Rockville Wegmans construction update (Photos)

Construction of the Rockville Wegmans grocery store at the corner of Rockville Pike and Halpine Road has really picked up steam since my last update. For the first time, the structure is actually rising above street level, particularly along Halpine near the Twinbrook Metro station. There, the framework is already two stories tall. Along the Pike, the first columns are rising about one story above street level.

Rockville liquor store broken into

Montgomery County police responded to a report of a break-in at a beer and wine store in Rockville early yesterday morning. A burglar alarm was triggered at a store in the 4000 block of Norbeck Road at 1:15 AM Wednesday. Officers found evidence of forced entry at the scene. Beer & Wine International is located on that block of Norbeck.

Maryland governor candidate Dan Cox meets with Latino pastors in Montgomery County

Dan Cox, the Republican nominee for governor of Maryland, met with a group that represents over 350 Latino pastors across the state Tuesday evening in Montgomery County. Following the event in Derwood, Cox said in a statement that the Hispanic pastors "are embracing family values with our campaign." Cox, who is endorsed by President Donald Trump, has continued his outreach to diverse faith communities this week in a state where African-American and Latino voters hold significant electoral power. Earlier Tuesday, his campaign posted a photo of Cox praying with African-American pastors at a National Night Out event in Baltimore.

Photos courtesy Dan Cox for Governor campaign

Rockville native James Wood joins Washington Nationals in Juan Soto trade

The change of scenery for one of the San Diego Padres prospects obtained by the Washington Nationals in the Juan Soto trade will be a familiar one. Rockville native James Wood, who grew up in Olney and attended St. John's College High School in Northwest Washington, is coming back to the DMV in a big way. The 6'7" outfielder was drafted out of high school by the Padres in the second round of the 2021 Major League Baseball draft.

Wood has shown great power hitting potential in his career so far, with 10 home runs at Class A Lake Elsinore this season. He is also an all-around athlete, having played several sports at St. John's, and now showing speed on the basepaths with 15 steals this season. Athletic skill runs in Wood's family: his father, Kenny Wood, was a star basketball player at the University of Richmond, and is the founder of GameFinder365. James Wood starts his Nationals career this week with the team's Class A affiliate, the Fredericksburg Nationals.

Photo via Lake Elsinore Storm Twitter

Elrich holds lead in Montgomery County election results, Blair closes deficit by 19 votes

Challenger David Blair slightly narrowed the gap between himself and incumbent Marc Elrich in the latest election results in the Democratic race for Montgomery County Executive. Elrich sustained his lead with 51,883 votes (39.28%) to Blair's 51,729 votes (39.16%) on Wednesday. But the gap between Elrich and Blair shrank by 19 votes, from a difference of 173 votes in Tuesday's count, to 154 votes in yesterday's tally. Stay on the edge of your seats, folks, as no votes will be counted today. Counting will resume Friday at 10:00 AM at the Germantown campus of Montgomery College.

Malia's Kitchen to open at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Malia's Kitchen will soon join the line-up of restaurants in the Dining Terrace food court at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. Started as a popular, family-owned food truck, Malia's is making the transition to bricks-and-mortar at the mall. The truck's menu includes crab cakes, chicken tenders, pork chops, fried chicken, pasta, hush puppies and funnel cake fries. Malia's Kitchen will bring homestyle cuisine to the food court starting this fall, the mall announced in a statement.

“We are always thrilled to welcome new businesses and restaurants to Westfield Montgomery but there is something truly special about local, family-run businesses opening here in our center,” the mall's General Manager, Christi Swanson, said. “We are all about community and supporting the needs of our regional consumers, from retail to restaurants and everything in between.” 

Photo courtesy Malia's Kitchen

Rockville Dunkin'/Baskin Robbins hosts grand opening Thursday w/ 99¢ ice cream scoops, giveaways

The new Dunkin' Donuts/Baskin Robbins store at 16268 Frederick Road, on the border of Rockville and Gaithersburg, will hold its grand opening tomorrow, Thursday, August 4, 2022, starting at 9:00 AM. If you are one of the first 100 customers, you will win free coffee for a year.

All day on Thursday, guests will be invited to take advantage of a 99-cent Single Scoop Ice Cream offer. From 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM, guests can win prizes from the Dunkin’ Prize Wheel, and enjoy on-site music and an appearance by Dunkin’ mascot Cuppy. At 10:00 AM, franchisee Frank Hennessey will host the store’s official ribbon cutting ceremony. Afterward, Hennessey, in partnership with the Joy in Childhood Foundation will present a $1,000 grant to Manna Food Center of Gaithersburg.

The new store is an example of the brand's Next Generation design. That includes an updated, modern interior designed to promote a sense of welcoming and positive energy, the Premium Pours tap and Nitro system, and a special area just for pick-up orders. Best of all, the new location includes a drive-thru!