CAVA temporarily closed for renovations at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

CAVA has temporarily closed its location in the Dining Terrace food court at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. The reason for the closure is a renovation of their stall. Or, as CAVA is referring to it, a "Mediterranean makeover." They'll reopen in "Winter 2026," which would be sometime between December 21 and 31.

WSSC asks Maryland customers to limit water use due to power outage at filtration plant

Water utility WSSC has issued an Essential Water Use Only request to its customers in Montgomery County and Prince George's County, Maryland. A power outage at the utility's Potomac filtration plant has led to concerns that the supply of processed water could run out before Pepco can restore power. However, WSSC says water is currently safe to use and drink at this time, and that no Boil Water Advisory has been issued yet. Customers are asked to limit shower time and toilet flushes, and to postpone outdoor uses and running of clothes washers and dishwashers until the emergency is over.

Curfew goes into effect at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

A new 3:00 PM curfew for juveniles goes into effect today at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. The controversial new policy comes in response to juvenile crime at the popular retail center, primarily in the forms of shoplifting, assault, and robbery. All patrons under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian after 3:00 PM, seven days a week. That adult will be held responsible for any crimes committed by the minors under their supervision at the mall.

The policy essentially ends the American pastime of teens hanging out at malls after school, and at night, at Westfield's Montgomery and Wheaton Plaza malls. This past Saturday night, teens crowded into Montgomery Mall's Dining Terrace food court, the last to enjoy a rite of passage of a Saturday night at the mall. In a sign of what brought us to this point, however, Montgomery County police officers were seen rushing to respond to a crime in progress at Champs Sports.

Sheepskin Gifts & Alpaca Too opens at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

The first chill of fall is in the air. That means two things: it's time to buy warm clothes, and the holiday shopping season is rapidly approaching. One herald of both is the annual arrival of Sheepskin Gifts & Alpaca Too at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. Just seeing the store back at the mall gives a warm feeling to those who can't wait for The Most Wonderful Time of the Year.

Lilly Pulitzer window coverings get glow-up at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

They heard us, folks. The trash bags in the windows of Lilly Pulitzer at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda are gone. In their place are branded window screens with images of Via Mizner in Palm Beach, where the label was founded over 60 years ago. There's also now a message to customers regarding the temporary closure for remodeling, and a number you can text to receive updates when the reopening timeline is solidified. This is definitely a better look for the upscale mall, and upscale brand.

Suspect arrested in Potomac home burglary

Montgomery County police have arrested a suspect in the September 23 burglary of a home in Potomac. The burglary was reported at a house in the 11800 block of Enid Drive. According to police, the suspect entered the home sometime between 10:45 AM and 11:11 AM Wednesday morning. Officers located a suspect, and recovered property the suspect had allegedly stolen from the home. 

Pike & Rose Starbucks closing

Starbucks announced a new round of downsizing nationwide, and the closure list includes six stores in Maryland. Montgomery County stores at Pike & Rose in Rockville, and 12255 Prosperity Drive in the White Oak area of Silver Spring are among those getting the axe. That's particularly devastating for residents of the buildings at Pike & Rose, as having an on-site Starbucks was among the amenities of living there. Also shuttering will be Starbucks stores in Chester, Easton, Frederick, and Pocomoke City.

Jewelry Exchange building demolished in Bethesda

The Jewelry Exchange is gone! A demolition crew has razed the building at 7747 Old Georgetown Road. This is the first of several structures to fall, as the corner with St. Elmo Avenue is prepared for construction of a new apartment tower. No word yet if any of the workers were lucky enough to find one of those "thousands of GIA diamonds" in the rubble...

UK quantum computing firm chooses Virginia over Maryland for U.S. HQ

It's Groundhog Day once again for economic development in the Washington, D.C. region, as yet another firm has chosen Virginia over Maryland, and Arlington County over Montgomery County for its corporate headquarters. This time it's British quantum computing firm Phasecraft. The company announced that Virginia is the winner in the sweepstakes for its new U.S. headquarters. Phasecraft will open the HQ at a not-yet-announced address in Ballston.

The announcement has to particularly sting Maryland Governor Wes Moore, who has repeatedly claimed that he wants to make his state a leader in quantum computing. It certainly didn't help Maryland's bid that Moore declared four days prior to the company's decision that he would sign a total ban on data centers, if the legislature sent one to his desk. This forehead-smacking faux pas is reminiscent of the Montgomery County Council announcing it was canceling the biggest infrastructure project in the White Flint sector plan on the very day that Amazon's HQ2 search team was touring the County's suggested site in White Flint. Whoops!

Just as the Council's transportation infrastructure cancellation cost it the HQ2 of a logistics company, Amazon, announcing you are going to possibly totally ban data centers would almost certainly terminate the consideration of any quantum computing firm to locate in our state. Doh! A decade later, we continue to be led by very stupid people.

A smarter governor, Abigail Spanberger of Virginia, found herself once again taking a victory lap. "Virginia continues to grow as a global hub for cutting-edge companies and groundbreaking technologies," Spanberger said in a statement. "I’m thrilled to welcome Phasecraft to the Commonwealth and look forward to seeing all they accomplish as they grow and build on Virginia’s world-class innovation ecosystem. This investment will create new high-tech jobs, attract other leading companies to Virginia, and strengthen the Commonwealth’s growing role in bringing next-generation technologies to market."

Virginia, in contrast to Maryland, is known as the data center capital of America. How Maryland will become "a leader in quantum computing and cybersecurity" without data centers is indeed a puzzling and even humorous dilemma for observers of Governor Moore, who has proven so far that he's far from the sharpest tool in the drawer. What we already do know is that Maryland and Montgomery County haven't attracted a single major new corporate headquarters in over 25 years. Will voters quintuple down on futility on Election Day in November?

The Korean Dessert Fruit Ice Cream opening at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

The Korean Dessert Fruit Ice Cream is opening at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. It is a freestanding kiosk located on Level 2 near Snipes in the Macy's Home wing. It will be serving fruit-shaped ice cream with a thin shell coating on the outside. Considered a viral dessert on TikTok some time ago, it is now arriving at the mall.

The curious case of the Jawando debate dodge

Montgomery County Councilmember Will Jawando (D - At-Large) will not debate his Republican opponent Esther Wells in the County Executive race, Jawando's campaign abruptly announced yesterday. The statement to the press was curious not only for the weakness of its arguments, but because the local press had not been press-ing the question in the first place. I could find no news articles focused on Jawando dodging a debate with Wells prior to the Monday announcement by his campaign. It appears to be a preemptive strike to lay the groundwork for a pandemic-style "basement campaign," in which Jawando will largely take a knee until Election Day with sporadic, low-pressure public appearances in uber-friendly venues.

Unlike Jawando's fellow travelers in our Fifth Column local media, let's actually debunk the logic of the statement by his campaign.

"Will has participated in 102 meet-and-greets, as well as more than 45 candidate forums, debates, and town halls across the county...Voters have had repeated opportunities to evaluate records and compare his vision directly with his general election opponent, Esther Wells, who also participated in many of these candidate forums and debates."

Fact check: First of all, there certainly were not "45" debates in the County Executive primary race. Second, Esther Wells was allowed to participate in only a handful of those. And third, because they were cattle call primary events mostly focused on the Democratic race, they did not provide the length and depth of response by any individual that is now most appropriate in the general election season. We have our nominees. Now it is time to compare and contrast their arguments in an in-depth dialogue.

"Our sustained community engagement delivered decisive results in the June primary. Will earned 52,744 votes out of more than 131,000 cast, building the broadest coalition of any candidate this cycle. By contrast, Esther Wells won her primary with 6,850 votes out of just 11,273 cast."

This is perhaps even more of a ridiculous argument than the first. For starters, how do you claim "the broadest coalition" in a primary that was closed to every voter who was not a Democrat? But even more embarrassing is that the math used by Jawando's campaign actually shows Esther Wells had the "broadest coalition" in the primaries. She won 60.7% of the votes in her primary, compared to Jawando's 40.3%. That's over 20 percentage points higher than Jawando.

Besides answering a debate question no news outlet had published a news article asking to begin with, the press release oddly raised the issue of Jawando's health following his heart attack over Labor Day weekend. The local press hadn't been publishing articles on questions or controversy surrounding Jawando's health and his ability to campaign or serve. Why would you remind the public of the topic, then? 

Is there a health issue the campaign is hiding that will prevent Jawando from participating in a debate with Esther Wells? Is that why the actual arguments made for why he won't debate so transparently farcical, as to distract from the health question at hand? If a candidate is physically or cognitively unable to engage their election opponent in a debate in October, how will they be capable of running a jurisdiction of over a million people some thirty days later?

The time to hear from the candidates is now, not after the election. It's a frightening reality that you can take any article about elections in Russia or (the fictional anti-Orban vision of) Hungary, replace the country name with "Montgomery County," and it still reads accurately. The Montgomery County cartel already controls much of our "democracy" with its control of the local media, and our obscenely gerrymandered election districts. Based on actual voting results, a true Council District 2 would have elected a Republican every time this century. Rather than face the wrath of a unified Upcounty, whose concerns continue to be neglected, the cartel is able simply draw them out of relevance on the map. It shows how weak our leaders know they are intellectually and substantively, when the idea of one contrary voice out of eleven strikes sheer terror into their hearts.

Candidate debates are a foundational element of democracy. Even when Democrats were highly favored to win, they had the integrity and civic spirit to participate in general election forums in the past. But starting in 2018, this changed. It changed so much that Jawando himself has never had to square off against Republicans in a general election debate. 

With so many weak explanations from his campaign as to why he can't debate Esther Wells, it's imperative that the local media keep pressing for what the real reasons are. If you really believe in "democracy" in America, it's time you start demanding it locally as well.

Montgomery Mall implementing stiff 3 PM curfew for minors

Those who claim crime is not a problem at the few remaining malls in Montgomery County were dealt a blow of reality today, as Westfield announced it will implement a restrictive 3:00 PM curfew for unaccompanied minors at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda and Wheaton Plaza starting September 28. Once in effect, the new policy will require any mall patron under 18 to be accompanied by a parent or supervising adult after 3:00 PM, seven days a week. Those not in compliance will be escorted from the premises by security or Montgomery County police. Supervising adults may be asked for identification with a valid I.D.

Westfield says the hours and specifics of the new policy can be changed at any time, and that it may adjust the hours of enforcement during the holiday shopping season. It also says that supervising adults will be held responsible for the behavior and actions of the juveniles under their supervision, suggesting legal liability potential for the type of assaults and shoplifting incidents that have been taking place at the property in recent years.

This curfew sadly punishes the majority of minors who lawfully engage in the All-American tradition of hanging out at the mall. It will certainly cost mall tenants financially. That dovetails with another disappointing trend: Massive international corporations like Westfield and Giant parent Ahold declining to publicly condemn pro-criminal elected officials, and put their considerable financial resources toward electing alternative leaders, and instead implementing policies that punish all customers, such as locking up items or crippling self-checkouts. Montgomery County and Maryland's weak juvenile crime policies - and weak willed business responses - seem to put criminals in charge of our community, rather than holding them accountable. The new curfew policy was first reported by The MoCo Show.

Soccer jersey kiosk opens at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

If you have soccer fans on your holiday shopping list, there's a new destination for you at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. A kiosk selling international soccer jerseys has opened. Uniform tops for Jude Bellingham, Cristiano Ronaldo, Cole Palmer, Lionel Messi, and Kylian Mbappé are among those available. Look for the kiosk on Level 1 near Carter's and the future PacSun, in the Old Navy wing of the mall.

Batman Day sale at Big Planet Comics in Bethesda

Today is Batman Day 2026, Saturday, September 19. Big Planet Comics at 7939 Norfolk Avenue in downtown Bethesda is celebrating by putting all Batman books on sale for 20% off. DC Comics has several promotions to coincide with Batman Day this year. Batman of Two Worlds is a special edition comic book with two stories by the writers of the current runs of Batman (Matt Fraction) and Absolute Batman (Scott Snyder), available today for $2.99. Four paper masks of iconic Batman cowls are also being given away (one per customer, while supplies last). There are also five hardcover releases of new and classic Dark Knight adventures with Batman Day 2026 cover art. Product availability may vary by store.

Montgomery County police chief resigns amid travel, leave questions

Montgomery County Police Chief Marc Yamada submitted his resignation to County Executive Marc Elrich today. Announcements regarding the resignation from Elrich and the police department did not initially provide a reason for Yamada's resignation after decades of service to the department. However, it soon came to light that a report from the County Inspector General was being released, following an investigation by the Office of the Inspector General into Yamada's actions regarding travel expenditures, and his alleged failure to request official leave at times that department rules required him to do so.

The OIG investigation also examined whistleblower allegations that Yamada consumed alcohol at a golf event during working hours, and furnished a County government vehicle for use by an unidentified employee of the Office of the County Attorney. Such use of a County vehicle must be authorized by the County's Chief Administrative Officer, and the OIG found that Yamada neither sought nor received such authorization. Investigators determined that Yamada was not armed or in uniform when he consumed two alcoholic beverages at a golf tournament, but that he had not taken official leave to attend the tournament, and was therefore still on-the-clock.

Yamada told investigators that he believed the overtime hours he puts in on a weekly basis covered absences during regular work hours. The OIG report notes that by not receiving authorized leave for those absences, Yamada retained those leave hours on his record, which would apply to credits for his pension upon retirement. 

While news headlines referred to "Las Vegas travel" earlier today, it turned out to be less sensational than the Hangover IV visions such news reports were promising. It turns out that Yamada took an unidentified family member who also works at the police department on an official trip to an out-of-state conference. The OIG report states that Yamada initially told investigators that he did not select the employee, but investigators later found that he had. Lying to OIG investigators is a violation of County Code Section 2-151(m)(2).

The report concludes by noting that its findings will be submitted to the County Ethics Commission, and suggests the County may have legal grounds to recover an unspecified sum from Yamada on behalf of taxpayers. You can read the OIG's complete report here.

Suspect arrested in Potomac Woods Plaza homicide

Montgomery County police have captured the man they say fatally shot a Gaithersburg man at Potomac Woods Plaza at 1087 Seven Locks Road early Sunday morning. County police officers assigned to the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force caught up with Shayan Solimani Damabi, 21, of Gaithersburg at an unidentified motel in that city. Police say he was taken into custody without incident.

Homicide detectives used surveillance footage from the shopping center to identify Solimani Damabi as the alleged shooter. He has been charged with first-degree murder, and the use of a firearm in the commission of a violent crime. Solimani Damabi is being held at the County jail pending a bond hearing.

New signals near activation at dangerous Bethesda crosswalk

New pedestrian crossing signals are nearing activation at the intersection of Old Georgetown Road and Cordell Avenue in downtown Bethesda. The signal lights have been connected to power, and are currently just in a yellow flashing mode. Pedestrian-activated controls are not yet operable, however. 

This is a very dangerous intersection for multiple reasons. First, it was an ungoverned crosswalk. Previous attempts to add safety measures have largely been ignored by drivers. Second, there is a lane shift taking place ahead of the intersection with Arlington Road. Third, drivers are often gunning it when that next signal is green, which is bad behavior partly caused by the Montgomery County Department of Transportation - presumably under orders from County elected officials - steadfastly refusing to synchronize the traffic signals on busy corridors at peak travel times.

The more mandatory decisions you simultaneously introduce into the mind of the driver, the more dangerous our roadways become. This is part of why Vision Zero efforts have failed to reduce collisions and traffic deaths.

A "trashy" look for Lilly Pulitzer at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

A major renovation project is getting underway at the Lilly Pulitzer store at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. The store is temporarily closed, and is expected to reopen before the end of the year. How much of the holiday shopping season it will be open for is not yet known. But Lilly Pulitzer herself would likely be aghast at the trash bag material covering her namesake boutique's windows. You might expect a major label targeting upscale clientele would offer some sort of branded window screens to its stores to hide construction work, rather than Hefty specials. Mon Dieu!

Demolition begins for new apartment tower in Bethesda

Demolition of multiple buildings has begun at the future site of an apartment tower at the southeast corner of Old Georgetown Road and St. Elmo Avenue in downtown Bethesda. Buildings along both streets will ultimately be torn down, most of which are now vacant. Work has started on the former Jewelry Exchange building on Old Georgetown. The office building on the corner will likely be the last to go, as some tenants are still occupying it.

Police identify suspect in Potomac Woods Plaza fatal shooting

Montgomery County police have identified a suspect in Sunday morning's fatal shooting at the Potomac Woods Plaza shopping center. Shayan Solimani Damabi, 21, of Gaithersburg is the man who killed 33-year-old Nicholas Njuki of Gaithersburg, homicide detectives allege. They believe he may still be driving a red 2018 four-door Acura TLX with Maryland license plate 3GD6732.

Police describe Solimani Damabi as being 6-feet, 2-inches tall and weighing approximately 205 pounds. His whereabouts are currently unknown.

Anyone with information regarding this homicide or the location of Shayan Solimani Damabi is asked to visit the Crime Solvers of Montgomery County website at www.crimesolversmcmd.org and click on the “P3 Tips” link at the top of the page or call 1-866-411-8477. Tips may remain anonymous. Information leading to an arrest may be eligible for a reward ranging from $250 to $10,000.

Victim identified in Potomac Woods Plaza fatal shooting

Montgomery County police have identified the victim in the fatal shooting at Potomac Woods Plaza at 1087 Seven Locks Road early Sunday morning, September 13, 2026. Homicide detectives have also released more details about the incident. According to police, the victim, Nicholas Njuki, 33, of Gaithersburg, had a "confrontation" with the unknown male suspect inside Quincy's Potomac Bar & Grille earlier. Following the confrontation, Njuki left the restaurant with a companion, with whom he got into a vehicle. While attempting to leave the shopping center, their vehicle encountered another vehicle driven by the suspect.

Police did not describe what precisely happened next, but said Njuki ultimately exited the vehicle at 2:02 AM, at which time the suspect shot Njuki once from inside his own vehicle. The suspect then allegedly fired a shot at Njuki's companion, who had remained inside their vehicle. His companion then drove away from the scene and called 911. The suspect fled the scene in his own vehicle.

Interestingly, a description of the suspect has not yet been released. But police are asking anyone with information about this homicide to visit the Crime Solvers of Montgomery County website at www.crimesolversmcmd.org, and click on the “P3 Tips” link at the top of the page, or call 1-866-411-8477. Tipsters may remain anonymous. Information leading to an arrest may be eligible for a reward ranging from $250 to $10,000.

Police respond to assault at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Montgomery County police responded to a report of a 2nd-degree assault at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda yesterday afternoon. The assault took place at 3:18 PM Monday. This was the seventh known assault reported at the busy retail center so far this year. It has been relatively quiet on that front since the last assault on June 28, and County police have maintained a more visible presence at the mall this summer. Twelve assaults were reported at the property in 2025.

Fatal shooting at Potomac Woods Plaza

Montgomery County homicide detectives are investigating a fatal shooting that took place early yesterday morning at Potomac Woods Plaza at 1087 Seven Locks Road. The shooting was reported outside of Quincy's Potomac Bar & Grille, which was hosting a viewing of a UFC fighting event late Saturday night, at 2:02 AM Sunday. County and Rockville City police officers and Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service personnel arriving at the scene found an adult male victim suffering from at least one gunshot wound. Despite lifesaving efforts by first responders, the victim tragically passed away at the scene. 

The shooter(s) remain at large this morning. Police have not yet released any suspect descriptions in the case. However, its press release regarding the shooting did not solicit the public's help in identifying or locating suspects.

Police take suspect into custody at CVS Pharmacy in Bethesda

Montgomery County police responded to a trespassing incident at a CVS Pharmacy in downtown Bethesda early Thursday evening, September 10, 2026. Officers were dispatched to the CVS at 7809 Wisconsin Avenue at 6:32 PM. Multiple cruisers responded to the call. Three officers eventually emerged with an individual in custody. It's unclear what charges, if any, the suspect ultimately faces. The suspect's face is obscured in these photos, as they appeared to be a juvenile.

Lilly Pulitzer "temporarily closed" at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

UPDATE: The reason for the temporary closure is a renovation project. The store is expected to reopen by the end of the year.

Lilly Pulitzer is closed today at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. The apparel boutique's sales floor has largely been cleared out, and packing boxes are stacked inside the space. There is no message to customers on the storefront explaining why it is closed, or what the purpose is. The corporate website notes only that the mall location is "temporarily closed." Lilly Pulitzer opened at the mall in 2014.