Gaithersburg

Watkins Mill High School has become the first Maryland school to earn Level 1 Status within the National Federation of High Schools (NFHS) Honor Roll Program for the third straight year after recently earning the award for the upcoming school year.

The NFHS writes playing rules for high school sports and provides guidance on a multitude of national issues. They offer online education courses for high school coaches, officials, students, parents, and speech and music leaders through the NFHS Learning Center, and showcase high school sports and performing arts online through the NFHS Network. “Ultimately, our goal is to ensure that all students have an opportunity to enjoy healthy participation, achievement and good sportsmanship in education-based activities.”


Beyond MoCo

Montgomery County resident John Ols (Laytonsville) has caught a 640.5 lb blue marlin, earning him a world record of $6.2 million at this year’s White Marlin Open in Ocean City, MD.

Per the White Marlin Open: On the last day of the 50th Annual White Marlin Open, the Floor Real out of Ocean City, MD weighed a 640.5-pound blue marlin to take $6,200,000 of the $10.5 million dollar total purse.  The blue was caught by John Ols from Laytonsville, MD.


Burtonsville

Last Friday, an email was sent to the Paint Branch High School community informing them of the school’s principal, Dr. Joel Beidleman, going on extended leave. Beidleman was named principal at Paint Branch in June and was previously principal at William Farquhar Middle School in Olney.

On Friday, the Washington Post released an article alleging that Beidleman was reported to Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) 18 times in seven years and details alleged sexual harassment, workplace bullying, and other inappropriate conduct at multiple schools, spanning over a decade. The article states that Beidleman was placed on leave by MCPS and that the school system will launch an “independent, external investigation.” Yesterday, several local leaders took to social media to share their thoughts on the situation:


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Bethesda

Lids is coming to Westfield Montgomery Mall (7101 Democracy Blvd) in Bethesda. The store will be located next to LEGO on the mall’s lower level. Lids is a “mall based, retail headwear” store that sells NBA, NFL, MLB, and NHL licensed hats and merchandise. Lids has additional Montgomery County locations at the Clarksburg Outlets, Ellsworth Place (Silver Spring), and Wheaton Mall.

The location is currently hiring and no opening date has been announced. Click here to see a list businesses that are also coming soon to Montgomery Mall


Event

Join Us for StoryBox Comics Fair, a two-day festival celebrating local and independent comics authors!

Day 1 – Saturday, June 27th, 11-5pm @ DwightMess compound (805 Silver Spring Ave): Events are open to the public, admission is FREE. Featuring Special Guest Artists, gallery exhibitions, workshops, artist talks, a modeling session (suggested donation) and exhibitors, you can dig in to indie comics and also tour the compound, which features an extensive comics collection, a rare video collection, Risograph and screenprinting studios.


Potomac

Bai Khao Thai, a new a Thai restaurant, is preparing to open at 12944-D Travilah Rd in the Potomac Oak Center (Potomac/Travilah). The restaurant will be taking over the space that was recently home to 98 Cafe and previously home to Shanghai Cafe. Signage is now up and the restaurant is “coming soon” according to a small sign on the front door. An opening date is not yet available.


Restaurants

Third Hill Brewing Co., which is located in the former Astro Lab Brewing location at 8216 Georgia Ave in Silver Spring, will hold a grand opening celebration on Saturday, August 19, from 1-10pm. There will be live music, special guests, giveaways, and games.

“The Silver Spring community will be celebrating our newest brewery! The Third Hill Brewing Co. grand opening “christening” (in lieu of a traditional ribbon cutting) will be on August 19 from 1pm-10pm. We are inviting you, the community, and government leaders to attend the official ceremony beginning at 2pm at Third Hill Brewing Co. at 8216 Georgia Avenue.


Restaurants

A few weeks back we provided an update on Twinbrook Quarter, the future home of Wegmans in the area of Halpine Rd and Rockville Pike. According to signage recently put up at the construction site, Wegmans is now expected to open in 2025 (photos of progress available below). Previously, a more general “Late 2024 or 2025” was the expected opening date of the grocery store. In addition to the grocery store, the upcoming neighborhood has approval for 480,000 SF of retail (which includes the 80,000 SF Wegmans and an additional 25,000 SF of additional retail/restaurants in the first phase. Twinbrook Quarter will also consist of 450 apartment homes (The Milton) and 248,000 SF of trophy office above. It will also include over 1,500 parking spaces with electric vehicle charging stations. Our previous update can be seen below:

Brick facades are currently nearing completion after a couple months of work on the exterior of the buildings. “As we progress with the brick façades around all sides of the new building, a variety of building styles, brick colors, heights and architectural features will emerge to give visual interest to the block and provide a different “identity” for each side. The brick work will continue through the summer and into the fall.” Interior work is also ongoing. “We are busy with interior work as well. We are framing the walls on the second and third floors that will define hallways, apartment interiors and other spaces. Plumbing pipes for water and sanitary, mechanical ductwork and electrical work are all in progress. Interior work will move progressively up the building, and well into 2024.”


Crime

Per MCPD: 37-year-old Anthony L. Green, of Washington, D.C., has been arrested and charged with attempted first-degree murder and other related charges, for a shooting he allegedly committed on Saturday, July 15, 2023, in Silver Spring.

At approximately 1:54 p.m., an adult male victim walked into the fire station in the 8100 block of Georgia Ave. suffering from apparent gunshot wounds to his torso. He was transported to an area hospital with life-threatening injuries.


Crime

Per MCPD: Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police have arrested 29-year-old Ricko Ford of Capital Heights and 30-year-old Wayne Pitt of Gaithersburg, for attempting to steal a Ride-On Metro Bus the morning of Friday, August 11, 2023, in the area of Connecticut Ave. and Georgia Ave. in Wheaton.   At approximately 12:27 a.m., 4th District officers responded to the location for report of a carjacking.

The preliminary investigation has revealed that the male driver of the Ride-On Metro Bus picked up Ford and Pitt at the Glenmont Metro Station in Wheaton. Ford and Pitt told the bus driver that they wanted to go to Greenbelt. The bus driver told them that the bus was going to Montgomery Mall. Ford and Pitt approached the bus driver, and one of them told the bus driver he wanted the bus. The bus driver got off of the bus and walked away. Ford and Pitt are then seen attempting to drive away in the bus.


Celebrities

Greg Roche, known as Roche in his 22 years with DC 101, has announced that he has been terminated from the station and was told the station will be going in a different direction. Roche has been with DC 101 since 2001 and is a resident of Montgomery County. His full post can be seen below (featured photo courtesy of Roche on Air on Facebook):

https://www.facebook.com/100058144205314/posts/692192246062243/?mibextid=cr9u03