UPDATED: Firefighters responding to Crescent Gateway in Bethesda for hazmat incident

UPDATE - 12:48 PM: Firefighters determined the odor that was reported was coming from paint being applied by workers inside the building, and that no action is required by MCFRS.

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service personnel are responding to a report of a hazmat incident at the Crescent Gateway office building, located at 6931 Arlington Road. Seven units have responded, according to MCFRS acting spokesperson Lt. Francisco Martinez. Firefighters are investigating.

Hogan orders all enclosed malls closed, haz-mat suited men spotted in Bethesda, 1st coronavirus death in Maryland

107 confirmed cases in Maryland,

including first child to be infected;

GAP, H&M close;

Hogan's handling of COVID-19

pandemic getting nationwide 

attention

Maryland Governor Larry Hogan has announced the first coronavirus death in the state, a Prince George's County resident who had pre-existing medical conditions that made him more vulnerable to the covid-19 virus, he added. He said there are now 107 confirmed cases of coronavirus statewide, including the first child to have contracted the virus.

Meanwhile, GAP and H&M closed all of their stores in Montgomery County and across the country. Earlier this morning, I broke the story that Montgomery Mall and Wheaton Plaza have mostly closed, except for a few "essential" tenants providing needed services or products like groceries. Now, Hogan has ordered all enclosed malls in the state to close at 5 PM tonight. Sassanova was the latest retailer to close at Bethesda Row, but said they can deliver or offer curbside pickup, in addition to their online storefront.

Hogan also announced that no one except essential workers or frontline healthcare personnel should be riding transit in the state. He has also amended the gatherings restriction to be limited to events of ten people or less.

Gap closed all stores nationwide

H&M has done the same

Haz-mat suited men spotted in Bethesda

Last night, men wearing haz-mat suits were seen inside the new offices of Fidelity Investments in the Chevy Chase Trust building in downtown Bethesda. Given the current anxiety of the public, this certainly turned heads of pedestrians walking past.

Jaleo Bethesda launches community kitchen

Jaleo Bethesda opened a community kitchen outside of the restaurant at the corner of Woodmont Avenue and Elm Street. Meals will be provided to anyone who needs them between noon and 5:00 PM. If you can afford to pay for your meal, they have two contactless payment options. If you cannot afford to pay, you don't have to, on the honor system. God bless them.

Now not showing

Movie theaters across the county have gone dark following the state's order to close this week. Here's a look at marquees in Rockville and Bethesda.

TV, America take note of 

Hogan's leadership on coronavirus

Speaking of Larry Hogan, the governor's handling of the coronavirus is earning him bipartisan praise locally and nationally. He and fellow Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine - along with Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo -  have been out in front at each critical juncture as the pandemic has unfolded, taking bold steps to shutter schools and businesses. All three have boosted their nationwide profile ahead of the 2024 presidential race. In contrast, when the coronavirus crisis was imminent in February, the Montgomery County Council was the only such body in the region on a two-week vacation. Today, Hogan is the darling of cable news, appearing on every major program in recent days, each day seeming to bring another major announcement from the governor.

Hogan found the Montgomery County Council asleep at the switch once again when the virus hit, and stepped in to close Montgomery County Public Schools, as county officials hemmed and hawed over making such a decision for political and ideological reasons. The Council has been totally sidelined by Hogan. Rarely meeting, and taking no significant actions to address the crisis, the $140,000-salaried County Council has left the pandemic response to County Executive Marc Elrich and Health Officer Travis Sayles.

The Council's big action on its coronavirus agenda? To pass a proclamation calling for some of the same moves that have already been made days earlier by Hogan and President Trump.

In fact, our "full-time" Council has so little to do, that one member has found time to moonlight as a children's show host. Councilmember Will Jawando announced Wednesday that he would be broadcasting a story time for kids on Facebook each Wednesday. That's all very nice, and it's great he has the free time, but then the situation quickly turned unethical.

Taxpayer-funded MoCo government social
media accounts caught promoting County Councilmember

Taxpayer-funded Monrgomery County Government social media accounts began promoting Jawando's new kids show, and by extension, politician Jawando himself. That's not allowed under ethics rules, but certainly not the first time such political promotion with taxpayer dollars has taken place. The County's inspector general should indeed review this matter.

Hazmat situation evacuates Bethesda Place (Photos)

Bethesda Place, an 11-story building at 7700 Wisconsin Avenue, was evacuated around 6:45 this evening after occupants on several floors reported smelling natural gas. Firefighters and hazmat teams investigated, and evacuated the building. In the course of their investigation, low levels of carbon monoxide were detected, according to Montgomery County Fire and Rescue spokesperson Pete Piringer.

The 7700 block of Wisconsin Avenue was closed in both directions during the evacuation, but emergency crews are beginning to clear out and the busy commuter route has reopened.

COAST GUARD, EPA, HAZMAT TEAM INVESTIGATE RED SUBSTANCE FLOWING THROUGH PIPE BENEATH DOWNTOWN BETHESDA

COUNTY, STATE, FEDERAL AUTHORITIES

RESPOND AFTER STORMWATER UNDER

BETHESDA - AND LITTLE FALLS STREAM -

TURN RED THURSDAY

ANOTHER ROBERT DYER @ BETHESDA ROW EXCLUSIVE!!!

Several Bethesda residents were startled Thursday when a tributary of Little Falls Stream turned red.

Montgomery County DEP takes sample of red water that drained into a
Little Falls Stream tributary from a stormwater pipe that runs beneath
downtown Bethesda (Courtesy: Steve Martin/DEP)

Some reported their discovery to the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection.

The tributary is near the Bethesda Pool between Bradley Boulevard and Little Falls Parkway.

According to Steve Martin of the DEP, agency employees were on the scene before 4:00 PM Thursday.  Based on their experience, they believed it was a harmless dye used often to test pipe flows.  However, they conducted several tests to be certain.  Tests for typical stream pollutants were all negative.  They found no ill or deceased wildlife in the water.

One or more citizens who had noticed the red substance called the National Response Center of the EPA.  As a result, members of the Coast Guard, EPA, and a Montgomery County Hazmat team rushed to the scene, as well.  All agencies eventually reached the conclusion that it was a dye.

Friday, they checked the outflow north of the pool, and it "was clear," Martin said.  It turns out the pipe that empties into the tributary runs underneath Arlington Road, as far north as Hampden Lane.  Agents checked the water at Hampden Lane and found it was clear there, too.

After some further investigation, the DEP has concluded that the red substance came from a commercial or residential building in downtown Bethesda, between Hampden Lane and Bradley Boulevard.  Martin said it will be difficult to determine exactly which building was responsible.

Authorities seem satisfied that there is no danger to the public or wildlife.  However, the conclusions did not seem to include a definitive identification of the red mystery substance.  Did you notice the red water anywhere in the Little Falls watershed?  Are you satisfied with the DEP explanation?  Leave your comments below.

There doesn't appear to be any evidence that the substance is toxic so far.  However, there are many known and unknown pollutants in the Little Falls stream.  Personally, I would advise people to not make contact with the water in this, or almost any other stream in Montgomery County.  And that includes pets, as well.  There are a variety of natural and chemical pollutants, and in some cases, sewage contamination.  Little Falls has been under a water advisory for excessive levels of bacteria on occasion.

I can recall seeing soap-like suds and bubbles in the Little Falls watershed on two separate occasions.  What's that about?  And sometimes there will be an odd smell, such as around the branch that crosses underneath River Road, just west of Willard Avenue.

So, enjoy the streams, but use common sense and practical precautions.