The People's Convoy trucker protest scheduled to pass through Rockville via I-270 to Capital Beltway March 5

Traffic alert: The People's Convoy, a cross-county trucker protest scheduled to begin Wednesday, February 23, 2022, in California, is scheduled to pass through Germantown, Gaithersburg and Rockville on I-270 on March 5. Truckers participating in the mobile rally are expected to arrive in Hagerstown a day earlier via I-70, then take I-270 south to the Capital Beltway on the morning of March 5. The resulting traffic is expected to cause delays around the entire Beltway on that Saturday.

Organizers for the convoy characterized the event as "a peaceful and law-abiding transcontinental journey toward the east coast" in a press release, inspired by the recent trucker protest in Canada. Participating organizations and leaders identified in the press release include Dr. Pierre Kory, attorney Tom Renz, Nevada gubernatorial candidate Joey Gilbert, Pastors Rob McCoy and Rick Brown, transportation workers, railroad workers, airline pilots, The Unity Project, The America Project, Advocates for Citizens' Rights, U.S. Freedom Flyers, The American Foundation for Civil Liberties and Freedom, and faith groups from across the country.

What organizers seek is the lifting of all coronavirus mandates and restrictions nationwide, and the cancellation of the national emergency regarding Covid-19. What they will do upon arriving in the D.C. area is the subject of conflicting reports. The People's Convoy website states that the convoy will peacefully disband when it arrives in the D.C. area, and will not enter the city of Washington, D.C. Fox 5 reports that the truckers plan to shut down the Capital Beltway using the convoy, but that is not stated on the People's Convoy official website. What is clear, is that there will very likely be a traffic impact on that day, and you may want to make plans accordingly.

UPDATE: February 21, 12:35 PM:

The Maryland State Police has issued the following statement regarding the trucker convoy:

Maps via ThePeoplesConvoy.org

Rockville shooting now investigated as homicide

The victim of a shooting in Rockville last night has died, the Montgomery County police department announced this morning. A homicide investigation has begun, with the County department taking over from City of Rockville police, whose officers discovered the wounded man at the intersection of Bradley Avenue and Fletcher Place at 10:50 PM Thursday night. The shooting was initially reported to police in the 14000 block of Cove Lane.

Montgomery County police urge anyone who has information about this homicide to call the Major Crimes Division at 240-773-5070 or contact Crime Solvers of Montgomery County toll-free at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).  A reward of up to $10,000 is being offered for information that leads to the arrest of the homicide suspect(s). Callers can remain anonymous. 

Montgomery County indoor mask mandate to expire next week

Montgomery County's indoor mask mandate will expire on Monday, February 21, 2022 at 11:59 PM. The expiration was triggered by the meeting of targets for improvement on three health metrics: the number of cases per 100,000 residents, the test positivity rate, and the percentage of County hospital beds filled by Covid-19 patients. 

However, even after Monday night, masks are still required in Montgomery County Public Schools, in government buildings, and on public transportation. School mask requirements may change after the Maryland Board of Education meets to discuss the matter on Tuesday, February 22.

Wind gusts cause power outages in Rockville this morning

Gusty winds are bringing down trees and power lines, and causing power outages this morning in Montgomery County. There are currently three outages in the Westbard area, with a crew assigned to the largest of the three, which impacts 43 Pepco customers. 

Small outages currently affect about 5 customers each in the Chevy Chase/Martin's Additions area, the area between Tilden Lane and Montrose Parkway, the area near the Target on Bou Avenue, an area south of Bells Mill Road off of Gainsborough Road, customers along Falls Road near Potomac Village and the Bullis School, and East Rockville just east of the CSX/Metro tracks.

Major outages are found further north along I-270. 710 customers are in the dark along the Watkins Mill Road corridor between MD 355 and Montgomery Village. 98 customers are impacted by an outage between Scenery Drive and Middlebrook Road east of MD 355 in Germantown. A small outage near Kingsview Middle School in Germantown currently affects 5 customers.

Expect more outages, with wind gusts between 20 and 50 MPH until late morning. Watch for downed trees, falling limbs and live power lines they may hit and displace. Bring in all unsecured objects that might blow away from yards or balconies.

Aggravated assault with gun at Rockville gas station

Rockville police responded to a report of an aggravated assault involving a firearm at a gas station last night. The assault was reported at a gas station in the 700 block of Rockville Pike at 7:15 PM, according to crime data. There is an Exxon station on that block.

Synthetic drug possession at Montgomery County government office in Rockville

Montgomery County police were called to a County-operated facility in Rockville to investigate an individual in possession of synthetic drugs on Monday evening, February 14, 2022. The call came from a County government office in the 1300 block of Piccard Drive at 5:20 PM. There are several County offices and facilities at 1301 Piccard Drive, including the Department of Health and Human Services, Montgomery County Child Welfare, and a crisis center. Examples of common synthetic drugs include fentanyl, bath salts and synthetic cannabinoids.

LensCrafters "coming soon" at Pike & Rose

LensCrafters has posted "coming soon" signage for its future Pike & Rose location at 901 Rose Avenue in Rockville. There is a QR code for job openings at the location, which I'm told will be opening on April 4, 2022. LensCrafters will face immediate competition from Warby Parker, which is also coming to Pike & Rose this year.