Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) has announced that schools will be closed on Monday, November 28th, 2022. The closure is due to power outages across the county stemming from a plane crash earlier today in Gaithersburg.
Per MCPS: MCPS schools and offices will be closed Monday, Nov. 28, due to a widespread power outage and its impact on safety and school operations.
Per Montgomery College: “All Montgomery College campuses and locations will be CLOSED, Monday, November, 28, 2022 due to massive county wide power outage.”
Montgomery County Public Schools will also be closed.
Per MCPS at 10:06pm on Sunday, November 27: “Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) will continue to assess the impact of the power outage on school system operations. We will have an announcement later this evening. Currently, more than 40 schools and 6 central office facilities are without power, affecting a number of key services such as maintenance, buses and food services.”
A plane crash occurred in Gaithersburg around 5:30pm on Sunday night that has caused outages across the county. Based on the 10:06pm announcement, a decision will likely be made at some point tonight.
MCPS has announced it is “monitoring the situation concerning the large power outage in many areas of the county. Any message about impacts to school operations will come later as more information becomes available.” after a plane crashed has led to widespread power outages across the county.
The plane crash occurred around 5:30pm on Sunday night. According to the latest information from Montgomery County Fire & Rescue, there appears to be three individuals inside the plane, which is currently suspended about 100ft. As of right now there are no injuries reported. Fire and rescue crews are working to rescue the occupants of the plane, but at this time the power lines surrounding the plane are still energized.
Last October we let you know that Sweetgreen would be moving in to the former Verizon Wireless space, located next to Downtown Crown Beer & Wine, in Gaithersburg. Verizon has since moved within Crown, and construction on the upcoming Sweetgreen restaurant began a couple months back. Permanent signage is now up at the restaurant and while we don’t have an expected opening date, we anticipate an early 2023 opening.
Sweetgreen currently has three MoCo locations, in Bethesda, Downtown Silver Spring, and Pike & Rose. Crown has been without a salad fast-casual restaurant since Chopt closed in early 2020 and has since moved that location to the Kentlands neighborhood. Sweetgreen is joining Lovesac and Bath and Body Works, which are both also planning to open new locations in Downtown Crown.
Updated to reflect that Taco Don Perez will be taking over the location
K Town Bistro, located at 3784 Howard Ave in Kensington, has been listed as “permanently closed” for a few weeks. We have been told the restaurant closed at the beginning of November and the website has been updated to include only the following message: “Thank you for the support these past 12 years. It was a pleasure serving you all. The bistro will be passed on to a new ownership“
Doug Kammerer, chief meteorologist at NBC4, has released his winter weather out look for the upcoming 2022-2023 season. Earlier this month we shared highlights from Mike Thomas and Fox 5’s winter weather outlook, which may have been a little more promising for snow lovers than NBC4’s is.
Kammerer starts his local outlook with “I think we will be wearing the rain coats and umbrellas a whole lot more than the winter coats and snow boots.” Not quite what snow lovers want to hear, but what’s to be expected with a La Niña pattern. La Niñas usually lead to warmer weather for our area with just one La Niña winter producing with none bringing more than average snowfall since the year 2000. Kammerer goes on to predict “one of the warmest winters ever!” stating that the winter could wind up as one of the five warmest winters in our area’s history. He thinks January will be the coldest month and predicts just 1-6” of snow for the entire winter, which is far less than the 9-18” predicted by Fox 5.
The Atlanta Falcons are coming to town to try to slow down the surging Washington Commanders, who have won five of their last six games. Head Coach Arthur Smith is being credited for being a part of making a Falcons team that was expected to be one of the worst in the league play competitive football and remain in the playoff hunt in the NFC. Smith is a graduate of Georgetown Prep (North Bethesda). Two of his players, Arnold Ebitekie (Einstein High School) and defensive tackle Derrick Tangelo of the practice squad (Bullis High School) also have strong MoCo ties.
Arthur Smith played a big role in the development of Derrick Henry as one of the best running backs in the NFL, turning the Tennessee Titans offense around, and helping the team make the playoffs in consecutive years before earning the head coaching job in Atlanta. Smith, who graduated from Georgetown Prep in 2001, guided the Little Hoyas to an undefeated season and an IAC championship as a senior. He was inducted into the Georgetown Prep Athletic Hall of Fame in 2017, just two years before being promoted to offensive coordinator for the Titans. Smith started his NFL coaching career when he was named the defensive quality control coach for Washington back in 2007. You may have also heard of his father’s company–Arthur Smith’s father, Frederick W. Smith, is the founder, chairman, president, and CEO of FedEx (the sponsor of Washington’s stadium).
Local singer Pete Looney, who has been providing entertainment across the county and DC Metro Area for years, has passed away according to a post on his Facebook page. His children, Pat and Monika, released the following statement announcing a Celebration of Life that will take place on Sunday, December 11th:
The Celebration of Life will take place on Sunday, December 11th at 7pm-9pm at Windridge Vineyards (15700 Darnestown Road). Light bites and some wine will be provided. The event organizers ask anyone who is planning to attend to mark “going” on the Facebook event page so that they can plan accordingly.
Per MCPL: For most of the 1960s and 70s, Gaithersburg was an entertainment mecca for the greater DC area. Shady Grove Music Fair—first under a big-top tent and then in a theater-in-the-round venue complete with a revolving stage—hosted Broadway hits and a wide variety of pop, rock and soul singers. Stars included Simon and Garfunkel, Bruce Springsteen, Aretha Franklin, Bette Midler, Duke Ellington and even the Jackson 5 for a full week with tickets starting at an unbelievable $4.75. After only 16 years, the curtain came down for the last time in 1978—but what an amazing run!
Our popular speaker, Ralph Buglass, is a member of the Montgomery County Speaker Bureau and an avid history buff. With Peerless Rockville, he is co-author of Images of America: Rockville, a pictorial history of the city’s 250 years. Buglass has taught at lifelong learning institutes associated with Johns Hopkins and American universities and Montgomery College.
Winter City Lights is described as “a magical holiday experience of 1 million twinkling lights spread across 18-acres of an outdoor winter wonderland where it is guaranteed to Winter City snow every night.” It’s now open 4501 Olney Laytonsville Road in Olney (preview below).
Per Winter City Lights: This is the largest light show in the Washington DC and Baltimore area. Winter City Lights is one of the most technologically advanced Christmas light experiences in the country. Complete with 14 bonfires, Winter City Lights includes an enchanted 1.5-mile long trail of Christmas lights and displays through the woods, a 52-foot high programmable Christmas lights tree and light show, a 200-foot diameter canopy of Christmas lights, an 8 lane Snow Tubing Ride, s’mores, funnel cakes & more.