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.

The Federal Communications Commission is letting Verizon lock phones to its network for longer periods, eliminating a requirement to unlock handsets 60 days after they are activated on its network. The change will make it harder for people to switch from Verizon to other carriers.

The FCC today granted Verizon's petition for a waiver of the 60-day unlocking requirement. While the waiver is in effect, Verizon only has to comply with the CTIA trade group's voluntary unlocking policy. The CTIA policy calls for unlocking prepaid mobile devices one year after activation, while devices on postpaid plans can be unlocked after a contract, device financing plan, or early termination fee is paid.

Unlocking a phone allows it to be used on another carrier's network. While Verizon was previously required to unlock phones automatically after 60 days, the CTIA code says carriers only have to unlock phones "upon request" from consumers. The FCC said the Verizon waiver will remain in effect until the agency "decides on an appropriate industry-wide approach for the unlocking of handsets."

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