Thursday, May 17, 2012
Teen substance abuse now is similar to the problems of 1993, when authorities were called to action to combat teen drinking and driving, police said.
A year ago this week Montgomery County was rocked by the loss of three Magruder High School students killed in a drunk driving accident. Now, activists say, it’s time for the community to wake up. The Montgomery County Council of PTAs hosted a community action forum Wednesday, gathering police, community leaders, parents, teachers and students to discuss a growing substance and alcohol abuse problem in Montgomery County. “We are far too overrepresentive of drug and alcohol related tragedies. The number one cause of death continues to be alcohol related crashes and teen driving crashes,” said Captain Thomas Didone, director of the Montgomery County Police Traffic Division. “The summary of what’s going on with underage drinking – we’ve …
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Governor calls budget package "good for all Marylanders." Republicans say burden to local governments may force county governments to increase taxes.
The Maryland House of Delegates gave final approval Wednesday to a package of three bills that increases taxes on some state residents, shifts part of teacher pensions to local governments and undoes the so-called "doomsday budget." The votes Wednesday afternoon capped the three-day special session called by Gov. Martin O'Malley in order to override more than $500 million in cuts made in a budget passed in early April. The Senate approved the same three bills Tuesday. As part of the package, legislators approved by a vote of 86-51 what amounts to a 50-50 split of teacher pension costs with local governments. The split will be phased in over the next four years beginning July 1 with the new budget year. That bill also includes a doubling of…
Driver appeared OK before complaining of pain while speaking with police.
One moment, a woman whose car rear-ended another vehicle on Rockville Pike on Wednesday morning was talking with county police officers about the incident. The next, Patricia Greer Parks, 56, was being rushed to the hospital where she was pronounced dead, county police said in a news release. Officers from the police department’s 2nd District responded to the incident at the intersection of Rockville Pike and Old Georgetown Road at 7:35 a.m. Upon arrival, officers found both drivers out of their cars and walking around, the release said. Ellen Margaret Girdharry, 51, of the 500 block of Lincoln Street in Rockville, was driving a gold 2005 Ford Taurus southbound on Rockville Pike near Mid-Pike Plaza when she slowed for traffic, police said…
39.049963
-77.114678
11800 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD
/articles/rear-end-crash-on-rockville-pike-turns-fatal
/locations/7038343
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
The measure was overturned by referendum in 2010 and brought back up by County Executive Isiah Leggett this session.
Despite voters striking down the Montgomery County ambulance fee in a referendum on the ballot in 2010, Montgomery County Council passed the fee again Tuesday with a 6-3 vote. Several councilmembers said there was a misinformation campaign surrounding the 2010 referendum vote. Councilmembers Councilman Phil Andrews (D, Dist-3), Roger Berliner (D-Dist. 1) and George Leventhal (D-At Large) were opposed. While Andrews implored councilmembers to respect the will of the voters, some of the county lawmakers were disturbed at how voters were educated about the ambulance fee. Many residents who voted against the fee thought county residents would have to pay the $300 to $800 fee per ambulance ride, Councilman Mark Elrich (D-At Large) said. “That’s…
The bank robbery occurred Tuesday morning on University Boulevard.
Updated, 2:14 p.m.: Montgomery County Police are searching for a suspect described as a black male, 30 to 40 years old, 6 feet tall, weighing approximately 200 lbs., wearing white pants and a yellow and green jacket, according to spokesperson Angela Cruz. Follow Wheaton Patch on Twitter and on Facebook for breaking news updates. Cruz said that the suspect was last seen on foot, fleeing out the front door of the Capital One Bank. Original story, 11:53 a.m.: Police are searching for a suspect after a report of a robbery at Capital One Bank at 2801 University Blvd. West this morning. According to Montgomery County Police, the call came in at 9:12 a.m. There are no reported injuries, and no weapon was seen, but it was probably implied, Cruz …
39.038835
-77.057319
2801 University Blvd W, Wheaton, MD
/articles/capital-one-bank-robbery-reported
/locations/7032347
A new weekly feature allows readers to ask the Montgomery County Police Department questions.
Patch has partnered with Montgomery County Police to answer residents questions about crime, public safety, police procedures and the law in a new feature called Ask A Cop. So District 4 residents, ask a cop about laws you are curious about, how often they patrol your neighborhood and why you got that ticket. Ask your question in the comments section below or e-mail Editor Sonia Dasgupta at sonia@patch.com. We'll get an answer to your question by the following Tuesday.
Friday, May 11, 2012
The proposed legislation will go before the full Montgomery County Council on Tuesday. What do you think about the re-submission of an EMS fee for Montgomery County?
The newly proposed EMS Fee will head to the Montgomery County Council on Tuesday with a recommendation against approval from the council's public safety committee. Amid a contentious meeting Friday, amendments and details to the proposed legislation were hashed out between council committee members, representatives for the county executive office and Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services. In a vote of 2-1, the committee recommended council reject the amended bill. "I think [County Executive Ike Leggett's] re-submittal of this bill is the single worst decision he's made since I've been here, and I don't say that lightly," said Public Safety Committee Chairman Phil Andrews (D-Dist. 3). “It is crucial to make judgments that do not …
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Some county employees worked more than 1,000 overtime hours each in 2011.
Some county employees logged in more than 1,000 overtime hours last year, according to a report published last month by The Washington Examiner. "More than 280 county employees earned more than $30,000 in overtime last year—with dozens nearly doubling their regular paychecks," The Examiner reported. Still, the top overtime workers were those in harder-to-fill positions: firefighters, mostly, with some correctional officers and a few police officers and bus drivers sprinkled into the mix. The Examiner published a document listing the overtime hours and overtime pay for Montgomery County employees. Notably, one bus operator worked more than 2,000 hours in overtime in 2011—"the equivalent of 57.4 extra 40-hour workweeks," The Examiner …
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
MoCo police ticketed 197 motorists with seat belt violations.
The Montgomery County Police kicked off its "Click It or Ticket" seat belt campaign Wednesday morning with 35 officers spending two hours on Route 355 issuing citations to motorists for failing to wear them. The two-hour enforcement period yielded 197 seat belt violation citations, three citations for other traffic violations and four warnings, according to a Montgomery County Police news release. The two-hour detail was funded by the Maryland Highway Safety Office. Under Montgomery County law, anyone under 16 years old riding in the back of the car must be using a seat belt and anyone over 16 in the front seat of a car, as an operator or passenger, must buckle up.
Plan to fix "Doomsday Budget" includes $247 million in tax increases and elimination of exemptions for single filers earning $100,000 or more and joint filers earning $150,000 or more.
UPDATE (5:59 p.m.)—Some Maryland residents will pay more taxes in the coming year under a plan worked out between Gov. Martin O'Malley and legislative leaders. O'Malley, accompanied by House Speaker Michael Busch and Senate President Thomas V. "Mike" Miller, announced the nearly $35.8 billion plan during a Wednesday morning news conference in Annapolis to discuss the upcoming special session. "To leave this budget incomplete, to leave this budget as it stands right now, would damage the very forward motion that all of us, together, have worked so hard to achieve for our state," O'Malley said. "Progress is a choice," O'Malley said. "Job creation is a choice. Building America's number one schools, making a college education affordable, …
Joe Thomas
5:23 pm on Friday, May 18, 2012
Not that it makes a huge difference but there were two girls killed in that wreck on River Road. Not three. Didone gets that wrong all of the time. I doubt seriously if there is any epidemic. its kids being teenagers. Yesterday six girls were found drinking in some woods near Great Seneca Hghwy. You would have thought it was the capture of John Dillinger. Kids are going to drink just like we … more ›