gaithersblog.net

Update 2: Janel Davis, with assistance from Patricia M. Murret, writes, Feds subpoena disability records on former assistant chief:

King worked for the county for more than 25 years before taking the position in Gaithersburg. He has maintained that his application for disability was because of numerous injuries, including three herniated discs in his back, which made it impossible to do the work of an officer.

His injuries with Montgomery County occurred from wrestling a suspect and from four vehicle crashes, including two in which his cruiser was struck by drivers who ran red lights, King said.

“I can’t run, I can’t stand up for a certain period,” King said in an interview with The Gazette in August.

Update: Ann E. Marimow and Dan Morse write in Friday’s Washington Post, 91% of Applicants for Disability Pay Got It:

More than 90 percent of Montgomery County police officers who applied for disability retirement benefits in the past decade received them, including one officer who qualified based on a finger injury, according to county records released this week.

The troubled program, discussed at a County Council hearing yesterday, is drawing interest from federal law enforcement officials, who this week subpoenaed the records of Gaithersburg Police Chief John King, who retired from the Montgomery police on disability last year. Asked if Montgomery had also been subpoenaed about the disability program, county officials said they received a federal subpoena this week but would not discuss the subject of the request.

Kathleen Miller writes in the DC Examiner, Feds investigate Montgomery disability retirement rolls:

Federal authorities have started a preliminary investigation into allegations of abuse of Montgomery County’s disability retirement system by some former high-ranking police officers, and have subpoenaed at least one current employer of a retired assistant police chief.

Gaithersburg City Manager Angel Jones told The Examiner she received a subpoena Tuesday afternoon from the office of U.S. Attorney Rod Rosenstein seeking access to information about Gaithersburg Police Chief John King.

A September report from Montgomery County Inspector General Tom Dagley found that more than 60 percent of police officers who retired in recent years are receiving extra payments for work-related disabilities, compared with 3 percent of similar workers in Fairfax County.

Edward Lattner, a lawyer in the Montgomery County attorney’s office, told The Examiner Wednesday he was not comfortable commenting about whether county officials had also received subpoenas. He directed The Examiner to contact Rosenstein’s office for information

According to the article, Rosenstein would not comment.
.

• Patricia M. Murret writes, Future of Casey tracts hinges on I-270 plans:
  

  Progress at Watkins Mill Town Center, expected to take at least 15 years to complete, hinges on the future layout of the Interstate 270 interchange it is planned around, according to Gaithersburg officials and representatives with the developer.

• Patricia M. Murret writes, City prepares to be ‘Capital for a Day’:
  

  Gaithersburg officials are readying for Nov. 6, when the city serves as “Capital for a Day” and welcomes the cabinet of Maryland Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown.

• Meghan Tierney writes, Deer with arrow in head on the move in Gaithersburg:
  

  When Marisa Berube stopped by her Gaithersburg home during her lunch break last week, she encountered a strange sight — a small deer with an arrow in the middle of its head walking toward a nearby park.

• Sebastian Montes writes, Education gap wider for some non-English speakers in county:
  

  Two dozen teens pour into Margaret Vanbuskirk’s classroom for 6th period at Gaithersburg High School, a blur of blue jeans and baseball caps.

• Sebastian Montes writes, Village warms to Webb Tract plan:
  

  Community leaders in Montgomery Village are coming to grips with the fact that the county’s plan for one third of the Webb Tract will likely be a better alternative than private commercial development there.

• Patricia M. Murret writes, City leaders tour safety center:
  

  In lieu of their regular work session on Thursday, Mayor Sidney A. Katz, the City Council and City Manager Angel Jones toured Gaithersburg’s emergency communications hub, the Public Safety Communications Center at 300 Quince Orchard Blvd.

• Marcus Moore writes, Decision on fees likely by December:
  

  School system officials plan to offer a recommendation on curricular fees to the school board and superintendent by December, officials said this week.

• Janel Davis writes, Council mulls $51M in forward funding:
  

  The County Council on Tuesday introduced legislation to forward fund $51 million in state transportation projects in the county as a way of addressing infrastructure needs.

• Melissa J. Brachfeld writes, Details needed on landfill plan:
  

  The county Planning Board deferred issuing advice on two proposed gas-to-energy facilities on former landfill sites in Derwood and Laytonsville, saying more information is needed after residents posed several questions at a Thursday hearing.

• Sean R. Sedam writes, Officials urge off-peak voting:
  

  With six days until Election Day, officials are reminding voters to check their polling place and plan on voting during off-peak hours.

• Janel Davis writes, Budget cuts weighed at Leggett breakfast:
  

  As the county faces down a $251 million projected budget shortfall next year, County Executive Isiah Leggett warned County Council members Tuesday that the fiscal outlook at all levels of government is not expected to improve.