News: November 2009 Archives

Look, it's no secret that Maryland's laws governing booze are ludicrous, featuring a rigidity rivaled only by Pennsylvania and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. One particularly Puritanical section of the law does not allow tax-paying, law-abiding Marylanders to have wine shipped to their homes. Thankfully, there appear to be more level-headed individuals among those who produce and enjoy a good Pinot than in the state's General Assembly.

Wizards 94, Heat 84: The Wizards got key contributions from Antawn Jamison and Nick Young to lead them to a ten-point win over Miami last night, their second straight after the passing of Abe Pollin. The victory broke a six-game losing streak against the Heat. Big guns Gilbert Arenas (who had never won a game against Dwyane Wade in his professional career before Friday) and Caron Butler were both kept in single digits, the former left on the bench for the last 14 minutes of the game. But while Agent Zero struggled to find his rhythm, Wade also looked flat. (Perhaps he was still fatigued after the Heat's dramatic win over Orlando on Thanksgiving eve.) Lacking Wade's usual fire, Mario Chalmers tried to pick up the slack for Miami with 18 second-half points. But Jamison was the real star of the night, continuing his torrid play after missing the first nine games of the season. With 24 points and 13 rebounds, Jamison surpassed the 16,000 point plateau for his career. Guard Nick Young also impressed: sure, the 22 points and five assists were nice, but his defense on Wade -- whether the superstar was tired or not -- was exceptional. These kinds of cohesive team efforts will be needed if the Wizards hope to right the ship after the team's disappointing start.

Good morning, Washington. Here's to hoping everyone had a great Thanksgiving, doesn't have to work today and didn't have to fend off crowds of shoppers hellbent on getting that one flat-screen TV for 50 percent off.

The Ballou Senior High School Majestic Knights marching band, under the direction of leader Darrell Watson, are the pride of D.C. today after their performance in the Macy's annual Thanksgiving Parade. Ballou's band is a D.C. institution that has even inspired a documentary, and they are the first school from the District ever to perform in the parade. The students have been preparing for this performance since their selection was first announced in April of last year, practicing and fundraising for their trip to New York. The band performed a tribute to Michael Jackson called, "It's a Thriller." Enjoy the clip below, courtesy of NBC, and congratulations on a job well done to Mr. Watson, the fantastic musicians and dancers, and their families!

Semyon Varlamov earned his first shutout of the season Wednesday night, and it couldn't have come at a better time.

The man who was arrested and charged in the Nov. 14 killing of 9-year-old Oscar Fuentes has been found dead inside his cell in the D.C. Jail, according to a report from WTTG/FOX5. Josue Pena, 26, had been charged with first-degree murder in the death of Fuentes, who died after being shot through the door of his Columbia Heights apartment. The Washington Post reported earlier that paramedics had been called to the jail for a call of an unconscious inmate this afternoon. WTTG says Pena was found hanged inside his cell just after 1 p.m. He was pronounced dead later at Howard University Hospital, with the cause of death determined to be cardiac arrest by asphyxiation. The report also includes these details:

Pena told prosecutors he had a gun in his waist band, but it accidently went off as he walked up the stairs.

Continue reading "Suspect in 9-Year-Old's Murder Found Dead in D.C. Jail"

Tune in to WAMU 88.5 FM (or listen online) today and catch DCist Editor-in-Chief Sommer Mathis as a guest on The Kojo Nnamdi Show. Sommer will bring you her expertise on everything to do this weekend in and around D.C. for those souls sticking around for the holiday. Her segment begins around 12:30 p.m.

The Metropolitan Police Department has released security camera images of a man wanted in a series of recent bank robberies. Police say the suspect in question may be responsible for the Nov. 21 attempted robbery of a Bank of America branch in the 3500 block of Georgia Avenue NW, and a Nov. 14 robbery of a PNC Bank branch in the 3300 block of 14th Street NW.

The Thanksgiving holiday weekend will see a number of changes to Metrorail and Metrobus schedules, so be sure to make a note of them as you try to get around the city over the next few days.

Good morning, Washington. Given that the Metro system was already unusually full by yesterday afternoon, we're guessing that D.C. is going to be a bit of a ghost town today. If you're unlucky enough to still be stuck in the office, we hope the empty halls and cubicles at least provide a peaceful day before you cut out early. Pollin Remembered: The Post has a lengthy and glowing reflection on the life and career of the just-passed Abe Pollin: sports franchise owner, philanthropist, real estate developer and longtime Washingtonian. It's nearly enough to make you forget the ridiculousness of the Wizards' name! It's worth a read, as is Harry Jaffe's brief piece on Pollin in the Examiner. Motivations for K Street Disruption Remain Unknown: As you probably remember, yesterday a man parked a van in the middle of K Street, climbed on top, demanded 200 million dollars and began throwing molotov cocktails. It was... unusual. Details on his motivation are still in short supply, but Fox 5 at least lets us know that the man's name is Kyung Song Kil, and that he said he was owed the money for "harassment." Briefly Noted: 71 year-old questioned about "bizarre kissing incidents"... Arrest made in '97 murder case thanks to enhanced surveillance tape (NBC4 claims credit)... Barry's turkey giveaway unable to meet demand... Arrest made in death of 84 year-old man... P.G. County government cancels go-go show... This Day In DCist: One year ago K Street suffered a dim-witted criminal and we offered some turkey-frying tips.

We'd been hearing the rumors that Vegetate, the popular vegetarian restaurant on 9th Street NW in Shaw, would soon be forced to close its doors, and now the Convention Center Community Association has posted this farewell message from owners Dominic & Jennifer Redd, confirming the news. Fans of the restaurant will be relieved that the Redds say they are planning on opening in another location as soon as they find one.

Washington Wizards owner Abe Pollin has passed away at the age of 85, the Washington Post is reporting.

In a blow to the Washington Teachers' Union, the D.C. Superior Court today rejected the union's bid to reinstate the 266 teachers who were fired by DCPS in October. The teachers were laid off as part of a large reduction in force (RIF) that DCPS has maintained was necessitated by a $4.4 million budget shortfall. According to the Post, Judge Judith Bartnoff argued that the WTU failed to prove any of their allegations against Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee, specifically that, "the RIF was not a budget-driven layoff but an illegal mass firing, and that the shortfall cited by Rhee was a sham and a pretext for dumping older teachers."

UPDATE 3:49 p.m. Traffic is moving again on K Street NW. Police have concluded their preliminary investigation, moved the van out of the street, and cleared the area.

Couple of headlines on local crime trends from the broadcast outlets worth looking at today.

Earlier this month, we told you about a new discount bus service that planned to start offering non-stop service from D.C. to Wilmington, Philadelphia and Boston. Originally, TransportAzumah planned to launch all of its new D.C. lines by today, but an ominous message has since appeared on the company's web site reporting that all trips from D.C. have been canceled until further notice. That's bad news for folks who had been hoping to take advantage of the new service for the holiday weekend.

Good morning, Washington. If you're starting to get that sinking feeling that your drive home tomorrow for Thanksgiving is not only going to be a fustercluck, but a wet, slick, rainy mess at that, we don't have good news for you. The Capital Weather Gang is calling for this rain to continue pretty much for the rest of the entire week, with the worst of it expected on Friday, when windy conditions will kick in to make it feel even colder. The rain should let up here and there for brief periods of time over the next few days, so take advantage of those moments when you see them, and of course, drive safely.

Senators 4, Capitals 3 (OT): If you had cobbled together a team of professional hockey players from Eastern Canada and were looking for the opportune time to play the Washington Capitals, well, it's now. The Caps dropped their third straight game to a team from either Ontario or Quebec on Monday night, losing an overtime decision in Ottawa. The Capitals allowed three unanswered goals to let a two goal lead at the second intermission slip away. Chris Clark, Brendan Morrison, and Jay Beagle had scored to seemingly break the Caps two-game skid, but it wasn't enough -- Mike Fisher was left alone in front of the net to tip in the game winner just over a minute into overtime.

Yesterday the Washington Post asked a number of local political watchers, myself included, if we thought Mayor Adrian Fenty would be re-elected in 2010. Some said yes, others said no. I stressed that without a credible challenger – and none has yet stepped forward – Fenty would cruise to a second term. Well, if that capable challenger ends up being D.C. Council Chair Vincent Gray, Fenty may have to start looking for a new job.

With a D.C. Council vote on same-sex marriage just over a week away, a compromise proposed to assuage concerns expressed by the Catholic Archdiocese of Washington remains uncertain.

Outdoor ice-skating at the National Gallery of Art's Sculpture Garden rink may be a uniquely Washington activity for working off extra holiday calories, but it won't be an option this Thanksgiving weekend. According to the ice rink's guest services office and a note on their web site, the Sculpture Garden rink remains closed due to "technical difficulties with the ice-making equipment." A representative explained that while they hope repairs will be completed within 10-14 days, there is a chance that the rink may not open at all this season – typically mid-November to March – if the problem turns out to be more extensive. While the Pavilion Cafe remains open, we're hoping ice-skating will be back soon.

A fire broke out this morning inside an Indian restaurant in the 1700 block of L Street NW, leading to the evacuation of several nearby buildings.

Good morning, Washington. Still smarting from the outcome of that fairly stupid 'Skins v. 'Boys game? Well cheer up, it's one of the shortest work weeks of the year, and in just a couple days you'll be in the warm embrace of your own dysfunctional family. Hopefully the turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie yet to be consumed can help dull the pain just a little.

The Catholic Church is shaking things up these days, huh? The same Church that silenced Galileo Galilei has acknowledged that aliens could maybe exist. Further, the Church says that xenomorphs might not require redemption through the blood of Jesus Christ. The Catholic Church is only talking astrobiology in theoretical terms right now, but what's preventing the Vatican from launching its own national space program? Could we see, you know, a mission to Mars?

Should the District's early-out/easy-out retirement payments be considered a "bonus"? This is the debate in the latest chapter of the overarching tiff between the Fenty administration and the D.C. Council. The Examiner's Michael Neibauer reports today that four District employees have been denied such exit payments by the Department of Human Resources, after the Council approved a 2010 budget which outlaws all "bonuses and special payments" to District employees.

A congressional report issued yesterday by two ranking Republicans suggests that schools chancellor Michelle Rhee performed "damage control" for her now-fiance Kevin Johnson during investigations into Johnson's alleged sexual misconduct and misuse of Americorps funds at the St. Hope charter school he founded in Sacramento.

Olsen's career had plenty of highlights, despite the fact that recurring ankle troubles -- the most serious of which occurred while Olsen was on loan at Nottingham Forest in 2000 -- cost him a considerably unfair portion of his prime, especially on the international stage. United fans certainly have plenty of memories to look back fondly on from his time in the Black-and-Red: his hat trick at RFK against New York in 2007, his man of the match performance in the 1999 MLS Cup final, or even his equalizer against New England early this year. Personally, my favorite memory of Ben Olsen was on a sweltering hot day in June 2008, when Olsen -- in but 15 minutes, his only action that season -- received an overwhelming reception from the nearly 36,000 fans who had come to the stadium that day to jeer David Beckham.

An independent report commissioned by DC Appleseed and the Brookings Institution has concluded that it is "critical to the success and sustainability of" the new Community College of the District of Columbia to sever ties with the University of the District of Columbia. UDC, which has always had plenty of problems balancing the hefty costs of a four-year university and its open-enrollment-assisted reputation as a two-year college, split focus in August into the University and the Community College. Both operations still operate under UDC's administration.

The Washington Capitals scored first, but the Montreal Canadiens scored more and won 3-2 on Friday night at the Verizon Center.

The blog RH Reality Check posted an item yesterday alleging that Gennet Purcell, the District of Columbia's relatively new insurance commissioner, had surreptitiously conspired to make it possible for D.C. women to lose their birth control coverage. But the Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking, the agency Purcell runs, has since emphatically denied the story.

The U.S. Postal Service today released yet another revised list of possible branch closures, and one D.C. office has been trimmed. The Northeast branch, located at 1563 Maryland Ave. NE, will stay. In Maryland, two other branches were also spared: the Friendship Heights branch, and the Silver Spring Center branch. The total list is now at only 241 post offices still under review nationwide, down from almost 3,300 at the beginning of the process.

With the D.C. Council's same-sex marriage bill scheduled for a December 1 vote and a petition to put the issue on the ballot denied, opponents of same-sex marriage might finally have to live up to a threat they've been making in recent months: to take the issue to Congress.

From the ashes of the Washington Blade, DC Agenda has risen. The staff of the suddenly shuttered LGBT publication has managed to put together a new web site and "a modest, early iteration" of a print edition, both out today, less than a week after they all lost their jobs. From their introductory message:

The former staff of the Washington Blade remains united and DC Agenda represents our effort at continuing the important mission and work of the Blade. It will grow and evolve to include a much larger and more diverse group of voices. But the core of the Washington Blade’s work remains unchanged. We will cover Congress, the White House, the LGBT rights movement, the D.C. marriage fight, local hate crimes and other political issues important to the LGBT residents of the city.

Continue reading "Former Blade Staffers Launch 'DC Agenda'"

Federal authorities believe former D.C. Taxicab Commission chairman Causton Toney participated in a long-running bribery scheme while he held that position from 2005-2007, the Washington Post reports this morning. A recently unsealed affidavit lays out the FBI's suspicions against Toney, who has not been charged with any crime, but whose home was raided in October.

As we come to the end of a week where the District dealt with the death of another child -- this time it was nine-year-old Oscar Fuentes in Columbia Heights -- there doesn't seem to be much to say about a city that while significantly better than it was a decade ago still suffers from stubborn crime and violence. Post Metro columnist Petula Dvorak today proves that point with a column that can be summed up as such -- Columbia Heights has come a long way, but it still has a ways to go. It's not really groundbreaking reading, and it doesn't offer any real solutions. (Thankfully, she carefully toes around the issue of race, avoiding the minefield that is pretty much any discussion on gentrification.) But it does make the case again that Columbia Heights has become a microcosm of the District as a whole, an area that has changed dramatically in some ways while remaining exactly the same in others.

One of two suspects sought in the Nov. 7 killing of shopkeeper Rufina Hernandez has been arrested, D.C. police announced last night. Andres Lopez, 45, of no fixed address was taken into custody without incident on Thursday afternoon near 4th and Kennedy Streets NW, only about five blocks from La Casa de Morata liquor store. Hernandez was shot and killed that Saturday night during the course of a robbery. Two suspects are believed to have entered the store and demanded money, a request with which Hernandez complied, but one of the suspects shot her anyway. D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier declined to indicate whether Lopez is believed to be the shooter, but reiterated that the search for the second suspect continues. "We look forward to getting help from the community," Lanier said. "There is still work to do."

We've been following the work on the new 15th Street NW contraflow bike lane for a while now, and today the District Department of Transportation and Mayor Fenty hosted a little ceremony to announce its formal completion. But we have to thank IMGoph for tweeting to point out that one of the images DDOT sent around from the ribbon cutting features Ward 2 Council member Jack Evans (D) aboard one of the city's SmartBikes. We're used to seeing the likes of Fenty and famed cycling enthusiast Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6) on bikes, but Jack Evans? He looks about as comfortable as a bear on ice skates. Click through to DDOT's Facebook page to scroll through the rest of their images from today's event. DDOT Director Gabe Klein also joined Fenty and Evans for their little ride.

As Metro General Manager John Catoe alluded to recently in one of his weekly online chats, WMATA has decided to go ahead and delay implementing those confusing changes to SmartBenefits we've been hearing so much about, as iMetro reports (hat tip to GGW).

Last night at the budget forum, John Catoe addressed this issue. The conversion of the Smartbenefits program to the new IRS-compliant system has been delayed. An extra year was given for WMATA to come up with a better solution than what was proposed (the three purse system). So rest assured that the SmartBenefits system will remain in its current state at least through the year of 2010. Catoe informed us that this decision was reached on Tuesday, November 17th.

If you haven't been following the step-by-step progress of the ongoing Pershing Park case (that's the 2002 mass arrests of some 400 protesters by D.C. police, still playing out in endless legal wrangling), you might have missed the big development that surfaced Wednesday. City Paper's Jason Cherkis has been all over this story for ... forever, and yesterday he reported that a new affidavit from veteran D.C. Police Det. Paul Hustler points the finger directly at former D.C. Police Chief Charles Ramsey as having ordered the arrests himself. This is a big deal, because Ramsey has consistently maintained in hearings and depositions related to this case that he did not order the arrests. This is the quote from Hustler's affidavit:

"As I walked closer, about five or six feet away from them, I heard Chief Ramsey say, 'We're going to lock them up and teach them a lesson.'"

In the off chance you aren't friends with Sarah Palin on Facebook, let it be noted that the former Alaska governor/VP candidate/attention starved loon/media juggernaut announced last night that she will indeed be making a stop in the D.C. area on her book tour. This may come as a shock, but it turns out she's not planning on promoting Going Rogue at Politics & Prose. In fact, she won't be at a bookstore at all. Instead, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Dec. 5, she'll be out at the BJ's at 13053 Fair Lakes Shopping Center in Fairfax, presumably so she can rub elbows with the "real Americans" who buy in bulk. Mark your calendars!

As expected, D.C. Council member Jim Graham (D-Ward 1) today formally announced that he will be seeking re-election in 2010. The announcement was coupled with the launch of his campaign web site.

Tom already told you about Tim Craig's story in today's Washington Post, which outlines how D.C. Council Chair Vincent Gray used council stationery to solicit a $20,000 contribution from Comcast to help pay for Democratic Party activities at last year's national convention. But potentially even worse news for Gray also came today in the form of this story by Washington Times reporter Jeffrey Anderson, which alleges that some questionable work was performed on Gray's Hillcrest home by developer William C. Smith & Co. – a huge company that has a long list of contracts with the District government, and doesn't usually offer basic home repair services.

    

On Tuesday, the District Department of Transportation released the above images of the city's three streetcars being loaded up for shipping. That's good news, considering D.C. taxpayers have been paying to store the streetcars in the Czech Republic for over four years now. DDOT says these images show the streetcars being loaded onto flatbed trucks in the Czech Republic and then arriving in Hamburg, Germany. They are expected to make it to D.C., by ship, in mid-December.

Good morning, Washington. Well, it's been out since yesterday, and we're sure that many of you are already most of the way through your copies, doing your best to grapple with the rallying cry of the utterly braindead masses that, despite their arguably justified prominence in the pantheon of "authentically American" culture, actually represent a grave threat to our society and democracy. I'm speaking, of course, about Left 4 Dead 2. Why, what did you think I was talking about? Ethics Probe Turns to Gray: A note written by city council chairman Vincent Gray asking Comcast for money has caught the attention of the city Office of Campaign Finance, according to the Post. The note asked for $20,000 to help cover lobbying efforts on behalf of D.C. at the Democratic National Convention, and succeeded in securing a $10,000 donation. That obviously exceeds the $5,000 annual cap on donations to a party from a single donor that's imposed by D.C. law. Gray says that he didn't think the donation was a political contribution, but rather a donation to fund lobbying for D.C. voting rights. Pena Arraigned: The alleged killer of 9-year-old Oscar Fuentes appeared before a judge yesterday, and as WJLA reports, that judge ordered him held without bond. Prosecutors say that they have five witnesses putting Pena at the scene of the shooting, and a sixth who saw him going into his uncle's house with a rifle, which was later found there. Pena is due back in court on December 1. Briefly Noted: P.G. cab drivers were on strike yesterday, but it doesn't sound like it was very effective... Five year-old saves mom with 911 call... Virginia's budgetary situation gets even worse... Coincidental Montgomery County sub-roundup: Accusations fly in ethics dust-up centering on transgender protection law; county council seeking lower ICC tolls; restaurants will have to print calorie information on menus starting in July ... This Day In DCist: One year ago GMU got a new mascot, Metro fired a mechanic over a dirty joke, and Davy DCist reacted poorly to news of snow.

When rumors were floated two weeks ago that the District might host an opening stage of the 2011 Giro d'Italia, local cyclists crossed their fingers for what would be one of the few opportunities to see the world's best professional cyclists stateside. Not only did the rumor turn out to be true, but planning for not one, but two stages in the city are underway.

The fight for D.C. voting rights has always been two-fold. On one front, the city has demanded representation in Congress, while on the other it has fought for greater autonomy in local budgetary and legislative matters. While the struggle for congressional representation often gets more press, tomorrow a hearing on Capitol Hill will focus on how better to allow the city to make decisions for itself.

The D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics today rejected an initiative petition on the issue of legalizing same-sex marriage in the District of Columbia. The petition was filed by an anti-same-sex marriage coalition led by Bishop Harry Jackson.

The fatal shooting of 9-year-old Oscar Fuentes inside his Columbia Heights apartment on Saturday night was not gang-related, according to D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier. Lanier, along with D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty and Ward 1 D.C. Council member Jim Graham, this morning announced the arrest of Josue Pena, 26, in the killing. Pena has been charged with first degree murder.

Good morning, Washington. McPherson Square Metro station reopened at 5 a.m. this morning following last night's apparent suicide-by-Metro on the Blue Line. There's still no ID available on the jumper this morning. As the Post notes, this latest incident makes a total of eight people who have jumped in front of Metrorail trains this year alone. The Examiner lists the total number of deaths attributed to the transit agency this year at 22.

WRC/NBC4 has been rebroadcasting only MSNBC programming for the last few hours (Chris Matthews is on right now), and the station finally put up this announcement on its web site at about 5:15 p.m. "Due to major technical problems, News4 at 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. will not be seen. Please tune in to News4 at 6 p.m. with Jim Vance and Doreen Gentzler." A call to the harried NBC4 newsroom confirmed that they are still planning on broadcasting a 6 p.m. newscast, but didn't yield much more info than that. We're trying to track down exactly what the technical problem was that knocked out the entire broadcasting mechanism for the local news station, and will update later on.

A total of 15 people have been displaced by a house fire that broke out just before noon today at 1408 30th Street SE, according to D.C. Fire/EMS spokesperson Pete Piringer. The nine adults, six children and various pets who lived in the detached single-family home in the Fort Dupont neighborhood of Southeast D.C. are unable to return home due to significant smoke and fire damage. Firefighters believe the blaze started in the basement, but the cause of the fire is under investigation, Piringer said. Thankfully, no injuries have been reported.

With relations between Mayor Adrian Fenty and the D.C. Council as strained as they are, you'd think the city's chief executive might do what he could to make things just a little bit better. But if a hearing today before the council on the ongoing Department of Parks and Recreation contracting scandal serves as any indication, that doesn't seem to be the case.

DCist had just been wondering when the city was going to get around to raising awareness about the impending 5 cent disposable bag fee, which goes into effect in January 1, 2010, and lo and behold, the “Skip the Bag, Save the River” Education Campaign press release landed in our inbox today.

With all the cycling-related news in recent weeks – the 15th Street contraflow lane; Mayor Adrian Fenty's police-escorted daytime training rides; Capitol Hill Bikes closing its doors; Tweed – we'd be remiss in not mentioning that the Bicycle Film Festival is coming to the District.

Incredibly sad and surprising news for the LBGT media world, not to mention the local media scene: The Washington Blade has been shut down. The LGBT publication's twitter feed first alerted us to what was going on just a little while ago: "Washington Blade, like all Window Media publications, is closing today. Thank you for your support. (Keep following us for developments.)" Sure enough, even the Blade's web site has been taken down.

At 11:30 a.m. this morning, the Black Rooster Pub will reopen its doors at 1919 L Street NW. The pub had been closed for several weeks after the building's landlord declined to renew its lease, but a combination of online petitions and intervention from local politicos ultimately helped save the business.

The U.S. Supreme Court today declined to hear an appeal in the case of whether the Washington Redskins' name is offensive, the Associated Press is reporting.

Meet Walter Carl Abbott, Jr. He's the kind of Lou Dobbs-loving, manly-man Maryland construction worker who blames everything that's wrong in this country on illegal immigrants. In fact, he feels so strongly about illegal immigration that last year, he decided to send an email to Gov. Martin O'Malley about it. Unfortunately for Abbott, the email included this phrase: "If I ever get close enough to you I will [w]rap my hands around your throat and strangle the life from you." Whoops!

Good morning, Washington. Columbia Heights residents are still reeling from the death of 9-year-old Oscar Fuentes, who was killed Saturday evening after being shot through the door of his apartment in the 1400 block of Columbia Rd. NW. It's impossible to make sense of the violent death of a child, but that doesn't mean people won't try. The building's landlord is taking some heat for not repairing the building's front door in a timely manner. The neighborhood itself is also being dragged through the mud, as discussion turns to whether no amount of national retail chains can really change Columbia Heights. Meanwhile, the Fuentes family told WUSA9 that they believe the shooters were gang members, and that MS-13 maintains a presence inside the building as well.

The timing of the news is inadvertently tacky. Coming only days after Veterans' Day, U.S. Secretary of the Army John McHugh ordered an investigation into improper burials at Arlington Cemetery following a report by Salon that cemetery workers buried cremated remains in graves already in use. In its investigation, Salon revealed a negligence unbecoming servicemen and servicewomen deserving honor:

UPDATE: According to MPD Commander George Kucik, a young child was shot and killed shortly after 9:30 p.m. tonight at an apartment on the 1400 block of Columbia Road NW. WUSA9 is reporting that the victim was a seven-year-old boy, but other outlets are reporting that the victim was a nine-year-old. WJLA/ABC7 is also reporting that the shooting occurred as family members were walking back from a party. The group was approached by a man with a gun, who, after a short chase, reportedly shot the child in the back. Detectives are currently investigating and anyone with information is asked to call 202-727-9099.

Noted graphic designer Ken Carbone used his space at Fast Company earlier this week to address the National Football League's ugliest helmets, of which there are plenty. (Helloooooo, Tampa Bay!) As someone with an amateur hobby of monitoring professional and major collegiate sports uniforms -- for instance: have you seen these new Nike college football unis, apparently left to us from a race of super-intelligent hypergalactic beings? -- this editor believes Carbone hit a lot of the right notes. The best helmets in the NFL do belong to teams which have a natural symmetry in the logo (Eagles, Rams, Vikings), or teams who stick with classic, clean insignias and color schemes (Cowboys, Bengals, Browns -- and although Carbone forgot them, the Packers).

No disrespect meant to Governor Tim Kaine, whom I'm sure is a competent storm chaser, but are there seriously not more qualified people in the Commonwealth of Virginia to do this sort of thing? While I'm certain that a helicopter tour of the state would have given Kaine a better impression of the damage done in Hampton Roads by storms, that helicopter tour might have informed any number of state employees who are 1) not the governor and 2) trained in insurance adjustment or aid deployment or whatever field is involved with checking out storm damage from the air.

Good morning, D.C. Are we finally on the edge of ridding ourselves of this week's miserable weather? Clouds are lingering today, but tomorrow's weather looks like it will do a whole lot to erase the last few days of rain, cold, and the general atmosphere of lethargy. There's plenty of 60s forecasted for our future, Washington. And while the last few days haven't been pleasant, it could always be worse -- at least we're not desperately piling sandbags to prevent a nor'easter from pulling our homes into the Chesapeake.

Friday's highlights belonged to the Caps' defense. In a 3-1 win over the Minnesota Wild, Washington's defensemen were responsible for the majority of goals scored, while Semyon Varlamov again turned in a strong performance between the pipes. Despite the Wild having the best penalty kill percentage on the road in the NHL, the Caps' first goal of the game came from Mike Green on a power play in the second period.

President Obama might not want to put a "Taxation Without Representation" license plate on the presidential limo, but if one committed voting rights advocate gets his way, it might not matter.

This week's steady rains appear to be to blame for a construction site in the 100 block of 15th Street SE being declared unstable this afternoon. Saturated ground there has caused the walls of a row of commercial buildings currently undergoing renovations to separate, according to D.C. Fire/EMS spokesperson Pete Piringer. Rescue crews responded to the scene at about 2:45 p.m., and made the call to evacuate the area, including several nearby commercial buildings at 112 and 115 15th Street SE, as well as 1500 Independence Ave. SE. No injuries have been reported.

Former D.C. Council member Harold Brazil is suing the Jinx Proof Tattoo parlor for $5 million, Melissa Castro reports in the Washington Business Journal. His claim stems from a Oct. 9, 2008 brawl at the Georgetown tattoo business, an incident for which Brazil was ultimately held responsible and sentenced to a 30-day suspended sentence, six months unsupervised probation, and a $100 fine. Famously, Brazil admitted at trial that he did in fact pee on the Jinx Proof floor during the scuffle. Brazil also told the WBJ that he's appealing his conviction.

Swann Cleaners, the laundromat/dry cleaner located at the corner of 14th and Swann Streets NW, has closed its doors, 14th & You reports. This was one of the few remaining laundromats in the area, and the small dry cleaner inside it joins two other cleaners that have recently closed along the 14th Street corridor.

You think WMATA employees are ready for 2009 to be over already? Adding to the list of big-time trouble its already had this year, the transit agency has just been criminally charged with dumping hazardous waste into the sewer system at New Carrollton and Branch Avenue in 2003, the Washington Post reports. This sort of case is almost unheard of.

The criminal claim against the quasi-public agency is extremely unusual, and a search of federal and state court records revealed no other such cases. It is not clear why prosecutors are pursuing the case six years after the alleged violation.

Continue reading "Metro Charged with Hazardous Waste Dumping"

Capitol Hill Bikes sent out an email to its customers on Thursday announcing that the store has lost its lease and must liquidate its entire inventory while it searches for a new location. The cycling store has been located at 709 8th Street SE for about a decade.

If you drive in to the District from Virginia, it might be too late to warn you that part of the Inner Loop near Falls Church has been closed due to a water main break. It's set to re-open by noon today.

The D.C. Department of Public Works suspended street cleaning for the winter starting on Friday, Nov. 6, a fact which they did not announce until Monday, Nov. 9. On top of not getting the word out until the following Monday, it appears they didn't manage to let all of their parking enforcement officers know of the change on time, either. Several residents reported getting street-sweeping related tickets on Monday and Tuesday, which led to some fairly intense back-and-forths on various neighborhood email lists. Here's a sampling of what went down on Tuesday on the Columbia Heights community email list:

• "What is someone from DPW giving out incorrect information? folks in Columbia heights be on alert ... street cleaning doe snot end until Nov 20"
• "No. Street cleaning ended. It's just that the enforcement agencies didn't pay attention.
  Continue reading "Yes, Street Cleaning Really is Suspended for Winter as of Nov. 6"

Our friends over at Greater Greater Washington asked us if we'd point our readers to a little usability test they've created in an attempt to compare the old WMATA bus map with the new one. Metro apparently rolled out a new bus map recently without advertising it. Here's what David Alpert says is different about it:

The biggest change is in the color coding of lines. Before, lines got one of several colors to distinguish them, though there were still several red line groups, several green groups, etc. Now, all lines that stay within DC are all red, lines entirely in Virginia purple, and lines that cross borders get different colors.

D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty appeared on WRC/NBC4 this morning to take questions from Barbara Harrison on the whole cycling team police escort/WTOP brouhaha. The mayor actually did a pretty good job explaining himself to Harrison, noting (correctly) that his security detail has been greatly reduced since he first took office, but at the same time appearing contrite and promising to do away with the motorcycle escort during his training exercises from now on.

The Nationals will be holding a news conference at 2:30 p.m. to officially name their new field manager, but there won't be any surprises: Jim Riggleman will be returning to manage the team on a permanent basis in 2010. Both ESPN's Tim Kurkjian and the Associated Press reported last night that Nationals sources confirmed that Riggleman would have his interim tag removed today. Riggleman led the Nats to a somewhat respectable 33-42 record after taking over from previous manager (and new Cleveland skipper) Manny Acta in July. He previously managed in San Diego, Chicago, and Seattle before coming to D.C., compiling a 555-694 record over ten years of service on the bench.

Welcome back, Captain Clark – with a little help from his trusty sidekicks Alex and Semyon, of course.

Good morning, Washington. We hope those of you who had yesterday off had a pleasant holiday, despite the rain. It looks like today's weather won't be any better — though we're not sure if that's good (no ironically beautiful weather upon your reimprisonment at the office) or bad (rain is rain).

The man who was shot and killed while trying to board a Metrobus near 14th and H Streets NE this morning was George Rawlings, the brother of DeOnté Rawlings, according to the Washington Post. DeOnté Rawlings was 14 when he was shot and killed by an off-duty police officer in 2007.

A man was shot multiple times earlier today while attempting to board a Metrobus near 14th and H Streets NE. D.C. Police are currently investigating the shooting, which took place just before noon.

The folks at NextBus have just released an application for the BlackBerry, available for $2.99 at this link. It appears to work somewhat similarly to the iPhone version, which we reviewed earlier this year. BlackBerry users, be sure to let us know how it works for you.

Good morning, Washington, and welcome to one of those weird times when a federal holiday happens to fall on a Wednesday, leaving a good portion of the city with a day off smack in the middle of the week. Banks, schools and government agencies are all closed today, and the Metrorail system is running on a modified Saturday schedule. Even if you're at your desk this morning despite all this, think about finding a way to thank a veteran today. We'll have some suggestions on how to do that later this morning.

Google announced today that it will provide free wireless internet access at 47 U.S. airports and on all Virgin America flights for the holiday season. Starting now through January 15, anyone should be able to log on to free Google WiFi at BWI, which is the only local airport included in the program. You can find the complete list of participating airports here. Naturally, Google says it plans to use the free service as a means to advertise its products, like iGoogle and Google Chrome, to potential new customers. Still, paying that extra $9.99 for a day pass for internet access at most local airports is a huge drag, so until every airport starts offering it for free, all the time, we'll take what we can get.

Despite another fatal shooting in Northeast last night, it's worth noting that with less than two months left to go in 2009, the District has recorded 123 homicides all year long, according to D.C. police crime data. That figure continues to reflect a 25 percent decrease in the number of homicides compared to this time last year, when there were already 164 homicides on the books. By all accounts, the Metropolitan Police Department has also seen an improvement in homicide arrests this year.

Law-breaking, wasting public funds and an elected official who's increasingly unpopular -- the story had everything you would want in an exposé. So when WTOP's Mark Segraves reported Monday that D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty used a police escort and clogged up area roads on his daily bike ride, everyone jumped on it. Including us.

The Board of Trustees of the University of the District of Columbia are proposing a tuition increase at the David A. Clarke School of Law for the 2010-2011 school year. The proposed increase would see residents paying $4,425 per semester, and $8,850 per semester for non-residents. Currently, UDC law students pay $3,675 per semester, and non-residents $7,350.

The authors (and dare we say, the readers) of this web site often get pretty exercised over pedestrian and cyclist safety issues, especially when so many of these kinds of accidents seem to involve city bus drivers. But a new study of relative pedestrian safety finds that D.C. is actually one of the safer cities in the country to be traveling through without an automobile. According to Transportation for America, a transportation advocacy group, walking in Washington is less dangerous than in 31 other metro areas in the U.S.

When in late September the Post all but announced the death of the fixed-gear bicycle fad with a 1,700-word primer on single-speeds, we wondered what would come next. Now we've got our answer -- the Tweed Ride.

Good morning, Washington. Looks like the stunning, unseasonably warm weather we've been enjoying for the last few days will soon be coming to an end. The remnants of Ida are moving in our direction, and while the Capital Weather Gang says we'll miss out on most of the heavy rains, we will be getting clouds, scattered showers, and cooler temperatures into tomorrow. Guess we can't complain -- it is November, after all.

Just as work to lay down tracks for the H Street NE streetcar line disrupted traffic in August, the District of Columbia Department of Transportation is warning drivers that the ongoing installation of streetcar tracks for the Anacostia Line will change traffic patterns at the intersection of South Capitol Street and Firth Sterling Avenue for the next couple of weeks.

Congress Heights on the Rise had the scoop Sunday morning: former D.C. mayor and current Ward 8 Council member Marion Barry is currently filming a pilot for a reality television series. No joke.

No word yet on when the show would make its way to TV or on what network, but folks are telling The Advoc8te they have seen the film crews trailing Barry about town and that members of his staff have confirmed that they are in fact filming a pilot for Barry's reality show. No idea yet on what the focus of the reality show will be, but if in fact true, The Advoc8te isn't really all that surprised. Wasn't it just the next illogical progression for the ultimate showman - his own reality series?

The D.C. Council's Committee on Public Safety and the Judiciary may have just spent two long days hearing public testimony on the same-sex marriage bill for no good reason. A draft report coming out of the committee and currently being circulated to the rest of the council argues that marriage equality already exists in the city, and a law legalizing it isn't much more than a formality.

D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty's obsession with physical fitness may be about to get him into trouble with his constituents. It seems that when he's out training with his cycling team, D.C. Velo, the mayor has been using a large motorcycle police escort that allow him to both flaunt traffic regulations and tie up traffic, WTOP's Mark Segraves is reporting. WTOP spotted Fenty and his team as they "rode on parkways where bikes aren't permitted, ran red lights and stop signs and created traffic backups wherever they went." These rides reportedly occur during weekday business hours, and there's evidence that they are responsible for a large amount of police overtime hours spent doing nothing but waiting for the mayor to show up for his ride. Plus, there's video!

DDOT workers were out putting the finishing touches on the contraflow bike lane on 15th Street NW today, installing the permanent plastic pylons that separate the line of parked cars from the new sidewalk-adjacent bike lane.

Susie Cambria, via her excellent Budget & Policy Corner blog, reminds us that there are 900 D.C. foster children who are hoping to get Christmas presents this holiday season, and the Child and Family Services Agency needs D.C. residents to help. If you're able to purchase a few gifts for some needy local foster kids this year, you can find more details on this flier. Just tell CFSA how many children you can buy gifts for, and they'll give you the age, gender and sizes for each child. Delivery dates for gifts for specific kids are Dec. 7 & 8, while general toy donations can be dropped off on Dec. 14 or 15. Also on the flier are details on how to put together a Thanksgiving dinner basket for a CFSA family.

The District has issued revised regulations that increase the amount of time groups promoting events like anti-war protests may place posters around the city, the Examiner reports today. Previously, event-specific posters could only be up for a total of 60 days, but under the new rules, posters may go up anytime before the event, even a year or more ahead of time, with the only limitation being that they must come down 30 days after the event has taken place. The rules also allow for non-event related posters to be displayed for a total of 60 days, according to the Examiner.

Looks like there's been a major change in leadership over the weekend at the Washington Times. This morning, the paper put out a news release announcing that President and publisher Thomas McDevitt, CFO Keith Cooperrider and Chairman Dong Moon Joo have all been fired, while former VP Jonathan Slevin has been named Acting President and Publisher. The news comes less than a month after the Rev. Sun Myung Moon handed over day-to-day control of the Unification Church, which owns the Times, to his three sons.

Many of you have likely already seen this YouTube video shot by Ephraim and Christy Smethers (and fair warning, it's graphic in the same way that many nature shows are) of a deer being attacked by a lion at the National Zoo yesterday. The deer, which had presumably wandered in to the Zoo from neighboring Rock Creek Park, managed to run inside the lion habitat, and the lions, being lions, went after the young animal like it was a tasty snack.

Good morning, Washington. The ongoing parks and recreation building contracts dispute between the Fenty administration and the D.C. Council isn't going anywhere any time soon, as the Council now has 90 days to figure out how to permanently prevent the mayor's office from funneling projects through the D.C. Housing Authority. In today's Examiner, Michael Neibauer asks an important question: could all of this have been avoided if the D.C. Council had just let Allen Lew do the work? You'll recall that last December, the Council voted to prevent Fenty from giving parks construction oversight to Lew, chief of the Office of Public Education Facilities Modernization, which Neibauer reminds us "was a slap at Fenty in the midst of an ongoing war between the two branches. And it was the best thing that could have happened to Fenty's buddies in the construction industry." In other words, that both the mayor and the council are capable of acting like little children is hardly new.

Tonight the Capitals came from behind to beat the Florida Panthers 7-4. With Alex Ovechkin and Mike Green among a slew of injured players, Mike Knuble put up four points to spark the win. The total tied his personal best, from Valentine's Day, 2003. Asked what it was like to be a leader on this team, Knuble calmly dismissed the assertion. "It's just one game," he said, talking up the importance of hard work over a long season.

If two sex shops are able to remain open in the relatively small Old Town Alexandria commercial district, someone must enjoy patronizing them. Yet Alexandria city planners proposed to ban further sex shops from opening in the historic district, according to ABC7. That decision that would have grandfathered in Le Tache but forced the more recently opened Lotus Blooms to close. Both stores are located on King Street. (Those links are potentially NSFW, especially if you work in Old Town Alexandria.)

WUSA9 has it that parents and kids waited hours to get the H1N1 vaccine in Cheverly, MD. Yet the Washington Business Journal reports that 55% of Washington-area adults don't plan to inoculate, nothing that a full "one-third of parents with children living at home do not plan on getting the vaccine this year."

Here philliefan99 has captured this tribute to the Fort Hood shooting incident, whose local connection the Washington Post explored yesterday. NBC Washington further notes that Maj. L. Eduardo Caraveo, among the victims in the shooting, was a Woodbridge, VA, native. President Barack Obama (pictured here, kind of) ordered that flags fly at half-mast staff until Veterans' Day, calling the shootings "crimes against our nation."

Mornin', Washington. Hope you're awake, because Montgomery County needs your help.