Author: Patrick Herron

Bethesda

MCFRS Respond to 2-Alarm Fire at Apartment Complex

By Patrick Herron

Update: Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services responded to a 2-alarm fire at the Grosvenor House Apartments located at 10101 Grosvenor Pl. around 12:30pm on Thursday, August 25. The building was evacuated and the fire was controlled by the building’s sprinkler system. According to Chief Spokesperson for MCFRS Pete Piringer, there was an electrical fire inside of the utility closets on the 9th and 10th floor of the building which caused heavy smoke conditions on the upper levels of the 18-story building. The fire originated in an “electric busway where two sections of busway join and was most likely caused by a significant arc which blew through metal housing of busway.”

Floors 8,9 & 10 of the north wing are uninhabitable and residents from around 30 apartments have been displaced.  Around 85 firefighter responded to the scene and there no injuries reported. Damages are estimated be $800K, which includes $750K in structure and $50K contents.

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Health

Community Message from the MCPS Medical Officer Regarding COVID-19

By Patrick Herron

Montgomery County Public schools sent out the following community message from MCPS Medical Officer Patricia Kapunan, M.D. on Thursday, August 25:

Vaccines are an important way to lower individual risk of severe complications from COVID-19 infection. A high vaccine coverage rate helps reduce the overall burden of COVID-19 on the school community and helps keep learning going, as individuals with milder symptoms will miss fewer school or work days. We continue to strongly recommend students receive all recommended COVID-19 vaccines and boosters for which they are eligible. At this time, COVID-19 vaccination is required for staff unless approved for a medical exemption. We will continue to provide opportunities for students, staff and family members to receive COVID-19 vaccines atafter-school and weekend events.

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Bethesda

Opening Information for Malia’s Kitchen in Montgomery Mall

By Patrick Herron

Malia’s Kitchen will be holding the grand opening of its new Montgomery Mall food court location on Thursday, September 1. Malia’s is taking over the space that was previously occupied by Lazzaro’s Authentic Italian Deli and Big Al’s Sub Shop. Malia’s Kitchen serves soul food and seafood, which they describe as the best “homemade” down home cooking in the DMV. Items on their menu includes crab cakes, fried chicken, fried fish, and BBQ.

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Montgomery Village

Opening Information for Starbucks in Montgomery Village

By Patrick Herron

The brand new Starbucks in the Montgomery Village Shopping Center is scheduled to open Thursday, August 25. Employees at the location tell us they plan to be open for business by noon. The Starbucks is located at the former site of the Montgomery Village Denny’s at 19290 Montgomery Village Ave.

Earlier this month we reported that Hangry Joe’s will be coming to the space next to the new Starbucks.  Hangry Joe’s opened a location at 2533 Ennals Ave in Wheaton back in May and has additional locations opening at 10050 Darnestown Road in the Travilah Square shopping center and at 718-B Rockville Pike.

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Restaurants

Update on Copper Canyon Grill in Silver Spring, Which Closed After a Kitchen Fire in July

By Patrick Herron

According to a representative from the restaurant, Copper Canyon Grill at 928 Ellsworth Dr in Silver Spring has recently begun renovations after a kitchen fire closed the location on July 12.  No official reopening date has been announced. Copper Canyon has additional an MoCo location in Gaithersburg (Rio) and it’s sister restaurant the Stanford Grill has a location in Rockville.

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services responded to a fire at the restaurant on July 12,  around 8:45am. According to Chief Spokesperson for MCFRS Pete Piringer,  the fire was located in the duct work of the restaurant and there was smoke coming from the roof of the building, above the kitchen.  Around 65 firefighters have responded to the scene. The restaurant posted the following on their Instagram page shortly after the incident:

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Bethesda

MacGuffins Bar Now Open at AMC Theater in Montgomery Mall

By Patrick Herron

MacGuffins Bar opened earlier this month inside of AMC Theaters at Montgomery Mall (7101 Democracy Blvd, Bethesda). MacGuffins is AMC’s in-house bar that offers beer, wine, and mixed drinks to moviegoers. According to AMC, “the term “macguffin,” coined by Alfred Hitchcock, refers to a plot device that propels a movie forward. Our specialty cocktails, craft beers and premium wines will be just the thing to turn this movie experience into a story worth remembering.”

Now pouring. Order from MacGuffins Bar in #AMCTheatres and enjoy! pic.twitter.com/AY6cxIolTK

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Gaithersburg

Gaithersburg Construction Worker Purchases $50,000 Winning Scratch Off from Rockville 7-Eleven

By Patrick Herron

“My wife’s winnings were enough for me to buy a game that I had tried a few times with pretty good success,” the 47 year-old construction worker explained to lottery officials. Jose told us that he buys a ticket just about every day when he picks up his wife from work. “It was the VIP CLUB game I had my eye on.  It has a $2 million top prize!”

Scratching his ticket, Jose saw what he thought was a $50 match. “I scanned it, just to be sure and right away saw the $50 prize, followed by a bunch of zeros. It was confusing at first, until I realized that I’d won $50,000.” The Montgomery County couple refused to believe what they were seeing until the clerk confirmed it, which he quickly did. “My wife shouted and jumped up in the air.”

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Gaithersburg

Gaithersburg Couple Wins $1 Million Scratch-off Prize

By Patrick Herron

“We were excited. We were happy and we cried,” she said, recalling that the family members surrounded her after the win. The Montgomery County resident is an online sales associate and her husband is a construction worker. She wants to use the money to start her own business. Her adult daughter works at a hair salon and the “Double Winners” might help the daughter start her own salon. “I plan to help family with this money,” she said. “We might take a few vacations, too.”

Some players might stop playing after winning $1 million, but “Double Winners” said she will continue to seek another trip to the Winner’s Circle at Lottery headquarters. “I will continue to buy scratch-offs,” she said.

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Maryland

Governor Hogan Announces Maryland’s State Small Business Credit Initiative Programs Now Open

By Patrick Herron

“The State of Maryland’s small business programs are proven and effective, providing critical relief during the pandemic and supporting strong economic growth during our ongoing recovery,” said Governor Hogan. “This additional funding will ensure Maryland continues to remain open for business by supercharging these programs to increase capacity and better serve entrepreneurs and small businesses, especially those creating jobs and other opportunities that fuel the revitalization of disinvested communities.”

Created by Congress in 2010, SSBCI received a $10 billion allocation as part of the American Rescue Plan Act. Maryland was the first state in the nation to submit its SSBCI deployment plan to the United States Treasury Department and was one of the first five states to be approved. The nine programs funded by SSBCI will support businesses with limited opportunities for growth whether due to the pandemic or historic disinvestment. Maryland’s statewide SSBCI initiatives will target communities and areas with a high concentration of small, micro, and Socially and Economically Disadvantaged Individual (SEDI) businesses to support ongoing state investments in underserved communities.

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