Gaithersburg firm scores $10.2 M federal contract for superbug cure

Less than two weeks after being credited with saving a Minnesota man's leg from a drug-resistant superbug infection, a Gaithersburg biotech firm has scored more than admiration from the nation. Adaptive Phage Therapeutics has just won a $10.2 million contract from the U.S. Department of Defense.

The money will fund a clinical trial for APT's innovative PhageBank, a personalized bacteriophage therapeutic that would be used to treat multidrug-resistant and complicated bacterial infections. A phage is a virus found in nature that recent breakthoughs have proven can be used to attack bacteria that have become immune to treatment with pharmaceutical drugs.

Specific phages from the bank can be matched to the infection diagnosis of each individual patient. In a press release announcing the contract, APT notes that phage research began in the 1920s, but was abandoned in the belief that drugs like Penicillin developed soon afterward were the answer to curing infections.

APT says this is the first phage-based therapy to be chosen by the Pentagon for this type of advanced research and development. CEO and co-founder Greg Merril predicts the DOD-funded research will have potential benefits for military and civilian patients alike. Once again, biotech is the lone hot business sector to watch in the otherwise-moribund Montgomery County economy.

New daycare center proposed on MD 355 in Clarksburg

A new daycare center with two classrooms on MD 355 in Clarksburg would care for up to 42 children, according to documents filed with the Montgomery County Planning Department. The daycare facility would build on to an existing single-family home at 23126 Frederick Road (MD 355) and Woodport Road.

Planning staff has expressed reservations about the applicants' original plan to use the existing curb cut access to the property from 355 for the future daycare center. They have recommended the applicants instead create a driveway access from Woodport Road, a street with many private homes along it. Planners have asked the County's Development Review Committee to discuss this issue, as well as parking and traffic flow concerns, at their January 21, 2021 meeting at 9:30 AM.

Update on Dog Haus Biergarten in Gaithersburg

Dog Haus Biergarten looks close to opening day in Gaithersburg. It has a prime spot across from the new Cinepolis cineplex at Market Square in the Kentlands. Stay tuned for an opening date!

Burtons Grill & Bar coming to Gaithersburg

Burtons Grill & Bar is coming to Gaithersburg. The East Coast mixed-grill chain is known for its allergy-friendly menus. In our region, they have locations in Prince George's County and Northern Virginia's exurbs. This will be their first Montgomery County location. Burtons will be in the Market Square development in the Kentlands.

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.

Gaithersburg Mayor & Council to vote on Royal Farms, Starbucks for Watkins Mill area

Gaithersburg's Mayor and Council are expected to vote on the proposed Royal Farms convenience store/gas station and a new Starbucks for the Spectrum development by the future Watkins Mill Road-Interstate 270 interchange at their January 6, 2020 meeting. If approved, this would be the first Royal Farms in Montgomery County.

City staff confirm that the developer has modified the rear elevations for both buildings, based on feedback at the previous public hearing on the project. The city's Planning Commission last month recommended approval of the Royal Farms and Starbucks, and staff is also recommending approval of the project.

Montgomery Village man missing

Montgomery County police are searching for a missing Montgomery Village man. Andres Sanchez Brito, 41, hasn't been seen by his family since he left his home on Lost Knife Circle on foot around 10:00 PM on December 22. They have been unable to contact him since, and have now reported him to police as missing.

Brito is about 5’ 5″ tall and weighs around 200 pounds. He has brown eyes and black hair.

Anyone with information regarding Andres Sanchez Brito’s whereabouts is asked to call the Montgomery County Department of Police at 301-279-8000 (available 24/7).