Assault at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Montgomery County police responded to a report of a 2nd-degree assault at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda on January 26, 2026. The assault was reported at the mall at 3:15 PM Monday. This is the second assault reported at the mall this year, with the first having taken place on January 10. The mall is now on-pace for 24 assaults this year at this rate; 12 took place at the property in 2025.

Assault at Westbard Square Giant in Bethesda

Montgomery County police responded to a report of an assault at the Giant grocery store at Westbard Square in Bethesda on January 26, 2026. The assault was reported at the supermarket, which is located at 5320 Zenith Overlook, at 9:12 PM Monday. It was related to a shoplifting incident. Apparently the snow and ice were not impacting the movement of criminals in the County this week. 

The Westbard Giant is currently on pace for 24 assaults in 2026, which would be more than Montgomery Mall. An assault was reported at the store earlier this month, on January 7. Along with the many smash-and-grab thefts from vehicles in the garage, and a shooting outside the bowling alley across the street, this is not what the neighborhood had been promised by effervescent County planners in 2014.

Bethesda's sidewalk scofflaws ride out snowstorm shovel-free

The pedestrian crosswalk curb ramp has now been cleared at Wisconsin and Chase Avenues in downtown Bethesda. But four days after the storm ended, some sidewalk scofflaws remained around town. Perhaps not surprisingly, one repeat offender on that list is the property owner of the vacant storefronts that are part of the long-delayed Artena Bethesda apartments project at 7938-8008 Wisconsin (former Saphire Cafe and former Golden Needle tailoring shop, former Ranger Surplus), 8011 Woodmont Avenue (former Sir Walter Raleigh Inn/Bruce Variety), and the former Montgomery County Public Parking Lot 43 (sold to the Artena project by the County several years ago). County regulations require sidewalks to be cleared within 24 hours of precipitation ending (ice stopped falling around 8:00 PM Sunday night in Bethesda). Looking at the bright side, this is about as close as moribund Montgomery County gets to a "shovel-ready" project these days.

Room & Board closes at Bethesda Row

Room & Board has closed at 7236 Woodmont Avenue at Bethesda Row. Their space has been cleared out, and this location has been removed from the chain's website. The furniture and modern design showroom opened here in 2021. In our region, Room & Board still has a Washington, D.C. store in operation.

Both Chevy Chase Amazon Fresh stores closing

The Amazon Fresh grocery stores in Friendship Heights and at Chevy Chase Lake will permanently close this Sunday, February 1, 2026. Amazon is closing all of its Amazon Fresh and Go grocery stores across the country, as a very expensive experiment with Amazon-branded physical grocery stores by the retail giant concludes. In Montgomery County, that means the losses of Amazon Fresh stores at Chevy Chase Lake, Friendship Heights, Shady Grove Road on the border of Rockville and Gaithersburg, and White Oak. It's an especially raw deal for all involved at the Chevy Chase locations, as residents of Chevy Chase Lake had expected to have an on-site grocery store, Friendship Heights residents will now have only the hipster house brands of Trader Joe's and Whole Foods Market as full-size supermarkets within walking distance, and the Chevy Chase Land Company was counting on both to anchor their respective developments of Chevy Chase Lake and the Collection at Chevy Chase.

Bethesda's next Citibank opening this spring

Another bank is just what downtown Bethesda residents have been asking for, and Citibank is preparing to deliver its second downtown branch this spring. It will be at 8101 Wisconsin Avenue, formerly home to TD Bank. A Bethesda Row branch opened last month in the Flats at Bethesda Avenue apartments. The banking giant's aggressive expansion comes even as Citigroup announces another round of layoffs scheduled for March 2026.

Downtown Bethesda well-plowed while ice hampers residential street snowplowing

Curb ramps still snowed in at Wisconsin Avenue 
crosswalk at Chase Avenue last night 

Roads in downtown Bethesda were generally in good shape by yesterday afternoon, but snow plowing operations in residential neighborhoods have been complicated by the ice that made up a substantial part of the precipitation that fell between 6:00 AM and 8:00 PM on Sunday. I noticed that Montgomery County plows were having a harder time than usual getting down to bare pavement on neighborhood streets, making four passes instead of the typical two, and there being a lot more noise as a lot of the snow and ice were simply getting crushed flatter by the heavy truck. I have also seen smaller pickup truck-size vehicles with plows now being deployed.

One other factor may have played a role where road conditions remained poor. Driving around parts of Bethesda prior to the storm's arrival, I found that much less of the solution used to pre-treat the pavement had been applied to the County streets I traveled, compared to previous years. I don't know if this was a cost-saving decision, a malfunctioning sprayer truck, or a kneebend to environmental organizations. But a couple of stripes in each travel lane certainly meant that the melting function was diminished.

Also, as of last evening, the crosswalk curb ramps on either side of Wisconsin Avenue at Chase Avenue had not yet been shoveled. Property owners are responsible for clearing these ramps, as well as the sidewalks. See the photo at the top of this article. But in general, it's really quite impressive that the County was able to get the downtown streets into the condition you see here, as this snow was very, very nasty to shovel and plow after the ice storm started just before sunrise on Sunday. Despite the recent and frustrating trend of plowing only a single lane on residential side streets (property taxes have not been correspondingly reduced by 66%), we should cut the snowplow drivers a break in this case, because they were really struggling in spots to clear this away.

Montgomery County Council seeks to restrict ICE access, ban face masks for law enforcement

Montgomery County Councilmembers Will Jawando (D - At-Large) and Kristin Mink (D - District 5) have introduced two bills aimed at curbing the impact of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) within the county. Flanked by community members, educators, and fellow lawmakers at a joint press conference, they vowed that Montgomery County will not be a silent partner in federal immigration enforcement that relies on "fear, intimidation, or abuse." Mink has directly engaged ICE officers in Maryland, posting video of her encounters that earned TV news coverage. 

The County Values Act (Bill 3-26), led by Councilmember Mink, focuses on restricting ICE's access to and use of county-controlled properties. Key provisions include:

• Requiring a judicial warrant for ICE to enter any areas of county facilities not open to the general public.
• Mandating clear signage in those areas explicitly barring ICE access.
• Providing comprehensive staff training on how to handle such encounters.
• Prohibiting immigration enforcement activities in county parking lots, garages, and vacant lots.
• Requiring county staff to report any observed enforcement activities and to restrict or block access where feasible.
• Directing the county to develop and post a signage template that private businesses can voluntarily adopt.

Mink's bill is cosponsored by Councilmembers Kate Stewart (District 4), Will Jawando, Shebra Evans (At-Large), Andrew Friedson (District 1), Laurie-Anne Sayles (At-Large), Evan Glass (At-Large), and Marilyn Balcombe (District 2). "We cannot make ICE agents operate lawfully, but what we can do is employ the strongest possible protocols at every facility the County owns or operates,” Mink said.

Complementing this effort is the Unmask ICE Act (Bill 5-26), sponsored by Councilmember Jawando. It prohibits masking or facial coverings by all law enforcement officers operating in Montgomery County—including federal agents like ICE—with limited exceptions for public health reasons or specific operational necessities. The goal is to ensure transparency and build trust by allowing residents to clearly identify officers. Cosponsors include Councilmembers Mink, Evans, Stewart, Sayles, and Glass.

Jawando, who is running for County Executive, cast masked law enforcement officials as a horror of America's past. "Throughout history, masks have been used in American law enforcement to shield the wearer from accountability, and used for terror, impunity, and anonymity for violence," he said. "We are seeing that play out again before our eyes, and we cannot accept that as our new reality. As our local law enforcement recognizes, safety requires trust, and trust requires transparency. Our community is calling on us to do more, and we must listen, work together, and move forward with courage to protect our community."

Councilmembers sought to make the human cost of ICE enforcement actions the focal point of a joint press conference held after the bill introductions.

Orchid Dargahi, a teacher at Newport Mill Middle School who had a family member arrested by ICE, described the "trauma" rippling through her school: "Before I can do anything else in my classroom, I need to make sure my students feel safe. But I field questions like, ‘Can ICE just come into school?’ before teaching kids how to write an essay for or against zoos."

Gaby Rivera of the Montgomery County Immigrant Rights Collective (MoCo IRC) shared the story of a 19-year-old forced to raise his younger siblings after both parents were detained. Rivera urged the Council to pass these bills alongside the previously introduced Trust Act, arguing that together, they send a clear message that the County refuses to be complicit in "fear, intimidation, or abuse."

Stone Ridge alumna from Chevy Chase is nominee for 45th College Television Awards

Here comes Lauren Harrington, zooming out of the polished corridors of Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart in Bethesda - that bastion of crisp plaid skirts and Catholic values - straight into the electric glare of the University of Miami newsroom, where the lights are hot, the deadlines are hotter, and the future is being cut and pasted right there on the edit bay! Yes! The Television Academy Foundation, guardian of the Emmy flame, has dropped the hammer on the 45th College Television Awards nominations, and there she is, Lauren Harrington, junior broadcast journalism and media management major, Chevy Chase girl turned Coral Gables dynamo, nominated in the News category for NewsVision (March 6, 2025). Not just nominated—co-writer, lead anchor, script curator, package producer, the whole nine yards! Alongside eleven classmates, no less, because this isn't some lone-wolf operation; this is a full-on newsroom, student-style, live Thursdays at 7 p.m. on UMTV. A full half-hour of local-state-national-international-weather-sports fury, all produced by students who still have midterms hanging over their heads.

On the nominated March 6, 2025, broadcast, the air was thick with the Real-Time Drama of the 21st century:

• Medical Alarm: The first measles case hitting Miami like a biological curveball.
• The Weight of History: A campus vigil for murdered Israeli hostages, handled with the delicate, surgical sensitivity of a veteran correspondent.
• Campus Politics: UM’s ranking with the Anti-Defamation League.
• The Jock Factor: A profile of the new men’s basketball coach.

"I became involved from the earliest-editorial meeting through final-show execution," Harrington says of the broadcast that would win her the nomination. "I anchored alongside co-anchor Christopher Perez and worked closely with the producers, reporters, and the control room to keep timing tight and transitions clean." She doesn't just read a teleprompter; she conducts the chaos of the control room. And on the most dramatic topic of the newscast, Harrington recalls, "I curated my own [video] package for this episode, where I interviewed students who organized a campus vigil honoring Israeli hostages, and I focused on telling that story with sensitivity and letting students’ voices lead."

And now—nomination! Out of over 185 entries from colleges coast to coast, judged by Television Academy members, the same crowd that picks the prime-time Emmys, applying those same ruthless standards: excellence, imagination, innovation. The winners get announced March 28, 2026, red carpet rolling out at the Television Academy in North Hollywood, television stars dropping the envelopes like Willy Wonka golden tickets. 

But before that, two days of professional development—rubbing elbows with media titans, industry leaders, screenings for the Academy brass. Doors swinging open. The Foundation itself, dedicated to inspiring tomorrow's Emmy winners today, is running internships, archiving oral histories, championing the next wave. This isn't just an award; it's a launchpad.

Harrington and her 11 Miami compatriots are proving that the line between "student" and "professional" has been obliterated by sheer, relentless competence. She has ascended from the leafy, pious groves of Bethesda and Chevy Chase to the sun-bleached, neon-glare of Coral Gables, and now—zap!—she is hurtling toward the very epicenter of the American Dream: North Hollywood, California! Will she bring home the trophy? The judges, those grizzled veterans of the Television Academy, have already winnowed down 185 entries to find the cream, the crème de la crème, the Harrington set. A win would merely be the icing on the cake. In a world where the news never sleeps and the screens never dim, here is a young woman—anchor, writer, reporter, leader—proving the next generation can play with the big lights and not blink. The future of television just got a jolt. Stay tuned.

Day-long ice storm complicates snow removal in Bethesda (Photos)

What started as a light and powdery snow late Saturday night was pummeled all day Sunday into a heavier and harder concentration of windswept white dunes by a relentless ice storm. The hard crystals began falling just before 6:00 AM yesterday, and intensified as the morning progressed, erasing hard-won shoveling progress. By 8:00 PM, the tempest finally moved on, having vastly overstayed its welcome. Wisconsin Avenue was free of automobiles at 9:00 PM Sunday, as rare a sight as an Irish pub in Bethesda these days. Another rare sight: Tastee Diner having to close for the day as the storm blasted the town.

Urban streets were rough, but Montgomery County snow plows began tackling residential neighborhoods today, with the ice-coated snow pack being crushed by the heavy trucks more than being swept aside. More diligent plow drivers made multiple passes on streets to try to get down to bare pavement. As taxes massively increase, however, residential street plowing has decreased from full street to single-lane down the middle. Remember when the plows cleared everything, maneuvering around parked vehicles? Pepperidge Farm remembers.

Fossette Focacceria sandwiches coming to Bethesda Thursday, January 29

Fossette Focacceria sandwiches are officially launching at All-Purpose Pizza Shop at 4747-A Bethesda Avenue on Thursday, January 29, 2026. You may have seen these sandwiches in your social media feed from influencers like ADorkAndHerFork at the local chain's Washington, D.C. location. Now all six flavors are coming right to you in Bethesda. If you are a member of their awards program, and you are one of the first 40 in-person customers, you will receive $30 in rewards credit to All-Purpose Pizza Shop. If you're not, sign up now.

Padel Social announces permanent Westbard location in Bethesda

Padel Social, which operated a temporary, pop-up padel facility at Westbard Square in Bethesda last year, has revealed the location of its permanent location. Surprisingly, it is remaining at the Westbard Square site, and the new courts will be just steps away from their pop-up location, at 5455 Westbard Avenue. The temporary spot was a tremendous success, underscoring the tennis-squash hybrid as one of the fastest-growing sports in the world. Padel Social's permanent facility will open by late spring.