Two Hands Seoul Fresh Corn Dogs has closed at Westfield Wheaton Mall (11160 Veirs Mill Rd). The restaurant opened on the mall’s upper level in April 2022.
Germantown Event Sees Approximately 150 Firearms Turned in, Including Ghost Guns and 3D-Printed Guns
According to the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office, around 150 firearms were turned in at the Interfaith Gun Buyback event held Sunday, April 20 in Germantown.
Talent is one of the most important factors influencing where companies choose to invest, expand, and grow. As competition for skilled workers intensifies, employers are embracing a broader talent strategy: one that leverages partnerships. Last week, almost 120 business leaders, elected officials, and members of Montgomery County’s business community attended the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation’s (MCEDC) panel, “The Talent Advantage: A Growth Strategy for Companies in Montgomery County, Maryland,” to hear how local businesses are capitalizing on the County’s world-class academic institutions, innovation ecosystem, quality of life, and economic development resources to attract and retain top talent.
Moderated by Dr. Anne Khademian, Executive Director at The Universities at Shady Grove (USG), the panel included executives from businesses and institutions across industries, including Lockheed Martin, TrilliumBIO, Thales Defense & Security, Johns Hopkins, Montgomery College, and AstraZeneca, who discussed their companies’ strategies for developing their workforce.
Talent as a Business Strategy
For companies competing in highly specialized industries like the defense industry, access to talent directly influences where they choose to locate and grow. For Lockheed Martin, which employs nearly 1,000 people in Montgomery County, talent is one of the primary reasons the company chose to be headquartered here.
“Talent is in the top one or two reasons why we are in the County,” said Todd Cohen, Senior Lead of Strategic Workforce Development, Lockheed Martin.
According to Cohen, Lockheed Martin begins working with partners to develop their talent pipeline well before students enter the workforce, including partnering with Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) on programs such as coding challenges. Lockheed Martin also maintains close relationships with local higher education institutions, including the Universities at Shady Grove (USG).
That local talent pipeline is also an important factor for AstraZeneca, which employs more than 5,000 employees and contractors in Montgomery County. According to Tiffany Lukis, Director of STEM and Community Engagement at AstraZeneca, the company often taps into its alumni base from Montgomery College (ranked #26 nationally among community colleges) and USG (which offers nine different public universities onto one campus), and other local institutions to fill highly technical roles.
Local Companies Are Developing Talent and Not Just Finding It
According to the panelists, investing in existing employees is just as important as recruiting new ones.
At Suburban Hospital, workforce development is closely tied to talent retention. The hospital partners with local educational institutions to provide employees with opportunities to gain new skills and advance their careers. Programs include a Certified Nursing Assistant program through Montgomery College and English as a Second Language classes.
“A huge part of our talent strategy is to prioritize holding on to our top tier talent,” said Corey Lewson, MSW, Program Manager, Workforce Development, John Hopkins Medicine.
For smaller companies, developing talent internally can be especially valuable. Lane Edwards, Vice President of Operations, TrilliumBIO, a biomarker discovery company with fewer than 20 employees based in Rockville, described the challenge of balancing the need for highly specialized expertise with the realities of building a team at an early-stage company.
“When it comes to hiring, we have to be very strategic,” Lane said. “Do we have someone who has the expertise or someone that we can build on?”
Normandie Farm Restaurant at 10710 Falls Rd, closed in June 2022. At the time it was expected that new ownership would be taking over with plans reopen the restaurant in late summer, but that didn’t occur. The space was taken over by DC’s H2-Collective, the group who recently reopened Comus Inn last week.
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) responded to a collision with rollover at approximately 6:30am on Monday, April 22 in Gaithersburg.
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Music. Art. Food. Community. The Takoma Park Folk Festival brings it all together for one free, unforgettable day. Discover six stages of live music from around the world, shop an acclaimed juried craft show, enjoy international cuisine, connect with local community organizations, and let the kids explore crafts and activities in the Children's Nook. It's one of the region's most beloved traditions, and a celebration of the creativity, diversity, and welcoming spirit that has long defined Takoma Park.
New this year! Jam at the Crossroads is a place for musicians of all levels to come together and be part of the music.
Last year, developers Bernstein Management and Finmarc Management pulled the first permits that will allow for construction to begin on the upcoming White Oak Town Center (12345 Columbia Pike). A couple weeks back we let you know that eight tenants have signed on for the upcoming shopping center, and now we know that the retail stores are expected to begin opening by July, according to Montgomery County Councilmember Kristin Mink.
Last weekend, Montgomery County resident Ellen Gira was the winner of a Canadian Folk Music Award for “Traditional Album of the Year” along with her duo partner, fiddler, and step dancer Jocelyn Pettit.
WeRateDogs is a popular Twitter/X account that rates people’s dogs on a scaled of 1-10 (with just about every dog exceeding the maximum rating) along with a humorous comment about the dog. The account was started in 2015 by college student Matt Nelson, and this week’s YouTube video included a dog from Rockville, MD coming in at #1 (full video below).
According to the Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, “Montgomery County has activated a Hypothermia Alert for extreme cold from 2am Monday, 4/22 until 8am Monday, 4/22. Expect the wind chill to be below 32 degrees. Wear layers if you go outside. Take extra precautions if you spend significant time outdoors”
At approximately 7:58 pm on Sunday night, Takoma Park Police responded to the area of Maple Avenue and Sligo Creek Parkway for a report of a “personal injury collision.”
The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued Freeze Warnings and Frost Advisories that are in effect for portions of the area from 2am tonight through 8am Monday morning.
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Montgomery Parks will be hosting its second annual Roller Disco event on Friday, May 17th from 6pm to 8pm at Ridge Road Recreational Park in Germantown. Additional information about the event is available below, courtesy of Montgomery Parks: