Community Corner

MoCo Headlines: Teacher Arrested, Crime Stats and a Farm's Fate

Get caught up with the past week's news highlights in Montgomery County.

With more than a dozen websites across Montgomery County, Patch brings you news from every corner of our community. Catch up on headlines you may have missed this week, including a sandwich shop robber in Germantown, 18 words that could decide the fate of a farm in North Potomac and a discussion of underage drinking in Montgomery County.

Montgomery County Police are looking for a masked man who robbed a Subway sandwich shop at 12601 Wisteria Dr., Germantown, on Tuesday, Jan. 31, and Wednesday, Jan. 11. Read more on Germantown Patch.

Find out what's happening in Bethesda-Chevy Chasewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

A Montgomery County Circuit Court Judge did not rule on a key hearing between Johns Hopkins University and the heirs to the former Belward Farm owner Wednesday in Rockville. A decision may come down to her interpretation of a mere 18 words in the farm's contract and deed. 

Find out what's happening in Bethesda-Chevy Chasewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Scott Duane Spear, of Rockville, a teacher at Julius West Middle School and boys basketball and track coach at Richard Montgomery High School, was arrested Thursday on charges that he had sex with a 16-year-old student. Read more on Rockville Patch.  

Underage drinking parties are on the rise throughout the county, according to police—and parents may be partially to blame. Patch wants to know what you think about underage drinking and it's affect on kids, parents and communities. We've got a great discussion ; tell us your thoughts! 

It's been around for nearly 120 years, but the owners are reluctantly putting this historic Gaithersburg home up for sale. They say they need to put more time and effort into support for traumatic brain injury, which their son suffers from. For a mere $795,000, the fully renovated Victorian home is yours! 

In a rare display of unity, the Kensington Town Council voted unanimously to support zoning changes to the town's controversial proposed sector plan. The plan will next go before a County Council committee, followed by a vote from the full council. 

The parents of a Jewish student at Northwood High School are upset after the principal asked them to provide a letter from a rabbi justifying the kippah their son wore to school. 

David Smith, president of the , said that there are "leases out for signature" for three vacant spots along Wisconsin Circle, The Washington Post reported. Many of Wisconsin Circle's shops, despite being adjacent to a Metro stop, have been vacant for some time. 

Crime was down overall in Takoma Park for 2011. There were 565 crimes in the city in 2011, as compared to 652 in 2010, according to statistics from Takoma Park Crime Analyst Andrew Gucciardo. Crime categories include homicide, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny and auto theft. 

Watkins Mill boys' basketball got off to a calamitous 0-5 start to their season, with three of those losses coming in the final seconds. Morale was in shambles; Coach Jay Tringone wasn't sure who would show up at their next practice. What he got instead was a month-long winning streak to take control of the Montgomery 3A division, an ascent capped off Wednesday in a hard-fought win over Rockville, the last team to beat them. See the video on Montgomery Village Patch.


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