Italian aerospace firm chooses Virginia for rocket motor manufacturing facility

Were Maryland and Montgomery County even courting global aerospace firm Avio S.p.A in its search for a site to build a $500 million solid rocket motor manufacturing facility? We may never know. But we do know that the Italian firm has selected Virginia as the winner for the high-tech factory. The 860,000-square-foot advanced manufacturing facility will produce solid rocket motors for defense tactical and strategic propulsion, as well as commercial space propulsion sectors. 

“I want to thank Avio USA for choosing Virginia,” Governor Glenn Youngkin said in a statement. “Today’s announcement marks another exciting milestone for our aerospace and defense industry. Avio USA’s decision to build a new rocket motor manufacturing facility here is both an important investment in America’s national security infrastructure and underscores Avio USA’s confidence in Virginia.”

“Avio looks forward to establishing on U.S. soil a solid rocket motor production facility to contribute in strengthening the U.S. industrial base by providing decades of experience in engineering and manufacturing,” Avio S.p.A. CEO Giulio Ranzo said. “In particular, we are thankful for the Commonwealth and local governments’ warm welcome for our project and count on their future support for effective execution.” 

Does Maryland and its counties extend a warm welcome to aerospace firms? Not in this century. The County Council tried to run the last remaining big aerospace firm - Lockheed Martin - out of the county not once, but twice, with radical legislation that made us look like idiots after the bills received national news coverage. "We don't need the Lockheed headquarters," former Councilmember Nancy Floreen declared in the summer of 2010. 

It's no surprise that the County has failed to attract a single major new corporate headquarters in over 25 years. Or that, thanks to the highest personal and corporate tax and fee burden in the Mid-Atlantic region, Montgomery County and Maryland have effectively been in a recession for much of this century. MoCo's crime rate has risen faster and higher than its business and job growth rates as a result. Once the economic engine of the region, Montgomery County is now at or near the bottom across every major economic benchmark tracked by the federal government. Heckuva job, Brownie!

Dave's Hot Chicken opening today in Rockville (Photos)

 

Dave's Hot Chicken will open today, December 18, 2025, at 11564 Rockville Pike, according to a sign posted at the restaurant, which was conducting training for employees last night. After a languid construction process, an inspired burst of energy over the last week got all the equipment and menus into place. Speaking of menus, I was not familiar with Dave's, and am delighted to see milkshakes and Hi-C Orange and Fruit Punch "Slushers" among the beverage choices. Operating hours are 10:30 AM to midnight, seven days a week.

January 1 plastic bag ban looms over Montgomery County

 

The Montgomery County Council is known for doing little beyond raising taxes and the cost of doing business, and banning stuff. Councilmembers were able to do all three in their highest-profile ban of the 2025 legislative session, that of plastic bags. The ban takes effect on January 1, 2026, and impacted businesses across the county are now trying to prepare their customers to buy paper bags (remember how paper bags were causing deforestation, so we were told to use plastic?!) or reusable bags, or - ew! - reuse dirty reusable bags teeming with e coli, salmonella, and God knows what else. Ironically, Safeway, whose customer alert signage is pictured here, got its start as the Sanitary Grocery Company.

MCPS leases final space at former Leidos site in Gaithersburg

 

Matan Companies has announced that its 44-acre life science and industrial campus fronting I-270 in Gaithersburg, which consists of two 198,000-square-foot Class A buildings at 700 and 750 Progress Way, is now 100% leased. The final piece was the recent execution of a 161,500 SF lease with Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), which has leased 161,500 square feet at 700 Progress Way. MCPS joins existing tenants AstraZeneca (198,000 SF full-building lease at 700 Progress Way, signed December 2023) and Daikin Comfort Technologies Distribution, Inc. (36,145 SF at 750 Progress Way, signed May 2024). Matan's announcement did not specify what MCPS plans to use the space for, or the annual cost of the lease to Montgomery County taxpayers.

“We are extremely proud to have delivered and fully leased this state-of-the-art campus,” Matan Companies Director of Leasing James Matan said in a statement. “The diversity of best-in-class occupants—AstraZeneca in life sciences, Daikin in advanced HVAC distribution, and now Montgomery County Public Schools—demonstrates the incredible flexibility and strategic location of these assets along the I-270 corridor.”

Assault at Pokemon vending machine in Rockville

A disagreement at a Pokemon vending machine led to a physical assault in Rockville on Sunday afternoon. The two parties were in line to use the machine at the Safeway store at the Fallsgrove Village Center at 2:45 PM on December 14, 2025, when the altercation took place. Rockville City police officers were called to the store, and referred the combatants for charges.

11 vehicles ransacked in Rockville neighborhood

A theft spree in a residential neighborhood in Rockville resulted in at least 11 vehicles being ransacked - and in some cases, damaged, on December 8, 2025. Between 2:41 AM and 3:14 AM that morning, Rockville City police say, two male suspects entered unlocked vehicles and broke into others in the College Gardens community. If the door didn't open, they smashed windows to gain access to the car, and stole property from the interiors.

Police have no suspect descriptions at this time. They do say the two suspects were riding in a "blue sedan" of unspecified make and model year. If you have any information that could assist detectives in closing this case, call police at 240-314-8900.

Tiger Sugar space marketed for lease in Rockville

Have we reached peak boba tea? Tiger Sugar's space at 12266 Rockville Pike at Federal Plaza in Rockville is now being marketed as a sublease opportunity. The tea shop's existing lease runs through January 2029, but they apparently want out now. According to the online listing, the space can become available to a new tenant on 30 days' notice. Tiger Sugar remains open for business at this time.