Metrobus crashes into Jewelry Buyers in Wheaton

A Metrobus crashed into Jewelry Buyers at 2575 Ennalls Avenue in Wheaton around 9:30 AM yesterday morning, March 2, 2023. The bus drove through the storefront, and continued all the way into the store. No one was inside the store when the accident occurred, but three people were transported to local hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries, Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson Pete Piringer said. There were no passengers on the bus at the time of the accident.

According to Metro Transit Police, the bus was struck by a speeding white van whose driver allegedly made a reckless lane change. Police later charged the driver of the van with making an unsafe lane change, failing to control speed to avoid a collision, making an improper right turn, and failing to wear corrective lenses. Wild morning in the Wheaton Triangle!

Reader-submitted photo

Takoma Park Wendy's offering a "construction special" during remodeling

The Wendy's at 6823 New Hampshire Avenue in Takoma Park is offering a "construction special." Buy one Dave's Single burger or their famous Spicy Chicken Sandwich, and get another free. That means you don't have to decide - just get both and one will be free. The offer is good for the duration of the restaurant's remodeling.

Metro Red Line trains to single-track between Silver Spring and Forest Glen after 10 PM this week

Metro Red Line trains will be single-tracking after 10:00 PM between the Silver Spring and Forest Glen stations this week, the Montgomery County Department of Transportation said. The reason is a rehabilitation project related to the drainage pumping system. Water intrusion, as with underground garages, is a typical issue confronted by most subway systems. An audit last year found significant water intrusion and pooling in several locations at the Forest Glen station.

Photo courtesy MCDOT

Montgomery County loses another corporate HQ to Virginia

There goes another one. Amentum Services, a leading government contractor in the fields of engineering, project management and advanced solutions integration, is moving from Germantown to Chantilly in Fairfax County, Virginia. The latest corporate decision to choose Virginia over Montgomery County will bring 157 new jobs to Fairfax County - good jobs with high pay. Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) announced the move in a press release Monday.

According to Youngkin's statement, Virginia competed directly with Maryland to woo Amentum, which has 44,000 employees working in 85 countries around the world. “Fairfax County offers the location, access to decision-makers, and talent pipeline that global providers like Amentum are seeking, and we are proud to welcome the company’s leadership and operations team to Virginia,” Youngkin said. “Amentum joins the ranks of the Commonwealth’s diversified ecosystem of more than 800 corporate headquarters across a broad cross-section of industries.”

“I want to thank and congratulate Amentum for choosing Fairfax County for its home base,” Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeffrey C. McKay said in statement. “Our long-term investment into making Fairfax County the top choice to locate a global business continues to bear fruit, and I am thrilled that Amentum has chosen to take advantage of what we offer.” 

Amentum is the latest corporation to abandon moribund Montgomery County for Virginia, or choose Virginia over Maryland in a relocation search. It joins Amazon, Northrop Grumman, Volkswagen, Lidl, Hilton Hotels, Intelsat, Corporate Executive Board, Nestle, Lego, and Gerber, to name a few. 

Montgomery County and Maryland have had difficulty even gobbling up the crumbs under Virginia's dinner table. When Youngkin made the surprising decision to reject a Ford Motor Company battery plant recently, Maryland wasn't even a serious contender to grab the jump ball. That fumble apparently happened on the watch of former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) and the 2018-2022 Montgomery County Council, as Michigan was quickly named as Ford's backup choice. 

Water leaking into garage at new Montgomery County government office building in Wheaton

A reader reported earlier this month that the bottom level of the public parking garage at the new Montgomery County government office building at 2425 Reedie Drive in Wheaton was closed, and that standing water was being pumped out. I inquired with the County Department of Transportation Parking Division, which operates the County-owned garage, and I now have some information from the Chief of Management Service, Jeremy Souders. 

"The County continues to work with the Building Developer, General Contractor, Engineers and [the County Department of Permitting Services] to resolve moisture in the lower level of Garage 13," Souders said. He added that intrusion of moisture or water into underground parking garages is a common occurance. In the case of Garage 13, he said that contractors "are currently injecting silicon into a few moist areas, cleaning, and repainting." Souders said he expects that a majority of the spaces on the G4 parking level will be open to the public again within the next month.

Veterinary clinic to open at Wheaton Plaza

The latest out-of-left-field tenant to take a swing at the vacant Sears Outlet building at Westfield's Wheaton Plaza mall will be a veterinary practice. "Future home of your local veterinary specialists," reads a sign in the window of what most recently was American Freight. You'd never guess American Freight sold mattresses and furniture. In this case, the vet clinic is avoiding the name confusion issue by not giving a name at all. 

Lovisa opening at Wheaton Plaza, Rico's Ice Cream now open (Photos)

Lovisa is opening a store at Westfield's Wheaton Plaza mall. The Australian jewelry boutique chain recently leased a space at Westfield's other mall in the county, Montgomery Mall. They even used the same "coming soon" signage. When it opens, look for Lovisa on Level 1 near Macy's.

Meanwhile, Rico's Ice Cream has opened on Level 1, near AT&T and Elite Jewels. It takes over the former Nestle Toll House Cafe kiosk. Rico's specializes in colorful ice cream bars with add-ons drizzled or sprinkled on top. They also have beverages. Rico's has two existing locations in Hyattsville and Laurel, so this is Montgomery County's first bricks-and-mortar location of the local chain.