Cyclist damages Rockville store over "no-shirt, no-service" policy

A shirtless cyclist became enraged when blocked from entering a Rockville store by an employee. The suspect attempted to enter the business in the 100 block of Rollins Avenue at 7:47 AM on September 28, 2024. When denied entry for not wearing a shirt, the cyclist lunged toward an employee and damaged a store window, Rockville City police allege. The suspect fled on their bicycle. Police have not released a description of the suspect.

Mui modern Japanese restaurant "coming soon" to Rockville

Mui is "coming soon" to Rockville Pike, according to signage posted at the restaurant's future storefront at 967 Rose Avenue at Pike & Rose. The modern Japanese restaurant is anticipated to open this winter. Taking over a large space that previously belonged to Asian food hall The Block, the spacial dimensions and Japanese cuisine of Mui remind me of the Kabu Japanese Steakhouse that opened in a massive space at the Rockville Metro II office building. 

Inspired by the modern cuisine of Japan, the menu at Mui will combine traditional and innovative new dishes. Seafood and meat will be cooked on a Robata grill. Like many top sushi restaurants in the region, Mui will offer an omakase dining option, which will leave the selection to the chef, who will surprise and delight diners with their latest creations.

A wine and champagne list will join a curated selection of cocktails. These will be complimented by a menu of fine agave, scotch and sake brands. The coming-soon signage gives a preview of what the restaurant's interior will look like when completed this winter. 

NIST awards potential $1.5 million to develop regenerative medicine curricula

Gaithersburg's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has awarded a potential $1.5 million to two organizations, with the goal of developing regenerative medicine standards curricula. Brammer Bio, LLC, and Gaithersburg's own Standards Coordinating Body (SCB) for Gene, Cell and Regenerative Medicines and Cell-Based Drug Discovery, will each receive $250,000 per year, with the option to renew for up to three addition years of funding. 

Regenerative medicine includes cell therapy, gene therapy, and therapeutic tissue engineering. It relies on the human body's own healing abilities to regenerate or replace damaged organs, cells, and tissue. As a rapidly-growing field in medicine and research, regenerative medicine is a promising new avenue in preventing, treating, and curing cancer and genetic disorders.

NIST was charged by the U.S. Congress last year to help develop the regenerative medicine workforce of the future. It oversaw a competitive process earlier this year, through which the two winning organizations were identified. Now these organizations will endeavor to create training programs on the standards, protocols, and measurements that will provide a foundation for the field going forward.

“We are thrilled to announce our new partnerships to develop an innovative standards education program, paving the way for flexible and immersive learning experiences that support advanced biomanufacturing,” Sheng Lin-Gibson, chief of NIST’s Biosystems and Biomaterials Division, said in a statement this morning. “These educational programs will facilitate the adoption of standards and best practices to increase quality and consistency of advanced therapies and ultimately bring down costs.”

Photo courtesy Robert Rathe/NIST

Mother and child assaulted at Rockville park

A mother and her child were both physically assaulted at a Rockville park on September 28, 2024, according to Rockville City police. Around 7:00 PM at Montrose Park at 451 Congressional Lane, the child was punched in the face by a juvenile male. When the child's mother confronted the juvenile assailant, she was assaulted by a female of unspecified age. No description of the assailants has been released as of this writing.

Rockville celebrates Piketoberfest 2024 (Photos)

One day after downtown Bethesda held its biggest annual event, one of the biggest fall events returned to Rockville Pike for 2024. Piketoberfest at Pike & Rose brought out the masses for four hours of food, live music, games, and a craft beer garden. My favorite pumpkin man returned to preside over the festivities for another year. There was even a rock climbing tower for the daredevils in the crowd. Good fortune prevailed on the weather front, as the event fell squarely between two hurricane rain events.

Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care relocates in Rockville

Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care has relocated in Rockville. It has moved from the Talbott Center to 170 Rollins Avenue, right across the street from the Bethany House apartments. Parking is available behind the building, which has been converted into a 6000-square-foot modern facility.

Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care has been a fixture in the regional mortuary business for over 100 years, after its founding in 1920 in Washington, D.C. In the 1970s they relocated to Rockville, where they have been a landmark at the intersection of Rockville Pike and Talbott Street for decades, making one move across the street to Talbott Center in 2015.

As the business has grown, so have the number of services offered. Ten years ago, the company added a monument division. In 2020, they introduced pet cremation and pet funeral care services. Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care continues to actively support area temples, hospice organizations, and cemeteries, along with a wide variety of other Jewish nonprofit organizations.

Photos courtesy Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care

Rockville diner punches manager over bad service

Sometimes leaving a reduced tip, or writing a bad Yelp review, apparently isn't enough. Rockville City police are looking for a man who got violent after becoming "angry about food service at a business." The suspect was patronizing an establishment in the 2200 block of Veirs Mill Road at 4:28 PM on September 24, 2024. Angry about what he felt was bad service, he allegedly punched the store manager, and threatened to spray him with a can of mace. 

Police describe the suspect as a balding Black male of medium-build, 32 to 33 years of age, and 5'9" in height. He was wearing a white T-shirt and white sweatpants, and carrying a "large square lunch bag." If you can identify the suspect, or have any information about this incident, call police at 240-314-8900.