Author: Patrick Herron

Takoma Park

Early Morning House Fire Causes ~$100K in Damage; Three People Displaced

By Patrick Herron

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services responded to a house fire in the 7200blk of Maple Ave in Takoma Park around 5am on Friday, March 17. According to Chief Spokesperson for MCFRS Pete Piringer, the cause of the fire is still under investigation but it appears to have started in the basement of the home and involved mattress/bedding. There were no injuries reported.  Damage is estimated to be ~$100K (contents/structure) and three adults have been displaced. One resident of the home is unaccounted for but was likely not home at the time of the fire as the family had reported them as a missing person, according to Piringer.

Per @mcfrsPIO on Twitter: “Update – Maple Av, Takoma Park, house fire; Origin & Cause, still under investigation, however it appears to have started in basement, involving mattress/bedding, etc; Damage estimate ~$100K (contents/structure); 3 adults displaced (Red Cross assisting)”

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MoCo Government

Montgomery County Executive Elrich, Council President Glass to Join Committee Against Hate/Violence Antisemitism Panel Discussion on Wed., March 22, in Rockville

By Patrick Herron

Per Montgomery County: Montgomery County Council Executive Marc Elrich, County Council President Evan Glass and Councilmember Andrew Friedson are among those expected to join the County Committee Against Hate/Violence (CAHV) panel discussion on “Anti-Semitism in Montgomery County” at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, March 22. The in-person event at the County’s Executive Office Building in Rockville also will be viewable online.

The Executive Office Building is located at 101 Monroe Street in Rockville. The panel discussion can be viewed live online at https://www.facebook.com/CountyCableMoCo.

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Wheaton

Police Investigating Assault and Robbery of Elderly Woman at Giant

By Patrick Herron

Montgomery County Police are investigating an assault and robbery that occurred Thursday, March 16 in the parking lot of the Wheaton Giant. According to police, “At approximately 1:40 p.m., MCP officers responded to the Giant Food store in the 2900 block of University Blvd. West in Wheaton for the report of a robbery that just occurred.

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White Oak

Driver Strikes and Kills Pedestrian Thursday Afternoon

By Patrick Herron

A pedestrian was struck and killed on Columbia Pike at Stewart Lane on Thursday, March 16. According to Montgomery County Police, “At approximately 1:28 p.m., an adult male was crossing the northbound lanes of Columbia Pike in a westbound direction when he was struck by a Ford Explorer traveling northbound. The driver remained at the location and the pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene.” MCPD will issue a news release as more information becomes available, including the name of the deceased. 

2PM update: Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services and Montgomery County Police responded to a collision involving a pedestrian around 1:20PM on Thursday, March 16. According to public safety reporter Cordell Pugh, the incident occurred at Northbound US-29 Columbia Pike, near Stewart Ln in White Oak. Montgomery County Police tweeted the following at 2:12PM: “All lanes at northbound 29 at New Hampshire Ave. are closed. All southbound lanes of 29 are open. Drivers can use Old Columbia Pike as an alternate route to continue northbound on 29. Expect significant delays.” We will post an update when additional information is available.

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Germantown

Signage Up for Charleys at Germantown Wal-Mart

By Patrick Herron

Signage is up for Charleys Philly Steaks inside of the Germantown Walmart at 20910 Frederick Rd. Charleys is taking over the space formerly occupied by McDonald’s. Charleys will also be opening an additional Germantown location later this year at 19877 Century Blvd in Germantown, taking over the location that was previously home to Roll by Goodyear and Yogi Castle in the Shops at Town Center & Century Station shopping center. No opening date for the Wal-Mart Charleys has been announced.

Charleys opened a location at 405 N Frederick Ave in Gaithersburg, in the location that was recently home to Teriyaki Express, back in September and closed its Lakeforest Mall location in January.

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Bethesda

Arhaus to Open Soon in Montgomery Mall

By Patrick Herron

Westfield Montgomery has announced the signing of a new lease with Arhaus, a leader in artisan-crafted, sustainably sourced home furnishings and décor. The nearly 10,000 square-foot showroom will open on the lower level of the Nordstrom wing of the mall, providing shoppers with an inspiring destination to experience the brand’s heirloom-quality furnishings and complimentary design services.

“We are thrilled to have Arhaus open at Westfield Montgomery,” says Stuart Amos, Senior General Manager of Unibail-Rodamco Westfield. “The company’s sustainable mission and artisan-quality furniture and décor speaks directly to the values of the modern consumer in our region, and the new showroom will provide the sort of experience that our shoppers are looking to return to – one that emphasizes personal touches and in-real-life service.”

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Health

Governor Moore’s Statement Regarding Texas Hearing to Revoke FDA Approval of Mifepristone

By Patrick Herron

Per the State of Maryland: Governor Moore released the following statement regarding the Texas hearing seeking to revoke the FDA approval of Mifepristone: 

“Since the FDA approved two-dose medication for abortions more than 20 years ago, more than 5 million people have used mifepristone as a safe and effective healthcare option. Attempts to restrict access to mifepristone are not based on scientific justification—these are nothing more than politically motivated attacks to dismantle women’s rights to make decisions about their own health care.

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White Oak

Driver Strikes Pedestrian; Northbound 29 Closed at New Hampshire Ave

By Patrick Herron

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services and Montgomery County Police responded to a collision involving a pedestrian around 1:20PM on Thursday, March 16. According to public safety reporter Cordell Pugh, the incident occurred at Northbound US-29 Columbia Pike, near Stewart Ln in White Oak. Montgomery County Police tweeted the following at 2:12PM: “All lanes at northbound 29 at New Hampshire Ave. are closed. All southbound lanes of 29 are open. Drivers can use Old Columbia Pike as an alternate route to continue northbound on 29. Expect significant delays.” We will post an update when additional information is available.

CRITICAL INJURY PEDESTRIAN STRUCK: ~1:20PM Thursday, Northbound US-29 Columbia Pike near Stewart Ln (White Oak/MoCo, MD). 29 North CLOSED at MD-650 New Hampshire Ave; lanes will remain closed for Collision Reconstruction. #MDTraffic H/T @MoCoPGnews cc @ACTforTransit @MoCoFSS

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Rockville

Police and Family Concerned for Missing 14-Year-Old

By Patrick Herron

Per MCPD:

Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police – Special Victims Investigations Division (SVID) are asking for the public’s assistance in locating a missing 14-year-old from Rockville.  Tanease Callands was last seen on Tuesday, March 14, 2023, at approximately 3 p.m., near Northwest High School in the 13500 block of Richter Farm Rd. in Germantown.

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MoCo Government

Residents Asked to Participate in Survey on How to Expand and Improve Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure and Will Offer Webinars on April 13-14

By Patrick Herron

Per Montgomery County: Montgomery County’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is asking residents to participate in a survey on how the County could expand and improve charging infrastructure for electric vehicles (EVs). As part of the initiative, DEP will hold webinars on Thursday, April 13, and Friday, April 14, to share details about the planning process and collect more input. Beginning in 2023, significant funding will be available from Maryland and the Federal government for local governments and private property owners to install EV charging. To take advantage of this opportunity and accelerate the transition to EV ownership, DEP is developing a plan to expand the availability of EV charging throughout the community.

EVs charged in Montgomery County on Pepco’s electric grid reduce emissions by 70-75 percent, demonstrating that switching to an EV is one of the biggest ways to reduce the County’s carbon footprint. The market for electric vehicles is growing rapidly, with plug-in vehicles making up more than 12 percent of newly registered vehicles in 2022. There are currently about 600 EV charging plugs in the County, including 100 “Fast Charging” plugs. However, more charging infrastructure is needed to meet the current demand and allow more residents to feel confident making the transition to electric vehicles. To overcome “range anxiety”—a fear of running out of battery—drivers need to know that they can easily charge their vehicle nearby to where they live, work and visit regularly.

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Silver Spring

2023 ‘Women Making History Award’ Winners to be Honored by Montgomery Commission for Women and Montgomery Women on Thursday, March 16 in Silver Spring

By Patrick Herron

Per Montgomery County: The Montgomery County Commission for Women and Montgomery Women have named 32 women who were selected for the 2023 “Women Making History Awards.” They will be recognized at the Women Making History Celebration and panel discussion at 6:30 p.m. on March 16 at the Silver Spring Civic Building. The awards are given in recognition of outstanding women in Montgomery County who are making significant contributions to their vocations and to the community. Recipients and their accomplishments will be featured each day in March on the social media platforms of the Montgomery County Commission for Women and Montgomery Women.

This year’s recipients are:

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