Montgomery County Councilmember Will Jawando discharged from hospital

Montgomery County Councilmember Will Jawando (D - At-Large) has been discharged from the hospital after a successful surgical procedure following a heart attack last weekend. He is continuing his recovery at home, from where he filmed and uploaded a video message to his constituents. Jawando thanked his doctors at George Washington University Hospital, and the community for the outpouring of support and well-wishes. The video was likely reassuring to constituents, as you would not know he had suffered a medical emergency just days ago if you were not already aware. His appearance and speech showed no sign of illness or impairment.

Jawando advised viewers to "take care of yourself," and not ignore warning signs of cardiovascular health issues. He noted that even exercising regularly and being in good overall health did not prevent last Saturday's heart attack. "I'm in shape, I work out a lot, but things can happen." In short, this could happen to any of us at any time. 

"Most importantly, I want to thank God for getting me through this, and allowing me to still be here and to serve, and to be with you and to be with my family," Jawando said. Doctors expect Jawando, who is the Democratic nominee for Montgomery County Executive, to make a full recovery. "I'll be back on track before you know it," Jawando concluded. Jawando's office announced in a press release that it is fully open even while the Councilmember is recuperating, and that his staff is "available, and ready to serve constituents throughout his recovery."

Tropical Smoothie Cafe opening downtown Silver Spring location

Tropical Smoothie Cafe is coming to downtown Silver Spring. It will be located at 1200 East-West Highway, in the ground floor of the 1200 East-West apartment tower. That space was most recently home to Crave Cafe. The chain has existing locations in Wheaton and Four Corners, but is finally venturing downtown to the heart of Silver Spring.

Montgomery County Councilmember suffers heart attack

Montgomery County Councilmember Will Jawando (D - At-Large) suffered a heart attack during a pickup basketball game this past Saturday, September 5, his office announced on Monday. He was transported to George Washington University hospital, where doctors inserted a stent, although the statement released did not indicate where the stent was placed. The statement did say that Jawando is "resting comfortably." His doctors expect him to make a full recovery, and anticipate he will be discharged from the hospital later this week. He will then work back up to his normal Council schedule under their guidance.

Jawando's medical emergency gained increased notice because he is also the Democratic nominee for Montgomery County Executive, and because he is relatively young and in apparent good health. The latter two factors will be advantageous in his expected full recovery. Much older elected officials like Bernie Sanders and Chris Van Hollen have suffered cardiovascular episodes, and have returned to not only full schedules, but to vigorous travel and public speaking engagements. In that context, there's every reason to believe his ability to campaign - and serve, if elected in November - will be unaffected in the long term.

However, the incident did draw renewed attention to the fact that Jawando had not yet agreed to participate in one or more public debates with his Republican opponent, Esther Wells. Debates are a critical part of this "democracy" thing we keep hearing strident lectures about. The voting public has a right to hear the candidates for each office expound on the issues, and defend those positions and ideas. If a candidate cannot do this, they are utterly incapable of assuming the responsibilities of public office - much less the highest office in the County. 

Yet Jawando and his colleagues never participated in a general election Council At-Large debate in 2018 or 2022(!!). It seems inconceivable that the forces of "democracy" in Montgomery County would allow this definitively-autocratic trend to continue this fall. Voters should not only express their interest in debates to the Democratic candidates directly, but should also apply pressure to the local media and their civic associations to host these debates prior to the start of early voting. You can either be complicit in an election process that Vladimir Putin and Fidel Castro would be proud of, or you can claim you are a champion of democracy. You cannot do both.

Strong-arm robbery in Aspen Hill

Montgomery County police responded to a report of a strong-arm robbery in Aspen Hill on Friday afternoon, September 4, 2026. The assault and robbery were reported on Pear Tree Lane at 3:54 PM Friday. They occurred while the victim was waiting at a bus stop.

Assault on residential street in Wheaton

An assault on a residential street in Wheaton Friday night drew a response from Montgomery County police. The assault was reported in the 2800 block of Hardy Avenue at 9:35 PM Friday, September 4, 2026. That is in the Wheaton Crest neighborhood, along Georgia Avenue.

Strong-arm robbery in downtown Silver Spring

Montgomery County police are investigating a strong-arm robbery that took place in downtown Silver Spring early yesterday morning, September 4, 2026. The robbery was reported in the 8300 block of Fenton Street at 3:30 AM Friday. According to police, an unspecified number of of suspects assaulted the victim, stole property from them, and fled on foot. No suspect descriptions have been released as of this writing.

Purse snatched in Silver Spring

Montgomery County police responded to a report of a purse snatching in the White Oak area of Silver Spring on Wednesday afternoon, September 2, 2026. It was reported in the 11300 block of Lockwood Drive at 4:28 PM. The victim was waiting at a bus stop when her purse was forcibly snatched. Fortunately, the robber was successfully taken into custody by police. It's a troubling but timely reminder to be alert to your surroundings, wear your purse across your body rather than dangling from one shoulder, keep it positioned in front of you if possible, and, finally, be prepared to let it go if a violent robber is absolutely determined to pry it away from you.