Business

Darden Restaurants, Inc.  and Ruth’s Hospitality Group, Inc. jointly announced today that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement pursuant to which Darden will commence a tender offer to acquire all of the outstanding shares of Ruth’s for $21.50 per share, in an all-cash transaction with an equity value of approximately $715 million. Ruth’s, owner and operator of Ruth’s Chris Steak House (MoCo location in Gaithersburg’s downtown Crown and formerly in Bethesda), will complement Darden’s portfolio of differentiated brands which currently includes Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse (MoCo location in Germantown), Yard House (MoCo location in Gaithersburg), Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, The Capital Grille (MoCo location in Chevy Chase), Seasons 52 (MoCo location in North Bethesda), Bahama Breeze and Eddie V’s. 

Per the press release: Ruth’s Chris was founded in 1965 in New Orleans, Louisiana, by Ruth Fertel and features signature USDA Prime steaks served sizzling on 500-degree plates, New Orleans-inspired sides and an award-winning wine list. Ruth’s Chris has 154 locations around the globe, including 80 company-owned or -operated restaurants and 74 franchised restaurants, generating systemwide sales of over $860 million, total revenues over $500 million, and average annual restaurant volumes for company-owned or -operated locations of $6.2 million in Ruth’s fiscal year 2022.


Entertainment

Originally from Silver Spring, Kevin Belle is a trail planner whose total earnings on Jeopardy! were $42,798, after winning three games and participating in a fourth. The run started last week and ran until Wednesday night, when Kevin failed to defend his title. He was the winning contestant on Ken Jenning’s last show as host before a long hiatus.

Kevin stole the show during his Q&A with Jennings, revealing he also goes by “Whiskey Ginger.” Whiskey Ginger is Belle’s drag persona that he refers to as a “spicy redhead.” Belle explained during the contestant chat segment, “And I also host trivia online as Whiskey Ginger on Zoom, I picked it up during the pandemic.” He then urged Jennings to give drag a shot, saying “And you’ve got a very talented makeup crew here Ken and I was hoping maybe one day we could convince you to do it here as well.” Ken laughed out loud and upon collecting himself, said, “I was trying to think of a good Jeopardy!-themed drag name. Maybe Della Double?” “Miss Information might be nice too,” Kevin replied. Featured photo courtesy of Kevin Belle/WhiseyGingDrag 


Crime

The initial investigation has revealed that the victim was exiting the I-270 ramp onto Shady Grove Road when he came across a silver Mitsubishi vehicle partially blocking the exit ramp. A suspect, who the victim believed to be a police officer, flagged him over, onto the side of the road. The victim then got out of his vehicle and began to walk towards the suspect, at which point the suspect demanded that he return to his vehicle. The suspect then approached the victim’s vehicle and demanded money. At that time, the suspect entered the victim’s vehicle and demanded that the victim drive to a Bank of America in the 15000 block of Shady Grove Road to withdraw money from the ATM. As the victim drove to the bank, the silver Mitsubishi began to follow, driven by a second suspect.   The victim advised that he observed a handgun in the suit jacket of the suspect on multiple occasions.


Health

Per the State of Maryland (5.3.23): Governor Wes Moore today presided over the Moore-Miller Administration’s fourth bill signing, a day dedicated to protecting the rights of all Marylanders. The governor signed historic legislation that solidifies protections for reproductive rights, protects the rights of transgender Marylanders, and establishes an adult-use cannabis market.

“Today, we further strengthened our leave no one behind vision by protecting individual freedoms, solidifying reproductive rights, expanding access to healthcare, and creating an adult-use cannabis market that directly benefits those that were disproportionately affected by the war on drugs,” said Gov. Moore. “Here in Maryland we are committed to righting the wrongs of the past and protecting the rights of all Marylanders in the future. As long as I am governor, I will fight with everything I’ve got to ensure we’re creating a safe, equitable, and prosperous home for every Marylander.”


Event

Join Kaiser Permanente for Healthy at the Harbor, a free community health and wellness event taking place Saturday, June 6, from 11 am to 4 pm at National Harbor in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Bring your family and friends for free full day of fun, fitness, and preventive care along the waterfront.

Throughout the day, Kaiser Permanente nurses and physicians will offer no-cost health screenings, alongside a health and wellness expo focused on preventive care education. A lively Kids’ Zone will keep children active and entertained with spin-art bikes, face painting, balloon art, games, and more.


Gaithersburg

The Gaithersburg resident contacted a friend, who works at a Lottery retailer to help confirm the win and claimed the prize this week. She and her husband plan to take a trip to Dubai and pay bills with their winnings. The Montgomery County retailer, 99 Ranch Market, is also celebrating this win. For selling a $50,000 top-prize-winning scratch-off, the store will receive a $500 bonus from the Lottery. The Gold X20 game launched in January 2023, and three of its $50,000 top prizes remain unclaimed along with five $5,000 prizes and thousands of additional prizes ranging from $5 to $1,000.


MDLottery

Per the Maryland Lottery: A Lottery player who purchased a Powerball ticket in Silver Spring for last night’s drawing may have a little extra pep in their step today. A $50,000-winning ticket was sold at Giant #354 located at 1280 East West Highway in Silver Spring. The winning numbers were 21, 26, 30, 45 and 47; the Powerball was 23 and the Power Play multiplier was 3. The estimated jackpot annuity rolled to $87 million for the Saturday, May 6 drawing, with an estimated cash option of $46.8 million.

Lottery officials encourage all winners to sign the backs of their tickets immediately and put them in a safe location. They get 182 days from the date of the drawing to claim their prizes.


Silver Spring

Per MCPD: Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police – Cold Case Section are asking for the public’s assistance in locating Carrington Miller, a missing 65-year old. Miller was last seen on Monday, April 10, 2023, in the 8000 block of 13th Street in Silver Spring. He is approximately 5-feet, 7-inches tall and weighs 190 pounds. He has brown eyes, grey hair and uses a wheelchair.  Police and family are concerned for his welfare.

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


Rockville

Per MCPD: Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police – Cold Case Section are asking for the public’s assistance in locating Cynthia Lynette Dailey, a missing 61-year-old from Rockville.

Dailey was last seen on Monday, April 17, 2023, in the 13000 block of Twinbrook Parkway. She is approximately 5-feet, 5-inches tall and weighs 175 pounds. She has black and gray hair and brown eyes. Police and family are concerned for her welfare.


MCPS

Last month, as part of a pilot program, the first set of public electric vehicle charging stations for MCPS was installed at the Carver Educational Service Center in Rockville. The stations were installed at no cost to MCPS through a partnership with one of its electric utility providers, Pepco, an Exelon company. The installation is one of the actions MCPS is taking to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across the region and the school system, as identified in Board of Education Policy ECA, Sustainability. This updated policy was unanimously adopted by the Board on June 28, 2022. Emissions from on-road transportation, such as from cars and buses, accounted for 36% of 2018 GHG emissions in the county. Increasing the number of electric vehicles and charging infrastructure is a goal for the county and the school system.

Additional pilot charging stations will be installed at Gaithersburg Middle School and are expected to be operational in July. These stations are available to be used by MCPS staff, students and the general public. Both locations will have Level 2 chargers that can charge a vehicle’s electric battery from empty in 4-10 hours, or a plug-in hybrid battery from empty in 1-2 hours. The cost per kWh is $0.18. There are three ways to pay:


Events

On Saturday May 6, 2023, BEYOND COMICS, located at 18749 B N Frederick Road in Gaithersburg, will be celebrating FREE COMIC BOOK DAY! The annual event, now in its 22nd year, is held in comic shops across the country. Comics publishers including Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, IDW, Image, and several others release special editions of their comics to be given away to customers. BEYOND COMICS will also be holding sales that day, as well as an in-store appearance by comics and trading card artist John Watkins-Chow, who will be doing free sketches for customers.

Additionally, BEYOND COMICS will be holding a food drive on the day; those who bring in a non-perishable food donation will be allowed to take extra free comics! “BEYOND COMICS will be giving away comics as long as they last, and running sales all day!” BEYOND COMICS in Frederick, MD, located at 5632 Buckeystown Pike, will also be celebrating the day with free comics, sales, artist appearances, and a food drive. Featured photo courtesy of Google Maps.


Events

Montgomery Parks is hosting a pit stop for people pedaling to work on national Bike To Work Day. “Bike riders encouraged to stop by for refreshments and giveaways on  Friday, May 19, 2023.” The pit stop will take place between 7am-9am at Marian Fryer Town Plaza, located at 2424 Reedie Drive in Wheaton.

Per Montgomery Parks: Montgomery Parks is co-sponsoring the pit stop with the County Department of Transportation.  It willwelcome cyclists in a fun atmosphere with refreshments and giveaways. There are 14 Bike To Work pit stops scheduled in Montgomery County, and more than a hundred in the Washington metropolitan area. Bike To Work Day is a national effort to encourage people to commute to work on bikes instead of by car. The benefits of cycling include better physical health through exercise and improved mental health resulting from time spent outdoors.   Cycling can also help improve air quality by cutting down on harmful fossil fuel emissions.  Bike To Work Day organizers hope to raise awareness about the rules of the road for drivers, pedestrians,and cyclists. And highlight the need for fair access to low-stress roadways and connected trails for all to use safely.