Melba Jacobson of Silver Spring, who was known as a superfan of the Washington Commanders football team and befriended the players, has passed away. She had recently celebrated her 100th birthday at the Commanders training camp on Aug. 1. [WJLA]

New Gaithersburg game store emphasizes relaxation

Play More Games, a new shop in Gaithersburg, not only sells games but gives customers the opportunity to play them in store and build community as a way to decompress and relax. The store only sells tangible games that can be played by multiple people as opposed to video games. [WTOP]

Alsobrooks visits Leisure World

Democratic Senate nominee Angela Alsobrooks visited the residents of Leisure World on a campaign stop this past weekend. The Prince George’s County Executive spoke about a variety of issues, including reproductive rights, gun control, the cost of prescription drugs and the stability of the Social Security system. [Montgomery Community Media]

Today’s weather

Sunny, with a high near 82.

In case you missed it…

County Council to vote on reproductive rights commitment resolution

Two new RideOn bus routes speed transit between Rockville and Gaithersburg

Here’s what to do in Montgomery County this week

The post Silver Spring superfan of the Commanders passes away following 100th birthday appeared first on MoCo360.

Montgomery County police and firefighters responded to a fire in a furniture store on Piney Branch Road in Silver Spring on Saturday night and officers found an injured woman nearby. [DC News Now]

Marriott taps retired Philadelphia Eagles player Jason Kelce as ‘Fanbassador’

Bethesda-based Marriott International Inc. has hired retired Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman Jason Kelce to serve as its “Fanbassador,” helping to pitch its Courtyard brand and customer loyalty program. [Washington Business Journal]

Runners take off in Parks Half Marathon

A Pennsylvania man and a woman from Washington, D.C., were the winners of Sunday’s annual Parks Half Marathon in Montgomery County, which started at the Redland Metro stop and wound through parts of Rock Creek Park. [WTOP]

Today’s weather: Sunny, with a high near 77

In case you missed it:

Touchdown: Girls flag football debuts in Montgomery County

Pedestrian killed in Silver Spring collision

Man to serve 30 years in prison for Rockville shootout

The post First responders find injured woman near Silver Spring furniture store blaze appeared first on MoCo360.

A Silver Spring man is facing a murder charge in connection with the fatal shooting on Labor Day of another man in downtown Silver Spring, according to Montgomery County police.

Jeriel Demitri Martin, 33, was arrested Friday and charged with first-degree murder and the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony/violent crime in the Sept. 2 death of Jamar Emmanuel Jenifer, 34, of Washington, D.C., police said Saturday in a statement.   

On Sept. 2, officers and Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service crews responded at about 9:42 a.m. to the 8000 block of 13th Street, which is about a block from the county line with Washington, D.C., and found Jenifer suffering from gunshot wounds, according to police.

Despite lifesaving efforts, Jenifer was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. 

Martin was identified as a suspect during an investigation, according to Saturday’s statement. He was arrested after detectives executed a search and seizure warrant at his home and recovered “items of evidentiary value connecting him” to the shooting.

Martin was transported to the Montgomery County Central Processing Unit in Rockville where he is being held without bond, the statement said.

Online court records for Martin were unavailable Sunday.

The post Man faces murder charge in Silver Spring fatal shooting appeared first on MoCo360.

A man was killed when he was struck by a vehicle early Sunday in Silver Spring, according to Montgomery County police.

Officers and Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service crews responded shortly after 4:30 a.m. to a report of a pedestrian struck by a vehicle in the area of New Hampshire Avenue and Rodney Road, police said Sunday morning in a statement. 

The man was pronounced dead at the scene, the statement said. The adult driver of the vehicle was uninjured.  

No information about how the collision occurred was provided.

Police are investigating the collision and will provide the name of the pedestrian following the proper notification of next of kin, the statement said.

The post Pedestrian killed in Silver Spring collision appeared first on MoCo360.

Yoga for All

When Arlet Koseian-Beckham, owner and founder of extendYoga in North Bethesda, looked around the wellness world in 2021, she saw a community that didn’t reflect the diverse population of folks who lived near her studio. With inclusivity in mind, the first-generation Armenian, 42, and employees Ayanna Wells (pictured above), 37, a Black woman, and Zahra Abbassi, 40, a Muslim woman, came up with the Repped Inclusive Yoga Series. A community is chosen to be the focus of a month of Sunday afternoon yoga sessions led by a teacher from that community, plus there’s representation in the art on the walls and the products in the boutique. September will be Latinx month, with three classes in Spanish and a trip to the Latin American Film Festival at AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center in Silver Spring. October will be a warrior series with trauma-informed yoga, sessions for breast cancer survivors and a session for those living with addiction.

12106 Wilkins Ave., North Bethesda, 301-881-3330, extendyoga.com 

Great Wall

There’s so much to take in when looking at “Wheaton Lives,” a mural completed in June on the side of Elbe’s Beer & Wine store, that your eye may not know where to go first. Start at the right side, above the store entrance, and “read” to the left, moving through time from past to present. A Native American village, 18th-century European settlers, the founders of Elbe’s back when it was a neighborhood grocery store, a youth kicking a soccer ball, a present-day woman cooking pupusas—these images and more make up a tapestry of Wheaton life. The mural was painted by Baltimore artist Bridget Cimino, 42, who says she “wanted to create a piece with lots of color and movement.” Her favorite touches: the plowmen and their horses, and the Piscataway village.  

 2522 University Blvd. W., Wheaton, wheatonartsparade.org/elbesmural

Fall for this 

To the mix of pumpkin spice lattes, harvest ales, apple fritters and other quintessential fall faves, we add the apple cider doughnut sundae at Jimmie Cone in Damascus. It starts with an apple cider doughnut from Gaver Farm in Mt. Airy, Maryland. Piled on is soft-serve vanilla ice cream drizzled with hot caramel sauce. To top it off: whipped cream and a cherry, of course. Look for this year’s sundaes to hit the iconic ice cream shop around mid-September, and you can expect prices close to last year’s $8 or a little more. 

 26420 Ridge Road, Damascus, 301-253-2003, jimmiecone.com

Naturally Fun 

The best way to get out of a playground rut? Discover a spot with new things to explore. Beeline to the Nature Play Space at Woodend Nature Sanctuary in Chevy Chase for a water feature that’s activated by kid power, a group of boulders to scale, a slide encased in a wooden wood thrush (seen in the photo here) and a “bird nest” climbing structure made of giant logs. Opened in the fall of 2023, the play space is meant for kids up to age 10 and is designed to be accessible to all. It includes a small parking lot nearby, a pair of bathrooms with composting toilets (no water or chemicals), a water bottle filling station and a changing table stall. Keep the exploration going by trekking around some of the trails on the 40-acre property and checking out the gardens, meadows and pond.  

 8940 Jones Mill Road, Chevy Chase, 301-652-9188, natureforward.org

Stretch Out Summer

We’re not ready to say goodbye to days spent cooling off at the pool. With county-run outdoor pools (and many private ones) closing right after Labor Day, it’s a good time to splash the day away at the new indoor Silver Spring Recreation and Aquatic Center. Open year-round, it has the only county-run aquatic climbing wall. Climbers move untethered up the 10-foot rock wall, which means that falling into the water (from the top or on the way up) is part of the fun. The aquatic center, which opened in February in downtown Silver Spring, also has lap lanes, two hot tubs, diving boards, water-dumping buckets and a couple of slides. See the website for prices and the schedule; the climbing wall is open during rec swim. Look for metered parking on the street or in the garage at 8700 Cameron St. 

 1319 Apple Ave., Silver Spring, 240-777-6900, montgomerycountymd.gov

The post Five things we can’t get enough of in Montgomery County appeared first on MoCo360.

Police are cracking down on speeding cyclists along the Capital Crescent Trail after receiving complaints from pedestrians using the trail. While cyclists going over the 15 mph speed limit are not being cited unless they’re reaching unsafe speeds, police are conducting an education campaign to inform cyclists of the regulations. [NBC4]

Cava founder buys D.C. mansion

Cava CEO Brett Schulman and chief concept officer Ted Xenohristos have sold roughly $45 million worth of stock since late June. Montgomery County native Xenohristos used over $8.6 million of that money to buy a new mansion on Hawthorne Street NW in D.C. [Washington Business Journal]

Solaire Social to host presidential debate watch party, Ravens events

The Solaire Social food hall in downtown Silver Spring has a packed fall schedule. The new spot will be hosting watch parties for the presidential debate, Baltimore Ravens football games and the premiere of the new Dancing With The Stars season. The showings will be accompanied by special food and beverage deals. [Source of the Spring]

Today’s weather

Mostly sunny, with a high near 80.

In case you missed it…

Hidden history: How Montgomery County is recognizing local LGBTQ+ trailblazers 

MCPS, county police to focus on school safety collaboration

Montgomery County’s music, art and theater will keep you entertained this fall

The post Police enforcing Capital Crescent Trail speed limits for cyclists appeared first on MoCo360.

With a new menu and décor, Kung Fu Kitchen is expected to hold its grand opening Tuesday in the former home of the Peter Chang restaurant in Rockville, according to the eatery’s owners.

The grand opening will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. at the restaurant at 20-A Maryland Ave., according to a press release.

Kung Fu Kitchen owner and chef MingYang Fang worked 11 years for Chang, a celebrated chef known for serving authentic Szechuan dishes, before purchasing the Rockville restaurant from him, according to the release. Chang owns Q by Peter Chang at 4500 East West Highway in downtown Bethesda and several eateries in Virginia.

“With new ownership comes a fresh start, featuring an entirely new menu, delightful teas, stylish decor, and upgraded seating, including tables that can accommodate parties of up to 45 people,” the release said.

Kung Fu Kitchen’s menu will highlight a range of Chinese cuisines, including Sichuan, Hunan, Huaiyang and Cantonese dishes, the release said. Fang is “passionate about using high-quality, organic ingredients, focusing on healthy, low-fat, and low-salt cooking without any added MSG.”

A native of China and father of three, Fang served as a chef in several hotels in his home country and also worked in Japan and Korea before moving to the United States with his wife, Aixia Wu, in 2013, according to the release. While cooking for Chang, he “created a unique fusion duck dish, combining the techniques of Peking Duck and Zhangcha Duck.” His wife also has crafted several dishes that will be on the Kung Fu Kitchen menu.

The restaurant also will offer teas harvested from “high-altitude, pollution-free areas” in several of China’s provinces, the release said.  

The post Kung Fu Kitchen to open Tuesday in Rockville appeared first on MoCo360.

Maryland-National Capital Park Police have charged a Hyattsville man with indecent conduct in connection with an Aug. 17 incident on Sligo Creek Trail in Takoma Park. [WTOP]

State proposes delay to American Legion Bridge expansion

Gov. Wes Moore’s administration is proposing to delay spending on transportation projects including the expansion of the American Legion Bridge because of a budget shortfall of more than $1 billion. [The Washington Post]

Maryland’s worst traffic spot on Beltway in Silver Spring

The worst traffic bottleneck in the state is on the Beltway in the area of Georgia Avenue in Silver Spring, according to NBC Washington. [NBC4]

Today’s weather: Mostly sunny, with a high near 78

In case you missed it:

Potomac’s Bullis School mourns death of head football coach

Poll: Alsobrooks has slim advantage over Hogan in Senate race

Silver Spring man sentenced to 40 years in prison for murdering wife

The post Man charged in connection with indecent exposure on Sligo Creek Trail appeared first on MoCo360.

Montgomery County Public Schools Superintendent Thomas Taylor sat down with The Washington Post recently to answer questions about his plans for the district and whether he’d be in the classroom as a substitute teacher.  [The Washington Post]

Marriott International earns accolades in annual People magazine list

Bethesda-based hospitality company Marriott International made People magazine’s annual list of businesses that “demonstrate outstanding respect, care and concern for their communities, their employees and the environment.” Marriott was lauded for its commitment to hiring refugees. [People]

‘Pull Up a Chair 2.0, Mental Health and Wellness’ exhibit opens

Mental health is the uniting theme for this new exhibit at the Gaithersburg’s Arts Barn. Fourteen chairs will be on view through Oct. 6 and a panel discussion will be held Friday. [WTOP]

Today’s weather: Partly cloudy with a high of 78 degrees

In case you missed it:

Silver Spring’s Lime & Cilantro puts a modern twist on traditional Latin cuisine

Here’s what to do in Montgomery County this week

Police identify D.C. man killed in Silver Spring shooting  

The post MCPS superintendent ‘absolutely’ coming soon to a classroom appeared first on MoCo360.

It’s been nearly 10 years since the two young children of Catherine Hoggle and Troy Turner went missing. Hoggle, who was with the children when they disappeared, was repeatedly found incompetent to stand trial and murder charges against her were dismissed in 2022. [WTOP]

Gaithersburg’s Emergent BioSolutions gets approval for mpox treatment

The Food and Drug Administration has given approval to Gaithersburg drugmaker Emergent BioSolutions Inc.’s request to expand its smallpox vaccine for the treatment of mpox, the virus formerly known as monkeypox. [Washington Business Journal]

Takoma Park Folk Festival renames stage to honor late singer-songwriter

The annual Takoma Park Folk Festival, scheduled for Sunday, has renamed a stage to honor singer-songwriter Tom Prasada-Rao, who died in June at age 66. Prasada-Rao was a frequent and popular performer at the festival, which has been held for more than 40 years. [Source of the Spring]

Today’s weather: Sunny, with a high near 75

In case you missed it:

Bullis School junior Quincy Wilson honored at Nationals game

Man killed in Silver Spring shooting

Opinion: Moore defended freedom of Montgomery County residents

The post County prosecutors still hope to try Catherine Hoggle for kids’ alleged murders appeared first on MoCo360.