The Federal Reserve Board has issued an enforcement action against a former Sandy Spring Bank employee who authorities say misappropriated approximately $246,000 while working at a Silver Spring branch.

According to an order released by the Federal Reserve on Thursday, September 24, Renee Nicole Brown worked as a teller supervisor at a Sandy Spring Bank branch in Silver Spring until she was terminated in August 2024. 

The Federal Reserve said Brown misappropriated approximately $246,000 from teller cash dispenser machines between June 2023 and July 2024. Brown later pleaded guilty and, on May 4, 2026, was convicted under Maryland law of a “Theft Scheme.” She received probation and was ordered to make partial restitution to the bank, according to the order. 

The Federal Reserve’s consent order prohibits Brown from participating in the affairs of an insured depository institution or certain other financial institutions without prior regulatory approval. The prohibition includes serving as an officer, director or employee of covered institutions. The order remains in effect unless it is stayed, modified, terminated or suspended in writing by the Federal Reserve. 

Sandy Spring Bank, which was headquartered in Olney, has since merged with Atlantic Union Bank. The Federal Reserve noted that the merger occurred after the misconduct described in the order. 

Starbucks is permanently closing its Downtown Frederick location at 104 N. Market St., making it another Maryland store included in the company’s planned closure of approximately 250 underperforming locations across North America.

A notice posted at the Downtown Frederick store states that Starbucks has “made the very difficult decision to close this Starbucks location by the end of this week.”

“We know this may be hard to hear – because this isn’t just any store,” the notice reads. “It’s your coffeehouse, a place woven into your daily rhythm, where memories were made and meaningful connections with our partners grew.” Starbucks said it is working to support employees through the transition and directed customers to other nearby locations.

The Frederick closure comes as Starbucks moves forward with a broader round of store closures across North America. The company announced Thursday that approximately 250 underperforming locations would close.

At least two Montgomery County Starbucks locations are also closing as part of the changes. The Starbucks at 11802 Grand Park Ave. at Pike & Rose in North Bethesda is expected to close permanently on Sunday, while the Starbucks at White Oak Town Center, located at 12255 Prosperity Dr. in Silver Spring, is expected to close Saturday.

The Pike & Rose location initially had a sign posted Thursday stating that it was “temporarily closed” and that Starbucks was working to reopen the store. By Friday morning, that notice had been replaced with the same type of permanent-closure notice now posted at the Downtown Frederick location.

The Pike & Rose closure comes almost exactly one year after Starbucks mistakenly notified customers that the location would close in September 2025. Employees told The MoCoShow at the time that the notice had been sent in error, and the store ultimately remained open for another year.

The White Oak Town Center location opened less than two years ago. Starbucks has not indicated that the current round of closures will affect every market equally. Spencer Allen Brooks of WUSA9 previously reported that a Starbucks at 1734 L St. NW in Washington DC is also closing, while no Northern Virginia locations were expected to close as part of the announced changes.

The Western Maryland Scenic Railroad has been named one of the best scenic train rides in the country, placing No. 7 nationally in USA TODAY 10Best’s 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards.

The railroad, which operates between Cumberland and Frostburg in Allegany County, was one of 10 scenic train rides selected through USA TODAY’s annual readers’ choice process. Nominees for 10Best awards are selected by expert panels before readers vote to determine the final rankings.

“Take in gorgeous views of the Allegheny Mountains on the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad,” USA TODAY wrote, highlighting Helmstetter’s Curve, an iron truss bridge and the 914-foot Brush Tunnel as features that make the trip a unique experience.

The 16-mile route begins in Cumberland and travels west through the Allegheny Mountains along the former Western Maryland Railway right-of-way before joining the former Cumberland & Pennsylvania Railroad. According to the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad, the journey includes grades of up to 2.8% as trains travel through the mountains toward Frostburg.

One of the railroad’s biggest attractions is Chesapeake & Ohio Railway steam locomotive No. 1309. Built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1949, the locomotive originally hauled heavy coal trains through Kentucky and West Virginia before being retired in 1956.

Following an extensive restoration, No. 1309 returned to service more than six decades later and now operates tourist trains between Cumberland and Frostburg. The Western Maryland Scenic Railroad describes it as the largest operating steam locomotive of its type in the world.

The recognition is the latest national travel distinction for Allegany County. Earlier this month, the county placed No. 2 nationally in USA TODAY 10Best’s 2026 ranking of the Best Places to Visit for Fall, behind Mackinac Island, Michigan.

Bogotá Coffee House is now open at 115 N. Washington St. in Rockville.

The new Colombian coffee shop had most recently been scheduled to open Monday, September 28, but announced that its opening has been moved up to September 24. The shop will be open daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The menu includes coffee drinks, waffles, pastries and smoothies. Coffee options include drip coffee, cold brew, espresso, cappuccino, lattes, macchiatos and cortados, along with specialty drinks such as Café con Leche, Dirty Chai Latte, Pepi Matcha and Mocha Avellana.

Food offerings include avocado waffles, waffle sandwiches and sweet waffles, as well as croissants, pandebono, almond guava pastries and several savory pastries. Smoothie flavors include mango, lulo and guanabana.

Earlier this year, signage for La Poteria Local was installed at the location while construction was underway. La Poteria later confirmed that it is not associated with Bogotá Coffee House and recently opened a separate coffee trailer nearby at 200 N. Washington St.