Robber gang jumps child in Rockville

A child was jumped by four robbers in the Twinbrook area of Rockville on Christmas morning, December 25, 2024, Montgomery County police allege. The juvenile victim was in the 13000 block of Twinbrook Parkway at 10:26 AM, when he was suddenly assaulted by the four male suspects, who took property from him. Police describe the strong-arm robbers only as four males of unknown age. If you can identify any of the four suspects, call police at (301) 279-8000. 

Rockville shoplifter arrested after slamming employee into display case

Rockville's finest caught one of the many suspects plaguing retail businesses in Montgomery County these days, with an assist from a few Good Samaritan shoppers at the store. The alleged shoplifter attempted to steal items from a store in the 1500 block of Rockville Pike on the afternoon of January 6, 2025. When he was confronted by an employee of the store, he slammed the employee into a display case, and attempted to flee.

Several customers of the store helped the employee subdue the suspect, and held him until Rockville City police arrived at the store. Police took the suspect into custody at 4:14 PM.

McDonald's gutted in surprise renovation at Cabin John Mall (Photos)

The venerable McDonald's at 11301 Seven Locks Road inside the Cabin John Mall in Potomac has been gutted inside. According to signage posted at the restaurant, it is temporarily closed for renovations. No reopening date has been posted, but one of the signs says that the remodeling will take a few weeks to complete. A second, more optimistic sign says "a few days," but that's a bit too optimistic from what you can see here. But overall, the renovation sends a very positive message to customers that the ownership wants to provide a brand new dining room experience for them.

This McDonald's almost closed a couple of years ago, but agreed to stay at the mall after outcry from its many loyal customers. It looks like they are now updating the store for the long haul, with a sneak peek at the new interior visible in the photo above. Customers are being directed to the Montgomery Mall McDonald's while the renovations take place. Yes, Cabin John Village has Shake Shack - but Shake Shack doesn't have the Big Mac! Or America's favorite fries.

Police called after assault at Rockville grocery store

Rockville City police were called to a grocery store last Wednesday evening, January 8, 2025, after someone reported having been assaulted there. The assault was reported at 6:53 PM at a supermarket in the 1800 block of Rockville Pike, near the Twinbrook Metro station. There is a Safeway store on that block. An individual was accused of shoplifting in the same incident.

Celebrate the Year of the Snake at Montgomery Mall Lunar New Year events in Bethesda

The last 12 months may have been the quickest in history, and the Lunar New Year is already almost upon us again. For 2025, Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda will host a Lunar New Year celebration in partnership with the Chinese Culture and Community Service Center (CCACC) on January 25th and February 8th, from 10:40 AM to 3:00 PM on both days. Attendees will join in celebrating the Year of the Snake with a range of family-friendly activities. As you can see in the photos here, decorations are already in place. The following events will be held in the Nordstrom wing of the mall on Level 1:

January 25:

• Dragon Parade: A dragon parade will kick off the festivities at 10:40 AM.
• Opening Remarks: Meet the Dragon at Center Court for opening remarks from CCACC, Westfield Montgomery, and local dignitaries.
• Cultural Performances: Enjoy a diverse array of performances, including lion and dragon dances, musical performances, singing, folk dancing, opera, kung-fu & martial arts, Tai-chi, folk sports, Guzheng, and harmonica.
• Interactive Activities: Participate in hands-on crafts like traditional Chinese painting & calligraphy, flour doll making, paper cutting, origami, henna tattoos, and more.
•  Clothing Drive: Bring gently-used or new clothing to donate to Interfaith Works. In return, receive a "hongbao" (lucky money) to redeem at participating retailers within Westfield Montgomery.

February 8 - Lantern and Riddle Festival:

• Dragon Parade: Another exciting dragon parade will commence at 10:40 AM.
• Cultural Performances: More captivating live performances.
• Crafts and Riddles: Engage in creative activities, and test your wits by solving riddles written on colorful lanterns. Successful riddle-solvers will receive a special "hongbao."

All events are free to attend, but you are asked to RSVP online, so Westfield can get a sense of how many people will be participating in the activities, to know what quantity of materials will be needed, for example.

Maryland Democrats propose vehicle excise tax increase

Four Democratic legislators in the Maryland House of Delegates are sponsoring a bill that would increase the vehicle excise tax. If House Bill HB-167 were to pass and be signed by Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D), the state's vehicle excise tax would increase from 6% to 6.75% of the fair market value of the vehicle. The higher tax rate would take effect on July 1, 2025. Delegates Lorig Charkoudian (D - Montgomery), Kris Fair (D - Frederick), Andrew C. Pruski (D - Anne Arundel), and Sheila Ruth (D - Baltimore County) are the sponsors of the House bill.

Aéropostale closing at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Aéropostale is closing at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. A closing sale is underway, and as of last evening, everything in the store is 70% off, "while supplies last." Aéropostale is the latest victim of the moribund Montgomery County economy. "Everything must go!" and "Closing sale" signs are ubiquitous these days in store windows across the county.

Aéropostale filed for bankruptcy way back in 2016, and closed over 100 stores as part of its reorganization at that time. However, I do not see any news reports online of Aéropostale stores closing elsewhere in the country in recent times. Thus, this appears to be a Montgomery County-specific problem. In Montgomery County, profit margins continue to shrink as taxes, fees, and high energy costs expand. The heavy anchor of a Montgomery County Council that knows nothing about business has dragged another enterprise down to Davy Jones' locker.