 County Executive Marc Elrich this week expresses confidence in preparations being made by Montgomery County Public Schools as the start of a new school year approaches. The Triple-A ratings again awarded to Montgomery County by the three major financial rating institutions solidify his belief in the strong fiscal management policies the County has followed. He is excited by the opening of a new Marriott-branded hotel in Downtown Bethesda. The County Executive encourages business owners to apply for a new round of rent relief to help their impacted situations. And for those who have not yet been to the County Agricultural Fair, he says there are still a couple of additional days of fun and adventures to experience.
 “Shop Maryland Tax-Free Week” will continue through Saturday, Aug. 20—just in time for back-to-school shopping.
 Registration is now underway for Montgomery County Recreation fall programs and activities.
 The Montgomery County Department of Transportation has won a competitive grant award of nearly $15 million from the United States Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration for the purchase of 13 new hydrogen fuel cell buses and the construction of a green hydrogen fueling site at the David F. Bone Equipment Maintenance Transit Operations Center in Gaithersburg. The project will be the first public transit application of green hydrogen on the East Coast.
 Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich and County Council President Gabe Albornoz have announced that the County has maintained its “Triple-A” bond rating for 2022 from the three major Wall Street bond rating agencies. The County continued its status as a top-rated issuer of municipal securities, with the highest credit rating possible for a local government.
 Montgomery County had an average of about 50 cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 people at this time last year. For the last several weeks, the County is averaging slightly less than 200 reported cases per 100,000 residents. The County, like the national trend, is seeing reinfections in some residents and health officials say that natural immunity is not as strong as the immunity people get from vaccination and boosters.
 Montgomery County health officials, in partnership with County Council Vice President Evan Glass, will host a virtual town hall meeting from 6-7:30 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 22. The meeting, the first in a series planned by the County, will focus on Monkeypox and the LGBTQ+ community.
Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services (DPS) Manager Gail Lucas will be the guest on the Montgomery al Día radio show at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 23, to discuss use and occupancy (U and O) certificates for business owners with radio show host Lorna Virgilí. The show can be heard live at Radio América 900 AM.
 The Washington Area Bicycle Association, in collaboration with the Montgomery County Department of Transportation, this fall will continue its series of classes to teach adults how to ride bicycles—and how to do it safely. Classes will be held on Sunday, Sept. 11, at the Upper County Community Recreation Center in Gaithersburg; on Sunday, Oct. 16, at Westfall Montgomery Mall in Bethesda; and on Saturday, Nov. 5, at Wheaton Ice Rink in Wheaton Regional Park.
 Montgomery County continues to provide COVID-19 vaccines for children ages 6 months to 5 years old. Parents are encouraged to protect their children and get them vaccinated.
 Montgomery County’s innovative 'Farm to Food Bank Program’ had a 25 percent increase in total pounds of produce that was provided to families in need in Fiscal Year 2022, according to the three-year-old program’s recently released annual report. The program provides the dual benefit of enhancing and strengthening the County’s farmers.
 Montgomery County officials announced today that community organizations involved in food recovery and food security may apply for mini-grants ranging from $2,000 to $10,000 to improve capacity and infrastructure of the local food recovery system. The grants also will be available for innovative and collaborative approaches to reducing food insecurity.
 Montgomery County’s Department of Alcohol Beverage Services will close its Montrose store by Saturday, Aug. 27, to complete a refurbishment and rebrand to its upgraded “Oak Barrel & Vine” retail line. The location may close sooner, depending on inventory. The upgraded store will reopen in late fall.
 A new $2 million Small Business Rental Assistance grant program for Montgomery County retail service establishments will be open for applications starting Sept. 1. Applications will be accepted through Sept. 30. The program can provide each eligible business with a grant of up to three months of rent based on its current lease or $10,000, whichever is less.
When eccentric Montgomery County cattle farmer and land speculator Charles Herman Rabbitt died in 1972 at age 81, part of his $2.5 million estate was found buried in milk cans on his property. The rest was part of a three-year legal battle between bickering heirs. The story of his life—and what followed—will be the subject of a free Montgomery History online presentation at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 23.
Clue the Musical, based on a book by Peter DiPietro and with music by Galen Blum, Wayne Barker and Vinnie Martucci, will be performed Friday-Sunday, Aug. 19-21 at the Gaithersburg Arts Barn. The presentation is a partnership of The Montgomery Playhouse and the City of Gaithersburg.
 An informational open house providing details on a wide variety of programs for armed forces members and veterans will be held from 2-6 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 19, at the Rockville Memorial Library. The program is sponsored by MoCo Armed Services and Veteran Affairs, LLC.
 Montgomery Parks is increasing pollinators and native wildlife in its parks. Through its Meadow Management and Restoration Program, the department is seeing a resurgence of many new pollinator-friendly plants.
 Students in need of school supplies can get free items on Saturday, Aug. 27, at the “Back to School Giveaway” at Fairland Recreational Park in Fairland. The event, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m., is open to all.
Montgomery County will host a ceremony of remembrance and candlelight vigil on Thursday, Aug. 25, in Downtown Rockville to memorialize lives lost to drug overdoses or substance use. The event will commemorate “International Overdose Awareness Day,” a global event aimed at raising awareness of overdoses and reducing the stigma of drug-related deaths.
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