The planned Spirit Halloween locations at 12940 Middlebrook Rd. (formerly Bed Bath & Beyond) in Germantown and 2210 Veirs Mill Rd., (formerly CVS) in Rockville will not be opening, according to a representative from Spirit.  We’re told the upcoming Spirit store at 30 Grand Corner Ave. in Gaithersburg’s Rio will be the only Montgomery County location for 2023.

New at Spirit this year will be a buy online/pickup in-store option, as well as delivery through DoorDash. A sneak peak of the Rio location can be seen below. The store hopes to open within the next week.


Fernando J. Herrera-Rivera, age 23, of Gaithersburg, has been charged with six counts of 2nd degree arson in connection with a spree of fires that occurred early morning on Sunday, September 17 in Gaithersburg. Herrea-Rivera was arrested in the area of N. Frederick Ave that same morning after police used video surveillance footage and witness accounts to identify him. Herrera-Rivera was also wanted on a bench warrant for an unrelated charge and is currently being held without bond.

According to Chief Spokesperson for MCFRS Pete Piringer, at 2:30am on September 17, approximately 75 firefighters responded to multiple fires at the Holbrook Center (across from Gaithersburg High School) at 400blk S. Frederick Ave. near Education Blvd. Around 3:15am, MCFRS units then responded to 3 Russell Ave (La Frontera/Taco Bar) and found several vehicles and businesses on fire. There was an additional outside fire also located near the Gaithersburg Police Department building at 14 Fulks Corner Ave that morning. Damage is estimated to be $1,250,000 ($500,000 structure/$750,000 contents.)


Stone Mill Elementary School has been selected a 2023 National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education (USDE). The winners were announced on Sept. 19.

Per the MCPS press release: Stone Mill is the 43rd MCPS school to be named a National Blue Ribbon winner. The school was among 313 public and 40 private schools being recognized this year. It is one of six schools in Maryland to win the honor. The others are: Church Hill Elementary School and Matapeake Elementary School in Queen Anne’s County, Northeast Elementary School in Allegany County, Oakdale High School in Frederick County and Smithsburg Middle School in Washington County.


Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) responded to a fire on Wednesday afternoon in the 19000 blk of Montgomery Village Ave, near Centerway Rd. According to Chief Spokesperson for MCFRS Pete Piringer, there was a small insulation fire on the roof of the upcoming Baskin Robbins in the Montgomery Village Shopping Center. The fire is out and there were no injuries reported.

We will provide an update if additional information becomes available.


UPDATE: All travel lanes have reopened on northbound I-270 at Exit 13 for Middlebrook Rd. Expect residual delays.

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) responded to a collision involving a car and a tractor trailer on Tuesday, September 19 around 5pm. According to Chief Spokesperson for MCFRS Pete Piringer, the incident occurred on northbound I-270 between Montgomery Village Ave and Watkins Mill Rd, prior to Middlebrook Rd. Two patients were evaluated with non-life threatening injuries. Only one lane of traffic gets by as of 5:47pm.


Back in May we let you know that the owner of popular dim sum restaurants China Garden (Rockville) and Han Palace (Tysons, Woodley Park, Barracks Row) announced that she is bringing a new restaurant to Rio– taking over the space that was previously home to Union Jack’s until June 2020. It has now been confirmed by Rio that the restaurant will be known as Han Spot. 

Chris Zhu made the announcement via social media in May, “Another milestone. New baby from Han Palace coming to Rio Gaithersburg. Next to AMC theater & Guapo’s 🤗🤗🤗.” One of Zhu’s other restaurants, Han Palace, offers an all-day dim sum menu. Scallops, shrimp, pork/crab dumplings, rice rolls, barbecue pork buns, lobster sticky rice, Han-style filet mignon, and Peking duck are included on the Han Palace menu.


This year represents the 40th anniversary of the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program. Congratulations to the more than 9,000 awardees recognized since 1983. Six schools in Maryland (one in Montgomery County) have been recognized in 2023– they are listed below.

The National Blue Ribbon Schools (NBRS) Program is one of the U.S. Department of Education’s longest-running recognition programs. NBRS recognizes outstanding public and non-public elementary, middle, and high schools based on their overall high academic achievement or success in closing the achievement gap among diverse groups of students.  Since its inception, the goals of the program are to shine a spotlight on the best schools in the United States and to share best practices of outstanding schools across the country.


Three exceptionally inspiring high school seniors were awarded a total of $2,600 in scholarship funds for the 2023-2024 academic year through the W. Edward Bohrer, Jr. Memorial CHARACTER COUNTS! Scholarship program.

Per the City of Gaithersburg: Presented in partnership with the W. Edward Bohrer Memorial Fund and the City Student Union, the scholarships are named for former Mayor Bohrer, under whose leadership the City adopted the CHARACTER COUNTS! program in 1996. The scholarship program acknowledges students for embodying the Six Pillars of Character – trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship.


Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) responded to a fire in the 9600blk of Shadow Oak Dr, near Arrowhead Rd., in Montgomery Village on Tuesday, September 19. According to Chief Spokesperson for MCFRS Pete Piringer, the fire originated in a small pile of trash in a 2nd floor bathroom of the two-story townhouse. Firefighters assisted several residents from the building and there were no injuries reported.

We will provide an update if additional information becomes available.


“We Are Ready to Strike– An overwhelming 98% voted YES to an Unfair Labor Practice strike.”

Kaiser Permanente workers in the DMV have authorized a strike that would begin as early as October 1st if a contract agreement between the union and the Kaiser is not reached by the end of September, according to a statement Monday by the local union representing DMV Kaiser employees. The statement can be seen below:


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