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Maryland Community 'Best Place To Live For Families," New Fortune Report Finds Maryland Community 'Best Place To Live For Families," New Fortune Report Finds
Maryland Community 'Best Place To Live For Families," New Fortune Report Finds If you know, you know.  It's no secret to Montgomery County residents, but Fortune made it official, naming Silver Spring the "best place to live for families" in a newly released ranking after landing third last year. "This impressive accolade reflects to what many of us already know - we are committed to fostering a community that supports families in every way possible," Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich wrote in a lengthy statement. "Silver Spring's top ranking as a family-friendly home speaks volumes about the quality of life we offer."  The ranking was based…

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by Zak Failla
News
Tenant Sentenced For Nearly Beating Landlord To Death Over Rent Dispute In Maryland Tenant Sentenced For Nearly Beating Landlord To Death Over Rent Dispute In Maryland
Tenant Sentenced For Nearly Beating Landlord To Death Over Rent Dispute In Maryland The third time was a charm for prosecutors in Montgomery County after a Silver Spring man was convicted earlier this year of the vicious assault of his landlord over rent, and now he's heading to prison for decades. Geofrey Gaitan, 31, was found guilty of second-degree attempted murder in April after two previous trials resulted in hung juries in connection to the near-fatal attack of Nicholas Miranda in April 2020. On Thursday, July 25, the Montgomery County State's Attorney's Office announced that he has been sentenced to 27 years in prison. According to court documents, on April 19, 202…

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by Zak Failla
Sports
Root For These 24 Maryland, Virginia Athletes Repping Team USA At Paris Olympics Root For These 24 Maryland, Virginia Athletes Repping Team USA At Paris Olympics
Root For These 24 Maryland, Virginia Athletes Repping Team USA At Paris Olympics A strong contingent of athletes and para athletes from Maryland and Virginia are headed to the Paris Olympics. A total of 24 athletes from Maryland and 15 from Virginia have all qualified for the Olympics and are ready to make their run at the gold when events kick off Friday, July 26. Athletes from Maryland set to sport the Red, White, and Blue during the Olympics:  Phoebe Bacon, of Chevy Chase, in swimming; Aaron Brooks, of Hagerstown, in wrestling; Kevin Durant, of DC, in basketball; Erin Gemmell of Bethesda, in swimming; Noah Hanssen, of Maryland, in wheelchair fencing; Jahmal …

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by Zak Failla
Traffic
Silver Spring Man Charged In Connection To Fatal Hit-Run In Takoma Park Silver Spring Man Charged In Connection To Fatal Hit-Run In Takoma Park
Silver Spring Man Charged In Connection To Fatal Hit-Run In Takoma Park A 34-year-old hit-and-run driver who killed a man in Montgomery County last month has been arrested and charged, police say. Takoma Park resident Candido Noe Rojas Rojas, 42, was fatally struck shortly after 1:15 a.m. on June 3 in the 1100 block of University Boulevard. On Friday, authorities announced that Silver Spring resident Efrain Diaz Romero has been arrested after being identified as the driver.  Officers found Rojas Rojas in the roadway suffering from head trauma on the night of the crash. He was rushed to an area hospital, where he later died from his injuries. …

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by Zak Failla
News
'Grievous Felon:' Illegal Migrant With Lengthy Rap Sheet Arrested In Maryland: ICE 'Grievous Felon:' Illegal Migrant With Lengthy Rap Sheet Arrested In Maryland: ICE
'Grievous Felon:' Illegal Migrant With Lengthy Rap Sheet Arrested In Maryland: ICE A 25-year-old national of Chad has been arrested for his role in an alleged murder and weapons offenses throughout Maryland after being released, federal authorities announced. US Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) says that Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officers took Hisseine Gombo-Tchouli into custody near his Silver Spring home after being convicted of accessory after the fact of first-degree murder and was later released. According to investigators, Gombo-Tchouli legally entered the country in September 2005 at Dulles International Airport in Virginia; howev…

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by Zak Failla
News
Shooter Caught On Camera Sentenced For Midday Shooting Near Busy Maryland Roadway (VIDEO) Shooter Caught On Camera Sentenced For Midday Shooting Near Busy Maryland Roadway (VIDEO)
Shooter Caught On Camera Sentenced For Midday Shooting Near Busy Maryland Roadway (Video) A 20-year-old man will spend more than a decade in prison following a midday shooting in Maryland in one of Montgomery County's busiest roads, authorities announced on Wednesday. Sorie Mansaray, who has no known address, was sentenced on July 17 to 30 years in prison with all but 12 years suspended following a July 2022 shooting that was caught on camera. On July 22, 2022, prosecutors say that Mansaray shot at a vehicle that pulled onto the 11000 block of New Hampshire Avenue in Silver Spring, striking and injuring a passenger in the vehicle. The victim was treated at an area hospital…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Teen Demanded Gold Bars From Elderly Maryland Woman To Keep Russia Away From Her Assets: Police Teen Demanded Gold Bars From Elderly Maryland Woman To Keep Russia Away From Her Assets: Police
Teen Demanded Gold Bars From Elderly Maryland Woman To Keep Russia Away From Her Assets: Police A 19-year-old New Yorker implicated in a government-imposter-related scam received nearly a million dollars in gold bars from an elderly Maryland woman who sought to keep Russia away from her money, authorities announced on Tuesday. Brooklyn resident Zhenyong Weng has been arrested for allegedly targeting an 82-year-old Silver Spring woman who reached out to her and allegedly instructed her to transfer her assets into gold bars to keep Russian hands off. The woman complied, police say, and handed off several packages worth an estimated $900,000 in gold bars. Shortly before 5:30 p.m. o…

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by Zak Failla
Business
He Fell In Love With Making Pizza As Teenager, Now This Maryland Chef Is Living His Dream He Fell In Love With Making Pizza As Teenager, Now This Maryland Chef Is Living His Dream
He Fell In Love With Making Pizza As Teenager, Now This Maryland Chef Is Living His Dream What started as a passion project for Chef Edwin Garcia in Maryland landed him a coveted spot inside a Montgomery County food hall, and he's just getting started. El Jefe Wood Fired Pizza has a new home at the Solaire Social food hall in downtown Silver Spring after becoming a renowned mobile kitchen featured at busy farmers markets, wineries, breweries, and other events throughout the region. View this post on Instagram A post shared by El Jefe Woodfired Pizza (@eljefe_woodfiredpizza) Garcia said that during the pandemic he found himself out…

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by Zak Failla
News
Police ID BMW Motorcyclist, 19, Killed In Crash At Maryland Intersection Police ID BMW Motorcyclist, 19, Killed In Crash At Maryland Intersection
Police ID BMW Motorcyclist, 19, Killed In Crash At Maryland Intersection A 19-year-old was killed crashing a BMW motorcycle at a busy Montgomery County intersection over the weekend, officials say. Silver Spring resident Ezekial Solomon has been identified by investigators as the motorcyclist killed on Saturday afternoon after crashing into a Honda that was making a turn in North Bethesda. First responders were called at approximately 5 p.m. on July 13 to the intersection of Old Georgetown Road and Tilden Lane, where there was a reported crash involving a motorcycle and van. Ezekiel Solomon, 19, was killed on Sat 7/13/24 ~5 pm. He was going N on Old Geo…

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by Zak Failla
Business
Pizza Food Truck Unveils New Home In Massive Maryland Food Hall Pizza Food Truck Unveils New Home In Massive Maryland Food Hall
Pizza Food Truck Unveils New Home In Massive Maryland Food Hall A food truck is going old school with its brick-and-mortar debut this week in a Montgomery County food hall. El Jefe Wood Fired Pizza has a new home at the Solaire Social food hall in downtown Silver Spring, where they've brought their beloved assortment of traditional and modern slices to a larger audience, according to posts on social media. View this post on Instagram A post shared by El Jefe Woodfired Pizza (@eljefe_woodfiredpizza) "Big news! We’re excited to unveil our new home," El Jefe said on Instagram. "Introducing our first brick-an…

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by Zak Failla
Business
Winning $100K Scratcher Sold At Maryland Grocery Store Winning $100K Scratcher Sold At Maryland Grocery Store
Winning $100K Scratcher Sold At Maryland Grocery Store A Montgomery County man is one step closer to his dream of buying a house after winning a six-figure prize on a scratch-off Lottery ticket sold at an area Safeway. The $100,000 win left the lucky lotto player stunned outside of Safeway on New Hampshire Avenue in Silver Spring after he scratched off a $10 50X The Cash ticket. 'It was very surprising," the occasional Lottery player - whose previously had only won approximately $500 - mused. "When I go shopping, sometimes I buy a ticket."  "I was stunned."  According to the winner, he has been working toward purchasing a home,…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Building Unsafe To Occupy After Floor Collapses During Maryland Fire, Officials Say Building Unsafe To Occupy After Floor Collapses During Maryland Fire, Officials Say
Building Unsafe To Occupy After Floor Collapses During Maryland Fire, Officials Say Fire crews had to deal with tricky conditions overnight when a fire broke out in a Silver Spring building, according to a Montgomery County Fire and EMS spokesperson. Dozens of firefighters were called at around 10:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 3 to the area of Layhill Road and Norbeck Road, where there was a reported fire in a two-story home that had limited access to fire hydrants. At the time of the fire, the structure was not occupied. Officials say that while battling the blaze, the flames collapsed part of the second floor onto the first, making the building unsafe and making the invest…

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by Zak Failla