Layhill

Montgomery County Police responded to a call for a shooting in the 14200 block of Punch St (off of Layhill Rd near Bel Pre/Bonifant in Layhill/Silver Spring) on Monday, September 4, around 8pm. Police report that there were injuries sustained and the suspect is in custody. We will post an update if additional information becomes available.

MCPD responded to a call for a shooting in the 14200 block of Punch St.


MCFRS

Rockville City Police responded to the 400 block of Blandford Street for an 18-month old child who had fallen out of an open window on Monday, September 4. According to police, “the child is conscious and breathing and was transported to a local hospital. Our Investigators are en route as this remains an active investigation.” WUSA reports that the child was found on the sidewalk by a neighbor who then called 911. We will post an update when additional information is available. Featured image courtesy of Google Maps. 


MoCo Government

Per Montgomery County: Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich, along with the County’s regional services offices and community partners will host 10 Community Conversations from September through December to seek input on the Fiscal Year 2025 Operating Budget. The first conversation will be from 7-8:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 14, at the Mid-County Recreation Center in Layhill. The official address of the Mid-County Recreation center is 2004 Queensguard Road in Silver Spring.

Seven of the 10 conversations will be conducted in English, including one focusing on issues for older residents and another focusing on issues of importance to Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) members. For a County first, one of the forums will be conducted in Amharic. Two other non-English language forums will be held, with one in Spanish and another in Chinese. A select number of Community Conversations will be held online so that residents have the option to participate remotely.


DMV

Montgomery County has activated a Hyperthermia Alert for extreme heat for Tuesday, Sep 5 from 1:00 pm to 7:00 pm. Expect the heat index to be above 95 degrees. Stay hydrated. Take precautions to protect yourself & pets from heat-related illnesses: County officials urge residents to take precautions to protect themselves, and their loved ones, against heat-related illnesses such as heat stroke and heat exhaustion. A Hyperthermia Alert is issued for the County when forecasted temperatures, and/or heat index, in at least part of the County is at least 95 degrees or higher creating a hazardous situation in which heat-stroke and heat exhaustion are likely.

A Heat Emergency Alert could be issued for the County when dangerously hot conditions are present, including, but not limited to, temperatures and/or heat index reaching 105 degrees for a period of at least two days or longer for which it will be dangerous to anyone exposed to the heat for an extended period of time. Residents are also asked to check on elderly friends, relatives and neighbors who may be isolated, to ensure they are not showing signs of heat-related illnesses.


Beyond MoCo

Little Blue Menu®, created by Chick-fil-A®, is delighted to announce the opening of its College Park location on Thursday, Sept. 14. A nod to Chick-fil-A Founder S. Truett Cathy’s original blue menu at the first Chick-fil-A location, Little Blue Menu allows guests to order Chick-fil-A classics alongside soon-to-be favorites like wings and burgers. Through digital ordering only, guests can enjoy Little Blue Menu for pick-up, delivery and catering.

“College Park is a hub for innovation, so we can think of no better place to introduce Little Blue Menu and give customers more of what they want,” said L.J. Yankosky, senior director of the innovation and new ventures team at Chick-fil-A. “We can’t wait to serve the community and become an integral part of the local dining scene.”


Education

Per Montgomery County Public Schools: All 25 Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) high schools earned spots on the 2023 Best High Schools list published by U.S. News & World Report. Five ranked in the top 500 nationally, and nine were ranked in the top 30 in Maryland. Poolesville High School was ranked first in Maryland and 140th nationally.

The MCPS schools that made the top 30 list in Maryland are:


Bethesda

The family of Susan Loftus would like to invite you to attend a Celebration of Life in her honor. Details on the celebration available below. “Susan passed away August 14, 2023, unexpectedly in her sleep due to a cardiac event. “While we are grieving her passing, we know the last thing she would want is for people to dress in black and be sullen. She was a fun-loving woman and the life of every party. Please come dressed in bright colors to honor her wishes.”

In her 32 years as an educator (physical education), she connected with so many people in our community and beyond. Her life’s work was improving the lives of students, teachers, union members, neighbors, friends, and family. We invite you to come prepared to share your memories of Susan during the celebration.


Bethesda

Butter Chicken House is coming to Montgomery Mall, moving into the space that was recently home to Ya Mon! Island Grill. The Caribbean restaurant, which was located next door to Chick-Fil-A, closed earlier this year. Ya Mon! served jerk chicken, meat, fish, beef patties, along with salads and sides.

Butter Chicken House plans to open on Friday, September 15th, according to Robert Dyer. Per his report, “The internationally-popular dish [butter chicken] from the city of Amritsar will be available as a bowl with rice, as a wrap, or in a combo meal.” Additional information on food court updates at Montgomery Mall, from earlier this summer, can be found here. Our latest on what’s new at Westfield Montgomery Mall can be seen here.


Germantown

Laperaux, the Journeyman Chef’s French Bistro, which opened at 18056 Mateny Rd. in February, has been selected for the ‘2023 Best of Germantown Award’ in the Restaurants category by the Germantown Award Program, according to a press release submitted by the owner of Laperaux.

Each year, the Germantown Award Program identifies “companies that we believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and our community. These exceptional companies help make the Germantown area a great place to live, work and play.”


Restaurant

According to a report by Source of the Spring, Willie T’s Seafood Shack at 9326 Georgia Avenue in Silver Spring has permanently closed and will be replaced by Milk & Honey, a southern inspired brunch and soul food restaurant which has locations across DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Both concepts are owned by Thompson Hospitality, the group behind Matchbox (Bethesda, Rockville, and Silver Spring locations in MoCo), Austin Grill and American Tap Room (both previously in MoCo), and Wiseguy Pizza (opening this month at Wheaton Mall.)

Willie T’s began as a pop-up restaurant inside of Austin Grill in Springfield, VA and opened its Silver Spring location in March 2022.  The location was originally going to be a “joint restaurant,” splitting the space with BRB (be right burger), another Thompson Hospitality concept that currently has a location at Dulles airport. Menu items at Milk & Honey include “Chef Sammy’s Award Winning” Shrimp & Grits, Deep Fried Salmon Hash, Chicken & Waffles, and Crab Benedict. We will post an update when additional information is available. Featured image courtesy of Milk & Honey on Facebook. 


Montgomery Planning

Have you ever wondered how land gets developed in Montgomery County? The short video below the anrticle  explains the process. More per Montgomery Planning:

”When new development is proposed in Montgomery County, it’s important that it not only works for the owner, but also adjacent neighborhood residents, local business owners, and the broader community.