A black bear was caught on camera strolling across a Darnestown driveway on Tuesday night The bear appeared to make its way towards the trash and recycling bin There were multiple sightings of the bear in the Darnestown area on Tuesday Montgomery Parks shared last year that “Black bear sightings have become a common occurrence in Montgomery County between May and July solitary bears–often young males–are striking out on their own sometimes traveling considerable distances in search of a suitable home range to call their own.” The Maryland Department of Natural Resources recently shared that black bears have vacated their dens and started exploring the areas around them bears are hungry and in search of easy food,” said Jonathan Trudeau Game Mammal Section Leader for DNR’s Wildlife and Heritage Service “Black bears rely on their powerful sense of smell to locate food and are attracted to anything that resembles the scent of food Additional information per Montgomery Parks: “By the end of summer most of these bears find their way to more desirable areas in the western part of Maryland These sightings are exciting for most people but can be alarming for many citizens who are not expecting to see bears traveling through Montgomery Parks Wildlife Staff is interested in recording black bear sightings at any time of year If you see or encounter a bear in Montgomery County Remember to do your part to help keep bears and other wildlife wild! Learn more about living with bears and what to do if you encounter wildlife on the Montgomery Parks website.” (7News) — A single-vehicle collision toppled two utility poles on Darnestown Road closing the roadway Friday in Montgomery County MORE: Six-vehicle collision blocks lanes off I-495 Darnestown Road was closed in both directions from Seneca Road to Germantown Road Drivers are advised to seek an alternate route Already have an account? Log in here By submitting this form, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Already have an account? Log in here By submitting this form, you agree to our Privacy Policy. Considerable cloudiness. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 54F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Cloudy skies. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 59F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. According to MCFRS Chief Spokesperson Pete Piringer, the fire occurred at a home between Darnestown and Poolesville. Neighbors reported heavy smoke coming from the house around midnight and firefighters were met with heavy fire conditions upon arrival. Neighbors reported that someone was still in the house. Firefighters were able to rescue a dog and were challenged by “excessive storage conditions” before knocking down the fire and locating a body on the second floor of the home. Per Piringer, this is the fourth fatal fire of the year in Montgomery County. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. The roads in the area were closed for a few hours while firefighters were engaged in putting out the fire and have since iced up due to the water used to put out the fire and temperatures being in the teens. As of 6:45am, the icy road surface has been treated, but lanes are narrow. Two-way traffic gets by slowly on Route 28/Darnestown Rd, but White’s Ferry Road remains closed between Rt28 and Sugarland Rd. Photo courtesy MCFRS. Scattered thunderstorms are expected Monday afternoon and evening. Some may become severe with large hail and high winds. TRACK RADARWoman dead after overnight house fire in Montgomery Countyby Winston Rogers (7News) — A woman was found dead inside a home near Boyd Maryland early Tuesday morning after fire crews battled a heavy fire according to a Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS) official Crews were called to a home on the 16600 block of White's Ferry Road near Sugarland Road at around midnight after neighbors reported heavy smoke coming from a home with a woman inside officials said fire crews fought the heavy flames and said cluttered conditions inside the home made it difficult Crews rescued a dog but later found the woman dead on the second floor of the house An MCFRS spokesperson said the fire has been mostly knocked down as of 4:50 a.m. but the cause of the blaze remains under investigation Darnestown Road between Black Rock Road and White Ground Road as well as White's Ferry Road between Partnership Road and Route 28 were closed for several hours due to the fire and icy road conditions Whites Ferry Road at Darnestown Road was closed due to the incident and has since reopened Montgomery County Police issued the following traffic alert at 6:22pm: “TRAFFIC ADVISORY: A single-vehicle collision involving two utility poles has Darnestown Road closed between Germantown Road and Seneca Road We will provide an update if additional information becomes available 14100blk Darnestown Rd. Near Germantown Road, collision, several utility poles struck by tractor trailer, wires down, some lanes blocked between Seneca Rd and Route 118 Germantown Rd, expect extended road closure @MDSHA @MCDOTNow @ReadyMontgomery — Pete Piringer (@mcfrsPIO) January 3, 2025 MoCo’s Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC) has announced that global giant MilliporeSigma and Canada Life Science business of Merck KGaA opened a $286 million biosafety testing facility in Rockville (9820 Darnestown Rd.) this week The new 250,000-square-foot facility will house biosafety testing analytical development and cell banking manufacturing services which has been historically known locally as BioReliance Corporation currently has about 870 employees working in Rockville and this expansion will create 300 positions over the next several years The new building consolidates labs currently spread across four buildings in Rockville into a single newly constructed facility which will increase collaboration between scientists and enable a higher level of automation and digitalization “MilliporeSigma’s expansion is more good news for Montgomery County’s growing life sciences sector,” said County Executive Marc Elrich “This investment of $286 million and the addition of 300 new jobs reinforces what we’ve been working toward—creating a world-class hub for innovation This new facility consolidates their biosafety testing operations under one roof driving efficiency and enhancing their ability to deliver life-saving technologies We’re proud to support companies like MilliporeSigma that are committed to both advancing scientific progress and strengthening our local economy Their continued growth is a testament to the opportunities and talent that exist here in Montgomery County.” The Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC) has worked with MilliporeSigma on this extensive project since its inception—convening meetings with the company real estate brokers and the state of Maryland; shepherding the proposal through county processes; and coordinating with the state and county teams to keep the project moving forward as the building was constructed “We congratulate MilliporeSigma on its expansion and welcome this major investment in Montgomery County,” said MCEDC President and CEO Bill Tompkins “MilliporeSigma has been a part of Montgomery County for more than 75 years and we look forward to their continued presence here for many more years to come This new facility will contribute greatly to our economy and further reinforce Montgomery County as a premier life sciences hub.” “This expansion is the largest investment in contract testing in the company’s history and will allow us to drive automation and technology development in one integrated hub,” said Benjamin Hein “It reflects our commitment to providing our clients with disruptive platforms that shorten biosafety testing timelines meet the growing global demand and ensure the safety of the world’s medicines for patients.” Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) responded to Haddonfield Way ~200 yards from a house at approximately 3:30am Sunday morning (units are still working as of 10am) The slow burning fire involving leaves/brush spread to approximately one acre but crews have been working on hot spots throughout the morning MCFRS Chief Spokesperson Pete Piringer stated that “fresh relief crews are monitoring the fire from over night Tim Pruss (@MyDronePro on Twitter/X) shared images and videos from 10am showing crews continuing to work on hot spots which has been a longtime tenant at Travilah Square (Rockville) will be moving from its current location at 10046 Darnestown Rd to 10028 Darnestown Rd within the same shopping center (photos below) The new store is taking over the space that was previously home to Title Boxing before the boxing gym moved around the corner to the Traville Village shopping center Travilah Beer & Wine will add a bar that will allow patrons to enjoy beverages in the store The move is expected to take place by the end of the month with a grand opening celebration to follow Earlier this year we let you know Kong Dog was opening a Gaithersburg location. Permanent signage is now up at Kong Dog at 12141 Darnestown Rd at the Shops at Potomac Valley shopping center in Gaithersburg (h/t @pike.and.rozay) The menu can be seen on the restaurant’s website, and offers unique corn dog combinations that include churro kong dogs rainbow kong dogs (made with Fruity Pebbles or something similar) We will provide an update when an opening date is announced The City of Gaithersburg is in the process of completing the 9.54-acre Pleasant View Park at 10901 Darnestown Rd We spoke with City officials who confirmed that the park is not yet open Multiple readers have sent photos of the park doors open and a few have sent in photos of the playground in use but City of Gaithersburg officials tell us that the park is not yet open and they hope to have a ribbon cutting ceremony and grand opening celebration soon (no date available) The doors are currently locked and chained again and we were told that they should not have been open unless there was work actively being completed at the park the City announced that the park was in the final stage of construction Most of the activities that were in progress at the time have been completed including the construction of the vehicular entrance road (from Darnestown Road) and the asphalt paving of the parking lot The following park elements have already been constructed; Playground Originally scheduled to be completed February 2023 we spoke with City of Gaithersburg project engineer Sunil Prithviraj who told us that substantial completion is tentatively expected by the third week of November It appears that the final touches are now being completed so an opening by the end of the summer is possible Pleasant View Park is named after the nearby Pleasant View community one of the first free black communities established after the Civil War The park’s name honors the historic significance of that community and also reflects the beauty of the natural surroundings The land was acquired through the Federal Land to Parks Program of the United States Department of the Interior National Park Service this location served as a fire control radar site for the U.S the site was used by the Consumer Product Safety Commission as the National Laboratory Campus for testing consumer products Vehicular access to the park will be through the drive that extends from Darnestown Road Pedestrians will be able to access the site from Darnestown Road via a path that will be located parallel to the access drive into the park Pedestrians will also be able to access the park from Marsh Lane A Ride-On bus stop is located on Darnestown Road at the park entrance a longtime tenant at Travilah Square in Rockville has relocated within the shopping center from 10046 Darnestown Rd to 10028 Darnestown Rd and is now open The new location was previously occupied by Title Boxing which has since moved to Traville Village shopping center the newly opened store is the largest privately owned beer and wine shop in Montgomery County offering over 2,000 wines from around the world and competitively priced retail beer and wine The store features 20 draft lines with premium draft beers priced between $4.99 and $5.99 per pint—”essentially happy hour prices all day Travilah Beer & Wine is also partnering with Ledo’s and Hangry Joe’s to provide food options through a QR code ordering system with free delivery and customers are welcome to bring their own food By submitting this form, you agree to our Privacy Policy Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) responded to a collision at Bondy Ln and Darnestown Rd on Thursday According to MCFRS Spokesperson David Pazos crews located a sedan that had collided with a Montgomery County Public Schools bus One adult driver from sedan was transported as trauma with non-life threatening injuries and ten students on the bus were evaluated and released ICYMI~(11/14) @715am, @mcfrs was dispatched for a collision at Bondy Ln/Darnestown Rd. Crews located a sedan that had collided with a MCPS bus. 1 adult driver from sedan transported as trauma with non-life threatening injuries. 10 students on bus evaluated and uninjured/released. pic.twitter.com/OHwm6grssc — Pazos@mcfrsPIO (@DavidPazos15) November 14, 2024 Please email if you would like to be allow listed 00:25 Tornado spotted from Darnestown Maryland on Wednesday Several tornadoes were spotted on the north side of the D.C Last month we let you know that City of Gaithersburg officials confirmed that the long awaited 9.54-acre Pleasant View Park at 10901 Darnestown Rd was not open yet after several community members shared photos of the doors being open with community members inside the party Gaithersburg has now shared an update stating that the park is in its final stages of completion (photos below by the City of Gaithersburg) “The Park construction is at the final phase of completion and the contractor coordinating final inspections with the authorities having jurisdictions which include State Highway Administration (SHA) Once the punch list repairs have been completed the City of Gaithersburg plans to have a ribbon cutting ceremony and grand opening celebration The park’s name honors the historic significance of that community and also reflects the beauty of the natural surroundings By submitting this form, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Mostly cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 53F. Winds light and variable. Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services responded to the 14800 block of Braemar Crescent Way in Gaithersburg to a house struck by lightning. We are told the lightning strike caused a fire and there is visible damage to the home, but everyone is safe. We’ll provide an update as more information is made available. A post shared by The MoCoShow (MCS) (@themocoshow) POOLESVILLE, Md. (7News) — A man is injured after a crash involving a bicycle Thursday evening in Poolesville, according to Montgomery County Fire and EMS officials. Crews responded to the scene in the 19800 block of Darnestown Road around 6:28 p.m Officials said a passing Park Police officer provided medical care to the cyclist and he was flown to a hospital with serious injuries 2024 at 3:16 pm ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}A Reston woman was killed after her vehicle went off the road near Darnestown and slammed into a utility pole woman was killed Thursday night after her vehicle went off the road near Darnestown and struck a utility pole The victim was identified as Alyssa Marie Clark Montgomery County police said the single-vehicle crash happened about 10:30 p.m in the 13300 block of Darnestown Road near Bondy Lane Authorities said Clark’s 2007 Toyota Camry was westbound on Darnestown Road when the vehicle left the road and hit a utility pole Detectives ask anyone who saw the collision to call (240) 773-6620 Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. have disclosed the specific locations of stores and a plant they plan to sell to C&S Wholesale Grocers ahead of their proposed merger with four Maryland stores on the list (two in Montgomery County) Kroger Co. and Albertsons Companies Inc. first announced their proposed merger on October 14 Last year they entered a definitive agreement with C&S Wholesale Grocers including two in Montgomery County that are on the list to be sold: Harris Teeter – 18169 Town Center Dr Kroger operates in Montgomery County as Harris Teeter while Albertsons operates as Safeway Kroger will be acquiring Albertsons in the merger is the parent company of Grand Union and Piggly Wiggly Supermarkets The list indicates that they are looking to divest close to 600 stores in 18 states and Washington, D.C., as well as six distribution centers and one plant to C&S. This information has been made public approximately a month and half before an important court hearing concerning the proposed merger of the grocers. The full list can be seen here Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) responded to a collision involving a bicycle in the 19800 block of Darnestown Rd According to MCFRS Chief Spokesperson Pete Piringer the bicyclist was transported to a trauma center by Medevac helicopter with serious injuries A Park Police officer administered critical medical care before EMS arrived the Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security tweeted: “Traffic incident closes all lanes of Darnestown Rd (MD28) at Beallsville Rd (MD109) Expect significant delay and seek alternate route.” We will provide updates as more information becomes available Update – Darnestown Rd, collision involving bicycle & vehicle, the cyclist suffered traumatic injury, a passing @ParkPolice Officer provided critical medical care prior to @mcfrs arrival adult male was transported via Medevac Helicopter w/ serious injuries (Pri2) — Pete Piringer (@mcfrsPIO) July 25, 2024 The Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) has released additional information regarding a fatal single-vehicle that occurred on November 21 in Gaithersburg “The Montgomery County Department of Police – Collision Reconstruction Unit is investigating a fatal collision that occurred on Thursday in the area of Darnestown Road and Bondy Lane The decedent has been identified as 42-year-old Alyssa Marie Clark 1st District officers and Montgomery County Fire Rescue personnel responded to the 13300 block of Darnestown Road for the report of a single vehicle collision The investigation has revealed that Clark’s blue 2007 Toyota Camry was traveling westbound on Darnestown Road when the vehicle left the roadway and struck a utility pole This is an active and ongoing investigation. CRU detectives are asking for anyone who may have witnessed the collision to call (240) 773-6620.” 2024 at 12:17 pm ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}A third Trader Joe's store is coming to Rockville taking over a space vacated by a specialty grocery store (Jenna Fisher/Patch)Correction: A third store is coming to Rockville which will give Montgomery County six Trader Joe's locations There are also stores in Bethesda and Silver Spring MD — A third Trader Joe's store is coming to Montgomery County The MoCo Show reported that the county's newest store will move into the site of the closed Dawson’s Market at 225 N which has been listed under permit requests with the city Employees at the two current Trader Joe’s locations confirmed the upcoming store although it hasn’t been publicly announced The third Rockville location is expected to open in March 2025 The existing Trader Joe's are located at 10076 Darnestown Road and 12268-H Rockville Pike On Monday, construction crews were working in the market space, MOCO 360 reported Trader Joe’s is a California-based national chain of neighborhood grocery stores founded in 1967 Trader Joe’s believes every customer should have access to the best prices on the best products every day Get important news about your town as it happens Get the top stories from across our network Are you sure you want to unsubscribe from daily updates One person was hospitalized after crashing into the back of a Montgomery County Public School bus on Thursday first responders were called to the area of Bondy Lane and Darnestown Road in Darnestown where there was a reported crash involving a driver who struck the bus According to a Montgomery County Fire and Rescue spokesperson the driver of the sedan was taken to the hospital by paramedics with traumatic injuries that were described as non-life-threatening Ten students who were on the bus were evaluated and were all uninjured and later released Want breaking news in the DMV as it happens, or want to contribute? Join the DMV All Incidents Facebook group Kroger and Albertsons have released a final list of the hundreds of grocery stores they plan to divest as part of their $24.6 billion merger despite the legal challenges and union opposition they face The stores proposed for sale include six Harris Teeter locations in the D.C area — in Darnestown and Olney in Maryland; Alexandria Arlington and Purcellville in Virginia; and in D.C.’s Navy Yard Kroger owns Harris Teeter and Albertsons owns Safeway which includes almost 580 stores in 19 states the parent company of the Piggly Wiggly grocery store chain All three stores have said no stores would be closed as a result of the merger no jobs would be cut and all collective bargaining agreements would be honored The United Food and Commercial Workers Union “Today’s announcement changes nothing “We remain focused on stopping the proposed megamerger for the same reasons we have stated since it was announced 20 months ago.” UFCW locals contend the merger would harm workers Kroger and Albertsons operate more than 5,000 stores under their namesakes and others including Ralphs Albertsons also owns Balducci’s Food Lovers Market C&S Wholesale operates the Grand Union supermarket chain wholesale operations and owns private-label store brands A Federal Trade Commission complaint aimed at blocking the deal alleges it would harm consumers by eliminating competition of prices and quality and give the companies increased leverage of employee wages and benefits The merger has also been challenged by courts in Oregon and Colorado Here is a list of proposed Harris Teeter divestitures in Maryland Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area Jeff Clabaugh has spent 20 years covering the Washington region's economy and financial markets for WTOP as part of a partnership with the Washington Business Journal and officially joined the WTOP newsroom staff in January 2016 2024 at 8:13 pm ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Kroger and Albertsons have named which stores will be sold to other companies as they seek approval for the largest grocery merger in U.S (Shutterstock / Bruce VanLoon)MARYLAND — Kroger and Albertsons have unveiled hundreds of stores they plan to sell to secure federal approval for two of the nation's largest grocery chains to complete a $25 billion mega-merger The companies first announced an agreement for Kroger to acquire Albertsons in 2022 quickly drawing scrutiny from federal antitrust regulators The combined company would own nearly 5,000 stores and dozens of distribution centers and plants Calling it the largest supermarket merger in U.S the Federal Trade Commission sued to block the acquisition earlier this year drive prices higher and reduce choices for shoppers The FTC and union leaders have also expressed concerns over how the deal could impact more than 710,000 workers employed by the two companies Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen has argued the merger would save up to $1 billion in administrative costs and help streamline manufacturing and distribution channels allowing for lower prices at the register and higher wages for workers The suit is scheduled to head to trial at the end of August Initially, the companies planned to sell off more than 400 stores across the country. Under the updated plan the two grocery giants would offload 572 stores six distribution centers and a dairy plant to C&S Wholesale Grocers a New Hampshire-based company that owns the Piggy Wiggly and Grand Union brands the deal would see four stores sold to C&S Kroger's CEO said the deal included commitments from C&S to continue operating the stores honor existing collective bargaining agreements and avoid layoffs These are the Maryland stores that will be sold to C&S under the agreement: Black bear sightings have been abundant here in Montgomery County this spring but a local resident was surprised to see this one on hanging out on their deck in Potomac (off of River Rd.) on Monday In recent weeks there have been black bear sightings from Germantown to Silver Spring and many places in between as  Northern Virginia has also seen an increase in black bear sightings in addition to states in Northern counties in Maryland where they’re even more common What precautions should you take and what should you do if you see one Montgomery Parks shared the following earlier this season: “Black bear sightings have become a common occurrence in Montgomery County between May and July solitary bears-often young males-are striking out on their own sometimes traveling considerable distances in search of a suitable home range to call their own Remember to do your part to help keep bears and other wildlife wild! Learn more about living with bears and what to do if you encounter wildlife on the Montgomery Parks website.”