Strong-arm robbery in Rockville

Rockville City police responded to a report of a strong-arm robbery in the Southlawn industrial area early Wednesday morning, September 27, 2023. The robbery was reported in the 1300 block of E. Gude Drive at 2:23 AM Wednesday. 

Armed robbery at Rockville restaurant

Montgomery County police officers responded to a report of an armed robbery at a restaurant in Rockville on Tuesday, September 26, 2023. The robbery was reported at a restaurant in the 5200 block of Randolph Road at 11:30 AM. That appears to be a restaurant at Loehmann's Plaza.

Bethesda Black cemetery advocates deliver "bones" to Montgomery County Executive

The Bethesda African Cemetery Coaltion made good on its promise to take a symbolic action at a budget forum hosted by Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich last night at the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center. Prop "bones" were dropped onto the floor in front of Elrich's podium, representing the more than 200 real bones that were excavated from a self-storage construction site on River Road behind the McDonald's in Bethesda, and trucked away to a Virginia warehouse without allowing independent testing by BACC's expert to determine if they are human or animal remains. The excavation site is directly adjacent to the desecrated Moses African Cemetery.

"Mr. Elrich has not lifted a finger to ensure proper testing is conducted," BACC said in a statement today. "Instead, he slandered Dr Marsha Adebayo, President of BACC, publicly calling her a liar during yesterday's meeting when she spoke about the remains and demanded the return of the bones to the descendant community. By continuing to deny the racism, criminal actions, and disregard for the Black community on River Road by the developers and county agencies, Mr. Elrich has chosen to stand on the side of white supremacy. We will continue to protest at events held by Mr. Elrich until he meets the demands of BACC and/or steps down."

Hans Riemer endorses Will Jawando in Maryland U.S. Senate race

Former Montgomery County Councilmember Hans Riemer has endorsed current Councilmember Will Jawando in the Maryland U.S. Senate race for the seat of retiring Senator Ben Cardin (D). Jawando and Riemer served together on the Council from 2018 to 2022; Jawando is now in his second Council term. "In my many years of knowing Will Jawando, going back to our work together supporting President Obama, and my four years serving side-by-side with him on the Montgomery County Council, I have always been impressed by his devotion to public service and dedication to meeting the needs of his most vulnerable constituents," Riemer said in a statement this afternoon.

"I am honored to receive the endorsement of my friend and former colleague @HansRiemer," Jawando tweeted in announcing Riemer's support. "Hans has spent his career fighting for so many of the same priorities my campaign is centered upon. I look forward to working with him on delivering for the state of Maryland."

Photo courtesy Will Jawando for U.S. Senate

Maryland AG rules Montgomery County cannot ban police from making traffic stops

Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown has ruled that the Montgomery County Council does not have the legal authority to pass a law that would prevent police from making traffic stops for minor offenses. Council President Evan Glass sought an opinion from Brown in regards to legality of the proposed STEP Act (Council Bill 12-23). Introduced by Councilmember Will Jawando, and co-sponsored by Councilmember Kristin Mink, the bill would ban police from making traffic stops for offenses such as a defective headlight or tinted windows. 

Brown's finding, issued in a September 15, 2023 memo to Glass, is that Maryland vehicle law preempts any County law regarding traffic stops. However, Brown advised Glass that another STEP Act provision, which would ban police from seeking consent to search a vehicle unless there is "reasonable suspicion" that a crime has been committed, would be permissible because Maryland vehicle law "does not address the subject of searches during traffic stops."

The STEP Act is one of several criminal justice reforms introduced or steered to passage by Jawando in his two terms on the Council. Those initiatives have been highlighted during his current campaign for the Maryland U.S. Senate seat of Ben Cardin (D), who is retiring after his term ends. In advocating for the STEP Act, Jawando argued that change was necessary to reduce the outsize impact of traffic stops on drivers of color. 

One group that advocated for both of the STEP Act provisions in question, the Decriminalize Montgomery County Coalition, said in a statement that its members are "disappointed" in Brown's ruling on the traffic stop question. It urges the Council to move forward on passage of the provision on consent searches of vehicles, and the Maryland General Assembly to update the state's vehicle law to allow localities to ban traffic stops for minor offenses.

"The Decriminalize Montgomery County coalition is deeply concerned that [Brown's] opinion poses an obstruction to racial justice," the organization said. "The STEP Act was introduced to reduce racial disparities in traffic stops. In fact, the opinion correctly acknowledges that police disproportionately stop Black and brown drivers compared to other drivers. Drivers of color are frequently stopped for minor offenses, such as a broken taillight or an expired registration, even though these violations do not threaten public safety. These stops often end up turning into consent searches so that police can search vehicles for drugs, and can escalate into emotional and physical harm. They are fundamental problems that still need to be addressed. Stopping consent searches is a step towards that end, but the best way to reduce police harm is to ensure that the stop does not happen at all." 

Organizations that are part of the DMC coalition supporting the STEP Act include Young People for Progress (YPP), the Silver Spring Justice Coalition (SSJC), the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Maryland, and Jews United for Justice (JUFJ).

Kura Revolving Sushi Bar to open in Rockville

Federal Realty is making news again this week by signing a second restaurant to a lease at its Federal Plaza shopping center in Rockville. Kura Revolving Sushi Bar will open a 3,325-square-foot restaurant at the property next summer. It will be the chain's first Maryland location, and second in the Washington, D.C. region. As the name suggests, sushi plates circulate throughout the dining room on conveyor belts, offering patrons choices of sushi, udon, ramen, hot and cold sides, and desserts. Upping the entertainment value for diners are the prizes dispensed by KuraBot robots for every 15 plates or beverages they serve. 

Kura Revolving Sushi Bar joins Torchy's Tacos in announcing their leases at Federal Plaza this week.  “We welcome Torchy’s Tacos and Kura Revolving Sushi Bar as they expand into Maryland,” Ralph Ours, Director of Leasing, Mid-Atlantic Region at Federal Realty said in a statement. “These two new, innovative dining additions further cement Federal Plaza as a popular shopping and dining destination for the Rockville and greater Montgomery County community.”

KuraBot

Photos by Lisa Czech (top), Emily J. Davis (middle), Kura Sushi (bottom)

Adam Van Grack endorsed by District 17 Senator Kagan, Delegates Spiegel & Vogel in Rockville City Council race

Delegate Ryan Spiegel

Adam Van Grack, a candidate for Rockville City Council, has added to his lengthy list of endorsements from area elected officials. Newly-appointed Maryland State Delegate Ryan Spiegel (D) has joined his District 17 delegation colleagues Senator Cheryl Kagan (D) and Delegate Joe Vogel (D) in backing Van Grack in the race. "Adam Van Grack has been an active member in the Rockville legal community for many years," Spiegel said in a statement. “He has the expertise and experience to excel on the Rockville City Council, and he is the type of leader who I know can get big things done. I am proud to endorse Adam Van Grack for Rockville City Council and urge you to join me in supporting him."

State Senator Cheryl Kagan

"Delegate Spiegel has set the standard for effective local leadership and I’m proud to have his support in this race," Van Grack said. "During his time on the Gaithersburg City Council, Delegate Spiegel was an effective voice who listened and delivered results not just for Gaithersburg but for all Marylanders. As a member of the Maryland legislature, I have no doubts that he will continue to benefit from his leadership and I look forward to working with him and our District 17 delegation to deliver results for Rockville, District 17, and our state."

Delegate Joe Vogel