Armed robbery in Glenmont Forest

Montgomery County police responded to a report of an armed robbery in the residential neighborhood of Glenmont Forest on February 14, 2026. The robbery was reported at the intersection of Grandview Avenue and Newton Street at 7:53 PM. According to police, one male suspect displayed an unspecified weapon, and his male accomplice physically assaulted the adult male victim. They proceeded to take his money and flee on foot.

Police describe the suspects only as two Black males of unknown age. If you have any information that could assist detectives in closing this case, call police at (301) 279-8000.

Renovations ahead for Chick-fil-A in Olney

Chick-fil-A at 18115 Georgia Avenue in Olney will be making minor renovations to the restaurant this spring. Outdoors, a new order pick-up canopy will be installed. The dumpster enclosure will be relocated. And a new employee break room will be constructed. The restaurant is expected to remain open during the renovations.

Takoma Park hotel maid finds bullet in room

A maid cleaning a hotel room in Takoma Park on February 10, 2026 found a bullet left behind. Takoma Park City police were called to the Quality Inn at 7411 New Hampshire Avenue at 6:41 PM. Officers determined the bullet was a live round. It has been impounded by the department.

Armed robbery in downtown Silver Spring

Montgomery County police responded to a report of an armed robbery in downtown Silver Spring on February 15, 2026. The robbery was reported at Ellsworth Place mall at 8661 Colesville Road at 5:49 PM. A firearm was the weapon employed in the robbery. An assault was also reported during the same incident.

Assault at movie theater in Silver Spring

Montgomery County police responded to a report of a 2nd-degree assault at a movie theater in downtown Silver Spring on Valentine's Day night. The assault was reported at a theater in the 8600 block of Colesville Road at 11:56 PM Saturday. AFI Silver Theatre is located at 8633 Colesville Road.

Hakim 1 Stop Shop opening soon in Silver Spring

Downtown Silver Spring residents will soon have a one-stop shop for all the essential items they need. Hakim 1 Stop Shop is opening soon at 8433 Georgia Avenue. The convenience store will replace Kuku's Beauty Supply, which has moved down the road to 7327 Georgia Ave NW. We've seen in the recent snowstorm just how handy one-stop shops like this can be.

Police investigate shots-fired incident in Burtonsville

Montgomery County police are investigating a report of a shots-fired incident in Burtonsville in the early morning hours of February 4, 2026. Residents reported hearing gunfire in the 4200 block of Dunwood Terrace. That's a townhome community north of Fairland Recreational Park. Police have no suspect descriptions at this time, and did not announce if any shell casings were recovered at the scene. If you have any information that could assist detectives in closing this case, call police at (301) 279-8000.

Another auto theft on Bel Pre Road in Aspen Hill

Oh, no, not again! Auto thieves continue to live their best lives on Bel Pre Road in Aspen Hill. A car parked in a commercial parking lot in the 2200 block of Bel Pre is the latest to be snatched. It was reported stolen at 12:39 PM on Wednesday, February 11, 2026. 

A tax-and-spend warning for Maryland as 2030 fiscal disaster looms

A warning about the fiscal ruin that results from aggressive and excessive taxation and spending is coming to Maryland - and its greatest offender, Montgomery County - from a state known for its coffee, grunge music, and Communist autonomous zones. The scariest part is that Maryland and MoCo are further down this road than Washington state. But due to a series of radical left turns, the Evergreen State appears determined to adopt Maryland tax-and-spend policies at an increasing clip. The saga doesn't just remind us that we can't keep going with tape over the Check Engine light on Maryland's fiscal dashboard, but of the proven economic development boost that comes from a competitive tax policy.

"For decades, Washington state's economic advantage was its lack of a personal income tax," Ryan Frost and Mark Harmsworth write in an op-ed in The Washington Post. "Washington built its economy by attracting companies such as Microsoft and Amazon with no income tax." Some elected officials in the state have apparently grown tired of winning, though. "Washington state Democrats, who have largely controlled the state government for 40 years, are now proposing an unconstitutional income tax." Unconstitutional? I like the sound of that. Give Washington's Supreme Court credit for reaffirming that income taxes are illegal and unconstitutional way back in 1933. Where's our William J. Millard?!

Taxes can not only be illegal, but ill-advised. "Seattle recently imposed new payroll taxes, and businesses responded by relocating to neighboring cities," Frost and Harmsworth explain. "An income tax would make that exodus statewide. High earners are already leaving Washington amid the recently enacted taxes, and those moving in earn substantially less than those departing."

Maryland has already seen this happen. Montgomery County dropped off the Forbes Richest Counties in America list many years ago, and watched its vaunted "Montgomery County's Rodeo Drive" in Friendship Heights devolve into vacant storefronts, aging apartments, and smashed-up bus shelters, as the ultra-wealthy fled to lower-tax jurisdictions in the region. Businesses have relocated to Northern Virginia. And, like Washington state, the residents moving into MoCo and Maryland are mostly low-income.

But Washington state isn't just aping our massive tax burden, which is the largest in the D.C. area. They've also got the same crack addiction to spending that our County Council and state legislators have had since 2002. Washington state has a multi-billion dollar budget deficit just one year after the largest tax increase in state history. "The pattern is predictable: increase taxes, allocate the revenue to permanent new obligations and then point to the resulting 'shortfall' as justification for the next tax hike," Frost and Harmsworth summarize in a nutshell. 

Sound familiar? Annapolis started with a "millionaire tax" in 2012. Only two years after that tax hike, there were 1000 less such "millionaires" filing tax returns in Maryland, tanking state revenue. Current Maryland Governor Wes Moore walloped Marylanders with IT taxes and massive fee hikes for vehicle registration last year. The Montgomery County Council kept a disastrous energy tax and absurdist tax on the rain(!!) in place, while adding annual property tax hikes and a gargantuan recordation tax to the burden of homeowners.

And like their fellow spending junkies on the West Coast, the appetite of our elected officials to burn through taxpayer cash has only increased alongside the taxes. The Montgomery County Council has more than doubled the County budget over a mere decade. Their counterparts in Annapolis found a "permanent new obligation" in a reckless waste of money known as the "Blueprint for Maryland's Future," which is really a blueprint for teacher's union endorsements for the legislators who voted for it with the full knowledge that it would bankrupt the state in the next decade.

As Frost and Harmsworth correctly diagnose the illness, "the problem isn't that citizens aren't paying enough. It's that the government has lost the ability to say no." Have voters in Montgomery County and Maryland also lost the ability to say no to our incompetent and corrupt elected officials? Election results so far this century would suggest they have. Is there a breaking point, a level of taxation that's too high, or a realization of impending fiscal doom that can provide a smelling salts moment?

To paraphrase the op-ed authors, "Maryland is no longer a shining example of how to build a prosperous economy. It is a case study of how to dismantle one."

Strong-arm robbery in South Four Corners/Sligo Woods area of Silver Spring

Montgomery County police responded to a report of a strong-arm robbery in the Sligo Woods/South Four Corners area of Silver Spring Tuesday morning, February 10, 2026. The assault and robbery were reported in the 700 block of Dennis Avenue at 7:35 AM Tuesday. That is near University Boulevard and Collins Funeral Home.

Maryland is 2nd-worst state to start a business, study finds

 

Maryland is the second-worst state in America in which to start a business, a study by WalletHub found. Rhode Island is rated the worst of all. The latest ignoble recognition for the Old Line State is compounded by other recent rankings showing Maryland is #46 out of 50 in tax competitiveness, according to the Tax Foundation, and is way down at #36 on the list of best states to retire in - also compiled by WalletHub.

Montgomery County has the highest overall tax and fee burden in the region. What else makes Maryland a terrible place to start a business? A poor business environment, WalletHub says. That includes measurements of current small business growth statistics, job growth, variety of industries, startups per capita, five-year business survival rate, share of fast-growing firms, and the entrepreneurship index. 

Another criteria examined was the cost of doing business. Beyond high County and State taxes, that takes into account the cost of living, the cost of office space, labor costs, employer-based health insurance costs, and the corporate tax rate. Not surprisingly, Maryland scores poorly across the board on business costs.

Also considered were access to capital and a skilled workforce. This includes the amount of venture capital being invested in Maryland businesses, rankings of colleges and universities in the state, and growth of the working age population.

Which states are the best to start a business in? According to WalletHub, Florida, Utah, Texas, Oklahoma, Idaho, Mississippi, Georgia, Indiana, Nevada, and California. Better start voting for better-qualified elected officials, or rent a moving truck for your business to relocate to greener pastures.

Imagine if they had factored in the exorbitant cost of energy in Maryland! We might have dropped to dead last. As it is, we're in real trouble, folks. How many more miles can Montgomery County and Maryland go down the road with tape over the Check Engine light on the economic development dashboard? Heckuva job, Brownie!

Auto thieves still prowling Bel Pre Road in Aspen Hill

Auto thieves continue to target Aspen Hill, and specifically, the Bel Pre Road corridor there. They struck again Sunday, February 8, 2026. And once again, they hit the 3300 block of Weeping Willow Court. A vehicle was reported stolen from a residential parking lot there at 8:53 AM Sunday. Remember to lock your vehicle, remove all visible items from the cabin, don't leave keys or key fobs in the glove compartment or ignition(!!), and use an anti-theft device like The Club to deter thieves.

Attempted armed robbery in Wheaton

Montgomery County police responded to a report of an armed robbery in the Wheaton Triangle area of Wheaton on January 27, 2026. The robbery was reported in the 11200 block of the Triangle Lane at 6:58 PM. Police say the adult male suspect displayed a weapon, and demanded money from the adult male victim. He was unsuccessful, and fled the scene.

Police describe the suspect only as a Hispanic male, approximately 35 years of age. If you can identify this suspect, or have any other information about this incident, call police at (301) 279-8000.

Wild night keeps cops busy at Orchard Center in Silver Spring

A wild night at the Orchard Center in the White Oak area of Silver Spring on February 4, 2026 saw Montgomery County police called twice to the grocery store there in as many hours. Officers were summoned first at 8:00 PM for a shoplifting incident, and found the suspect in question in possession of cocaine and drug paraphernalia, a growing trend in Montgomery County. Just an hour and fifteen minutes later, a second shoplifting incident escalated into an aggravated assault at the supermarket. Giant is located at 12028 Cherry Hill Road.

Raskin secures $3,150,000 to improve Georgia Avenue bus lanes in Silver Spring

Congressman Jamie Raskin (D - MD-8) has secured $3,150,000 in American taxpayer funds to improve bus lanes along Georgia Avenue between Glenmont and downtown Silver Spring. The money will be used to "upgrade pavement markings, painted lanes, signage and design modifications and lane transitions," Raskin's office announced yesterday. Dual goals include increasing driver awareness of the lanes, and compliance with bus lane rules. The appropriation is part of a $16.5 million haul for his Maryland congressional district that Raskin touted Friday. Raskin is running for re-election this fall, facing Democrat Stephen Alan Leon in the primary, and Nancy Wallace (Green Party) and Cheryl Riley (Republican) in November.

Strong-arm robbery in Aspen Hill

Montgomery County police responded to a report of a strong-arm robbery in Aspen Hill on the evening of February 3, 2026. The robbery and assault were reported in the 13800 block of Aspen Hill at 7:51 PM Tuesday. They took place at a bus stop.

Montgomery County property taxes now exceed mortgage payments for many

For many years, I have written about the fact that property taxes in Montgomery County have essentially become the equivalent of a second mortgage for many homeowners. If we believe we have honest elections in the County, suffering the highest overall tax and fee burden in the region has yet to spark revolt among County voters. Would property taxes higher than your annual mortgage payment be enough to get taxpayers reaching for their proverbial torches and pitchforks? That's why I was delighted to read Chevy Chase resident Glenn Easton's letter to the editor in the rapidly-shrinking Washington Post.

Easton reported that this shocking event - the Taxological Singularity, if you will - has now taken place. "My property taxes exceed my mortgage payment and threaten my ability - and the ability of many others - to age in place in this state." He noted that the latest tax increase on his property was 13% in 2025, and have been as high as 26%. Easton has challenged assessments of his property each time, and has lost each time. Like me, Easton is "not sure why more homeowners (and voters) are not outraged."

California voters, in a very, very different era in the Golden State, led perhaps the most famous tax revolt in America since 1776. Easton called for a similar revolt and reform to that storied uprising of 1978, which led to property tax increases being capped at 2% annually.

With all County offices on the ballot once again this November, are Montgomery County taxpayers finally ready to revolt?

The County's disastrous fiscal situation indicates that change must come sooner or later, the (somewhat) easy way, or the hard way. Our tax burden must be reduced, and our master plan highway system completed, to attract high-wage jobs and corporations to the County. Montgomery County hasn't attracted a single new major corporate headquarters in over a quarter century. The only growth is in residential housing, and our structural budget deficit confirms that the costs new housing generates far exceed the tax revenue they generate.

Speaking of revenue generation, Council members have delivered multiple tax cuts to their developer sugar daddies, even as they've raised yours every single year except FY-2015 (in which the average homeowner received a whopping $12 tax cut). Perhaps inspired by the $72 million tax cut the Council delivered to developers in White Flint back in 2010, Councilmember Andrew Friedson has successfully pushed through two major tax cuts for developers in recent years. These have created massive exemptions from property taxes for projects at Metro stations and for office-to-housing conversions. The latter law is so permissive, its 20-year full property tax exemption(!!) applies to so many projects that it will blow a massive hole in County tax revenues over the next two decades. Most offensive is that these projects were going forward anyway, with the tax elimination simply an act of profiteering.

When taxes get lighter for real estate developer Friends of the Council, guess who taxes get heavier for? Yep, you the home and business owner. We can't keep shifting the tax burden to homeowners and small businesses, and we can't keep forgoing all of the lost business and commercial revenue we are losing due to our non-competitive tax burden and moribund County economy.

We also can't keep spending the way we are. Where the Council and our equally-corrupt Apple Ballot School Board are satisfied with a generously-funded school system that performs poorly, we instead need an adequately-funded school system that performs exceptionally. And an in-depth reform of profligate spending on Council-connected "non-profits" is long overdue. Many of these have organizational directors and officers who make financial contributions to Councilmember campaigns. Taxpayer money effectively ends up in the pockets of Councilmembers, and provides lucrative careers for the donors. 

The tax policies of Montgomery County are eerily reminiscent of those in Bell, California. Elected officials there ultimately ended up in prison.

Taxation is theft, to begin with. Property taxes by their nature are insidious, particularly at the almost-comically-excessive level charged in Montgomery County. If you don't pay, the government takes your home. Which means that all "private property" is effectively owned by the government, and you are paying government a rent to live there.

Enough is enough. Beyond a stagnant economy, gross incompetence by elected officials, high violent crime, and failing transportation and school systems, is a property tax that exceeds your mortgage payment enough for you to act? We'll find out on Election Night 2026.

To the barricades!

Auto theft wave continues in Aspen Hill

Auto thefts are getting out of control recently in the Bel Pre Road corridor of Aspen Hill. At least six vehicles were stolen from that area between January 20 and January 24, 2026. Thieves have returned to prey on the neighborhood again. Vehicles were stolen on January 29 from the 3800 block of Dunsinane Drive and 14500 Macbeth Drive. The following morning, a vehicle was reported stolen in the 3700 block of Capulet Terrace. Finally, on January 31, a car was reported stolen from a school parking lot in the 2400 block of Bel Pre Road at 1:54 PM.

Ride On LoveFlash buses to travel Rt. 29 in Silver Spring this month

Love is in the air this February—and it’s also on the road. If you’ve spotted a neon glow while traveling along Colesville Road or Columbia Pike lately, you aren’t seeing things. The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) is spreading the love by transforming its Flash Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service into a moving Valentine. Five Flash BRT buses serving the U.S. 29 route have been decked out with vibrant neon heart lights and striking red frames. These "LoveFlash" buses are part of a month-long celebration of transit and its role in connecting the community in Montgomery County.

MCDOT wants to see your best shots of these glowing commuter transports. By participating in the #LoveFlash social media contest, you could win a $35 gift card (hear that in the voice of Dr. Evil - "Thirty-five dollars") in their weekly drawing. To enter: Snap a photo of a decorated LoveFlash bus. Post it to Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, or X. Tag and Follow @MCDOTNow to finalize your entry. The contest runs until Saturday, February 28, 2026.

"Flash is a great option for those who travel on Rt. 29 because it’s fast, reliable, and easy to use," County Executive Marc Elrich said in a statement today. "Adding a little fun during February is a reminder that public transit can be welcoming and human, while still doing serious work connecting people to jobs, schools, and each other. When we invest in high-quality transit and make it free to ride, we’re building a County that’s more accessible and better for everyone."

Assault at restaurant in Silver Spring

Montgomery County police were called to a restaurant in the Long Branch area of Silver Spring on the afternoon of January 31, 2026, after someone reported having been assaulted there. The assault was reported at a restaurant in the 8500 block of Piney Branch Road at 2:33 PM Saturday. There are multiple restaurants on that block, and the establishment in question has not yet been identified by police.

Aggravated assault at shopping center in Olney

Montgomery County police responded to a report of an aggravated assault at a shopping center in Olney on January 24, 2026. The broad-daylight assault was reported at a retail property in the 18100 block of Town Center Drive at 4:49 PM. Fair Hill Shopping Center is located at 18100 Town Center Drive.

According to police, two suspects assaulted the adult male victim. Police describe the suspects only as a Black male and a White female of unknown age. If you have any information about this case, call police at (301) 279-8000.