Gaithersburg

Notice of Olde Towne Gaithersburg Parking Garage Project

By MCS Staff

Limited parking will be available during the duration of this project (June – September).

Limited parking will be available during the duration of this project. Some drive aisles will be temporarily shifted & up to one entrance will be closed. Reserved tenant parking will be relocated to a designated area within the garage. Due to the extensive area that will be covered & the nature of this “rolling working site,” progress will be variable & subject to weather conditions. The City is unable to confirm exact dates of work being done on each level of the garage.

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Gaithersburg

Tractor Trailer Cab Destroyed by Fire Early Wednesday Morning

By MCS Staff

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue (MCFRS) units were called to the Goshen Crossing shopping center on Goshen Rd. near Snouffer School Road for a vehicle fire just before 3am on Wednesday morning, according to MCFRS Chief Spokesperson Pete Piringer.

The vehicle fire occurred in front of the Giant Food Store. The first arriving units found commercial tractor trailer vehicle fully-involved in a fire. The fire was extinguished with the assistance of HazMat crews due to a diesel fuel leak. The cab of the trailer was completely destroyed, causing approximately $50K in damages. There we no injuries and the cause of the fire is still under investigation.

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Beyond MoCo

D.C. Ranked 8th in “2022’s Best & Worst Cities for Basketball Fans” List

By MCS Staff

Basketball has become the second most popular sport in the U.S., behind just football. While the industry, like all sports, was hurt by the COVID-19 pandemic, the NBA’s revenue for the 2021-2022 season is expected to hit $10 billion, an increase from the around $8.3 billion for the season before the pandemic. WalletHub compared more than 290 of the largest cities based on 21 key metrics, ranging from the performance level of each city’s NBA and NCAA Division 1 basketball teams to ticket prices to stadium accessibility.

Washington D.C. came in 8th in the country in WalletHub’s “2022’s Best & Worst Cities for Basketball Fans” list. Nearby College Park, MD in Prince George’s County (the home of the University of Maryland), came in 7th on the “Small City” list.

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MCFRS

Good Intent Call for Overturned Kayak Ends Up Being Debris in Potomac River

By MCS Staff

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue (MCFRS) units were called the scene of what was initially thought to be an overturned kayak in the area of the O Deck at Great Falls Park Tavern at approximately 4pm on Thursday afternoon, according to MCFRS Chief Spokesperson Pete Piringer.

A passerby saw what they believed to be an overturned kayak in the Potomac River and quickly made a good intent call to 911 alerting them of the scene. Swift water rescue boats were deployed for the technical rescue and a U.S. Park Eagle helicopter assisted, eventually finding what turned out to be other debris. The water remained at high levels yesterday with a strong current that brought plenty of debris to the area. Portions of the river remained closed throughout the day due to previous flooding. Several boats and the helicopter remained on the scene to survey the area.

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Bethesda

Small Fire on Roof of Bethesda Apartment Building on Tuesday Evening

By MCS Staff

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) were called to the scene of a fire on the roof of the Whitney Apartments on the 7700 block of Wisconsin Avenue near Cheltenham Drive, according to MCFRS Spokesperson Pete Piringer, after smoke was seen coming from the roof of the building at approximately 6pm on Tuesday evening.

Roofers were working on the roof of the 11-story residential building using heat applications and accidentally ignited some insulation located around a fan duct. The workers were able to knock down the fire with fire extinguishers. There was very little extension and the fire was completely out by 7pm. There were no injuries and minimal damage.

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Restaurants

Saffron Indian Cuisine in Rockville has Closed Permanently

By MCS Staff

Saffron Indian Cuisine has closed permanently. The restaurant’s Google and Facebook page list the restaurant as “Permanently Closed.” Saffron was located at 1321 C, Rockville Pike, in Rockville’s Woodmont Station (the shopping center that is also home to Ledo Pizza). According to LoopNet, the 3,210 SF that was home to Saffron until last week is now available to lease with restaurant equipment in place.

The restaurant opened in 2014 and gained popularity in Rockville, often participating in local events like Taste of Rockville/Hometown Holidays and other food festivals.

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Crime

Foreign National Who Fled and Was Later Extradited from the United Kingdom Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Bank and Wire Fraud in Relation to Theft of Over 2,600 Checks from Religious Institutions

By MCS Staff

Florin Vaduva, age 31, of Dania Beach, Florida pleaded guilty on Monday to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud.  As part of his plea agreement, Vaduva will be ordered to pay at least $1,085,151.42 in restitution. Though specific details have not been released regarding the institutions that were defrauded, Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department was among those who announced the guilty plea indicating that at least part of the illegal activity occurred in Montgomery County.

Per the press Maryland District U.S. Attorney’s  press release: The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Acting Postal Inspector in Charge Greg L. Torbenson of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service – Washington Division; Acting Special Agent in Charge Selwyn Smith of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Acting Special Agent in Charge Quenton Sallows, of the Mid-Atlantic Region, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG); Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department; Chief Toni Dezomits of the Cary, North Carolina, Police Department; and Sheriff Dusty Rhoades of the Williamson County, Tennessee, Sheriff’s Office.

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Restaurants

Eerkin’s Uygher Cuisine Temporarily Closes After Kitchen Fire on Mother’s Day

By MCS Staff

Eerkin’s Uygher Cuisine has announced a temporary closure due to a kitchen fire that occurred at the restaurant on Mother’s Day morning. Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services responded to the fire at Eerkin’s Uyghur Cuisine at 1701 Rockville Pike # B1 in Rockville on Sunday morning around around 10am.  First responders arrived to the sprinkler/warer flow alarm going off and smoke coming from building.  According to Chief Spokesperson for MCFRS, the fire was located in the kitchen and has been put out. There were no injures reported and the building inspector and health department have been requested.

According to its website, “EERKIN’S has been serving quality Uyghur foods to its customers. Our Uyghur ethnic chefs with ancestors from Uyghur’s who are well-informed about the ancient recipes allowing us to offer the centuries old Uyghur foods. The usage of fresh vegetables, meat, beef, chicken and fish makes our Uyghur cuisine the most-tasty and mouthwateringly delicious food.” The restaurant features a tea bar and menu items include Cold Lamb Salad, Baba Ghanoush, Kebab, Chow Mei Fun (Uyghur Spicy Noodles), and Roasted Quails. The restaurant also has locations in Fairfax, VA and DC.

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Beyond MoCo

Beyond MoCo: Sweet Rolled Tacos Opens NoVa Location

By MCS Staff

Sweet Rolled Tacos was founded in California in May 2017 by two brothers, Donovan and Kenny. Since then the dessert shop has expanded to over a dozen locations across the country, including one at 5967 Centreville Crest Ln in Centreville, VA that opened just last week.

The concept is a melting pot of taste, texture, and aesthetic into ice cream and drinks. Per the dessert shop’s website, “Sweet Rolled Tacos is all about the experience and catering to what customers want. We want you to enjoy every bite and every sip.  Every ice cream taco is made with premium cream, handcrafted on a cold plate that is rolled into ice cream is fitted into a waffle taco cone.”

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Education

New MCPS Elementary School in Gaithersburg to be Named In Memory of Harriet Tubman

By MCS Staff

Earlier today, the Montgomery County Board of Education unanimously voted to name the upcoming Gaithersburg Elementary School #8 in memory of Harriet Tubman– an American abolitionist and social activist. The additional list of names the Board of Education had previously narrowed it down to can be seen below.

In February, Dr. Cavena J. Griffith was appointed as Principal at the upcoming Gaithersburg Elementary School #8. She is currently the principal intern at Whetstone Elementary School. in Griffith’s presentation earlier today, she stated that the name name aligns with MCPS core values– learning, relationships, equity, respect and excellence.

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MCPS

MCPS Community Message: Superintendent Dr. McKnight Announces 3.35% Costs of Living Adjustment and Step Wage Increases for Those Eligible

By Patrick Herron

Through resolve, flexibility and agility, MCPS staff members have been heroes in our community during unprecedented and challenging times. Over the last year, our staff has operated on virtual and hybrid platforms before returning full-time to the classroom this school year. These new employee agreements recognize these efforts, and it is a privilege to provide our employees with the compensation and conditions that acknowledge their significant achievements. It is my hope that these new agreements represent one more way we are working to recognize, reward and retain our educators and staff, while providing much deserved further incentive to continue to serve our community.

These agreements maintain MCPS’ status as a premier destination for all employees. The new agreements include a 3.35% cost-of-living increase and a salary step increase, which combine to equal, effectively, an over 6% increase in the salaries of our employees. This is the highest increase, reached in the shortest amount of time, in more than a decade. Also included in the agreements is a commitment to professional development to support the desire of our teachers to perform at their best, enhancements that are directed toward administrators who have committed the greatest number of years of service to our students and community, and a renewed focus on employee well-being. All of this combines to serve as further proof of the high value we place on our employees and their contributions to our schools.

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