Aggravated assault with gun at Rockville Metro station

Rockville City police responded to a report of an aggravated assault involving a firearm at the Rockville Metro station Wednesday night, February 21, 2024. The assault was reported at the station at 8:15 PM Wednesday. 

Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School in Rockville wins 1st Amendment Press Freedom Award

For the fourth time, Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School in Rockville is one of the recipients of the annual 1st Amendment Press Freedom Award. The award "recognizes private and public high schools that actively support, teach and protect First Amendment rights and responsibilities of students and teachers, with an emphasis on student-run media where students make all final decisions of content." Winners are determined by a committee made up of representatives from the Journalism Education Association, National Scholastic Press Association, and Quill and Scroll International Honorary Society. Twenty-eight schools received the award this year, the most recipients ever. But Charles E. Smith is the only school in Montgomery County and the State of Maryland to win.

Dini's Divine Pies to open in Rockville in March 2024

Dini's Divine Pies will open in a dedicated, bricks-and-mortar space next month in Rockville. The pie shop will open Saturday, March 9, 2024, and will initially be open on Saturdays in March from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM. It will be located at 11612 Boiling Brook Place, in the Randolph Hills Shopping Center. All of the handmade pies are baked with fresh, organic, local fruit when possible, and organic flour is used for the all-butter pie crusts. 

Photo courtesy Dini's Divine Pies

Bethesda Black cemetery advocates to protest at Jamie Raskin campaign event tonight

The Bethesda African Cemetery Coalition will hold a protest rally outside of a campaign event for Maryland Congressman Jamie Raskin (D) tonight, February 22, 2024, at 7:00 PM at the Silver Spring Civic Building. Advocates for the desecrated Moses African Cemetery in Bethesda have been seeking Raskin's help in getting federal action on the historic gravesite, which is hidden under parking lots behind the Westwood Tower apartments. BACC President Marsha Coleman-Adebayo says that the cemetery is in Raskin's district, but that he "refuses to condemn the desecration and flooding" of the burial ground.

Those interesting in participating in tonight's protest are asked to meet up at Ben and Jerry's at 903 Ellsworth Drive in Silver Spring (across from the Civic Building) at 6:00 PM tonight. But if you can't get there that early, just head to the Civic Building at 7:00.

Wawa Burtonsville plan advances to Montgomery County Planning Board as Gaithersburg awaits opening

The first Wawa in Montgomery County hasn't even opened yet, and the company is already moving forward on a second. A proposal to open a Wawa convenience store and mega gas station at 15585-15595 Old Columbia Pike in Burtonsville will be reviewed by the Montgomery County Planning Boad at its February 29, 2024 meeting. Montgomery County planners are recommending approval of the project, with conditions. Wawa will need to obtain a special exception from Montgomery County to accommodate the project's size, and comply with conditions of a forest conservation plan, before it can pull permits to construct the store. 

The site is currently home to a 7-Eleven, a gas station, and a Mattress Barn store. All would be demolished to make way for the Wawa.

The property owners have proposed construction of a new signalized intersection to facilitate safer ingress and egress from the Wawa onto Old Columbia Pike. They have also agreed to construct a 10'-wide "sidepath" along Old Columbia Pike, and a 16'-wide "bike breezeway" (first time I've heard this term in Montgomery County planning) along the ramp to Route 29. A new trash enclosure would be constructed, and up to nine electric vehicle charging spaces would be provided at the Wawa.

Rockville police to deploy new speed camera on February 26

Rockville City police will add another speed camera location "on or about" February 26, 2024. The camera will be placed in the 2500 block of Wootton Parkway, near the intersection with Fairwood Court. It will monitor southbound traffic, and issue $40 tickets to drivers exceeding the posted speed limit by 12 MPH or more. After an initial grace period, the camera will begin issuing fines on March 26, 2024.

Suspects sought in assault and theft at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Montgomery County police are looking for three suspects in a February 5, 2024 assault and shoplifting incident at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. The three entered Zara and grabbed merchandise, police say. On their way out of the fashion boutique at 12:22 PM, they allegedly assaulted a store employee. This is the second assault reported at the mall this year.

Police describe the suspects as a Black male around 40 years of age, a Black male aged 20-25, and a Black female aged 20-25. If you can identify any of the suspects, or have any information related to this incident, you are asked to call police at the anonymous Crime Solvers tipline at 1-866-411-8477, or the non-emergency number at 301-279-8000.