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Finger-pointing and feuding after Montgomery fire chief pick fizzles

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Finger-pointing and feuding after Montgomery fire chief pick fizzles


In November, Montgomery County’s top elected official nominated fire department veteran Charles Bailey to be his next chief. The hope: Bailey’s deep experience, including steering the department through the covid-19 pandemic and running the large operations division, would lead to confirmation by the 11-member county council.

But four months later, Bailey — who serves as a division chief and would have been the county’s first Black fire chief — is out as a candidate. Open feuding has erupted between County Executive Marc Elrich (D) and the firefighters union about who is to blame. And Maryland’s most populous jurisdiction finds itself searching for new leaders at its fire and police departments simultaneously.

“The challenge is: Where do we go from here?” longtime Montgomery County Council member Gabe Albornoz (D-At Large) said. “These are challenging times for first responders and public safety leaders. We’ve got to get this right, but we can’t wait too long.”

Details behind the fire chief controversy are difficult to know. What’s clear is that the firefighters union raised enough concerns about Bailey in private meetings with council members that the matter was forwarded to the Montgomery County Inspector General’s Office, according to three officials with direct knowledge of the process who spoke on the condition anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss it publicly.

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On March 1, that office issued a vaguely worded news release regarding several incidents of alleged misconduct by “a senior Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services employee.” The inspector general concluded, according to its release, that in a 2021 incident, the senior employee violated fire department “hands-off” and decorum provisions and in a 2019 incident violated the department’s language decorum provisions. The news release didn’t detail the violations but instead offered a wide range of conduct covered by the provisions — including demeaning language, unwelcome touching and potentially injurious horseplay. The release didn’t name the officer, but multiple people with direct knowledge of the process said it was Bailey.

Four days later, with Bailey’s support on the council shaky, Elrich withdrew his backing and said he would find another candidate.

Elrich declined to discuss the inspector general’s report — a detailed version of which had been sent to his office on Feb. 28 — but he said last week that he still thought Bailey remained qualified for the job and wanted to renominate him. “I was ready to put him forward again,” Elrich said.

But he did not think Bailey would be confirmed. “Knowing that we did not have the votes on the council,” Elrich said, “there was no point in putting it back out there.”

Bailey declined to comment on the report and for this story, as did Inspector General Megan Davey Limarzi, who said she was precluded from discussing personnel matters.

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Running Montgomery’s fire and rescue agency is an enormous job. The suburb north of Washington yields an average of 300 emergency medical calls a day, plus another dozen for fires. The agency employs about 1,250 career firefighters and medics, has a large volunteer force and runs dozens of stations across 500 square miles of land.

Elrich’s search for a new fire chief dates back to last spring, when Fire Chief Scott Goldstein announced he would be retiring on June 30. How much Elrich listened to concerns about Bailey from Montgomery’s career firefighters union — Local 1664 of the International Association of Fire Fighters — also remains in dispute.

Union president Jeff Buddle said Elrich constantly rebuffed them. He provided a list of six times — from Nov. 28, 2022, to Nov. 13, 2023 — that the union raised its concerns, either in writing or verbally, about Bailey. On that final date, Buddle said, he specifically asked Erlich during a meeting in the county executive’s office whether he understood their concerns.

“The County Executive acknowledged the union’s concerns, but stated that he was moving forward with the nomination notwithstanding the union’s concerns,” Buddle said in a statement.

On Nov. 17, Elrich sent his official transmittal of Bailey’s name to Evan Glass, who was then president of the council, for possible confirmation. After such nominations, council members often talk among themselves about the candidates or meet individually with the candidate — as was the case with Bailey.

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They also heard from others. Senior leadership at the fire department – in the form of 12 division chiefs and assistant chiefs – wrote to endorse Bailey. “We are well-positioned to attest to his intellect, character, and overall focus on the health, safety, and wellbeing of all members of” the department, they wrote, saying that vision and adaptability also were needed. “It is crystal clear to us that Chief Bailey is that person.”

On Dec. 19, according to county records, Buddle also wrote Andrew Friedson (D-District 1), who took over as council president on Dec. 5, with the results of a survey distributed to 1,235 bargaining unit employees who were asked if they supported Bailey as their next chief. Of the 826 responses, 81 percent said they did not support the nomination.

Buddle declined to describe the concerns about Bailey that the union shared with council members, calling them serious “personnel-related matters.”

Nominations such as Bailey’s are generally good for 60 days. If the council doesn’t act on them, the county executive must resubmit the name. That didn’t happen in mid-January as Elrich and his aides instead tried to shore up support on the council for Bailey.

The county executive also said he couldn’t be sure that if he resubmitted Bailey’s name, the council would even schedule a public hearing on the nomination, which would have given Bailey a chance to address the criticisms publicly.

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Friedson said that at a certain point, Elrich’s office didn’t push the nomination.

“My focus as council president has always been to protect the integrity of the process and to ensure we are safeguarding the best interests of county residents, the fire rescue service, the council, the county government, and the nominee,” Friedson said in a statement this week. “I was in communication with the assistant chief administrative officer at various points throughout the process but was never informed that the [county executive] was interested in resubmitting the nomination or asked specifically by the county executive whether or not the council would schedule a public interview.”

Elrich acknowledged the union had spoken to his administration about incidents involving Bailey, but they could find no record of them being reported when they were said to have occurred. “We went back through HR and the reporting process in the department and not a single thing that they listed appeared in any record of having been ever raised with personnel or raised with the fire chief, ever,” Elrich said.

He suggested the union’s lobbying against Bailey was motivated to have him pick a candidate of its choice with a strong union background: “At the same time they’re doing this,” Elrich said, “they’re trying to push me to hire a fire chief who’s running a five-station department that was a former union president for 11 years.”

He broadly criticized bringing up years-old incidents that were said to have happened but were never reported as a way to undermine a nominee. Such criticisms, as it turned out, led to the inspector general referral on Jan. 2 and the news release, in broad strokes, of its findings on March 1.

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“This is scary,” Elrich said.

Elected in 2018, Elrich struggled a year later in his first search for a new police chief. Over more than six months, his first three choices — all external candidates — bowed out. He then selected Marcus Jones, a Montgomery Police Department veteran who had wanted the job from the beginning. Jones is set to retire this summer. Elrich told top council leaders he plans to interview two top commanders in the department and by early May hopes to have a name sent to the council for confirmation consideration.

In his search last year for a new fire chief, Elrich recalled, he spoke about Bailey with Buddle. “I mentioned Charles’s name, and he said he could work with him,” Elrich said. “He actually at one point, when he was dissatisfied with the way the previous chief had handled discipline issues, said he’d prefer that Charles handle those issues. We did that.”

Buddle, the fire union president, said that Elrich’s recollections about Bailey were incorrect and that Bailey had never been designated to handle disciplinary issues.

He declined to discuss the inspector general report, but he addressed it earlier in a statement to others in the union.

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“Our members who stepped forward to provide witness testimony should be commended for their courage in providing first-hand accounts of such misconduct,” Buddle wrote.

Before they did so, according to Buddle, the county executive had plenty of time to research their concerns.

“It is unfortunate the county executive seems to assign all the blame to the union,” Buddle wrote in an email, “for his own failure to properly vet yet another nominee for a significant position within his administration.”



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The Church of Jesus Christ has announced its 384th temple

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The Church of Jesus Christ has announced its 384th temple


The state of Washington is getting a seventh temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The Marysville Washington Temple was announced Sunday night during a devotional in the Marysville Washington Stake by Elder Hugo E. Martinez, a General Authority Seventy in the church’s United States West Area Presidency.

“We are pleased to announce the construction of a temple in Marysville, Washington,” the First Presidency said in a statement. “The specific location and timing of the construction will be announced later. This is a reason for all of us to rejoice and express gratitude for such a significant blessing — one that will allow more frequent access to the ordinances, covenants and power that can only be found in the house of the Lord.”

The other temples in Washington are the Columbia River, Moses Lake, Seattle, Spokane, Tacoma and Vancouver temples.

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The church has 214 temples in operation. Plans for another 170 temples have been announced; many of those temples are in various stages of planning and construction.

Sunday’s temple announcement follows the new practice of the church’s First Presidency, which determines where temples will be built — and when and how they will be announced.

The First Presidency directed a General Authority Seventy to announce the first temple in Maine at a fireside there in December.

In January, church President Dallin H. Oaks said the Maine announcement set the pattern for future temple announcements.

“The best place to announce a temple is in that temple district,” he told the Deseret News.

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The First Presidency will continue to decide where future temples will be built. It then will “assign someone else to make the announcement in the place where the temple will be built,” he said.

This pattern came to him as a strong impression after he assumed leadership of the church in October, following the death of his friend, President Russell M. Nelson.

This came as a strong impression to him shortly after he assumed the leadership of the church, President Oaks said.

The church remains in the midst of an aggressive temple-building era. President Nelson announced 200 new temples from 2018 to 2025. All but one were announced at general conference.

Five dozen temples are now under construction.

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President Oaks now has overseen the announcement of two temples, neither at a general conference.

At the October conference he said that “with the large number of temples now in the very earliest phases of planning and construction, it is appropriate that we slow down the announcement of new temples.”

Ten new temples are scheduled to be dedicated in the next six months.

  • May 3: Davao Philippines Temple.
  • May 3: Lindon Utah Temple.
  • May 31: Bacolod Philippines Temple.
  • June 7: Yorba Linda California Temple.
  • June 7: Willamette Valley Oregon Temple.
  • Aug. 16: Belo Horizonte Brazil Temple.
  • Aug. 16: Cleveland Ohio Temple.
  • Aug. 30: Phnom Penh Cambodia Temple.
  • Oct. 11: Miraflores Guatemala City Guatemala Temple.
  • Oct. 18: Managua Nicaragua Temple.

Two-thirds of the 170 temples still to be built are outside the United States.

Temples are distinct from the meetinghouses where Latter-day Saints worship Jesus Christ each Sunday. Temples are closed on Sundays, but they open during the week as sanctuaries where church members go to find peace, make covenants with God and perform proxy ordinances for deceased relatives.



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Washington football displays depth, talent at first spring scrimmage

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Washington football displays depth, talent at first spring scrimmage


On a perfect day in Seattle for football, Washington took the field inside Husky Stadium for its first scrimmage of spring practice, and ahead of his third season at the helm, Jedd Fisch seemed pleased with the results.

“Guys played and competed their ass off,” he said after the Huskies ran 120 plays. “That’s the type of day we want to have…We have a lot to work on, but we’re excited that today gave us this opportunity.”

The 120 plays had a little bit of everything, but the biggest thing the Huskies showed during the day was that, despite the inexperience that Fisch’s coaching staff is looking to lean on at several positions, there’s plenty of talent littering the roster. The best example of that is sophomore safety Paul Mencke Jr., who had his best practice in a Husky uniform after Fisch announced on Saturday that senior CJ Christian is out for the year after suffering a torn Achilles tendon during Tuesday’s practice at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.

“Paul’s done a great job of competing and being physical and playing fast, and you could see over these three years, he’s really grown into understanding now the system, and what’s asked of him as a safety,” Fisch said. “I think there’s a lot of in him that he wants to be like (safeties coach Taylor) Mays. He sees himself as a tall, linear, big hitter. So when you have your coach that is known for that type of play, I think Paul has done a great job.”

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Mencke was all over the field. Not only did he lay some big hits, just like his safeties coach did during his time at USC, but the former four-star recruit also tallied a pair of pass breakups, an interception in a 7-on-7 period, and multiple strong tackles to hold ball carriers to limited yards.

While the defense did a good job getting pressure throughout the day and making the quarterbacks hold the ball with different looks on the back end, with safety Alex McLaughlin, linebacker Donovan Robinson, and edge rusher Logan George all among the players credited for a sack, quarterback Demond Williams Jr. got an opportunity to show off how he’s improved ahead of his junior year.

Early on, he showed off his well-known speed and athleticism, making the correct decision on a read option, pulling the ball and scampering for a 25-yard gain before displaying his touch. Throughout the day, his favorite target was junior receiver Rashid Williams, whom he found on several layered throws of 15-plus yards in the various scrimmage periods of practice.

On a day when every able-bodied member of the team was able to get several reps of live action, here are some of the other noteworthy plays from the day.

Spring practice notebook

  • Freshman cornerback Jeron Jones was unable to participate in the scrimmage and was spotted working off to the side with the rest of the players rehabbing their injuries.
  • The running backs delivered a pair of big blows on the day. First, cornerback Emmanuel Karnley was on the receiving end of a big hit from redshirt freshman Quaid Carr before the former three-star recruit ripped off a 13-yard touchdown run on the next play. Later on, every player on offense had a lot of fun cheering on freshman Ansu Sanoe after he leveled Zaydrius Rainey-Sale, letting the sophomore linebacker hear all about it when the play was whistled dead.
  • Sophomore wide receiver Justice Williams put together a strong day with several contested catches, showing off his strong hands and 6-foot-4 frame, including a 25-yard catch and run off a drag route from backup quarterback Elijah Brown.
  • Of all the tackles for a loss the Huskies were able to rack up throughout the day, two stood out. First, junior defensive tackle Elinneus Davis burst through the middle of the line to wrap up freshman running back Brian Bonner. Later on, freshman outside linebacker Ramzak Fruean wasn’t even touched as he shot through a gap in the offensive line to track down a play from behind, letting the entire offensive sideline know about the play on his way back to his own bench.
  • The Huskies experimented with several defensive line combinations on Saturday, and for the first time this spring, it felt like freshman Derek Colman-Brusa took the majority of his reps alongside someone other than Davis, who he said has taken on an older brother role to help mentor the top-ranked in-state prospect in the 2026 class.

“Elinneus is a phenomenal guy. Great work ethic. He’s kind of taken on that older brother mentor for me. He’s been a great help just to learn plays and learn the scheme. Can’t say enough good things about the guy.”

  • Ball State transfer Darin Conley took a handful of reps with the first team, while rotating with Colman-Brusa, who got a lot of work in alongside Sacramento State transfer DeSean Watts.



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Sioux Falls art teachers show ‘incredible’ work at Washington Pavilion

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Sioux Falls art teachers show ‘incredible’ work at Washington Pavilion


Twenty Sioux Falls School District art teachers have their own original pieces on display at the Washington Pavilion’s University Gallery now through May 31.

The “Teachers as Artists” exhibit showcases their work not just as educators, but as artists inside and outside of the classroom, and highlights how art education builds critical thinking, creative problem-solving and self-expression skills.

Edison Middle School art teacher Meagan Turbak-Fogarty said she dreamt of such a showcase since her first year teaching.

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She and Kathy Dang, an art teacher at Marcella LeBeau Elementary School who also serves on the city’s Visual Arts Committee, partnered with the city and Washington Pavilion to bring the showcase to life.

Turbak-Fogarty has taught at Edison for five years and said her passion for art is “instantly felt” on her classroom walls, but that students have asked where they could see her art in the classroom, or what kind of art she creates in her own time.

“I always felt the feeling that I stand in front of all these kids every single day and preach about how much I love art, and how art has changed my life,” Turbak-Fogarty said. “That got me thinking, ‘I want to show them.’”

Some of her works on display at the Pavilion include art she created in her first year teaching, including a large Cheetos bag she created as an example for her eighth grade classroom when they were working on a large chip bag project. Turbak-Fogarty said she loves painting, working with acrylics and unconventional materials.

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“I wanted to show my students that art can be anything,” she said. “It doesn’t have to be hanging up in a museum to be considered art.”

Continuing to do her own art while teaching the subject helps keep her inspired, Turbak-Fogarty explained, adding that it helps her push her own creativity when it comes to projects she works on with students.

Samantha Levisay, an art teacher at John Harris Elementary School, showed three pieces in the show — “Moments in Time,” “Midnight Butterfly Garden” and “Whimsy” — with the same mixed media, watercolor and printmaking skills that she teaches in different units at every elementary grade.

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Levisay educates her students that “art is everywhere.” She said her favorite memories as an art teacher are “moments when I show students a lesson, and they take it even further.”

“Kids are so creative; I marvel at them all the time,” she said. “They inspire me every day with their endless creativity and imagination.”

Roosevelt High School art teacher Ruth Hillman showed two pieces in the show: “The Potato on the Wall,” a mixed media work, and a collection of her handmade clay charms in a shadow box.

She also wore some of her art — miniature potato earrings made of clay.

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Hillman is in her third year at RHS. When she’s not teaching art, she’s also making art, and sells her charms at shows like the Art Collective.

Washington High School art teacher Mollie Potter displayed a three-part painting series at the show that she said were inspired by her English language learner students’ stories, and how teachers help students “take flight,” as represented by balloons, parachutes and kites in her work.

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Porter said she is often inspired by her students’ art in the classroom; for example, one former student was obsessed with swans, and Porter said she later created a painting inspired by one of the student’s stories about swans.

At an April 17 reception, Mayor Paul TenHaken emphasized the arts as an “important economic driver in the community,” and said the show honored educators “who are artists in and of themselves,” but who might not have had a chance to display their art outside the classroom before.

“This is a way for us to honor them and show their incredible work,” TenHaken said.

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