Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS) were called to the scene of an apartment fire shortly after 11pm at The Henri apartment building, located at 11800 Grand Park Ave., off of Old Georgetown Rd., in Pike & Rose on Wednesday night.

The fire was reported on the 9th floor of the 16-story apartment and activated the sprinkler system. The cause was a grease fire in the kitchen, but the building’s sprinkler system was able to control the fire until firefighters arrived. There were no injuries reported, but some water damage on lower floors due to the sprinkler activation. Two of the three elevators in the building were out of service as of early Thursday morning due to water damage and several residents have been displaced.


Dill Dinkers, the first dedicated indoor pickleball facility in Maryland, has announced that it will be bringing an indoor Pickleball venue to Montgomery County with the hopes to open by Mid-July. According to BizJournals, the facility will located at 4542 Boiling Brook Parkway in the Randolph Hills neighborhood of North Bethesda/Rockville. Dill Dinkers will be taking over the space that was previously home to Launch Trampoline Park, which closed in 2021.

The other Dill Dinkers locations (Columbia in Howard County and Finksburg in Carroll County) offer a wide array of options for getting out on the courts to play, including court reservations for members and non-members, clinics, leagues, and lessons for new and experienced players looking to improve their game. Dill Dinkers will also offer advertising opportunities within the facility for businesses and organizations looking to reach a large, active audience focused on healthy living. Memberships vary in price from $40 monthly to $115 monthly for families. Members and non-members can also reserve courts and play at a rate of $6.25-$12.50 with minimums of $25 and $50 per day.


Cardillo is approximately 4-feet, 11-inches tall and weighs 93 pounds. She has brown eyes and curly hair that is currently dyed red. She was last seen wearing a black tank top, a brown hooded sweatshirt, black shorts, white Crocs and black framed glasses.  Police and family are concerned for her welfare.

Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Isabella Faith Cardillo is asked to call the police non-emergency number at (301) 279-8000 (24-hour line). Callers may remain anonymous.


Yesterday we received two reports of a black bear that was spotted in the Rockville area. This morning at 6:15, a Rockville resident spotted a black bear in a tree in a Rockville neighborhood near Horizon Hills park. A black bear was also spotted around 7:50am a couple miles away in nearby Willerburn Acres in Potomac, but it is not clear if it’s the same bear. The Rockville City Police Department tweeted the following on Tuesday morning: “Community Alert – Black Bear Sighting – In the area of W. Kersey Ln, Sunrise Dr & Bent Pine Ct at 6:00 am today. RCPD is working with DNR to alert of sightings. Please call RCPD at 240-314-8900 if you see the bear. Stay alert, calm & do not approach or attempt to capture.” According to neighbors, animal control is now on the scene.

Last week a black bear was spotted in Burtonsville and last month there were multiple bear sightings in Chevy Chase, Kensington, and Rockville, with one bear that was trapped and relocated by the Rockville City Police Department and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) on May 8th.


Arguetta Alvarez is 5’2, 97lbs, short black hair, brown eyes, wearing a black “Puma” sweatshirt. Arguetta Alvarez is believed to be in the company of a a juvenile female, who has also been reported missing from another area of the County. Anyone with information about Arguetta Alvarez whereabouts is asked to call the Rockville City Police non-emergency line at 240-314-8900 (24-hour line) or 911.

 


The City of Rockville is seeking input from community members about Rockville’s Capital Improvements Program (CIP) for Fiscal Year 2025-2029. The CIP lays out how Rockville plans to invest funding over a five-year period for capital projects such as parks, roads, buildings and other infrastructure. As Rockville begins preparations for the budget process for Fiscal Year 2025, which begins July 1, 2024, residents are encouraged to tell the city about the condition of streets and parks and help plan new facilities or infrastructure upgrades to meet community needs.

To tell the city what capital projects are needed in your neighborhood, complete and submit the form at www.rockvillemd.gov/Propose-a-Project by Friday, Sept. 15. Proposals cannot serve a private purpose or be located on private property and should have an equal, accessible benefit to all community members. If submitted on behalf of a neighborhood group, the proposal should be discussed and agreed upon by the neighborhood group before submission.


Update (Postponed): Ailing historic tree expected to come down later this summer.Montgomery Parks has postponed plans to remove the historic Linden White Oak tree until later this summer. The removal is on hold pending a Historic Area Work Permit.

Montgomery Park’s Linden Oak, the largest white oak in Montgomery County, will be removed this week. The removal of the 300-year-old tree will take place on Wednesday, June 14, 2023 from 9 a.m.-Noon at Rock Creek Park (located at the intersection of Beach Drive, Grosvenor Lane and Rockville Pike).


Addimmune will build upon the success of American Gene Technologies Phase 1 HIV clinical trial, accelerating the clinical development with dedicated investment and singular focus on HIV. 

American Gene Technologies (AGT), a clinical-stage biotechnology company based in Rockville, Maryland (4715 Key West Ave), is launching a new company — Addimmune — to continue to develop gene and cell therapy technologies to cure HIV. Addimmune will focus solely on advancing an HIV cure, building upon more than a decade of work by AGT that led to a successful Phase 1 HIV gene and cell therapy clinical trial. 


Last year, we let you know that Pines of Rome, a Bethesda staple for over 50 years, tabbed WashUrban to spearhead their first ever search for a second location. Pines of Rome has found a home for its newest venture, Pines of Rome Express, according to the restaurant’s website. It will be located at 121B Congressional Lane– the former home of Congressional Deli, a representative from the restaurant confirmed. The new restaurant is located beside/behind Mykonos Grill and near Bed Bath& Beyond.

The original restaurant, which will remain open, is located at 4918 Cordell Ave. in Bethesda. Pines of Rome moved to the location in 2017 and was previously located at 4709 Hampden Lane, opening in 1972.  The restaurant is known for its extremely popular white pizza, spaghetti & meatballs, and other traditional Italian dishes.


Per the City of Rockville: Vision Zero is a priority initiative of the Mayor and Council as part of their goal of creating safe and livable neighborhoods. Rockville would join Montgomery County, Boston, New York, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and others in adopting such a plan. The City of Rockville Virtual Public Forum on Vision Zero will be held from 7-8:30 p.m. Thursday, June 22 via WebEx. Additional information below:

First introduced in Sweden in 1997 as a countrywide response to increasing traffic fatalities and serious injuries, the initiative makes the safety and health of humans the top priority in road network design.


According to Smart Asset, described as a financial technology company that publishes articles to help people make smart financial decisions”, “People often opt to move to the suburbs for myriad reasons – space, affordability, schools, employment and sometimes to seek safety. Violent and nonviolent crime rates, roadway safety, and drug and alcohol abuse within a community can affect the quality of life for an individual and family alike.

SmartAsset analyzed safety data for 370 suburbs of the 100 largest cities – and also compared the affordability of the safest areas. Two areas in Montgomery County were in the Top 12, with nearby Great Falls, VA listed as #1. Below are the MoCo suburbs that have made the list:


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