Montgomery College sends out false active shooter alert, apologizes

Montgomery College, through an electronic alert system, sent out erroneous tweets and text messages at 7:42 AM this morning falsely stating there was an "active shooter" at one of its campuses. The message included a bracketed phrase stating, "[insert campus]," (Montgomery College has three campuses). About half an hour later, the College deleted the original tweet from its Twitter account, and sent another message indicating the alert was a false alarm and apologized.

MoCo misses out on Mitsubishi HQ, relocation expert cites importance of airport access

Montgomery County hasn't attracted a single major corporate headquarters in over twenty years, and Mitsubishi North America won't break that humiliating streak of failure. The Japanese industrial giant's U.S. headquarters has been in sunny California since 1988. After a nationwide search, they've chosen Franklin, Tennessee.

"I’m proud Mitsubishi Motors will call Franklin its U.S. home, and bring 200 high-quality jobs to Middle Tennessee," Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said in a press release announcing the victory. The press release notes that corporate headquarters jobs have grown by 37% in Tennessee since 2013. "Mitsubishi Motors’ decision to relocate its U.S. headquarters from California to Franklin underscores Tennessee’s growing profile as a hub for U.S. and international companies," Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development Chair Bob Rolfe said. "Tennessee will continue to actively recruit quality headquarters jobs from higher-cost coastal states, and we are honored Mitsubishi will make this significant investment in Williamson County.”

This is just the latest major corporate HQ contest the Montgomery County Council and economic development officials have either lost, or simply dozed through without even making a bid. One ongoing disadvantage Montgomery has, besides its national reputation as a business-unfriendly jurisdiction with high taxes, is its lack of direct access to Dulles International Airport.

We could have had direct access by now, had our elected officials not canceled the long-planned Potomac River crossing to the Dulles area. John Boyd of corporate relocation firm The Boyd Company reaffirmed the importance of such access in recent comments about Sherwin Williams dissatisfaction with their current Cleveland HQ location, that has spurred them to begin a relocation search.

Boyd's analysis was reported by Cleveland's Fox 8 as follows:

He said air transit is a key factor in site selection. As Cleveland vies to keep the company that employs more than 33,000 people worldwide, Boyd said the region's lack of non-stop flights to markets around the globe is its biggest hurdle.

Cleveland Hopkins International Airport was ranked second-worst among 16 similar-sized airports in the J.D. Power 2019 North America Airport Satisfaction Study. The airport has commissioned a firm to create a new master plan for upgrades.

"Every time there's a major trophy headquarters project, you always think about the usual suspects: Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Houston. Cities with major gateway airports," Boyd said.

Dulles is unmatched in our region for the frequency of flights and variety of international business destinations. It would be so simple to eliminate this major obstacle to economic growth by merely greenlighting the new bridge to Dulles. The Council's stubborn refusal to do so speaks volumes about their radical, fringe ideology, and total lack of competence.

Utah firm buys Sky Zone Trampoline Park in Gaithersburg

Sky Zone Trampoline Park, located at 15813 Gaither Drive in Gaithersburg, has been sold. The indoor entertainment and fitness center was acquired by Provo-based CircusTrix. Sky Zone parks are owned and operated by independent franchisees. The Gaithersburg center is one of 12 acquired by CircusTrix, the company announced Tuesday. Sky Zones in Manassas and Fredericksburg were also purchased by CircusTrix.

McDonald's to get bigger in Derwood

The Derwood McDonald's at 15801 Frederick Road is planning an expansion. Under the site plan submitted by McDonald's USA, LLC to Montgomery County, the restaurant will increase in size on the lot from the current 5586 SF to 6082 SF.

The drive-thru will be changed to the dual lane design found at many McDonald's locations these days, allowing two rows of cars to line up at once. There will be "three small building additions" to the restaurant itself, and bicycle parking will be added.

McDonald's' site plan will be reviewed by the Montgomery County Planning Board on November 7, 2019. Planning staff is recommending approval of the site plan.

Germantown man missing

Montgomery County police are seeking the public's help in locating a missing Germantown man. Han Pham, 45, hasn't been seen since 2:00 AM Saturday, when he left his Rushing Water Way home on foot.

Police describe Pham as an Asian male, 5’9″, and 140 pounds.  He has brown eyes and collar-length black hair.  He was wearing a brown fleece jacket and blue jeans when he disappeared Saturday morning.

Anyone who has information regarding the whereabouts of Han Pham is asked to call the Montgomery County Police non-emergency number at 301-279-8000 (24 hours).

Red Door Salon & Spa rebrands as Mynd Spa & Salon in Rockville, Gaithersburg

Elizabeth Arden Red Door Salon & Spa is in the process of rebranding nationwide as Mynd Spa & Salon. While the rebranding will occur one region at a time, their Rockville and Gaithersburg salons have now officially made the change. The revamped salons will focus on seven primary services: massage therapy, body treatments, skin care, nail care, haircut and color, makeup, and waxing. There will be a new emphasis on products from the European Union, where the company says environmental and purity standards are higher than in the United States.

Rockville's spa is at 934 Rose Avenue in the Canopy by Hilton hotel. Gaithersburg's is in the Kentlands at Kentlands Place, located at 62 Market Street.

Photo courtesy of Mynd Spa & Salon

State to take public input on I-270 congestion between Gaithersburg and I-70

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan

The Maryland State Highway Administration will hold two meetings in upper Montgomery County next month, to get public feedback on options to reduce traffic congestion on I-270 between I-370 in Gaithersburg and I-70 in Frederick County. Gov. Larry Hogan is already moving forward on existing plans for Express Lanes south of there on I-270.

Meetings will be held on the following dates at these locations:

• Tuesday, November 12, 2019 – Clarksburg High School, 22500 Wims Road, Clarksburg
• Thursday, November 21, 2019 – Activity Center at Bohrer Park, 506 South Frederick Ave., Gaithersburg