Rockville's Soulfull Cafe offers volunteer opportunities for Martin Luther King Day 2023

Rockville's Soulfull Cafe and Main Street Connect are offering area residents two volunteer opportunities for the annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service in Montgomery County on January 16, 2023. Volunteers will gather at the cafe at the Main Street development at 50 Monroe Place in Rockville from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM that day. The two volunteer activity options will be making cards for the patients at Children's National Medical Center, and making dog toys for the canine residents of Lucky Dog Animal Rescue.

Volunteers will receive a 10%-off coupon for the Soulfull Cafe, a community dining and gathering space that offers employment opportunities for people of all abilities. Students can earn Student Service Learning hours, as well. To sign up for these volunteer opportunities on MLK Day, click here.

Rockville commission recommends lowering voting age to 16, allowing non-citizens to vote

Rockville's Charter Review Commission compiled a list of election policy changes last month that will be discussed by the Mayor and Council at their January 30, 2023 meeting. The commission's recommendations included lowering the voting age to 16, regardless of citizenship. If approved, Rockville would follow Takoma Park, which lowered its voting age to 16 a decade ago. The idea received unanimous approval from the Rockville commission. Commissioners also suggested that all residents 16 and older be allowed to vote in City elections regardless of citizenship, as long as they have lived in the city for at least 6 months prior to the election.

Many other recommendations were put forward, largely in an effort to increase voter turnout. Commissioners suggested expanding the City Council to six, which along with the Mayoral seat would create a voting body of seven. They recommended term limits of three consecutive four-year terms, the same as Montgomery County voters approved in 2016. And they proposed studying a division of the City into Council districts, rather than electing the Mayor and Council on an at-large basis, as is currently the case.

Other suggestions included create a new and transparent process for filling vacancies that occur after the 24th month of a Council or Mayoral term, exploring Ranked Choice Voting with a "None of the Above" option, and moving City elections to presidential or Maryland gubernatorial election years to capitalize on greater turnout. Commissioners voted unanimously to reject a proposal for staggered Council terms.

Lil' Cakes & Creamery to open Rockville location

Lil' Cakes & Creamery is expanding to Rockville. The bakery and ice cream shop will open a new location at 844 Rockville Pike. This will be the second location of Lil' Cakes & Creamery, joining the existing shop at Gaithersburg Square further up MD 355. They specialize in cupcakes, as well as 50 flavors of house-made ice cream. Lil' Cakes & Creamery is now hiring cashiers and bakers.

Car stolen from parking lot in Rockville

Rockville City police responded to a report of a stolen vehicle at a parking lot on Rockville Pike early yesterday morning, January 2, 2023. The vehicle was reported stolen at 2:00 AM from a commercial parking lot in the 700 block of Rockville Pike.

Car stolen from apartment complex in Rockville

Montgomery County police are investigating the theft of a vehicle from the parking lot of an apartment complex in Rockville this past weekend. The vehicle was parked in a residential lot in the 600 block of Blandford Street when it was stolen. It is believed the vehicle was taken sometime between 4:30 PM Friday afternoon and 9:45 AM Saturday morning.

Assault at Shady Grove Metro station

Montgomery County police responded to a report of a 2nd-degree assault at the Shady Grove Metro station early yesterday morning. The assault was reported in the parking area of the station at 2:50 AM Sunday morning. Metro trains were scheduled to run until 2:00 AM Sunday morning for New Year's Eve celebrants. 

Rockville Volunteer Fire Department welcomes new fire engine

The Rockville Volunteer Fire Department at 380 Hungerford Drive has acquired a new fire engine. A 2022 Seagrave truck costing nearly $1 million, the new vehicle was paid for with grant funds and generous donations from the community. It will be officially put into service at a ceremony open to the public at the firehouse on February 4, 2023 at 10:00 AM. 

The new firetruck will be dedicated in memory of past Fire Chief Scott Emmons. Other former RVFD vehicles now in private ownership will also be on display at the February 4 ceremony. 

Photo courtesy RVFD