Thursday, April 30, 2026

Romero's Italian Restaurant "opening soon" in Wheaton


New signage posted at Romero's Italian Restaurant promises it is "opening soon." Located at 2666 University Boulevard West, the restaurant had hoped to open this past winter, but it looks like the end of construction is now within sight. They're also hiring staff, according to the Help Wanted sign in the front window. This was most recently home to another Italian eatery, Cristina Ristorante Italiano.




Wednesday, April 29, 2026

Shooting at Blake High School in Silver Spring


Montgomery County police are investigating a shooting that took place on the grounds of James Hubert Blake High School at 300 Norwood Road in Silver Spring this morning. According to police, a County police Community Engagement Officer already at the campus was informed about a fight taking place in the school parking lot at 11:29 AM. School security officers and the CEO intervened in the brawl, and a handgun fell to the ground amid the struggle.

An initial summary of events press release from the police department does not state who dropped the gun. It does state that a 19-year-old male was taken into custody. The summary goes on to say that a short time after this altercation, a juvenile who was involved in the brawl arrived at a local hospital suffering from a gunshot wound. @TheDMVLive on Twitter obtained video that appears to show the moment when the gun was fired in the school parking lot.

Tuesday, April 28, 2026

BoBaPop Tea Bar coming soon to Aspen Hill


BoBaPop Tea Bar
is expanding to Aspen Hill. The bubble tea chain has leased a space at the Aspen Hill Shopping Center at 13661 Connecticut Avenue. Construction is expected to begin in a few weeks. While there are many boba tea shops in Montgomery County, Aspen Hill is a veritable bubble tea desert, so BoBaPop should get a good reception in the community. The chain has existing Montgomery County locations in Rockville, Gaithersburg, and Germantown. Popular menu items include their tiger-striped Brown Sugar Black Milk Tea, Grapefruit Guava Tea, and a Chocolate Oreo Slush.

Monday, April 27, 2026

KaFean Koffee moving to Wheaton


It looks like KaFean Koffee is switching malls in Montgomery County. Their coffee kiosk recently closed at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. But look what's popping up here at Westfield's Wheaton Plaza mall. A kiosk with a KaFean Koffee sign! KaFean Koffee serves coffee from the Austrian coffee roaster Julius Meinl. Their kiosk also has a Rancilio Silvia espresso machine. When it opens, look for KaFean Koffee on Level 2 of the mall, near Kokee Tea.




Montgomery County orders closure of convenience store in Silver Spring


The Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services has ordered the closure of a convenience store in downtown Silver Spring. Hakim 1 Stop Shop at 8433 Georgia Avenue has been shut down by HHS inspectors under Montgomery County Code Chapter 15, Section 15-16(b), which reads as follows:

When it is imperative to preserve the immediate health and safety of the community, the [HHS] director may summarily revoke or suspend a license without the notice prescribed in subsection (a), and may direct that the facility be closed to the public until the hazard is corrected. 


The store only recently opened in March. Once code violations are corrected, and the corrections are approved by inspectors, Hakim 1 Stop Shop will be able to reopen. One positive update about the business is that a sign in the window now says it is open 24 hours a day, a rare thing in Montgomery County in recent years.

Sunday, April 26, 2026

New book drop at Takoma Park Library


There's a new book drop at the Takoma Park Library at 101 Philadelphia Avenue. It is located to the left of the main entrance. Patrons are asked to only insert books for return into the slot. CDs and other fragile media and materials should be returned in person at the front desk. The book drop, of course, is open and accessible 24 hours a day. Library operating hours are now 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM Monday through Thursday, and 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM Friday through Sunday.

Saturday, April 25, 2026

Allium Place apartments burglarized in Silver Spring, vehicles stolen from complex


Montgomery County police responded to a report of a burglary at the Allium Place apartments at 4024 Gannon Road in Silver Spring on April 13, 2026. The burglary was reported at 12:55 PM. Officers responding to the scene found evidence of forced entry. They also discovered that a set of keys were stolen from an office area, which were used to steal a vehicle belonging to the complex. Police describe the suspect only as a Hispanic male of unknown age.

Three days later, another vehicle was reported stolen from the parking lot on April 16. Police believe that vehicle was taken sometime between 5:00 and 7:00 AM that morning. They have no suspect description in that case. If you have any information about either of these incidents that could assist detectives in closing these cases, call police at (301) 279-8000.

Friday, April 24, 2026

Assailant chokes victim to unconsciousness inside Wheaton Plaza


Montgomery County police responded to a report of an aggravated assault at Westfield's Wheaton Plaza mall yesterday afternoon, April 23, 2026. At 2:56 PM Thursday, a suspect placed a victim in a chokehold inside a store at the mall. The victim temporarily lost consciousness as a result. While the suspect then fled the store, he was ultimately detained outside the mall by police.

Thursday, April 23, 2026

Armed robbery in Four Corners area of Silver Spring


Montgomery County police responded to a report of an armed robbery at a grocery store in the Four Corners area of Silver Spring yesterday morning, April 22, 2026. An alleged shoplifter was confronted by employees at the Safeway store at 116 University Boulevard West at 11:51 AM Wednesday. The suspect then threatened the employees with an unspecified weapon, police say, and fled the store with merchandise. Officers were able to locate the suspect a short time later, and made an arrest. Police did not identify the suspect.

Wednesday, April 22, 2026

Car stolen from home in Aspen Hill


Auto thieves are prowling Bel Pre Road in Aspen Hill again. Montgomery County police responded to a report of a vehicle being stolen from the driveway of a home in the 4300 block of Bel Pre yesterday morning. Police believe the vehicle was taken sometime between 10:40 PM on April 20, and 6:20 AM on April 21. If you have any information that could assist detectives in closing this case, call police at (301) 279-8000.

Tuesday, April 21, 2026

Brazen auto theft in Silver Spring


Auto thieves engaged in a brazen theft in the Connecticut Avenue Estates neighborhood of Silver Spring early yesterday morning, April 20, 2026. The theft took place sometime between 3:30 and 4:30 AM Monday morning in the 3800 block of Brightview Court. Thieves smashed the window of a yellow Chevrolet Camaro and stole it. If you have any information about the identity of the thieves, or the location of the stolen car, call police at (301) 279-8000.

Monday, April 20, 2026

Assault at Wheaton Regional Park


Montgomery County police responded to a report of a 2nd-degree assault at Wheaton Regional Park on Friday, April 17, 2026. The assault was reported at the park, which is located at 2000 Shorefield Road, at 7:30 PM. It should be noted that the park officially closes at 7:00 PM each night.

Sunday, April 19, 2026

AAA office closes at Wheaton Plaza North Building


The American Automobile Association has closed its longtime office at 2730 University Boulevard West, Suite 102, in the Wheaton Plaza North Building (now known as the Westfield Wheaton North building). In an age before GPS, Google Maps, and Expedia, AAA provided essential travel services, including customized TripTik maps for your road trip. These were quite a step up from the gas station fold-out maps and oversized state atlas books that were quite unwieldy to use, especially while driving. It's the end of another holdover from the golden age of Wheaton, and I see AAA's suite is now available for lease.

Wheaton Plaza North Building is another of those golden age holdovers. Completed in 1964, the 11-story building was going to be the tallest office building in Montgomery County when developers Isadore Gudelsky and Theodore Lerner broke ground on the project. Its modified Georgian-inspired architecture cut a sharp appearance, along with the iconic Howard Johnson hotel across University, on the midcentury Wheaton skyline. Architect Arthur L. Anderson, along with Lathrop Douglass and John Bennett, designed the building and the Wheaton Plaza mall it shares the property with.

The building still hosts the medical and government tenants it has specialized in attracting over the last 62 years, and, of course, the mall is still going strong. Alas, Howard Johnson has joined other Wheaton icons like the Anchor Inn and Barry's Magic Shop in the demolition scrap pile. So pour out a HoJo Cola for the obliterated hotel, and, well, you can still get a AAA TripTik...on your phone.

Saturday, April 18, 2026

Assault at grocery store in Glenmont


Montgomery County police responded to a report of a 2nd-degree assault at a grocery store in Glenmont on April 15, 2026. The assault was reported at a supermarket in the 2200 block of Randolph Road at 9:35 AM Wednesday. Lidl is located on that block of Randolph. Yet again, another example of violent crimes increasingly being committed during daylight hours in Montgomery County. 

Friday, April 17, 2026

Former RadioShack, GameStop building available for lease in Wheaton


It may be a paint store now, but the modest structure at 11147 Veirs Mill Road in Wheaton holds nostalgia for more than one generation in Montgomery County. A few years ago, it was a busy GameStop store. But if we turn the Wayback Machine just a bit further, longtime residents will recognize the building as Wheaton's RadioShack store. Is your Battery Club card still in your wallet? Are you reading this on your Tandy Color Computer? Well, you can lease the old RadioShack yourself now. Just check out the online listing.

Thursday, April 16, 2026

Silver Spring Library Purple Line station construction update (Photos)


Every day it seems like something new pops up at the future Silver Spring Library Purple Line station at 900 Wayne Avenue. More signage is in place. One new sign advises that tickets must be purchased prior to boarding the light rail train that will run between Bethesda and New Carrollton beginning in late December 2027. Elevated loudspeakers have been installed for station announcements and audio warnings. 


Why install all of this so far in advance of the start date? First, trains will take many test runs prior to the launch date. And second, early activation of all of these signs and sounds will give drivers and pedestrians in the area a chance to become familiar with the cues they'll need to be alert for when trains actually start running. I imagine safety technicians will also be monitoring these interactions during the test phase to see if any additional signage is needed in certain spots, or if a sign can be better positioned.






Wednesday, April 15, 2026

Armed robbery in Takoma Park


Takoma Park City police responded to a report of an armed robbery last night, April 14, 2026. The robbery was reported in the 7600 block of New Hampshire Avenue at 7:05 PM Tuesday. It took place in a commercial parking lot. An unspecified weapon, other than a firearm, was employed in the robbery.

Tuesday, April 14, 2026

Assault at Ellsworth Place mall in Silver Spring


Montgomery County police responded to a report of a 2nd-degree assault at Ellsworth Place mall at 8661 Colesville Road in downtown Silver Spring on Friday, April 10, 2026. The assault was reported at the mall at 7:53 PM Friday. The suspect was ultimately also accused of disorderly conduct, resisting an officer, and possession of a concealed weapon.

Monday, April 13, 2026

Elizabeth House demolition update in Silver Spring


Demolition continues at the Elizabeth House apartments at 1400 Fenwick Lane in downtown Silver Spring. The existing structure will be replaced by a Housing Opportunities Commission of Montgomery County housing project. It will ultimately deliver 887 total housing units. The demolition permit was issued last September, but here we are today. I continue to marvel at the 21st-century trend of slow, manual demolition in Montgomery County. It's a point of pride, apparently, that we don't rapidly demolish structures with wrecking balls or explosive charges.









Sunday, April 12, 2026

Buna & Barley opening in downtown Silver Spring


Buna & Barley
has leased the space at 901 Silver Spring Avenue in downtown Silver Spring. Very little is known about the business as of this writing. It has applied for a Class D Beer and Wine On/Off liquor license from Montgomery County, and is described in its trade name application with the state of Maryland as a "specialty retail shop." The liquor license hearing is scheduled for May 7, 2026, at 12:30 PM.


"Buna" is Amharic for "coffee." The business entity making the filing translates as "Day and Night, LLC." 901 Silver Spring Avenue was previously home to Wesenyelesh International Market, an Ethiopian market.

Saturday, April 11, 2026

Society Seafood House opens in Silver Spring


Society Seafood House
has opened at 8229 Georgia Avenue in downtown Silver Spring. It is holding a soft opening weekend today and tomorrow, April 11-12, 2026. The restaurant will open at 5:00 PM each evening. "Chic evening attire" is recommended in the announcement. The new restaurant is a change in dining concept from the owners of previous tenant Society Restaurant & Lounge.

Friday, April 10, 2026

Dunkin' Donuts to remodel Silver Spring Metro Plaza store


The interior of the Dunkin' Donuts store at 8401 Colesville Road at Silver Spring Metro Plaza will have a new look later this year. A remodeling and renovation of the downtown donuts-and-coffee destination is expected to begin by summer. New finishes, new display cases, a new ceiling, and even a new door are among the upgrades planned. Plumbing and electrical improvements will also be made.

Thursday, April 9, 2026

Copper thieves strike again in Kensington


Copper thieves continue to mine a rich vein of the valuable metal at a townhome construction site near the Holy Cross School along Strathmore Avenue. Workers called Montgomery County police yesterday morning to report the latest theft. Police say the copper thieves removed copper pipes from multiple townhomes under construction at the site on Dulcet Drive and Academy Park Drive. It is believed that the theft took place between 4:00 PM on April 7, 2026 and 8:30 AM on April 8.

Wednesday, April 8, 2026

Silver Branch Brewing Co. to open taproom in Wheaton


Silver Branch Brewing Co.
is expanding to Wheaton. It is leasing the retail space in the Montgomery County government office building at 2425 Reedie Drive in the Wheaton Triangle. The 8,589-square-foot space is being subleased to the brewery by the County for a 12 year period, with two 5-year options to extend. The retail space is subdivided into two suites.

Montgomery County has agreed to a base rent abatement of 18 months for Suite A, and of 30 months for Suite B, and a Construction Allowance "equal to $440 per square foot or $3,779,160." This means the County is giving a break on rent, and providing over $3 million reimbursement for construction costs, to Silver Branch. The deal was proposed by County Executive Marc Elrich, and has been approved by the County Council.

Silver Branch currently operates taprooms in Silver Spring, Rockville, and Warrenton, Virginia. The Virginia location is temporarily closed for renovations due to a fire that occurred in December 2024. All three existing taprooms serve food as well as beer, and are highly-rated in online reviews.

Tuesday, April 7, 2026

Maryland Governor candidate Ed Hale puts skyrocketing electric bills in spotlight

 

Maryland gubernatorial candidate Ed Hale speaks with
supporters about their high electricity bills in Baltimore 


Baltimore businessman Ed Hale, a Republican candidate for governor of Maryland, used the backdrop of Geresbeck's Food Market at the Hawthorne Plaza shopping center in Charm City today to demonstrate the devastating impact of the state's skyrocketing energy bills on businesses and residents. During a press conference, he noted the grocery store's electric bill had nearly doubled in only the last 30 days. Its latest monthly electric bill? A whopping $57,000.

"I don't know how you survive this," Hale said of the crushing additional cost burden on businesses. Such costs will inevitably be passed on to consumers, adding to the already absurdly high prices that are pummeling Americans from coast to coast. Hale warned that demand for electricity will only increase during the heat of summer, and that will come with enormous cost to every consumer.

Hale showed a second electric bill, this one from his own grandson. His grandson's monthly bill increased from $185.80 to $528.51. "This is a huge, huge, huge issue affecting everybody in our state," Hale said.

Alluding to current Maryland Governor Wes Moore's non-stop national TV appearances, as Moore pursues a presidential campaign, Hale asked why Moore isn't answering questions from his constituents instead of from TV personalities. "Who's in charge here? He's on Meet the Press or Face the Nation, but who's facing Marylanders, you know? Where is he? And he's just not here. He's running for president of the United States."

"People are moving out of the state," Hale continued. "Businesses are moving out of the state. And we're going to have fewer people retiring in our state." He again cited a recent poll that found that over 60% of Marylanders are either in the process of leaving the state, or are seriously considering such a move.

"We just can't stand this," Hale said. "We need to replace this man as fast as possible." Arguing that Moore sees the state as a mere stepping stone for his national and world power aspirations, Hale drew a comparison with his own campaign's political goals. "Maryland is not a stepping stone for us. Maryland is where we all live, and we can't stand to have this anymore."

Moore and Democrats who control the state legislature have recently tried to divert attention away from the policies and laws they passed that are largely responsible for the spike in energy costs. They ordered the closure of eight power plants across the state, mandated expensive purchases of "clean" power, and implemented a literally-Communist EmPOWER Maryland surcharge on electric bills, an extra tax that Moore hiked further last year. Now they are attempting to seize on the astroturf anti-data-center movement, by falsely blaming AI for the financial destruction they themselves have wrought on communities and businesses statewide.

"I'm going to make sure that we reopen the plants that have been closed," Hale vowed. "We need to get this state reopen for jobs."

Monday, April 6, 2026

Update on Society Seafood House in Silver Spring


The sign is up at Society Seafood House at 8229 Georgia Avenue in downtown Silver Spring. Last night, it was already hooked up and lit after dark. The seafood concept is a rebrand of Society Restaurant & Lounge at this location. They have begun recruiting staff for the new restaurant in the last week.

Sunday, April 5, 2026

Landmark Kensington office building on the market for sale


The phrase "landmark Kensington office building" can apply to multiple properties along Connecticut Avenue and University Boulevard West. But one of them can now be yours for an unpublicized price. 10801 Connecticut Avenue is prominently positioned at the junction of University and Connecticut. The headquarters of The International Eye Foundation was built in 1981, and offers 4,266-square-feet of office space on a 5,754 SF lot. IEF has been a longtime technical advisor to USAID's Child Blindness Program. If I had a dime for every time I passed this building in a car or Metrobus, I could buy it! The broker for the property is One Street Commercial Properties.

Saturday, April 4, 2026

Downtown Silver Spring shooters remain at large


Montgomery County police are seeking an unspecified number of armed suspects who shot a man in downtown Silver Spring yesterday morning. The shooting was reported at 2:04 AM Friday in the vicinity of the intersection of Georgia Avenue and Thayer Avenue. However, the 25-year-old victim had been taken in a private vehicle from that location to a local hospital. His wounds were determined to be non-life-threatening, police say.

 The victim was allegedly engaged in an argument with the suspects when he was shot. Anyone with information regarding the suspects or this crime is asked to visit the Crime Solvers of Montgomery County, MD website at www.crimesolversmcmd.org and click on the “www.p3tips.com” link at the top of the page or call 1-866-411-8477.  A reward of up to $10,000 is being offered for information that leads to the arrest of the suspects. Tipsters may remain anonymous.

Friday, April 3, 2026

Airsoft gun assault leads to barricade situation in Silver Spring


Montgomery County police responded to an aggravated assault in the Layhill area of Silver Spring Wednesday, April 1, 2026. In the 13100 block of Ideal Drive at 10:13 AM Wednesday, a resident fired multiple rounds from an airsoft gun at a victim standing outside of his home. When officers arrived, the resident threatened them and barricaded himself inside his home. Police deployed an Emergency Response Team, which handles specialized and volatile scenarios such as barricaded suspects with the goal of protecting first responders, the community, and the suspect in question from harm if possible. The ERT team was successful in facilitating the arrest of the suspect, police say.

Thursday, April 2, 2026

Wetzel's Pretzels opens in Wheaton


Just over a year after it was announced, Wetzel's Pretzels has opened at Westfield's Wheaton Plaza mall at 11160 Veirs Mill Road. Now you'll have the chance to settle once and for all the question of which mall pretzel vendor is the best: Wetzel's Pretzels, or the ubiquitous Auntie Anne's. Each Wetzel's pretzel is hand-rolled, baked fresh and served hot from the oven. Look for Wetzel's Pretzels on Level 2 of the mall, near Costco.

Wednesday, April 1, 2026

Auto theft spree in Silver Spring


Montgomery County police are investigating an auto theft spree that took place overnight in several neighborhoods in the Connecticut Avenue and Randolph Road corridors of Silver Spring. Multiple vehicles were stolen from homes, including those parked in the 4000 block of Weller Road, the 3900 block of Isbell Street, and the 12200 block of Charles Road. Connecticut Avenue Park and Stoneybrook Estates were the primary targets of the thieves. Police believe all of the vehicles were stolen between 9:00 PM on March 30, 2026, and 8:00 AM on March 31.