Author: MCS Staff

Darnestown

Pho City Will Close Permanently Today After Approximately 15 Years in Gaithersburg

By MCS Staff

Pho City, which has been located at The Shops of Potomac Valley shopping center at 12123 Darnestown Rd. in Gaithersburg for approximately 15 years, is closing permanently today the store confirmed on the phone.

We are told that the restaurant has been sold to a restaurant that plans to offer Chinese-style beef noodle soup, but there is no current timeframe for when the new restaurant will open.  The shopping center has also recently lost Neal’s Bagels, which recently moved to a nearby Kentlands location. and there hasn’t much movement at the Wayback Burgers restaurant that installed permanent signage about one year ago. Isaac’s Poultry Market opened in the shopping center earlier this year. Featured photo courtesy of Google Maps.

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DMV

Excessive Heat Warning and Heat Advisory in Effect Until 8pm

By MCS Staff

An Excessive Heat Warning is in effect for half the county with a Heat Advisory in effect for the other half until 8pm Saturday night. The National Weather Service warns of “Dangerous heat index values of 100-110 are forecast for much of the area again today. Scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms are expected, especially this afternoon and evening. Some storms may be severe and produce locally damaging winds.”

A “cold front” will move in tomorrow with temperatures in the mid/upper 80s and a heat index in the lower 90s, which will still feel hot, but about 15° cooler than the last couple days have felt. The upcoming week will bring temperatures in the mid 80s, which will give us a little break from the recent extreme heat.

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Downtown Silver Spring

Outback Steakhouse Moves Closer Toward Opening Newest MoCo Location

By MCS Staff
Image courtesy Outback Steakhouse

Back in March we let you know that Outback Steakhouse will be opening its third Montgomery County location. The Australian-themed casual dining chain will open in the space that was previously home to Not Your Average Joe’s  at 8661 Colesville Rd at Ellsworth Place in Downtown Silver Spring. Construction is currently ongoing and the restaurant has its hearing with Montgomery County’s Alcoholic Beverage Services (ABS) for a New Class B, Beer, Wine & Liquor License, On-Sale Only, license at 11:30am on Thursday, August 3rd (reported first by Source of the Spring). An opening timeframe is not yet available, but it will be the chain’s third Montgomery County location, joining existing restaurants in Aspen Hill and Germantown.

While Outback Steakhouse is an international chain, one of the founders has strong local ties. Chris T. Sullivan, one of the founders of Outback Steakhouse, is a Blair High School alumnus. Sullivan attended the school, and Takoma Park Middle School before that, in the 60s before heading to the University of Kentucky to study business and economics.

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Bethesda

Wagshal’s Market and BBQ at Bonfield’s is Now Open in Bethesda

By MCS Staff

Wagshal’s Market and BBQ at Bonfield’s is now open, offering quality produce, a meat and seafood market, and Pitmaster’s Back Alley BBQ at 6124 MacArthur Blvd. in Bethesda.

In operation for over 90 years, Wagshal’s has been one of Washington, DC’s premier delicatessen and gourmet market. “We take pride in purchasing the finest ingredients from LOCAL farmers, some of whom our relationships go back more than 25 years.” Wagshal’s Pitmaster’s Back Alley BBQ uses tried and true recipes from across the nation. Offering specialties from Ibérico de Bellota Costilla (Spanish pork ribs) to Pitmasters Chickpit Sandwich.

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Restaurants

Starbucks Has Opened its Newest MoCo Location

By MCS Staff

Last October we let you know that Peet’s Coffee would be closing its Silver Spring location with a Starbucks taking over the storefront at 1316 East-West Highway at The Blair’s Shopping Center in Silver Spring. The store has opened, and Instagram user @nerdysporks has shared some photos on their Instagram story (one photo seen below).

The Berkeley, California-born Peet’s coffee chain that closed, originally planned to open 23 locations in the DC area in 2014/2015, with the first debuting at 1701 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW. MoCo locations included the Silver Spring location and two Bethesda locations– one in Montgomery Mall that closed in 2017 and one at 7629 Old Georgetown Rd that closed in 2020 after 6 years. Featured photo courtesy of Instagram user @_zainyyy_

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Maryland

Did You Know Maryland is The Only State Without Any Natural Lakes? FAQ About Lakes in Maryland

By MCS Staff

Per the Maryland Geological Survey: Q1: Is it true that Maryland does not have any natural lakes? A1: Yes, there are no natural lakes in Maryland. All of Maryland’s lakes are manmade by damming rivers. Some have been named lakes (e.g., Lake Habeeb in Allegany County and Deep Creek Lake in Garrett County), but most have been named reservoirs (e.g., Loch Raven Reservoir in Baltimore County).

Q2: Did Maryland ever have any natural lakes in the past? A2: Yes. We know of at least one, and there could be more. The one clearly documented case is Buckel’s Bog, which was a 160-acre, shallow periglacial lake (actually a glade) that occupied the headwater region of the North Branch of the Casselman River in Garrett County during the late Pleistocene (19,000-14,000 years ago). [Reference: Maxwell, J.A. and Davis, M. B., 1972, Pollen evidence of Pleistocene and Holocene vegetation of the Allegheny Plateau, Maryland: Quaternary Research, 2(4): 506-530.]

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MoCo Police

Special Victims Investigation Division Seeks Public’s Assistance to Locate 15-Year-Old Missing Since July 11

By MCS Staff

Per Montgomery County Police:  The Special Victims Investigations Division is asking for the public’s assistance in locating a missing 15-year-old, Sophia Isabella Roach (age 15).

Sophia was last seen on Tuesday, July 11, 2023 at approximately 9:30 p.m. on the 5600 block of Whitney Mill Way in Rockville. She is 5’2″, brown hair, brown eyes. The clothing she was wearing is unknown. Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Sophia Isabella Roach is asked to call Montgomery County Police Non-Emergency (301) 279-8000 (24-hour line).

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Beyond MoCo

Mosquitos Infected With West Nile Virus Found in Maryland

By MCS Staff

Mosquitos infected with West Nile Virus were trapped in Maryland– in two parts of Anne Arundel County on July 11, authorities said, and some were also found in the Bowie area of Prince George’s County. So far, no human cases have been reported. “For most people that get West Nile, they have zero symptoms. No symptoms at all,” said Johns Hopkins University senior scholar and physician Dr. Amesh Adalja (per FOX 5).

In response, the Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA), in cooperation with the Prince George’s County and Anne Arundel County Health Departments, expanded mosquito control services in areas due to a public health concern over the potential for mosquito-borne diseases. While not all mosquitoes carry diseases, MDA  suggests that residents take precautions to minimize their exposure to mosquito bites. These measures include:

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DMV

Heat Index Could Reach 110° Today; Excessive Heat Warnings and Heat Advisories in Effect

By MCS Staff

Per the National Weather Service: “Hot and humid conditions continue today, with heat indices around 110 degrees along the I-95 corridor this afternoon. Excessive Heat Warnings and Heat Advisories are in effect. Isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms are also possible.”

The heat and humidity continues today (Friday, July 28th) with the heat index likely at/over 105° for the entire county and at/over 110° for some. Afternoon/evening thunderstorms are possible today. Tomorrow will also be very hot and humid with afternoon thunderstorms possible as a “cold front” enters to bring temperatures in the mid to upper 80s on Sunday and into the start of the week.

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Beyond MoCo

Commanders Back to DC? New Legislation Creates Path That Could Make it Happen

By MCS Staff

House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) and Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) introduced the D.C. Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) Memorial Stadium Campus Revitalization Act, bipartisan legislation that transfers administrative jurisdiction over the RFK stadium site from the Secretary of the Interior to the Administrator of the General Services Administration (GSA). The bill will allow GSA to enter into a lease with the District of Columbia, under which D.C. may use the land for stadium redevelopment, commercial and residential development, or other public purposes.

“The House Oversight Committee remains committed to working with Washington, D.C. officials to ensure a capital that is prosperous for residents and visitors for generations to come. After discussing city initiatives with D.C. Mayor Bowser and other local stakeholders, it has become clear that addressing the deteriorating conditions at the RFK Memorial stadium site is a top economic priority for the city,” said Chairman James Comer. “I’m proud to introduce the bipartisan D.C. Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Campus Revitalization Act, which is long overdue legislation that will provide D.C. leaders the opportunity to revitalize the RFK stadium site. This legislation is set to pave the way for local officials to create meaningful new jobs, add millions in city revenue, and transform the Anacostia River waterfront into a lively destination for all.”

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