DMV

Caruso’s Grocery, which operates locations in North Bethesda and Washington, DC, has been named one of OpenTable’s “2025 Top 100 Restaurants” in the United States, making it the only Maryland (and DC) restaurant to appear on this year’s list.

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MCPD

The Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) reports that members of the Alcohol Holiday Task Force focused exclusively on alcohol related enforcement between November 26 and 29, conducting 216 traffic stops and issuing more than 500 combined citations, warnings, and repair orders. (more…)


Community

Now in its third year, Watkins Mill alumnus Joseph Hooks’ 480 Club’s Student Athlete Mentor Program (SAMP) has become one of Montgomery County’s most impactful youth-led initiatives for leadership development, community building, and violence prevention. The program pairs high school student-athletes with younger students through athletic mentorship, social-emotional learning, and consistent peer support. What began as a school-based effort is now influencing sports culture across the Clarksburg, Northwest, and Watkins Mill clusters and extending into community sports programs throughout the region.

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Education

Governor Wes Moore announced $19 million in expanded Grow Your Own Educators grants to help non licensed school staff become teachers, part of a broader strategy that has cut statewide teacher vacancies nearly in half over the past year.

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Celebrities

Tennis legend Andre Agassi is in Maryland this week as part of a multi-day filming project with JOOLA, the global pickleball and table tennis brand that recently relocated its U.S. headquarters to Pike & Rose. The company also opened a retail store in the development on Black Friday, sitting just steps away from several popular restaurants.

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Education

Montgomery County Public Schools issued a community-wide apology on Tuesday after announcing a two hour delay at 4:55am (with the text to the community coming at approximately 5:01am), a decision that left many families scrambling to adjust morning plans. In a letter sent to all MCPS households, Superintendent Dr. Thomas Taylor acknowledged the widespread frustration surrounding the timing of the call and the handling of before-school childcare.

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