Israeli defense firm chooses Virginia over Maryland for U.S. headquarters

Israeli defense firm Smart Shooter has selected the location for its new U.S. headquarters, and - surprise! - it's Northern Virginia, not Montgomery County. The company, known for its rifle-mounted and hand-held fire control systems, chose Dulles Office Park in Herndon for its U.S. operations center. As you might surmise from the property name, the site is 5 minutes from Dulles International Airport, an essential amenity for international businesspeople. Montgomery County infamously lacks direct access to Dulles, by virtue of County elected officials cancelling the long-planned new Potomac River crossing from I-370 in Gaithersburg to Route 28 in the Dulles area. "I coulda been a contender!" Womp, womp.

Photo courtesy Fairfax County Economic Development Authority/Nikolai Roster

Gaithersburg Winter Lights Festival tickets now on sale

Tickets for the 2026 edition of the Gaithersburg Winter Lights Festival are now on sale. The festival will run from November 27 through New Year's Eve, with the exception of Christmas Day. Festival hours will be 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM Sunday through Thursday, and 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM on Fridays and Saturdays.

Advance ticket purchase is required for all Winter Lights Events, to control the flow of traffic and ensure a pleasant experience for all participants. Tickets are $15 Monday through Thursday, and $25 Friday through Sunday. Vehicles with 15 or more passengers will be required to pay $35. Tickets may sell out in advance. 

Tesla returns to Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Tesla has returned...sort of...to Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. The electric vehicle manufacturer had a strong partnership with the mall for many years. It leased a prominent space for a showroom, and for a row of charging stations in the parking garage off the Nordstrom wing. There were ambitious plans to build a Supercharger station on the mall property. But after Elon Musk enraged many in the region with his involvement in the DOGE initiative, Tesla became a target for protest, and its mall showroom abruptly closed.

The return of Tesla is quite underwhelming compared to what came before. A single vehicle on display as you often see from other auto dealerships. A simple display. A white logo cube with a bottle of hand sanitizer on top. As competitor Rivian readies a Bethesda Row showroom, and superior options from China are held off by Detroit lobbyists hoping the free enterprise dam won't burst, is a display car enough to compete in one of the biggest EV markets in the country?

Police investigate shots-fired incident in Rockville

Rockville City police are investigating a shots-fired incident that took place on a residential street near Rockville Town Center and Mount Vernon Park on October 12, 2026. According to police, they have confirmed that a firearm was discharged in the 400 block of Blandford Street around 2:00 PM that afternoon. However, no suspect has been identified yet. Police say that the shooting was not reported to them until the following day.

Armed robbery on residential street in Rockville

Rockville City police responded to a report of an armed robbery on a residential street in the Twinbrook neighborhood this past Saturday night, October 17, 2026. The robbery was reported in the 13200 block of Atlantic Avenue at 10:15 PM. A knife was the weapon employed in the robbery. No suspect description is available at this time.

Wingpop coming soon to Rockville

It's not Wingstop - it's Wingpop. And chicken wing lovers in Rockville will soon have a chance to judge who has the better wings. That's because Wingpop has leased a 1,421-square-foot space at The Shops at Congressional Village at 1701-B3 Rockville Pike. Construction is essentially completed, and the restaurant hopes to open before the end of fall. 

Wingpop is not a chain - yet - but is a new concept from parent company IVEA, which owns the shopping center. Operating hours will be 11:00 AM to 9:30 PM Sunday through Thursday, and 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM on Fridays and Saturdays.

Assault at office building in Rockville

Rockville City police were called to an office building in the King Farm neighborhood late Friday morning, after someone reported having been assaulted there. The assault was reported at an office in the 800 block of Pleasant Drive at 11:23 AM. That is in the King Farm Village Center commercial area.