Boby's Furniture burglarized in Montgomery Village

Boby's Furniture was burglarized in broad daylight on September 29, 2024, according to Montgomery County police. But it doesn't sound like much of a crime. Around 2:24 PM that afternoon, a male suspect entered the store at 9645 Lost Knife Road in Montgomery Village, and stole...nothing. The store is open at that time on Sundays; perhaps the suspect entered an employees-only area? Police describe the suspect as a Hispanic male around 40 years of age.

Gaithersburg Planning Commission to rule on final site plan for Walnut Hill Sheetz

The Final Site Plan for the second Gaithersburg location of Sheetz will go before the city's Planning Commission this Wednesday night, October 16, 2024 for possible approval. Proposed for the parking lot of the Walnut Hill Shopping Center at 16529 S. Frederick Avenue are a 4959-square-foot Sheetz convenience store, with six, double-sided gasoline filling stations. The plan also includes new east and west sidewalk connections to increase pedestrian access to the site, a new retaining wall and fence to be constructed to the east of the site, and a new trash enclosure facing South Westland Drive. Planning staff are recommending approval of the site plan with conditions, including correction of minor drafting errors on the Final Site and Forest Conservation plans, and revision of the recently-approved comprehensive sign plan for the shopping center to include the new Sheetz signage.

Mayan Monkey Brewing Co. installs signage in Gaithersburg (Photos)

Exterior signage has been installed at Mayan Monkey Brewing Co. at 227 E. Diamond Avenue in Olde Towne Gaithersburg. The brewery missed an early summer opening date, but activity at the former Growlers building has created confusion about whether Mayan Monkey is open or not. So much so, that they have had to post an all-caps disclaimer on each of their Instagram posts stressing that they are not open. A number of private events have been held that were invitation-only. The brewery's website still says "Coming soon!"

Big Lots closing in Germantown

Big Lots is closing at 20926 Frederick Road at the Milestone Shopping Center in Germantown. This is one of 46 additional Big Lots store closures found on a list posted by Columbus Business First. Fortunately, the Big Lots in Montgomery Village is not on the list. Big Lots filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on September 9, 2024, the latest victim of America's vanishing middle class. 

Boyds burglars sought by Montgomery County police

Montgomery County police are seeking the public's help in identifying and locating two suspects who allegedly burglarized a home in Boyds on September 26, 2024. At 8:35 AM, the two suspects were caught on camera entering a house in the 22000 block of Knoll Crest Court. One of the two suspects is described by police as a White male of unknown age wearing a black jacket, black pants, and black sneakers. If you can identify either suspect, or have any information about this burglary, you are asked to call police at  1-866-411-8477. Tipsters may remain anonymous.

NIST awards potential $1.5 million to develop regenerative medicine curricula

Gaithersburg's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has awarded a potential $1.5 million to two organizations, with the goal of developing regenerative medicine standards curricula. Brammer Bio, LLC, and Gaithersburg's own Standards Coordinating Body (SCB) for Gene, Cell and Regenerative Medicines and Cell-Based Drug Discovery, will each receive $250,000 per year, with the option to renew for up to three addition years of funding. 

Regenerative medicine includes cell therapy, gene therapy, and therapeutic tissue engineering. It relies on the human body's own healing abilities to regenerate or replace damaged organs, cells, and tissue. As a rapidly-growing field in medicine and research, regenerative medicine is a promising new avenue in preventing, treating, and curing cancer and genetic disorders.

NIST was charged by the U.S. Congress last year to help develop the regenerative medicine workforce of the future. It oversaw a competitive process earlier this year, through which the two winning organizations were identified. Now these organizations will endeavor to create training programs on the standards, protocols, and measurements that will provide a foundation for the field going forward.

“We are thrilled to announce our new partnerships to develop an innovative standards education program, paving the way for flexible and immersive learning experiences that support advanced biomanufacturing,” Sheng Lin-Gibson, chief of NIST’s Biosystems and Biomaterials Division, said in a statement this morning. “These educational programs will facilitate the adoption of standards and best practices to increase quality and consistency of advanced therapies and ultimately bring down costs.”

Photo courtesy Robert Rathe/NIST

Sam's Car Wash expanding to Damascus

Damascus drivers will soon have a new car wash option close to home. Sam's Car Wash is planning to open a Damascus location at 26201 Ridge Road (MD 27). According to the company, Sam's is the oldest family-owned-and-operated car wash business in the Washington, D.C. area. Monthly memberships and commercial fleet services are available. It looks like they still offer self-serve car wash bays, a feature rapidly disappearing from some competing car wash chains in Montgomery County.