Montgomery County Declares Brad Bell Day

Montgomery County marked the retirement of 7News (WJLA) Maryland Bureau Chief Brad Bell by declaring Thursday Brad Bell Day in the county. Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich issued the proclamation honoring Bell, who retired yesterday after more than 35 years at WJLA and 42 years in journalism.

The proclamation was part of a retirement sendoff attended by an estimated 75 to 100 people last night, including current and former WJLA staffers and several local officials. Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis and Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy were among those there, while DC Mayor Muriel Bowser sent a certificate of appreciation recognizing Bell’s decades of reporting across the DMV. 

Bell’s reporting included politics, crime, education, environmental issues and some of the region’s biggest breaking news stories. He was inducted into the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Emmy Silver Circle in 2024 and won another Emmy in 2025 for coverage of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse.