Per the Maryland Attorney General’s Office: The Appellate Court of Maryland has upheld a Final Order issued by the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division (CPD) finding that AT&T, Inc., and Cricket Wireless LLC engaged in unfair and deceptive trade practices, in violation of the Maryland Consumer Protection Act, when they sold Cricket cellphones that they knew would stop working after Cricket and AT&T entered into a corporate merger agreement in 2013.
In its July 21, 2021, Final Order, CPD found that the companies’ merger plans included decommissioning Cricket’s CDMA wireless network, which would, and ultimately did, cause Cricket’s CDMA-only cellphones to stop working. Our Consumer Protection Division determined that AT&T and Cricket violated the Consumer Protection Act by continuing to sell the CDMA-only devices to Maryland consumers for more than 18 months before shutting down Cricket’s CDMA network. The company ultimately sold more than 50,000 soon-to-be-inoperable devices in Maryland, without adequately disclosing their plan to render the devices inoperable. The Division ordered AT&T and Cricket to refrain from similar conduct in the future, to provide restitution to consumers who purchased Cricket CDMA-only devices during the relevant period, and to pay civil penalties.
The Montgomery County Board of Education has released a ”statement regarding the ongoing investigation into the promotion of Joel Biedleman.” The full statement can be seen below:
“Today, the Board received an extensive report from Jackson Lewis on the first phase of the investigation into the promotion of Joel Beidleman. We are carefully reviewing the findings of that report. The report raises significant concerns about the vetting and promotion of personnel within MCPS, and the Board is committed to addressing those concerns.
The DMV Chocolate & Coffee Festival is coming to Montgomery County on November 7 & 8, 2026, at the Adventist HealthCare Fieldhouse in Germantown, Maryland. Get ready to sip, sample, shop, and enjoy a full weekend of family-friendly fun!
Sip, Sample & Shop
Get ready to explore a festival floor filled with top chocolate makers, coffee roasters, bakeries, specialty food vendors, artisan brands and small businesses from across the region and beyond. Sample new flavors, meet the people behind the products and shop directly from the talented makers and businesses who created them.
Experience Chocolate History
One of the highlights of this year’s festival is a large-scale chocolate sculpture of George Washington on horseback, created by award-winning chocolate artist Paul Joachim.
The sculpture will be part of a special exhibit exploring chocolate’s place in early American history. Guests can see the sculpture up close, sample colonial-style drinking chocolate, and shop the exclusive Collector’s Heritage Box inspired by the historic drink. It’s a unique opportunity to experience chocolate through art, history, and taste all in one place.
Seminars, Demonstrations & More
Visit the Sip & Share Seminar Classroom for educational sessions and demonstrations throughout the weekend, all included with your festival admission. Explore topics ranging from ancestral cacao in the Ecuadorian Amazon and the realities of starting a coffee business to craft chocolate and festival trivia. Learn directly from experts and makers as they share their knowledge, demonstrate their craft and offer a closer look at how their products are made.
Fun for All Ages
The DMV Chocolate & Coffee Festival offers an experience the whole family can enjoy. Kids under 12 receive free admission with a ticketed adult and can get creative at our complimentary kids’ craft tables. Festival mascots Chunk & Bean will also be on-site for meet-and-greets and photo opportunities throughout the weekend. Families can even shop for Chunk & Bean plushies, children’s books and other kid-friendly items.
Whether you’re a serious chocolate lover, a coffee enthusiast, a foodie or simply looking for a fun fall outing, there’s something for everyone to see, taste, shop and enjoy.
Save on Tickets
The DMV Chocolate & Coffee Festival Maryland Edition takes place November 7 & 8, 2026, at the Adventist HealthCare Fieldhouse in Germantown, Maryland.
MoCo Show readers can use code MOCO10 at checkout to save 10% on online festival tickets. Grab your tickets and get ready to sip, sample and shop at one of the sweetest weekends of the fall!
Update: Friday games postponed. New schedule available below.
Below you’ll see the most recent updates or final scores of the 2023 week 2 MCPS football games. The scores will be updated as we receive them. If a score isn’t listed, it’s because we haven’t yet received a report from the game that we can confirm. An ‘F’ signifies the score is confirmed as being final.
In April we let you know that Copper Canyon Grill is requesting approval for a 1,012 square foot covered dining pier to be located on the RIO Lake. The restaurant submitted its final site plan back in July and the planning commission approved it unanimously at its meeting earlier this week. Renderings of what the pier will look like can be seen below.
Access to the outdoor dining area/pier will be via two gangways attached to the existing boardwalk. The new structure projects 10’-2” from the boardwalk and will be 12 feet tall from the finished floor. Gaithersburg Planning Staff supports the proposal for a dining pier in the Rio Washingtonian Lake, finding it in compliance with the approved sketch plan and Schematic Development Plan SDP- 9462-2023. “The dining pier will provide additional outdoor seating for Copper Canyon and will enhance the use of lake. There remains adequate parking for the proposed commercial addition and all applicable development standards have been met.”
Olney, MD — September 29, 2026 —Olney Theatre Center, Maryland’s largest regional theatre, produces Boublil and Schönberg’sLes Misérables in the Roberts Mainstage (October 30, 2026 – January 31, 2027) in celebration of the musical’s 40th anniversary. This continues Olney Theatre’s tradition of providing popular musicals with multi-generational appeal to local audiences and visitors over the holiday season. This year, Tony Award-nominated director Stephen Brackett returns to direct the production, having last directed Cinco Paul’s critically acclaimed A.D. 16 at Olney in 2022. Trent Saunders, who garnered critical acclaim for his performance in the Broadway company of Dead Outlaw, stars as Jean Valjean, opposite Kevin S. McAllister, a veteran of multiple Broadway and Olney musicals, who recently directed Ford’s Theater’s heralded production of Come From Away. Christopher Youstra, Olney’s Associate Artistic Director of Music Theatre, again serves as Music Director, and William Carlos Angulo is the choreographer.
Tickets are available to the public from $57 – $118 and can be purchased at olneytheatre.org/lesmiz or by calling the box office at 301-924-3400.
Join Breast Cancer Collective for the 2026 Walk to Bust Cancer on Sunday, October 18, at Fort Hunt Park in Alexandria. Walk alongside survivors, caregivers, friends, families, and neighbors for an uplifting community event supporting access to breast cancer screening and care across the DMV. Walk to Bust Cancer brings our community together to turn hope into action and help expand access to timely breast health care. Register to walk, gather your team, and join us at Fort Hunt Park.
The two teams regularly expect to contend for a state championship in their classifications and this year is no different, with Damascus looking to repeat after capturing a record-tying 12th state title last year. Northwest, though a few years removed from their last title game appearance, added some big-time championship experience to their coaching staff. Their head coach will be familiar to many Damascus fans, as Bucky Clipper was the Hornets’ defensive coordinator during their dynasty run from 2014-18, and in 2019 served as DC for Northwest who made the 4A final that year. Anyone who saw Damascus play during that glory period knows the Hornets defense was straight up nasty during that time, and Clipper will look to maintain that same identity as he guides Northwest as the top dog. He’s not the only championship coach they brought in either, as Justin Sickeri returns as OC of the Jaguars after head coaching stints at Poolesville and Seneca Valley. Sickeri was the mastermind behind the offensive unit that captured back-to-back titles in 2013 & 2014, and will look to field a just-as-great unit a decade later.
Both teams achieved big blowout victories to start the year. Northwest went to Montgomery Village and thumped Watkins Mill, 47-0, which they reached in just the first half of play. Damascus welcomed Einstein to the “Hornet’s Nest” and boatraced the Titans 44-12. Solid performances across the board for these teams, but Watkins Mill and Einstein will not come close to the challenge level that Northwest and Damascus will find in each other.
Per MCDOT: On Wednesday, Sept. 20, starting at 6:30 p.m., the Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) will hold an in-person public meeting at the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center, Wisconsin Room, located at 4805 Edgemoor Lane in Bethesda to discuss and gather community feedback on possible long-term improvements to the Norfolk Ave. Streetery area.
This meeting will allow MCDOT to share the recommended alternative for the long-term future of Norfolk Avenue. The current design is still very preliminary and is at the concept stage. The ultimate goal of the effort is to find ways to support a permanent streetery along Norfolk Avenue and improve bicyclist and pedestrian safety in the corridor.
The Circuit Court for Montgomery County is a court of general jurisdiction with the authority to hear civil and criminal cases. It is the only court in the county authorized to conduct jury trials and is part of the Sixth Judicial Circuit, comprising Montgomery and Frederick counties. This is Governor Moore’s first judicial appointment. Governor Moore is committed to building a strong, impartial judiciary that reflects the people of Maryland.
Jennifer Sue Hollander Fairfax is the founder of Jennifer Fairfax, LLC. She practices family law with a focus on domestic and international adoptions and assisted reproduction issues. Ms. Fairfax authored the preeminent book on adoption law, and has worked with lawmakers on advancing legislation related to both adoption and assisted reproduction. She has also advocated for Maryland laws that expedite the second parent adoption process for married and unmarried partners and provide for gender-neutral terms when referring to parents. Ms. Fairfax has taught law school courses on the adoption process and law including LGBTQ law, adoption process issues, contract issues and family law and has published extensively in this field.
Coming soon signage is up for Ramen Ya at 16822 Georgia Ave. in Olney. The Japanese noodle and dumpling house is taking over the space recently occupied by Loyal Companion, in the same shopping center as Roots Market and Sisters Sandwiches & Such. Ramen Ya imports its flour for noodles directly from Japan and uses a “top-of-the-line noodle machine” to make fresh noodles daily. Ramen Ya has an additional location at 7938 Crain Hwy S in Glen Burnie, MD. The restaurant
According to its website, “Our company has been in the food business for over a decade. From distributing premium seafood ingredients to restaurants, to opening sushi stations in high-end supermarkets, we now seek our own spaces to serve guests the best authentic Japanese ramen we can offer.” We will post an update when additional information becomes available.
Apex Vets will be opening soon at 11060 Veirs Mill Rd, across from Dick’s Sporting Goods at Westfield Wheaton. According to its website, “Apex Vets is an independently-owned specialty hospital established by veterinarians with ties to Montgomery County and DC. We believe in working as a team to provide the highest quality care, service, and environment. Apex emphasizes specialized and continued education in our fields of expertise, which include board-certified surgery, neurology, critical care, anesthesia, cardiology, and internal medicine.”
On Thursday, September 7, at approximately 7:50 pm, Takoma Park Police officers attempted a traffic stop on a vehicle that had just run a red light at New Hampshire Avenue and Holton Lane.
According to police, “The suspect driver fled from officers speeding down Kingwood Drive and lost control of the vehicle after striking the traffic circle at the intersection of Kingwood Drive and Wildwood Drive. The suspect driver struck several vehicles before coming to a stop. The suspect driver bailed out of the vehicle and fled on foot.”
