Rockville distillery contents to be auctioned off

Twin Valley Distillers has closed at 1029 E. Gude Drive in Rockville. The contents of the business will be auctioned off later this month. That auction will begin to close on Tuesday, January 27, 2026. Equipment up for grabs includes a beer filling machine, tanks, fermenters, a still with sight glasses, a hot liquor tank, a kegerator, and wooden barrels. To see the full item selection, and to place bids online, check out the auction listing. Recent times have been devastating to adult beverage production operations in Rockville, with the demise of Twin Valley and True Respite.

Home invaders assault two occupants in Rockville

A home invasion turned violent in Rockville on January 4, 2026. According to Rockville City police, two suspects targeted a home in the College Gardens neighborhood at 2:53 AM Sunday morning, in the 500 block of College Parkway. After damaging a door and failing to gain entry to the house, the suspects were successful in forcing their way through a different door. Once inside, they proceeded to assault two occupants of the home.

Police say they were able to identify one of the two alleged invaders, and have charged that individual. They are attempting to learn the identity of the second suspect. Police did not identify the charged suspect, and have not released a description of the invader who remains at large. If you have any information about this incident, call police at 240-314-8900.

Socks to Be You, Native Arts close at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Two recent additions to Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda have closed. Socks to Be You and Native Arts were seasonal pop-ups, and have departed to possibly return next year. The socks retailer has been a perennial tenant since at least 2022. I thought socks and native arts were year-round things, though.

Beyond Yoga to open at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Beyond Yoga is coming soon to Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. The "female-founded and led" (it's actually now owned by Levi Strauss & Co.) athleisurewear brand will immediately face intense competition from existing mall tenants like Lululemon and Fabletics. Like those labels, Beyond Yoga has celebrity endorsers, including Jennifer Lawrence and Olivia Wilde. 

The Los Angeles-based company's calling cards include a "body-positive" product line, a Thred-Up apparel exchange program, and its proprietary soft Spacedye fabric. It recently expanded into men's apparel. Beyond Yoga is expected to be open by summer.

Police called after assault at movie theater in Rockville

Montgomery County police were called to a movie theater in Rockville after someone reported having been assaulted there this past Saturday night, January 3, 2026. The assault was reported at the iPic Theater at 11830 Grand Park Avenue at 8:10 PM. It was classified as a 2nd-degree assault by police.

New lakefront apartments proposed for Rio in Gaithersburg

 

The Mayor and Council of Gaithersburg will hold a public hearing tonight, January 5, 2026, on the proposal to build up to 500 apartment units at the Rio Lakefront development in Gaithersburg at 7:30 PM. Under the plan, new residential buildings would be constructed on the other side of the development's lake, between the boardwalk and I-270. Public comment submitted to the City has been trending negative toward the proposal. One factor not helping win public support is the generic architecture being shown at this stage, which resembles numerous other recent apartment buildings in many places in our region (what do you call those tacky facade "frames" that are on virtually every new building these days?), and does not mesh well with the existing structures on the opposite side of the lake.

Water main break in Rockville

A water main break has been reported in Rockville. It is in the vicinity of 216 Monroe Street. Seven homes and the Victory Court senior housing development are among the customers impacted. A City of Rockville crew is on-site to make repairs. Affected customers may lose all water service temporarily during the repair.