Takoma Park has moved closer to the Caribbean with a new coral reef, which has grown inside a bus shelter at the intersection of Maple Avenue and Hilltop Road. The City of Takoma Park’s Arts and Humanities Division organized the project to share public art in unusual locations and encourage public transportation. “We wanted to create a fun design that would brighten people’s day while they’re walking by or waiting for the bus,” Arts and Humanities Coordinator Brendan Smith said. “Art should be shared with people where they live and not be be confined to art museums or galleries.”

Arts and Humanities Intern Paula Barrios designed the wrap which is a permanent installation. A second coral reef wrap will be installed at a later date on a bus shelter outside the ALDI shopping center on New Hampshire Avenue. Grab a face mask and snorkel and check it out! Take some photos at the shelter and share them on the City of Takoma Park’s Twitter and Instagram pages. Vinyl wraps promoting the Takoma Park Arts performance series also have been installed on three new bus shelters. Courtesy of the Takoma Park e-newsletter, available for sign-up here: takomaparkmd.gov/arts


The Takoma Park Police Criminal Investigations Division is actively investigating a fatal shooting that occurred on Saturday, July 16, 2022, at about 11:05 am. The victim Nurhusen Hamid was working as a mobile mechanic on the Advanced Auto Store parking lot located at 6300 New Hampshire Avenue, Takoma Park, Montgomery County, Maryland.

At that time, an unknown suspect approached the victim and shot at him several times striking him. The victim was transported to an area hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. If you live on or are a business owner on Eastern Avenue or New Hampshire Avenue and have security cameras outside your home or business, please contact Detective Earle of the Takoma Park Police Department.


On Tuesday, January 18, 2022, Montgomery County Police 3rd District officers responded to the Sandy Spring Bank, located on the 3500 block of Spencerville Rd. in Burtonsville, for a bank robbery that just occurred. The preliminary investigation revealed that at approximately 3:10 p.m., the male suspect entered the bank and approached a teller window. Once at the window, the suspect slid a note to the teller, announcing the robbery and demanding money. The teller complied and gave the suspect an undisclosed amount of money.

The suspect left the bank in an unknown direction.


The City of Takoma Park will be participating in National Night Out, an annual event hosted by the police department to bring the community together as a whole to increase awareness of safety and crime prevention; to support locally-based businesses, groups and organizations; and to strengthen relationships among the community members and between the community and location police department. The City’s National Night Out Against Crime observance takes place every year the first Tuesday in August.  National Night Out is held by individual communities to demonstrate their commitment to being partners in the fight against crime.  National Night Out Against Crime is designed to heighten awareness, strengthen neighborhood spirit and enhance police-community relations.

The following roads will be closed, and/, or there will be no parking on August 2, 2022, from 3:00 pm to 10:00  pm:


Metro Transit Police today announced the arrest of 38-year-old Tiwan D. Sweet of Washington, DC in connection with an overnight assault at the Paul S. Sarbanes Transit Center in Silver Spring. Sweet is charged with Attempted First Degree Rape.

Per the press release, the attack occurred shortly after 3 a.m. as the female victim waited at the transit center. Based upon evidence obtained by MTPD, Sweet, who is unknown to the victim, is accused of trying to force himself on the victim and physically assaulting her. The victim yelled for help and shortly after Montgomery County Police responded and intervened in the attack. The suspect was detained and arrested upon arrival of MTPD. “This is a heinous crime against an innocent victim and the community is now safer with this arrest,” said MTPD Chief Michael Anzallo. “We appreciate the assistance of Montgomery County Police who arrived quickly on scene and stopped the suspect.”


Several adults were transported to the hospital on Wednesday afternoon after being attacked and bitten by a dog on Bailey’s Ct (off Norbeck Rd) in the Aspen Hill area.  An older adult male was transported with Priority 1 trauma. Witnesses told ABC7 that “the dog kept biting the man’s legs and forearms and would not stop.” According to Chief Spokesperson for Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Pete Piringer, one person was also transported with Priority 2 injuries and two people were transported with Priority 3 injuries, all non life threatening.

According to ABC7, the dog has been signed over to Montgomery County Animal Services by its owners and will be euthanized. It is unclear if the dog was on a leash at the time of the attack.


In one of the most interesting stories of the week, Montgomery County Park Police asked a man to leave before the man could play music through his very impressive sound system at Sligo-Dennis Local Park in Silver Spring on Tuesday evening. According to Park Rules & Regulations, Chapter IV: Prohibited Activities and Conduct; Section 12: Amplified Sound and Noise: “No person shall operate any device to amplify sound or otherwise create excessive noise so as to disturb the peace and public enjoyment…”, but a lot of people were still left wondering what it could have sounded like.


Billboard congratulated Montgomery County native ‘Joony’ via social media for the rapper’s first appearance on the Hot 100 this week. Joony, who is from Silver Spring and attended Springbrook High School, entered the list after being featured on Brent Faiyaz’s “FYTB.” The Billboard Hot 100 features the week’s most popular artists across all genres.

Faiyaz is from Columbia in neighboring Howard County, and rose to prominence after he was featured on the GoldLink single “Crew” alongside another local rapper, Shy Glizzy, in 2016. The song was certified 5× Platinum by the RIAA, and earned him a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration.


The Library, Computer Center, and Community Center will undergo a major remodel and expansion project in Fall 2022 (video rendering available below). In preparation for the project, staff housed in the Library and Computer Center must be removed from the building no later than August 31,2022. Staff in the Recreation Department offices and game room must be removed from the building by approximately January or February of 2023. A definitive date will be provided no later than 1 month prior to the actual move date. Staff and building contents from the Library and Recreation Department will be moving to a space at 7505 New Hampshire Avenue, Takoma Park, MD 20912.

The Takoma Park Maryland Library (Library) and Computer Center are housed in the Takoma Park Community Center building. The campus address is 101 Philadelphia Avenue Takoma Park, MD 20912. The Library is connected to the Community Center building by an indoor walkway. The Library and Computer Center occupy a single story and approximately 12,000 square feet. The Recreation Department is adjacent to the Computer Center at 7500 Maple Avenue, Takoma Park, MD 20912 and is approximately 2200 square feet.


Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) responded to a call near the waterfall on the Northwest Branch Stream Trail in the Burnt Mills area of Silver Spring at a little before noon on Tuesday.

According to MCFRS Chief Spokesperson Pete Piringer, a child slipped into the water while he was with a group of campers/hikers on the trail. An adult counselor jumped in to save the child, but also became trapped in the swift moving water that contained underwater rocks and logs. According to Piringer, “another child washed downstream and self-rescued.”


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