Armed carjacking in Rockville

Montgomery County police responded to a report of an armed carjacking in Rockville early Thursday morning, June 26, 2025. The carjacking was reported in the 10000 block of Darnestown Road at 4:17 AM Thursday. It took place in a commercial parking lot.

Fresh Tomato Pie returning for summer at Pepe's Pizza at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana is bringing back its popular seasonal Fresh Tomato Pie again this summer at all of its locations, including the one at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. This is the 17th year that Pepe's has offered the Fresh Tomato Pie, which tops the pizzeria's signature coal-fired crust with fresh native tomatoes, mozzarella cheese sliced daily in-house, garlic, basil, grated Pecorino Romano cheese imported direct from Italy, and just a touch of Pepe’s olive oil blend. The Fresh Tomato Pie will be sold from June 30, 2025 until the end of summer. World-famous Pepe's turns 100 this year, and what better way to celebrate than with a Fresh Tomato Pie from the Montgomery Mall location?

Photo courtesy Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana

Signage installed at Wild Bean Coffee in Rockville (Photos)

Permanent signage has been installed above the future storefront of Wild Bean Coffee at 1532 Rockville Pike. The coffee shop does not appear to be part of a chain, and has no website or social media presence that I can find so far. Even the precise name is unclear. The "coming soon" signage in the windows has it as "Wild Coffee Bean," and the new sign above reads, "Wild Bean Coffee."

Wegmans opening today in Rockville (Photos)

A nearly decade-long odyssey comes to an end today at the new Twinbrook Quarter development at the northeast corner of Rockville Pike and Halpine Road. Wegmans will open its long-awaited grocery store at 1590 Rockville Pike at 9:00 AM this morning. The store includes a Market Cafe with indoor and outdoor seating. Wegmans has so far donated over $21,000 to community causes, including So What Else and $1000 scholarships to 5 graduating seniors from Richard Montgomery and Rockville High Schools.

Darband Restaurant replacing Taste of Kabab in Rockville

Taste of Kabab has closed at 765-H Rockville Pike at the Ritchie Center in Rockville. But fans of kababs and kabobs don't have to worry. Their space has been leased by Darband Restaurant, a Persian kabob restaurant. Workers cleared out the interior, and then had tables and chairs set up in the dining room by evening Monday. That would still leave any additional decor or new kitchen/counter equipment to be installed. Taste of Kabab opened here about 21 months ago.

Strong-arm carjacking in Rockville

Rockville City police responded to a report of a strong-arm carjacking in the Twinbrook Forest neighborhood late Saturday night. The carjacking and assault were reported in the 400 block of Meadow Hall Road at 11:10 PM Saturday. That is in the vicinity of the original Carl Sandburg Elementary School/Learning Center. 

Rockville quarry under new ownership as of today

The Travilah Quarry at 13900 Piney Meetinghouse Road in Rockville is under new ownership as of this morning. Previously owned by Swiss building materials firm Holcim, the quarry is now owned by Amrize. The new U.S. firm was spun off as a separate company comprised of Holcim's North American portfolio. Holcim shareholders approved the spinoff at the firm's 2025 Annual General Meeting last month, and the reorganization officially takes effect today.

Amrize now represents the largest cement business operating within the natural boundaries of North America, and the second-largest supplier of commercial roofing materials, according to Semafor. The company has operations in 43 U.S. states, and employs 7000 people. Its new headquarters is in Chicago.

Blasting, crushing, and screening are among the operations that take place at the Rockville site. Beyond the mining and processing of stone, there are concrete and asphalt plants on-site. 

The company utilizes several methods to reduce the impact of the quarry on neighbors, such as locating the primary rock crusher over 20 stories underground, and employing a wet supression system to reduce particulate release at key transfer points in the process. A sitewide pneumatic dust collection system will be fully installed by the end of this year. Two sweepers clean Piney Meetinghouse Road and Shady Grove Road near the facility on a daily basis.

Travilah Quarry is anticipated to continue operations through the 2060s. However, the site is also being studied for repurposing as a water reservoir. Results of a study commissioned by the Interstate Commission on the Potomac Basin released this month indicated the quarry is "suitable for the purposes of raw water storage." Under the concept plan, 17.4 billion gallons of water would be pumped into the quarry from the Potomac River, and then connected to the Washington Aqueduct as a backup supply during algae blooms and other events that impact the supply of clean water.

Images courtesy Amrize