gaithersblog.net

• Sebastian Montes writes, Millions requested for Leggett’s relocation plan:
  

  With several land deals on the verge of closing, Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett has asked the County Council for tens of millions of dollars to begin design of his sweeping proposal to relocate more than a dozen county agencies to four sites from Shady Grove to Montgomery Village to the Kentlands.

• Patricia M. Murret writes, Debate raises specter of criminals vs. victims:
  

  Between 2005 and 2007, county judges lessened the sentences of 13 murderers and seven rapists along with those of nearly 500 other criminals, according to Montgomery County Circuit Court records.

  Not one of those sentence changes, known as reconsiderations, was reported to the state Commission on Criminal Sentencing Policy, which is charged with monitoring the controversial process, according to David Soulé, executive director of the panel.

• C. Benjamin Ford writes, Homicide tally on par with last year:
  

  Montgomery County has had 18 homicides this year, a similar number to last year, and police say the county’s emergency medical personnel deserve much credit for holding down the statistic.

• Sebastian Montes writes, ‘Science City’ draft details jobs, housing:
  

  A 500-acre area between Gaithersburg and Rockville could in 30 and 40 years be home to 62,000 jobs and 22 million square feet of research, commercial and office space: a “Science City” that would dwarf the National Institutes of Health and could put Montgomery County at the forefront of science worldwide, according to a working draft of the Gaithersburg West master plan released last week.

• Patricia M. Murret writes, Shutterbug documents Gaithersburg’s past and present:
  

  Looking out an office window in May, Shaun Curtis of Gaithersburg saw the fields of the historic Crown Farm property, which until several years ago housed a farm dating to the late 1800s.

  “Oh man, they’re going to destroy this!” he thought. Camera in hand, the 27-year-old sneaked onto the property, marveling at two 19th century houses, a log cabin, barns, sheds and silos.

• Patricia M. Murret writes, Prosecutors want adult charges for teen in bomb-making case:
  

  Prosecutors want an alleged teenage bomb maker to be tried as an adult, according to the boy’s attorney.

  The defendant, a Gaithersburg 17-year-old, was charged as a juvenile last summer with making pipe bombs with a Bethesda man.

• Douglas Tallman and Patricia M. Murret write, Lawsuit over watershed is near settlement:
  

  An environmental activist group and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources are close to settling a lawsuit filed over the lead cleanup of Great Seneca Creek, the largest watershed in Montgomery County.

• Patricia M. Murret writes, Armed man robs BB&T bank on Snouffer School Road:
  

  A man with a gun gave a bank teller a note and then robbed a BB&T in Gaithersburg last week, according to county police.

  The man entered the bank at 8019 Snouffer School Road at 9:30 a.m. Dec. 10, gave the teller a note and displayed a gun, police said. No injuries have been reported, said Officer Oliver Janney, a Montgomery County Police spokesman.

• Sebastian Montes writes, ACLU seeks county policies on immigrants in Maryland:
  

  In a first-time initiative modeled after projects in other states, the Maryland chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union is probing every county in the state to see if their stated policies toward immigrants match up with practice.

• Marcus Moore writes, Schools spending could stay nearly flat:
  

  If there is a theme in schools Superintendent Jerry D. Weast’s proposed fiscal 2010 spending plan, it’s: Do more with less.

  Last week, Weast unveiled a $2.10 billion operating budget request, a $40.2 million increase over the $2.06 billion fiscal 2009 budget.

• Janel Davis writes, Senate president vows to help Leggett erase ‘line in the sand’:
  

  County Executive Isiah Leggett’s hard stance last week against the state transferring teacher pensions payments to the county resurfaced Tuesday in Annapolis, with legislative leaders warning of dire budget actions next year.

  “My good friend Ike Leggett said that he’s going to draw a line in the sand,” Miller (D-Dist. 27) of Chesapeake Beach said yesterday in the state capital. “You never want to draw a line in the sand. Believe me, because I’ve had to rub out many of them in my lifetime, and I’m going to help him rub that one out as well.”

• Patricia M. Murret writes, Gaithersburg High School receives bomb threat:
  

  Police responded to the third bomb threat at a Montgomery County high school this week and again determined that there was no threat to the schools.

  This morning’s threat to Gaithersburg High School was low-level, police said, especially given its non-descript nature and two unfounded threats made this week at Clarksburg High School, said Gaithersburg Police Cpl. John Leache.

• Margie Hyslop writes, Hanson: County needs urban model:
  

  Montgomery County needs to adopt an urban development model to handle growth, demographic changes and a diminishing supply of developable land, Planning Board Chairman Royce Hanson told the Montgomery County Civic Federation last week.

• Melissa J. Brachfeld writes, Park sites opened for Inauguration visitors:
  

  Little Bennett Campground in Clarksburg and Rockwood Manor in Potomac will be open for those looking for a place to stay during the Inauguration Week festivities for President-elect Barack H. Obama (D) next month.

Via Connected Communites, where reports for all six districts are available.

P1 Beat:

• An armed street robbery occurred in the 300 block of Buttry Road in Gaithersburg on Sunday, 11/30 just before 3:30 a.m. A suspect was observed attempting to steal a bicycle. When confronted by the owner, the suspect produced a knife and slashed at the victim. Others joined the
  fray and two suspects were arrested at the scene.
• A theft from a vehicle occurred in the 400 block of Curry Ford Road in Gaithersburg on Saturday, 11/29 after 2:00 a.m. Suspects broke the window and removed a GPS unit.
• A theft from a vehicle occurred in the 400 block of W. Diamond Avenue in Gaithersburg on Saturday, 11/29 after 2 a.m. Suspects broke the window and removed a stereo system.
• A theft from a vehicle occurred in the 400 block of W. Diamond Avenue in Gaithersburg on Saturday, 11/29 after 2:00 a.m. Suspects broke the window and removed a GPS unit, radar detector and an iPod.
• A theft from a vehicle occurred in the 17100 block of Downing Street in Gaithersburg on Saturday, 11/29 after 2:00 a.m. Suspects broke the window and removed a GPS unit.
• A theft from a vehicle occurred in the 17100 block of Downing Street in Gaithersburg on Saturday, 11/29 after 2:00 a.m. Suspects broke the window and removed a GPS unit and change.
• A theft from a vehicle occurred in the 200 block of Rio Blvd. in Gaithersburg on Saturday, 11/29 after 2:00 a.m. No force used but clothing, car stereo and an iPod were removed.
• A commercial burglary occurred at the Brighton Beer & Wine, 225 Muddy Branch Road, in Gaithersburg on Tuesday, 12/2 at 12:40 am. Suspects Forced entry and removed property.

P2 Beat:

• A theft from a vehicle occurred in the 800 block of Diamond Drive in Gaithersburg on Saturday, 11/29 between 12:30 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. Vehicle unlocked and cash was removed.
• A theft from a vehicle occurred in the 1000 block of Bayridge Terrace in Gaithersburg on Saturday, 11/29 between 12:30 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. Vehicle unlocked and a checkbook was removed.
• A theft from a vehicle occurred in the 200 block of Cherrywood Terrace in Gaithersburg on Saturday, 11/29 between 12:30 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. Suspects broke the window and removed an iPod and cash.
• A theft from a vehicle occurred on Midline Court in Gaithersburg on Saturday, 11/29 between 12:30 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. Vehicle unlocked and a GPS was removed.
• A theft from a vehicle occurred on East Darby Court in Gaithersburg on Saturday, 11/29 between 12:30 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. Vehicle unlocked and a wallet with cash and an iPod were removed.
• A theft from a vehicle occurred in the 11500 block of Sullnick Way in Gaithersburg on Saturday, 11/29 between 12:30 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. Suspects broke the window but nothing was removed.
• A theft from a vehicle occurred in the 800 block of Clopper Road in Gaithersburg on Saturday, 11/29 between 12:30 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. Suspects broke the window and removed a radar detector.
• A theft from a vehicle occurred in the 800 block of Clopper Road in Gaithersburg on Saturday, 11/29 between 12:30 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. Suspects broke the window and removed property.
• A theft from a vehicle occurred in the 900 block of Clopper Road in Gaithersburg on Saturday, 11/29 between 12:30 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. Suspects broke the window and removed a GPS unit.
• A theft from a vehicle occurred on Oak Shade Road in Gaithersburg on Saturday, 11/29 between 12:30 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. Suspects broke the window and removed a GPS unit.
• A theft from a vehicle occurred in the 800 block of Crystal Court in Gaithersburg on Saturday, 11/29 between 12:30 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. Suspects broke window and took an iPod.

R1 Beat:

• A commercial burglary occurred at an office at 975 Russell Avenue in Gaithersburg sometime between Monday, 11/24 and Friday, 11/28. There was no sign of forced entry and property was taken.
• A theft from a vehicle occurred in the 9600 block of Lost Knife Road in Montgomery Village on Monday, 11/24. Vehicle unlocked and a knapsack was taken
• A theft from a vehicle occurred in the 18100 block of Tunstall Drive in
  Montgomery Village overnight between Tuesday, 11/25 and Wednesday, 11/26. Suspects broke the window and removed a digital camera.
• An attempted theft from a vehicle occurred in the 9600 block of Horizon Run court in Montgomery Village overnight on Thursday, 11/27. Suspects pried the window but did not gain entry.
• A theft from a vehicle occurred in the 18000 block of Royal Bonnet Circle in Montgomery Village overnight on Thursday, 11/27. Suspects broke the window and removed a cell phone and computer.

R2 Beat:

• A residential burglary occurred in the 7800 block of Yankee Harbor Drive in Montgomery Village. Eighteen juveniles were charged with CDS violations and burglary after breaking into a townhouse on Wednesday, 11/26 around 2:00 p.m. to hold a party.
• A theft from a vehicle occurred in the 19400 block of Thomas Farm Drive in Montgomery Village overnight between Monday, 11/24 and Tuesday, 11/25. Suspects entered an unlocked vehicle and stole the ashtray containing change.

• A theft from a vehicle occurred in the 19300 block of Keymar Way in Montgomery Village on Monday, 11/24. Suspects entered an unlocked vehicle and removed a wallet containing cash and credit cards.
• A theft from a vehicle occurred in the 9600 block of Marston Lane in Montgomery Village on Tuesday, 11/25. Suspects entered an unlocked vehicle and removed a wallet containing cash, credit cards, and food stamps.

S1 Beat:

• A residential apartment burglary occurred in the 200 block of Park Avenue in Gaithersburg on Wednesday, 11/26 between 9:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. Forced entry and property was removed.
• A residential apartment burglary occurred in the 200 block of Park Avenue in Gaithersburg on Wednesday, 11/26 between 7:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Forced entry and property was removed.
• A residential apartment burglary occurred in the 200 block of Park Avenue in Gaithersburg between Tuesday, 11/25 and Thursday, 11/27. Forced entry and property was removed.
• A residential apartment burglary occurred in the 200 block of Park Avenue in Gaithersburg between Wednesday, 11/26 and Friday, 11/28. Forced entry and property was removed.
• A residential burglary occurred in the 9100 block of Emory Woods Terrace in Gaithersburg on Wednesday, 11/26 around noon. No force used but doors were found open. No property reported missing.
• A residential burglary occurred on Maplewood Court in Gaithersburg on Sunday, 11/30. This incident was domestic-related and the suspect was arrested on the scene.

S2 Beat:

• An officer-involved shooting occurred after an officer was assaulted at the Church of the Redeemer, 19425 Woodfield Road in Gaithersburg on Wednesday,11/26 around 7:10 pm. The defendant was driving recklessly through MCP traffic direction and pulled into the church lot, drove
  into an officer, injuring the officer’s foot, then turned and sped off. The 16-year-old male suspect was later arrested and charged.
• An attempted burglary occurred on Thursday, 11/27 around 7:15 p.m., at the Church of the Redeemer, 19425 Woodfield Road in Gaithersburg. Forced entry was found but no entry was made.
• A garage burglary occurred in the 7400 block of Muncaster Mill Road in Derwood on Wednesday, 11/26 just after 3:30 am. The victim found his generator moved and that gas had been siphoned from it.
  Suspect: Male, 18 to 24 years, thin, wearing a black hoodie
• A commercial burglary occurred at Squared Solutions, 19322 Woodfield Road in Gaithersburg between Wednesday, 11/26 and Thursday 11/27. Forced entry and property was moved around inside. The suspect could not get the property through the point of entry and left it at the door. No
  other property was disturbed.