Beyond MoCo

Small Plane Bound for Gaithersburg Lands in New Jersey After Smoke Reported in Cockpit

By Patrick Herron

A small single-engine Piper PA-32 plane that was headed to the Montgomery County Airpark in Gaithersburg was forced to make an emergency landing in New Jersey on Sunday morning after the pilot reported smoke in the cockpit, according to a report by FOX 5.  The plane, which had initially departed from Norwood Regional Airport in Norwood, MA landed safely at Teterboro Airport in Bergen County, NJ around 11am. It is not know how many people were aboard the plane at the time of the incident.  Per Wikipedia, the Piper PA-32 is a single-engine, light aircraft manufactured in the United States by Piper Aircraft and is used around the world for private transportation, air taxi services, bush support, and medevac flights.

According to US News & World Report, the FAA is investigating the incident and that “The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which owns and manages the airport, did not immediately respond to questions about the incident, and local police also did not respond.”

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Traffic

Montgomery County Will Increase Ride On Bus Service Starting Sunday, May 8, with Direct Service From Kensington to Wheaton Added

By Patrick Herron

“We know that many residents depend upon the Ride On bus system for daily trips throughout the County such as work, daycare, health services and other essential trips,” said MCDOT Director, Chris Conklin. “These service improvements are a step in the right direction. They provide access and opportunity to residents who need it.”

Passengers using Montgomery County’s Ride On buses are encouraged to wear a mask, but are no longer required to wear them. The change to the County’s mask policy comes after the announcement on April 18 that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) decided to suspend enforcement of its mask mandate on all modes of public transportation. TSA’s decision came after a Federal judge’s ruling that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s mask mandate was unconstitutional.

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Bethesda

Single Vehicle Collision in Bethesda Early Monday Morning

By MCS Staff

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue (MCFRS) units were called to the scene of a single vehicle collision at approximately 2:30am on Monday morning for a person trapped inside of a Jeep that was left on its side following the collision at the 9700 block of Bellevue Drive off of 355 in Bethesda, according to MCFRS PIO Pete Piringer.

The driver was extricated by rescue units and transported by to the hospital by EMS with Priority 2 trauma, suffering serious, but non-life threatening injuries. Photos courtesy of Pete Piringer.

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Bethesda

Big Al’s Subs and Soups Has Closed in Montgomery Mall

By Patrick Herron

Big Al’s Subs and Soups in the Montgomery Mall food court has closed. It was located in the space that was previously home to Wicked Waffles, next to Charley’s. The restaurant, which had a menu very similar to that of Subway, opened in December of 2021.  The restaurant offered ten different signature sandwiches, including a vegetarian option called “The Mediterranean”, and a rotating list of soups.

In other Montgomery Mall restaurant news,  HalfSmoke Bethesda will be opening in the Montgomery Mall food court, as first reported by The MoCo Source on Instagram. It will be located in the former home of Coldstone Creamery and more recently Gelato Galaxy.  HalfSmoke was the first restaurant of its kind to serve gourmet sausages via an assembly line format. Its sausages and toppings can be fully customized to create over 50,000 variations. The HalfSmoke menu also features craft beer, mac and cheese balls, tater tots, milkshakes, funnel cakes, wine, cocktails, and more, but there is no word on if the Montgomery Mall location will offer everything the DC restaurant does. No word yet on an opening date.

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Damascus

That Smoothie Place is Coming to Damascus

By MCS Staff

That Smoothie Place is coming to Damascus, taking over the location that was formerly home to Sprint in the Damascus shopping center at 9815 Main Street, suite 106. That Smoothie Place has been operating as a food truck since 2018, frequenting Damascus and other surrounding areas.  Coming soon signage has been put up in the upcoming storefront, but we are not yet aware of an opening date.

That Smoothie Place offers a variety of smoothies known as “Rock Star Smoothies” named after popular rock stars of the past and present. The featured photo shows a special known as “The Lennox” named after Annie Lennox of the popular 80s group Eurythmics and contains apple, banana, apple cider  and a few other ingredients. Other smoothies on the menu include the Ozzy, Ringo Starr, Jagger, Morrison, and more.

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MoCo Government

Sierra Club Montgomery County Group Announces 11 Candidate Endorsements for County Council

By Patrick Herron

The Sierra Club Montgomery County Group has announced their list of candidate endorsements for Montgomery County Council seats. The Sierra Club is an environmental protection and advocacy group, which has local chapters throughout all 50 states.  According to their website, “the Montgomery County Maryland Group focuses on local issues, including improving public transit, maintaining clean water sources, supporting and monitoring the county’s Climate Protection Plan, and endorsing and supporting green candidates.” Last week, the club announced that they would be endorsing David Blair for Montgomery County Executive, saying that Blair will be a strong and effective leader that has an appealing environmental platform. The primary election will be held on July 19.

Sierra Club looks forward to strong progress on a variety of environmental priorities over the next four years.  In particular, we’d like to see substantial forward movement on

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Wheaton

Detectives Investigating Wheaton Mall Assault in Which Victim’s Eyes Were Sprayed With Bleach

By Patrick Herron

At approximately 8 p.m., on Friday, April 15, 4th District officers responded to the Wheaton Mall, located in the 11100 block of Veirs Mill Road for an assault that just occurred.

The investigation by detectives determined that the female victim was inside the mall when she was approached by two female suspects. The suspects approached the victim and pushed her down on the ground. Once on the ground, the suspects began kicking the victim in the face. One of the suspects then sprayed bleach in the victim’s eyes prior to fleeing the scene.

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Events

SpringFest and Grand Reopening of The Soulfull Cafe, An Inclusive Employer, in Rockville on May 14

By MCS Staff

The Soulfull Café, in partnership with Main Street Connect, is reopening and hosting a Grand Reopening Event and Spring Fest on Saturday, May 14th from 11am until 1pm at 50 Monroe Place, Rockville, MD 20850. The Soulfull Cafe is committed to providing inclusive employment opportunities for people of ALL abilities in a dedicated community gathering space that values local and social connections. According to the 2020 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data report, only 17.9% of people with a disability were employed. Per The Soulfull Cafe, “We hire people of all abilities through a deep-rooted commitment to diversity, dignity and boldness. We see a world where employment opportunities are open to everyone to pursue and live their best lives.”

Serving an array of fresh coffee, pressed juices, smoothie bowls, salads and sandwiches, the Soulfull Café has added exciting new menu items and locally sourced foods from More Than A Meal Service, Wellfound Foods DC and Katering by Kay that will be showcased during the Grand Reopening! “I’m surrounded by a very refreshing and friendly environment every time I come to work. I am so happy that I get the opportunity to give back to the community…which I’m excited will be reflected in the new changes forthcoming.” ~ Deana, Café Team Member

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Events

City of Gaithersburg Hosts ‘Train Day’ Event on Saturday, May 7

By MCS Staff

The City of Gaithersburg is hosting “Train Day” as the Community Museum celebrates the City’s long & storied history with the railroad that allows visitors to immerse themselves in everything trains. View large-scale steam locomotive model train displays exhibited by Local Locos Live Steamers, learn about the MARC & Brunswick line with the Maryland Transit Authority, and make a train craft. Explore a caboose, the RDC rail car, and the 1918 steam locomotive in the adjacent History Park. Discover hands-on learning centers& shop for train-related items in the Museum. With any luck visitors can also enjoy the sights & sounds of the actual CSX & Amtrak trains that frequently rumble by.

This event will take place on Saturday, May 7, 2022  from 11am until 3:30pm. This is a drop-in program for audiences of all ages. Admission is free, but a donation to help cover the cost of materials is appreciated. Please note children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

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Montgomery Planning

May Calendar of Events and Meetings by the MoCo Planning Board and Department

By MCS Staff

The Montgomery County Planning Board and the Montgomery County Planning Department have announced their May 2022 calendar of events and meetings. All persons attending Planning Board meetings in person at M-NCPPC’s Wheaton Headquarters (2425 Reedie Drive, Wheaton, MD 20902) must be vaccinated, must sign up in advance, and may be required to show proof of vaccination. Those who participate are expected to observe general rules of decorum and address only the issues relevant to the decision before the Planning Board.

Residents can continue to participate in Planning Board meetings by testifying virtually and watching the meetings on the Planning Board’s live stream. Community members may sign up to testify and provide comments in person, through Microsoft Teams or over the phone to the Planning Board during the meeting on specific agenda items. Written testimony must be submitted in advance of the meeting. For accessibility accommodations, contact us.

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