WUSA9 News
As protests continue on campus, American University students’ move-in day includes mile-long traffic and a giant rat.
Updated: 2:04 PM EDT August 24, 2022
Photo | Tim Pruss
WUSA9 News
Hundreds of American University (AU) staff in Washington, D.C. joined the picket line to continue a strike led by the AU chapter of SEIU Local 500.
Updated: 4:50 AM EDT August 24, 2022
Photo | Tim Pruss
WUSA9 News
Sunflowers of Lisbon at Maple Lawn
August 18, 2022 at 2:33 PM
WOAH! Gorgeous photo at the Sunflowers of Lisbon at Maple Lawn in Fulton, MD. Weather Watcher Tim Pruss is debunking the myth that sunflowers always face the sun.
"Only young flowers 'move' to face it throughout the day. Once they reach maturity, they stop sun-tracking—their blooms forever turned eastward."
Check out the sunflowers, and other DMV Destinations to pack into your weekend plans! https://bit.ly/3SUX33D
Photo | Tim Pruss
WUSA9 News
Montgomery County Fair 2022, Gaithersburg, MD
Updated: 4:52 AM EDT August 16, 2022
Photo Credit: Tim Pruss, MyDrone.Pro
The Greater Olney News
Crowds return for National Night Out
Judy Hruz | judyhruz@gmail.com
August 17, 2022
The community returned in large numbers for the 27th National Night Out in Olney on Aug 2.
But the rain, which has often marred the festive gathering of residents, businesses, first responders and elected officials, stayed away.
Organized by the Olney Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by businesses and organizations, the popular summer event - which was not held for two years due to COVID-19 - celebrates the relationship of neighbors, law enforcement and first responders, and businesses in cultivating a sense of community.
More than 16,400 communities worldwide paticipated in National Night Out this year. Olney's event has earned national awards for attendance and is among the largest in Montgomery County.
The net proceeds will be donated to the Olney Police Satellite Station, Sandy Spring Volunteer Fire Department, Maryland-National Capital Park Police and the Officer Noah Leotta "Act Responsibly" Scholarship.
Montgomery Community Media (MyMCMedia.org)
Residents, Law Enforcement Join National Night Out
Maryam Shahzad | mshahzad@mymcmedia.org
August 3, 2022
Officials, police officers and residents across Montgomery County joined National Night Out events on Tuesday.
The nationwide annual celebration aims to enhance relationships between communities and law enforcement. The county has taken part in National Night Out for the last 38 years, according to County Executive Marc Elrich.
Local leaders and law enforcement officials posted on social media from the night.
Photo | Tim Pruss
The Greater Olney News
Storm whips through Olney – again
Judy Hruz | judyhruz@gmail.com
July 20, 2022
About six weeks after a weak EF-O tornado with winds blowing at about 80 mph whipped through Olney on May 29, and damage and forcing dozens of families to be displaced.
Pete Piringer, public information officer for Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Service, reported that homes were damaged from trees falling during the storm, but said no serious injuries were reported at press time.
Trees snapped in half, siding was ripped off houses, cars were damaged and branches blocked roads.
The Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security reported power outages across the county and some resident in Olney reported power outages into the next day.
WTOP News
Widespread tree damage, thousands still without power after Tuesday storms
Published: July 13, 2022, 7:11 PM
Nick Iannelli | Click to play Audio Report
The D.C. region is picking up the pieces after thunderstorms brought destructive wind gusts Tuesday evening, downing trees, severing power lines and leaving tens of thousands in the dark through the overnight hours into Wednesday.
In Olney, Maryland, the Red Cross was assisting families displaced after widespread tree damage rendered dozens of homes uninhabitable. Montgomery County Fire Chief Scott Goldstein estimated 20 to 30 homes sustained damage.
“There’s a lot of damage. A number of families will be displaced because of property damage and trees on houses. We have dozens of trees on houses,” said Montgomery County Fire and Rescue spokesman Pete Piringer.
Olney resident Tim Pruss said the storm included powerful downward winds, bringing down a tree onto his neighbor’s skylight. Neighbors with whom Pruss spoke were safe.
“It came through pretty rapidly, just heavy rains. Then it looked as if there was a downburst that happened,” Pruss said.
Storm damage on Queen Mary Drive in Olney, Md. (Courtesy MyDrone.Pro/Tim Pruss)
Resident Bill Jones, who has lived on Olney’s Morningwood Drive for two decades, said a large sycamore tree in his backyard had been “stripped to the point of a telephone pole” and that other trees in his neighborhood had crushed parked cars.
WTOP News
Crash Involving Pedestrian
Published: 07/01/2022 at 09:25am
MD-97/Georgia Ave northbound between King William Dr and Queen Mary Dr, all lanes blocked, follow police direction.
Credit: Tim Pruss, MyDrone.Pro
Bethesda Magazine
Authorities say ‘no threat to public safety’ following bomb threat at Olney Indoor Swim Center
BY DAN SCHERE | JUNE 14, 2022 | 11:41 AM
Maryland-National Capital Park Police say there is “no threat to public safety” after receiving a bomb threat was reported Tuesday morning at the Olney Indoor Swim Center.
Park police wrote in a tweet that officers responded to the center on Georgia Avenue around 10 a.m. after someone found a note in a locker room.
Lt. Tracy Lieberman, a Park Police spokeswoman, told Bethesda Beat that a staff member found the note. She was not sure what the note said.
After officers responded to the call, police dogs searched the facility and authorities determined that it was safe, she said.
Credit: Tim Pruss, MyDrone.Pro
The Greater Olney News
Tornado in Olney
Judy Hruz | judyhruz@gmail.com
June 8, 2022
Nearly a week after a tornado touched down in Olney on May 29 residents were still talking about the swiftly swirling winds that up-rooter some 15 to 18 trees in the area of Toddsbury Lane and Queen Elizabeth Drive.
The National Weather Service said it was a weak EF-0 tornado with winds blowing at about 80 mph. The tornado travelled about a quarter-mile and lasted about a minute, hitting the area about 12:22 p.m. It threw trees onto homes, yards and roads.
No injuries were reported.
The MoCo Show
One Family Displaced After House Fire in Olney on Friday Morning
Written by Patrick Herron
Published: June 3, 2022
A fire on the first and second floor of a two-story townhouse on the 32000 block of St. Augustine Court in Olney has left at least one family (including two adults and two children) displaced, according to Chief Spokesperson for Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services Pete Piringer. Close to 75 firefighters responded to the scene around 9:30am on Friday morning.
The fire has been extinguished and there were no injuries reported. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.
Credit: Tim Pruss, MyDrone.Pro
WUSA9 News
Flags for Heroes Rockville Rotary
Author: Hande Apaydin
Published: May 31, 2022
Beautiful aerial photography by community member and certified commercial drone pilot Tim Pruss from MyDrone.Pro. Rockville Rotary is highly grateful to Tim for his service in taking these beautiful photos of the Flags for Heroes field of Rockville Rotary and the City of Rockville.
Credit: Tim Pruss, MyDrone.Pro
WUSA9 News
Tornado confirmed in Olney; Here's how NWS determines strength of a tornado
Author: Makayla Lucero
Published: 11:42 PM EDT May 28, 2022
WASHINGTON — On Friday afternoon a confirmed EF-0 tornado touched down in Olney, Md. The tornado had peak winds of 80 mph and was on the ground for around 1 minute. Here's a look into the process the National Weather Service takes to determine the strength of a tornado.
After a tornado tears through a town, the National Weather Service will survey the damage. It will determine if the damage was caused by an actual tornado or something else, possibly straight-line winds or thunderstorm damage.
The surveyors will look at the pattern of the damage. If it is scattered, then it was likely tornado or thunderstorm damage. If debris has all fallen in the same direction, then it was likely straight-line wind damage.
If the type of damage turns out to be tornadic, the next step is to determine the strength of the tornado. NWS uses the Enhanced Fujita Scale to rate a tornado between 0 and 5 depending on estimated wind speeds and damage.
To assess the damage, NWS runs through its list of 28 different Damage Indicators (DI). Each DI has different Degrees of Damage (DoD) that help pinpoint how strong the tornado was.
Then the NWS will look for the following damage to the structure. It decides whether the damage falls within the upper bound (UB), lower bound (LB), or the expected (EXP) wind speeds.
Once the DoD has been determined, NWS will evaluate the possible wind speeds that could have caused that type of damage. This process is then repeated on different structures until a final rating can be reached.
Regarding the tornado in Olney, trees were used as the DI. The NWS reported that the DoD was dozens of snapped and downed trees which lead to rating the tornado as an EF-0.
Credit: Tim Pruss, MyDrone.Pro
The Greater Olney News
Olney's new collegiate baseball team prepares for season opener
Judy Hruz | judyhruz@gmail.com
May 25, 2022
Olney-area residents will soon be able to root, root, root for the home team when the Cropdusters take the field at Olney Boys and Girls Club this summer.
Cropdusters Baseball, a new addition to the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League, will play a two-month summer schedule, fielding some of the finest college players.
Tony Korson, a native Washingtonian, is the founder and president of the team and credits a local volunteer board for being "passionate" about baseball and the community.
Korson, the CEO of Koa Sports in Montgomery County, thought the Greater Olney community would be a good fit for the collegiate baseball team.
"I just thought we could do it really well," he said.
The 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization formed in 2021 and is only a few weeks away from its season opener. About 35 college baseball players will arrive for the season on June 1, bringing a "nice mix" of talent, Korson said.
Players must be on a college baseball team in order to play in the Ripken League.
The Cropdusters are coached by Adam Leader of Howard County, who played baseball at Wesley College.
Leader pitched and played middle infield.
He began coaching baseball after college and was named the head baseball coach at Reservoir High School in 2002 and is approaching his 300th win.
Cropdusters Baseball has a 20-year lease with Olney Boys and Girls Club (OBGC) to play at its Freeman Fields.
Korson approached OBGC Executive Director Brad Scott about a year and a half ago looking for support for a new team.
Scott said it was easy to agree. Having the collegiate baseball team on OBGC's campus would provide inspiration for OBGC's players and draw patrons to the facility.
"We can feel the sense of excitement building in community" he said.
He said OBGC has top baseball teams on the youth level, so those young athletes being able to see excellent collegiate athletes will enhance their skills.
"It's win for everyone", he said. "Such as huge win for everyone."
Scott and Korson approached Sen. Craig Zucker (D-Dist. 14) about funding for a stadium for the Cropdusters, which could be used for OBGC teams when the collegiate team is not using the facility.
Zucker and the District 14 lawmakers brought home $1 million from Annapolis for OBGC to build a new stadium with dugouts, seating, lights and other field improvements.
"We are extremely excited about this amazing project and the positive impact it will have for our entire community," Zucker said.
The stadium is expected to be completed by the summer of 2023, Scott said.
OBGC also received $1.75 million to build a multi-sport training facility on the campus.
MedStar Montgomery Medical Center will partner with OBGC on that project.
An aerial photo of Olney Boys and Girls Club's Freeman Fields, where the new Cropdusters will play.
Credit: Tim Pruss, MyDrone.Pro
WUSA9 News
Fireworks from Olney Days Party in the Park
Published: 4:34 PM EDT May 1, 2022
Credit: Tim Pruss, MyDrone.Pro