“Live” Christmas trees with root balls and artificial trees cannot be collected as yard trim. You can also recycle branches and needles at home by placing them under trees and shrubs– or chop them up and add them to your compost pile!
From your apartment or condominium: Residents of apartments and condominiums: check with your property manager or representative for specific recycling instructions.
The shelter is still full of animals waiting to find their new homes. Many types of animals are available for adoption including birds, guinea pigs, rabbits, reptiles, cats and dogs. Adopting is easy—and even easier with $0 adoption fees. The adoption process can be started online by filling out the adoption questionnaire and emailing in the required documents. Adopters also can choose to visit the Adoption Center during open hours to start the process in-person. The questionnaire, required documents and more information about the adoption process can be found at montgomerycountymd.gov/animalservices/adoption/howtoadopt.
New animals arrive at the shelter every day. Potential adopters are encouraged to view who is available for adoption online at montgomerycountymd.gov/animalservices/adoption before their visit to the facility. Adoptions are first-come, first-served by appointment. Walk-in appointments are subject to counselor availability. Adoptions are same-day and animals are not held for adopters so they should be prepared to take an animal home at the time of their appointment. The shelter will be closed for the holidays on Dec. 25 and 26.
A $50,000 winning Powerball lottery ticket sold on Thursday, December 15 at the 7-Eleven located at 10594 Metropolitan Avenue in Kensington remains unclaimed as of December 20. Other recent winners of note include a $100,000 winning scratch off purchased at the Cash, Latino Market & Jewelry (2505 Ennals Ave) in Silver Spring and a $1,000,000 winning scratch-off purchased in Hyattsville, MD. Additional information on winners across the state of Maryland below, courtesy of MD Lottery:
Winners of prizes larger than $25,000 must redeem their tickets at the Maryland Lottery Customer Resource 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.
Per Montgomery County: Today, the Montgomery County Council issued the following statement condemning the antisemitic graffiti found at Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda.
“We are disgusted and angry to learn about yet another display of hate targeting the Jewish community in Montgomery County. Our nation continues to experience a deeply troubling rise in antisemitism, and we must continue to join together to denounce these acts of hate here at home.
The winners were:
The awards and event are part of the County’s push to end the HIV epidemic by 2030 after being named a priority jurisdiction for the Federal Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative in 2020. Dec. 1 marks two years since the public release of A Plan to End HIV in Montgomery County, which outlines strategies to reduce new HIV transmissions by 90 percent in 10 years.
Per Montgomery County: With the recent rise in COVID-19 cases in the National Capital Region, Montgomery County officials today offered precautionary recommendations to prevent further community spread of the virus. The County’s COVID-19 case rate has risen steadily over the last month and is now more than double the recent low on Nov. 28.
The increase in transmission has occurred both in the County and in other jurisdictions around the region. Combined with influenza cases and other significant respiratory disease, emergency department visits and hospitalization rates have increased as well.
Per Montgomery County: The Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) will be helping residents find discounts on electric vehicles (EVs) with the launch of its new “EV Purchasing Co-op Dealership Incentives” web page. The program is the first in Maryland where a local jurisdiction is partnering directly with local automobile dealerships to provide incentives and discounts for EV purchases.
The program will amplify limited-time promotions and discounts on battery-electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. The initiative is the cornerstone of the next phase of the County’s EV Purchasing Co-op and will make the benefits of EVs more accessible by helping residents reduce the cost of going electric.
Briefing: The Council will receive an update from Executive staff about the County’s fiscal plan. The fiscal plan provides a high-level overview of the County’s fiscal condition and position based on current revenue and expenditure assumptions. The December 2022 update includes revisions to the County’s revenues based on actual collections to-date, assumed additional revenue that will be received in the coming months, and estimated annual expenditures based on quarter one spending for the County government.
Review: The Council will continue its review of the remaining local and bi-county bills for the upcoming 2023 Maryland General Assembly and may choose to take a position on each bill. On Nov. 28, 2022, the 19th Council held a briefing and reviewed 15 local and bi-county bills. The newly inaugurated 20th Council continued its review of local and bi-county bills on Dec. 6, 2022. The legislation under consideration will cover topics including voting methods, special taxing districts, parking, mass transit, speed monitoring, alcoholic beverage licensing and collective bargaining agreements. The Maryland State Delegation conducted a public hearing about local and bi-county bills on Dec. 8, with additional public hearings scheduled on Dec. 15, 2022.
Per Montgomery County: Montgomery County Animal Services and Adoption Center (MCASAC) is holding a fee-waived adoption event for all animals from Sunday, Dec. 11, through Saturday, Dec. 24. The “Home for the Holidays” adoption event is sponsored by Friends of Montgomery County Animals (FMCA).
The shelter is full, and adopters are urgently needed. All types of animals are available for adoption including guinea pigs, rabbits, reptiles, cats and dogs. For those considering adding a new pet to your family, now is the time. Adopting is easy—and even easier during the Home for the Holidays with no adoption fees.
Construction has begun at the upcoming “Oak, Barrel, and Vine” store at 512 N. Frederick Ave. in the Gaithersburg Square shopping center, next to Lil’ Cakes & Creamery and the recently opened Five Below. The county-run beer, wine, and liquor store is expected to open in spring 2023 and will feature a tasting room with beers on tap and space to hold events hosted by local breweries and distillers. Additional details below courtesy of Montgomery County:
The Oak Barrel & Vine branded stores feature handpicked items with a focus on spirits and locally manufactured products. The Gaithersburg store will have a large tasting room and event space, an improved selection of small format items, queue lines for faster checkout, improved wayfinding signs and better customer accessibility. The new location will fill a gap caused by the 2018 closure of the ABS Milestone store. It also will increase service levels to the growing population in the Gaithersburg area.