Pepco tells Maryland customers, "It's not us"

 The most recent two U.S. presidents have had to get used to having their likeness slapped onto gas pumps via "I did that!" stickers, when their policy decisions have led to rising gas prices. Less eager to take credit for exploding electricity bills is Pepco, which is once again taking pains to inform customers that government is indeed the problem. "Higher energy bills can be challenging, and we want you to understand what's driving those changes," the Exelon-owned utility explained in a message to ratepayers with this month's bill. And explain they do, but not as extensively as they should, requiring us to employ the Annapolis Anger Translator (AAT) for full disclosure.

First culprit on the list is the regional grid operator PJM. Pepco notes that PJM "is increasing electricity supply prices for our area. Pepco does not generate electricity or set these prices — we pass these charges through directly to customers with no markup. These increases are due to factors such as higher demand and tight energy supply."

Using the AAT, we can expand on this to learn that the actual electricity rates paid by consumers in Maryland are set by the Maryland Public Service Commission, a body appointed by...whoops!...the governor of Maryland, and approved by the Democratic-controlled Maryland State Senate. 

Why is there a "tight energy supply?" Perhaps because Maryland elected officials forced the closure of 8 power plants across the state. As a result, Maryland itself can no longer generate enough power to supply the demands of residents and businesses, and is now forced to import electricity from out-of-state at inflated boardwalk prices.

Pepco also highlights the EmPOWER MD surcharge that appears on your monthly bill. Like many other "sneak taxes," elected officials hope that you will assume these taxes, fees, and surcharges are being levied by the service provider, not your corrupt leaders. The reality is that this surcharge was levied by the Maryland General Assembly in Annapolis. It is a Karl Marxian Communist initiative of the highest order. Your hard-earned money goes into a slush fund used to pay for "green" upgrades to poor people's homes. From each according to his abilities...well, you get the idea.

Not mentioned is the latest hoax: data centers, the latest pass-the-buck punching bag for politicians trying to divert public attention from their direct role in the affordability crisis. No, data centers in Maryland are not the reason your Pepco bill keeps going up. It's a boogeyman far more familiar to you: your unfriendly neighborhood elected official. The call is indeed coming from inside the house.

Police respond to assault at school in Clarksburg

Montgomery County police were called to a school in Clarksburg yesterday afternoon, after someone reported having been the victim of a 2nd-degree assault there. The assault was reported at a school in the 23900 block of Burdette Forest Road at 5:12 PM Wednesday. Little Bennett Elementary School is located at 23930 Burdette Forest Road.

Shooting in Damascus

Montgomery County police responded to a report of a shooting in Damascus last night. The shooting was reported in the 9800 block of Bethesda Church Road at 10:33 PM. That is a notoriously high-crime area of Damascus, and home to a cluster of Section 8 housing. Officers responding to the scene found a male victim suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was transported to a local hospital in serious condition. Police have not provided an update on his condition as of this writing.

Squatter evicted from Gaithersburg apartment

A squatter was discovered inside a vacant apartment in Gaithersburg last Friday, June 12, 2026. The squatter was found inside an apartment in the 800 block of Clopper Road at 5:00 PM. When confronted, the suspect fled the building.

Strong-arm robbery at Rio Lakefront in Gaithersburg

Montgomery County police responded to a report of a strong-arm robbery at Rio Lakefront in Gaithersburg Saturday night, June 13, 2026. The assault and robbery were reported on Rio Boulevard at 10:08 PM Saturday. 

Austrian life sciences firm chooses Virginia over Maryland for U.S. headquarters

Austrian life sciences firm Ringana has made the United States the target of its next international expansion push, but first it needed a U.S. corporate headquarters to operate from. It has found the perfect location, and you won't be surprised to hear it is not in Montgomery County, or even within the state of Maryland. You also won't be surprised to learn that Virginia is once again the winner in this latest corporate HQ sweepstakes. That's right: 435 jobs are on the way from the Österreich to 2797 Frontage Road NW in Roanoke, Virginia. The former Johnson & Johnson site will not only house corporate offices, but also a manufacturing facility and a distribution center.

The deal was apparently secured when Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger invited Ringana corporate leadership to meet with her personally this past February. In contrast, Maryland Governor Wes Moore has failed to turn his supposedly-massive Rolodex of Wall Street, Hamptons, and Martha's Vineyard business contacts into a single major corporate headquarters win. After an awkward few months dominated by divisive partisan politics, Spanberger seems to have found the blueprint left behind by her Democratic predecessors, who have typically been as successful in attracting corporate headquarters as their Republican counterparts.

“RINGANA’s decision to establish its first U.S. facility in Virginia underscores the Commonwealth’s reputation as a welcoming, premier destination for international investment,” Spanberger said in a statement. “With our world-class workforce, strong apprenticeship and career training programs, and unwavering commitment to supporting global companies in a global marketplace, Virginia offers the ideal environment for businesses to grow and succeed in the United States. We are excited to welcome RINGANA to Roanoke and look forward to the hundreds of career opportunities this partnership will create for Virginians.”

We should take note of the site chosen by Ringana. Look how close it is to Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport, which has connecting flights to Dulles International Airport. Also nearby is Interstate 81, a major freight trucking route connecting Tennessee and Canada. Once again, Virginia tax advantages join with infrastructure to hand Maryland and Montgomery County yet another economic development loss. MoCo and Maryland elected officials will tell you with clownish pride that "we don't do highways," and that they will never allow construction of the long-delayed new Potomac River crossing to the Dulles area.

Now before we get too carried away, I don't want to overhype Ringana. We should be focused on major corporations, especially on aerospace, biotech, defense, and technology firms. Ringana is not a Fortune 500 company. But it has enjoyed $245 million in annual revenue, and 30% year-over-year revenue growth. It will be investing $85 million in Virginia and its people and communities. The Roanoke Regional Partnership is already working to connect local businesses that can provide services to Ringana with the company's leadership.

Beggars can't be choosers. Montgomery County and Maryland once again are left holding their nearly-empty begging cups.

Armand's Pizzeria latest victim of the moribund Montgomery County economy

Armand's Pizzeria and Grille is closing at 190 Halpine Road in Rockville. After over 51 years in business, the restaurant's co-owners announced on Instagram that they will permanently shut their doors after the close of business on June 20, 2026. This is your last chance to get a slice of Armand's pizza. But it's also another chance to see what the anti-business policies of the Montgomery County Council, and the resulting moribund Montgomery County economy, have wreaked on our business community and underfilled County revenue coffers.

WTOP reporter Luke Lukert wrote that "due to financial reasons and a struggling environment for small businesses, they will have to shut their doors." Lukert interviewed Armand's co-owner Chris Sappe, who told him,"Montgomery County is a tough place to have a family-owned business with minimum wage increasing." Along with recent hikes in ingredient and fuel costs, Sappe said, they had to make the difficult decision to close.

Let's again spin one of the greatest hits recorded by Peter Gragnano of the Suburban Washington Franchise Owners Association, when he and many other business owners and advocates pleaded with the Council not to move forward with their massive minimum wage hike in June of 2016. "That's a lot of extra Slurpees to sell," Gragnano said in the quote of the night. Did the Council heed these warnings? Nope.

Remember the Council's brilliant idea to index the minimum wage to inflation beginning in 2021? Yep, that one hasn't aged well, either. One businessman warned the Council that if inflation spiked as it did in the late 1970s and early 1980s, "there won't be a way to wash a dish in a restaurant." This is the man you should now be asking to generate your lottery numbers! Inflation spike? In America? The County Council clearly does not share that businessman's Kenny Kingston-esque foresight.

Another one of the brilliant minds in the business realm of Maryland is Maddy Voytek, who in 2016 was working at the Maryland Retailers Association. She noted that Montgomery County had already lost 2141 retail jobs between 2000 and 2016. Voytek told the Council that adoption of the $15 wage would "devastate our economy."

What we've seen most recently, as all of these dire predictions came true, are more closings of older businesses. Community institutions. Businesses like Armand's or Flanagan's in Bethesda. Businesses that have survived wars, recessions, and the 2008 "Great Recession," only to be felled now by the incompetents on our County Council. Something is rotten in the County of Montgomery. Have the smelling salts reached your nostrils yet?

Germantown test ride turns into grand theft electric dirtbike

Who is stealing the dirt bikes of upper Montgomery County? There is another theft to report today, this time of an electric model. According to Montgomery County police, a seller met a supposed prospective buyer of an electric dirt bike in the 13100 block of Middlebrook Road at 6:00 PM last night. The "buyer" asked if they could take a test ride on the bike. Alas, the test rider rode off into the night, never to be seen again. Police have not released a description of the suspect, nor of the bike model stolen, as of this writing.

Strong-arm bikejacking in Montgomery Village

Montgomery County police responded to a strong-arm carjacking in Montgomery Village Monday night that turned out to be a bikejacking. The victim and suspect had agreed to meet in the 20100 block of Waringwood Way so the suspect could purchase the victim's dirt bike. But when the suspect arrived at 8:44 PM, they took the bike by force and rode off into the night. Police have not released a description of the suspect as of this writing.

Montgomery County Republican Club endorses Ed Hale for Maryland governor

Baltimore businessman Ed Hale has received the endorsement of the Montgomery County Republican Club in the GOP primary race for Maryland governor. The club was founded in 1970, and counts former Governor Bob Ehrlich among its Advisory Board members. This morning, the club's Board of Directors announced its endorsements in County and State contests, headlined by its backing of Hale for governor. 

"At the top of the ticket, the Club has thrown its support behind Ed Hale for Governor of Maryland," the Board said in a statement this morning. "A businessman and entrepreneur, Hale has built his campaign around lowering the state’s tax burden, reducing regulatory obstacles to commerce, and restoring an economic climate in which job creators can thrive. The Club presents Hale’s real-world experience as a decisive credential for Maryland’s executive office."

The Board's argument in favor of Hale centers on his business resume, which includes having been a major employer and catalyst for growth at the Port of Baltimore. He served as president of the Bank of Baltimore, and was the founder of 1st Mariner Bank, credentials that Hale has pointed to as evidence he is well-positioned to tackle the state's mounting fiscal crisis. Hale was also the successful developer of Canton Crossing, which transformed a severely-contaminated oil refinery site in Baltimore into a vibrant mixed-use development.

"Honored and grateful to receive the official endorsement of the Montgomery County Republican Club!" Hale wrote on social media this morning. "Maryland is ready for a leader with real-world business experience who knows what it takes to lower the tax burden, cut through regulatory red tape, and restore a thriving economic climate where job creators and families can truly flourish. Thank you to the Club and all of its members for throwing your support behind our mission to bring decisive leadership to Annapolis. Together, we are going to build a stronger, more prosperous Maryland!"

Beazer Homes One Central condos now for sale in Gaithersburg

Brand-new condominiums are now available for purchase at One Central, a new development at MD 355 and Central Avenue in Gaithersburg. Up until recently, this was a verdant green space you would see from 355 alongside a single-family home that fronted onto Central Avenue. Beazer Homes has begun converting the property into a development of two-over-two condos that are constructed to resemble townhomes from the exterior. The 3-bedroom units are priced from $574,990 and $664,990. 

Beazer is marketing the homes as low-maintenance. You would be joining an HOA that provides landscaping, mowing and mulching services for the homesite your unit is located on; open-space landscaping of common-area open space; snow removal; trash pickup; and "water usage." Units have private garages with EV charger-ready electrical outlets. The development features forested areas, sidewalks, a playground park, and a dog park named Barkwood Park. One Central is only one superblock north of the Walnut Hill Shopping Center, which is anchored by an Aldi grocery store, and will soon have a Sheetz convenience store and mega gas station.

Samsung chooses Texas over Maryland for new U.S. corporate headquarters

Maryland dropped the ball - and dropped the call - on one of the biggest corporate headquarters relocation sweepstakes of 2026. South Korean technology giant Samsung is fleeing New Jersey after locating its U.S. headquarters there nearly 40 years ago. Up for grabs were not only the prestige of having the HQ of a conglomerate with fifth-highest brand value of any company in the world, but also 1000 high-wage jobs. You would expect Maryland, which hasn't attracted a single new major corporate headquarters in over a quarter century, to pull out all the stops to lure Samsung to the state. But you would be wrong: Samsung is instead moving its HQ to Plano, Texas.

How hard did Montgomery County and Maryland try to win the game? We don't know, because neither discussed their desire or strategy to win over Samsung publicly. We know Maryland Governor Wes Moore was in touch with executives of a Samsung biotech division when he traveled to South Korea on a trade mission in 2025. Those conversations played a role in Samsung Biologics agreeing to take over a Montgomery County manufacturing facility that was likely to close otherwise. Was Moore able to tap into those contacts during this year's HQ competition? We don't know.

What we do know, is that Montgomery County and Maryland again reaped the whirlwind of failing to get themselves into fighting shape for economic development. While the Maryland tax burden is less than New Jersey's, it cannot remotely compete with Samsung's choice of Texas. The Lone Star State has no individual or corporate income tax. Maryland, whose leaders chose to close 8 power plants and implement "clean" power mandates and a Communist EmPOWER surcharge on electric bills, can no longer generate enough power and is forced to import electricity at higher "boardwalk prices." As a result, energy costs in Texas are literally half of those in Maryland. 

Those two factors alone were likely enough to convince any intelligent executive to choose Texas over Maryland. But wait - there's more.

Texas has superior highway and air travel infrastructure. Dallas Fort Worth International Airport is closer by car to Plano than Montgomery County is to Dulles International Airport, thanks to Montgomery County and Maryland officials actively blocking construction of a long-planned Potomac River crossing to the Dulles area. 

There's also no contest when it comes to private jet travel. Business executives can travel to international destinations like London and Mexico City from Addison Airport, located only 12-17 minutes from Plano. Such jaunts are not possible from the Montgomery County Airpark, which cannot accommodate larger business jets. Addison has customs facilities; Montgomery County Airpark does not. Addison boasts 3 Fixed-Base Operators providing fueling, minor maintenance, deicing, and baggage handling; flight crew resources and facilities such as flight plan and weather rooms and crew lounges; and luxury VIP passenger lounges, secure parking, and corporate sedan/limousine ground transportation coordination. MCA has one FBO, which is limited to fueling and hangar storage, and does not offer luxury facilities or amenities.

Finally, Texas is a Right to Work state and has a far-cheaper cost of living than Maryland. This means lower overall labor costs, and the lower cost of housing and everything else helps to attract the best and brightest to Texas.

Texas has a whopping 57 Fortune 500 corporate headquarters. Maryland has...3. Womp womp.

"Texas is the undisputed headquarters of headquarters," Texas Governor Greg Abbott said in a (under)statement earlier this week. 

Hobby Lobby opens in Gaithersburg

Hobby Lobby is now open at 15750 Shady Grove Road at the 270 Center on the border of Gaithersburg with Rockville. This is the first Hobby Lobby store to open in Montgomery County. Right when you enter the vestibule, you are greeted with displays of decor and furniture that are currently on-sale. Operating hours for Hobby Lobby are 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM Monday through Saturday. The store is closed Sundays "to allow employees time for family and worship."

Another corporate headquarters leaving Montgomery County for Virginia

Just weeks before the primary election, Montgomery County has lost yet another corporate headquarters to Northern Virginia. Spatial Front, a defense contracting firm, has announced it will be relocating from Bethesda to Crystal City. It will take 450 high-wage jobs with it. Spatial Front is a privately held firm founded in 2008 that specializes in artificial intelligence, machine learning, geospatial technologies, cloud services, and digital modernization for U.S. federal agencies.

Beyond the incredible tax advantages and superior infrastructure of Virginia, and the moribund economies of Montgomery County and Maryland, a person in the defense contracting field tells me that the new Maryland IT services tax may have been the last straw for Spatial Front. Beginning last July, Maryland’s Budget Reconciliation and Financing Act of 2025 instituted a 3% sales and use tax on data processing, computer systems design, and software publishing. As the Fort Meade Alliance warned Maryland elected officials, the IT tax could have the result of driving what's left of the defense contracting business out of the state to Northern Virginia. That's partly because the tax wallops companies operating under the NAICS 5415 code (Computer Systems Design), the industry group said, and could wipe out profit margins.

The Spatial Front departure again confirms all that I've been saying for years. Montgomery County and Maryland do not have competitive tax policies. In fact, Montgomery County has the largest total tax and fee burden in the Washington D.C. Metro area. All Northern Virginia counties enjoy direct access to Dulles International Airport, the only airport in the region that offers the frequency of flights to the largest variety of destinations that international businesspeople demand. Montgomery County, by contrast, has steadfastly refused to build the new Potomac River crossing that would extend I-370 to the Dulles area, an own-goal of increasingly-catastrophic proportions. And we also see the magnetism of winning these corporate headquarters. Crystal City has the Amazon HQ2, and companies want to be where the energy is.

To top off the irony of the loss, Spatial Front is moving into 2231 Crystal Drive, a building owned by Bethesda-based JBG Smith! "As Governor, I am proud that Spatial Front is moving its headquarters to Arlington," Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger said in a celebratory press release announcing the victory. "The decision to relocate and bring hundreds of high-quality jobs to the Commonwealth reaffirms Virginia’s status as the nation’s premier location for defense and technology innovation. I remain focused on working with state and local partners to bolster that reputation, strengthen our business climate, and cement Virginia as the top state for talent so we can continue to openly welcome growing and expanding companies in every industry."

While Spanberger was closing the deal with Spatial Front, the Montgomery County Council was raising multiple taxes on its residential and business constituents, attending conferences at Hawaiian resorts, advancing a moratorium on data centers and an unconstitutional gun control bill, and passing a bill on the use of masks by law enforcement that violates the U.S. Constitution's Supremacy Clause. Doh!

Remember when Tennessee was sealing the deal after wooing Discovery away from Silver Spring, and the Montgomery County Council was simultaneously debating a ban on circus animals? Wow. Heckuva job, Brownie!

Germantown restaurant's contents to be auctioned off June 23

The contents of a restaurant in Germantown will be auctioned off starting on June 23, 2026. Described as a French bistro, the establishment appears to be the now-closed Laperaux: The Journeymanchef's French Bistro at 18056 Mateny Road at Cloppers Mill Village. Among the items hitting the auction block is one you rarely see in a Montgomery County restaurant liquidation: a baby grand piano. Check out the auction listing for all of the equipment up for grabs for the collector or budding restauranteur.

Brookes Manor apartment complex for sale in Gaithersburg

Brookes Manor, a low-rise apartment complex at 206 Brookes Avenue in Gaithersburg, is being marketed for sale. The 30-unit property is located in the City of Gaithersburg, which means it is exempt from the Montgomery County rent control law. A management firm is already in place, allowing more of a hands-off ownership style for the prospective buyer. The asking price is not given in the online listing, and you must sign a confidentiality agreement to view certain documents related to the property.

Two aggravated assaults in 2 hours & 10 minutes on same block in Germantown

What's going on in the 13100 block of Waters Landing Drive, folks? It was a rough afternoon outside of Waters Landing Elementary School in Germantown yesterday, May 31, 2026. Montgomery County police responded to two separate reports of aggravated assaults on that block just two hours and ten minutes apart. At 3:48 PM Sunday, multiple people were assaulted and injured by a suspect. And at 5:58 PM, two juveniles were walking along when they were assaulted by an unspecified number of suspects. Police have not released a description of any of the suspects involved in either assault.

Home invasion in Gaithersburg

Montgomery County police responded to a report of a home invasion in Gaithersburg Wednesday afternoon, May 27, 2026. A suspect entered a townhome in the 200 block of Lazy Hollow Drive at 2:33 PM. The intruder was confronted by a resident who was home at the time, and fled. Police did not release a description of the home invader.

Switchblade-wielding juvenile threatens cineplex employee in Gaithersburg

Movie theater workers have it hard enough, sweeping up spilled popcorn and mopping up sticky soda after every screening for modest pay. Monday night at Rio Lakefront in Gaithersburg, they also had to deal with a violent customer. According to Montgomery County police, a patron at the AMC DINE-IN Rio Cinemas 18 pulled out a switchblade at 9:37 PM Monday, and threatened a theater employee. The juvenile suspect apparently escaped arrest. 

Ed Hale racking up endorsements in Maryland governor race

Baltimore businessman Ed Hale has picked up the endorsement of several prominent Maryland Republicans as the June 23 primary election rapidly approaches. Delegate Kathy Szeliga (R - District 7a) and her district colleague Ryan Nawrocki (R) announced they are backing Hale at a press conference. Nawrocki picked up on one of Hale's signature issues, lowering utility bills, by noting that Governor Wes Moore's electric bill relief plan provides less than $13 a month to ratepayers. "Not even the price of a gumball," Nawrocki said.

Hale has also pulled off something of a coup in earning the endorsement of his biggest primary rival's own 2022 running mate. Gordana Schifanelli ran for lieutenant governor that year on a ticket with Dan Cox, who is running again this year with a different running mate, Rob Krop. Schifanelli not only isn't running alongside Cox this time, but has come out in support of Hale. An attorney from Queen Anne's County, Schifanelli retains a significant statewide following from that high-profile 2022 race and her own independent activism. 

At a separate press conference, Schifanelli touted Hale's "wisdom, his experience, his knowledge in business." Referring to Hale's rags-to-riches success story, and the moribund state of the Maryland economy, Schifanelli responded to the biggest critique of Hale by his primary opponents: his recent party switch from Democrat to Republican. "I don't care if he was a Democrat, or if he's a Martian, for that matter, if he has experience to fix this economic disaster," she said. Szeliga also took that attack line head-on, recalling that Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump were once Democrats.

Car stolen from apartment complex in Germantown

Montgomery County police responded to a report of a stolen vehicle at an apartment complex in Germantown yesterday, May 25, 2026. The vehicle was parked outside of a building in the 13400 block of Daventry Way. Police believe the vehicle was taken sometime between 7:00 PM Sunday night, and 1:00 AM Monday morning. They say that the owner "accidentally left the keys inside" the vehicle.

Strong-arm robbery at gas station in Montgomery Village

"Crime is down" in Montgomery County, and if you don't believe it, just ask the afternoon cashier at the BP gas station in Montgomery Village. Three juveniles entered the station's convenience store at 5:15 PM on May 11, 2026. They proceeded to physically assault the cashier, and pocket some merchandise, to boot. Montgomery County police were able to locate and arrest one of the three youths.

Police are still looking for the other two juveniles, who remain at-large. They are described only as two Black males aged 13-14. Yet another violent crime taking place in broad daylight in Montgomery County, a disturbing recent trend.

Police investigate shots-fired incident in Montgomery Village

Several Montgomery Village residents called 911 last night and reported hearing gunfire in the 18500 block of Locust Point Court. Montgomery County police were dispatched to the scene at 10:16 PM Thursday, May 21, 2026. Officers arriving at the scene were able to locate evidence that weapons had been discharged in that area. No injuries were reported, and no suspects are in custody at this time.

Gaithersburg approves signage for Kitchen Social

Kitchen Social has received approval for the signage it has proposed for installation at its Downtown Crown location from the City of Gaithersburg. The restaurant chain had to request an exemption, because the dimensions of the signage exceed the standards laid out in the Downtown Crown master plan. Branham Sign designed the signage, which will consist of the main sign above the entrance, and two pedestrian-facing blade signs. The Gaithersburg Planning Commission approved the signage at its meeting last night. Kitchen Social is expected to open this summer at 203 Crown Park Avenue.

Rendering courtesy Branham Sign

Airsoft guns fired inside Germantown McDonald's

An Airsoft-toting posse rolled up on a McDonald's in Germantown and treated diners to an eight gun salute yesterday afternoon, May 19, 2026. According to Montgomery County police, seven or eight male suspects entered the restaurant at 12982 Middlebrook Road at 5:00 PM Tuesday. They allegedly were carrying Airsoft guns, which they proceeded to fire inside the restaurant, and outside in the parking lot. Police have not released descriptions of the suspects involved.

Woman surprised by intruder in her Gaithersburg apartment

Crime is down in Montgomery County! Sure, Jan. A woman returning to her apartment in Gaithersburg yesterday was surprised to find an intruder inside. Montgomery County police say the intruder, whose gender and description were not detailed, was hiding inside the apartment in the 9800 block of Mahogany Drive when the woman returned home at 5:12 PM Monday. According to police, the intruder left the apartment after being discovered, and did not physically harm the woman. The suspect presumably remains at large.

Signage installed at Hobby Lobby in Gaithersburg

The sign is up at Montgomery County's first Hobby Lobby store at 15750 Shady Grove Road at the 270 Center, on the border of Gaithersburg with Rockville. And the window coverings are down, and you know what that means: It's sneak peek time, for our first look at the interior of the County's first Hobby Lobby. All of the shelving and display stands appear to be in place, as well as wayfaring signage. I can see signs at the back wall of the store denoting the adult long sleeve shirts section.

Cash registers are in place and plugged in at the checkouts. They are currently set to Training Mode, as the newly-hired employees prepare for the June 1, 2026 opening date. The big sign above the storefront has only increased the excitement level about Hobby Lobby's imminent arrival. Readers of this blog have known about it since I first broke the story way back last August. But now the many people who don't follow any local news websites are seeing this sign as they drive past. They're pulling into the 270 Center parking lot just to take a closer look. Even the other tenants here are pumped up, as you can imagine the increase in foot traffic Hobby Lobby is going to bring to the 270 Center.

Montgomery County Council raising taxes on the middle class, cutting taxes for cartel oligarchs

The Montgomery County Council is dropping the hammer on middle class residents in its massive $7.9 billion tax-and-fee-hike FY-2027 budget, which was approved in a 9-2 vote yesterday. Councilmembers Andrew Friedson and Dawn Luedtke were the only two opposed. Facing an ongoing structural budget deficit of its own design, the Council did what it always does - reward its cartel political patrons with taxpayer largesse, protect and preserve reckless spending, raise fees, and deliver a property tax hike. But they weren't done yet! The Council added a massive income tax increase for "rich" residents making...$1 million? $2 million? Billions? No! The new wealth tax will be paid by every County resident making (in Dr. Evil voice) $150,000 or more.

If you are making $150,000 and live in Montgomery County in the year 2026, you are squarely middle class. If you are making $75,000 (the Council's laughably-outdated measure of a Joe Six Pack), you're effectively poor, and maybe getting by paycheck-to-paycheck - if you're lucky. Interestingly, no one in the local press besides me is pointing this reality out. But that's par for the course for our media Fifth Column of fellow travelers.

Affordability? Hah! The Council, which draws itself a $168,000 salary at taxpayer expense each year for their part-time Council "jobs," is once again laughing at you. Yes, this is the same Council who insiders say refer to you, the taxpayers, behind closed doors as "losers" and "suckers." Well, you lost again yesterday, your bank account will lose even more, and you'll be a sucker for sure if you vote to re-elect these incompetent criminals this November.

You're paying double what you were for groceries just six years ago, gas prices are skyrocketing, cars are priced as luxury items now, utility bills are crushing you monthly, and insurance companies are price-gouging you with impunity. What does the Council do to address the affordability crisis? Raise your income tax, raise your property tax, raise the fees you pay, and - get this - eliminate the Income Tax Offset Credit that homeowners were eligible for. That makes two property tax hikes in one budget!

Now, the Council provided its farcical definition of "rich" as those of you making $150,000 and up. Do you know what they consider a lavish mansion? Homes worth $800,000 and up. It's not just their policies that are stuck in the Woodstock era, but their entire grasp on economics. Then again, nobody on the Council went to Yale or Harvard exactly. $800,000 and up? That's basically any home inside the Beltway that's not an as-is fixer-upper, and a huge percentage of homes outside the Beltway.

Think about the federal government workers the Council claimed they were so worried about. A large percentage of those workers are making $150,000 and up. Now they're getting slammed with a double property tax increase, and an income tax hike. You can see that the Council doesn't give a damn about you or your struggles, or about the rest of us private sector taxpayers.

Who does the Council give a damn about?

The Montgomery County cartel that gets them elected, and from whom they take their marching orders. That's the real estate developer oligarchs, the Council-connected "non-profits" who funnel taxpayer funding they receive back to the campaign accounts of councilmembers, and certain labor unions. All got fully funded in this budget. Montgomery County Public Schools got a massive increase in funding, while their enrollment of actual students is dwindling by the year. Make it make sense.

When you think of these synthetic-left councilmembers raising taxes on hardworking middle class residents at a time of financial struggle, think of the oligarchy. Think of the 20-year property tax exemption that the Council provided for their millionaire and billionaire oligarch developer sugar daddies just months ago. It applies to nearly every apartment development, and therefore is robbing the County coffers of billions in revenue. That fiscal impact was already felt this year. Billions going into the pockets of billionaires, instead of schools, police officer hiring, infrastructure, libraries and parks, for at least the next twenty years.

Who will make up for all that lost revenue, and the structural budget deficit the Council itself created earlier this century? Once again, the Council made clear: You, the taxpayer. You, the homeowner. You, the small business owner. You are the loser they mock. And the cartel oligarchs are once again the winners they reward - with your hard-earned income, and your equity and security in the home that was the biggest investment of your life. It turns out the government owned it all along!

Taxes going up, government and elected official salaries going up, traffic camera ticketing going up, and friends of the Council getting rich at the expense of taxpayers - all this happened in Bell, California, and elected officials there went to prison. All this is happening in Montgomery County right now. The County where oligarchs get richer, and their puppets on the Council drop an anvil on the middle class to make sure the numbers work out.

Whip Clean Car Wash aiming for June opening in Gaithersburg

Construction on the new Whip Clean Car Wash at 391 Muddy Branch Road in Gaithersburg is nearing the finish line. The company says they now hope to open in the second or third week of June. Construction on the facility began last July. The car wash is located at the Festival at Muddy Branch shopping center.

Photo courtesy Whip Clean Car Wash 

Police investigate cocaine dealing in Montgomery Village

Montgomery County police responded to a report of drug dealing at a townhome in Montgomery Village this past Tuesday night, May 12, 2026. The alleged drug activity was reported at a townhome in the 19700 block of Greenside Terrace at 8:20 PM. Cocaine was the illegal substance allegedly being sold.

Armed robbery at CVS in Derwood

Montgomery County police responded to a report of an armed robbery at a CVS Pharmacy in Derwood yesterday, May 12, 2026. The robbery took place at the CVS at 17651 Redland Road at 5:35 PM Tuesday. According to police, three suspects entered the store and attempted to shoplift merchandise. When the store manager confronted them, one of the suspects drew a knife and told the manager they would kill him. The three suspects then successfully fled the store with stolen merchandise.

Police have not released descriptions of the suspects. They did not indicate how the three avoided appearing on the many surveillance cameras inside the CVS. This was - yet again - another violent crime taking place during daylight hours, the latest trend in the six year Montgomery County crime wave.