Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) responded to a fire at a commercial auto body shop at approximately 7:30pm on the 11300blk of Fern St., near University Blvd. West in Wheaton. According to Chief Spokesperson for MCFRS Pete Piringer, fighters arrived to heavy fire conditions which included the contents of the building and several vehicles.

By 8:30pm, Piringer tweeted that the bill of the fire had been knocked down, but that numerous hotspots remained. The fire involved the auto body shop and several vehicles. Surrounding roads remained closed for several hours. The fire originated at wire rack shelving, but the cause is still under investigation. Damage is estimated to be approximately $1 million, and no injuries were reported.


Montgomery County Fire and Rescue services are on the scene of a fire at a commercial auto body shop on the 11300blk of Fern St., near University Blvd. West in Wheaton. According to Chief Spokesperson for MCFRS Pete Piringer, fighters arrived to heavy fire conditions which included the contents of the building and several vehicles.

According to Montgomery County Police, “University Blvd. West is closed at Elkin St. due to a fire related incident on Fern St. Drivers should expect delays and seek alternate routes.” We will post an update when additional information is available.


Per MCPD: Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police – 3rd District Investigations Section are asking for the public’s assistance in locating Mary Lee Overton, a missing 85-year-old woman from Silver Spring. Overton was last seen on Wednesday, April 26, 2023, at approximately 2 p.m., in the area of Hanover St. and Grace Church Rd. She may be traveling to the Downtown Silver Spring or Friendship Heights areas. Overton is approximately 5-feet, 5-inches tall. She has brown eyes, grey hair and was last seen wearing a black jacket and brown pants. Police and family are concerned for her welfare.

Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts Mary Lee Overton is asked to call the police non-emergency number at (301) 279-8000 (24-hour line). Callers may remain anonymous.


In December we let you know that Maryland-based Poke Bowl, a restaurant serving poke bowls, bubble tea, a variety of appetizers, and more, is coming to 2229 Bel Pre Road in Plaza Del Mercado– replacing Smoothie King, between Pizza Stop and Aldi. The restaurant will be opening on Saturday, May 13th.

Poke Bowl has five locations in Maryland, primarily in the Baltimore region with one location in Frederick. Signage has just been posted on the window informing shoppers of the restaurant’s impending arrival, but an opening date is now available. Smoothie King, which closed permanently last month after four years at Plaza Del Mercado, has additional Montgomery County locations in Bethesda and Rockville (Fallsgrove and Congressional Plaza), and an upcoming location in Olney.


The City of Takoma Park is hosting an EV Sweeper Open House this Thursday, April 27, at 10:00 am at the Community Center at 7500 Maple Avenue to launch the naming contest “SweeperStakes.” Per the event: Come mingle with Mayor Searcy, Councilmembers, and the former Mayor Kate Stewart and former Councilmembers. The EV Sweeper was purchased through Atlantic Machinery, and Sales Rep. Trevor Gardner will be on hand to answer questions.

The City has recently purchased a RAVO 5 Series electric sweeper and wants to give residents a chance to name the sweeper. The winner of the contest will have the opportunity:


Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) responded to a collision involving two vehicles on Tuesday, April 25 around 12pm. According to Chief Spokesperson for MCFRS Pete Piringer, the collicion occurred at the interscetion of Parkland Dr & Faroe Pl in Wheaton. One adult was transported to the hospital with Priority 2 trauma. We will post an update if additional information becomes available.

Per @mcfrsPIO on Twitter: “(~12n) Faroe Pl & Parkland Dr, collision involves two (2) vehicles, @mcfrs  PE718, M723, RS742B, E702, EMS704, A726, @MCFRS_EMIHS  transported 1 adult Pri2 trauma”


Winners of prizes larger than $25,000 must redeem their tickets at the Maryland Lottery Claims Center in Baltimore, which is open by appointment only. Prizes of up to $5,000 can be claimed at any of more than 400 Expanded Cashing Authority Program (XCAP) locations. All Maryland Lottery retailers are authorized to redeem tickets up to and including $600. More information is available on the How To Claim page of mdlottery.com.

$1 Million Prize


Tastee Diner at 8601 Cameron St. in Silver Spring permanently closed on March 22, at 2pm. The diner was sold on March 21 to D.C. based Roadside Development for $3.1 million according to Maryland Land Records. Roadside Development, which purchased the adjacent Capital One bank lot back in August, plans on creating a “multifamily mixed-use” redevelopment at the two sites. According to a press release, the original dining car from the diner will be incorporated into the future project.

“As a Silver Spring native myself, I have a deep appreciation for the history and culture of this vibrant community. It is a true privilege to be able to showcase Roadside’s passion for the community by incorporating Tastee Diner’s original dining car into the project,” said Jeff Edelstein, Partner at Roadside Development. “It has been a pleasure to get to know Gene over the last year. He has entrusted us with this opportunity and Roadside is honored to be able to breathe new life into the block and continue to grow this dynamic part of Silver Spring’s ever-evolving downtown.”


The Gaithersburg and Takoma Park Police Departments have each announced a successful “Prescription Drug Take Back Day’ that took place on Saturday, April 22nd. Residents had the opportunity to prevent prescription drug abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous, expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs by bringing unused medications to the police station for disposal.

Though all police departments in Montgomery County participated in taking back prescription drugs, Gaithersburg Police and Takoma Park Police announced that they collected 135lb and 123lb of prescription drugs, respectively. Both police departments, along with Rockville Police, collect prescription drugs year-round. Additional year-round disposal sites can be seen below:


Per the Takoma Park Police Department: Chief Antonio DeVaul from the Takoma Park Police Department announces the arrest of Ronald Miranda-Montoya, 30, of Silver Spring, Maryland, for strong-arm robbery, assault on a police officer, resisting arrest, failure to obey and disorderly conduct.

On April 23, at approximately 2:46 pm, Takoma Park Police responded to the victim’s residence for the report of a strong-arm robbery that occurred earlier in the 900 block of East West Highway. The victim exited an establishment when he was approached by Miranda-Montoya demanding property from him. The victim did not comply and Miranda-Montoya assaulted him and took the property. Officers later found Miranda-Montoya at a bus stop where he became hostile towards officers. Miranda-Montoya was placed under arrest after resisting and assaulting officers.


2pm Update: Montgomery County Police and Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services responded to a collision involving a Montgomery County Public Schools bus on Monday, April 24, around 9:30am in the 13000 block of Old Columbia Pike in Fairland.

Four children (initially reported as five) and the driver were on the bus at the time of the collision. According to MCPD, “one child was extricated from the bus, but everyone was transported to area hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries” The ages of the children have not yet been released. According to a report, the bus was traveling to Fairland Elementary School.


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