Strong-arm rape reported at Shady Grove Road nightclub

Montgomery County police responded to a reported incident of strong-arm rape at a nightclub on Shady Grove Road Monday night, September 11, 2023. The sexual assault was reported at a club in the 15900 block of Shady Grove Road, on the border of Rockville and Gaithersburg, at 9:48 PM Monday. 

Westfield hits pause on sale of Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

It's been more than two years since Westfield principal owner Unibail made public its intention to sell off its American mall properties, including Montgomery Mall and Wheaton Plaza here in Montgomery County, to focus on its investments in Europe. Over that time, Unibail has sold nine of its lowest-performing malls in the United States. But there's been no word or even rumor of a pending sale of Montgomery Mall. According to a new report from The Wall Street Journal, Montgomery Mall is one of several Westfield properties that are performing well enough that sale plans have been put on hold.

The Journal reports that sales and occupancy have bounced back to pre-COVID-19 levels or better at a number of Westfield malls. Among them are Montgomery Mall, Westfield Topanga Mall, Westfield Valley Fair Mall, Westfield Century City Mall, and Westfield Garden State Plaza. Interestingly, those are all in California except for Montgomery and Garden State. Wheaton Plaza is not on the Journal list, it should be noted.

According to the Journal, Unibail now intends to move forward with its plan to construct a new, outdoor-oriented addition to Montgomery Mall that includes residential units. Unibail Chief Executive Jean-Marie Tritant told investors on a recent conference call that the company has been pleasantly surprised by the recent upturn in its fortunes, and now has flexibility to sell off its U.S. portfolio at a pace of its choosing. This will likely mean obtaining higher cash value in return, as the company was unlikely to get the best price while buyers had the impression that a fire sale liquidation was underway.

Montgomery Mall's high financial performance is not necessarily surprising. After Westfield invested $100 million in additions and renovations to the property a decade ago, Montgomery Mall recorded the highest sales in its 55-year history.

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