Community Corner

Catching Up With MOCO: Read The Stories You Missed This June

It was a busy month in Montgomery County. Get caught up on everything you missed this June, from reopenings to new laws to vaccine updates.

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Catch up on everything you missed in Montgomery County this month, like the story of James Turner's food truck, which was stolen and found vandalized and stripped at the beginning of June.
Catch up on everything you missed in Montgomery County this month, like the story of James Turner's food truck, which was stolen and found vandalized and stripped at the beginning of June. (Photo Courtesy of James Turner)

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD — A lot happened this June. Some restrictions for COVID-19 lifted, businesses had grand openings and reopenings, and local athletes had some serious success.

Get caught up on some of the news you missed this month in Montgomery County, right here.

June 1 - FBI Agent Faces Attempted Murder Charge After Metro Shooting

Eduardo Valdivia, 37, was accused of shooting a man who confronted him on the train around 6:40 a.m. on Dec. 15, according to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. He was indicted on an attempted murder charge, among other criminal charges.

Find out what's happening in Germantownfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Hans Riemer Enters Three-Way County Executive Race

Hans Riemer announced that he would join the race for Montgomery County Executive, running against incumbent Marc Elrich and David Blair, an entrepreneur and philanthropist. Riemer has served as a council member for three terms, the maximum allowed in Montgomery County.

Six MOCO Libraries Reopened June 1, Seven More Plan For June 14

Libraries in Montgomery County reopened for in-person browsing this month for the first time since the pandemic began.

Find out what's happening in Germantownfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

June 3 - Food Truck Found Vandalized, Stripped: Beltway Bistro Owner

James Turner's food truck wasn't even open for business yet when it was stoled on Memorial Day. (Photo Courtesy of James Turner)

James Turner's food truck was stolen on Memorial Day, and found stripped and damaged a few days later on June 3. Some residents started a GoFundMe for Turner, which raised thousands of dollars in just a few days. He plans to get a new truck opening in the coming months.

June 4 - Taco Bamba Now Open In Rockville With 'Record-Setting' Turnout

Find authentic Mexican food such as this Mexican street corn, Tinga taco and barbacoa taco at Taco Bamba's new location in Rockville. The restaurant opened on June 4. It's the first Maryland location of this chain from Virginia. (Colleen Martin/Patch)
The new Taco Bamba location opened with a bang earlier this month. "Just thinking about it is a bit overwhelming for me," Chef Victor Albisu said of his Rockville opening. "The community has been so kind and this feels like real home for us. I feel like we really connect with the diversity of people."

June 8 - Ezechiel’s Law Signed: Landlords Must Install Window Guards

County Executive Marc Elrich signed into law that landlords must install window guards in apartments where children live, or wherever it is requested by a tenant. The law is aimed after a local boy who died after falling out of his apartment's window.

June 10 - 'Cicada Mania': Chocolate-Covered Bugs The Craze In Gaithersburg

Chouquette Chocolates usually experiences a slowdown in business after Mother's Day. This year, business is booming since they started selling chocolate-covered cicadas out of the Gaithersburg kitchen. (Photo courtesy of Nicole Graner for Chouquette Chocolates)
Chocolatier Sarah Dwyer found a creative use for cicadas, and her treats were flying off the shelves! Her chocolate-covered bugs were selling out days in advance.

June 14 - MOCO's Novavax Reports Its COVID Vaccine Is 90 Percent

The Gaithersburg-based company that its vaccine was 90 percent effective earlier this month. They said the finding came after a study of the vaccine tested on 29,960 people in the United States and Mexico. Novavax's overall efficacy is on par with the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.

June 15 - Eligibility For Income Tax Credit Expands In Montgomery County

The county council voted to allow residents who qualify for state or federal tax credit to qualify for the county's credit, a move that will allow noncitizens who do not have a Social Security number — which is required to receive a federal income credit — to receive the county's supplement. The bill is in place for taxes from 2019 until Jan. 1, 2023.

June 20 - Animal Shelter Reopening: No Appointment Required At MOCO Shelter

The shelter had been operating on an appointment-only basis because of the pandemic. (Colleen Martin/Patch

The Montgomery County Animal Shelter reopened for all visitors without appointments on June 20. The shelter decided it would keep a hybrid model, where potential pet owners can either walk in or sign up with an appointment.

'Chess At Light Speed': 3 MD Kids Make National Table Tennis Team

Maryland Table Tennis players made it onto the Under 13 National Team this past weekend. From left: Coaches Larry Hodges and Jack Huang, players Mu Du, Ryan Lin and Stanley Hsu, and Head Junior Coach Wang Qingliang. (Missing: Coach Cheng Yinghua.) (Photo Courtesy of Steve Hsu)
Three kids from one training center in Gaithersburg made it on to the Under 13 National Table Tennis Team thanks to their performance at the national team trials in New York. Stanley, Mu Du, and Ryan make up nearly half of the eight-person team.

June 27 - Maryland Olympians Competing In The 2021 Tokyo Games

The Olympic trials concluded and plenty of Maryland athletes will ship off to the Games in Tokyo next month. In the 2016 Rio Olympics, Maryland had an impressive showing of gold medals — so much so, that if it was its own country, it would have come in sixth for most gold medals earned.

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