According to the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office, “In the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, MD, the Honorable Robert Greenberg sentenced defendant, Rome Hill, 32, of Silver Spring, to life in prison suspend all but 30 years to serve and five years of supervised probation. Hill was convicted by a jury on October 19th, 2023, on charges of First-Degree Rape, Use of a Firearm in Commission of a Felony and Unlawful Possession of a Loaded Handgun. The sentencing hearing was held this Tuesday, November 7th, 2023. Upon release, conditions of probation will include registration as a Tier III sex offender for life and no contact with the victim.
On September 9th, 2020, the defendant sent a friend request and private social media message to the victim who was a stranger to him. They messaged and spoke over the phone for two days. On September 11th, the victim felt comfortable enough to meet Hill in person and invited him to her apartment. That evening, Hill produced a handgun and raped the victim. Assistant State’s Attorneys Frank Lazzaro and Christina Ferris prosecuted this matter.”
Per Montgomery County: “The feeling of celebrating a holiday on a farm will be the theme on Saturday-Sunday, Dec. 2-3, at the annual “Christmas on the Farm” event at the Montgomery Agricultural History Farm Park in Derwood. Among the highlights will be the opportunity to see farm animals up close, to visit the park’s tool museum and to enjoy free cookies and cider.
The Agricultural History Farm Park is located at 18400 Muncaster Road in Derwood. The event will be held from noon-5 p.m. each day. Admission and parking will be free.
The DMV Chocolate & Coffee Festival is coming to Montgomery County on November 7 & 8, 2026, at the Adventist HealthCare Fieldhouse in Germantown, Maryland. Get ready to sip, sample, shop, and enjoy a full weekend of family-friendly fun!
Sip, Sample & Shop
Get ready to explore a festival floor filled with top chocolate makers, coffee roasters, bakeries, specialty food vendors, artisan brands and small businesses from across the region and beyond. Sample new flavors, meet the people behind the products and shop directly from the talented makers and businesses who created them.
Experience Chocolate History
One of the highlights of this year’s festival is a large-scale chocolate sculpture of George Washington on horseback, created by award-winning chocolate artist Paul Joachim.
The sculpture will be part of a special exhibit exploring chocolate’s place in early American history. Guests can see the sculpture up close, sample colonial-style drinking chocolate, and shop the exclusive Collector’s Heritage Box inspired by the historic drink. It’s a unique opportunity to experience chocolate through art, history, and taste all in one place.
Seminars, Demonstrations & More
Visit the Sip & Share Seminar Classroom for educational sessions and demonstrations throughout the weekend, all included with your festival admission. Explore topics ranging from ancestral cacao in the Ecuadorian Amazon and the realities of starting a coffee business to craft chocolate and festival trivia. Learn directly from experts and makers as they share their knowledge, demonstrate their craft and offer a closer look at how their products are made.
Fun for All Ages
The DMV Chocolate & Coffee Festival offers an experience the whole family can enjoy. Kids under 12 receive free admission with a ticketed adult and can get creative at our complimentary kids’ craft tables. Festival mascots Chunk & Bean will also be on-site for meet-and-greets and photo opportunities throughout the weekend. Families can even shop for Chunk & Bean plushies, children’s books and other kid-friendly items.
Whether you’re a serious chocolate lover, a coffee enthusiast, a foodie or simply looking for a fun fall outing, there’s something for everyone to see, taste, shop and enjoy.
Save on Tickets
The DMV Chocolate & Coffee Festival Maryland Edition takes place November 7 & 8, 2026, at the Adventist HealthCare Fieldhouse in Germantown, Maryland.
MoCo Show readers can use code MOCO10 at checkout to save 10% on online festival tickets. Grab your tickets and get ready to sip, sample and shop at one of the sweetest weekends of the fall!
The first MICHELIN Guide Ceremony bringing together New York, Chicago and Washington, D.C., provided a few updates for the Washington, D.C. area:
“The MICHELIN Guide inspection team is delighted add the international flavors of Causa and Rania to the Washington selection of Starred establishments,” Poullennec said. “These world-class restaurants blend tradition with innovation to deliver a delicious meal and memorable experience.” Here are Washington’s new MICHELIN-Starred restaurants, with inspector notes from each:
Per the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute: “
Giant pandas Tian Tian (tee-YEN tee-YEN), Mei Xiang (may-SHONG) and Xiao Qi Ji (SHIAU-chi-ji) began their journey to China this morning. They departed the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI) at 9:31 a.m. EST for Dulles International Airport in northern Virginia where they will board a dedicated and custom-decaled FedEx Panda Express Boeing 777F aircraft. The approximately 19-hour, trans-Pacific flight from Washington, D.C., to Chengdu, China, will include a brief refueling stop in Anchorage, Alaska.
The MoCo Epic is a festival celebrating mountain biking, natural surface trails, and the community that makes this region a great place to ride! 2026 marks the 16th anniversary of the MoCo Epic.
Learn about the culture and craftsmanship of traditional Chinese lantern festivals at the Winter Lantern Festival Washington, located at Lerner Town Square at Tysons II (8025 Galleria Dr, Tysons, VA 22102). Modern LED lights are embellished by traditionally hand-crafted lantern frames made from small pieces of classically made Chinese silk cloth and steel wire. All lanterns are created by artisans, some of which have over 20 years of experience in their trade and bring magical folklorical creatures to life. Each unique piece holds a story of its own that will be told to visitors to help contextualize their experience even more.
“With our lights and lanterns, we hope to provide an unforgettable experience for all. This year, not only will we bring lanterns, we are also excited to bring more family fun such as, dino rides, picture taking opportunities to further expand the entire experience.” The exhibition is held in an outdoor venue with indoor space available if you need to take a break during the 60-120 minutes experience. Though it is held in an outdoor venue, it is a rain or shine event. Feel free to take photos as new this year are a few figures just for picture taking. The venue reminds you to please make sure not to disturb others while taking photos. Professional equipment and tripods are not permitted. “Winter Lantern Festival’s unique luminescent nightwalk brings the culture and craftsmanship of traditional Chinese lantern festivals, where contribution is celebration!”
From the Offices of Council Vice President Friedson and Council President Glass: “Council Vice President Andrew Friedson and Council President Evan Glass introduced legislation today that would update the laws regarding the tree canopy and roadside tree work to encourage the conservation of trees in Montgomery County. Bill 40-23, Tree Canopy and Roadside Tree Requirements – Fee Revisions, adjusts the fee structure for trees removed in the County’s right of way to ensure the fees are commensurate with the costs, including the environmental cost of removing the tree and the cost of tree replacements.
“Improving our tree canopy is essential to meeting our environmental goals and ensuring healthy and livable communities in Montgomery County,” said Council Vice President Friedson. “This legislation will help us plant more trees in our neighborhoods to improve air quality, reduce heat islands and enhance quality of life.”
Per Montgomery County: “The Montgomery County Department of Transportation is soliciting applications for the Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) Enhanced Mobility Grants Program from qualified organizations to provide direct transportation services in the County. This program aims to increase access to transportation services for County residents who are disabled, individuals with limited incomes, older adults and other vulnerable populations (specifically in underserved communities). A total of $800,000 in funding is available for FY24.
County Executive Marc Elrich proposed, and the County Council approved, $800,000 for a joint capital and operating grant program. Of that amount, $640,000 was allocated to capital expenses and $160,000 to operating expenses. At present, the funding is available for one year, so all funded activities must be implemented within 12 months.
Per MCDOT: “On Tuesday, Nov. 14, starting at 6:30 p.m., the Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) will hold a hybrid public meeting to discuss the construction of sidewalks adjacent to Joann Leleck Elementary School within the Oakview community on Stateside Drive from Avenel Road to Stateside Court.
The sidewalk project was initiated by MCDOT’s Safe Routes to School program to provide a safe route for students walking and biking to Joann Leleck Elementary School. MCDOT encourages you to attend, share your input and provide any suggestions that may better reflect your community’s needs.
Per the City of Rockville: Rockville voters elected Monique Ashton mayor with 7,190 votes, or 58.71% of the total, according to unofficial results in the City of Rockville’s vote-by-mail election, which were announced early today. Six councilmembers were also elected: Kate Fulton; Adam Van Grack; Izola (Zola) Shaw; David Myles; Barry Jackson; and Marissa Valeri.
The Mayor and Council serve four-year terms. Mayoral challenger Mark Pierzchala received 5,006 votes, or 40.88%. There were 51 write-in votes for mayor. The top six vote-getters for council seats were:
Per the City of Gaithersburg: Unofficial results for the November 7, 2023, municipal election for three City Council Members have been announced:
The top three candidates with the highest number of votes were Neil Harris, who received 2,900 votes (24.57%), Yamil Hernández, who received 2,189 votes (18.55%), and Robert T. Wu, who received 2,932 votes (24.84%).
