Last month we let you know that CVS at 18080 Mateny Rd in the Cloppers Mill shopping center in Germantown confirmed that the store will be closing. Signage is now up at the store announcing that the store will be closing on Thursday, August 24th and directing customers to a nearby Germantown location at 1285 Wisteria Drive and the new Kentlands lcoation at 311 Kentlands Blvd in Gaithersburg (photo below).

CVS also recently closed its locations at 9140 Rothbury Drive in the Goshen Crossing shopping center in Gaithersburg/Montgomery Village and at 10113 New Hampshire Ave in the Hillandale Shopping Center. In 2021, CVS announced that it would be closing approximately 900 stores “over the next 3 years due to changes in population, consumer buying patterns, and future health needs.” CVS locations at Rockville Town Square (360 Hungerford Drive) and Twinbrook Center (2210 Veirs Mill Rd) both closed last year as well.


Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police – 5th District Investigative Section are asking for the public’s assistance in locating Tina Louise Martinez, a missing 50-year-old. Martinez was last seen on Sunday, June 18, 2023, in the 19900 block of Sweetgum Circle in Germantown. She is 5’5″, 210 Ibs., with blonde hair and green eyes and was last seen wearing a tan shirt. Police and family are concerned for her welfare.

Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Tina Louise Martinez is asked to call Montgomery County Police Non-Emergency (301) 279-8000 (24-hour line).


La Casita at 18058 Mateny Rd in Germantown has announced it will be closing on July 31. The restaurant tells us the decision was made “due to lease negotiations and our decision to open Laurel, we decided not to move forward.”

La Casita was founded in Montgomery County when the Silver Spring location opened in 2002 and currently has locations in Gaithersburg, Nationals Park & Union Market District. Last week, La Casita announced plans to open a new location in Laurel, MD. Per La Casita on social media, “We have a very special announcement to make (and please pardon our dust 👷🏽‍♂️)…a brand new La Casita Pupuseria is coming to Laurel, MD! Yes, we are super excited to finally be able to reveal after a long project that hopefully by Fall 2023 we will be able to serve the greater Laurel area right on Baltimore Ave.”


According to the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office, “Today in the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, MD, the Honorable John Maloney sentenced defendant, Kyle Noble, to 60 years in prison suspend all but 50 years to serve and five years of supervised probation upon release.” Noble was convicted last month on charges of second-degree murder and armed robbery for the death and robbery of 31-year-old Efrain Arias.

This stems from an incident on September 15th 2019, when the defendant, Noble, confronted Efrain Arias as Arias exited a vehicle in the parking lot of the Extended Stay America hotel on Milestone Center Drive in Germantown. Noble chased the victim down a hill into a field near the parking lot, fatally stabbed him, then came back and robbed the dying victim of personal property. As stated by the prosecutors in court, the attack was fueled by drug-seeking behavior and a jealous rage, as the victim was a friend of the defendant’s ex-girlfriend.


Per MCPD: A juvenile male has been arrested and charged for a burglary that he committed on Monday, July 17, 2023.  At approximately 12:10 p.m., 5th District officers responded to the area of Pickering Ct., in Germantown, for the report of domestic violence in progress. The preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect, who was armed with a knife and handgun, had attempted to force entry into the home of an acquaintance and left the scene. When officers located the suspect, he ran away toward Pickering Dr., and a perimeter was established.

The suspect was later located and taken into custody in the 13000 block of Waters Landing Dr. A backpack containing a knife and an air pistol were also recovered. The suspect was transported to the 5th District station, where he has been charged with first-degree burglary and related charges.   Feature photo courtesy of Google Maps.


Four individual PICK 5 tickets each worth $25,000 ($100,000 total) were sold recently at the Shell Station/Dunkin at 700 Gaither Road in the King Farm neighborhood of Rockville. This same retailer also sold a $10,000 winning PICK 5  ticket on July 10. Additional big winners in Montgomery County last week included a $50,000 ticket sold July 16 at Williams Beer & Wine (15440 Old Columbia Pike) in Burtonsville and a $10,000 winning scratch off sold at Kingsview Beer and Wine (13406 Kingsview Village Avenue) in Germantown. Full list of winners across the state of Maryland below courtesy of MD Lottery:

The Powerball and Mega Millions jackpots continue to climb. Since there were no jackpot winners, the Powerball jackpot grew over the weekend to $900 million and Mega Millions has reached $640 million. The combined total is more than $1.5 billion. Meanwhile, six players in Maryland hit third-tier, five-digit prizes on the two multi-state jackpot games in the past week in Baltimore, Bowie, Columbia, Jessup, Rockville and Waldorf.


La Casita, founded in Montgomery County when the Silver Spring location opened in 2002, has announced an upcoming location in nearby Laurel. La Casita Pupuseria currently has locations serving Germantown, Gaithersburg, Nationals Park & Union Market District.

Per La Casita on social media, “We have a very special announcement to make (and please pardon our dust 👷🏽‍♂️)…a brand new La Casita Pupuseria is coming to Laurel, MD! Yes, we are super excited to finally be able to reveal after a long project that hopefully by Fall 2023 we will be able to serve the greater Laurel area right on Baltimore Ave.”


Target is kicking off its back-to-school and back-to-college season, announcing deep savings events and season-long deals to make back-to-school shopping easy and affordable for its guests. New this year, Target is also expanding its popular Teacher Appreciation Event to give teachers a one-time 20% discount on an entire shopping trip and bringing back a one-time 20% discount on an entire shopping trip for verified college students through Target Circle, the retailer’s free-to-join loyalty program. With deals starting at under $1 and most under $15, Target is offering even more ways to save as students and teachers prepare to return to school.

“Our back-to-school and back-to-college assortment features a broad range of essentials that are priced right for all families. From on-trend Cat & Jack outfits and fun and functional Room Essentials dorm décor, to supplies of all kinds from Mondo Llama and top national brands, Target has everything to help students from pre-K to college start the school year in affordable style,” said Jill Sando, executive vice president and chief merchandising officer, Target. “We’re also pleased to expand our 20% teacher discount across the entire store and on Target.com, to provide teachers with even greater value on the items they need for their classrooms. Both teachers and students can count on Target for all their school-year gear at great prices.”


A “Stop the Violence!!” community town hall will be held in Germantown on Wednesday, July 12th from 6:30pm until 8pm at the Germantown Library (19840 Century Blvd, Germantown, MD 20874).

Montgomery County Councilmember Will Jawando tweeted, “We must come together to keep our community safe. Please join us for a community town hall meeting on July 12th from 6:30 – 8:00 pm at the Germantown library. All are welcome, especially parents and teens in the Germantown area.” The full flyer can be seen below. Featured photo courtesy of Google Maps.


Margarita Bar & Grill at 19201 Frederick Rd in Germantown has its beer, wine, and liquor license hearing with the Montgomery County ABS scheduled for August 3. The restaurant is taking over the space that was previously occupied by the Fraternal Order of Eagle #3509 and Captain Mori’s Seafood House. Seafood in the Buff, a mobile steamed crab business, operates out of the parking lot of this location in the summer months.  Signage for Margarita Bar & Grill went up back in March. No additional information is known about the new restaurant at this time.

There are two Margaritas Bar & Grill locations in Georgia that use the same logo but it is unclear if the restaurants are related. Margaritas will join Mi Rancho (19725 Germantown Rd), Señor Tequila’s (20021 Century Blvd), La Gula (21030 Frederick Rd), Abi Azteca (11514 Middlebrook Rd), La Mexicana (13016 Middlebrook Rd), and Rio Grande (13541 Clopper Rd) as places to grab a margarita in Germantown.


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