The Village of Friendship Heights filed a lawsuit May 13 asking a Montgomery County Circuit Court judge to decide whether updated plans for the redevelopment of the 26.5-acre GEICO site on Western Avenue should still be subjected to 1998 county development requirements that applied to the early plans for the site.

The filing of the lawsuit does not halt the latest project plans, dubbed聽, from moving through the county鈥檚 development process. But it does request the court to decide whether specific project elements, including taller heights of the proposed multifamily buildings and construction of a new sports field, should be changed to abide by previous requirements. Leadership of the Village of Friendship Heights has previously聽聽and concerns about the plans鈥� proposed removal of mature trees and decision not to preserve or adaptively reuse the mid-century style GEICO building.

The requirements, or 鈥渂inding elements,鈥� approved by the county under a local map amendment for the area in 1998, address factors ranging from density, design specifications, building configuration, green areas to open space, recreation and traffic, according to the Village鈥檚 complaint. Their suit is asking for a declaratory judgment, a legal determination made by a court that rules on a legal dispute or uncertainty, on the matter.

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The vendor error, which聽impacted聽ballots mailed before May 14,聽resulted in聽some voters receiving聽the wrong party ballot. The State Board of Elections ordered replacement ballots for all potentially impacted voters.

Initially, state elections officials said all potentially impacted ballots had been voided and instructed impacted people to vote and return the replacement ballot once they receive it.

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鈥淚 think this聽is聽probably one聽of the worst budgets we have had that I can recall,鈥澛燽oard聽President Grace Rivera-Oven said prior to the budget discussion聽in a meeting room聽packed with聽hundreds of聽MCPS聽educators and support staff聽at the board鈥檚 Rockville headquarters.

The聽recommended聽reductions to close the budget gap聽include dozens of聽jobs for聽social workers, family engagement specialists and聽English composition聽assistants.

With those in attendance cheering in support,聽some of聽the聽affected聽employees told the board how the聽loss of their jobs聽would聽impact聽them 鈥� as well as the students and families they serve.

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In a straw vote Friday, the聽County Council聽聽a聽$7.9 billion聽operating budget for the county for fiscal year聽2027. The spending plan includes聽roughly聽$3.7聽billion聽for聽MCPS, which聽represents聽an聽additional聽$143 million in funding,聽but聽is聽$36 million less than what the district requested. The straw vote is not binding but聽is expected to聽stand when the council formally votes to adopt a budget聽Thursday.听Fiscal year 2027 begins July 1.

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In an emotional straw vote Friday, the Montgomery County Council voted 9-2 to approve a $7.9 billion operating budget for next fiscal year 鈥� providing an additional $143 million in funding for Montgomery County Public Schools that is still $36 million less than what the district requested.

The decision, which is not binding but is unlikely to be changed, means hundreds of educator positions 鈥� including media assistants, social workers and English composition assistants 鈥� could still be on the line.

The Montgomery County Council hearing room in Rockville was packed with educators Friday morning, with many holding signs advocating to keep their positions and fully fund the school board鈥檚 budget request. As councilmembers discussed the reasoning behind their vote, many educators in the audience became emotional and wiped tears.

The $7.9 billion council-approved budget includes no property tax rate increase and a new progressive income tax structure that will increase the income tax rate for filers making over $150,001 annually and provide a tax break for everyone making less.

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During a Tuesday press conference at the council office building in Rockville, Glass cited county residents鈥� concerns about the potential environmental impacts of future data centers 鈥� specifically, a 360-megawatt campus proposed at the site of a former coal-fired power plant in Dickerson 鈥� as a driving force behind his decision to push for a moratorium.

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A low hum broke the anticipatory silence鈥攁 signal that the performance was about to begin. In quick succession, performers with the Young Artists of America (YAA) took the stage, dressed in costumes resembling ancient Egyptian garb and ready to bring the biblical story of Moses to life.

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The聽Tuesday聽meeting聽in聽Rockville聽addressing聽the long-debated role of police officers in聽public聽schools聽came after the release of preliminary results聽from an MCPS survey that showed聽about a third of聽families, administrators聽and staff聽who responded聽said they聽want to see聽more police presence in schools.

It also followed several聽recent聽security incidents in聽schools, including聽the arrest of a聽Gaithersburg High School student in March鈥痜or鈥痑lleged聽鈥痮n school property聽and聽a聽聽at Thomas S. Wootton High School in Rockville聽that聽left聽one student injured and another facing an聽attempted murder charge.

However, police officials聽acknowledged during Tuesday鈥檚 meeting with the County Council that the department does not have enough聽officers to place one in each of the county鈥檚聽211 schools聽on a daily basis.听The county聽police department, like other聽departments聽in Maryland, has been facing聽

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Michael Raul Bilecky, creator of the 鈥淧illars of the Past鈥� YouTube show, faces nine counts of second-degree rape without consent, a felony charge, and nine counts of second-degree assault, which is a misdemeanor, according to online court records. The offenses allegedly occurred from April 2025 to January 2026.

Bilecky was arrested Feb. 27, the same month in which his episode with Rogan was released, Montgomery County District Court records indicate. Montgomery County police obtained a warrant for his arrest two days earlier.

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Private immigration detention聽centers聽will be effectively banned in Montgomery County after the County Council鈥檚 unanimous vote Tuesday to pass the ICE Out Act 鈥� but the local law may not be necessary if聽Gov. Wes Moore聽(D)聽signs a similar聽bill to prevent jurisdictions across the state from approving the facilities.

鈥淲e have great allies in the Maryland General Assembly,鈥� said聽council President Natali聽Fani-Gonz谩lez (D-Dist. 6) ahead of the council鈥檚 vote on Tuesday. 鈥淭he fact that we don鈥檛 need this local bill anymore is awesome, but we鈥檙e聽gonna聽still pass it.鈥�

Councilmember Evan Glass (D-At-large)聽聽in March with the support of the full council.听ICE stands for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The bill will聽prohibit the county鈥檚 Department of Permitting Services from issuing building or use-and-occupancy permits for would-be private immigration detention聽centers.听County Executive Marc Elrich (D) has said he will sign the bill into law.

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鈥淭his is a significant step to moving us toward the finish line,鈥� Gaithersburg Mayor Jud Ashman said during the ceremony attended by local officials and the project鈥檚 developers at the 102-acre mall sire at 701 Russell Ave.

Ashman called the moment a milestone years in the making. 鈥淥n behalf of our whole community, I want to say hallelujah 鈥� let the redevelopment begin,鈥� he said.

Opened in 1978, the mall once served as a central shopping and social hub for Montgomery County, featuring major department stores, an ice rink and later a movie theater and food court. For many residents, it was a place of first jobs, first dates and holiday shopping traditions.

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鈥淭his concern is not about Hinduism, Hindu culture, or the Hindi language,鈥澛爐he coalition wrote in a Wednesday letter to county聽and library聽officials.听鈥淥ur concern is about political ideology entering public institutions under the guise of cultural programming, particularly when that ideology has been documented as exclusionary, hateful, and violent.鈥�

MCPL had planned to host 鈥淢any Languages, One Library: Celebrating Hindi,鈥澛爋n Sunday. The聽free event聽would celebrate the聽unveiling of聽a new collection of 160 Hindi-language books at the聽Germantown Library聽at 19840 Century Blvd.

Among the聽funders聽of the new book collection was聽Germantown鈥檚聽Balvihar聽Hindi School, part of the聽聽(VHPA).听The VHPA describes itself on its website as聽鈥渢he oldest and one of the largest Hindu organizations in the U.S.鈥澛燫epresentatives of the Hindi school were expected to speak at Sunday鈥檚 event.

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Police say Andre Duvall, 27, fired multiple shots at a county police officer during the incident that occurred inside of an apartment complex on Lost Knife Circle. The officer returned fire and struck Duvall twice, leaving him with non-life-threatening injuries, according to the release. The officer has not been identified.

Video containing the police body-worn camera footage from the shooting is expected to be released to the public early next week, police said in the Friday release.

According to online court records, Duvall faces multiple charges, including two counts of attempted first-degree murder, two counts of first-degree assault, two counts of second-degree assault, reckless endangerment and several firearms-related charges in connection with the incident.

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Elrich presented his $8 billion operating budget proposal for fiscal year 2027 during a Friday afternoon press conference at Rockville鈥檚 Richard Montgomery High School. The proposal now heads to the County Council for review.

The fiscal year 2027 proposal聽represents聽a $420 million 鈥� or 5.5% 鈥� increase over the county鈥檚 $7.6 billion operating budget for fiscal year 2026. Fiscal year 2027 begins July 1.

鈥淢y budget has tax increases because I cannot instantly grow the county,鈥� Elrich said during his budget presentation Friday. 鈥淵ou have to make investments to grow the county.鈥�

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The restaurant, which offers traditional Greek dishes, was founded in December 2016 by Alexander Hobson, his brother Philip and their mother and executive chef Eugenia Hobson. The Westbard location will be their first venture in Maryland, joining three Our Mom Eugenia restaurants in Northern Virginia, according to Alexander Hobson.

The eatery at 5315 Zenith Overlook will occupy the development鈥檚 central standalone restaurant building. The building is nestled between the development鈥檚 townhomes and a retail building home to a Giant Food grocery store, Piccoli Piatti Pizzeria, Silver & Sons BBQ, Starbucks and Tatte Bakery & Caf茅.

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