2nd assault in 10 days reported at Target in Rockville

For the second time in ten days, Montgomery County police were called to the Target store at 5700 Bou Avenue in Rockville, after a 2nd-degree assault was reported there. The assault was reported at 10:25 AM yesterday, December 7, 2023. A similar assault occurred at the store on November 26. 

Armed carjacking in Rockville parking garage

Rockville City police responded to a report of an armed carjacking in a parking garage early Tuesday morning, December 5, 2023. The carjacking was reported in a commercial parking garage in the 15100 block of Frederick Road at 2:19 AM Tuesday. That's along MD 355, between College Parkway and Gude Drive.

Wendy's boosts visibility on Rockville Pike (Photos)

The Wendy's at 808 Rockville Pike is suddenly a lot more visible from the busy state highway. It appears that a chainsaw was taken to one tree, five bushes and a couple of hedges on the Pike side of the property. You can now see more of the recently-renovated fast food restaurant building from the road, which should help draw in more impulse diners driving past. See the bottom photo for a "before" comparison.

After

Before

Maryland Supreme Court to hear case on sale of Moses African Cemetery on January 8, 2024

Maryland's Supreme Court is now scheduled to hear the case regarding the attempted sale of a Bethesda property containing Moses African Cemetery on January 8, 2024. The case of Dr. Olusegun Adebayo and the Bethesda African Cemetery Coalition (BACC) vs. the Housing Opportunities Commission of Montgomery County (HOC) centers on the HOC's alleged violation of a state law that requires descendants of those buried in a cemetery to be notified of the potential sale of that land. 

A Montgomery County judge granted an injunction against the sale of the Westwood Tower property to Charger Ventures, but was overruled by an appeals court decision. Charger Ventures then withdrew its purchase offer. Adebayo and BACC have appealed to the state's highest court now, which will have the final say, unless the plaintiffs seek a further appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court following this ruling.

"This is the first time that a state supreme court is being asked to limit the power of developers and state agencies regarding the selling and desecration of African burial grounds and our ancestors," BACC said in a statement Monday. "The decision by the Maryland Supreme Court will have national and perhaps, international ramifications. The court will decide whether Black bodies can be sold to private or public agecies and the land laundered for non-burial purposes without oversight by the court or descendant families. BACC is on the front lines of fighting for both the living and our ancestors. Please plan to join BACC on January 8th and by your presence declare: Black Bodies are Not for Sale! People over Profit!"

BACC is organizing bus transportation to the Supreme Court in Annapolis for the January 8 hearing. To get a sense of how many people are interesting in riding the bus, BACC has created an online form at bit.ly/baccbus. If you cannot attend, but want to help fund the bus trip and other efforts by BACC, an online donation portal has also been created.

Armed robbery at 7-Eleven in Rockville

Rockville City police responded to a report of an armed robbery at a 7-Eleven store late Saturday night, December 2, 2023. The robbery was reported at the 7-Eleven at 824 Baltimore Road at 11:29 PM Saturday. A firearm was the weapon employed in the robbery.

Indecent exposure at restaurant in Derwood

Montgomery County police were called to a restaurant in Derwood yesterday afternoon, December 3, 2023, to investigate a case of indecent exposure reported there. The incident was reported at a restaurant in the 15800 block of Frederick Road at 4:25 PM Sunday. There is a McDonald's and a Wendy's restaurant on that block.

Rockville Mayor & Council to consider dissolving Civic Center and Mansion Subcomittee

Rockville's Mayor and Council will consider a resolution that would dissolve the City's Civic Center and Mansion Subcommittee at its meeting tonight, December 4, 2023 at 7:00 PM. The subcomittee was created in 1991, when the process of creating an historic district around the Glenview Mansion and surrounding grounds was getting started. Over 30 years later, the mansion and grounds are now part of the Rockville Civic Center Park historic district, and the subcommittee has guided to completion the major projects to restore, maintain and enhance the property. As a result, the subcommittee itself - along with several other related City commissions - have recommended disbanding the subcommittee.

Dissolution of the subcommittee will have no impact on funding for the mansion and park. Anticipated future projects will be of a scope that can be successfully handled by the Department of Recreation and Parks, and the Recreation and Park Advisory Board, city staff have concluded. As a result, the staff report suggests the Mayor and Council approve the resolution at tonight's meeting.