On Wednesday, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin declared a State of Emergency ahead of Hurricane Ian, which is expected to start impacting parts of DC, Maryland, and Virginia on Friday evening. According to a press release, the State of Emergency “allows the Commonwealth to mobilize resources and equipment needed for response and recovery efforts. Virginians should be prepared for the potential of severe rainfall, flooding, wind damage, tornadoes, and other storm-related impacts.” The full text of Executive Order 22 is available here.
Maryland Governor Larry Hogan tweeted that he is continuing to monitor Hurricane Ian for any potential impact on the state and “in response to an Emergency Management Assistance Compact request, an incident management team consisting of personnel from Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties has deployed to the State of Florida.”
Per the Maryland Department of Emergency Management:
- The situation is fast-moving and continues to develop; you can stay informed by signing up for MdReady/MdListo. Signing up is easy: text MdReady (or MdListo for Spanish texts) to 211-MD1 (211-631).
- Ian will bring periods of light to moderate rain Friday night through Sunday as well as the risk of inland flooding and flash flooding.
- Periods of gale-force winds are possible at times through Monday, mainly for ocean beaches and south of Drum Point/Cobb Point MD on the Chesapeake/Potomac:
- Be careful around standing water, particularly while driving. It can be difficult to tell how deep it is at first glance. Flash flooding can be quick and dangerous. If you receive a flood watch, warning, or suspect flooding is happening, immediately head to higher ground.
- Create or update your family’s emergency kit with non-perishable food, water, flashlights, batteries, and medical supplies. Learn more about kits here: bit.ly/-kits Have a family plan for what to do in the event of a disaster and/or evacuation.
- Keep following Maryland Department of Emergency Management, MdReady/Listo, and your local news for more information on Hurricane Ian.
We continue to monitor Hurricane Ian for any potential impact on the state.
In response to an Emergency Management Assistance Compact request, an incident management team consisting of personnel from Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties has deployed to the State of Florida. https://t.co/gmZ7m6fSN2
— Governor Larry Hogan (@GovLarryHogan) September 28, 2022
On Tuesday, former Washington Commander safety Deshazor Everett plead guilty to misdemeanor reckless driving in the collision that resulted in the death of his girlfriend, Olivia Peters. The crash occurred on December 23, 2021 on Gum Spring Road near Ticonderoga Road in Loudoun County, VA. According to the Loudon County Sheriff’s Office, Everett was driving his 2010 Nissan GT-R more than double the speed limit at the time of the incident. Peters was taken to StoneSprings Hospital where she succumbed to her injuries. Peters, 29, was a 2010 graduate of Good Counsel in Olney and a native of Rockville, MD, where she lived until moving to Las Vegas, NV.
Everett was released by the Commanders in March and is currently a free agent. He is due back in court in September and could face up to a year in jail.
December 24, 2021:
Per the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office:
The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a fatal crash that occurred Thursday night on Gum Spring Road.
The driver of a 2010 Nissan GT-R was traveling north on Gum Spring Road near Ticonderoga Road when around 9:15 p.m. the vehicle left the right side of roadway, struck several trees, and rolled over.
The passenger, Olivia S. Peters, 29, of Las Vegas, Nevada was taken to StoneSprings Hospital where she succumbed to her injuries.
The driver was taken to Reston Hospital Center where he is being treated for serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
Witnesses to the crash who have not already spoken with law enforcement are asked to contact Investigator M. Lotz of the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office Crash Reconstruction Unit at 703-777-1021.
Silver Branch Brewing Co. (8401 Colesville Rd #150, Silver Spring) announced today that they will be merging with Old Ox Brewery (Ashburn & Middleburg, VA) to form one company.
According to a press release, both breweries will maintain their individual brands and tasting rooms.
Full details below:
SILVER SPRING, MD and Ashburn, VA (April 11, 2022) – Silver Branch Brewing Company and Old Ox Brewery will join forces to create one cohesive company that combines Old Ox’s brand recognition, distribution expertise, and brewing capacity with Silver Branch’s hospitality background, marketing experience, and quickly growing portfolio of beers.
The combined company will be well positioned to take advantage of new opportunities emerging in the craft beverage industry while continuing to grow the Silver Branch and Old Ox brands. “This merger affords us some very exciting opportunities for growth,” says Chris Burns, Founder of Old Ox Brewery. “We have amazing plans in store for our tasting rooms, distribution portfolios, and new product launches. We can’t wait to share them with our customers. It’s going to be a lot of work, but it’s also going to be a lot of fun!”
Each brewery will maintain their unique identities while seeking opportunities to cross-promote and bring new beer experiences to craft beer lovers in Virginia, Maryland and Washington, DC. Silver Branch delivers traditional European-style beers in its Downtown Silver Spring tasting room, and Old Ox maintains a core competency in American craft styles that enjoys broad regional distribution.
“While our brewing styles are distinct, our philosophies are extremely well aligned,” says Christian Layke, Co-Founder of Silver Branch Brewing, “We both see beer as being as much about culture and the experience as it is about the liquid itself.”
“This strategic partnership will enable the combined company to achieve efficiencies, continue growing at an accelerated rate, and leverage diversified expertise,” says Brett Robison, Co-Founder of Silver Branch Brewing. “The merger will allow both breweries to continue producing their well-known beers in addition to many new innovative beers. Beer fans in Maryland, Virginia, and DC will also have more opportunities to participate in cultural celebrations and beer release parties in Silver Spring and Ashburn. This year we get to throw two Oktoberfest parties, we’re really excited about that.”
Silver Branch Co-Founder Christian Layke will be Director of Brewing with Co-Founder Brett Robison as Director of Operations. Chris Burns, Co-Founder of Old Ox, will serve as Director of Sales.
So what’s next? Time for a beer! We’re working on a celebratory collaboration project for release in May. The beer is brewed, the label is designed, the release is being planned…We’re excited! More details soon, but rest assured there will be a party!
The proposed merger is subject to final negotiation and execution of an operating agreement. The intention is to be a fully combined and integrated company by Q3 2022.
About Silver Branch Brewing Company
Opened in 2019, Silver Branch celebrates the four major brewing cultures: Belgium, Britain and Ireland, Central Europe, and the Americas. The balanced, drinkable beer styles from these cultures form the core of their lineup, but they also brew more adventurous offerings from each of these cultures. For more information, please visit www.silverbranchbrewing.com
About Old Ox Brewery
Old Ox has been brewing approachable, American-style ales and innovative brands since 2014. The family owned and operated brewery is committed to creating a sense of community in the tasting room and among our restaurant, grocery store and independent partners. For more information, visit www.oldoxbrewery.com
A private ambulance was carjacked by a man around 2:45am this morning near Shady Grove Hospital in Rockville.
The ambulance was stolen in the 14900 block of Broshchart Road, according to Montgomery County Police.
NBC4 reports that the ambulance was chased by police down I-270, onto I-495 and over the American Legion Bridge into Virginia. The chase ended on Route 110 near the Pentagon in Arlington when the ambulance was stopped and the suspect was arrested by Virginia State Police.
The identity of the suspect, who is going to extradited to Montgomery County, has not been released.
Del Taco, a fast food chain that specializes in American style Mexican cuisine, is making its way closer to our area after signing a deal to make Virginia it’s 17th state.
The deal calls for ten restaurants in Southern Virginia, including Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Newport News, and other surrounding areas.
Del Taco has most of its restaurants in California, but also operates in other western states (including Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Washington, and Utah), and has a handful of locations sprinkled around areas east of the Mississippi.
The full press release can be seen below:
Del Taco Restaurants, Inc. (NASDAQ: TACO), the nation’s second largest Mexican quick service restaurant*, has signed a deal with successful franchisees Bharat Patel and Steve Kissel of Virginia Taco, LLC (“Virginia Taco”) to open 10 units in the state of Virginia – a new state on the Del Taco roster. The deal will give the franchise group rights to open in Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Norfolk, Hampton, and Newport News and helps pave the way for additional growth in Southern Virginia and throughout the Carolinas.
“Since inception in 2000, we’ve been able to rapidly expand our portfolio to include household names such as Subway, Tropical Smoothie, Mahi’s and more and are thrilled to add Del Taco to that list,” said Bharat Patel, CEO of Virginia Taco. “Del Taco is an influential brand, so the opportunity to introduce it to the state of Virginia was one that we wanted to jump on immediately. We know that the concept, combined with our expertise in this market, is a great partnership and we look forward to seeing many years of growth ahead.”
With an extensive background in hotel development and having opened his first QSR franchise in 2004, Patel specializes in real estate and development as CEO of Virginia Taco, ensuring the company’s portfolio includes a diverse list of concepts that are scalable and influential. Known for his work with concepts like Cactus Jack’s, Aqua Social Club and Mahi’s Seafood, Kissel’s side of the duo lies within operations and making sure each restaurant and hotel runs smoothly with a dedication to customer service and experience.
“We’ve set our sights on expanding Del Taco’s presence throughout the broader Southeast region for several years now. Finding the right franchise partner in Southern Virginia, a new area for the brand to create raving Del Taco fans is just another fantastic step in realizing our expansion goals,” said Jeff Little, SVP of Development. “The team at Virginia Taco has an impressive track record and their values perfectly align with Del Taco’s, so the decision to partner with them to continue our growth in the Southeast was an easy one.”
Del Taco’s unique QSR+ positioning within the Mexican quick-service segment presents great growth potential for experienced multi-unit operators and private equity firms looking to diversify portfolios. With development areas open across the U.S., Del Taco is continuing to seek multi-unit operators who are looking for the opportunity to claim a territory and grow alongside the company, particularly in the Carolinas, Florida, Georgia and more.
To learn more about Del Taco’s franchise opportunity, visit www.deltacofranchise.com
Owner of Rockland Farm Responds to Last Week’s Town Hall in Poolesville, Disappointed Rockland Farm was Not Asked to Participate in Meeting
Libby Devlin, owner of Rockland Farm, responded to last week’s town hall meeting in Poolesville regarding White’s Ferry in an op-ed that appeared in the the Loudoun Times-Mirror. The Virginia landing site for White’s Ferry is located on the farm.
In the statement she says that White’s Ferry’s decision not to resume operation was due to a broken cable line in December, 2020 and that Rockland has never closed the ferry.
Devlin compared the possible use of eminent domain to the government allowing an unwanted food truck to set up in front of your home; “Could you imagine a food truck setting up in your yard, not paying you for it, and then convincing your local government that they should condemn your yard so the food truck owner can run their business off of it without paying you?”
Full statement from Devlin below:
“On August 18, the Poolesville, Maryland Fair Access Committee held a meeting on the future of White’s Ferry. As the owner of the Virginia ferry landing, which has been part of our farm for almost seven decades, I’m disappointed that Rockland Farm was not invited to participate in the meeting. Instead of a balanced discussion about the history and the future of White’s Ferry, attendees were delivered a very skewed account by the new owner and the Montgomery County officials. Questions were screened to stay on a pre-determined message, ensuring that Rockland Farm and its supporters did not have a voice represented at the meeting.
To be clear, despite what has been written in the media and what the new owners have said, the closure of White’s Ferry is a result of White’s Ferry’s decision not to resume operation after a cable line broke December 28, 2020. Rockland has never closed the ferry: not when White’s Ferry breached our long-standing agreement in 2004 by digging up part of our farm without permission, and not when the Court ruled in November 2020 that White’s Ferry had been trespassing.
We understand that this is an important regional transportation service and it is upsetting that the people of Loudoun and Montgomery counties have not had access to it due to White’s Ferry’s refusal to update a nearly 70-year-old contract for the use of our landing. The original agreement was signed in 1952, and now 800 cars a day coming through our yard and nearly 70 years later, our only request is to renegotiate this antiquated contract.
Unfortunately, instead of talking to us to come to a resolution, White’s Ferry has chosen to work behind the scenes, lobbying the government to condemn our private property for its own commercial gain. The government’s exercise of eminent domain should not be used as a tool for a private enterprise’s financial gain. Could you imagine a food truck setting up in your yard, not paying you for it, and then convincing your local government that they should condemn your yard so the food truck owner can run their business off of it without paying you?
In an effort to not have our land condemned, we have made numerous reasonable proposals to the new owner to restore ferry service under arrangements fair to both parties. All of our proposals have been completely disregarded by the Ferry’s owner. We want the Ferry open immediately and have recently sent a letter to the new owner with copies to Loudoun County officials and the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors detailing five ways that can happen. We have also made an offer to dedicate to either Loudoun or Montgomery County a permanent easement for our landing. Any of these options would get the ferry back in operation again without delay, without any cost to taxpayers, and without the need for an unjust condemnation of our private property.
We’re disheartened that the Town of Poolesville gave White’s Ferry a platform to deliver only one side of the story. Rockland Farm wants to make it known that we want the Ferry open now, and have been making every effort to make that happen in a way that is reasonable and fair to both sides. If you want to connect with us, please like our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/savewhitesferry. The support of neighbors in Loudoun County means so much to us.
Libby Devlin
Owner and resident of Rockland Farm”
Update: Jake’s Ice Cream Grand Opening will be taking place this weekend on Sunday, 9/5 and Monday, 9/6. Jake’s Ice cream will be celebrating the occasion some special prizes and promotions.
More details can be found on the Jake’s Ice Cream Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Jakes-Ice-Cream-102208118696660/
Beyond MoCo: Jake’s Ice Cream in Falls Church Will be Employed Primarily by Adults With Special Needs
Jake’s Ice Cream is coming soon to the Barcroft Plaza in Falls Church, VA. The shop will be hiring primarily employees with disabilities who have had trouble finding traditional jobs.
Jake’s Facebook page describes the ice cream shop as “artisanal small batch ice cream made on the premises. House made waffle cones, sundaes, shakes, floats and other confections. Many of our staff are special needs adults and we rejoice in their pride in this community.”
According to the Annandale Blog, the shop hopes to be open by early July and will be open daily from 11am-8pm. Jake’s Ice Cream owner Robin Rinearson told the blog that the shop is named for her nephew Jake, who lost his job due to the COVID pandemic.
Fast food chain Cook Out is coming one step closer to us, as a new location is expected to open at 8502 Centreville Road in Manassas Park. The location was formerly home to a Roy Rogers.
In 2020, the MoCo Show made the 60 mile trek down to Fredericksburg, VA to visit the areas closest Cook Out location. We left Gaithersburg, located in the approximate center of MoCo, at 6:14pm and arrived an hour and twenty minutes later, at 7:34pm. The Manassas Park location is a little over 30 miles from the center MoCo, about half the distance of Fredericksburg.
Cook Out is a fast food restaurant that was founded in North Carolina in 1989 and primarily operates in southern states. The restaurant is expected to open at some point in 2022, with no exact date given. Check out some of Cook Out’s menu below, which includes over 40 different milkshakes.
Joint Statement from the Governors of Maryland and Virginia on Progress of the American Legion Bridge/I-270 to I-70 Relief Plan
Per the State of Maryland:
Maryland Governor Larry Hogan and Virginia Governor Ralph Northam today issued the following statement:
“The American Legion Bridge is a critical lifeline for the National Capital Region, joining the dynamic economies of Maryland and Virginia and connecting the entire East Coast of the United States.
“Our states established an historic agreement in November 2019 to finally bring the bridge into the modern era, addressing one of the worst traffic chokepoints in the nation head-on. This major milestone supports the delivery of improvements through innovative public-private partnerships that will attract billions of dollars in infrastructure investments, support thousands of jobs, and improve quality of life for all of our residents.
“This is truly a generational project, and we are excited to move forward.”
Featured photo courtesy of WUSA9
January Jollibee Update for First MoCo Location, Including News of Second DC Metro Location
Back in March we let you know that Jollibee was making its way to MoCo with its first Maryland location in Wheaton Mall.
In August we received work that we know that it would be taking over the location that was previously home to Baja Fresh. Construction has been ongoing, but due to COVID restrictions and safety measures taken by the crews doing the work, it has taken a little longer than originally expected.
The latest news we have received has been to expect an early 2021 opening, with no exact date provided…yet.
Earlier this week the company announced a second DC Metro Area restaurant as Jollibee will take over the old Boston Market location at Plaza at Landmark in Fairfax county.
The Filipino fast food chain has over 1,300 locations worldwide and offers a Items such as Chicken Joy (a fried chicken dish), the Yumburger (the house burger), Jolly spaghetti (a sweet spaghetti dish that includes ground beef, hot dog pieces, and ham), and many other products that are a mix between traditional Filipino fare and American-influenced cuisine.
By Tom Merritt and Alicia Clanton
A few weeks back we wrote a piece that told “The Story Behind The DMV.” This led to a fun debate on what the area referred to as the DMV is actually made up of. We took all of your thoughts and opinions, threw in some of ours, and put together the map in our featured photo that shows a general opinion of what people think the DMV actually consists of. Below are some notes based on the feedback we received:
– D.C. is the heart of the DMV. Almost everyone familiar with the term considered all of DC as being in the DMV.
– Almost everyone feels that the areas immediately surrounding DC are part of the DMV:
• This includes places like Bethesda and Silver Spring in MoCo.
• Arlington, Alexandria, Falls Church, etc. in NoVa.
• Oxon Hill, Temple Hills, Suitland, Capital Heights, Hyattsville, College Park, etc. in Prince George’s County.
– Most feel that the DMV expands beyond the areas bordering D.C., including:
• As far as Rockville, Gaithersburg, etc. in MoCo.
• As far as Vienna, Springfield, etc. in NoVa
• As far as Upper Marlboro, Bowie, etc. in Prince George’s County.
– Some think the DMV expands to include the entirety of the counties surrounding DC, plus some of the counties beyond that, this includes:
• All of MoCo
• Much of Loudoun County
• All of Fairfax County
• All of Prince William County
• All of Prince George’s County
• All of Howard County
• All of Anne Arundel County
• A small portion of Carroll County
• A small portion of Frederick County
• Places like Waldorf, MD, Annapolis, MD, and Woodbridge, VA
– “If your county has a metro station in it, it’s in the DMV” was a very popular response that many agreed with.
– A few people feel it expands to include all of the counties mentioned above and further. This include areas like Baltimore, MD, Fredericksburg, VA, and even places as far out as Harper’s Ferry, WV.
– A very small number feel that includes all of D.C., Maryland, and Virginia.
– A very small number believe it also includes the state of Delaware.
– Almost all people outside of the DMV agree the the DMV is the Department of Motor Vehicles.
