Maryland Gov. Wes Moore to attend hotel ribbon cutting in Gaithersburg

Maryland Governor Wes Moore (D) will participate in a ribbon-cutting at the newly-renovated DoubleTree by Hilton at 620 Perry Parkway in Gaithersburg on Thursday, March 23, 2023 at 3:30 PM. Gaithersburg Mayor Jud Ashman will also be there. The extensive renovations added a Made Market that features Starbucks coffee and grab-and-go breakfast items. Downstairs, the lobby was reconfigured, and on the main level, a Knife & Fork Lounge was constructed. 

Apartment-style suites with full kitchens are now among the room types guests may choose from. Fitness facilities and event spaces were also fully updated. The hotel is close to the Montgomery County Fairgrounds, and the Montgomery County Airpark.

Montgomery County Metro ridership up 94.6% year-over-year

Montgomery County commuters have been returning to the Metro subway system in force in recent months, according to the latest data from WMATA, the D.C.-area transportation authority that operates it. Ridership in January 2023, the most recent month for which data has been made public, was up 94.6% over January 2022. Pandemic-era data released by Google in 2020-2022 had shown much weaker ridership, and a turtle-like pace of increasing return to the system after the initial lockdown of 2020.

A Red Line train approaches the
Rockville station

The biggest surges, 296.6% at Shady Grove and 263.6% at Rockville, may have had more to do with maintenance-related closures at those stops over the last two years. Grosvenor-Strathmore was the next-highest, with an increase of 140.5%. Twinbrook had the smallest increase at 8.7%. WMATA's numbers are based upon the number of entries and exits recorded at each station, so they do not count gate jumpers, only paying customers.

Several Montgomery Village-area public schools are on lockdown after shooting at nearby apartment complex

Montgomery County police announced at 1:14 PM this afternoon, March 7, 2023, that several public schools in the Montgomery Village area of the county are sheltering in place, for a "police investigation." The department has not released any details as to why. Schools sheltering in place include Watkins Mill Elementary School, Stedwick Elementary School, Whetstone Elementary School, Montgomery Village Middle School, and Watkins Mill High School. @MoCoPGNews on Twitter is reporting that suspects in a double shooting at an apartment complex off Walkers Choice Road after noon today remain at large.

Bacon Ranch McCrispy arrives at McDonald's in Montgomery County

The new Bacon Ranch McCrispy has arrived at McDonald's restaurants in Montgomery County. While the limited-time-only menu item is scheduled to be available nationwide on March 13, 2023, it is popping up early at McDonald's locations in Montgomery County. The Bacon Ranch McCrispy sandwich features a "whole muscle chicken filet," topped with a special ranch sauce on both the top and bottom buns, applewood smoked bacon and crinkle-cut pickles. A Deluxe version adds sliced Roma tomatoes and shredded lettuce.

Gaithersburg office building sold

Edge Commercial Real Estate, which was recently acquired by commercial real estate firm KNLB, is making news again. The firm just successfully brokered a sale of an office building at 811 Russell Avenue in Gaithersburg. Russell Plaza, LLC acquired the 1997 structure from seller Finmarc Management for $4.075 million. The property is located at the gateway to Montgomery Village off Montgomery Village Avenue, and is also close to the site of Lakeforest Mall, which is expected to be redeveloped as a mixed-use development in 2024. Joe Friedman of Edge says "there is a lot of runway for growth" in the Montgomery Village area.

Rise Southern Biscuits & Righteous Chicken to hold Grand Opening event March 11 in Gaithersburg

Rise Southern Biscuits & Righteous Chicken opened February 19 at 16248 Frederick Road at the Rock Grove shopping center. Now it will be holding a Grand Opening event on Saturday, March 11, 2023. There will be giveaways, and 10% of all sales that day will be donated to the Montgomery County Humane Society in Rockville. You can also enter now to possibly win free food for a year, meaning $10 per week in free food and drink at Rise. The winner's weekly stipend will be issued through the restaurant's Rewards program.

Photo courtesy Rise Southern Biscuits & Righteous Chicken

Arrest made in armed robbery of Summit Shell in Gaithersburg

Rockville City police officers converged on Richard Montgomery High School Monday, and arrested a student in connection with the February 20, 2023 armed robbery of a Gaithersburg gas station. Jeffrey Gabriel Johnson, 18, of Rockville was taken into custody at the school without incident. Johnson has been charged with armed robbery, first-degree assault, and second-degree assault. He is being held at the County's Central Processing Unit.

Detectives allege that Johnson and an accomplice entered the convenience store at the Summit Shell gas station at 15 South Summit Avenue at 9:52 AM on February 20, which was a school holiday. One of the two - police have not said which one - pulled a knife from his waistband. He allegedly ran behind the counter, threatened the cashier with the knife, and demanded he open the cash register. 

The clerk opened the cash drawer, and the armed suspect grabbed an unspecified amount of cash. Both suspects then ran out of the store. The second suspect, also an African-American male, has not been publicly identified by police and remains at large. Given that the police statement does not ask for the public's help in finding him, it's likely detectives know who they are looking for.