Suzanne Pollak

1 week ago | mymcmedia.org | Suzanne Pollak

Robert Frost Student Finishes 20th in Scripps National Spelling Bee Although she only studied about one or two hours a day for two-and-a-half months, Lauren Merillana made it all the way to the semifinals of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. The Robert Frost Middle School seventh grader stumbled on the word rendzina, which is a type of soil, during Round 9. That landed her in 20th place. “Honestly, spelling has been a thing my whole life,” she told MCM.

1 week ago | mymcmedia.org | Suzanne Pollak

The Rockville teenager who threatened “to shoot up my school” in a 129-page manifesto that included another nearby elementary school in his plans was sentenced Wednesday. He received a sentence of 12 months followed by five years of tightly supervised probation. Alex Ye, 19, has been incarcerated for 14 months since his arrest. His one-year sentence began Wednesday as he waived his right to count his time served. The Wootton High School student was found guilty on Jan. 8 following a two-day trial.

1 week ago | mymcmedia.org | Suzanne Pollak

Police Crisis Intervention Team Earns International Award The Montgomery County Police Department’s Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) was recognized with the Response Team of the Year Award by CIT International. The team is a full time, multidisciplinary co-response unit focused on behavioral health emergences through de-escalation strategies and a commitment to preserving life.

1 week ago | mymcmedia.org | Suzanne Pollak

Takoma Park Couple Can’t Stop Watching Birds Throughout their 31 years of marriage, David Blockstein and Debra Prybyla have shared a love of birding. They go on walks, each carrying their own binoculars, and count the birds they see and even have held various jobs in the field of nature and the environment. The Takoma Park couple recently joined Nature Forward’s fundraiser and raised money by counting as many birds as they could hear and see in 24 hours.

1 week ago | mymcmedia.org | Suzanne Pollak

Report: School District Doesn’t Keep Accurate Track of Chromebooks According to the 18-page report, MCPS “does not have a comprehensive regulation or procedure addressing Chromebook inventory management.”The report was conducted as part of “the OIG’s mission to promote efficiency, effectiveness and accountability in county programs and operations.”During 2024, MCPS spent about $19.5 million on new Chromebooks. The district has more than 200,000 of these computers.