This morning, DCist heard more complaints from District residents about yet another loud racket which woke them up a little earlier than they would have preferred. Fortunately, though, we didn't have to go on quite the same kind of wild goose chase to figure out what happened this time -- Arlington's alert system filled us in that, indeed, the booming noises were again blank cannon blasts, fired during a drill conducted by the Old Guard's Presidential Salute Battery. more ›

Victory is ours! DCist has finally hammered down precisely what was creating noises that sounded like pile driving around the District early this morning: a World War II Anti-Tank Gun. Yes, you read that correctly. more ›

Hmmm, this is a bit curious. How exactly did 9-feet-tall urns, that used to call the Arlington National Cemetery home, end up in an auction in Alexandria? Well the Army would sure like to know. The Potomack Company has 2 urns and 14 marble ballusters for sale at auction, all used to stand in the amphitheater next to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the Arlington National Cemetery. Following the controversies the Arlington National Cemetery have faced with graves in the past few years, this additional gaffe doesn't look good. It seems like the urns were removed during a renovation in the 1990s and they then ended up in an antiques shop in Maryland. The owner says he bought the urns from the company doing the renovations. The Army asked the auction house to halt the urns' sale as they investigate exactly what happened. more ›

The latest chapter in a story which doesn't appear to be going away anytime soon: the Associated Press reports that officials with the Army found three more mismarked graves at Arlington National Cemetery last month. more ›

Not for nothing do they call the President the Commander-in-Chief, so his decision to skip the Memorial Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery is bound to rankle some. It's not unprecedented: As ABC 7 reports, President George H.W. Bush never attended one official Memorial Day ceremony during his time in office. Far be it from me to begrudge President Obama for taking a vacation like everyone else (he's spending the long weekend In Chicago following his visit to the Gulf Coast), but Sarah Palin and the gang at FOX News won't show him the same kindness. The loudest complaints will come from the Tea Party set, and those should be ignored; but a wartime President's appearance at a ceremony commemorating the lost and fallen means more than optics to the friends and family of servicemen abroad. more ›

Showcasing six artists from across the region, this juried group of solo exhibits at Arlington Arts Center covers a wide range of themes including the paranormal, miniatures, sprawl and inventions. more ›

Via PreservationNation, the National Trust for Historic Preservation has started a campaign to save the original Tomb of the Unknowns, or Tomb of the Unknown Soldier as it's commonly called, at Arlington National Cemetery. Who would want to mess with the tomb? According to the National Trust, it's the folks who run Arlington National Cemetery themselves, as well as Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) -- perhaps one of the senate's most famous military veterans and fathers... more ›

It's time yet again for our weekly installment of Overheard in D.C. We've been at this for three months now, and we are grateful for all of the submissions and the positive feedback we've received on this feature. But at the risk of being repetitive, all of the kudos should go to the contributors who are our ears on the street. If it weren't for all your e-mails, we couldn't do this feature. Because, frankly,... more ›

For those out there who hate Thievery Corporation and Ted Leo but love freedom, the Pentagon is offering an alternative to Operation Ceasefire. None other than country music legend Clint Black will headline a concert in support of the military and Sept. 11 victims on the four-year anniversary of the attacks. The concert, named "America Supports You," will follow up the Department of Defense’s two-mile Freedom Walk from the Pentagon to Arlington National Cemetery to... more ›

We hope you had a nice weekend. This photo, posted by the Post's Keith Jenkins in DCist Photos, shows motorcyclists with a dog in the sidecar and U.S. and Marine Corps flags. Many of the memorials and monuments on both sides of the Potomac were packed with people honoring those who have fallen in current and past wars. For a transcript of President Bush's Memorial Day address at Arlington National Cemetery, click here. Now on... more ›

FRIDAY: >> The circus has come to town! Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus will be having an evening show tonight, 7:30 p.m. at the MCI Center. If you get there 90 minutes early, you can enjoy free entertainment, and during the pre-show Three Ring Adventure, kids can meet performers and pose for photos with the crazy clowns. Tickets can be purchased here. SATURDAY: >> If you're feeling energetic come Saturday AM, why not... more ›

Oscars, Oscars, Oscars! That's the main event going on this weekend (care to leave your picks in the comments?) but there's tons of other fun things out there. Check out this week's Arts Agenda and Music Agenda for some suggestions, like the opening of the Modigliani exhibit at the Phillips Collection on Saturday (a portrait of his is at right), or the continuation of the Teenbeat reunion tonight (check out shesbitter.com for some pictures of... more ›

Two weekends back, DCist took a trip to the Old Post Office Pavilion. We weren't there to mingle with tourists in the food court, we went for the view. With the Washington Monument closed for security upgrades, the tower of the Old Post Office is the next best thing. Its free access and normally low traffic is one of the best relatively low-key tourist sites in the city. (Please note that the National Park Service's... more ›

One of the most powerful demonstrations from the protests in New York City during the 2004 Republican National Convention is coming to Washington D.C. this Saturday. A group calling themselves One Thousand Coffins plans on displaying 1,104 coffins at the Ellipse - 100 draped in U.S. flags, the rest draped in black in order to "to represent and honor each of our fallen soldiers and marines, and make a bold statement that the truth of... more ›

Two noteworthy specials will air on WETA PBS-23 tonight related to the 9/11 attack on New York City. First will be what DCist has heard is a very good NOVA documentary about the World Trade Center attack titled "Why the Towers Fell" at 8 p.m. Second, at 9 p.m., is the premier of a new Frontline documentary titled "Sacred Ground" about the planning surrounding the site's reconstruction. Featured in the Frontline documentary is wrangling surrounding... more ›