Highways / Interstates

Transurban Submits Notice to Terminate Agreement With MDOT to Expand Capital Beltway and I-270

By MCS Staff

Transurban has announced that Accelerate Maryland Partners (AM Partners) has decided not to proceed with the Maryland Express Lanes Project and as a result has today submitted a notice to terminate to the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) in regard to the preferred developer agreement. Additional information below, per the Transurban press release:

AM Partners was originally selected in February 2021 as Maryland’s preferred developer for Phase 1 of the project. Since that time, extensive work has been undertaken on the project and draft concession agreement in partnership with MDOT. However, the project continues to face challenges including significant delays to environmental approvals, changing political landscape and environmental lawsuits that remain unresolved. Following extensive good faith negotiations by AM Partners, agreement with MDOT on the form of the concession agreement has not been reached and a committed section proposal will not be submitted by the deadline of 21 March 2023.

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Bethesda

MCFRS Respond to Fire at Auto Body Shop

By Patrick Herron

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) responded to a fire at the Ourisman Volkswagen and Volvo Bodyshop at 5445 Butler Rd in Bethesda on Friday afternoon. According to Chief Spokesperson for MCFRS Pete Piringer, a hybrid vehicle that was parked in the garage’s work bay area caught fire after workers “likely ignited some combustibles” while performing welding work. The building’s automatic fire sprinkler activation system controlled/contained the fire until firefighters arrived. Damage is estimated to be ~$50K and there were no injuries reported.

Per @mcfrsPIO on Twitter: “Update – Butler Rd, commercial auto body shop, vehicle fire inside building/work bay, bulk of fire knocked down, checking for extension, occupants/workers are outside & OK, still have smoke conditions”

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Bethesda

The Organic Butcher Opens Bethesda Location

By MCS Staff

The Organic Butcher has opened its Bethesda location at 7925 Old Georgetown Rd, taking over the space previously occupied by French restaurant Le Vieux Logis. Modeled after the old-fashioned English butcher shops, The Organic Butcher is a full-service, traditional butcher shop with its first shop located in McLean, VA.

Per the Organic Butcher, “Walk into our quaint setting and you’ll be engulfed by fresh meat, seafood and local produce. You will also find an accompaniment of boutique wines, artisan cheese, and unique grocery items. Enjoy the old world-influenced, traditional butcher-shop atmosphere while knowing that the goods you take home are free of antibiotics and hormones. We offer certified organic as well as sustainably sourced meat and poultry much of which is locally sourced. There is always an experienced butcher behind the counter to help you select the perfect cut of meat, game, poultry or seafood as well as provide you information on our farms and cooking tips on how to best prepare your purchases in your own kitchen.”

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Bethesda

Rakugaki to Soft Open on Saturday, March 11

By MCS Staff

Back in February we let you know that Bethesda favorite Raku will open Rakugaki at the Shops at Wildwood. Many have noticed some movement inside the restaurant and even customers coming in and out for friends and family events the last couple days. The restaurant has announced its soft opening starting Saturday, March 11 (hours are currently listed as “11am-close”). Full menu available below.

The 2,188-square-foot restaurant is located at 10223 Georgetown Road near Sarah’s Handmade Ice Cream. Raku’s Bethesda and Cathedral Heights locations as well as Rakuya at Dupont Circle remain open. When deciding on a new location, co-owner Marcel The said, “We love the Bethesda community which we have served for the past 25 years. We feel that Wildwood is the perfect choice for our newest restaurant where we will feature favorite menu items as well as introduce new offerings.”

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Event

Healthy at the Harbor

National Harbor in Prince George’s County, Maryland

165 Waterfront St.

National Harbor, Maryland 20745

Website Social

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.

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Potomac

Signage Up at Baskin Robbins in Potomac

By Patrick Herron

Permanent signage is up at Baskin Robbins at 1079 Seven Locks Rd in Potomac, in the space that was previously home to Ibhana Creations.  Last February, Baskin Robbins closed its doors at Cabin John Village and announced its plans to open in the nearby Potomac Woods Plaza shopping center this spring. Baskin Robbins will also be opening a location later this year in the Montgomery Village Center. 

Baskin Robbins was replaced in Cabin John Village by The Scoop, which was opened this past August by Timothy and Mitch Ryoo, Potomac natives and Winston Churchill High School Graduates (2010 and 2006).  The Scoop features in house made ice cream that’s made with natural ingredients.

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MoCo Government

Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich Appoints First Office of Food Systems Resilience Director Heather Bruskin

By Patrick Herron

Per Montgomery County: Montgomery County has named its first director, Heather Bruskin, for the newly created Office of Food Systems Resilience (OFSR), established to streamline and coordinate the County’s efforts to address local food system challenges. Ms. Bruskin is an expert in food security, economy, education and environmental policy creation and implementation.  OFSR was created based on the recommendation of the Montgomery County COVID-19 Food Security Task Force and established by the County Council in July 2022 under Bill 20-22 to serve as a liaison between County government agencies and community food systems partners such as nonprofits, farmers and businesses.

The County is home to approximately 1.05 million people, of whom 87,190 (8.3% of total population) are estimated to be food insecure according to Feeding America’s Meal Gap Map. According to the American Community Survey, there are significant disparities in risk for hunger in our community, particularly related to race (8-14 percent food insecurity rates for Black and brown residents compared to just 5 percent of white residents) and age (14 percent or 34,000 residents 18 & younger.) Additionally, the high cost of living in Montgomery County results in thousands of additional households with incomes that are too high to receive benefits assistance but too low to make ends meet.

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Beyond MoCo

Former Laurel Police Chief Found Guilty of Attempted 1st-Degree Murder, 1st-Degree Arson and Malicious Burning

By Patrick Herron

Crawford is a former Police Chief for the City of Laurel, where he last served from 2006 until his resignation in 2010. Prior to that, Crawford was Chief of the District Heights Police Department and served as a Major for the Prince George’s County Police Department. Investigators say none of the civilian victims of the fires were connected to Crawford through his law enforcement career.

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Beyond MoCo

Maryland State Police Identify Victim In Fatal Tanker Truck Crash In Frederick County

By Patrick Herron

Per the Maryland State Police: Maryland State Police have identified the man who died following a tanker truck crash Saturday in Frederick County. The victim is Ronald Leroy Heiston Jr., 58, of Smithsburg Maryland. Shortly before noon on Saturday, troopers from the Maryland State Police Frederick Barrack responded to Route 15 North, approximately a half mile north of Rosemont Avenue in Frederick, Maryland, for a report of a single-vehicle crash with a fire. According to a preliminary investigation, Heiston was driving a tanker truck with approximately 8,650 gallons of gasoline from Manassas, Virginia to Taneytown, Maryland. For unknown reasons, Heiston’s vehicle left the right side of the road, struck a tree and caught fire. Heiston was declared deceased at the scene. He was transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore, where positive identification was made.

Investigators said six homes and five vehicles sustained damage from the fire that originated from the tanker truck crash. No other injuries or fatalities were reported as a result of the crash or the subsequent fires. Route 15 was temporarily closed in both directions following the crash. The Maryland State Police Crash Team will lead the crash investigation with assistance from troopers from the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division and the Traffic Incident Management Section. The Office of the State Fire Marshal and the Maryland Department of the Environment were notified and responded to the scene as well. Personnel from the Maryland Department of Transportation’s State Highway Administration also responded and established detours around the area. The crash remains under investigation.

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Germantown

MCPD: Traffic Stop Leads to Seizure of Semi-Automatic Rifle in Germantown

By Patrick Herron

Montgomery County Police issued a press release today announcing that a traffic stop in Germantown on February 17 led to the discovery of a stolen semi-automatic rifle and drug paraphernalia containing methamphetamine. Last week, MCPD announced that a separate traffic stop led to the discovery of over 2,000 fentanyl pills. Traffic stops have been  the topic of debate recently as Councilmember Will Jawando introduced Bill 12-23, the Safety and Traffic Equity in Policing (STEP) Act, on February 28, which will limit traffic stops that he says have resulted in racial disparities.

Per MCPD: Officers from the Montgomery County Department of Police – 5th District Community Action Team have filed criminal charges against 28-year-old Humberto Guerra Jr. of Silver Spring and 41-year-old Freya Marla Casanova, unknown address, following a February traffic stop.  On Friday, February 17, 2023, at approximately 11:25 p.m., officers observed a Toyota Camry travel eastbound on Wisteria Dr. and Great Seneca Hwy. Officers initiated a traffic stop of the Toyota for maintaining a suspended registration in the area of Middlebrook Rd. and Great Seneca Hwy.

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Crime

Montgomery County Man Previously Arrested for Spray Painting the Word “Groomer” on Two Libraries Has Been Charged With Possession of Child Pornography

By MCS Staff

A Takoma Park man previously charged for vandalism after spray painting the word “groomer” on the exteriors of two Prince George’s County libraries, is now being charged with possessing child pornography. Charles Sutherland faces at least seven charges of possessing child pornography, according to a charging document

According to a WUSA 9,  the charging document says “officers found numerous diapers, children’s dolls, and a child-sized doll in Sutherland’s bed. According to Sutherland, he has no children or nieces or nephews, the documents say. He also admitted he had child pornography on a laptop in his home. In January, a digital forensics examination of the laptop was completed and found seven files of child pornography.”

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