Michael & Son billboard reactivated in Kensington

A digital billboard that stirred up a minor controversy last winter is back on in Kensington. The roadside sign is at the office of Michael & Son at 3511 University Boulevard West, and advertises the high-profile HVAC, plumbing, and electrical repair service provider. Some nearby residents had complained that light from the billboard was shining into their windows at night, and it was turned off at the end of March. On a pocketbook note, the heating tuneup advertised is $10 less than it was last winter. A price going down is a rare thing these days!

Burtonsville Quickway Japanese Hibachi construction update (Photos)

Another "sign" of progress has appeared at Quickway Japanese Hibachi at 15616 Old Columbia Pike at Burtonsville Town Square. Permanent signage has been installed above the storefront of the restaurant. An opening date still has yet to be announced. Quickway's menu offers hibachi dishes, bento boxes, and sushi, but not the ingredient MSG.

White Oak Tobacco Zone burglarized

Montgomery County police responded to a burglar alarm at White Oak Tobacco Zone at 13456 New Hampshire Avenue in the White Oak area of Silver Spring in the early morning hours of December 18, 2025. Officers arriving at the scene found evidence of forced entry at the store. Merchandise was stolen from inside the business. Police describe the suspects only as "5 males." If you have any information that could assist detectives in closing this case, call police at (301) 279-8000.

Assault in Aspen Hill

Montgomery County police responded to a report of a 2nd-degree assault in Aspen Hill early yesterday morning, January 9, 2026. The assault was reported in the 3900 block of Bel Pre Road at 1:05 AM Friday. It took place along the street.

Maryland's MARC earns F grade in survey of America's commuter rail systems

Trains magazine, a publication that provides in-depth coverage of the passenger and freight railroad industries, recently used federal transit data to rate America's commuter rail systems. Maryland's MARC commuter rail received a failing F grade, ranking it as one of the nation's worst. In contrast, Virginia Railway Express earned a B.

The magazine noted that MARC service expanded during the 1990s, and that the state made great effort to update train equipment during the gubernatorial terms of William Donald Schaefer and Parris Glendening. This century, the picture has turned far bleaker for Maryland rail commuters.

Trains found MARC ridership dropped 64% between 2018 and 2023. MARC now has the worst cost efficiency, and the poorest mechanical reliability record of any medium size commuter railroad in the country. In other words, Maryland is at rock bottom in commuter rail service. The magazine summed up its analysis of MARC by saying, "it's tough to find a silver lining."

Reporter John Friedmann described the criteria and data utilized in the magazine's survey as follows: Each railroad was graded on the same five criteria. Efficiency was calculated by the operating cost per passenger mile. Utilization, or how much do passengers utilize the network, was measured by the number of passenger miles per route mile. Growth was determined by a comparison of 2018 ridership versus 2023 ridership. Relevance was measured by number of rail trips per area resident. And reliability was rated by the number of mechanical failures per train mile.

All data was compiled from the Federal Transit Administration's National Transit Database.

Not surprisingly, the Long Island Railroad and Metro-North Railroad in New York earned an A grade in the survey. So did commuter systems in Salt Lake City and Denver, railroads that aren't discussed as often as their more famous counterparts like the MBTA, Metra, and SEPTA, all of which scored below the Utah and Colorado lines in this survey - but far higher than our beleagured MARC. Can it get any worse for Maryland? Yes! Beyond a massive structural budget deficit forecast, any Purple Line financial losses will siphon even more money from MARC over the coming decades.

Silver Spring church broken into

Montgomery County police responded to a report of a burglary at a church in the White Oak area of Silver Spring on December 18, 2025. The burglary was reported at Saint Stephen Lutheran Church at 11612 New Hampshire Avenue. Officers responding to the scene found evidence of forced entry at the house of worship. They determined that property had been stolen from inside the church.

Detectives believe the break-in occurred between 7:00 PM on December 17, and 7:00 AM on December 18. No suspect descriptions have been released. If you have any information about this incident, call police at (301) 279-8000.

Car stolen from home in Silver Spring

Montgomery County police responded to a report of stolen vehicle in Silver Spring early yesterday morning, January 6, 2026. The vehicle was reported stolen from a home in the 12700 block of Goodhill Road at 4:46 AM Tuesday. That is in the Connecticut Avenue Estates neighborhood near Weller Road.