Montgomery County Library patrons with a County Public Libraries card.

“Montgomery County Public Libraries’ mission includes providing equitable access to information for all,” said MCPL Director Anita Vassallo. “This initiative provides residents with limited access to technology and/or the internet the means to navigate the digital world to connect to services and resources for themselves and their families.”

Eligible residents must have an email address and a library card to make an appointment online at www.montgomerycountymd.gov/computer when the computer distribution program opens in November.  If a resident needs assistance to make an appointment, they should call the Marylander Online Help Hotline at 301-405-9810, from 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday to Friday or from 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. on Saturday. Help is available in English and Spanish and in other languages upon request. Residents also can visit any Montgomery County Public Library in person to receive a library card or apply for one online.

Montgomery Connects worked with K-12 partners, Montgomery County Public Libraries, the Department of Recreation, the Housing Opportunities Commission and affordable housing developer Montgomery Housing Partnership (MHP) to distribute 2,479 MCD Chromebooks to families as part of Back-to-School activities. In partnership with Montgomery College, Montgomery Connects also distributed 538 MCD Chromebooks to Pell Grant college students.

Montgomery Connects and TEBS also worked with the Maryland Office of Statewide Broadband, the University of Maryland Extension’s Marylanders Online, the Carroll Technology Council (of Carroll County) and the City of Baltimore Office of Broadband and Digital Equity (part of the Baltimore City Office of Information and Technology) to kick off the Maryland Digital Equity Coalition (MDEC).

The MDEC kickoff was a follow-up to an earlier statewide digital equity training event hosted by Montgomery Connects, Marylanders Online and MDEC, where in a conversation with County Executive Elrich, Governor Wes Moore said about the Internet, “It is everything. It is water.” The Governor further said, “I have a very clear goal. I want everyone in this State to be online and have accessible and affordable internet access by the end of our first term and we are not going stop until we get that done.”

The purpose of the Oct. 5 MDEC launch meeting was to bring together more than 100 Maryland organizations and local governments to highlight the importance of digital equity for all residents and to discuss key digital equity goals and challenges. The Office of Statewide Broadband Deputy Director Ronnie Hammond provided an update on development of the Maryland Digital Equity Plan.

The Maryland Digital Equity Plan must be submitted to the Federal government by Thursday, Dec. 14, as a condition to receive Federal funding under the Digital Equity Act of 2021. Maryland will be obligated to fulfill all commitments included in the Maryland Digital Equity Plan. The State will be accepting public comment on the plan from Nov. 1-30.  MDEC and Montgomery Connects will be helping organizations and local governments submit input on the Digital Equity Plan.

“The Governor and the County Executive support digital equity and now is the time for organizations across Montgomery County and the State to comment in writing about what our digital equity priorities are,” said Mitsuko R. Herrera, the Montgomery Connects program director.  “Organizations can reach out to the Montgomery Connects Digital Equity Coalition at [email protected] and we will be holding more forums to help give organizations a voice in the Maryland Digital Equity Plan development process.”

Gaithersburg Police tweeted the following on Wednesday, October 11:  “Missing Person 🚨
Asking for the public’s assistance in locating, Asoke Mukherjee, a missing 73-year-old from Gaithersburg.
Please call (301) 279-8000 if you have seen him.
Family and police are concerned for his welfare.”