Grillmarx in Clarksburg, located at 12011 Snowden Farm Pkwy, has closed permanently. We spoke with owner Alec Aronow, who confirmed the news and let us know that he wants to thank the community for their support the last decade. GrillMarx Clarksburg, which hasn’t been affiliated with the other GrillMarx locations in Olney and Columbia for about a year, originally leased the space about a decade ago in 2013.

The restaurant previously planned to undergo a rebrand after a split with the other GrillMarx locations located in Olney and Columbia, but ultimately wasn’t able to make it happen. “I am devastated that we have to close. I gave it everything I had,” Aronow told us, “and unfortunately due to circumstances beyond our control, we had to make the decision to close.” Aronow wanted to stress how important the Clarksburg community has been to him throughout the years, “I wish it would have worked, I gave it a million percent…I just want to say thank you to everyone.”


Per MCPD: A 57-year-old Germantown man was shot and killed on the evening of Friday, June 9, 2023. Montgomery County Department of Police, 5th District officers were dispatched to the Middlebrook Commons apartments in the 19500 block of Gunners Branch Road at approximately 8:03 p.m., for multiple calls of shots fired.

Upon arrival, officers located several shell casings in the parking lot of the apartment complex. The victim, Errick Roy Dixon was found in a grassy area behind an apartment building with an apparent gunshot wound.


Montgomery County Police responded to a fatal shooting that took place in the 19500 block of Gunners Branch Road around 8pm on Friday night.  According to MCPD, “when 5th District officers arrived, they found several shell casings in the parking lot of the apartment complex and located an adult male suffering from apparent gunshot wounds behind one of the apartment buildings.

Officers provided aide until Montgomery County Fire Rescue responded. The 57-year-old male was pronounced dead on scene.  Witnesses stated that they saw several people drive away from the location and there are no suspects in custody at this time. It is too early in the investigation to provide suspect or vehicle descriptions.”


Update 6/10: Montgomery County Police responded to a fatal shooting that took place in the 19500 block of Gunners Branch Road around 8pm on Friday night.  According to MCPD, “when 5th District officers arrived, they found several shell casings in the parking lot of the apartment complex and located an adult male suffering from apparent gunshot wounds behind one of the apartment buildings.

Officers provided aide until Montgomery County Fire Rescue responded. The 57-year-old male was pronounced dead on scene.  Witnesses stated that they saw several people drive away from the location and there are no suspects in custody at this time. It is too early in the investigation to provide suspect or vehicle descriptions.”


According to the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office, “Today in the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, MD, before the Honorable John Maloney, a jury convicted defendant, Kyle Noble, 30, of unknown address, on charges of second-degree murder and armed robbery for the death and robbery of 31-year-old Efrain Arias. Noble faces up to 60 years in prison and a 25-year mandatory minimum as this is his third conviction for a crime of violence in the state of Maryland. Noble committed this murder while on probation for a stabbing in Frederick County in April of 2017. He also pleaded guilty to robbery in Montgomery County in March of 2014. He is scheduled for a sentencing hearing on July 17th 2023.

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.


New Grand Mart, a Korean grocery chain with locations across Maryland and Virginia, is now open at 13069 Wisteria Drive in the Germantown Plaza shopping center. It is located in the space previously occupied by Lotte Plaza, which closed in November. According to its website, “New Grand Mart carries a variety of fresh produce, fish, meats, and ethnic specialty items that is hard for other markets to match.”

In addition to the grocery store, New Grand Mart will also feature a food court. Vendors announced include Gogi Friends (Korean BBQ), Noodles & Friends (Korean-Chinese fusion), Tous les Jours (bakery), Sushi Friends, and Fortune Cha (bubble tea and dessert.) According to a representative at Grand Mart, the food court is scheduled to open in next month.


Three staff members have been honored with 2022–2023 Counselor of the Year awards. The trio—one each at the elementary, middle and high school levels—were recognized at the June 6 Board of Education business meeting.

The three have one thing in common—they don’t work alone. They all say their success would not have been possible without the support of their colleagues. As one said simply, “When we work as a team, everyone thrives.” The 2022–2023 Counselors of the Year are:


The investigation by detectives has revealed that on Saturday, July 23, 2022, the suspect entered the store, pointed a handgun at the employees and demanded money. The suspect removed an undisclosed amount of money from the registers and left the scene.


The summer concert series is set to begin on Saturday, June 3rd (6pm-9pm) at the Clarksburg Amphitheater off of Clarksburg Square Rd. “We are excited to ANNOUNCE, Summer Concert Series Season is among us! 
We have top-notch performers COMING YOUR WAY!
 As well as some of our favorite food trucks returning!
 Join the fun every other week and join us at the amphitheater.” The schedule can be seen below:

• Hunter Rich will be performing on Saturday, June 3rd.


Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) responded to a house fire in the 11500 blk of Brundidge Terrace, near Brandermill Drive in Germantown on Thursday, June 1 around 6pm. According to Chief Spokesperson for MCFRS Pete Piringer, the fire originated along the base of a fence and was likely caused by improperly discarded smoking materials. Damage is estimated to be ~$50K and there were no injuries reported. Piringer reminds residents, “Tossing your butt off the deck may seem like the easiest way to get rid of a ‘lit’ cigarette, but it can also be the easiest way to start a fire. Don’t be a flicker.”


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