Peeping Tom reported at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Montgomery County police were called to Westfield Montgomery Mall to investigate a peeping Tom incident on Thursday, September 7, 2023. The peeper was reported at the mall at 1:20 PM. 

Crack cocaine bust in Rockville

Rockville City police arrested a 32-year-old man for alleged possession of crack cocaine in the Twinbrook area on September 3, 2023. The arrest was made in the 5700 block of Fishers Lane. In the course of their investigation, officers discovered the man also had an outstanding warrant for his arrest.

La Speranza restaurant opening in Rockville

La Speranza, a Tex-Mex and Italian restaurant, will be opening at 806 Baltimore Road in the Burgundy Park Shopping Center in Rockville. That is the space currently home to Tia Ochi. Sounds like an interesting menu concept. Operating hours will be 11:00 AM to 1:00 AM Sunday through Thursday, and 11:00 AM to 2:00 AM Fridays and Saturdays. 

Rockville Chuck E. Cheese moving to White Flint Plaza (Photos)

Chuck E. Cheese is relocating in White Flint. It will be moving from Loehmann's Plaza over to White Flint Plaza at 5238 Nicholson Lane. A new address and new logo won't be the only changes, however.

The pizza chain and birthday party headquarters is updating all of its locations to add an "interactive dance floor," where live concerts with Chuck and and other characters will take place every half hour. Other updates include Pass & Play bands instead of the iconic tokens, E-tickets replacing paper tickets, touchless payment options like Google Play and Apple Pay, self-service kiosks and mobile table ordering.

Signage has been installed at the new location. Chuck E. Cheese has also been added to the White Flint Plaza tenant sign out front. Here's a look at the construction inside the future location, and a last look at the current Chuck E. Cheese at Loehmann's Plaza:

Ashton to lead Rockville United slate in 2023 election

(L-R: Kate Fulton, Izola Shaw, Paul Scott,
Monique Ashton and Marissa Valeri

A perennial feature of Rockville city elections has been candidate slates. 2023 will see that streak continue with yesterday's announcement of a Rockville United slate. Mayoral candidate Monique Ashton will head up the five person slate, which was revealed at her campaign launch event in Rockville Town Square on Saturday afternoon. Joining Ashton on the Rockville United slate are City Council candidates Kate Fulton, Paul Scott, Izola Shaw, and Marissa Valeri. 

“I am proud to stand beside these four people and look forward to working with them to govern the city,” Ashton said at yesterday's event in Rockville Town Square. “Together, we can ensure that all voices within the city are heard and that Rockville remains vibrant, safe, and desirable for our children and grandchildren.”

With several additional City Council candidates being certified by the Rockville Board of Supervisors of Elections last Thursday, there are now 12 people running for 6 Council seats. Councilmember Mark Pierzchala is the only other candidate for mayor who has been certified by the BOSOE as of this morning.

It's possible that other slates of candidates may form in response; this has happened before. Slates can gain advantage simply by providing a short-cut for voters who don't want to research every candidate running. But they can also turn off other voters who don't like being told who to vote for. And some candidates may find an independent run allows them to distinguish themselves better in a crowded field, where they may have winning niche issues that a broader slate message would ignore.

The City Council candidates who are not part of the Rockville United slate are Danniel Belay, Richard Gottfried, Harold Hodges, Barry Jackson, Ricky Mui, incumbent City Councilmember David Myles, Anita Neal Powell, and Adam Van Grack.

Photo courtesy Rockville United

No Regrets Pizza posts "coming soon" signage in White Flint (Photos)

No Regrets Pizza is finally moving toward a start on construction at 5454 Nicholson Lane, in the ground floor of the Harwood Flats apartments in White Flint. "Coming soon" window screens have been installed, but the pizzeria won't actually be coming that soon. The signage touts an early 2024 opening. 

We still don't know if the pizza parlor is named for the "no regrets" pizza-loving cryptocurrency guy, as the No Regrets Pizza Co. still has no website and - despite the fancy Facebook and Instagram logos on the signage - no social media presence as of this morning. Pizza lovers who move into Harwood Flats will have no regrets, but Sam Bankman-Fried cannot say the same!

Assault at Rockville bus stop

Rockville City police responded to a report of a 2nd-degree assault at a bus stop Thursday morning, September 7, 2023. The assault was reported at a bus stop in the 1700 block of Chapman Avenue at 7:33 AM Thursday. That is one of the bus stops at the Twinbrook Metro station.