Auto parts theft spree in Edgemoor neighborhood of Bethesda

One or more auto thieves went on a theft spree in the Edgemoor neighborhood of Bethesda over the night between October 6 and October 7, 2025. Auto parts were stolen from vehicles parked in the 6600 block of Fairfax Road, the 6700 block of Fairfax Road, and the 7100 block Exfair Road. Montgomery County police have not made a public statement about this theft spree yet. Typically, these thieves are seeking airbags and catalytic converters.

Coach reopening Friday at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

The Coach store at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda is expected to reopen tomorrow, October 10, 2025. That's very appropriate, as Friday is also National Handbag Day, for those who celebrate. Many handbags from Coach's fall collection will be in stock, as will large Kisslock bags. The store had to close briefly this week to complete renovations on the space. 

Robbery at Domino's Pizza in Bethesda

Montgomery County police are searching for two suspects who held up the Domino's Pizza store at 4817 St. Elmo Avenue in downtown Bethesda. The robbery took place on September 23, 2025 at 10:41 PM. Coincidentally - or not, Papa John's in downtown Bethesda was robbed eight days later.

Police describe the Domino's robbery suspects only as two Black males, and have not released any surveillance camera images of them as of this writing. The two alleged robbers escaped with cash from the store. If you have any information about the suspects or this incident, call police at (301) 279-8000.

ATM installed at new Citibank branch in Bethesda

Workers installed the ATM machine outside of the future Citibank branch at 4760 Bethesda Avenue yesterday. The bank is filling the space that was vacated by Paul Bakery several years ago in the ground floor of the Flats at Bethesda Avenue apartments. Citibank is the new Chase and TD Bank, two other banking giants who made aggressive moves into Bethesda over the last decade. Their other new branch will be at 8101 Wisconsin Avenue, only a few blocks away from this one. Sound familiar?

By the way, did you know BlackRock now owns the Flats at Bethesda? They acquired it back in 2018. So the next time someone tells you it's only a conspiracy theory that BlackRock has been buying up a large percentage of housing across America, and are thereby helping to drive up prices...yep, they are just gaslighting you.

Heven AeroTech chooses Virginia over Maryland for new corporate HQ

Montgomery County and Maryland have failed yet again to win another corporate headquarters competition. The winner in the contest is a familiar one: Northern Virginia. Heven AeroTech is moving its U.S. headquarters from Miami to Sterling, Virginia. The firm specializes in the design, manufacture, and deployment hydrogen-powered, runway-independent drones around the world. Needless to say, this is a booming field, as drones are the future of warfare, and are also being utilized in a growing number of non-military sectors of the economy.

A quick look at the map shows once again the critical importance of having direct access to Dulles International Airport for economic development. Heven AeroTech's new HQ address, 45240 Business Court, is 4 minutes from the airport. It's also right adjacent to VA 28, in which the state has invested greatly to bring it up to interstate highway standards, by constructing numerous interchanges. That's the same VA 28 that Montgomery County and Maryland could have made a direct highway connection to via a new Potomac River crossing many years ago, but have defiantly chosen not to.

The results continue to speak for themselves. We are falling further and further behind in the game, at an accelerating pace. According to Business Facilities magazine, in Fairfax County alone, 75 of that county's 125 aerospace firms have moved or expanded there in just the last three years. Montgomery County hasn't attracted a single major new corporate headquarters - of any type - in over 25 years. 

Our "leaders" have made the deliberate decision to not give ourselves the Dulles advantage, and to continue to follow a tax-and-spend blueprint that is not only not competitive with rival jurisdictions, but now represents the greatest tax and fee burden in the entire region. Heckuva job, Brownie!

Assault at hotel in Bethesda

Montgomery County police were called to a hotel in downtown Bethesda late Friday afternoon, October 3, 2025, after someone reported having been the victim of a 2nd-degree assault there. The assault was reported at a hotel in the 8100 block of Wisconsin Avenue at 5:45 PM Friday. There are two hotels on that block of Wisconsin: The Bethesdan Hotel, and the American Inn.

Update on Trader Joe's in Friendship Heights (Photos)

The interior fit-out of the new Trader Joe's grocery store at 5335 Wisconsin Avenue NW at Chevy Chase Pavilion in Friendship Heights is quite far along. Now we're seeing that trademark wood in every direction in there. Wood shelving! Wood counters! Wood in the vestibule! Trader Joe's loves its rustic wood decor, all right, but what's really getting attention at the moment is the signage that has been installed on the facades of the store's exterior.

Taste of Bethesda 2025 Photo Gallery

Taste of Bethesda, the town's biggest annual event, drew a huge crowd yesterday to the Woodmont Triangle neighborhood. The weather more than cooperated this time, a rarity in recent years. A few newcomers joined a roster of many of Bethesda's top restaurants, including the just-opened Tasty Grills & Catering, and the soon-to-open BabyCat Brewery. Notably absent was the once-ubiquitous Jaleo/Spanish Diner giant paella pan, as hometown celebrity chef Jose Andrés has exited the Bethesda market. BabyCat Brewery reports it could be open in three weeks if all goes according to plan; longer if it does not.

Bethesda UP painting sidewalk bike racks downtown

Sidewalk bike racks around downtown Bethesda are getting a fresh look. Bethesda Urban Partnership is painting these small racks in a reddish orange. This follows the recent painting of electrical utility boxes with artwork. Watch out for the wet paint signs.

Update on Boll & Branch at Bethesda Row

Permanent signage was installed yesterday above the future storefront of Boll & Branch at 7270 Woodmont Avenue at Bethesda Row. Construction has been underway for about two weeks at the space, which was formerly home to CHIKO. The windows are still covered, so the progress on the interior fit-out of the upscale bedding retailer is not able to be measured at this time. I do have the operating hours, however: 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM Monday through Saturday, and 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM on Sundays.

Armed robbery at Bethesda restaurant

An armed robbery was reported to Montgomery County police at a restaurant in downtown Bethesda Wednesday night, October 1, 2025. The robbery was reported in the 7200 block of 47th Street at 9:55 PM. Papa John's is the only restaurant on that block. The pizzeria is open until midnight on Wednesdays.

Purse snatched in downtown Bethesda

Montgomery County police were called to investigate a purse snatching in downtown Bethesda yesterday afternoon, October 2, 2025. The theft was reported in the 7400 block of Wisconsin Avenue at 3:30 PM Thursday. It took place at the Bethesda Metro station.