Hallie Wells Middle School families were notified Thursday that multiple students and staff members have developed symptoms consistent with a gastrointestinal illness, prompting enhanced cleaning measures and the cancellation of after-school activities.

In a letter dated January 15, 2026, principal Dr. Carla McNeal said individuals at the Clarksburg school reported symptoms including vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, fever, and abdominal cramps. In response, the building is undergoing intensive deep cleaning and disinfection over the next several days to ensure all surfaces are sanitized.

Despite the illness reports, Hallie Wells Middle School will remain open, and students are expected to report to classes as scheduled. As a precaution, all after-school activities on Thursday, January 15, and Friday, January 16, have been canceled. The school’s 8th grade dance, which had been scheduled for Friday, has been postponed, with a new date to be announced.

Parents who believe their child may be experiencing gastrointestinal symptoms are asked to notify the school nurse or administration. Absences related to the illness will be marked as excused.

The school also reminded families that gastrointestinal illnesses can spread quickly through person-to-person contact and contaminated surfaces. Preventive guidance shared with the community includes frequent handwashing with soap and water, disinfecting high-touch surfaces, and keeping sick individuals home until they have been symptom-free for at least 24 hours, or 48 hours if norovirus is suspected. Families are advised to contact a physician if symptoms become severe or persist.

New York based Xi’an Famous Foods is expanding to Maryland with a location right here in Montgomery County. It will be the brand’s first company owned location in Maryland and sits just off Rockville Pike (12031 Rockville Pike) in one of the county’s busiest retail centers. Instagram news account @MoCoToday first made mention of the move in August.

The cult favorite Chinese fast casual chain will open its first Maryland location and its second in the DMV at Montrose Crossing in Rockville, with an anticipated opening in Q2 2026. The 1,718SF restaurant will be located next to RASA and Five Guys in the space that was previously home to Boardroom Salon.

Xi’an Famous Foods began as a 200 square foot basement stall inside the Golden Shopping Mall in Flushing, New York. Founded in late 2005, the original shop was the first restaurant in the United States to introduce the cuisine of Xi’an, a historic city in western China that had been largely unknown to American diners at the time.

Since then, the still family owned business has grown into a beloved New York City staple, now operating more than 20 locations across the city. The restaurant gained national attention after becoming a favorite of the late Anthony Bourdain, who famously praised its bold flavors and hand pulled noodles.

The menu centers on traditional western Chinese dishes based on family recipes, prepared in their most authentic forms. Offerings include liang pi cold skin noodles, stewed pork burgers, and wide hand pulled biang biang noodles.

“In 2026, as a 20 year old, still family owned business, supported by sales with no investors or franchisees, we are excited to open our first company owned Maryland location in Rockville,” said CEO Jason Wang. “We hope to be open by mid 2026 to share our food based on beloved family recipes.”

Signature dishes include the Spicy Cumin Lamb Hand Ripped Noodles, the dish credited with turning Anthony Bourdain into a fan, featuring thinly sliced lamb seasoned with cumin and chili powder over chewy hand pulled noodles. The Stewed Pork Burger pairs house made crispy flatbread with tender diced pork belly simmered in soy sauce and spices. The Liang Pi Cold Skin Noodles are served chilled with bean sprouts, cucumber, cilantro, and seitan, finished with soy sauce, vinegar, and optional chili oil. Spicy and Sour Lamb Dumplings round out the highlights, filled with seasoned ground lamb and served with the restaurant’s signature sauces.

Xi’an Famous Foods’ first DMV location opened in Alexandria, Virginia, at 1033 W. Glebe Road. The Rockville restaurant will mark the brand’s first step into Maryland and adds another nationally recognized food name to the Montrose Crossing lineup.

Team featured in the most CBS, ESPN broadcasts across all clubs this year

Coming off back-to-back championship appearances and a season that once again broke attendance records at Audi Field, the Washington Spirit released its full 2026 regular season schedule today, featuring 15 NWSL matches at home, the most in club history. The schedule can be found in its entirety HERE.

The Spirit is set for another historic season in 2026 led by reigning NWSL Defender of the Year Tara Rudd (née McKeown), standout midfielders Croix Bethune and Hal Hershfelt, a backline featuring Gabby Carle and Esme Morgan with goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury and an attack led by Sofia Cantore, Rosemonde Kouassi and Gift Monday. Washington finished second on the NWSL table last season, won both home playoff games and had a 16-match unbeaten streak from June to October.

The NWSL schedule will go to 30 games this season with the addition of Boston Legacy FC and Denver Summit FC to the league. The Spirit will open the season at home on Friday, March 13 against Portland Thorns FC and close the season at home against Chicago Stars FC on Sunday, November 1. The schedule was made to avoid staging contests during FIFA windows and will include a league-wide pause in play for a CBA-mandated break the first week of June. Additionally, no official NWSL matches will be staged from June 1-28.

After a 2025 season in which the Spirit was featured on three of the NWSL’s five highest-rated television matches, the club will again be featured prominently on national broadcasts. Washington will play 22 of its 30 games in front of a national audience this season, including three on CBS and seven on ESPN or ESPN2, the most in the league. In addition, the Spirit will play five games on ION, four national games on the league’s newest broadcast partner Victory+, two games on Prime Video and one game on CBS Sports Network.

Schedule Highlights:

• On Friday, March 13, Washington will reign in the NWSL season with the season opener at Audi Field against Portland for a 2025 Semifinal rematch on Prime Video.

• The Spirit will be new NWSL franchise Denver’s first-ever home opponent as Washington makes its inaugural trip to Denver for a match at Empower Field at Mile High on Saturday, March 28 on CBS.

• The top two teams in the table from a year ago will faceoff for the first time in 2026 as the Spirit welcomes Kansas City to Audi Field on Friday, April 24 on Prime Video.

• Celebrate the 250th anniversary of America as the Spirit hosts Houston on Friday, July 3 at Audi Field.

• Washington will face Gotham FC as part of NWSL Rivalry Week, with the Spirit heading up to take on Gotham on Wednesday, July 15.

• On Sunday, August 23, the Spirit – Orlando rivalry takes the stage for its 2026 rendition in Washington, D.C., on ESPN2.

• Boston makes its first ever trip to Audi Field on Sunday, September 13 on ESPN2.

• The Spirit’s penultimate home match will be a 2025 Championship rematch as rival Gotham FC comes to town on Saturday, October 17 on CBS.

• Washington will be home for Decision Day this season, hosting Chicago on the final day of the regular season, Sunday, November 1, on the ESPN Family of Networks.

The NWSL Playoffs will once again feature the top eight teams. The top four seeds will host a quarterfinal match the November 6-8 with the four quarterfinal winners advancing to the semifinal round November 14-15. The 2025 NWSL Championship will be held on Saturday, November 21.

Witness all this season’s action at Audi Field this season by locking in your tickets today. Season tickets, half season tickets and mini plans are on sale HERE. Single match tickets are currently available exclusively to members and will become available to the general public at 3 p.m. EST today. Group and premium tickets will go on sale January 22. Reach out at tickets@washspirit.com to learn more about the priority list to purchase earlier.

Construction is moving forward on Goodwill of Greater Washington’s upcoming Germantown location, bringing a new nonprofit retail store and donation center to the northern part of Montgomery County.

Goodwill shared an update on Wednesday announcing that the project is officially in progress, confirming that the Germantown site is expected to open this spring. The organization noted that the new location will be its first retail store and donation center in Montgomery County’s northern region (north of Gaithersburg).

The upcoming Goodwill will be located within the new Waters Village Shopping Center, a redevelopment project at the intersection of Waters Road and Wisteria Drive in Germantown. Goodwill will serve as the primary tenant in one of the planned retail buildings at the site.

Goodwill is also set to take over the Rockville space that was most recently home to Planet Aid in the Montrose Shopping Center (the longtime home of MOM’s Organic Market). Additional details, including an official grand opening date, are expected to be announced closer to the spring opening.

Haraz Coffee House is set to open its second Maryland location in Burtonsville. According to signage posted at the upcoming store, Haraz Coffee House will begin a soft opening on Tuesday, January 20. The Burtonsville location is located at Burtonsville Crossing, 15701 Columbia Pike.

The Burtonsville opening follows the brand’s first Maryland debut earlier this month. Haraz Coffee House officially opened its Perry Hall location on January 2 at 8700 Cowenton Ave. An additional Maryland store is also planned for Towson at 101 York Rd. Haraz Coffee House has also shared that it has signed agreements for a total of 12 locations across Maryland, signaling a major expansion effort throughout the state (locations are not yet known).

In November 2024, we first reported that Haraz Coffee House, a Yemeni coffee shop, was planning its first Maryland location in Burtonsville. At the time, the shop was projected to open in September 2025. That timeline was later pushed back as construction and buildout moved more slowly than expected.

Haraz Coffee House is known for its Yemeni inspired coffee and tea offerings. The menu features specialty drinks such as the Harazi, made with coffee, Manofwar cardamom, and cream, as well as Adeni or Karak chai, a black tea blended with cream and Haraz spices. The café also offers espresso based drinks and a selection of pastries, including milk cake and Istanbul cheesecake drizzled with Nutella.

The brand currently operates franchise locations in multiple states, including California, Illinois, Michigan, North Carolina, New York, Texas, and Virginia. Haraz Coffee House reports that more than 120 additional locations are under development nationwide.