ALERT: Possibly-rabid raccoon in Wheaton/Kemp Mill area

Montgomery County is alerting residents in the Arcola Avenue area of Wheaton and Kemp Mill that there is a potentially-rabid raccoon on the loose in that vicinity. Areas likely to be frequented by the raccoon would include Arville, Kemp Mill, Wheaton Regional Park, Arcola Local Park, Sligo Creek, and Colt Terrace Neighborhood Park. However, keep in mind that the typical raccoon in a developed area like this may travel as far as one-to-two miles each night, so you really want to be aware of your surroundings during the day and night, if you are within a mile or two of Arcola Avenue. Behavior and movement of a raccoon will also be affected if it is rabid; it is more likely to roam during daylight hours, for example.

The raccoon in question has bitten two people in the 1800 block of Franwall Avenue in the Arville neighborhood. The County Office of Animal Services and the Department of Health and Human Services are asking residents to be alert, and to share this information with neighbors. Rabies is a serious disease that is typically fatal if the victim of exposure does not receive rabies shots in time.

Residents are asked to call 911 and Animal Services at 240-773-5900 if they come into immediate contact with an animal acting aggressively or strangely. If you determine you are not in immediate danger from the animal, you can just call Animal Services to report your sighting so that they can investigate.  HHS advises that if you and/or your pet had contact with a raccoon in this area, to seek medical or veterinary care immediately. If you can supervise your pets' outdoor time, and keep them indoors the rest of the time, that would be the safest way to avoid or be aware of any contact with this raccoon.

Drug, weapon possession investigated at school in Wheaton

Montgomery County police were called to Odessa Shannon Middle School at 11800 Monticello Avenue in the Kemp Mill area of Wheaton on Tuesday morning, May 20, 2025. Officers were summoned to the public school at 10:54 AM Tuesday. They investigated the alleged possession of unspecified weapon(s) and marijuana. It starts at the top, folks, with the bad example set by our pro-drug Montgomery County Council. Shameful!

Holy Chow to lower menu prices in Kemp Mill

Diners will begin pocketing a little bit more change when ordering at Holy Chow in Kemp Mill next week. The kosher Chinese restaurant announced yesterday that it will be significantly lowering prices on most menu items starting January 1, 2025. Contrary to the argument made by some economists and politicians that food prices, once hiked, cannot come back down, Holy Chow found that its suppliers were now willing to reduce their prices. As a result, some items on the menu will be as much as 20% cheaper than they have been recently. Holy Chow is located at 1331 Lamberton Drive, in the Kemp Mill Center.

MCDOT painting bus lanes on stretch of University Boulevard in Silver Spring, Kemp Mill & Wheaton

The Montgomery County Department of Transportation has begun painting red bus lanes on a stretch of University Boulevard between Wheaton and the Four Corners area of Silver Spring. As part of a pilot program, the bus lanes will be replacing one existing vehicle travel lane in each direction between Amherst Avenue in Wheaton and Dennis Avenue near Four Corners. MCDOT says it expects the painting to be completed by December, and will be taking steps to minimize the impacts of the work on residents and businesses.

Once designated, only transit buses, bicycles and emergency vehicles will be permitted to use the bus lanes. Automobiles may use them to make right turns within 100 feet of an intersection or turn. The new lanes will be monitored by MCDOT for 12 months to determine if they improve bus service in the corridor or not.

“Dedicated bus lanes benefit everyone,” MCDOT Director Chris Conklin said in a statement. “The intended outcome is to increase bus ridership by providing more reliable and faster service. We know that if we want more people to use the bus, we have to compete with cars by being faster and more convenient. This project will help us achieve that. Additionally, the bus lanes will provide more separation from higher-speed traffic for people walking along University Boulevard and will reduce number of cars in the right lane, improving conditions for bicyclists.” 

Suspect arrested in Randolph Academy burglary in Kemp Mill

Montgomery County police have arrested a suspect in the October 21, 2023 break-in at the Randolph Academy, located at 11721 Kemp Mill Road. The burglary occurred at 9:25 AM that morning. Property was stolen from the school, police say. A 15-year-old juvenile from Silver Spring has been arrested in the case.

Holy Chow restaurant in Kemp Mill urgently hiring mashgiachs

Holy Chow, the popular kosher Chinese carry-out restaurant at 1331 Lamberton Drive in the Kemp Mill Center, has an urgent need for qualified mashgiachs. It's not a volunteer position, as they will pay up to $25 an hour for qualified applicants. Applicants must be at least 16, and preferably 17 or older. 

Kosher restaurants require a mashgiach to be on-duty at all times, to supervise the kashrut status of food being served. The restaurant says a shortage of mashgiachs at present is putting the restaurant in danger of having to close, if the gaps can't be filled. If several qualified people were to apply, duties could be split up into a few hours per person, if necessary. Interested applicants can contact Rabbi Walter at rabbimwalter@gmail.com.

Shalom Kosher drops Ben & Jerry's ice cream after company's Israeli settlements announcement

Shalom Kosher supermarket at 1361 Lamberton Drive in the Kemp Mill Center has announced it is dropping all Ben & Jerry's products, after the frozen dessert company announced it would no longer sell its ice cream "in the Occupied Palestinian Territory." The Ben & Jerry's decision targeted Israeli settlements, and has triggered a firestorm of blowback for the politically-engaged company, and the company may now be in violation of recent state and local laws that penalize entities that cut financial ties with Israeli settlements. Even its parent company, Unilever, is distancing itself from the ice cream maker.

But local businesses like Shalom Kosher are taking more immediate action. "Due to the recent announcement by Ben & Jerry's, Shalom Kosher has removed all of the Ben & Jerry's products from our store, and will no longer sell their products effective immediately," the store said in a statement, adding, "We stand with Israel!" 

High winds cause power outages in Silver Spring, Wheaton, Kensington, Colesville, Kemp MIll

Hundreds of Pepco customers in eastern Montgomery County are without power as gusty winds buffet the DC metro area. High winds with gusts into the 50 MPH range are possible through early Saturday morning.

The largest power outage is in the area around Wheaton Regional Park, where 302 customers are in the dark at this hour. Pepco estimates power will be restored there by 9:00 PM tonight.  Less than five customers are currently impacted by an outage in the Kemp Mill neighborhood. Similar small-scale outages are currently being reported in Kensington, the Goodacre Knolls/Long Branch area of Silver Spring, and Colesville.

Wheaton-Glenmont area MVA office now in Kemp Mill

The MVA office that was previously located at the Glenmont Shopping Center has moved south to Kemp Mill. It is now located at 1327 Lamberton Drive, in the Kemp Mill Shopping Center, off of Arcola Avenue in Wheaton. The new location is over 2000 square feet larger than the old Glenmont space. Law test appointments for Learner's Permits are now available at this location; they were previously not offered at Glenmont.

Currently, the new Kemp Mill office is only open by appointment, not for walk-ins. The office is outfitted with plexiglass dividers at workstations, social-distancing floor markers and all of the other safety measures now found at MVA branches statewide. Masks and health screenings, including a temperature scan, are required upon entry for all customers and staff.

From one classic East MoCo shopping
center to another

Hours of operation will be 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday; 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Thursday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Self-service kiosks will be available 24-hours in the lobby for use without an appointment.

Geese mitigation to close part of Kemp Mill Urban Park in Wheaton this month

Part of Kemp Mill Urban Park at 1200 Arcola Avenue in Wheaton will be temporarily closed off to the public starting this month. The Montgomery Parks department is installing fencing around ponds to deter geese from nesting in the park.

Pathways and boardwalks around the ponds will be closed as workers prepare the area for the fencing installation. The rest of the park, including the playground, will remain open as usual during the project. Watch for detours at times.

Kemp Mill Estates sidewalk virtual public hearing set for April 22

A public hearing on new sidewalks proposed for the beautiful Kemp Mill Estates neighborhood has been converted into a "virtual public hearing" due to the coronavirus pandemic. Residents and other interested parties can participate in the online hearing by using this link to log in at 7:00 PM on Wednesday, April 22, 2020.

The new sidewalks proposed would be along the north side of Hermleigh Road between Kemp Mill Road and Stonington Place; along the south side of Stonington Place between Hermleigh and Lovejoy Street; and along the east side of Lovejoy between 11525 Lovejoy and Stonington.

Existing cut-through path between
Lovejoy Street and Auth Lane

Also included in the project would be the formalization and paving of the existing informal walking path between Lovejoy and Auth Lane.

If you miss the live public hearing, you can request audio and video recordings by emailing the Montgomery County Department of Transportation.

MoCo teachers union to protest "bullying and ineffective" Kemp Mill ES principal June 20 at 6:30 PM

UPDATE: The teacher's union has postponed tonight's rally after MCPS agreed to discuss the Kemp Mill ES situation with stakeholders.

Montgomery County's teachers union is leading a protest against Kemp Mill Elementary School Principal Dr. Bernard James, which will be attended by teachers, Kemp Mill parents, and community members, this Wednesday, June 20, 2018 at 6:30 PM at the Montgomery County Public Schools central office at 850 Hungerford Drive in Rockville. The Montgomery County Education Association calls James "bullying and ineffective."

The MCEA says Kemp Mill parents and staff have brought their concerns to MCPS Superintendent Jack Smith repeatedly, but have not received an adequate response. They say James has created "one of the worst school climates in the county," at a school with one of the highest percentages of low-income students in the county.

Kemp Mill ES has had a turbulent relationship between staff and leadership for years. Five Kemp Mill teachers and a secretary sued previous principal Floyd D. Starnes in 2012 for millions of dollars, but the harassment suit was settled out of court a year later.

Chin & Lee closes in Kemp Mill, being replaced by kosher Chinese restaurant

Chin & Lee, a solid neighborhood favorite for Chinese food, has closed at the Kemp Mill Shopping Center at 1331 Lamberton Drive. They will be replaced by HolyChow, a kosher Chinese takeout restaurant, which sounds like good news for nearby residents. I will post an update as soon as I hear back from HolyChow regarding their opening status.

Kemp Mill girl missing (Photo)

A Kemp Mill teenager is missing, and Montgomery County police are asking for the public's help in locating her. Frieda Allissa Tan, 16, who goes by her middle name Allissa, of the 1200 block of Caddington Avenue, has been reported missing by her family.  Allissa is described by police as an Asian female, 5’ 01”, and weighing 95 pounds.  She has black hair and black eyes.

Police did not disclose the date or time Allissa was last seen, but said they and her family are concerned for her welfare, even though they believe she is still in the immediate area - possibly with friends.

Anyone who has information regarding the whereabouts of Frieda Allissa Tan is asked to call the Montgomery County Police Special Victims Investigations Division at 240-773-5400 or the police non-emergency number at 301-279-8000 (24 hours).

Kemp Mill Beer Wine & Deli seeks approval of U-Haul rentals from County

Have you noticed the U-Haul sign in the window of Kemp Mill Beer Wine & Deli, and the U-Haul vehicles parked around the shopping center? So did Montgomery County, which issued the store a code violation notice in February.

Kemp Mill Beer and Wine wants to rent 21 U-Haul vehicles, including four cargo vans, one pick-up truck, eight 10-foot trucks, and eight trailers. But the 10-foot trucks apparently qualify as "heavy commercial vehicles" under the County code.

So a special exception must be granted to allow the rentals. The store has community support, with 100 nearby residents and business owners signing a petition to allow the U-Haul use. Now the Planning Board will take up the matter at its meeting tomorrow, September 29.

Planning staff is recommending approval of the use. A County Hearing Examiner will review the matter at a public hearing on October 17.

Photos released of Wheaton bank robbery suspect

Montgomery County Police are seeking the public's help in finding the suspect in Tuesday morning's robbery of a bank in the Kemp Mill area of Wheaton. Around 9:34 AM on September 6, police responded to the report of a robbery at the SunTrust Bank at 1371 Lamberton Drive.

The suspect pictured here allegedly entered the bank, and handed a teller a note that demanded money. He was given an unspecified amount of cash by the teller, and then fled the scene. All I can say is, you've got to be supremely confident to rob a bank without a mask, and believe you won't get caught.

Anyone with information about the suspect or the bank robbery is asked to contact the Montgomery County Police Department – Major Crimes Division at 240-773-5070.  To be eligible for a reward, tipsters may call Crime Solvers of Montgomery County toll-free at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).  Crime Solvers will pay a cash reward of up to $10,000 for information provided to them that leads to the arrest and/or indictment of this suspect.  Tipsters will remain anonymous.

Meth lab in Kemp Mill?

Firefighters responded to a home in the 600 block of Winona Court in Kemp Mill last night. A HazMat team was among the responders, as the issue was related to chemicals. Via radio, a firefighter reported back to the dispatcher that he had determined the matter required the involvement of "law enforcement."

Police responded to the scene, and found chemicals "similar to those associated with [a] possible drug lab," according to Montgomery County Fire and Rescue spokesperson Pete Piringer.

No injuries were reported, and police have not yet released further details on the case as of this writing.

Residents in the dark again at University Towers

A second electrical fire this week yesterday has blacked out the University Towers condominiums at 1111 University Boulevard W. in Silver Spring. More than 1000 residents are without air conditioning, hot water and other basic services at the 275 unit complex.

Electrical contractors, engineers and others worked throughout the day Tuesday to resolve the outage, which began after the property's second fire in 72 hours, according to Montgomery County Fire and Rescue spokesperson Pete Piringer. He said the condo's fire alarm system remains functional.

Montgomery County code enforcement officers have inspected the situation and posted a violation notice at the property, Piringer said.

Despite the heat, most residents are sticking it out in their units overnight. For those who want out, the Red Cross has now established a shelter at Blair High School. The Parents Coalition of Montgomery County tweeted a query as to as why the closer Northwood High School was not utilized - good question.

A more long term question that must be on the minds of University Towers residents: How did this happen? And, how much is it going to cost them to fix? As a condo building, unless a contractor or other 3rd party can be fingered for this, the cost will likely fall on residents to pay off with a higher condo fee.

CAR STOLEN IN ASPEN HILL, ROBBERY ON CASTLE BLVD. + MORE - SILVER SPRING/WHEATON CRIME UPDATE

Here's a roundup of crimes reported across eastern Montgomery County on August 24, according to crime data:

Stolen car. 4300 block Aspen Hill Road.

Burglary. 2500 block Urbana Drive (Glenmont).

Burglary. 900 block Clintwood Drive (Kemp Mill).

Assault. Amherst Avenue at University Boulevard (Wheaton).

Stolen car. 11000 block Easecrest Drive (Wheaton).

Assault. 1900 block Briggs Chaney Road.

Robbery. 13900 block Castle Boulevard (Fairland/Edgewood).

Assault. 11500 block Lockwood Drive (White Oak).

Burglary. 11400 block July Drive (White Oak).

Assault. 8900 block Kimes Street.

Assault. 900 block Thayer Avenue.

Burglary. 8600 block Lanier Drive.

STORM KNOCKS OUT POWER IN ASPEN HILL, LAYHILL, KEMP MILL/WHEATON AREAS - POWER OUTAGE UPDATE

Aspen Hill found itself in the path of a violent thunderstorm Sunday night, which left debris and significant power outages in the area. About an hour ago, the state of Maryland was warning drivers of tree debris in the right lane of southbound Georgia Avenue, near Bel Pre Road.

Over 300 Pepco customers are currently without power in Aspen Hill. Pepco crews are reportedly on the scene, and power restoration is estimated for 2:00 AM. A smaller outage near Flint Rock Road should be fixed by 1:00 PM Monday afternoon, Pepco says at this hour.

Another outage off Layhill Road, around Barrie Campus Drive, is currently under evaluation by Pepco, with restoration estimated at 3:00 AM this morning.

There is also a sizable outage in the Kemp Mill/Springbrook Forest area of Wheaton. Those are near Hermleigh Road (6 AM estimate), Stonington Place (12 PM), and Lovejoy Street (3 AM).