In her shop, you can find over a dozen local artisans’ work, making her support for local artists in Montgomery County unmatched.  Linda brings joy to her studio and her passion for creativity has inspired so many.  Something Earthy Pottery has become a haven to hundreds of potters in the last 20 years and they are excited to celebrate Linda’s anniversary on Saturday at 24410 Hipsley Mill Road, Laytonsville from 12-7. Stop by to enjoy holiday gifts from over 40 vendors plus food and drinks from a variety of vendors.


Janss is approximately 6-feet, 3-inches tall and weighs 230 pounds. He has grey hair and brown eyes and was last seen wearing a red sweatshirt, with the words “Butler’s Orchard” written on the front and blue jeans.

Janss may be traveling in a 2014 dark blue Ram truck with Maryland license plate 1BN7057. He may be in the Morgantown, WV area. Police and family are concerned for his welfare.


Planet Fitness at 13031 Wisteria Dr in the Germantown Plaza shopping center has temporarily closed as renovations are currently being made to the location. Signage on the door reads: “We are working on an upgraded and expanded club! We temporarily close on 10/30 at 9pm and plan to re-open the gym floor tentatively on 11/12. Further communication will be sent out! -Planet Fitness Management

Part of the renovations include expanding next door into the former site of Eye to Eye, which relocated to 19520 Waters Rd in Germantown over a year ago.  The nearby Gaithersburg Planet Fitness, which is also currently undergoing renovations, is open for business. The company will also be opening a new location at 5520 Randolph Rd in Rockville (Montrose Shopping Center) in the space that was formerly occupied by Gold’s Gym.


On February 10, 2022, 5th District officers responded to the location of Cinnamon Drive and Mustard Seed Court for the report of a shooting that just occurred. Officers arrived at the scene and located an adult male suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. Officers provided life saving measures until fire rescue arrived and transported Jones to a nearby hospital in critical condition. Jones, of Germantown, subsequently succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at the hospital on February 11, 2022.

Through the course of the investigation, detectives were able to identify Mcroy as a suspect. On October 27, 2022, Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office indicted Mcroy with first-degree murder in reference to the homicide of Keon Jones. This is an active and ongoing investigation. Detectives from the Major Crimes Division are asking anyone who has information about this homicide to call the Major Crimes Division at 240-773-5070 or contact Crime Solvers of Montgomery County toll-free at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477). Callers can remain anonymous.


At approximately 3pm on Tuesday afternoon, Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) responded to a call for a vehicle fire on the 5000 block of Damascus Road, near Griffith Road, in Damascus.

According to MCFRS Public Information Officer Pete Piringer,  crews arrived on the scene to a fire coming from two vehicles and were able to extinguish the fire. There were no injuries reported and no word on what caused the fire at the moment.


The preliminary investigation has determined that a male victim was grazed on the leg by a projectile from a pellet gun. The victim was transported to an area hospital with minor injuries. The suspect(s) have not been apprehended.”


Permanent signage is up for Cava Digital Kitchen at 19865 Century Blvd in Germantown, which is replacing Zoe’s Kitchen. We’re told the restaurant is hoping to open in November, but no date has been announced. CAVA opened their first Digital Kitchen in Sandy Spring, GA back in March. According to a social media posts by CAVA,  “CAVA Digital Kitchen has arrived… Just order ahead on our app or our site for easy pickup or delivery! Convenient *and* delicious. Build your bowl: order.cava.com”

CAVA, the fast-casual restaurant that started in MoCo, acquired Zoe’s and its 200+ restaurants in 2018 for approximately $300 million


At about 3:45 p.m. on Wednesday, troopers from the Rockville Barrack conducted a traffic stop on Piney Branch Road south of Ray Drive in Silver Spring, Maryland for a vehicle with suspected illegally tinted windows. Troopers observed suspected illegal drugs in the vehicle. This led to a probable cause search, which yielded a handgun that had been reported stolen in South Carolina.The driver of the vehicle, Robel Habtu, 20, of Silver Spring, Maryland was arrested at the scene. He is charged with possession of a stolen firearm, illegal possession of a loaded firearm in a vehicle, illegal possession of a firearm, illegal possession of ammunition and possession of a firearm while underage. Habtu was transported to the Montgomery County Detention Center. He was released after posting $7,500 bond. The cases remain under investigation.


Back in April we let you know of the impending arrival of Laperaux, the Journeymanchef’s Bistro,  the new restaurant coming to 18056 Mateny Rd in Germantown, the former home of Gumbo Ya Ya, Dickie’s BBQ Pit, and Cafe Mileto (located in the same strip as Shoppers). The French bistro is making progress and currently hopes to open in December. We’ll be able to provide you with a sneak peak and additional information in about a month or so. Chef and owner Gregory Webb, who has earned such accolades and awards as “Chef of the Year 1998” in Houston, Texas, “Winner all Categories” at the Texas Open Wild Game Cookoff, “Top Chefs of Mexico City” and many others, will be bringing a French bistro to the location, which hopes to open by the end of the year.

The restaurant will offer high casual cuisine created by Webb, who has competed against Bobby Flay on The Food Network, and won numerous ‘chopped style’ competitions put on for various local charity and fund raising events, including DC Central Kitchen’s Chefs Cook Off. Webb decided on the location because it’s close to his Gaithersburg home. Previously, he spent 7 years as the executive chef at Downtown Crown’s Paladar.


A major capital project was approved to address various building systems and programmatic needs for Damascus High School, located at 25921 Ridge Road. The Board of Education, in the requested FY 2021–2026 CIP, included expenditures in FY 2022 to continue the planning and design of this major capital project with a completion date of August 2025, but the County Council delayed the expenditures by one year. An FY 2023 appropriation was approved to begin the design of this Major Capital project. An FY 2024 appropriation is recommended for construction funds. This project is scheduled to be completed August 2026. Once completed in 2026, school capacity is expected to increase from 1,543 (where it’s at currently) to 2,250. Community meetings are expected to take place in 2023 regarding future plans for the project.

Damascus Elementary School, located in the Damascus HS cluster at 10201 Bethesda Church Rd, has been approved for a feasibility study for a major capital project. The Key Facilities Indicators (KFI) is utilized to identify schools for possible major capital projects. The scope for the project will be identified based on the individual building system and programmatic and capacity needs for each school. Once the feasibility study is complete, a recommendation regarding scope, timeline and funding will be considered in a future CIP.


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