Per MCPD: Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police – Major Crimes Division are investigating a residential burglary that occurred on Wednesday, March 22, 2023, in the 14000 block of Castle Blvd. in Silver Spring. Detectives have released surveillance video of the male suspect and are asking for the public’s assistance in identifying him.

At approximately 5:44 p.m., 3rd District officers responded to the location for the report of a burglary that just occurred. The investigation has revealed that the suspect forced entry into the front door of the apartment building with a large rock. The suspect then entered an apartment through its front door that had been left open, stole property and left the scene.  Detectives reviewed the surveillance cameras of the apartment building and obtained a description of the suspect. The suspect is described as a Black male with black hair, in his 20s or 30s, wearing a red hat, black glasses, a black/white/red jacket, black jeans, and black shoes.


City Award $60,000 to Study Laurel Avenue Streetery Traffic Impacts: Since early in the COVID-19 pandemic, the Laurel Avenue Streetery has offered a popular, public gathering space in the heart of Old Takoma, where previously there was none. The temporary closure was so popular that in 2022, the City Council voted to extend its existence indefinitely.

On Thursday, April 20, the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) awarded the City of Takoma Park a $60,000 Transportation-Land Use Connection program technical assistance grant to conduct a traffic study on the streets surrounding Laurel Avenue. The study will look at traffic impact scenarios for a full, permanent, or semi-permanent closure of both sides of Laurel Avenue. It will look at the potential impacts on vehicle traffic flow, emergency vehicle access, cut-through traffic, and any roadway or signal redesigns that would be necessary to accommodate the reconfiguration. The idea to close both sides of Laurel Avenue to create a large, dedicated pedestrian plaza builds on conceptual design work being conducted by the Old Takoma Business Association (OTBA).


Earlier this month, MCPS announced that vape detectors were in the process of being installed in the bathrooms of a “limited number of high schools.” Student journalists Hannah Lee, Claire Yu, and Avery Wang, of Richard Montgomery’s RM Tide newspaper, have reported that installations begin this week at six MCPS High Schools: John F. Kennedy, Northwood , Paint Branch, Quince Orchard, Richard Montgomery, and Walt Whitman. The detectors will remain until at least the end of the school year.

Per MCPS: “Vape detectors are in the process of being installed in the bathrooms of a limited number of high school schools. These detectors will help to identify any instances of vaping or smoking in the bathrooms, allowing us to take appropriate action to prevent harm to our students’ health and safety.”


The Prince George’s County Police Department’s Homicide Unit identified and charged a man in connection with a fatal shooting in February. The suspect is 25-year-old Luis Marquez of Silver Spring. He’s charged with murdering 38-year-old Maurice Chase Jr. of Takoma Park.

Per PGCPD: On February 20, 2023, at approximately 12:40 am, officers responded to the 6700 block of New Hampshire Avenue for a shooting in the unincorporated section of Takoma Park. Officers located the victim inside of an apartment building suffering from gunshot wounds. He was taken to the hospital where he died several hours later. The preliminary investigation revealed the suspect shot the victim during an altercation. Marquez is charged with first and second degree murder and additional charges. He is in custody of the Department of Corrections. Anyone with information relevant to this investigation is asked to call the Homicide Unit at 301-516-2512.


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Kusshi Sushi is offering 40% at all of its restaurants until Thursday, May 4th for teacher appreciation. Just show your teacher ID or email as proof to server or host. This applies for carry-out and dine-in. Kusshi has locations in:


To coincide with the release of the upcoming live-action Little Mermaid movie, Westfield Wheaton will be hosting a “Make a Splash with Real Mermaids” event on May 27th from 12-4pm in the mall’s lower level Macy’s Court. The event will feature “live” mermaids, a full custom designed mermaid cove, and live DJ.

Per Westfield Wheaton: “Everyone’s favorite little mermaid makes her return to the big screen at AMC theaters, but you’ll only find REAL LIVE MERMAIDS at Westfield Wheaton center! Come see the highly anticipated film at AMC and swim over to Macys lower court to meet real mermaids! Enjoy 3 live mermaids, with live music, get a little mer-makeover with face painters, and take home a keepsake photo from a professional photographer. Find out what’s in a mermaid’s purse by diving into deals in our many retailers surrounding the mermaid’s cove. Make sure to buy your cinema tickets HERE before they sell out.”


BIBIBOP Asian Grill, which has locations in Downtown Silver Spring (935 Ellsworth Drive) and Pike & Rose (11584 Old Georgetown Rd. Unit 1126), is offering free bowls for all teachers on Tuesday, May 2. BIBIBOP offers fully customizable bowls with your choice of proteins, bases, toppings, and sauces. Options include Korean BBQ, steak, spicy chicken, and tofu.


Last Wednesday, Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) responded to a fire at the Wheaton Body Shop that caused approximately $1 million in damage. Thankfully, no injuries were reported, but the family who owns the body shop has to rebuild the business from the ground up. A GoFundMe started late last week has already raised over $35,000. More information from the fundraiser can be seen below:

“We are reaching out to you today on behalf of Petr and Zuzana Kelyman, owners of the Wheaton Body Shop. Sadly, their business was completely destroyed in a devastating fire that occurred on Wednesday evening, April 26th, leaving them with nothing but ashes. As immigrants from the Czech and Slovak Republics, Petr and Zuzana came to this country with the hopes of living the American dream. With hard work and dedication, they built up their business, providing honest and reliable service to their customers.


Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRA) responded to a collision that ended with a vehicle on its side in the woods on Park Vista Drive off of Layhill Road at approximately 10:15pm on Monday night. According to MCFRS Chief Spokesperson Pete Piringer, one adult was trapped inside the vehicle and was extricated by crews on the scene. The adult was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

ICYMI (5/1 ~1015p) Park Vista Dr, off Layhill Rd, collision w/ entrapment, Car on its side in the woods. 1 patient extricated, @MCFRS_EMIHS transported 1 adult NLT pic.twitter.com/vMwoOfyzuG


ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot developed by OpenAI and released in November 2022. We asked it to tell us the “10 best restaurants in Montgomery County, MD.” Three of the restaurants on ChatGPT’s list are no longer open, but the AI chatbot did provide a disclaimer that it doesn’t have access to the most current data. Here’s the response we received:

“As an AI language model, I don’t have access to the most current data or information about restaurants in Montgomery County, MD. However, here are ten restaurants that have received high ratings from various sources:


Per MCPD: Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police – Special Victims Investigations Division (SVID) are asking for the public’s assistance in locating Elias Montiel-Ulloa, a missing 15-year-old from Aspen Hill.  Elias was last seen on Wednesday, April 26, 2023, at approximately 10:30 p.m., in the 3000 block of Hewitt Avenue. Elias is approximately 6-feet tall and weighs 150 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a gray sweatshirt, blue pants, and green and white sneakers. He has his right ear pierced.  Police and family are concerned for his welfare.

Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Elias Montiel-Ulloa is asked to call the police non-emergency number at (301) 279-8000 (24-hour line) or the Special Victims Investigations Division at (240) 773-5400. Callers may remain anonymous.


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