Local Restaurants Part of Suit Against Recent COVID Restrictions

A group of Montgomery County restaurants and bars, including several in Silver Spring, has filed suit against Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich objecting to the terms of the most recent Executive Order 139-20AM2. The order, approved by the County Council, eliminated indoor dining and provided other restrictions, as of 5 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 15, to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Construction Begins on $10 Million Renovation of Downtown Silver Spring

Construction on a planned $10 million renovation of the Downtown Silver Spring development is underway, with a new elevator installation next to the entrance to the former Eggspectation location. The elimination of the existing elevator is part of a number of changes coming to the Fountain Plaza that were presented publicly in September 2019.

Urban Winery Closes for Winter in Anticipation of Relocating

The Urban Winery has moved out of its space on Bonifant Street for the winter in anticipation of relocating in the spring, according to CEO Damon Callis. Callis told the Source that while the Bonifant location had been a good one for them, the growth in the winery’s production demands meant they needed to find a larger space.

From Here To Home Essentials Releases Fair Trade Luxury Gift Boxes

MissHeard Media’s sister company From Here To Home Essentials has released Big and Little Fair Trade Luxury Boxes, collections of products from American-based small businesses, curated for gifting to even the most hard-to-shop-for person. 35% of the proceeds from each box will be donated to RAINN, the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network, to support survivors of sexual violence.

Pet of the Week: “Choop is a cat that likes to be wherever you are.”

“Choop is a cat that likes to be wherever you are. She loves to nap with her human parents, play hide and seek, seize hair ties mid-flight, swat at soap bubbles, jump and bury herself into (boxes, bags, drawers, and the refrigerator…if she can find a way), and seems content with life when a Muddy Waters record is playing. She sneezes when she’s happy, silently meows at birds when she sees them outside, loves to scratch the curtains to let her human parents know it’s time to wake up in the morning, and is overall a really wonderful and highly charactered cat. She is more than a cat though, she is our little heart.”

New Purple Line Utility Work to Begin Monday in Silver Spring

Purple Line contractors plan to begin two additional utility relocation projects in Silver Spring on Monday, Dec. 21, weather permitting, according to the Maryland Transit Administration. The first involves relocating both underground and overhead utilities along a stretch of 16th Street. The project will start at Lyttonsville Road, just south of Second Avenue, and go to Spring Street.