Spirit Halloween ghostbusted by government red tape in Rockville

The second week of October is well underway, and the Rockville Spirit Halloween store has yet to open at Congressional Plaza. In a world where Pumpkin Spice lattes go on sale in August, and most Spirit Halloween locations open shortly thereafter, the sight of a shuttered Spirit store in October is, well, downright spooky. An explanation has now surfaced in the form of a sign on the front doors at 1683 Rockville Pike.

"We are awaiting legal permits to operate," the sign states. "We apologize for the inconvenience. This will hopefully be resolved by next week." Why the permits are allegedly being held up is not disclosed, but it is a very costly delay for the store, as it has now lost over 50% of its operating season. That is quite a financial blow, and an unexpected boon for other stores in Rockville that carry costumes, props, and animatronics. An opening next week would give this Spirit store less than two weeks of prime Halloween sales time.

Attempted burglary at laboratory in Rockville

One or more burglars attempted to force their way into a laboratory facility in Rockville last month, Montgomery County police report. Police believe the attempt was made sometime between 12:00 PM on September 19, 2025, and 11:00 AM on September 22. The building in question was Twinlabs, which is located at 12441 Parklawn Drive. 

Police have not released any surveillance camera images of the suspect(s), and state that they currently have no descriptions of the suspect(s). If you have any information about the suspects or this incident, call police at (301) 279-8000. 

Heven AeroTech chooses Virginia over Maryland for new corporate HQ

Montgomery County and Maryland have failed yet again to win another corporate headquarters competition. The winner in the contest is a familiar one: Northern Virginia. Heven AeroTech is moving its U.S. headquarters from Miami to Sterling, Virginia. The firm specializes in the design, manufacture, and deployment hydrogen-powered, runway-independent drones around the world. Needless to say, this is a booming field, as drones are the future of warfare, and are also being utilized in a growing number of non-military sectors of the economy.

A quick look at the map shows once again the critical importance of having direct access to Dulles International Airport for economic development. Heven AeroTech's new HQ address, 45240 Business Court, is 4 minutes from the airport. It's also right adjacent to VA 28, in which the state has invested greatly to bring it up to interstate highway standards, by constructing numerous interchanges. That's the same VA 28 that Montgomery County and Maryland could have made a direct highway connection to via a new Potomac River crossing many years ago, but have defiantly chosen not to.

The results continue to speak for themselves. We are falling further and further behind in the game, at an accelerating pace. According to Business Facilities magazine, in Fairfax County alone, 75 of that county's 125 aerospace firms have moved or expanded there in just the last three years. Montgomery County hasn't attracted a single major new corporate headquarters - of any type - in over 25 years. 

Our "leaders" have made the deliberate decision to not give ourselves the Dulles advantage, and to continue to follow a tax-and-spend blueprint that is not only not competitive with rival jurisdictions, but now represents the greatest tax and fee burden in the entire region. Heckuva job, Brownie!

Dash In mega gas station proposed for Shady Grove Road

The Dash In mega gas station and convenience store chain has proposed the construction of a new location on Shady Grove Road, on the border of Gaithersburg and Rockville. If approved, it will be located on the site of the shuttered Red Lobster restaurant at 15700 Shady Grove Road, next to 270 Center, and across the street from Upper Rock. Montgomery County has lagged behind other areas in the development of these large-scale convenience stores for many years, but they are now appearing with increasing momentum, including Sheetz, Wawa, and Royal Farms. Dash In has revamped its store design and food offerings in recent years to better compete with those rivals.

A public meeting regarding the Shady Grove Dash In store proposal will be held tonight, October 6, 2025, at 6:30 PM. Not exactly an accommodating hour for the working person to participate. To join the meeting, use Zoom with Meeting ID: 862 4259 7632 and Passcode: 856064. You can also dial in using your phone at "+13017158592,,86242597632#,,,,*856064#" US (Washington DC) or "+13052241968,,86242597632#,,,,*856064#" US. To receive future communications about the project, you can sign up using this online form.

Assault at bus stop in Rockville

Rockville City police responded to a report of a 2nd-degree assault at a bus stop on Friday afternoon, October 3, 2025. The assault was reported in the unit block of Mannakee Street at 4:00 PM Friday. That is in the West End Park area near W. Montgomery Avenue. The bus stop in question was probably on W. Montgomery, as I do not believe there is a bus stop on that block of Mannakee.

Purse snatched in park in Rockville

Rockville City police responded to a report of a purse snatching in a city park Wednesday evening, October 1, 2025. The theft was reported at a park in the 400 block of Congressional Lane at 6:00 PM Wednesday. Montrose Park is located on that block of Congressional Lane.

Meow Claw relocating in Rockville

Meow Claw is relocating at the Shops at Congressional Village in Rockville. The claw machine arcade will make a short move this month from the storefront at 1701 Rockville Pike Suite B-9 to 1701 Rockville Pike Suite B-6. Equipment is already being loaded in at the new space, as you can see below. Their existing space is still open for business until the move.

Current location, which is still open