 County Executive Marc Elrich addresses the increased spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 and details actions Montgomery County will be quickly taking to get better control over it. The County Executive talks of his recent bout with COVID and offers that he is proof, as statistics relate, that getting booster shots can minimize the impact of the virus. He thanks the County employees and contractors who were very prepared, and worked diligently, to keep the County moving after the first snowfall of the winter. He also reflects on the one-year anniversary of the Jan. 6 insurrection aimed at taking over the Capitol and Congress.
 Montgomery County-operated COVID-19 vaccination and testing clinics are operating on normal schedules after some disruptions caused by a snowstorm earlier this week. Clinic locations and operating hours can be found on the County’s COVID-19 website.
The Montgomery County Council, acting as the County Board of Health, earlier this week approved an amended Board of Health regulation to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and to update indoor masking guidance in the County. The new regulation continues indoor mask requirements at any location accessible to the public in Montgomery County until 11.59 p.m. on Jan. 31.
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 Every January, for more than a decade, the Montgomery County Volunteer Center has brought thousands of area residents together for an afternoon of volunteer activities featured at its large-scale Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service event. However due to the ongoing COVID-19 health crisis, for the second straight year, the event will be largely virtual and expanded to a week from Jan. 15-22. It will have a variety of home-based and safely distanced service opportunities available online.
A series of volunteer opportunities in honor of the 2022 MLK Day of Service sponsored by Montgomery Parks will include stream and park cleanups throughout the County. The events are scheduled between Saturday, Jan. 15, and Saturday, Jan. 22.
 Montgomery County has started conducting its biennial online survey of County residents. The survey is available on the County website and is designed to get residents’ assessment of the local government, its services and their quality of life. The survey will be open through Jan. 17.
 A $248 million Maryland Homeowner Assistance Fund was opened this week to support mortgage relief, home repairs, housing counseling and legal services. The program will be administered by the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development.
 Bad winter weather sometimes requires Montgomery County departments to alter their service schedules. This can happen with County-operated trash and recycling collections, or with operation of the Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station in Derwood. The best way to be quickly made aware of those type of service changes is to sign up for Department of Environmental Protection Alerts.
 Taxicab companies operating in Montgomery County, including Action, Anytime and Regency/Barwood, are providing free roundtrip transportation for seniors 65-and-over and residents with disabilities to COVID-19 vaccination and testing locations. The Montgomery County Department of Transportation is reimbursing taxi companies for the trips.
 Montgomery County’s COVID-19 Information Portal provides a variety of breakdowns on how the virus has impacted the County. The statistics are updated to reflect the most recent reports from the State of Maryland during the health crisis. Among the information available is how many positive cases have been reported in each zip code in the County.
The Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection is urging residents to put live-cut Christmas trees curbside for recycling and give the trees a second life after the holidays.
Montgomery County Public Libraries will delay the restoration of Sunday branch service hours that was scheduled to begin this week due to the increased spread of COVID-19 and the Omicron variant.
Montgomery County Public Libraries will host its sixth free comic convention, “MoComCon,” on Saturday, Jan. 15. MoComCon 2022 events will be both virtual and in-person at a new location, the Germantown Library. Comic lovers of all ages will be able to find things they like as the event celebrates comics, graphic novels and fandoms.
From 1895 through 1920, the volunteer fire department in Rockville consisted of a dedicated group of civic-minded Black men led by the first fire chief in the town’s history: George Meads. In a virtual seminar sponsored by Montgomery History at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 11, archivist Sarah Hedlund will relate the story of Meads’s extraordinary life as a fireman, deputy sheriff, school trustee, entrepreneur and family man.
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A new free empowerment boot camp for middle and high school girls called “Fire Fit Fire Smart Bootcamp” will begin Monday, Jan. 10, at the Wheaton Community Recreation Center. The six-week program is for girls ages 13-18.
Montgomery County Recreation will have special programs to keep children active when Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) has scheduled days off. “Kids Day Out” will offer full-day programming from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 24, and Tuesday, Feb. 1. Half-day programming will be available from 1:30-6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 12, which is a MCPS half-day off from school.
The State’s Attorney Office is offering warnings that the increase in COVID-19 cases brought on by the Omicron variant could lead to an increase in domestic violence, child abuse and elder abuse incidents, with victims often suffering in silence.
Montgomery History will hold its 16th Annual “Montgomery History Conference” in a hybrid format Jan. 19-29. Over 11 days, the conference will offer a myriad of opportunities to take part online and in-person. There will be three keynote sessions, 12 breakout sessions, a movie screening and a trivia night.
The first snowfall of 2022 came on Jan. 3. There will likely be more, so Montgomery Parks, has put out a list of the” best sledding hills in parks” so sledders of all ages will have nearby destinations in mind.
 A free virtual employment expo for residents 50-and-over will be held starting at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 11. Advance registration is required to participate.
Free online workshops and one-on-one sessions geared toward assisting renters, job seekers and entrepreneurs will be offered throughout January. The programs are sponsored by Montgomery County Public Libraries.
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