Rockville

New Traffic Pattern Coming to Rockville Town Center in August

By MCS Staff

The city of Rockville’s contractor is planning final pavement markings on North Washington Street and East Middle Lane in early August.

As early as the week of Aug. 7, new traffic patterns are expected on North Washington Street and East Middle Lane as the city’s contractor reallocates the existing motor vehicle travel lanes to create bike lanes. The two existing motor vehicle travel lanes will be reduced to one lane in each direction. New bike lanes and new on-street parking spaces will be added. The work is expected to last one to two weeks, depending on the weather.

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Gaithersburg

Megamart Moves Closer Toward Opening New Gaithersburg Store at Former Golden Bull Location

By MCS Staff

MegaMart appears to be close to opening at the former site of iconic MoCo restaurant, The Golden Bull. The Golden Bull closed its doors on February 17th, 2017. In 2019, construction crews began the demolition of the building to make room for the new 26,600 SF Megamart grocery store that will be moving across the street from its location at 401 N Frederick Ave in the Hudson Trail Center. After delays to to Covid, a lot of progress has been made (photos below).

Megamart is a regional grocery chain specializing in Latin items with about a dozen locations in the DMV. Some Megamart stores have additional services, such as gold sales, mobile phone repair, and sporting goods. An opening date is not yet available, but the exterior of the new store looks ready to go and Megamart trucks were parked outside. One major change for the new Gaithersburg store is that it will have its own dedicated parking lot– taking care of the parking issue that has often been brought up regarding the location across the street.

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Kensington

New Name For Upcoming Kensington Shopping Center That Will Feature at Least Three New Restaurants

By MCS Staff

Construction began earlier this year at the upcoming  Kensington Crossing shopping center, which is located at 10619 Connecticut Avenue (at Plyers Mill Road). Recently, a decision to change the name from Kensington Crossing to ‘Crossroads in Kensington.’

Since plans were approved, Crossroads at Kensington has also signed M&T Bank, Buffalo Wild Wings GO, Mezeh, and Marathon Deli for the upcoming shopping center. M&T Bank, which currently has a Kensington location on Howard Avenue, will move once construction of the new space is complete. Buffalo Wild Wings GO is a scaled-down version of the traditional BWW restaurant that focuses on the to-go and delivery format. Mezeh is a fast-casual eatery with a buffet-style of offerings that include rice and salad bowls, wraps and a variety of sauces and toppings. Marathon Deli, a staple of College Park and life at the University of Maryland for decades, is the most recent to sign on, and one more space remains available in the shopping center.

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Crime

Driver Who Struck and Killed Elderly Couple on Election Day Convicted of Vehicular Homicide While Under the Influence of Alcohol

By Patrick Herron
Courtesy Google Maps

According to the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office, “After a bench trial today in the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, MD, the honorable Bibi Berry found defendant, Davinder Singh, 47, of Gaithersburg, guilty of Homicide by Motor Vehicle While Under the Influence of Alcohol, Driving While Under the Influence of Alcohol, and multiple related charges. Singh faces up to ten years in prison and $14,000 in fines. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 20th, 2023, at 1:30 p.m.

This stems from the Election Day collision on Tuesday, November 8th, 2022, that occurred on School Drive in Gaithersburg which caused the deaths of 65-year-old Miguel Antonio Ortiz and 70-year-old Ana Margarita Ortiz.  The married couple from Gaithersburg were crossing the street to vote at a school polling place. Assistant State’s Attorney Bryan Roslund is handling prosecution of this case.

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Maryland

Governor Wes Moore Announces $6.6 Million Federal Grant To Advance Apprenticeships Through Maryland Department of Labor

By Patrick Herron

Per the State of Maryland: Governor Wes Moore today announced that the Maryland Department of Labor received $6.6 million through the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration to help expand apprenticeship throughout the state. The funding will help connect thousands of Marylanders to good paying careers in vital and high-growth industries, including hospitality and tourism, and will establish a public sector innovation fund to bolster public service attraction and retention efforts.

“With this grant, we will be able to keep pace and continue to add new industries and new occupations, in addition to bringing apprenticeship to more Marylanders,” said Gov. Moore. “The funding will direct key resources to supporting apprentices and establishing connections to partners and employers to bolster staffing, outreach, training, in addition to modernization of the state’s data systems.”

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Beyond MoCo

$1 Million and $40,000 Mega Millions Tickets Sold in Maryland Remain Unclaimed

By Patrick Herron

Winning Mega Millions tickets worth $1 million and $40,000 remain unclaimed as of July, 31, according to the Maryland Lottery.  The $1 million ticket was sold at Pine Liquors (9231 Oxon Hill Road) in Prince George’s County and the $40,000 Mega Millions Megaplier ticket was sold at Giant (8100 Loch Raven Boulevard) in Towson. This Tuesday’s night’s Mega Millions drawing has a jackpot worth an estimated $1.05 billion ($527.9 million cash.) Addition news about last week’s lottery winner across the state below courtesy of MD Lottery:

As the Mega Millions jackpot continues to grow, the game produced another millionaire in Maryland on July 25 in Fort Washington. An additional 29 players across the state won prizes of $10,000 or more playing a variety of Lottery games in the past week.

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Bethesda

Teas Me Bubble Tea Now Open in Bethesda; Grand Opening Event This Sunday

By MCS Staff

Teas Me is now open at 5017 Wilson Ln in Bethesda. The shop is open Monday-Thursday 10am-8:30pm and Friday-Sunday 10am-9:30pm. The menu features a variety of milk, citrus, and coffee teas, and the store tells us they plan to add food items like eggrolls and muffins to the menu in the coming weeks.

While Teas Me is currently open for business, the shop will hold its official grand opening event this Sunday, August 6 from 10am-6pm. Per Teas Me: “Please come and join our little grand opening party on Sunday August 6th, 2023. Party is open for public. It’s a bubble tea and coffee shop, all ages are welcome. There will be food and music. However, we are now also open for business.” The news of Teas Me’s opening was first reported by Robert Dyer.

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Restaurant

Cielo Rojo Begins Construction on New Location

By MCS Staff

Cielo Rojo at 7056 Carroll Ave in Takoma Park has begun construction on its new, larger location just a few blocks away at 7211 Carroll Ave. Once the new restaurant is complete, the current Cielo Rojo location (7056 Carroll Ave) will be converted into San Pancho Burritos, a fast-casual restaurant serving San Fransisco-style burritos, according to report by Source of the Spring. 

Cielo Rojo opened in Takoma Park in 2019.  Owners David Perez and Carolina McCandless first met in 2012 at Gracias Madre, a vegan Mexican restaurant in San Francisco. McCandless has ties to the area, as she’s from Takoma Park and her parents own nearby Amano.

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Beyond MoCo

Beyond MoCo: Maryland State Police Aviation Crews Rescue Mountain Bikers in Maryland, West Virginia

By Patrick Herron

Per the Maryland State Police: Maryland State Police Aviation Command crews over the weekend rescued two injured mountain bikers in separate hoist missions in Howard County, Maryland and Tucker County, West Virginia. Crews on Saturday afternoon rescued a 44-year-old man in Ellicott City, Maryland and a 41-year-old man in Davis, West Virginia. They were both injured while mountain biking and needed aerial rescues due to terrain difficulties, limited resources by first responders and the nature of their injuries.

The 44-year-old fell and became incapacitated after his bike struck a rock on a trail near the Valley Overlook in Patapsco Valley State Park Daniels area. His riding partner called 9-1-1. Maryland Natural Resources Police Helicopter Natural 1 conducted an initial search but did not locate the victim. Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services personnel hiked to the man and initiated patient care before requesting a Maryland State Police helicopter. Pilots on Trooper 3, Frederick Section, hovered the Leonardo AW-139 helicopter nearly 180 feet above the dense tree covers, while a trooper/paramedic was lowered.

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Restaurant

Original Pancake House in Rockville Open Despite Cosmetic Damage From Saturday’s Storm

By Patrick Herron

The Original Pancake House at 12224 Rockville Pike in Rockville was one of the many businesses impacted by this past weekend’s severe storms. According to the restaurant, “It was a parapet wall that was blown over which consists of metal studs, plywood and styrofoam. There was no internal structural damage.”  MCFRS cleared the structure as safe and the Original Pancake House was able to open on Sunday morning.

About the Original Pancake House: “The Original Pancake House was founded in Portland, Oregon in 1953 by Les Highet and Erma Hueneke. Customers enjoy the benefit of their many years of experience in the culinary field, through the extensive menu of delicious authentic national and ethnic pancake recipes. The Original Pancake House is a second and third generation family business, which takes great pride in maintaining the high standards that make our food so outstanding. There are over 100 Original Pancake House restaurants from coast to coast, which have won local and national acclaim. Our recipes demand only the very finest of ingredients, such as 93 score butter, pure 36% whipping cream, fresh grade AA eggs, hard wheat unbleached flour, and our own recipe sourdough starter. Our batters and sauces are made fresh in each kitchen every day. Legendary chef James Beard was one of the Original Pancake House biggest fans! There are three Original Pancake House locations in the Washington, DC Metropolitan area, each with free parking. We consider ourselves “The First Name in Pancakes” and hope you will too! Each location below offers free wi-fi and a senior menu. You can also get terrific sandwiches, burgers, salads and wraps from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on weekdays.”

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DMV

Many in the Mid-Atlantic Will Be Able to See NASA Launch Tuesday Night

By MCS Staff

The next resupply mission to the International Space Station from commercial cargo provider Northrop Grumman is preparing for launch during a window that opens Tuesday, Aug. 1, at 8:31 p.m. EDT at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Many in the mid-Atlantic region may be able to see the rocket after liftoff according to the timetable above in the featured image, weather permitting.

Loaded with more than 8,200 pounds of research, crew supplies, and hardware, Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus cargo spacecraft will launch on the company’s Antares rocket from Virginia Space’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport’s Pad 0A on Wallops Island. The Cygnus spacecraft for this launch is named in honor of the late NASA astronaut, undersea medical officer, and naval flight officer Laurel Clark. Selected by NASA in 1996, Dr. Clark flew as a mission specialist aboard Columbia STS-107. Live coverage of the launch will air on NASA Television, the agency’s website and the NASA app beginning at 8 p.m. EDT Tuesday, Aug. 1, with a prelaunch briefing Sunday, July 30 at 5 p.m. EDT. 

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