Silver Spring woman missing

Montgomery County police are seeking the public's help in locating a missing Silver Spring woman. Shaina Marie Proctor, 28, of Stewart Lane hasn't been heard from by her family since December 18, 2019.  Police describe Proctor as a black female, 5’03” tall, weighing approximately 134 pounds, with brown eyes and medium-length brown hair.  (The above photo provided by detectives shows Proctor's hair being shorter in length, but it is currently longer in length.)

Proctor is known to frequent the area of the 11200 blocks of Oakleaf Drive in Silver Spring.  She does not have a vehicle.

Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Shaina Marie Proctor., or anyone who sees her is asked to call the Montgomery County Department of Police at 301-279-8000 (24-hour line).

Wheaton Lot 13 project now 86% completed (Photos)

The future Montgomery County government office building and Town Plaza project at Lot 13 in the Wheaton Triangle is now 86% complete, according to County officials. They say the redevelopment is currently on-target for a May 2020 completion.

Sanitary sewer construction is scheduled to begin on or about January 13 along northbound Veirs Mill Road. One northbound lane will be closed for that project, which is expected to take two months.

The intersection of Grandview Avenue and Reedie Drive will be reconstructed by early spring, officials say. Once it is completed, westbound traffic on Reedie coming from Georgia Avenue will be forced to turn right onto Grandview. Left turns onto Veirs Mill will not be allowed.

Building skin is 67% installed, and will be completed by the end of the month. The building's electrical system is not only installed, but is now online. Elevator cabs for the building's eight elevator shafts will arrive over the next three weeks, officials say. Construction of the Town Plaza's amphitheater's terracing is underway.

MCDOT to replace storm drain culvert on Alderton Road this month

The Montgomery County Department of Transportation will replace an outdated storm drain culvert along Alderton Road in Silver Spring this month. It will be replaced with corrugated steel pipe and head walls along both sides of the road, MCDOT says. Work will begin soon, weather permitting, and last up to three months. The project hours will be 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM to limit impact and noise on nearby residents.

Democrats propose Netflix tax for Montgomery County

Democratic leaders in the Maryland General Assembly are poised to propose a new tax on the highly popular entertainment streaming services used by most Montgomery County residents. The officials announced the proposed tax quietly in a Friday news dump strategically arranged by The Washington Post, whose reporters were aware of the pending tax earlier in the week, another clear example of coordination between the Montgomery County political cartel and the Post.

Subscribers to Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV, and other streaming services could find a hefty tax added to their bill as soon as this year. The Post reports that the new Netflix tax would be one of several new taxes slapped on residents of Montgomery County and the rest of the state to cover a new $6000-per-taxpayer spending hike for public education statewide. Montgomery County is already spending record amounts on public schools, and the County's own recent report shows that the declining school system has only gotten worse for all the high spending.

Now residents' Baby Yoda and You addictions are squarely in the tax crosshairs of the cartel. With property and income taxes at record highs, it is almost impossible for officials to add $6000 in hikes via those taxes. The county is now turning to these sin taxes, similar to those you pay on your cell phone service and the rain that falls in your home's yard, to get the same amount in sneakier ways. You may recall that the County floated a new Trash Tax in 2019, for example.

The Netflix tax will be hard to pass openly, however. Most of their constituents will be furious, and the tax will fall heaviest on young people, the poor and senior citizens - like all of "progressive" Montgomery County's regressive flat taxes.

Bonifant Street closure now postponed indefinitely in Silver Spring

A Purple Line construction-related closure of part of Bonifant Street that was postponed last month is being postponed again, this time indefinitely. The closure was to begin January 6, 2020 after already being delayed just before Christmas. Although a tremendous amount of work on the light rail line has actually been completed in certain areas, it appears this particular stretch is hitting some major delays.

Ambassador/Howard Johnson Wheaton demolition update (Photos)

Demolition of the former Ambassador Apartments continues at the corner of University Boulevard and Veirs Mill Road in Wheaton. This was formerly a Howard Johnson hotel and restaurant, with the latter structure still visible in the foreground of three of these photos.

You can see the structure on the rooftop, which appeared to be an equipment room, has been obliterated. The flooring and frame girders of the ends of the very top floors that were still in place a couple of weeks ago are now gone, as well. Demolition will continue through the spring.

New hair salon coming to Wheaton Plaza

Montgomery County's moribund economy, and large number of retail and restaurant closures, have led many landlords to turn to businesses that offer practical services to fill vacant retail spaces countywide. A new hair salon is coming to Wheaton Plaza this year. Ronky Creative Hair will be located next to the Dollar Store+. They are now hiring for all positions.