MCS Staff, Author at The MoCo Show

Writing, Art Contests Now Open to Students

Published December 17, 2022 at 4:45PM

Three contests are now open for submissions—the Gaithersburg Book Festival’s poetry contest, the Partners for Automated Vehicle Education (PAVE) essay contest, and Arc Maryland’s art contest.

The 2023 Gaithersburg Book Festival’s annual high school poetry contest is now open for submissions. This year’s theme is “Diversity or Inclusion.” To participate, students must be enrolled in grades 9-12. The deadline is midnight on Thursday, Feb. 23. First, second and third place winners will receive $250, $100 and $50 gift certificates, respectively.

Rockville

Hulu Skewer House Nears Opening in Rockville Pike

By MCS Staff

Published December 17, 2022 at 2:46PM

Back in March, we let you know that Hulu Skewer House would be moving in to 1488-B Rockville Pike, the former location of Mi Rancho and On The Border before that, next to Yekta. The restaurant had its hearing with Alcohol Beverage Services for a beer, wine, and liquor license at 9:30am back on March 17, so final inspections appear to be the only thing left to go on the restaurant that’s nearing its opening (exact date not currently available).

Hulu Skewer House touts “the most authentic Chinese BBQ experience in Maryland.” It will offer a variety of skewers, appetizers, and Chinese cuisine. They will also have karaoke available on the second floor, which is currently being constructed. The space has been vacant since Mi Rancho closed its Rockville location since September 18th. Mi Rancho continues to operate its Germantown and Silver Spring locations.

MCFRS

Collision Involving Cement Truck and Six Other Vehicles Closes Colesville Rd on Saturday Afternoon

By MCS Staff

Published December 17, 2022 at 2:26PM

12:45pm Update: Montgomery Coutny Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) responded to a collision involving a loaded cement truck and six other vehicles. Several people were evaluated and two patients were transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Original report below:

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) have responded to a collision involving seven vehicles that has closed Colesville Rd at Franklin Ave in Silver Spring in both directions on Saturday afternoon. According to MCFRS Chief Spokesperson Pete Piringer, the collision does involve entrapment (someone trapped inside at least one of the vehicles). MCFRS crews are currently on the scene. Per Ready Montgomery: “Traffic incident closes Colesville Road (US-29) in both directions between Franklin Avenue and Sligo Creek Parkway. Expect significant delays. Seek alternate route.”

Rockville

Construction Begins at Old Sam’s Cafe Location in Rockville

By MCS Staff

Published December 17, 2022 at 2:12PM

In June we let you know that Lil’ Cakes & Creamery will be opening a new location at 844 Rockville Pike, the former site of Sam’s Cafe & Market, also known as Sam’s Hookah. Sam’s closed permanently at the end of March. Lil’ Cakes initially expected the new location to open in about 3-4 months, but it has taken a little longer than anticipated. Construction is now underway inside and we expect an opening in the first half of 2023.

Lil’ Cakes & Creamery offers a rotating selection of cupcakes and ice cream, as well as macarons, pupcakes, cookies, cookie sandwiches, pushpops, and milkshakes. Their Gaithersburg shop opened in October 2019 and is located a few stores down from the former site of Chuck E. Cheese’s (now Five Below) in Gaithersburg Square. They have additional locations in White Marsh and Urbana.

Rockville

Ebisu Life Store Expands; Adding Gashapon Toy Dispenser

By MCS Staff

Published December 17, 2022 at 2:03PM

Ebisu Life Store opened at 836 Rockville Pike, the former location of Shah and Patel Grocery, last January. The store has recently expanded to take over what was formerly home to Mattress Frame, with additional signage being put up today (photo below). In addition to the new signage, Ebisu is adding Gashapon, also known as gachapon, toy vending machines.

Per Japan Crate: “Gashapon are vending machines that sell capsule toys and other tiny products for a few hundred yen almost everywhere in Japan. They can be seen lining the Tokyo streets, restaurants, and retail malls. Gashapon toys is a distinctive feature of Japan and a compulsive type of amusement. The most thrilling moment is when you can finally open the capsule and see what’s inside after you’ve put some coins in the machine and started it. Items obtained from capsules inside gashapon machines are extremely well-liked and affordable. It features toys and trinkets such as keychains, figurines, and pouches of various kinds. You’ll need to be extremely lucky if there is something specific you are looking for to receive it on your first try.”

MCFRS

MCFRS Responds to Collision Involving Seven Vehicles on Saturday Afternoon

By MCS Staff

Published December 17, 2022 at 1:24PM | Updated December 17, 2022 at 2:24PM

12:45pm Update: Montgomery Coutny Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) responded to a collision involving a loaded cement truck and six other vehicles. Several people were evaluated and two patients were transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Original report below:

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) have responded to a collision involving seven vehicles that has closed Colesville Rd at Franklin Ave in Silver Spring in both directions on Saturday afternoon. According to MCFRS Chief Spokesperson Pete Piringer, the collision does involve entrapment (someone trapped inside at least one of the vehicles). MCFRS crews are currently on the scene. Per Ready Montgomery: “Traffic incident closes Colesville Road (US-29) in both directions between Franklin Avenue and Sligo Creek Parkway. Expect significant delays. Seek alternate route.”

Entertainment

Wootton’s Kelly Campbell Completes Her First year As President at NBC’s Peacock

By MCS Staff

Published December 17, 2022 at 10:04AM

Kelly Campbell, a MoCo native who graduated from Wootton High School in the mid 90’s, has just completed her first year as President of NBC Universal’s streaming service Peacock. Campbell joined Peacock in October 2021 and officially took over the role of President in November 2021 after a year and a half as President of Hulu. Prior to that, she was Hulu’s Chief Marketing Officer and spent 12 years at Google in multiple senior marketing roles.

Per an interview with Deadline, Campbell has “helmed a high-stakes Olympics pivot from poorly received Tokyo coverage last summer to a more fully committed, wall-to-wall outing at the Beijing Winter Games. She leveraged Super Bowl LVII to help Bel-Airbecome Peacock’s first original series breakout. On a broader level, she has led a strategic turn from the platform’s original focus on its free, ad-supported offerings toward boosting premium subscriber levels.”

Bethesda

Capital Cryo is Now Open in Rockville

By MCS Staff

Published December 17, 2022 at 9:13AM

Capital Cryo has recently opened at 835 Rockville Pike, Suite F in Rockville’s Wintergreen Plaza. This is Capital Cryo’s second MoCo location and third overall, offering cryotherapy and other innovative wellness services at their locations in Bethesda and the Wesley Heights neighborhood of Washington, DC. Their goal is to “help patients of all backgrounds improve their health and well-being using the latest technologies.”

Per Capital Cryo: The Capital Cryo team caters to everyone from professional athletes to DC area residents who wish to rejuvenate their overall wellness. Their on-site cryotherapy effectively treats chronic pain from injuries or a variety of underlying medical conditions. This therapy also boosts immunity and enhances recovery after sustaining injuries or completing surgery. The welcoming, knowledgeable staff at Capital Cryo provides the best-in-class equipment for localized and whole-body cryotherapy treatments.

Germantown

Concern for Missing 29-Year-Old Woman

By MCS Staff

Published December 16, 2022 at 9:11PM

Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police – 5th District Investigative Section are asking for the public’s assistance in locating a missing 29-year-old from Germantown.

Sha Li Zhang was last seen on the afternoon of Thursday, December 15, 2022, in the 23400 block of Clarksridge Road in Clarksburg, Maryland 20871.

WMATA

“Ghost Buses” Are a Thing of The Past, According to Metro

By MCS Staff

Published December 16, 2022 at 5:06PM

Per WMATA: Nobody likes to be ghosted, especially by a bus. So, it’s good news for Metrobus customers that “ghost buses” have been banished by recent technology upgrades at Metro. Today, Metrobus customers have more certainty that the location of a bus displayed on busETA is accurate. Previously, all scheduled buses were displayed on busETA regardless of whether a bus was in service or not, meaning that a bus taken out of service for a mechanical issue, operator availability, or other issue would be displayed on busETA but would not show up for an expecting customer.

“These upgrades to busETA are part of our commitment to listen to customer concerns and work as hard as possible to improve their experience using Metro,” said Metro Senior Vice President of Bus Services Leroy Jones. “Ghost buses are one of the biggest frustrations we hear about the Metrobus experience, and this change will help take the guesswork out of planning your trip.” Customers using busETA whether on their desktop computer or mobile web application will already notice the improvements. Customers that rely on displays at bus stops will see similar improvements in the coming weeks.

Beyond MoCo

Metro and Washington Commanders team up to run trains “overtime” to get fans home after the game Sunday night

By MCS Staff

Published December 16, 2022 at 5:01PM

When the Washington Commanders take the field on Sunday night against the New York Giants, fans will be able to cheer on the home team knowing Metro will stay open an extra hour late to get them home after the game. The extended service, announced today by Metro and the Commanders, is being funded by the team to cover the $100,000 cost to run more trains, keep all 97 stations open, and other operational expenses.

Under the agreement, the Commanders will provide free fare for all customers that want to stay until the end of the game and use Metro during the additional hour of service. Extra Blue and Silver line train service will operate during the one-hour extended service in the direction of Ashburn and Franconia-Springfield. Fans and workers leaving the game will be able to enter only at the Morgan Boulevard and Downtown Largo stations. All other stations will be exit only during this time. On Sunday, December 18, the last trains will now depart as follows: