Montgomery Community Media

County Executive Marc Elrich announced at a news conference Thursday that Montgomery County will hire an outside consultant to conduct a full review of the police department. Elrich says the consultant will serve as an independent task force that could launch as soon as Aug. 1 and will do a “top to bottom review” of […]

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and Dr. Raymond Crowel, director of the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), offers his advice on coping with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Crowel teaches residents about a specific method of relaxation and meditation called box breathing. He reminds us of two resources you can call […]

Montgomery County Councilmember Gabe Albornoz led an emotional press conference denouncing the Supreme Court’s Jan. 27 “public charge” immigration decision. The 5-4 decision was voted on along party lines—the four judges appointed by Democratic presidents all voted “no.” It will make it more difficult for immigrants, who have used benefits like Medicaid and food stamps, […]

Dr. Raymond Crowel, chief of the Behavioral Health and Crisis Services section of the county’s Department of Health and Human Services, talks about the opioid addiction in this episode of Montgomery Talks with Doug Tallman. You’ll be surprised at what he says about Montgomery County Public Schools. Crowel provided this data about opioid deaths in Montgomery County […]

Montgomery County needs to start a conversation about the next steps in combating the opioid epidemic, a conversation that includes needle exchanges and “safe houses” where addicts can take drugs under supervision. The comment comes from the point person on the opioid epidemic in the county health department. Dr. Raymond Crowel said he knew the […]

The tragic loss of seven lives in Silver Spring  continues to teach Montgomery County officials lessons about what to do when a catastrophe strikes. An auditor’s report in February made 14 recommendations based on what was learned from the deadly natural gas explosion last August 10 at the Flower Branch Apartments. MyMCMedia’s Phyllis Armstrong reports […]

The tragic explosion at Flower Branch Apartments on August 10 last year is still prompting in-depth discussions and planning in Montgomery County. The agencies and employees involved continue to assess the response to the emergency in Silver Spring that killed seven people and left dozens of others injured and without homes. Officials at the Department […]

New data from the state health department show the opioid crisis continues in Montgomery County and Maryland. In the first quarter of 2017, Montgomery County had 27 overdose deaths compared with 21 in the same period in 2016, the Maryland Department of Health reported. Across the state, 550 overdoses were recorded in the first quarter, […]

Gov. Larry Hogan announced $50 million Wednesday to address the state’s opioid crisis as well as declaring a state of emergency that would activate the governor’s emergency management authority, creating more rapid coordination between state and local jurisdictions. Hogan also appointed his senior emergency management adviser, Clay Stamp, to lead the state’s coordinated effort to […]