Congresswoman Lauren Underwood endorses Will Jawando for Maryland U.S. Senate seat

Montgomery County Councilmember Will Jawando's latest endorsement for the Maryland U.S. Senate seat of Ben Cardin (D) comes from a federal lawmaker already on Capitol Hill. Illinois Congresswoman Lauren Underwood announced this morning that she is backing Jawando over his leading opponents in the Democratic primary, Congressman David Trone and Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks. "I am excited to announce my support of Will Jawando for the United States Senate," Underwood said in a statement. "For nearly two decades, Will has been a mentor and friend. He's a tremendous leader who cares deeply about the lives and well-being of all Maryland residents. Will is an effective, disciplined, and inspiring legislator who is prepared for the challenges ahead. I am proud to endorse him."

A registered nurse, Underwood gained national attention by winning a Republican seat once held by Congressman Randy Hultgren and the disgraced former House speaker, convicted child molester Dennis Hastert. Underwood has the 16th-most-liberal voting record in the U.S. House according to VoteView, likely a winning data point with Jawando, who is positioning himself as the true progressive in the Senate race.

"I am honored to receive the endorsement of Congresswoman Lauren Underwood," Jawando said in a statement. "She is in the top echelon of our nation’s public servants and tirelessly fights for her constituents. I have had the honor of knowing the Congresswoman for many years and know her to be a tireless leader for Illinois."

Torchy's Tacos opening in Rockville

Those who made Federal Plaza a stop for Tex-Mex food during Chuy's short run there will have another Mexican chain from Texas to check out there soon. Torchy's Tacos has signed a lease at the shopping center, property owner Federal Realty announced Monday. Its 3,961-square-foot Rockville location will be the chain's first in the Washington, D.C. area. Torchy's, founded in Austin in 2006, is promising to serve "the most unique tacos, coveted queso and refreshing margaritas in the game, and the rotating Taco of the Month."

Assault reported at school in Rockville

Rockville City police responded to a report of a 2nd-degree assault at a school last Friday morning, September 22, 2023. The assault was reported at a school in the 600 block of Great Falls Road at 9:30 AM. Julius West Middle School is located on that block.

Black cemetery advocates to "pour 250+ symbolic bones" at protest of Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich

The Bethesda African Cemetery Coalition plans to protest Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich's appearance at a County budget forum this Wednesday, September 27, 2023 from 7:00 to 8:30 PM at the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center, in the East-West Room, at 4805 Edgemoor Lane in downtown Bethesda. In a statement, BACC says it intends to "pour 200+ symbolic bones at Marc Elrich's feet," representing bones and other artifacts removed from a construction site directly adjacent to the desecrated Moses African Cemetery in Bethesda that were trucked to a Gainesville, Virginia warehouse. BACC asserts that Elrich and the self-storage company developing the construction site have both blocked access to the remains for independent testing, and that the remains have not been adequately tested to determine if they are human or not.

The site in question, directly behind the McDonald's at 5214 River Road in Bethesda, was not part of Moses African Cemetery. But given the reality that property lines of older, unfenced cemeteries - and of segregated Black cemeteries like Moses - in then-rural areas were not always clear or precisely followed in burials, there was a strong concern that there could be human remains on the site. The Montgomery County Planning Board ignored those concerns when it approved construction of a self-storage building on the property in 2017. 

Demolition of an auto repair building on the site soon followed, and excavation began on the project in 2020, but it has been beset by delays and interruptions ever since. The developer has not commented publicly on why the project has repeatedly stalled out, and the BACC has maintained a steady campaign of protests and rallies at the site, which have garned local, national and international media coverage. Elrich, the County Council and Congressman Jamie Raskin have all declined to intervene in the dispute, leading BACC to protest at their offices and public appearances. 

"Moses Cemetery is located in Mr. Raskin’s district," BACC said in a statement this week, "and we demand that he fight white supremacy in his own backyard as he purports to do on a national level." In the same statement, BACC calls Elrich's inaction on the issue "a clear allegiance to white supremacy." Raskin has said he is deferring to local officials on the matter, and Elrich - who walked in Dr. Martin Luther King's March on Washington and was active in the civil rights movement -  has maintained that he has no legal authority to intervene in the case.

Rockville purse snatcher uses key inside to steal car

A purse snatcher in Rockville managed to grab two handbags, and used the car key found inside one to add grand theft auto to their rapidly-growing rap sheet on September 15, 2023. Rockville City police say the suspect entered the rear door of a business in the 5700 block of Fishers Lane, and found purses belonging to two employees of the business on a table. Rifling through one, the suspect found a car key. The suspect used that key to steal that employee's car at 7:52 PM that evening. If you have any information about this incident or suspect, call Rockville City police at 240-314-8900.

Melashops to relocate next month at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Melashops just can't settle down. The store made a big move downcounty from Lakeforest Mall in April to this space across from Urban Outfitters on Level 1 at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. Now Melashops will make another move October 1, but one measured in yards rather than miles this time. It will fill the space vacated by Mulier across from Forever 21, also on Level 1. Melashops fills a unique niche in Montgomery County fashion retail, carrying apparel, jewelry, and accessories from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Turkiye, Afghanistan, and more.

Lining up for iPhone 15 at Montgomery Mall Apple Store (Photos)

There was still a short line of people lined up to be among the first to receive their iPhone 15 at the Apple Store at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda Saturday evening. We haven't seen the kind of camping-out-all-night spectacles that once greeted each new generation of iPhone in the last decade this time around. But a velvet rope seen nearby hinted that the line must have been significantly longer earlier in the day Saturday. The phones, and several other new Apple products, arrived in stores Friday. USB-C or bust!