Gaithersburg

Maryland

Pilot and Passenger Identified; Maryland State Police Release Additional Information on Sunday Night Plane Crash in Gaithersburg/Montgomery Village

By Patrick Herron

Maryland State Police are on the scene of a single engine plane crash in Montgomery County where rescue efforts are underway. The plane involved is a Mooney Mike 20P single engine plane.  The pilot is identified as Patrick Merkle, 65, of Washington, D.C. The passenger is identified as Jan Williams, 66, of Louisiana. Both the pilot and the passenger are reportedly unharmed inside the aircraft awaiting rescue.

Shortly before 6:00 p.m. today, Maryland State Police at the Rockville Barrack were dispatched to the report of a plane crash located about four miles northwest of the Montgomery County Airpark in the area of Goshen Road and Rothbury Drive.  Arriving troopers found the plane suspended in the air, entangled in a power line tower. Maryland State Police from the College Park and Rockville Barracks are on the scene along with emergency medical service personnel from Montgomery County. Personnel from the Potomac Electric Power Company are also on scene.

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Gaithersburg

Coming Soon to Gaithersburg (Restaurants, Retail, and More)

By Patrick Herron

Below is a list of restaurants and businesses that will be coming soon to Gaithersburg, MD, as well as an update on the future plans for Lakeforest Mall (updated November 26, 2022).

The restaurant is part of Jeffeary Miskiri’s Miskiri Hospitality Group, which describes itself as a unique collective of Black, family and woman-owned products and restaurants in the DC area. Miss Toya’s will serve southern-influenced dishes such as red beans and rice, macaroni and cheese and a southern fried chicken sandwich. It will be joining the recently announced Sportrock Climbing Centers and Charley Prime as well as the recently opened Donutchew, as locally-based businesses opening in Gaithersburg’s Rio. No opening date has been provided.

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Gaithersburg

Gaithersburg Explosion Believed to Have Been Caused by Person Who Died by Suicide

By Patrick Herron

Montgomery County Police Chief Marcus Jones and Montgomery County Fire Chief Scott Goldstein held a press conference on Friday to give an update on the Quince Orchard Blvd condo fire and explosion that occurred on Wednesday, November 16.  It was announced that the body of the deceased recovered from the wreckage on Thursday had been positively identified as 36-year-old Juan Pablo Marshall Quizon. The manner of death is being ruled a suicide and the cause of death was smoke inhalation and burns.

A suicide note was found was found at the scene and it is known for a fact that Quizon had recently made statements that were indicative of suicide. Authorities said they had no information to believe that Quizon intended for others to be injured or harmed in the incident and if he were still alive, he would have been found culpable.  Quizon had purchased Unit 102 at 826 Quince Orchard Blvd in August of this year. Specific details on how exactly the fire/explosion started have not yet been released.

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Gaithersburg

One Body Recovered From Wreckage of Gaithersburg Condo Explosion; Police Investigating Incident as Criminal Act

By Patrick Herron

Montgomery County Police and Montgomery County Fire & Rescue held a media briefing on Thursday evening to give the latest update on the Quince Orchard Blvd condo explosion that occurred on Wednesday, November 16. Notes below:

On Wednesday, Gaithersburg mayor Jud Ashman informed the community of where they can donate to help the families impacted by the fire at Potomac Oaks in Gaithersburg. “Any amount helps and 100% of it will go to those families.” Ashman tweeted. A November 16 fire injured multiple residents, including four children, at a condominium complex at 826 Quince Orchard Boulevard in Gaithersburg. Many people were evacuated with little or nothing and now are in temporary shelter. At the request of Montgomery County, MHP is collecting financial donations to help affected families. Per MHP: While this is not an MHP property, we maintain close ties with the community through the many affordable housing properties we have developed in Montgomery County, and are playing a role by managing financial donations to help impacted residents. Anyone interested in donating may do so at this link.

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MoCo Government

Montgomery County Council Statement on the Explosion and Fire at the Potomac Oaks Condominium Complex in Gaithersburg

By Patrick Herron

“We are grateful for the swift response by our first responders, including the more than 100 firefighters and first responders who responded to the scene, as well as the residents, building maintenance workers and community members who helped others to safety.

“Montgomery County agencies, including the Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security and the Department of Health and Human Services, and community partners, such as the American Red Cross, are on scene to identify and assist residents who have been displaced.

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Gaithersburg

Stand-up Comedy Show Featuring Military Comics and Veterans to Take Place on Friday, November 11

By Patrick Herron

Per Montgomery County: “Improbable Comedy,” a stand-up comedy show featuring military comics and veterans in a tribute to Veterans Day, will be held at 8 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 11, at the Gaithersburg Arts Barn. The Gaithersburg Arts Barn is located at 311 Kent Square Rd. in Gaithersburg. Tickets for the show are $22. Discounted tickets of $20 are available for students 15-21. The show is recommended for ages 15 and older. Purchase tickets online here, in person at the Arts Barn box office or by calling 301-258-6394. Improbable Comedy presents a lineup of comedians who have served in all branches of the military or who support their military spouse.

Improbable Comedy is a Silver Spring-based production group that is celebrating 10 years of presenting stand-up comedy to audiences all over Montgomery County. The group works hard to bring underrepresented voices to the stage in its signature shows. Learn more about the group at www.improbablecomedy.com. The show will be hosted by Sharon Kang (Army National Guard) and will feature Doug Bennett (Marines), Demi Chang (Marines), Patrice DeVeaux (Air Force), Pete Bergen (Army) and Sherry Priester (Navy spouse). More background on each:

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Gaithersburg

Signage Up at Gaithersburg Roaming Rooster

By Patrick Herron

Permanent signage has been erected and construction is ongoing at the upcoming Roaming Rooster at 511 Quince Orchard Rd in Gaithersburg. The restaurant will be located in space previously occupied by Duck Donuts in the Firstfield Shopping Center. Duck Donuts permanently closed in August. Roaming Rooster is known for its variety of buttermilk fried chicken sandwiches that vary in heat depending on the diner’s preferences – mild, medium or hot. In addition to its free-range, grain-fed, antibiotic-free and Halal chicken, Roaming Rooster offers an all week breakfast menu, salads and sides including wings, chicken tenders and hand-cut fries.

This will be the chain’s second Montgomery County location. Its Pike & Rose location at 11586 Old Georgetown Road in North Bethesda opened on June 21. No opening date for the new location has been announced.

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Gaithersburg

Clear Skies Meadery to Open New Rockville Location Soon

By Patrick Herron

Clear Skies Meadery has announced it will open its new meadery at 15201 Display Ct in Rockville on December 9. Clear Skies current location, which opened at 325 Main St. in Gaithersburg in 2020, is scheduled to remain open until March 31, 2023.

The new Rockville location will include a bigger production line that will allow the company to expand the canning and bottling of its product. Mead is an alcoholic beverage created by fermenting honey with water, sometimes with various fruits, spices, grains, or hops. Clear Skies offers a rotating list of flavors, including current seasonal ones like apple pie, cranberry, and pumpkin pie.

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MDLottery

Unclaimed $100,000 & $50,000 Winning Powerball Tickets Sold This Week in Gaithersburg; Tonight’s Powerball Jackpot Now at $1.6 Billion

By Patrick Herron

Per MD Lottery: The Powerball jackpot for the Saturday, Nov. 5 drawing is now the largest in U.S. lottery history, with an estimated annuity value of $1.6 billion. The cash option is $782.4 million. At $1.6 billion, Saturday’s jackpot surpasses the $1.586 billion Powerball prize that was won in January 2016 and split between three winning tickets sold in California, Florida and Tennessee. If nobody wins the jackpot in the Nov. 5 drawing, the next drawing on Monday, Nov. 7 will carry an estimated jackpot of $1.9 billion.

The largest jackpot win in Maryland to date is the $731.1 million Powerball ticket from January 2021 in Lonaconing, Allegany County. Maryland has seen two other Powerball jackpot winning tickets: $128.8 million in December 2011 (Elkton, Cecil County) and $108.8 million in September 2011 (Abingdon, Harford County).

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