Walgreens closes in downtown Silver Spring (Photos)

Walgreens has closed at 8701 Georgia Avenue in downtown Silver Spring. It was open for just under a decade at this high-traffic location. Customers' pharmacy records have been transferred to the chain's store at 1329 University Boulevard E. in Takoma Park - not exactly convenient. There is a closer location at 1015 Ripley Street in Silver Spring.

This is one of the few business closures that can't be blamed on the Montgomery County Council, or the County's moribund economy. Walgreens announced in December that it would be closing 1200 stores nationwide over the next three years. 500 are expected close in 2025.

Officially, the reason is increased competition from Amazon, Walmart, and Target pharmacies. But the closures likely have more to do with a recently-announced acquisition of the chain by a private equity firm. These vampire firms are known to suck all value that can be liquidated from a company - by firing employees, closing stores, and selling off inventory and real estate - transfer the profits to investors, and then discard the husk. Such a fate has befallen Sears, Kmart, and Toys R Us in recent years, just to name a few.

3 Brothers Lounge opens in Wheaton

3 Brothers Lounge is now open at 2405 Price Avenue in Wheaton. It is the latest restaurant to take on the challenge of a building that has seen heavy turnover in the past decade. 3 Brothers Lounge describes its menu as "Italian cuisine with Latin flavor," although it looks like straight-up Italian to me. In the evenings, the restaurant offers "adult nightlife entertainment like themed nights and karaoke." Operating hours are 11:00 AM to midnight Sunday through Thursday, and 11:00 AM to 2:00 AM on Fridays and Saturdays. They don't have a website, but you can see photos of the menu on Yelp.

Grocery stores take aim at antiquated Montgomery County liquor laws again

Several grocery chains in Montgomery County are once again enlisting customers in the struggle to overturn the antiquated liquor laws that prevent them from selling beer and wine in Maryland. Signage paid for by the Consumer Freedom Coalition prompts customers to contact their legislators in Annapolis to support bills that would allow grocery stores to sell beer and wine, but not liquor. However, once again, the machine is prevailing in the state capital, and those bills appear unlikely to pass during this session.

The effort had the support of Maryland Governor Wes Moore, who was eager to back a popular cause to distract from the new taxes and fees in the FY-2026 state budget, but was opposed by powerful Democrats on committees that first had to approve the bills to move them to the floor for a wider vote. Harris Teeter was the loudest advocate for the change during the administration of previous Governor Larry Hogan, but the campaign stalled when the pandemic hit, and liquor law changes became focused on assisting bars and restaurants by allowing take-out cocktails, for example. Safeway has joined Harris Teeter in the 2025 push for the bills. Yet neither major corporation has been able to influence enough Maryland Democrats to sign on to supermarket sales, and those same Democrats have yet to pay a price at the ballot box for their continued defiance of the popular will on the matter.

Armed robbery at ULTA Beauty in Burtonsville

Montgomery County police responded to a report of an armed robbery at ULTA Beauty at 15743 Old Columbia Pike at Burtonsville Crossing on March 18, 2025. Four suspects entered the store at 3:34 PM that afternoon, police say. They displayed weapons and took merchandise before fleeing.

Police describe the suspects only as four Black males, "ages unknown." No surveillance camera images or footage from the cosmetics store has been released as of this writing. If you can help detectives identify any of the alleged robbers, call (301) 279-8000.

Controversial Kensington billboard shut off (Photos)

A billboard in Kensington that some nearby residents complained was keeping them up at night appears to be switched off after dark for now. Last night it was inactive. Of course, this defeats the purpose of the billboard, as it was most effective and visible during the nighttime hours. The residents had said light from the Michael & Son billboard was shining into the windows of their homes. It is located at the Michael & Son office at 3511 University Boulevard W., near the intersection with Newport Mill Road. 

Colesville Park & Ride Lot could lose 14 spaces to EV chargers

The Montgomery County Department of Transportation has proposed replacing 14 parking spaces at the Colesville Park & Ride commuter parking lot at 13504 New Hampshire Avenue with a bank of 4 electric vehicle chargers. An unidentified private company would install the chargers, in partnership with MCDOT. The lot currently has 190 parking spaces. MCDOT will hold a virtual public hearing on the proposal on April 15, 2025 at 2:00 PM. 

You must sign up online for the hearing by 5:00 PM on Friday, April 11 to participate in the hearing. If you sign up by the deadline, you will receive a link for the April 15 hearing on April 14 by email. Alternatively, you can submit written comments to 

MCDOT - Division of Transportation Engineering 
David Harris, Property Acquisition Section 
100 Edison Park Drive, 4th Floor 
Gaithersburg, Maryland 20878 
Email: david.harris@montgomerycountymd.gov 
Phone: 240-777-7256 

If you require special accommodations for this hearing, contact David Harris.  

JOANN closing sale underway in Wheaton

JOANN Fabric & Crafts is closing at Westfield's Wheaton Plaza mall. A closing sale is now underway, and is anticipated to continue for several months. During the sale, no gift cards, returns, or coupons will be accepted. No final closing date for the store has been announced.

We can't blame the moribund Montgomery County economy for this closure. The chain has filed for a second bankruptcy, a sad turn of events for a venerable retailer that has been around since 1943. Initially stating it would close 500 of its 850 stores, JOANN now plans to close all stores nationwide.