Ballou HS Rocks the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
Morning Roundup: Black Friday Edition
Photo of the Day: November 27, 2009
Caps Thankful for Varly in 2-0 Win
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How about that first snow storm of the season, Washington? CapitalWeather.com says that "yesterday's clipper system actually significantly 'over-performed,'" which is why we ended up with 2-4" of snow for the region instead of the 1" we were originally expecting. The Examiner was concerned about your commute this morning thanks to overnight lows that were forecast to drop into the low 20s, allowing for ice to refreeze on the roads in time for this morning's rush hour. Most schools are open today, with a number of them starting late. But the big question we'll want to try to answer over the course of the day is whether the Fenty administration did a better job of clearing the roads than they did last winter -- when the first snow finally fell in late January of 2007, most residents criticized the city's response and ability to effectively plow snow from city streets.
No Crime in 2 Deaths in Same Apartment: D.C. Police announced yesterday that they have found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing in the strange case of two men who died four days apart in the same apartment in September. Dean Johnson, a famous drag queen from New York, and Jordan "Jeremy" Conklin, a young man looking for work in D.C., both died of "acute intoxication" from prescription drugs shortly after they arrived at the apartment of Steven Saleh. Police found no indication of foul play and have closed the case.
Capitol Police Officer Indicted for Senate Fires: Amid the majesty of the lighting ceremony for the U.S. Capitol's Christmas Tree yesterday evening, a federal grand jury was handing down a one-count misdemeanor indictment against the U.S. Capitol Police officer who stands accused of setting a fire in a Senate office building. Karen Emory, 36, is only being charged with the one fire on Nov. 2, though it's suspected she was also responsible for a series of Senate office fires, mostly in women's bathrooms, that broke out in the months before.
Briefly Noted: Tax scam co-defendant in plea talks with feds ... Homicide detective criticizes All Hands on Deck ... Accused Taylor gunman seeking a plea agreement.
This Day in DCist: In 2006 we wished then Mayor-elect Adrian Fenty a happy birthday, and in 2005 the smoking ban passed the D.C. Council.
Photo by mosley.brian
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I called the mayor's office to ask why they did so little in terms of road clearing for this storm. Even some snow emergency routes (e.g. Reservoir Road NW) were left untouched. And given that the snow stopped falling before midnight, there was plenty of time to get out and clear the roads (or at least salt/sand 'em).
But I made it to work just fine, riding the bike on the snow-and-ice covered roads of Kalorama, Georgetown and Burleith.
No Crime in 2 Deaths in Same Apartment
So, two guys die of the same cause within a week of eachother in the same guy's apartment and both were accidents. And people wonder why the DC homicide case closure rate hovers around 30%. This has got to be the screwiest local homicide investigation since they found that burning car near Dulles Airport with a tied-up body in the trunk and the local cops ruled it suicide. Man, I really want to sit in on some of these DC detective discussions as they piece the evidence together. It would be like a The Wire or CSI only with more slack jaws, drooling, and demands for more Teddy Grahams.
"Well, surely he just shot himself then hid the gun."
"No, no! It was Colonel Mustard in the Drawing Room with glass bong! That honkey had to do it. I'd never trust what those white devils say!"
"Where my Teddy Grahams! I wan my Teddy Grahams!"
At least where I was driving/walking, they failed again with no improvement from last year. I actually saw a parked snow plow, not in use and covered in snow last night. Isn't it obvious that the streets should have been plowed last night after the snow stopped and before everything froze over night? Isn't it that simple or am I missing something?
Its pretty hard to plow 1/8th on an inch of snow. I say, save the plows and let the sun do its duty and a little salt here and there wouldn't hurt.
At least where I was driving/walking, they failed again with no improvement from last year. I actually saw a parked snow plow, not in use and covered in snow last night. Isn't it obvious that the streets should have been plowed last night after the snow stopped and before everything froze over night? Isn't it that simple or am I missing something?
Any idea on what exactly happened that caused the gigantic delay on the Red line this morning? The announcements just kept saying that there had been a sick person in Farragut North station causing delays in both directions. But Dupont Circle was totally packed in both directions with no trains coming through for quite awhile.
That monkeyrotica post is clearly the front runner for Fake Conversation of the Week.
Actually Monkeyerotica, while I'm never one to sing the praises of the detective division at MPD, the D.C. homicide closure rate is about 55 percent which is higher than the average for other large cities.
The closure rate on robberies (muggings) is only 18 percent...
When did 1/8" become equal to 2-4"?
Uh, there's was a little more than 1/8th of an inch of snow on the ground last night/this morning...
Unsurprisingly, the Fenty administration did a pretty crappy job of keeping the streets clear. When I first moved here during the reign of Mayor Bowtie, a much better job was done.
Apparently there was a sick person at Farragut North and then just when that situation was cleared there was another sick person at Metro Center.
What I want to know is why it was necessary to offload trains waiting to move through the situation further stranding more people at the stations trying to cram on subsequent trains?!?!
Glover Park was really terrible this morning. Buses sliding into sidewalks, etc.
I was on the Glenmont bound train this morning and the same car as the "sick person" was on.
It was a woman, youngish 20 something and she was just lying there on her back talking to the people around her with walkie talkies. They weren't trying to move her, and some guy in civilian clothes, I'm assuming a doctor was talking to her and the guys in metro outfits.
They walked around for a while, about 15 minutes before the first single track train came which of course was too full to board, then the second one came, which again was too full. I got on the third one and got off at metro center.
The whole system doesn't work too well when a train is stopped or broken. They need to add pullover spots on each line in my opinion. Who knows how much that'll cost.
I was on the Glenmont bound train this morning and the same car as the "sick person" was on.
It was a woman, youngish 20 something and she was just lying there on her back talking to the people around her with walkie talkies. They weren't trying to move her, and some guy in civilian clothes, I'm assuming a doctor was talking to her and the guys in metro outfits.
They walked around for a while, about 15 minutes before the first single track train came which of course was too full to board, then the second one came, which again was too full. I got on the third one and got off at metro center.
The whole system doesn't work too well when a train is stopped or broken. They need to add pullover spots on each line in my opinion. Who knows how much that'll cost.
Monkey is off the meds again I see. It's actually more entertaining for us though.
All the complainers are a bunch of sissies. There's barely anything on the ground worth plowing. Maybe a little salt and sand, sure, but no need to waste a couple of hundred thousand on plowing something that will end up melting tomorrow.
adamsmorgan - Thanks for the clarification.
Now, gimme your money or I'll cut you.
I was on the Glenmont bound train this morning and the same car as the "sick person" was on.
It was a woman, youngish 20 something and she was just lying there on her back talking to the people around her with walkie talkies. They weren't trying to move her, and some guy in civilian clothes, I'm assuming a doctor was talking to her and the guys in metro outfits.
They walked around for a while, about 15 minutes before the first single track train came which of course was too full to board, then the second one came, which again was too full. I got on the third one and got off at metro center.
The whole system doesn't work too well when a train is stopped or broken. They need to add pullover spots on each line in my opinion. Who knows how much that'll cost.
2-4" on the grass, 1/8" on the pavement. Snow on the pavment is always less since the ground is warmer.
adamsmorgan - Thanks for the clarification.
Now, gimme your money or I'll cut you.
2-4" on the grass, 1/8" on the pavement. Snow on the pavment is always less since the ground is warmer.
Lots of icy roads. Didn't look like most of the secondary roads got salted.
And the red line was a total nightmare. The massive numbers of people on the platforms at Dupont, Farragut North, Metro Center, Judiciary Square and Gallery Place was a disaster waiting to happen.
Which leads me to my rant of the moment: Forget about expanding the Metro to Tysons, Dulles, and West Virginia. How about laying down some additional track in the downtown area so we can have local and express lines, or at least have an option to running trains on the same track when you have an incident like a sick passenger on a train.
Cranky - Adding a third track, just on the downtown stations, would cost hundreds of millions, if not billions, and disrupt service for years while the new tunnels were dug, if they could be dug at all. We're talking Big Dig levels of funding, damage, and of course, nepotism. And what happens when the "express" hits those outskirt stations? You gotta get off and wait on the platform for the next train to the end of the line. Metro can barely cover its ass now, I don't see where this money's coming from. Maybe you have some friends in the property tax department who are willing to contribute? I hear they're good for a couple mil or, at least a few ratty weaves.
Metro had/has a plan for a "New Blue Line" that, when completed, would run from Dulles, through a new tunnel into Georgetown, parralel existing Blue/Orange for most of downtown, and terminate at Stadium/Armory. The preliminary cost just to do the downtown portion, and all that drilling, was $1.65 billion in 2002.
Apparently there was a sick person at Farragut North and then just when that situation was cleared there was another sick person at Metro Center.
ummm... anyone see Steven Saleh on the metro this morning?