ROY ROGERS PLANS EARLY NOVEMBER OPENING IN ROCKVILLE (PHOTOS)

Whatever the holdup was in Roy Rogers' return to Rockville has been resolved. Coming Soon signage and permits are finally up at the 718 Rockville Pike location (longtime site of a Ford dealership, across from Marlo Furniture) of the first Roy Rogers restaurant Rockville has had in decades. The restaurant is currently hiring staff, and expects to open the first week in November.

POTOMAC RIVER RUNNING CLOSES AT ROCKVILLE TOWN SQUARE (PHOTOS)

Potomac River Running is the latest tenant to close at Rockvile Town Square. One pink sock, a message from a loyal customer and a few odds and ends are all that remain of the family-owned, local chain's Rockville store.

Cosi, Oro Pomodoro, Pho & Rolls, Carbón and the Hair Cuttery, have all vacated the Federal Realty property in only the last 3 months. Capital One bank is scheduled to close its Rockville Town Square branch permanently on October 17 at 6:00 PM.

DERWOOD RESIDENTS ANGRY ABOUT GROUP HOME

Angry residents of Derwood are challenging Montgomery County officials over a group home for psychiatric patients they contend was improperly rubber stamped by government. The Gazette reports that the home, located at 6112 Granby Road, has been the source of 6 police responses, and 8 visits by Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services so far.

"Crisis" patients, including those with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and manic depression, are staying in the home for 3 to 10 day residences, according to the Gazette. Some have been found wandering the neighborhood unsupervised.

Residents were dissatisfied with the county's response to their concerns at a meeting Tuesday evening, and are now considering a legal challenge, reports the Gazette's Terri Hogan.

Group homes have generated controversy in recent years, particularly when such operations came to light in Clarksburg and Aspen Hill only after violent crimes by residents drew public attention.

275 N. WASHINGTON STREET CONSTRUCTION UPDATE (PHOTOS)

A lot of progress has taken place at The JBG Companies' 275 N. Washington Street project in Rockville. One of the first Town Center Phase II developments, the building will include 28,000 SF of retail and restaurant space. A battle over how much parking the development would include was resolved by the Rockville Planning Commission recently. One part of the structure has a very traditional brick facade, which contrasts with the glass facade of the rest.

ROCKVILLE HOCKEY COACH GETS 14 MONTHS IN SLAMMER

Barry Fig, a Rockville resident and hockey coach, pled guilty to theft and drug charges yesterday in Montgomery County Circuit Court. Fig, 36, was sentenced to 14 months behind bars for crimes that included stealing wallets at local ice rinks, including Wheaton Ice Arena. The cause of Fig's downfall was his addiction to the prescription drug Adderall, according to ABC 7's Kevin Lewis.

DEL FRISCO'S GRILLE ROCKVILLE VIP PARTY (VIDEO)

Here is video from last Thursday night's VIP preview party at Del Frisco's Grille Rockville, opening this Thursday at Pike & Rose. You can see the decor, the cocktail luge in action, and a sample of the dishes that were served from the menu that night. For a full report, and many photos, from the Del Frisco's event, click here for my story last Friday.

METRO TESTS NEW 7000-SERIES RAILCARS IN ROCKVILLE (PHOTOS)

WMATA is finally on something of a timetable to restore automatic train control to its subway system, and the Red Line will be the first route to have it, the Washington Post reported on Sunday. In October, some Red Line trains will begin operating automatically, and all trains will do so by next March, according to the Post report. That long-overdue positive sign wasn't the only big Red Line news this past weekend. Metro tested new 7000-series railcars on the Red Line Saturday and Sunday, between the Twinbrook and Shady Grove Metro stations.

I caught one in action at the Rockville station on Sunday. The train was not accepting passengers during the test run. The 7000-series are manufactured by Kawasaki.

We simply must improve the service and reliability of Metro, if we are to even begin to manage future growth in places like downtown Bethesda, White Flint, Silver Spring and Rockville. Scarce transportation dollars need to go to the projects where they impact the most people, such as 8-car trains for Metro, more capacity on the Red Line (especially north of Grosvenor), and a new Potomac River crossing to relieve congestion on the Beltway and I-270.