Politics & Government

MoCo Headlines: Downcounty Crime, Legislative News

The week's top Montgomery County news.

With more than a dozen websites across Montgomery County, Patch brings you news from every corner of our community. Catch up on headlines you may have missed this week, including downcounty robberies and the start of the legislative session.

Montgomery County police are continuing to investigate a Bethesda home invasion robbery during which a mother, her teenage son and a housekeeper were bound. The housekeeper, according to police, was sexually assaulted. Police have released a photo of the suspect, who they say is also linked to a home invasion robbery in Wheaton. 

Find out what's happening in Takoma Parkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

State Sen. Jamie Raskin of Montgomery County was chosen as the new majority whip for the Maryland State Senate. Raskin (D-Dist. 20), who lives in Takoma Park, will share the duties with Sen. Lisa Gladden (D-Dist 41). .

Find out what's happening in Takoma Parkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

District 18 Del. Ana Sol Gutiérrez will battle in the Maryland General Assembly this winter to reinstate her proposal for a Hispanic sub-district in District 18, following the decision by Gov. Martin O’Malley to leave the sub-district out of the proposed redistricting map. .

Montgomery County Public Schools has chosen to redo its site selection for a controversial new Bethesda-Chevy Chase cluster middle school. An MCPS committee has eliminated 13 possible sites for the school, but many public parks are still under consideration. .

Some students in Montgomery County traded classroom instruction for standardized testing as schools gave the High School Assessment (HSA). The HSAs, one of the state's graduation requirements, are given three times a year in three subjects: Algebra, English and Biology. . 

Wheaton’s library advisory committee and its supporters are hoping that the FY13 CIP budget, which the county executive will release Tuesday, includes design phase funding for the combined renovation of the Wheaton Library and the neighborhood recreation cente on Georgia Avenue. Councilmember Hans Riemer toured the library on Monday and promised his support in upcoming budget negotiations. 



The Brickyard Road controversy in Potomac heated up this week, as details of the Montgomery County Board of Education settlement terms were released. In exchange for dismissing the case in front of the Montgomery County Circuit Court, the BOE agreed to pay court costs up to $10,000 in a settlement with Nick Maravell of Nick's Organic Farm. Montgomery County also agreed to extend Maravell's license to farm at the Brickyard property to August 2012. 

As Johns Hopkins University and the heirs to the Belward Farm estate continue to battle over plans to develop a 4.6 million square foot “Science City” on the property, members of the community surrounding the farm continue to voice their displeasure with the university’s plans. .


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