Sir Arthur Conan Doyle created one of the most beloved fictional detectives of all time in Sherlock Holmes, spawning countless novels, films, TV series, and so forth featuring the sleuth. Far fewer people know about the real-life inspiration for Holmes: a renowned surgeon at Scotland's University of Edinburgh named Joseph Bell, who taught Doyle when the author was still a young medical student. Bell is the subject of a new, eminently readable biography, Sleuth-Hound: The Case of the Real Sherlock Holmes, by medical historian Lindsey Fitzharris.

A noted science communicator with a fondness for the medically macabre, Fitzharris published a biography of Scottish surgical pioneer Joseph Lister, The Butchering Art, in 2017—a great, if occasionally grisly, read. She followed up with 2022’s  The Facemaker: A Visionary Surgeon’s Battle to Mend the Disfigured Soldiers of World War I, about a WWI surgeon named Harold Gillies who rebuilt the faces of injured soldiers.

In 2020, Fitzharris hosted a documentary for the Smithsonian Channel, The Curious Life and Death Of…, exploring famous deaths, ranging from drug lord Pablo Escobar to magician Harry Houdini. Fitzharris performed virtual autopsies, experimented with blood samples, interviewed witnesses, and conducted real-time demonstrations in hopes of gleaning fresh insights. And last year she and her husband, caricaturist Adrian Teal, collaborated on an illustrated children's book, Dead Ends! Flukes, Flops, and Failures that Sparked Medical Marvels.

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The Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) continues to warn drivers about scam text messages claiming they owe money for unpaid tolls, including messages that imitate the appearance and logo of DriveEzMD correspondence.

“DriveEzMD will NEVER request payment via text message,” the agency states. Drivers should not share personal information or make payments through links included in these messages. 

According to MDTA, authorized ways to pay Maryland tolls or manage an account include visiting DriveEzMD.com⁠, using the DriveEzMD app, visiting a customer service center, or calling 1-888-321-6824. Drivers can also follow payment instructions on mailed citations or Notices of Tolls Due, including QR codes printed on those notices.

Anyone who receives a suspicious text should check their account directly through the official website or contact customer service using the verified number, rather than following information provided in the message.

MDTA recommends reporting the texts to the Federal Trade Commission or the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center⁠. Reports should include the sender’s phone number and the website listed in the text. After preserving that information for a report, recipients should delete the message.

The scams are not new. In a 2024 public service announcement, the FBI reported receiving more than 2,000 complaints beginning in early March of that year about texts impersonating road toll collection services in at least three states. The messages used similar language, often claiming a small unpaid balance and threatening a larger late fee.

The practice is known as “smishing,” a combination of SMS and phishing, and is designed to trick recipients into sharing sensitive information or sending money. Anyone who clicked a suspicious link or provided information should take steps to secure their personal information and financial accounts and dispute unfamiliar charges.

Jimmie Cone has officially wrapped up its 64th season, with both its Damascus and Mount Airy locations now closed for the year.

The longtime local favorite opened for its 64th season on March 17, continuing a tradition that dates back to 1962. The original Jimmie Cone is located at 26420 Ridge Road in Damascus, with a second location at 1312 South Main Street in Mount Airy.

Known for its soft serve ice cream and frozen yogurt, Jimmie Cone has become a seasonal destination for generations of customers from Montgomery County and beyond.

The business is currently owned by Chelsea Hamilton and her husband Brett. Hamilton’s father, Dan Leiter, purchased Jimmie Cone from the Harris family in 1990, and Hamilton and her husband took ownership in March 2021.

With the 2026 season now complete, Jimmie Cone is expected to return for its 65th season in March 2027.

Best Pizza World has released its October update of the Top 25 pizzas in Washington, D.C., with several of the highest-ranked names also having a presence elsewhere in the DMV (top 10 can be seen below).

The 2026 list, updated October 23, has il Canale in the top spot with a Best Pizza Index score of 922.70. Pizzeria Paradiso’s Dupont Circle location ranks No. 2, followed by We, The Pizza at No. 3, Menomale at No. 4 and Wiseguy Pizza’s Navy Yard location at No. 5.

Timber Pizza Co. in Petworth comes in at No. 6, followed by Bozzelli’s Italian Deli on Vermont Avenue at No. 7, Ella’s Wood Fired Kitchen at No. 8 and Wiseguy Pizza’s Dupont location at No. 9. Andy’s Pizza in Foggy Bottom rounds out the Top 10 at No. 10.

Several of the names on the list have connections beyond D.C., including locations in Maryland and Virginia. Andy’s Pizza has expanded throughout the DMV and currently operates a Montgomery County location. Timber Pizza Co., which ranks sixth for its Petworth restaurant, is also preparing to expand into Montgomery County with two locations expected to open in 2027. Wiseguy Pizza previously had a Montgomery County presence as well. The chain operated a Wheaton location before closing its only Maryland outpost last year.

Best Pizza World describes itself as an international digital platform and independent database that ranks and catalogs pizzerias around the world.

Its rankings are based on the Best Pizza Index, a scoring system the platform says uses public data, customer satisfaction, consistency of reviews over time and international comparisons. Best Pizza World states that its rankings are independent and cannot be purchased or influenced through advertising, commercial partnerships or relationships with ingredient brands.

The Top 10 from Best Pizza World’s October 23 Washington ranking is:

1. il Canale
2. Pizzeria Paradiso Dupont Circle
3. We, The Pizza
4. Menomale
5. Wiseguy Pizza – Navy Yard
6. Timber Pizza Co. Petworth
7. Bozzelli’s Italian Deli – Vermont Ave
8. Ella’s Wood Fired Kitchen
9. Wiseguy Pizza – Dupont
10. Andy’s Pizza – Foggy Bottom

The full top 25 for Washington D.C. can be seen here.