The iconic Cider Barrel structure on Frederick Rd/355 in Germantown was vandalized on Wednesday, April 19. The Cider Barrel opened in the mid-1920s and sold non-alcoholic cider from the Ballincar Orchard in Germantown during the height of Prohibition and remained in business until 2003. Plans to reopen Cider Barrel in 2020 were halted by the COVID-19 pandemic. History of the Cider Barrel below, courtesy of a 2020 article by Karen Adjei:

“The Cider Barrel has deep roots with the local area’s history. It was originally built by Andrew Baker in 1922 (some sources say around 1925 or 1926). He was a local insurance entrepreneur who also developed the Ballincara Mansion, the Selby/Soderberg House and Livery Stable, and the original Germantown Bank.

One of his sisters, Sophia Baker, helped to found the St. Rita’s Group– an African American Catholic Church, which met in the cider house on the Ballincara property (not the Cider Barrel) and held ceremonies in the Ballincara gardens.

She taught Sunday School to the local African American children and had a heart for missionary work in local African American communities (Susan Soderberg, The Baker Family and the Ballincara). The African American workers on the Baker farm supplied the apples for the Cider Barrel.

The Cider Barrel was constructed during the height of the Prohibition Era, which banned the manufacture, sale, and transport of alcohol. But Baker was able to quench people’s thirst by advertising fresh, non-alcoholic cider using the poem above that was formerly painted on the building.

The apples were harvested at his very own orchard and cider press powered by horses behind his home, which lay near the Germantown Train Station. The Cider Barrel stand served as an outlet for his cider production and other agricultural products directly from his farm.

People would come as far away as Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania, and Virginia to taste the famous cider. There were even tourist cottages that were added so visitors could stay overnight when they came into town to view autumn colors and enjoy other local shops and attractions between Labor Day and Christmas. With a tourist industry that had been growing along Frederick Road since the 1920s, people were keen on enjoying a Germantown Cider Barrel experience.

After Baker’s sudden death in 1930 due to heart disease, Christopher Norton and his wife Minnie Underwood Norton bought the property. Christopher died shortly after, and his wife Minnie continued operations with her nephew Willim Cross and sister Martha.

They added the curved open stand to display items for sale around 1935. They also added a restaurant during the 1940s as tourism and development continued to grow. It first served sandwiches and later fried chicken dinners, mainly for patrons of the Neelesville Presbyterian Church just up the road. Continuing the seemingly unspoken tradition of passing on the business, Willim Cross took it over in 1946. And production continued to flourish: “For more than ninety years, cider was produced using a secret formula on a press that could make more than 2,000 gallons per week” (quote originally from Washington Post article, Germantown historians want to save city’s famous Cider Barrel, written by Alex Ruoff, April 11, 2012).

Susan Soderberg of the Germantown Historical Society says of the recipe:

“The roadside attraction became so popular that it was placed on a list of Maryland’s historic places in 1988 (from Washington Post article, Germantown historians want to save city’s famous Cider Barrel, written by Alex Ruoff, April 11, 2012), and was deemed eligible for the National Register in 2018.”

This is significant for many reasons. The National Register of Historic Places recognizes sites that demonstrate significance in American history, archeology, architecture, engineering, or culture. Determining whether a site is historic or not is a three-step process. From the Maryland Historical Trust’s section on Evaluation and Designation of Historic Properties:

“The first step in historic preservation projects is the identification of potentially historic properties. This is simply a research activity to gather basic information and determine what, if any, the next steps should be. After a potentially historic property has been identified, its significance to local, state, or national history, architecture, and/or culture is evaluated against objective criteria [as the next step]. To be eligible for the National Register, a property must demonstrate significance in terms of one or more of four broad criteria: events or trends; association with individuals who made a demonstrable and lasting contribution; architectural merit; or the potential to yield information that will contribute to a better understanding of our past. [Finally, the third step is designation]. There is no one definition of a “historic” building. Instead there are a variety of “historic” designations at the federal, state and local levels”.

The Cider Barrel seems to meets at least three criteria for historical significance and represents the importance of Germantown in the larger context of Montgomery County’s history by containing the unique elements of the area within its structure; its original founder helped set the foundation of Germantown by contributing heavily to its economy through architecture and business; it drew visitors from hundreds of miles away, which helped Germantown become an important town in the region; and it established a community activity centered around a singular landmark that people still remember today. Needless to say, the Cider Barrel remains an important part of Germantown’s fabric, past, and present.

These strong historical and contemporary connections to the landmark helped preserve the structure after the business closed down. Willim Cross sold the 17-acre property and the then-surrounding Cider Barrel Mobile Home Court for more than $7 million to Elm Street Development before he died in 2010. But the operation had been closed since 2003, with Cross at the time citing, “It was too stressful, and I didn’t need the money”, noting a shortage of reliable labor for what he had considered a hobby (quote originally from Washington Post article,  After 77 Years, Germantown’s Cider Barrel Shuts Its Doors, written by Julie Rasicot, September 18, 2003). Julie Rasicot in her article expressed that this close marked the loss of a local tradition for generations of county residents who had grown familiar with the sight and taste of the Cider Barrel.

That’s why in 2012, members of the Germantown Historical Society worked to have the Cider Barrel added to Preservation Maryland’s list of endangered historic places in the state (according to the Germantown Patch article, Visions for Vacancies: The Cider Barrel, written by Tiffany Arnold on April 7, 2012). The nomination aimed to bring attention to historic sites thought to be in danger of losing their historic value. This prevented a plan to move the Cider Barrel to the Germantown Town Center as a visitor center back in 2009. The president of the Germantown Historical Society, Susan Soderberg, said this move could have destroyed the barrel since the parts used to construct the building were becoming fragile over time. But even more importantly: “To move it would be destroying what self-pride citizens of Germantown have now in our local history” (quote originally from Study on the Cider Barrel to the Gazette Newspaper, written by Susan Soderberg).

There were others interested in repurposing the site. Brandi Edinger, a local pastry chef, wanted to lease and restore the Cider Barrel and reopen it as a bakery in 2017. The plan gained support from Germantown Alliance, an organization that aims to be a voice for Germantown residents, businesses, and organizations. They praised Brandi’s project as a great use of historic space. However, fundraising on Kickstarter never reached its monetary goal, and unfortunately the plan fell through. Yet, even with this setback, Brandi’s sentiments about the Cider Barrel reflected the community’s continued investment in its preservation: “I keep seeing the Cider Barrel sit there every time I pass by it, and I think, it’s such a beautiful building, how come no one’s done anything with it?” (quote originally from the Bethesda Magazine article, Germantown Resident Hopes to Resurrect Cider Barrel as Bakery by Joe Zimmerman, August 10, 2017).

Concerns for the building’s preservation haven’t been in vain though. On October 13, 2018, Laura Richman along with the Germantown Historical Society presented “The Past and Future of the Cider Barrel” at the Germantown Library to a packed room of audience members curious about the future of the iconic landmark. Continued interest, support, and participation in the Cider Barrel restoration stirred fond memories of the place. “It was a presentation, but it turned out to be more than that. It opened my eyes to the thoughts of the participants that came to listen. The community members offered a historical perspective, stories that added flavor, and questions I wasn’t even aware of! People wanted to help” says Richman.

Since that presentation, Richman worked with developers and property management to secure the plan for renovation and to realize the community’s memories of the place into a renewed reality. “I want it to be more than just a roadside stand. I want it to be community-based, incorporating [local] organizations, and giving back to the organizations that are in need and deserve the support. It kind of all came together”.  Her hopes for the use of the place are also community-based. “[I want it to be] fun and friendly, the place to go on weekend mornings to start your day, with fresh produce, cider, baked goods, and kettle corn. I also want there to be opportunities for students to complete Student Service Learning (SSL) hours”.

She also reflected on the time and communication necessary in historic preservation work. “[I have to make sure to] check all the boxes in order to make it happen, pieces of the puzzle that are intertwined. It’s not a linear runway to get this open…because historical societies are involved, there is the owner of the land, contractors that are involved…then there’s me. All the pieces have to come together and agree, which has been challenging. It’s been going fine, it’s just the pieces”. She’s learned a lot about historic preservation and renovation by working on the Cider Barrel: “I have to be patient with historical renovation. Things don’t happen overnight, but if you’re motivated to do something like this…restore, keep it alive…it’s doable, it just takes time”. These experiences, both interacting with the public and directing behind-the-scenes work, have made working with the Cider Barrel a rich and rewarding process. And it’s paid off.

While COVID-19 has slowed down the reopening process, Richman still plans on reopening the Cider Barrel sometime soon.

Preserving this historic landmark will no doubt enhance the local tradition of consuming fresh apple cider, an activity that longstanding community members continue to remember and partake in. And considering that the Germantown Library presentation, as well as a recent presentation about the icon at the Montgomery County History Conference on January 23, 2021, has already attracted a large and curious crowd, hopefully the Cider Barrel can attract new faces to the area, and with it, new community activities and memories. In reflecting on what makes the Cider Barrel special and important to Germantown, Richman says, “it’s part of Maryland and Washington, D.C.’s history…it was a place that people would go to escape the city. It’s such an icon, people from all over would come, and people remember it. It’s a beacon of the past in a prominent location in Germantown. People in Germantown should be proud that it’s still there”.

Interacting with history “can help foster community identity and cohesion” (from the Germantown Historical Society). This is especially relevant considering that Germantown has evolved from a railroad town of around one hundred people into a modern Corridor City with a population of over one hundred thousand people and growing. With this development, Germantown has already lost more than half of its historic structures, and along with them knowledge of the cultural and historical past (Germantown Historical Society). However, the preservation, restoration, and use of the Cider Barrel can serve as an exemplary catalyst to repurpose historic sites to preserve the past in order to inform the present. In fact, the restoration project is part of larger efforts and collaborations to continue to preserve historic sites in the local area, such as the Zachariah Waters Cemetery preservation effort led by Susan Soderberg from the Germantown Historical Society. It’s exciting to anticipate how the historic Cider Barrel will continue to inform the future dynamic development of Germantown and its residents.

For more information about the Cider Barrel project, or if you want to get involved, please contact Susan Soderberg, President of the Germantown Historical Society. Contact information can be found on the Germantown Historical Society’s website. Laura Richman is also looking for volunteers; please contact [email protected] to volunteer. For up-to-date information, please visit the Cider Barrel Facebook Page. To contact the author of this article, please email: [email protected].

Karen Adjei is a recent Northwestern University graduate where she studied History and Asian American Studies. Originally from Fairfax, Virginia, she’s rediscovered her love of the DMV area in Germantown, Maryland. After moving to the area post college, Karen has been interning with various historical and cultural organizations, including the Germantown Historical Society. Passionate about history, culture, and storytelling, she has enjoyed exploring all that Montgomery County has to offer. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, trying new foods, and going to concerts pre-COVID-19. Karen can be reached at [email protected].

For more general information about the Cider Barrel, check out these sources (also used in this article): Washington Post, Bethesda Magazine, Germantown Pulse, DC Eater, Patch, Baltimore Post Examiner, Montgomery Preservation, WDVM, Roadside America, and Kickstarter.

A Germantown resident is $100,000 richer after purchasing a winning scratch-off lottery ticket at the Shell gas station at 501 Quince Orchard Rd in Gaithersburg. Additional details below courtesy of the Maryland Lottery:
“A Montgomery County man who rarely plays Lottery games just made his luckiest random pick ever. A visit to a nearby Lottery retailer earned him a $100,000 top prize on a Bingo X10 6^thEdition scratch-off.

The 47-year-old visited the Quince Orchard Shell gas station located at 501 Quince Orchard Road in Gaithersburg, which is near his workplace. He went to the Lottery kiosk and bought one of the $10 bingo-themed scratch-offs. A short while later, he discovered that the scratch-off he selected at random was a $100,000 top-prize winner.

“My body started shaking,” the player told Lottery officials, noting that the shock of his win was too much for him. He immediately called his wife and son to share the great news. The Germantown resident has no definite plans for his prize yet other than paying bills and paying off loans on his cars.

The $10 Bingo X10 game went on sale March 20. This the first top prize won out of seven. This game also offers players the chance to win 19 $10,000 prizes along with others ranging from $10 to $1,000. Our winner’s lucky Lottery retailer, Quince Orchard Shell, will receive a $1,000 bonus from the Lottery for its role in selling a $100,000 top-prize winning scratch-off.”

Update: Belinda Sarabia has been located safe and unharmed.
Per MCPD: Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police – Special Victims Investigations Division (SVID) are asking for the public’s assistance in locating Belinda Sarabia, a missing 14-year-old from Germantown. Sarabia was last seen on Tuesday, April 11, 2023, at approximately 7 p.m., in the 19100 block of Aldenham Court.

Sarabia is 5-feet, 2-inches tall and weighs approximately 134 pounds. She has black hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing black and white pajamas and a red blanket. She was also carrying a black and white backpack with white lettering. Police and family are concerned for her welfare.

Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Belinda Sarabia is asked to call the police non-emergency number at (301) 279-8000 (24-hour line) or the Special Victims Investigations Division at (240) 773- 5400. Callers may remain anonymous.

Belinda Sarabia (Original Image)

# # #

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) responded to a fire in the 13500 blk of Derry Glen Ct in Germantown around 5:30am on Monday, April 10. According to Chief Spokesperson for MCFRS Pete Piringer, the fire was located on a 2nd floor balcony at the four-story apartment building and was caused by improperly discarded smoking materials in a plastic pot. Damage is estimated to be ~$10K and there were no injuries reported.

#Protip: Planters are NOT ashtrays.
Potting soil is not dirt. Many people don’t think of potted plants as fire hazards which may be why so many smokers try to extinguish their butts in the pots. #DYK the soil is packed w/ flammable materials that can easily ignite? @mcfrs says… https://t.co/gj2IerXnt1 pic.twitter.com/ecfZfNwGG5

— Pete Piringer (@mcfrsPIO) April 10, 2023

Per Montgomery County: Four in-person seminars on “Introduction to Women’s Self-Defense” will be offered this spring by the Montgomery County Commission for Women. Each S.A.F.E. (Self-defense Awareness and Familiarization Exchange) seminar is a two-hour “sampler” session for women of all ages and abilities taught by Rape Aggression Defense (R.A.D.)-certified instructors. The seminars, which cost $12 per participant, are exclusively for women and require pre-registration to participate. Women ages 13-17 are welcome to participate, but they must be accompanied by an adult woman who is also registered for the class.

The classes will include training on risk, crime awareness and prevention. Participants will be given a 13-piece student folio with information on how to reduce the risk of exposure to violence and how to escape violence. Participants also will learn some physical aspects of self-defense.
The self-defense seminars will be offered at the following locations:

• Saturday, March 18. 1-3 p.m. Longwood Community Recreation Center, 19300 Georgia Ave., Brookeville.
• Tuesday, March 22. 7-9 p.m. Plum Gar Community Recreation Center, 19561 Scenery Drive, Germantown.
• Wednesday, March 28. 7-9 p.m. Mid-County Community Recreation Center, 2004 Queensguard Road, Silver Spring.
• Wednesday, April 5. 7-9 p.m. White Oak Community Recreation Center, 1700 April Lane, Silver Spring.

For additional information and to register for a session, click here.
A minimum of 10 participants is needed for each class.
A men’s self-defense class is also available but is not currently offered by the Commission for Women. Those interested in a men’s class should call 240-777-8300.
For more information about the Commission for Women, visit Home – CFW (montgomerycountymd.gov) or call 240-777-8300.

A Germantown man is $50,000 richer after purchasing a winning scratch-off ticket at Seneca Convenience at 12611 Wisteria Drive in Germantown. Full story below courtesy of the Maryland Lottery:
Confused Germantown man scratches entire game after scanner proclaims big win

A dedicated scratch-off player of 30 years almost missed a winning combination on the 7^th edition of the Deluxe Crossword game. The Montgomery County resident found four of eight winning words and only resumed scratching off the rest of the puzzles when a ticket scanner reported he won a $50,000 top prize.

The Germantown man said the excitement began when he scratched off four black words on one of the two crossword puzzles in the game. He took the winning instant ticket to a Lottery retailer to retrieve what he thought was a $5 prize. When he scanned his scratch-off to verify the win, he learned his prize was much more than $5.

“I scanned it and it said $50,000. There was no way. I kept scanning it and $50,000 kept coming up,” said the happy winner.

When he scratched off the rest of the instant ticket, he revealed four red words on a puzzle. Finding four red and four black words quickly bumps the payout up to the game’s top prize of $50,000.

The lucky winner has played for decades. Part of his daily ritual is to buy scratch-offs, go for a walk and sit at a pond to play scratch-offs. He likes crossword scratch-offs because they take more time to play. The retired 81-year-old said he will use the money to play off bills and invest in home improvement projects for his house.

His lucky Lottery retailer is Seneca Convenience, which is located at 12611 Wisteria Drive in Germantown. As a result of selling a $50,000 top-prize winning scratch-off, the Montgomery County retailer will receive a $500 bonus from the Lottery.

This is the fifth top prize ticket claimed on the $5 game, leaving three $50,000 prizes remaining along with seven $10,000 prizes. Other unclaimed prizes range from $5 to $1,000. This seventh edition of this game went on sale Sept. 19.

Feature photo courtesy of Google Maps.

Per the Maryland Lottery: “A Montgomery County mother of four and her husband will never forget two startling experiences that occurred on the same day. First, she discovered she was pregnant with the couple’s fifth child, and later she won $50,000 on a Six Figuresscratch-off.

“Two gifts for me!” the Germantown woman said with a smile. “It was a big surprise.”

Both “Lucky Mama,” as she nicknamed herself to tell her Lottery story, and her husband enjoy playing scratch-offs. One of their favorite retailers is Wegmans #56 in Germantown, and on the day she found out another child was on the way, “Lucky Mama” went to the grocery and bagged the lucky $10 Six Figures scratch-off. “I liked the way it looked,” she said.

When she played the game and realized she won, “Lucky Mama” took the scratch-off to the store’s customer service desk to find out how to claim such a big prize. It is by far her largest Lottery win, compared to her other prizes that range from $5 to $500.

“I couldn’t believe it when I saw the numbers,” she said. The couple will put the prize aside for now but may use some of it to go on a family vacation in the summer, she said.

This is the third $50,000 second-tier prize that has been claimed in the Six Figures game, which went on sale Dec. 29. Six of the $100,000 top prizes are still unclaimed, along with six more $50,000 prizes and 24 $10,000 prizes.”

A Germantown woman is $50,000 richer after purchasing a winning Pick 5 lottery ticket at Sugarloaf Wine Cellar at 12955 Wisteria Drive in Germantown. Additional details below courtesy of the Maryland Lottery:
“She buys lottery tickets once or twice a week, a Montgomery County woman told Maryland Lottery officials, “but something was different about this one.” Her Pick 5purchase turned out to be her luckiest one yet, netting a bigger prize than her previous high score of two $5,000 prizes.

So, it wasn’t the lottery purchase itself that was unusual for the 61-year-old Walmart employee, for she’s played often over the years. And, it wasn’t winning a significant prize, for she’s won big prizes. What was different?

“I usually play the Lottery just because I enjoy it,” the Germantown resident explained. “I bought this particular ticket, though, because of a feeling.” She awoke with a strange need to buy a Pick 5 ticket and a feeling that it would pay off. Her intuition didn’t give her “a specific Pick 5number,” she said. Covering all of her bases, she bought tickets for that day and the next while at Sugarloaf Wine Cellar in Germantown. “It was such a strange, super-specific feeling that I wasn’t going to ignore it.”

Once the tickets were purchased, she tells us, the feeling disappeared. And, once her workday started, the episode faded from her mind until she was eating dinner the following night.

“I remembered the odd feeling and opened my Lottery app to check the results.” Not believing her eyes, she called her son, asking him to find the Jan. 12 and Jan. 13 evening drawing numbers and tell her what they were. When he read off the numbers for Jan. 13, she confirmed her $50,000 win on a $1 quick-pick straight bet on the number 99970. “I was stunned.”

Our Pick 5 winner will use her $50,000 prize to pay off debt and help family and friends. Also in the money is her lucky Lottery retailer, Sugarloaf Wine Cellar at 12955 Wisteria Drive in Germantown. Management there will receive a $500 bonus from the Lottery for selling the $50,000-winning Pick 5 ticket.”

A $50,000 winning Pick 5 lottery ticket sold on January 12 at Sugarloaf Wine Cellar (12955 Wisteria Drive) in Germantown remains unclaimed as of January 17.  Additional information on winners across the state of Maryland below, courtesy of MD Lottery:
“Mega Millions was the hot Lottery topic last week as the jackpot exceeded $1 billion, but the biggest wins in Maryland came on Powerball and scratch-off tickets.The top prize of the week came from a Lady Luck scratch-off ticket sold in Annapolis worth $250,000, followed by a Powerball ticket worth $150,000 that was sold in Nottingham, and two $100,000 scratch-off prizes on tickets sold in Clinton and Silver Spring.

While a $1.35 billion Mega Millions jackpot was won on a ticket sold in Maine, Maryland had 11 Mega Millions winners last week at the $10,000 level and one at the $20,000 level. In all, the seven days ending Jan. 15 produced 51 winning tickets worth $10,000 or more that were redeemed or sold across Maryland, and the Lottery paid more than $32.5 million in prizes during that span.

Winners of prizes larger than $25,000 must redeem their tickets at the Maryland Lottery Claims Center in Baltimore, which is open by appointment only. Prizes of up to $5,000 can be claimed at any of more than 400 Expanded Cashing Authority Program (XCAP) locations. All Maryland Lottery retailers are authorized to redeem tickets up to and including $600. More information is available on the How To Claim page of mdlottery.com.

Here is the weekly roundup of big winners:

 Scratch-off Prizes Claimed Jan. 9-15:
 $250,000 Prize

• Lady Luck, Quick Mart, 2042 West Street, Annapolis

 $100,000 Prizes

• $100,000 Lucky, Twin Towers Market, 1110 Fidler Lane, Silver Spring
• Six Figures, Walmart #2799, 8745 Branch Avenue, Clinton

 $50,000 Prizes

• $50,000 Cash, Colonial Shell, 4101 Randolph Road, Silver Spring
• Cash Money, Route 40 Sunoco, 5612 Baltimore National Pike, Catonsville
• FAMILY FEUD^®, DMV Convenience & Wireless, 3173 Branch Avenue, Temple Hills
• Gold Bar Bingo 3^rd Edition, Kenilworth Sunoco, 4836 Kenilworth Avenue, Hyattsville
• Lucky Times 10, West Street Liquors, 1100 West Street, Annapolis
• Lucky Times 10, South Potomac Shell, 910 Livingston Road, Fort Washington
• Power 5s, Waldorf BP, 2304 Crain Highway, Waldorf
• Six Figures, Safeway #1652, 225 Brierhill Drive, Bel Air

$30,000 Prizes

• Bonus Crossword 4th Edition, Jack’s Fine Food, 4519 Kenwood Avenue, Baltimore
• Peppermint Payout, Festival Major Liquors, 446 Prospect Boulevard, Frederick
• Peppermint Payout, Weis Market #179, 2 Thurmont Boulevard, Thurmont

 $15,000 Prize

• $15,000 Cash, Wawa #568-E, 4210 Crain Highway, White Plains

 $10,000 Prizes

• $500,000 Crossword, Central City Liquors, 401 West Washington Street, Hagerstown
• Blazing Hot Cash, 7-Eleven #33339, 14651 Laurel-Bowie Road, Laurel
• Blizzard Bucks, Royal Farms #384, 101 West Cedar Lane, Fruitland
• Deluxe Crossword 7th Edition, Bermuda Bar and Liquor, 1801-1803 East North Avenue, Baltimore
• Lady Luck, Auto International Repair Center, 1207 West Street, Annapolis
• Lady Luck,7-Eleven #16849, 5703 Buckeystown Pike, Frederick
• Lucky Times 10, Quick Mart #8, 106 Wise Avenue, Dundalk
• Million Dollar Mega Multiplier, Walkersville E-Z Shop, 100 Sandstone Drive, Walkersville
• Money Explosion, 7-Eleven #22360, 5512 Park Heights Avenue, Baltimore
• Money Rush, 103 Wine & Spirits, 6010 Meadowridge Center Drive, Elkridge
• Show Me $10,000!, Travel Centers of America, 1400 Elkton Road, Elkton
• Show Me $1,000,000!, Bowen’s Grocery, 4300 Hunting Creek Road, Huntington
• Six Figures, Crazy John’s, 410 East Baltimore Street, Baltimore
• Six Figures, Jughead Liquor Wine and Beer, 16036 Three Notch Road, California

FAST PLAY and Draw Game Tickets Sold for Drawings Jan. 9-15:

KENO

• $22,500 ticket sold Jan. 9 at Severn Liquor, 8265 WB&A Road, Severn (unclaimed as of Jan. 17)

MEGA MILLIONS

• $20,000 ticket sold Dec. 21 at Royal Farms #224, 6901 Van Dusen Road, Laurel (claimed)
• $10,000 ticket sold Jan. 9 at Harris Teeter #376, 1801 Whetstone Way, Baltimore (unclaimed as of Jan. 17)
• $10,000 ticket sold Jan. 13 at Giant #348, 6050 Daybreak Circle, Clarksville (unclaimed as of Jan. 17)
• $10,000 ticket sold Jan. 13 at 7-Eleven #18677, 410 North Washington Street, Easton (unclaimed as of Jan. 17)
• $10,000 ticket sold Jan. 13 at Dash-In #12091, 11001 Livingston Road, Fort Washington (unclaimed as of Jan. 17)
• $10,000 ticket sold Jan. 10 at Watkins Mill Beer & Wine, 857 Russell Avenue, Gaithersburg (claimed)
• $10,000 ticket sold Jan. 12 at Quick Stop Food Mart, 3301 East Joppa Road, Parkville (unclaimed as of Jan. 17)
• $10,000 ticket sold Jan. 13 at Fort Smallwood Dash-In, 8695 Fort Smallwood Road, Pasadena (unclaimed as of Jan. 17)
• $10,000 ticket sold Jan. 10 at Tiger Beer, Wine and Deli, 303 North Washington Street, Rockville (unclaimed as of Jan. 17)
• $10,000 ticket sold Jan. 10 at State Line Market, 7817 Eastern Avenue, Silver Spring (unclaimed as of Jan. 17)
• $10,000 ticket sold Jan. 10 at Discount Tobacco & Accessories, 4201 Branch Avenue, Temple Hills (unclaimed as of Jan. 17)
• $10,000 ticket sold Jan. 13 at Safeway #1616, 444 WMC Drive, Westminster (claimed)

PICK 5

• $50,000 ticket sold Jan. 15 at Quiet Waters Exxon, 1000 Forest Drive, Annapolis (unclaimed as of Jan. 17)
• $50,000 ticket sold Jan. 12 at Sugarloaf Wine Cellar, 12955 Wisteria Drive, Germantown (unclaimed as of Jan. 17)
• $50,000 ticket sold Jan. 14 at Mike’s Liquors, 5301 Indian Head Highway, Oxon Hill (unclaimed as of Jan. 17)
• $25,000 ticket sold Jan. 13 at Best 1 Food Market, 4225 Southern Avenue, Capitol Heights (unclaimed as of Jan. 17)
• $25,000 ticket sold Jan. 15 at 29 Convenience Mart, 10755 Colesville Road, Silver Spring

POWERBALL

• $150,000 ticket sold Jan. 8 at Triple A Tobacco, 7954 Belair Road, Nottingham (unclaimed as of Jan. 17)

RACETRAX

• $20,019.40 ticket sold Jan. 11 at Manokeek Wine & Spirits, 7091 Berry Road, Accokeek (unclaimed as of Jan. 17)
• $16,527 ticket sold Jan. 14 at J Convenience, 8765 Satyr Hill Road, Parkville (claimed)
• $12,560 ticket sold Jan. 13 at Briggs Chaney Deli, 13882 Outlet Drive, Silver Spring (claimed)

The Maryland Lottery encourages players to check their tickets by scanning them at any Lottery retailer or with the Lottery’s mobile apps. Draw game winners have 182 days from the date of a drawing to claim their prizes, and scratch-off winners have 182 days from the announced end-of-game date.

An 18-year-old Germantown woman came to Maryland Lottery headquarters with her parents in tow, eager to share her exciting experience. The Lottery novice won big the first time she played a scratch-off and was claiming a $30,000 top prize on the Peppermint Payout game. For her first Christmas as an adult, the lucky woman received a few scratch-offs from her parents. She had luck on three of the instant tickets, winning $1, $2, and $30,000. “We gave them to her as a stocking stuffer,” her dad explained. The Montgomery County resident is a college student majoring in Digital Arts. She plans to put the scratch-off prize into her savings account. “It was shocking and a weird feeling” to win, she said, adding, “it was surreal.”

Another winner in this story was Shoppers #2362 located at 18066 Mateny Road in Germantown. The Montgomery County store will receive a $300 bonus from the Lottery for selling a $30,000 top-prize winning instant ticket.  The Peppermint Payout game is still loaded with sweet prizes. Since it went on sale on Oct. 17, players have found four of the $3 game’s eight $30,000 top prizes. The game also has more than 450,000 unclaimed prizes ranging from $3 to $500. Featured photo courtesy of Google Maps

Per MCPD: Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police – Major Crimes Division are investigating a home invasion robbery that occurred on Tuesday, January 3, 2023, in Germantown. At approximately 9:19 p.m., 5th District officers responded to the 22700 block of Ward Avenue for the report of a residential burglary that just occurred.

The investigation by detectives has determined that at approximately 9 p.m., an unknown male suspect, wearing all black, holding a flashlight, forced entry into the victim’s residence. Upon making contact with the victim, the suspect brandished a handgun and began rummaging through the residence, stealing property. The suspect then left the residence with the stolen property.

The suspect is described as an unknown race male, approximately 5-feet, 6-inches tall, with a thin build. He was wearing black pants, a black hooded sweatshirt and a white surgical mask.

Anyone with information regarding this suspect or this crime is asked to call the Major Crimes Division at (240) 773-5100 or (240) 773-TIPS, or contact Crime Solvers of Montgomery County toll-free at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477). A reward of up to $10,000 is being offered for information that leads to the arrest of the suspect. Callers can remain anonymous.

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