Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) responded to the 1100blk of Grandin Ave in Rockville on Monday, August 11, for the report of a fire. According to MCFRS Battalion Chief Jason Blake, crews arrived to find a small bedroom fire. All occupants of the home are accounted for and there were no injuries reported.
The cause of the fire is currently under investigation. We will post an update if additional information becomes available.
After 38 years, Hair Expressions, A Paul Mitchell Partner School has announced that it will be closing its Rockville campus (12450 Parklawn Drive). They will continue to offer their educational programs at their Jessup Campus (near Columbia, MD).
Hair Expressions – Paul Mitchell Partner School, has made its home in an 11,500-square-foot facility in Montgomery County since the the mid 80s. The school has been located just across the street from the Twinbrook Metro station, and is known for its “breathtaking monuments, free attractions, and endless calendar of special events.” Through team meetings, public outreach, and fundraising events, their Future Professionals have had the opportunity to socialize with like-minded students, make a positive impact on the Rockville community, and build leadership and teamwork skills that will help prepare them for a successful career in the beauty industry…all while offering discounted services to the community.
The Special Victims Investigations Division of Montgomery County Police is asking for the public’s assistance in locating a missing 15-year-old, Sophia Isabella Roach (age 15), who has been missing for over a month now.
“We believe that she was kind of groomed and lured online by somebody, and we’ve got evidence of that from social media,” Mayyasa Roach said in an interview with NBC Washington. “And that, yes, she left, may have been voluntarily, but now she’s been abducted or she is somewhere that we don’t believe that she’s in control of her situation.”
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.”
Back in November of 2020, we let you know that Chase Bank was close to receiving approval to take over the location previously occupied by Meixin Supermarket (formerly Maxim) on Hungerford Drive (355) in Rockville. The building was demolished last summer and construction of the bank began earlier this year. Photos of the progress can be seen below.
During the approval process, Rockville’s Historic District Commission (HDC) recommended and found that the property met certain criteria for historic designation. City staff staff disagreed and recommended the the Planning Commission deny the change of zones from MXCD (Mixed-Use Corridor District) to MXCD-HD (Historic District) due to not meeting criteria for the designation. After a vote late last year, the City of Rockville decided that the building did not meet criteria for historic designation and the decision to move forward with the plans for Chase Bank moved forward.
Per the Office of the United States Attorney, District of Washington DC: Jonathan Willis, 37, of North Bethesda, Maryland, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for coercion and enticement of a minor. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Special Agent in Charge Emily Odom, of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division.
Willis pleaded guilty on March 15, 2023, in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. According to the government’s evidence, on March 31, 2022, the defendant began communicating with a 14-year-old minor victim who resided in Washington, D.C. using Snapchat. The defendant offered to pay the victim money in exchange for sexually explicit photographs. Over a two-week period, the defendant sent the fourteen-year-old girl multiple photos of his penis and of himself masturbating, and repeatedly asked her to come to his residence in Maryland to “make love.” The victim refused and reported the defendant’s communications to law enforcement. On May 12, 2022 and May 24, 2022, an undercover officer assumed the victim’s identity on Snapchat. On both occasions, the defendant requested sexually explicit photographs of the 14-year-old girl, sent her photos and videos of his penis, and attempted to persuade her to travel to Maryland for sexual activity.
Rockville’s American Gene Technologies International Inc. (AGT), located ant 9713 Key West Ave, and 10X Capital Venture Acquisition Corp. III (10X III) (NYSE: VCXB), a special purpose acquisition company, today announced that they have entered into a merger agreement for a business combination that would result in the combined company being a publicly listed company (the public company following the business combination to be renamed “Addimmune”). The combined company is expected to trade under the ticker symbol “HIV”. Addimmune is a clinical-stage gene and cell therapy company developing a functional cure for HIV. Prior to the combination, the non-HIV assets will spin-off into an entity that will retain the American Gene Technologies name. Full press release below:
10X III and AGT have entered into a non-binding letter of intent (“LOI”) with CF Principal Investments LLC, an affiliate of Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. (“Cantor”), an underwriter of 10X III’s initial public offering, with respect to a $50 million committed equity facility.
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) responded to the 2200blk of McAuliffe Dr., near Meadow Hall Drive, in Rockville (near Twinbrook Library), around 7:45am on Thursday, August 10 after a car struck a utility pole and then crashed into a home. According to Rockville Police, “Driver is a 67-year old male, he is not the homeowner. A case of operator error, driver transported with minor injuries, cited for various traffic offenses. Housing inspectors are currently on scene.”
Chief Spokesperson for MCFRS Pete Piringer tweeted that the occupied vehicle was in contact with ‘live’ powerlines. We will post an update if additional information becomes available.
Gaithersburg-based Emergent BioSolutions has made the decision to cut 400 jobs and scale back operations at some its facilities, instead focusing on core products such as overdose reversal nasal spray Narcan and anthrax vaccines. The company is also eliminating its chief operating officer (COO) position. According to WTOP, “the job cuts are at Emergent’s Bayview facility in Baltimore, at its drug production facility in Rockville, as well as another facility in Canton, Massachusetts.”
In March, the FDA granted the over-the-counter approval of Narcan to Emergent BioSolutions. It became the first naloxone product approved for use without a prescription. “Emergent’s business pivot is expected to result in yearly savings of more than $100 million, the company explained. The moves will cost Emergent around $20 million—costs it expects to incur in the third quarter of 2023.” according to FiercePharma.
Per Montgomery County: The Third Annual Montgomery County Children’s Business Fair will return to Rockville Town Center from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 19, to display the works and ideas of more than 55 young entrepreneurs. The event is free to attend and open to the public.
The fair is back after a three-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 health crisis. The event was founded Tameka Montgomery of the Raising Entrepreneurs Podcast and a senior executive at the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Per MCDOT: The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT), in collaboration with the Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA), is offering adult bike classes in September, October and November. The classes include both Learn to Ride and Basic Skills classes. MCDOT also will offer four free, walk-up scooter classes following select bike classes.
Advance registration is required to participate in the bicycle classes and cost $10 for Montgomery County residents. There is no charge for WABA or Capital Bikeshare For All members. Bicycles and helmets will be provided at no charge for the adult Learn to Ride class participants and can be rented from WABA, if needed, for the Basic Skills class participants. Scooter classes are free of charge.