Montgomery Village

Permanent signage has been installed at Hangry Joe’s in the Montgomery Village Shopping Center.  The Nashville-style hot chicken restaurant will be located adjacent to the Starbuck’s at 19290 Montgomery Village Ave.  Hangry Joe’s in know for its hot chicken sandwiches, known as the “Chicken Sando”, and allows guests to choose the spice level of the fried chicken (Plain<Mild<Medium<Hot<Angry Hot). The menu also consists of chicken fingers, chicken & waffles, wraps, nuggets, loaded fries, and salads. Sides include cider slaw, waffle fries, and fried okra.

Hangry Joe’s has additional Montgomery County locations in Wheaton (2533 Ennals Ave) and Rockville (718-B Rockville Pike and 10050 Darnestown Rd.)


Bethesda

Sarah’s Handmade Ice Cream will open its third Montgomery County location in Rockville’s Fallsgrove Village Center. The ice cream shop, which was recently ranked #1 in “Mr. MoCo’s 15 Favorite Ice Cream Spots in MoCo” list, has two existing locations in Bethesda– The Wildwood Shop (10219 Old Georgetown Road Bethesda, MD 20814) and River Road Shop (5241 River Road Bethesda, MD 20816). Sarah’s Handmade aims to open its Fallsgrove location by the end of the year, with additional information to follow.

Per the ice cream shop, “Sarah’s Handmade was created by a Bethesda mother-daughter team, Sarah and Annie Park. When Sarah retired in 2018, she suddenly found herself with time to indulge in her old hobbies. She began to experiment and create original ice cream recipes for her family, friends, and neighbors, fit for each occasion. Soon enough, she was receiving calls and orders from strangers for her handmade ice cream! With strong enthusiasm from friends and wide support from neighbors, Sarah and Annie decided to bring the homemade flavors to a River Road storefront in Bethesda. To stay true to Sarah’s commitment to the highest quality ice cream that she would “feel proud feeding my family,” Sarah uses only the best, local-whenever-possible ingredients and sticks to her small-batch, all-natural recipes.”


Health

Per the Maryland Attorney General’s Office:   Attorney General Anthony G. Brown issued the following the statement after Wednesday’s ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit affirming portions of a district court’s order limiting access to mifepristone, a drug which is widely used for medication abortion:

“Mifepristone has been a safe and effective tool in safeguarding people’s reproductive rights for over two decades. Any attempt to limit the availability of this crucial abortion medication undermines the rights and health of people across our nation. The court ruling retains unnecessary restrictions which make mifepristone less accessible, disregarding the importance of ensuring safe and timely access to reproductive healthcare. We will continue our fight against those restrictions, which are stayed by the Supreme Court. Medication abortion has allowed countless individuals to exercise their autonomy and make personal decisions about their own bodies. The court’s decision to curtail its availability threatens to push people towards riskier alternatives and diminishes their ability to make their own informed choices.


Restaurant

True Respite Brewing Company at 7301 Calhoun Place Suite 600 in Rockville has announced it will be closing on Saturday, September 2. True Respite owners Brendan and Bailey O’Leary opened up shop in 2018 and the brewery made a name for itself in the local beer community by winning multiple Maryland Craft Beer Awards and hosting community events. In June, we reported that the brewery’s location had been made available to lease.

True Respite posted the following message on their social media accounts on Thursday afternoon:


DC Sports

Almost a year and a half after Washington lost Anheuser-Busch as it’s official beer sponsor (March 2022), the two sides have come to a new agreement less than a month after Josh Harris and the new ownership group took over. More below, per Washington:

As the 2023 NFL season kicks off, the Washington Commanders and Anheuser-Busch are proud to announce their new multi-year partnership. As part of the deal, Anheuser-Busch will become the Official Beer Sponsor of the Washington Commanders, making it easy for fans ages 21 and over to enjoy the game experience all season long with gameday activations, custom social and digital content, exclusive fan content, and much more. Additionally, the Washington Commanders, Anheuser-Busch, and Bud Light are honoring the veteran and first-responder community with exclusive experiences and fan recognition.


Bethesda

Per MCDOT: Starting on Monday, Sept. 11, the Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) will begin its semi-annual interior washdown to degrease and clean 21 County-owned parking garages in BethesdaSilver Spring and Wheaton. The cleanings will occur on nights and weekends starting with Bethesda garages in September and concluding with Silver Spring garages on Saturday, Nov. 4. Some garages will experience partial closures during the cleanings, including select entrance/exit areas and ramps. The full schedule of garage cleanings can be viewed here.


WMATA

Metro Board Chair Paul C. Smedberg has been awarded 2023 Outstanding Public Transportation Board Member by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) for his vision, leadership, and commitment to transit. More below, per WMATA:

Since first joining the Metro Board of Directors in 2016 and being elected Chair in 2019, Smedberg’s leadership has helped Metro return to a state of good repair through an aggressive capital program, guided the transit agency through the pandemic, spearheaded the selection of a new General Manager, and helped Metro recover ridership faster than any other transit agency in the country.


Crime

Per the Maryland Attorney General’s Office: The Independent Investigations Division (IID) of the Office of the Attorney General today released the dashboard and body-worn camera footage from the fatal police-involved shooting that occurred on July 22, 2023, in Montgomery County.

 


Crime

Per MCPD: Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police – Auto Crime Enforcement Section (ACES) have arrested and charged 29-year-old Victoria Sok of Silver Spring with auto theft.  On Wednesday, August 9, 2023, at approximately 4:30 p.m., detectives were proactively patrolling a neighborhood in Silver Spring when they located the suspect inside of a vehicle, that was reported stolen in Washington, D.C.

Detectives also determined that Sok has an outstanding out-of-state warrant. SOK was arrested and transported to the Montgomery County Central Processing Unit, where she was charged with auto theft related charges. She is being held without bond.


Bethesda

Swarovski has reopened in a new location on the upper level of Westfield Montgomery Mall (7101 Democracy Blvd) in Bethesda. Swarovski closed its previous location this past spring to make room for a new Rolex storefront at Liljenquist & Beckstead, which is taking over the former Swarovski space. Swarovski is an Australian based company that specializes in jewelry, watches, and crystal decorations.

In other Westfield Montgomery news, VinoRita Wine Slushies is now open mall’s food court, taking over the kiosk space that was previously home to HalfSmokeGelato Galax, and Coldstone Creamery. Alcohol infused slushie flavors include the best selling “Black San,” which is a Blackberry Sangria, Peach Frose, Strawberry Daquiri, and Blueberry Pomegranate. Non-alcoholic options include Blue Raspberry and Lemonade.


Arts

In a letter to friends and colleagues, Stanford expressed gratitude to the hundreds of dedicated and talented colleagues, staff, board members, fellow artists, and supporters that she has had the opportunity to work with. “A commitment to youth is the North Star that draws us all,” she writes. “Together, we have done much in four decades to bring the arts to more than a million young people, and to nurture them with the “slow food” that only live theatre can provide.”

Since joining the company in 1993, Stanford has produced 160 shows, directed 55, written 9, commissioned 50 new works, and introduced innovative educational programs that prioritize social justice and finding a young person’s unique identity or “voice” through theatre arts. She has long been a leader in promoting equity, diversity and inclusion: by establishing the ‘Youth Speaks to Age Series’ in the 1990’s that brought a dozen new scripts by BIPOC playwrights to the field; by featuring Deaf actors and actors with physical and cognitive disabilities in 9 mainstage productions; and by casting diverse actors in everything so that ALL children see themselves in the stories on stage.