Rockville Archives - Page 177 of 366

Montgomery County Council to Host Youth Town Hall meeting on November 29

Published November 9, 2023 at 6:48PM | Updated November 10, 2023 at 12:15AM

Per Montgomery County: “The Montgomery County Council will host a Youth Town Hall meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 29 at 7 p.m. at the Council Office Building in Rockville. This annual meeting with students promotes youth engagement in community and public policy issues and allows Councilmembers to hear directly from young people about their concerns and views.

“Youth voices matter. Providing opportunities to connect with young people helps elected and community leaders make decisions and plan for the future,” said Council President Evan Glass. “As the former executive director of an after school program, I appreciate how youth-driven advocacy positively impacts our community. Youth voices make our schools, neighborhoods and County stronger through the expression of positive social change.”

Rockville Police: Hate Has No Home in Rockville

By MCS Staff

Published November 9, 2023 at 6:29PM | Updated November 9, 2023 at 11:48PM

Per Rockville Police: “The Rockville City Police Department (RCPD) recognizes that we are living in turbulent times across the country and the globe. All acts of hatred, bias, and bigotry are unacceptable. A hate crime is any crime motivated in whole or in part by bias, prejudice, or bigotry; however, as despicable as it may be, not all hate is a crime. A hate incident is often involving a person making non-threatening bigoted, biased, or prejudiced comments to another individual based on race, religion, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, or other personal characteristics. It also can involve a person displaying a non-threatening, bigoted, biased, or prejudiced message or image in certain contexts. Although deeply hurtful and offensive, hate incidents do not violate criminal law.

What to Do if You Believe that You are the Victim of, or Witness a Hate Crime or Bias-Related Incident…REPORT IT! Dial 9-1-1 in an emergency. In a non-emergency, dial 240-314-8900 to contact the Rockville City Police. For your own safety do not take it upon yourself to confront perpetrators. Do not clean up or destroy any evidence related to the crime until after the police arrive and investigate. Ask the police what services are available to you.

Richard Montgomery High School Students Named to Honor Choir

By MCS Staff

Published November 9, 2023 at 1:14PM

Five Richard Montgomery High School students have been accepted to the American Choral Directors Association’s (ACDA’s) 2024 Eastern Honor Choir. The ACDA choir consists of students from the Northeastern region of the U.S. ACDA is a professional development organization dedicated to improving choral music instruction. The students have been invited to ACDA’s conference next March in Providence, R.I., where they will have an opportunity to perform challenging musical selections under the direction of nationally renowned conductors. The students are:

Senior Choir:

The Great Seneca Plan Goes to the Planning Board This December

By MCS Staff

Published November 9, 2023 at 12:53PM

Montgomery Planning’s Great Seneca Plan: Connecting Life and Science team held two community meetings on October 23 and October 25. “It was great to share the first look at the plan’s preliminary recommendations and get feedback.” At the meetings, preliminary recommendations were shared for each of the plan’s distinct geographic enclaves including:

If you couldn’t make it to the October 23 and 25 meetings, here is a guide to the preliminary recommendations, which the Great Seneca plan team will be finalizing over the coming weeks as it prepares to present them to the Planning Board on December 7.

Rapist Who Met Victim Through Social Media Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison

By Patrick Herron

Published November 8, 2023 at 2:39PM

Courtesy Google Maps

According to the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office, “In the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, MD, the Honorable Robert Greenberg sentenced defendant, Rome Hill, 32, of Silver Spring, to life in prison suspend all but 30 years to serve and five years of supervised probation. Hill was convicted by a jury on October 19^th, 2023, on charges of First-Degree Rape, Use of a Firearm in Commission of a Felony and Unlawful Possession of a Loaded Handgun. The sentencing hearing was held this Tuesday, November 7^th, 2023. Upon release, conditions of probation will include registration as a Tier III sex offender for life and no contact with the victim.

On September 9^th, 2020, the defendant sent a friend request and private social media message to the victim who was a stranger to him. They messaged and spoke over the phone for two days. On September 11^th, the victim felt comfortable enough to meet Hill in person and invited him to her apartment. That evening, Hill produced a handgun and raped the victim. Assistant State’s Attorneys Frank Lazzaro and Christina Ferris prosecuted this matter.”

City of Rockville Unofficial Election Results; Residents Also Voted On Allowing 16/17 Year-Olds and Non-Citizens to Vote, Term Limits, and Representative Districts

By MCS Staff

Published November 8, 2023 at 7:24AM

Per the City of Rockville: Rockville voters elected Monique Ashton mayor with 7,190 votes, or 58.71% of the total, according to unofficial results in the City of Rockville’s vote-by-mail election, which were announced early today. Six councilmembers were also elected: Kate Fulton; Adam Van Grack; Izola (Zola) Shaw; David Myles; Barry Jackson; and Marissa Valeri.

The Mayor and Council serve four-year terms. Mayoral challenger Mark Pierzchala received 5,006 votes, or 40.88%. There were 51 write-in votes for mayor. The top six vote-getters for council seats were:

New Chuck E. Cheese Featuring Trampoline Zone Now Open; Grand Opening Event This Thursday

By Patrick Herron

Published November 7, 2023 at 5:10PM | Updated November 7, 2023 at 8:18PM

Chuck E. Cheese is now open at 5238 Nicholson Ln in North Bethesda/Rockville. Chuck E. Cheese was previously located at 5270 Randolph Rd in Loehmann’s Plaza before moving to its new, larger location in White Flint Plaza, taking over the space that was previously home to Retro Fitness. The location is one of the first in the area to feature Chuck E. Cheese’s new trampoline park. There will be a grand opening celebration on Thursday, November 9 from 5-7pm that will feature free cake and the chance to win a free birthday party.

Chuck E. Cheese has an additional Montgomery County location at 1127 University Blvd E in Takoma Park. The children’s indoor entertainment arcade also had a location in Gaithersburg that closed in 2020 after being in business at Gaithersburg Square for over 30 years. Per the Biz Journals report, the new location will “feature a 17-foot digital wall and other technological advances over the older locations. There will still be some Chuck E. Cheese mainstays, including things like skee-ball, air hockey, and, of course, pizza.” The Rockville location has also matched pre-2019 numbers this year, hosting 289 birthday parties.

Main Lanes of SB I-270 Blocked Following Multi-Vehicle Collision

By MCS Staff

Published November 6, 2023 at 10:38PM

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) have responded to the scene of a crash involving several vehicles on southbound I-270, between exits 6 (W Montgomery Avenue) and 4 (Montrose Rd.) on Monday night.

According to MCFRS Chief Spokesperson Pete Piringer, the Express/Main lanes are blocked as of 9:21pm and at least two patients have been evaluated/transported to the hospital. We’ll provide an update if additional information becomes available. Featured photo courtesy of Google Maps

Rockville Residents Will Vote on Lowering Voting Age to 16, Permitting Non-Citizens to Vote, and More in November 7th Election

By MCS Staff

Published November 6, 2023 at 6:01PM

As well as choosing seven members to elect to the City of Rockville’s Mayor and Council, voters will decide on advisory referenda questions for the City of Rockville’s 2023 election. The questions, if approved by voters, would amend the city charter to:

For the exact wording of the questions, view Resolution 08-23. The amendments are recommendations from the Charter Review Commission. Ballots will be mailed to all registered voters who live within Rockville city limits. All ballots must be received by 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 7. Voters will be able to vote by mail, in person at the two election day vote centers on Nov. 7, or at an election drop box.

Loehmann’s Plaza Redevelopment Sketch Plan Goes to Planning Board on Nov. 9 (Renderings Included)

By MCS Staff

Published November 6, 2023 at 5:37PM

Rosenfeld Investments has proposed the redevelopment of Loehmann’s Plaza at 5200 Randolph Rd. in Rockville, and the sketch plan will be going in front of the Montgomery Planning Board on Thursday, November 9. The plan (renderings below) includes 710,000 square feet of residential uses and up to 40,000 square feet of commercial uses for a cumulative density of up to 750,000 square feet of mixed-use development, with 15% Moderately Priced Dwelling Units (MPDUs), open space, pedestrian and bicycle improvements, and associated public benefits to support the requested incentive density.

Summary: Planning Staff recommends approval of the Sketch Plan with conditions. The proposal will transform the existing shopping center with surface parking and a one-story brick building pad site into a mixed-used development with retail. Under the Optional Method of development, the Applicant requests approval for up to 710,000 square feet of residential use (currently estimated to be up to 680 dwelling units) with 15% MPDUs and up to 40,000 square feet of commercial use.

Woodward High School Reopening Update; Boundary Study Scope to Create Service Area Approved Earlier This Year

By MCS Staff

Published November 6, 2023 at 9:54AM

HESS construction has made plenty of progress at the upcoming Woodward High School at 11211 Old Georgetown Rd in Rockville, which will be used as a holding school/facility for current Northwood High School while their new high school building will be built between September 2024 and August 2027. Charles E. Woodward High School originally opened in 1966 and closed in 1987, when the decision to merge with Walter Johnson High School was made. Tilden Middle School moved into the previous building in 1991, where it remained until the new school opened a few years back. Photos of the progress of the new building, per HESS construction, can be seen below. The completed Woodward High School will officially reopen as its own school in September 2027, following a boundary study to determine which students will be attending the school.

On March 28, 2023, the Board of Education approved the boundary study scope to create the service area for the reopening of Charles W. Woodward High School. The scope of the boundary study includes the following high schools: Bethesda Chevy-Chase, Montgomery Blair, Albert Einstein, Walter Johnson, John F. Kennedy, Northwood, Wheaton, and Walt Whitman. The scope also includes the following middle schools: Argyle, Eastern, A. Mario Loieder- man, Newport Mill, North Bethesda, Parkland, Thomas W. Pyle, Odessa Shannon, Silver Creek, Silver Spring International, Sligo, Takoma Park, Tilden, and Westland. No elementary schools are included in the boundary study. The boundary study process (community meetings, option development, feedback) is scheduled to take place between early 2024 and fall 2024. The boundary study report is scheduled to be released in early 2025, and the superintendent’s recommendation is scheduled to be released in winter 2025, followed by Board of Education work sessions, public hearings, and action on the superintendent’s recommendation.