Verizon busy on Sunday in downtown Silver Spring

Verizon crews were performing major underground work in downtown Silver Spring on Sunday. Some lanes were blocked on Georgia Avenue, and heavy equipment and trucks were parked all around. Perhaps you will notice improved service as a result this week.

Abol Ethiopian is still open in Silver Spring

Some diners have been startled to see the suddenly-blank-and-slightly-vandalized awning at Abol Ethiopian restaurant at 8626 Colesville Road in downtown Silver Spring. Not to worry - the restaurant is still open for business. They say they are in the process of changing their signage.

Club Pilates coming to Thayer & Spring in Silver Spring

Breaking news from the new Thayer & Spring apartments in downtown Silver Spring: Another new tenant has been signed for the ground floor retail there. Club Pilates will open a studio at 956 Thayer Avenue.

Construction is underway inside the space, and as you can see, there's quite a way to go yet. But give the company points for energy. They have already installed signage and window stencils for the studio. Free introductory classes will be offered via their website when Club Pilates opens.

Rare February severe storm hits Montgomery County

Damaged car on
Norbeck Road

Montgomery County is being pounded by severe storms this morning. A tornado was issued for parts of Gaithersburg and Germantown, as well as the northeast corner of the upcounty near the Howard and Carroll County borders. Flooding has been reported across the upcounty, as have fallen trees and power lines. The whole county is being hit by the unusual February summer-style storm, but the upcounty is being affected the most.

Power lines, tree down on
Darnestown Road at
White Ground Road

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services have received so many emergency calls that they are now operating under Condition Red, which means there may be longer response times, particularly for non-critical incidents. Violent weather and storm damage have also impacted parts of Poolesville, Rockville and Silver Spring, most notably in the Dawsonville, Norbeck Road and Layhill Road areas.

Route 109 is currently blocked between MD 355 and the I-270 overpass after a tree fell across the roadway. Some lanes are also blocked at Route 28 and Route 107. Trees are also reported down by MCFRS on Circle Gate Drive in Germantown.

Photos by Pete Piringer/MCFRS

Federal Realty expands leadership team

Mike Ennes

Rockville-based development firm Federal Realty Investment Trust - owner of multiple properties in Montgomery County, including Bethesda Row, Plaza del Mercado and Rockville Town Square - announced yesterday that it is expanding its leadership team. Vice-President, Residential Mike Ennes has been promoted to Senior VP, Mixed-Use Initiatives and Corporate Communications. Senior Director of Development Jay Brinson was also promoted, to VP of Development.

Jay Brinson

Ennes came to Federal Realty in 2015 from Tysons-based Hilton Worldwide. Federal's Pike & Rose property features a Canopy by Hilton hotel. "Mike was sourced from the hospitality industry to better integrate Federal's various residential offerings into its burgeoning mixed-use portfolio," Federal Realty's president and chief executive officer Don Wood said in a statement Wednesday.

Wood cited Brinson as "critical to the delivery of 909 Rose, our first trophy office building at Pike and Rose." Federal Realty is relocating its Rockville headquarters into that building.

Photos via Federal Realty/LinkedIn

Suspect arrested in Wheaton with gun, cocaine

An Aspen Hill resident was arrested by Montgomery County police in the 2300 block of Price Avenue around 1:38 AM Sunday morning, after a 911 call reporting a man on Georgia Avenue with a gun. Carlos Aquino, 29, allegedly ran after seeing officers arriving on the scene. Detectives say he held his waistband while running into the parking garage in the 11300 block of Amherst Avenue.

Loaded handgun officers say
they recovered after the suspect
allegedly threw it away

Officers say Aquino threw an object in the garage, which they recovered and found to be a loaded handgun reported stolen in Atlanta, Georgia. Aquino also had cocaine on his person, they allege. He has been charged with possession of the cocaine and of a stolen firearm. Aquino is free on bond.

Fighter jets over DC, Montgomery County, N. Virginia after State of the Union rattle residents

Significant fighter jet activity over the Washington, D.C. area around 11:00 PM Tuesday night had many residents seeking answers, answers that are not forthcoming as of this writing. President Trump's State of the Union address had ended earlier, and the commander-in-chief was presumably already back at the White House by the time the jet flyovers began. It was not surprising to hear jets deployed, but they have not been heard to this extent following other recent State of the Union speeches.

The noise was somewhat reminiscent of the weeks following 9/11. It continued for about 15 minutes, paused for a few minutes, and then resumed for about 5 more minutes - at least over Montgomery County. Based on social media chatter, the jets were heard in the District and Northern Virginia, as well. Following the jet flyovers, commercial airliners were heard resuming landings at Reagan National Airport, in greater numbers than one usually hears along the Potomac after 11:00 PM.

A Google News search finds no news articles on the jet noise. In a tweet, Oriana Pawlyk, an air war reporter for Military.com, suggested the fighters may have been F-16s from Andrews Air Force Base.