Rockville International Overdose Awareness Day ceremony tonight starting at 5 PM

Rockville elected officials will participate in Montgomery County's International Overdose Awareness Day event this evening, August 29, 2024, beginning at 5:00 PM at Memorial Plaza at 101 Monroe Street in Rockville. The event, which also launches Recovery Month, will begin with a Resource Fair and a commemorative photo display. At 6:00 PM, the event program will formally begin, with entertainment and food trucks. A candlelight ceremony and vigil will follow at 7:30 PM.

The resource fair will include Narcan training and distribution. "Attendees will learn about the dangers of fentanyl, alcohol, and other substances, information to keep youth and adults safe, school & community-based substance use prevention, harm reduction, and treatment initiatives, and what insurance is required to cover [treatment]," a County event announcement states. 

The great HalfSmoke saga ends in Rockville

Where there's HalfSmoke, there isn't always fire. A four year odyssey of disappointment came to a whimpering conclusion at Rockville Town Square yesterday. It was almost exactly four years ago that local sausage chain HalfSmoke had announced plans to open a Rockville location at 36-A Maryland Avenue. During the long period of befuddled anticipation, a HalfSmoke kiosk came and went at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. But the Rockville HalfSmoke never came to pass.

Last night, the "coming soon" signage that had covered the windows of the former Austin Grill and American Tap Room space since November 2020 was gone. Passersby could finally see through the large windows, and judge for themselves what had - or hadn't - been done inside since the last presidential election. This is a huge space that needs a really good restaurant tenant. Meanwhile, HalfSmoke still has a Washington, D.C. location, with a second D.C. restaurant rumored to be in the works.

Alsobrooks, Hogan tied in Maryland U.S. Senate race poll

Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks (D) and former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan (R) are in a dead heat in the contest for the U.S. Senate seat of Ben Cardin (D), a new poll showed Tuesday. Hogan remains a popular governor across party lines in the state, and Alsobrooks received praise and national exposure with a speaking slot at last week's Democratic National Convention. While the race is considered by many to be the most important in deciding which party will next control the Senate, there haven't been enough polls to provide a consistent measure of the state of the race. The AARP poll showed Alsobrooks and Hogan tied at 46% each. 8% of the voters polled remain undecided, a statistically-significant number in light of the poll result.

Alsobrooks (above) and Hogan (top) celebrated
International Dog Day Monday by tweeting
photos of their pets

"We have always known that this race was going to be decided on the margins, and this new poll today confirms that," Alsobrooks tweeted in an appeal for fundraising support. "I've been clear from the start that we are the underdogs in this race," Hogan said in a statement reacting to the poll. The former governor said the close race shows that he has a chance to potentially defy the odds once again in a state that is considered blue, but has elected a GOP executive three times in the last 22 years.

One of the most notable statistics from the poll is that more than a quarter of voters who support Kamala Harris for President told AARP's pollsters that they are voting for Hogan. Former President Donald Trump has clashed with Hogan for many years, as the former governor has been among the most vocal "Never Trumpers" in the GOP. 

Despite the intraparty disagreements over Trump, the Maryland Republican Party was thrilled by yesterday's poll results. "Larry Hogan's independent Republican message is resonating against Angela Alsobrooks' extreme far-left agenda," Maryland GOP Executive Director Adam J. Wood said in a statement. "We have a real opportunity to elect Maryland's first Republican U.S. Senator in nearly 40 years, and these polls show that every single vote is going to matter."

Both candidates had campaign stops in Montgomery County this week. Alsobrooks was at Riderwood on Monday, and in Kensington for an event on antisemitism that night, while Hogan toured an AstraZeneca biotech facility in Gaithersburg earlier the same day.

Photos courtesy Alsobrooks for Senate, Hogan for Maryland, Inc.

Liquor store employee blasted with pepper spray in Rockville

Rockville City police are looking for a suspect who allegedly used pepper spray on an employee at the Montgomery County Liquor & Wine store at 300 N. Washington Street in Rockville Town Center. The assault occurred at the store at 11:25 AM on August 14, 2024. Police describe the suspect as a Black female,18-20 years of age, with a thin build, 5'6" in height, and short blonde hair. She was wearing all-black clothing, with a black bonnet and red slippers, and carrying a black purse. If you can identify this suspect, call police at 240-314-8900.

Auto parts stolen at several Rockville apartment complexes

One or more auto parts thieves hit several parking lots outside Rockville apartment complexes over the night between August 20 and 21, 2024. The properties impacted were all in the vicinity of Randolph Road. Parts were stolen from vehicles parked at the Village Square West and Lerner Oxford Square apartments, and at the Bethesda Park condominiums. Thieves are typically looking for airbags and catalytic converters. Police recommend installing a steering wheel device like The Club to discourage the former, and having your catalytic converter etched to ward off the latter.

Signage installed at Kura Revolving Sushi Bar in Rockville

The sign is up at Kura Revolving Sushi Bar, which is expected to open by the end of summer 2024 at Federal Plaza in Rockville. Kura is splitting the former Chuy's space with Torchy's Tacos. Asked for an update, a Torchy's spokesperson says only that they are still scheduled for a fall 2024 opening; there is still not an official opening date on the calendar. The windows at Kura remain covered, so we can't yet get a sneak peek at the progress inside, which is to include sushi conveyor belts and KuraBot robots. 

HEYTEA, Sassy Arch Brows opening in Rockville

HEYTEA and Sassy Arch Brows are coming to Rockville. Both will be opening at Wintergreen Plaza on Rockville Pike. HEYTEA will move into the storefront at 981-F Rockville Pike, and Sassy Arch Brows already has signage installed at 815-B Rockville Pike. There's still a lot of work to do inside Sassy Arch Brows, and construction hasn't even begun on HEYTEA, which is still occupied by Sweet Frog.

HEYTEA is a Chinese beverage chain founded in 2012 in Jiangmen in southern China. Its name means "Happy Tea," and is sometimes written as "Hey Tea." The company claims to be the first to sell a cheese tea, which has a real cheese foam topping. 

HEYTEA will be between Paisano's and Wingstop

In recent years, HEYTEA has expanded to the United States, primarily in the New York City area. Rockville is one of several new American locations the chain hopes to open before the end of 2024.

Sassy Arch Brows construction underway

Sassy Arch Brows already has an existing Rockville location at 1170 2B Rockville Pike. The beauty salon offers brow threading and tinting, lash lifts, cosmetics, full face threading, and facial and body waxing services.