Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) responded to Planta at 4910 Elm Street in Bethesda Saturday for a reported building fire.
According to MCFRS, crews found an extinguished flash fire on a stove in the restaurant’s kitchen. No smoke or fire extension was found, and no injuries were reported. The utility company was notified, and MCFRS began reducing its presence at the scene.

Outrage has erupted among health experts over news that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is still eager to fund a widely condemned vaccine trial that would expose newborns in Guinea-Bissau to hepatitis B, putting them at high risk of a lifelong infection, which can lead to liver cirrhosis, liver cancer, and premature death.

The trial was suspended in January after its unethical design came to light and drew international outcry. Although the trial is still halted, staff of the CDC director's office told the agency's budget office in late September to set aside $1.6 million to fund the trial, according to a report by Rolling Stone. The money was to be pulled from funding for the CDC's global health security programs, which might otherwise go toward efforts like combating the Ebola outbreak currently raging in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the CDC, did not respond to a request for comment from Ars Technica.

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The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) has released its latest roundup of major projects and traffic alerts that could impact motorists across Maryland. All work is weather permitting.

In Baltimore County, motorists should continue to expect weekly lane, ramp and shoulder closures along I-695 (Baltimore Beltway) between I-70 and MD 43 (White Marsh Boulevard). The closures are associated with the ongoing Transportation Systems Management and Operations project along the corridor.

Several additional traffic alerts have been issued across the state over the past week. In Anne Arundel County, a microsurfacing project is underway along a section of MD 173.

In Baltimore County, SHA is scheduled to patch pavement along MD 943 (Warren Road), MD 372 (Wilkens Avenue) and MD 25 (Falls Road). The work is expected to include overnight lane closures and flagging operations, with traffic impacts continuing through late December.

In Charles County, SHA is resurfacing a section of MD 225. On the Eastern Shore, a section of MD 707 (Grays Corner Road) in Worcester County is scheduled to close for resurfacing work beginning Monday. Motorists can expect delays in the area through Tuesday.

In Wicomico County, bridge patching repairs are scheduled to begin Sunday night on the US 50 Business (Salisbury Parkway) bridge. The work is expected to require nighttime single-lane closures over approximately three weeks.

Motorists traveling through affected areas are encouraged to allow additional travel time and remain alert for changing traffic patterns and work crews.

The latest update does not list a new Montgomery County traffic alert. Last week’s statewide update included the ongoing MD 390 (16th Street) bicycle and pedestrian project in Silver Spring, where a northbound lane closure began October 5 and is expected to remain in place for approximately nine months.

One of the innovators of what has become known as “Maryland-style pizza” is celebrating 71 years in business while continuing its expansion into Delaware.

Ledo Pizza, which traces its roots to Prince George’s County, marked its 71st anniversary with the opening of a new location at 47A Rehoboth Ave. in Rehoboth Beach. The restaurant is located just off the boardwalk.“From our first pizza in 1955 to bringing our square pies to the beach in 2026, we couldn’t have done it without generations of amazing customers,” the company said in announcing the opening.

The new Rehoboth Beach restaurant adds to Ledo Pizza’s presence along the Delaware coast. According to the company’s website, there is also a Ledo Pizza Corner Shoppe inside the Giant Food outside Rehoboth Beach, along with two locations serving the Ocean View, Bethany Beach and Millville area – one near Fred Hudson Rd and another inside Giant Food.

For many Marylanders, Ledo Pizza is more than just another pizza restaurant. The brand traces its roots to 1955, when the original Ledo Restaurant opened in Adelphi in Prince George’s County. The family-run establishment developed a loyal following for its rectangular pizzas, flaky, biscuity crust, sweet tomato sauce and smoked provolone cheese – a combination that has become closely associated with the region’s distinctive style of pizza.

The chain’s signature rectangular shape was also born out of practicality. When Ledo opened in 1955, round pizza pans were not as widely available as they are today, so the founders used rectangular pans instead. The shape became part of Ledo’s identity and remains one of its most recognizable features more than seven decades later.