Was at a movie at Rio today when the fire alarms went off around 3 pm. Whole building was evacuated. We ended up leaving to go home, as being outside in the heat was too brutal. Any updates on what happened?
PSA: Just a reminder that Montgomery County has eliminated the Income Tax Offset Credit (ITOC).
Beginning with the tax year starting July 1, 2026, the prior $692 credit for owner-occupied residential properties has been reduced to $0.00. You will see this change in your new property tax bill, which was issued today.
Should you be so inclined, you can go here to see your new bill and compare it to the old one:
https://apps.montgomerycountymd.gov/realpropertytax/
Note that the standard Maryland Homestead Tax Credit (the 10% assessment cap) remains active and is unaffected by this change.
July 2, 2026 -
We're near Rio and our power went out around 8pm.... came back on at 9.30pm.... but only for 2-3 minutes! if you're power is out too, i hope you are ok.
if you're driving, be aware of no street lamps and no traffic lights.
if you live near people who might need assitance (elderly, impaired, lots of kids), please consider being a good neighbor and check in on them.
https://www.pepco.com/outages/experiencing-an-outage/view-outage-map
I know everyone remembers the Sbarro, Mcdonalds, or Subway but what about the more obscure joints.
Farmer's Basket, Frank & Stein, Noah's Pretzels, Maui Taco, Jumbo Cafe, Saladworks, U.S. Bistro, Mr. Smoothie, Coffee Beanery, Chocolate Botique, Pastelandia, Ms. Fields, Pretzel Time, & the no-name buffetts?
Any stories? Please share!
GAITHERSBURG, Md. — The city of Gaithersburg had the highest per capita collision rate among the peer communities.
Hired by the city, Kimley-Horn project manager David Samba said Monday that total and severe collisions in the city rose during the pandemic and have continued to rise since.
https://gburgnews.substack.com/p/citys-own-study-says-gaithersburg
GAITHERSBURG — Police booked at least five named people over eleven days in June, logging arrests that ran from a cancelled-license stop to a theft charge against an 18-year-old, according to police reports.
https://gburgnews.substack.com/p/gaithersburg-police-blotter-weapons
PSA for anyone driving I-270 around Clarksburg:
Today I watched what was unmistakably an undercover police vehicle, a newer silver Nissan Sentra, absolutely hauling southbound just past Hyattstown toward Clarksburg with full red and blue lights lit up.
I have to admit, I did a double take. I always assumed U.S. police fleets were almost exclusively American-made because of fleet purchasing practices, yet here comes Officer Altima’s little brother running Code 3 down 270.
Honestly, from a stealth perspective, it’s kind of brilliant. Everybody is scanning their mirrors for Explorers, Tahoes, Chargers, F-150s, or maybe an unmarked Mustang. Meanwhile, the silver Sentra you’ve ignored for the last five miles turns out to be the one with the disco lights.
So now I’m curious:
• Has anyone else seen this car?
• Which agency is running it? Maryland State Police? Montgomery County? Someone else?
• Have you spotted any other undercover vehicles lately that completely broke the stereotype?
Just figured I’d give everyone a heads-up because if this is becoming a trend, “that can’t be a cop” is no longer a reliable method of identifying undercover units.
Also, somewhere, Nissan’s marketing department is smiling. “Built for commuting. Occasionally for emergency response.”
They started spreading these little white spheres all over the trails a couple weeks ago. Looks kind of like fertilizer, but...don't know why they would put that out on the dirt trails. Tick killer maybe? Anybody know? Thanks!
With every precinct counted, Gaithersburg Mayor Jud Ashman leads Rockville City Councilmember Izola “Zola” Shaw by 424 votes in the Montgomery County Council District 3 Democratic primary, a margin so thin that days after polls closed, no one has formally won the seat.
https://gburgnews.substack.com/p/less-than-425-votes-separate-gaithersburg
Is anyone else hearing this odd super loud booming sound? It’s at a consistent pattern; doesn’t sound like fireworks or thunder. It’s been happening for about 5 minutes now. Can hear it from the Rio.
On the off chance anyone is free tonight and wants to catch a very cool author talk, join us at the Gaithersburg Library for Devin Allen, as part of MCPL's Juneteenth Author Talk series. Devin is well known for being only the third amateur photog to have his work on the cover of Time, when his photograph of the Baltimore Uprising was featured on the cover in May 2015. He has a list of accolades too long to copy here, but you can find them at the link below.
Our friends at The Paper Heart Bookstore will be there selling books. The event starts at 6:30 - if you're feeling it, come through!
I am in the early stages of looking at buying a condo in Kentlands and nearby and wanted to know if anyone would be willing to share their experiences. Looks like Colonnade offers garage parking, a definite perk. Monthly HOA fees seem high but I can't tell if they're reasonable for what they cover. My good friend in Denver lives in a condo and her HOA fee covers trash, heat, gas, the common building, electricity, internet, and cable, as well as recurring community events.
The Gaithersburg Planning Commission voted unanimously on June 17th to approve an amendment to the final site plan for the renovation of an existing building and adjacent site that will become the city’s future City Hall at 12 South Summit Avenue.
https://gburgnews.substack.com/p/gaithersburg-planning-commission-375