If you don't want to pay a toll, just don't leave the city. Information is sketchy at best, but the federal government may soon propose a toll on cars entering the city via the 14th Street bridge, reports The Examiner. According to the story, the proposal seems to be nothing more than another one of those fabulous pipe dreams feds float from time to time for improving our city. Like Sen. Sam Brownback's "flat tax"... more ›

Like ravenous dogs preying on fresh meat, local bloggers have pounced on the news that local organic grocer Yes! Organic Market will be coming to the Union Row building project, located at 14th and V streets NW. In a press release from Ward 1 Councilmember Jim Graham, the 5,000 square foot market is scheduled to open in Spring of 2008, offering residents, “natural foods as part of a unique shopping experience.” Despite the ominous approach... more ›

A few more tidbits keep trickling out about decisions made during the D.C. Council's action-packed final summer session earlier this week, and this one is ripe for a cascade of debate. Running enthusiast Mayor Adrian Fenty is determined to see the Nation's Triathlon, scheduled for Sept. 29, go forward this year, complete with a one-mile swim in the Potomac River. Last year, the swim part of the event was canceled after the health department determined... more ›

It's been since last October that we heard much more about any rock throwing attacks in Columbia Heights. Despite the prevalence of these types of assaults last year, thought to be perpetrated by groups of neighborhood kids, they had seemingly stopped sometime over the winter and not begun anew, until now. Council member Jim Graham (D-Ward 1) has been circulating a couple of emails to District police officials and neighborhood listserves: one that reports a... more ›

Cue sounds of cats hissing at each other. The latest issue of the Washington City Paper contains not one but two tongue lashings of Ward 1 D.C. Council member Jim Graham. The first, a lengthy cover story by Jessica Gould, nicely summarized in the subtitle: "Ward 1 Councilmember Jim Graham never met a misbehaving nightclub that blanket legislation couldn’t fix," details Graham's latest crusade against nightclubs -- an issue we've certainly talked about before.... more ›

Last June we reported that the Georgetown waterfront, which has never been much of a gem, was finally starting to take shape. Specifically, the Georgetown Waterfront Park, three decades in the making, had finally jumped through the last of its bureaucratic hoops and would soon see a parking lot coverted to green space. But for what was left of 2006, nothing much happened. The parking lot remained. Late last week we saw that the parking... more ›

Two men were wounded in a drive-by shooting on Euclid near 17th Street NW in Adams Morgan on Saturday afternoon, but both have now been released from the hospital. Neighborhood resident Sebastian Renaud, who was walking with his girlfriend, was shot below the armpit, while John Brown, who lives on 18th Street SE, was shot in the left big toe and was walking with another man who may have been the intended target. Councilmember Jim... more ›

>> The Politico breaks into D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty's family home, and what do they turn up? Twenty cases of Gillette Mach-3 razors, a box of replacement Blackberry chargers and a picture of Fenty in his younger and hairier days. [The Politico] >> Investigators have confirmed that the deaths of two area teens, whose bodies were discovered on Friday, were acts of suicide. [WTOP/AP] >> Tomorrow is the day that area minors and all-age venues... more ›

Fear not, minors -- a ban on all-ages shows probably won't come to pass. But things may get a little stricter in the months to come. According to both the Post and the Examiner, a hearing yesterday on all-ages clubs in the wake of last weekend's killing of 17-year-old Taleshia Ford provoked heated opinions from both parents and District music fans. On the one side, concerned parents argued that minors can too easily get into... more ›

Happy day before Thanksgiving, everyone. The holiday weekend isn't getting off to the most auspicious start here at DCist, since our browser keeps crashing before we get a chance to save our work, thus the lateness of the usual morning roundup. But really we feel worse for those of you about to head out of town today, whether by car, plane, bus or train, everyone seems to be predicting the worst holiday travel day in... more ›

The Examiner has the goods today on D.C.'s Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, the agency responsible for most contstruction permits and business licenses in the city. According to the Office of the Inspector General, it appears the department lacks the resources to collect on more than 22,000 infractions still unpaid, which total a whopping $8.825 million in fines. The department has no system for collecting outstanding fines and penalties, infrequently imposes liens and may... more ›

We promise you, Washington, we’ll let go of this soon. Very soon. By November 7th at the latest. Yesterday, George Allen placed a telephone call to S.R. Sidarth to apologize yet again for the slip of the tongue that has sent his campaign into a tailspin. Allen’s critics remain unimpressed, including the 50 protesters that greeted President Bush’s arrival at an Allen fundraiser yesterday with signs that included, "Hey, George, macaca is a bad word."... more ›

A day late, a buck short. If it had run when it was supposed to, Transit on Thursday would have brought you big praise for Mr. Customer Service, talk of toll lanes on I-95, some trouble on the Wilson Bridge, and an official insult to D.C.'s drivin' skillz. Photo by Burnt Pixel... more ›

In regards to the much talked about possible elimination of the current rent ceiling system here in the District, there will be a public roundtable on the issue today at 5:00pm at the John A. Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Two weeks ago, the City Council's Committee on Consumer and Regulatory Affairs voted 4 to 1 to overhaul the system. Right now, the cap is based on a particular unit's "rent ceiling", while the... more ›

Two weeks ago, we took a look at the developing discussion over the fate of proposed development on the campus of the Armed Forces Retirement Home (which we'll refer to as the Home, or AFRH). The post prompted a long discussion and a stream of emails, so today we revisit the subject. The campus site currently consists of about 270 acres, most of which is open space (though closed to the public) but which does... more ›

Everyone knows the "18th Street at 2 a.m." side of Adams Morgan, but what about the rich and diverse history of the neighborhood? And don't you wonder what it looks like in the daytime? This Saturday, there is a chance to learn about the "other side" of Adams Morgan with Step Back Into History: The Adams Morgan Heritage Trail Walk, the inaugural event of the fifth Heritage Trail in the District. A joint collaboration between... more ›

If there was any silver lining to the cloud of cigarette smoke District residents nervously enjoyed in area restaurants and bars last night, it's that hookah bars may be granted a blanket exemption from the smoking ban that the City Council endorsed yesterday on a 12-1 vote. Council-member Jim Graham, whose Ward 1 enclave includes a number of the Middle Eastern-themed establishments, has announced that he will introduce an amendment to the smoke-free legislation to... more ›

Good morning, Washington. This photo is of an installation at the Corcoran Gallery of Art by artist Sam Gilliam, as part of a retrospective on display through January. The photo was taken by Flickr user pattista. Today will be partly cloudy and windy with highs in the 40s. King Memorial Crosses Approval Hurdle: The preliminary design for the Washington, D.C. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial was unanimously approved yesterday by the National Capital Planning... more ›

We reported on Tuesday that D.C. government had temporarily suspended the liquor license of Kili's Kafe on 8th Street after an early morning shooting wounded four men. The Post reported on the incident which finally sparked the suspension, as well as two other killings -- one in June and one in November -- that occured near the club and have created an air of tension between the club owners and police and neighborhood groups. Today... more ›

Good morning, Washington. Judging by the photos you uploaded, our readers had a busy weekend checking out the peace march, free concert, book festival, and even the opera. What were you up to? Today will be mostly cloudy with a 40 percent chance of rain this afternoon. No Major Snags for Weekend Protests: Of the estimated 150,000 people who made their way downtown for Saturday's protest, there were only a handful of arrests and counter-protesters,... more ›

D.C. Public Schools start classes bright and early Monday, August 29, and the grounds (not to mention the interiors) of many District schools are in sorry shape. It's time to do a little weeding, painting, mulching and pruning. Schools, parents and community groups are joining forces and co-sponsoring a beautification day this Saturday, August 27, and asking for your help. Our area schools -- especially in Ward One -- need a little TLC to kick... more ›

Good morning, all. Capital Weather is predicting a warm and humid work week leading up to a slightly cooler and dry (at this point) holiday weekend. This photo of the Hirshhorn museum was uploaded to DCist photos by Taylor Davidson. Record Month for Speed Cameras: The W. Times continues their vigilant coverage of the city's speed camera program, reporting that May saw a record amount of fines collected: $2.58 million. Two Shooting Deaths Near Nightclubs... more ›

We hope you had a relaxing and cool weekend. The summer heat has been in the news - from sweltering D.C. public schools to a D.C. apartment without working A/C. How have you stayed cool? The photo is the Smithernees performing at Celebrate Fairfax. Today temps will be in the 80s and it will be partly cloudy with a chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Capital Pride a Success: The weekend's 30th anniversary... more ›

Judging by the titanic commenting slugfests that our previous posts on the reincarnation of the D.C. smoking ban have provoked, Councilmember Jim Graham may have quite a meeting on his hands tomorrow. That's because he's hosting a town hall meeting at the Lincoln Theater tomorrow at 7 p.m. Although his website doesn't contain much information about what attendees can expect at the event, we do love how they painstakingly link to the websites of all... more ›

This weekend was certainly a test for the Adams Morgan-18th Street lack-of-parking experiment. The heat, humidity, coupled with the new restrictions for sure frustrated outsiders looking to find a parking space on 18th Street NW, seen here in this photo posted by FurCafe in DCist Photos. As the Post reported last week, the restrictions are part of a pilot program where on Friday and Saturday nights through September, parking is prohibited in the southbound curb... more ›

The current issue of the MetroWeekly magazine has an interesting cover story detailing the impact of the proposed baseball stadium site in Southeast we first wrote about in December. The article examines the impact of the proposed stadium site, which would evict a number of businesses catering to the gay community: Ziegfeld's. Secrets. Glorious Health and Amusement. The Follies. Club Baths. Heat. All lie just beyond the proposed right field. Just outside of the stadium's... more ›

So the Pope-watch late last week distracted us from keeping an eye on neighborhood news. We'll do a quick summay. Forgive our tardiness. First off, Loose Lips in the Washington City Paper is massively confused about Ward 1 Councilmember Jim Graham. The lede says it all: "You can count on one thing from Ward 1 D.C. Councilmember Jim Graham: He's a tough guy to count on." From supporting to opposing Mayor Williams' take-over of the... more ›

Editor’s Note: It’s been a while since we’ve written about the metrobus system. Forgive us. This DCist recently moved to within walking distance of a metrorail station, so our daily bus ride has been eliminated. But we still use the bus. Coming home from Columbia Heights two nights in a light rain, we cut across Adams Morgan on the 42 and 90 buses with ease and for the most party dry, demonstrating that despite all... more ›

Last night, someone was murdered in the lobby of the Reeves Center, a District municipal building at the intersection of 14th and U streets NW. According to an e-mail posted on the U Street News listserv by Ward 1 Councilmember Jim Graham: Around 3 AM, in entranceway approach to the Club, a person was stabbed to death with a "sharp object" following an argument that began in the Club U with another person. This is... more ›

A massive new condominium and retail development will break ground Friday in Columbia Heights, a community which is for many the poster child for gentrification in D.C. The City Paper shone a light on some of the more absurd and sobering events in the neighborhood this week with a cover story featuring excerpts from a public neighborhood listserv, where tensions between old and new residents crackle in terse emails. Among our favorites, not included in... more ›