Rockville Archives - Page 238 of 360

Woman Found Guilty of Second-Degree Murder for 2020 Death of Yousuf Rasmussen

Published January 3, 2023 at 7:56PM

Per the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office: Today in the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, MD, before the Honorable Terrence McGann, a jury found defendant, Sophia Negroponte, 29, of Washington, D.C., guilty of Second-Degree Murder for the death of 24-year-old Yousuf Rasmussen. Negroponte faces up to 40 years in prison and is scheduled for a sentencing hearing on March 31, 2023 at 9:30 a.m. Assistant State’s Attorneys Donna Fenton and Robert Hill prosecuted this case. They joined State’s Attorney John McCarthy for a news conference following the verdict today, along with Dr. Zeba Rasmussen who is the mother of the victim. Dr. Rasmussen read a statement from the family. The video of the news conference can be viewed here: https://fb.watch/hQqqnV19Ck/

We are grateful for the dedication and professionalism of Maryland and Montgomery County officials, notably in the Circuit Court, the State’s Attorney’s Office and the Victim Assistance program. Above all, we wish to thank the many police and emergency medical technicians who rushed to the scene and tried to save Yousuf’s precious life.

Celebrate Rockville’s Asian Cultures and Lunar New Year

By Patrick Herron

Published January 3, 2023 at 10:08AM

Per the City of Rockville: Rockville rings in the Year of the Rabbit this month with performances and interactive displays, at the city’s Lunar New Year celebration. The annual celebration, organized by the city in partnership with Rockville’s Asian Pacific American Task Force, will be held from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28, at Thomas S. Wootton High School, 2100 Wootton Parkway. Admission is free.

Multicultural performances will be from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Confirmed performers include kung fu by US Chinese Wushu Institute, drumming by Peace Mission Korean Dance Group, a piano selection by Seasharp Music Studio, opera by DC Beauty of Beijing Opera Ltd., and dance performances by dance by Xiaorong Dance Arts, Natananjali School of Dance, and Fairfax County Dance Troupe.

City of Rockville to Give Away Radon Test Kits for National Radon Action Month

By Patrick Herron

Published January 3, 2023 at 10:03AM

Per the City of Rockville: The City of Rockville is giving away 150 radon test kits to city residents for National Radon Action Month. The test kit involves placing a small measuring device in the basement or the lowest level of your home, raised three feet off the ground, in the middle of the room for two to four days. Once the test is completed, follow the directions on the test kit packaging to mail the device to a laboratory for the results. Reservations for a free test kit, a link to discounted $3 kits and more can be found at www.rockvillemd.gov/radon.

A new radon law goes into effect Sunday, Jan. 1 in Rockville that applies Montgomery County’s home energy disclosure and radon testing laws to the sale of single-family homes and townhomes in Rockville. The change provides home buyers with access to important home health and energy information.

Detectives From Special Investigations Unit are Asking For Public’s Assistance in Locating Missing 14-Year Old

By Patrick Herron

Published January 2, 2023 at 11:35PM

Matveeva is approximately 5-feet, 11-inches tall and weighs 120 pounds. He has brown hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing black cargo pants and a grey or green jacket. Police and family are concerned for his welfare.

Water Main Break/Sink Hole in Rockville; Repairs Ongoing

By MCS Staff

Published December 30, 2022 at 7:13PM

As of 6pm on Friday evening, crews continue to repair a water main break (video below) at MD-28 and Maryland Ave. Traffic is closed on Maryland Ave. between Fleet St. and E. Montgomery Ave. and on MD-28 from N. Washington St. to Monroe St. No businesses or residences are without water at this time.

Per Rockville Police earlier today: Water main break/sinkhole in area of E. Jefferson St and Maryland Ave near District Courthouse. Road shut down, City Public Works en route. Please avoid the area and seek alternate route. Video below by David Hsu, @Tawei25 on Instagram

Police Investigating Two Commercial Burglaries in Rockville; Surveillance Video of Suspect Released

By Patrick Herron

Published December 30, 2022 at 2:38PM

On Wednesday, November 16, at approximately 12:15 a.m., 4th District officers responded to the Exon gas station for the report of a commercial burglary that just occurred. On Tuesday, November 29, at approximately 6 a.m., 4th District officers responded to the Village Beer and Wine store for the report of a commercial burglary. The investigation by detectives has determined that the same suspect forcibly entered the businesses, allegedly stole an undisclosed amount of money and merchandise and left the store.

2022’s Top Stories: Rockville Town Square Sold for $33 Million

By MCS Staff

Published December 30, 2022 at 12:58PM | Updated December 30, 2022 at 2:15PM

As 2022 ends, we’re sharing a few of our most-read stories of the year, from September 2022: Morguard North American Residential REIT announced earlier this week that it has acquired the retail portion of Rockville Town Square. Having purchased Fenestra Apartments in 2017, this acquisition of the remaining retail in this mixed-use asset expands Morguard’s investment in the City of Rockville. The transaction closed at a purchase price of US$33.0 million, excluding closing costs. The news was brought to our attention by The MoCo Source earlier this month.

Per the press release: “Morguard is pleased to expand our investment in Rockville, Maryland by acquiring the retail space,” said K. Rai Sahi, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Morguard North American Residential REIT. “This acquisition along with our ownership and management of Fenestra Apartments gives Morguard the opportunity to better execute on our long-term vision.” Connected to Morguard’s Fenestra apartments, Rockville Town Square at 30 Maryland Avenue encompasses 183,000 square feet of retail, dining, and municipal and financial services. The mixed-use pedestrian-friendly location offers public gathering areas, entertainment events, and serves as a neighbourhood hub in the affluent Montgomery County. A short drive from Washington D.C., Rockville Town Squarefeatures spaces to live, work and shop including:

Petition In Support of New Bike Lanes on Old Georgetown Road Has Been Started

By MCS Staff

Published December 30, 2022 at 12:27PM

A few days back, a change.org petition was started to remove the bike lanes that were recently added to Old Georgetown Road (MD187) in North Bethesda. Now a counter-petition that shows support for the bike lanes has been started. MDOT converted one travel lane in each direction of the road, between south of I-495 and north of Nicholson Lane, to a buffered bicycle lane that include flex posts and green pavement. The remaining 11-foot travel lanes were also narrowed to 10.5 and 10 feet.

Per the petition, “Show support to the State Highway Administration’s decision to enact a road diet when replacing a portion of Old Georgetown Road. Any action that reduces vehicle miles traveled is a net good for our county and the DMV. This change make being a pedestrian safer, makes being a bicyclist safer, and reduces car speeds and therefore makes being a motorist safer. We should applaud the action and support further action in more state highways in Maryland. The opposition wants these safety measures removed. They want to be able to drive faster and more recklessly down this road. Do your part and support the new bike lanes and encourage the SHA to continue to make changes to make our county and state a safe place to get around with or without a car.”

Rockville Police Seeks Public’s Help to Find Man Missing Since October

By MCS Staff

Published December 29, 2022 at 8:21PM

Yerayel Ben Yehuda, 27, of Piccard Drive, was last seen leaving his home on October 23, 2022 and is still missing, he has not been seen or heard from since that time. Police and family continue to be concerned for his welfare.

Yehuda is 5’8, 160lbs, light/med complexion, brown eyes/black hair. He suffers from a mental condition which may impact his ability to communicate in a responsible manner if approached. Yehuda is also known to frequent the Washington D.C./Northwest area and may possibly be in Virginia.

Envision Now Signs Lease to Elevate Rockville Office Building to 100% Occupancy

By MCS Staff

Published December 29, 2022 at 7:01PM | Updated December 29, 2022 at 7:25PM

Edge has elevated 12712 Rock Creek Mill Road to 100% occupancy with the recent leasing of 3600 square of space to Envision Now, LLC. The 59,800-square-foot flex/office building is situated in the North Bethesda submarket of Montgomery County and owned by Crystal Development RCM LLC. Envision Now offers move & relocation services and building repairs and maintenance services. Envision Now was founded in 2015 by Katherine Rooker. Ms. Rooker has 20 years of construction and government experience and supported Federal contracts ranging from $10,000 to $70 million dollars. Kenneth Fellows and Robert Pugh, both Partners, Advisory Services for Edge, oversaw the leasing strategy and program on behalf of the landlord. Marek Rich and Nick Pugh of Scheer Partners represented the tenant in this leasing transaction.

The two-story building was delivered in 1984 and is located within close proximity to MD Route 586 (Veirs Mill Road) and MD Route 355 (Rockville Pike). More than 160.000 people reside within a three-mile radius of the asset with an average household income exceeding $94,000. A free surface parking lot, loading docks, and drive-ins service the building. “12712 Rock Creek Mill Road features a highly-flexible interior layout that makes it suitable for a diverse range of businesses, ranging from professional services to light manufacturing and logistics,” stated Kenneth Fellows of Edge. “Its strategic location close to Interstate 270 and two Metro Station stops, and nearby amenities were all significant factors that contributed to this leasing success.”

Intersection of Old Georgetown Road, Towne Rd, and Executive Blvd is Now Open

By MCS Staff

Published December 29, 2022 at 11:49AM

The new intersection of Old Georgetown Road, Towne Road and Executive Blvd. in North Bethesda, near Pike & Rose, opened to traffic earlier this week.

The Towne Rd extension provides a new connection (parallel to MD-355 Rockville Pike) between Executive Blvd/Josiah Henson Parkway/Montrose Rd. The project also constructed a new cycle track and shared use path (asphalt trail) along the Western edge of Pike & Rose. Tragically, in 2020, 61-year-old James O’Connor was struck and killed by an errant driver while working on utility improvements associated with the project.