Break-in at Rockville hotel

Rockville City police responded to a report of a burglary at a hotel Tuesday morning, December 12, 2023. The break-in was reported at 11:32 AM Tuesday at the Red Roof Inn at 16001 Shady Grove Road. Officers arriving at the scene found evidence of forced entry.

Police called after assault at Rockville restaurant

Rockville City police officers were summoned to a restaurant in the Fallsgrove Village Center late Sunday afternoon, December 10, 2023, after an individual reported having been the victim of an assault there. The assault was reported at 5:05 PM Sunday. 

Rockville bank building to become Take 5, promising "Fastest Oil Change on the Planet"

A vacant bank building at 1470 Rockville Pike will be demolished, and an automobile fluid maintenance facility will be constructed in its place, if a developer's proposal for the site is approved by the City of Rockville. CPC Acquistions, LLC is proposing replace the bank with Take 5, an auto maintenance chain that promises the "Fastest Oil Change on the Planet." Oil changes are typically completed in 10 minutes, the company boasts.

Take 5's business model allows drivers to stay in their car while their oil is changed, and air filters, fluids and wipers are checked and replaced as needed. Take 5 is open early and late seven days a week, and no appointment is required. 

At this location, a 10'-wide shared use path will be constructed along the Pike-facing side of the property in place of the existing sidewalk. An attorney representing the owner of the shopping center next door has expressed concern that vehicles waiting to enter the Take 5 service bays will back up onto the Pike in front of the that property. He also wants more information from CPC about their plans to alter the existing curb cuts that would affect his client's property - including making it difficult for 18-wheelers to enter to make deliveries to restaurants, and how they intend to keep dust from demolition and construction from blowing over to the restaurants in the shopping center. 

Proposed site plan for Take 5

This would be the first Take 5 location in Montgomery County. The fast-growing chain has an existing shop in Bel Air, Maryland. If approved, Take 5 would be another example of the success of the current Rockville Pike plan in maintaining the retail and service uses on the Pike that make it the biggest generator of commercial tax revenue in the entire state.

Cellaxs, Cutco kiosk open at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

A new electronic device repair shop and a returning cutlery kiosk have opened for the holiday shopping season at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. Cellaxs Phone Repair has debuted in the former The Fix space on Level 2 of the mall, near the Dining Terrace food court. Cellaxs repairs screens, buttons, speakers and water damage on your phone. Battery replacement, tablet repairs and free diagnosis of your phone's problems are among the other services offered by the device repair chain. 

Returning to the mall once again for the holidays this year is Cutco. Promising once again "the world's finest cutlery," Cutco has the fancy utensils and kitchen tools you need for that big Christmas dinner you're planning. Look for Cutco's kiosk outside of Snipes.

Kokosh opens at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda (Photos)

Kokosh has opened at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. The cosmetics boutique carries products such as Rude's Obnoxious mascara and Disco Dance Floor FX pigmented skin palette. It also has some jewelry on display. Look for Kokosh on Level 2 of the Macy's wing, next to Purple.

Antisemitic graffiti found near Pike & Rose

Antisemitic graffiti was found on posters critical of Israel pasted to a utility cabinet at the intersection of Old Georgetown Road and Grand Park Avenue near Pike & Rose yesterday, December 9, 2023. Swastikas and genocidal messages about Israel, and a numerical code used by Neo-Nazis, were among the things written onto the posters. A reader forwarded these photos of the posters and graffiti, which appeared just two days after a menorah was toppled outside a synagogue in Olney at the start of the Chanukah holiday.

American Eagle reopens in remodeled space at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda (Photos)

American Eagle is back in its original space at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda, after a remodeling project to update the apparel store. Just as holiday shopping starts to enter its most-frantic period, American Eagle offers a fresh design and easy-to-navigate space filled with "gotta have" gifts, as the sign in the display windows promises. They've even got Christmas trees inside the store!