Good morning, Washington. Perfect. That’s what the Washington Capitals remain. In a matchup with the Detroit Red Wings Saturday night -- only the second time in NHL history two teams with records of at least 5-0 faced off -- the Capitals popped seven goals on 25 shots, securing a 7-1 victory over the Red Wings and launching the team into the venerated spot of being only the fifth in league history to start a season 7-0-0. more ›

Fairfax County police are searching for Johnny D. Guillen Pimentel, a 40-year-old man who they believe is connected to a string of assaults committed against women inside various retail outlets this summer. more ›

Good morning, Washington. We're on the brink of the symbolic end of summer. Labor Day traditionally signals the conclusion of our dog days, the retiring of certain white attire, and the ushering in of cooler weather. But, of course, Labor Day is much more than a seasonal marker or a fashion barometer; in a year when public sector unions and their opponents were often in the spotlight, this weekend could be a good time to brush up on your holiday history. more ›

Good morning, Washington. Grab the galoshes. The D.C. region, which has been suffering from moderate drought, is locked in for more rain today. Heavy downpours are expected, and the National Weather Service has issued a Flash Flood Watch for most of the metro region. Maryland's tax-free week starts today, so if you don't find the rain too dissuasive be careful on the roads. more ›

In previous weeks, DCist had deemed weekend news of the man slashing women’s butts in Fairfax County shopping malls suitable for the “Crime in Brief,” but the incidents have become so pervasive and with Fairfax County authorities still struggling to catch the suspect, it will no longer be relegated to a roundup. At least nine women have come forward claiming they’ve been slashed or stabbed in the butt since February, and now Fairfax County police have created an internal task force to coordinate the many leads and calls about the case to find the attacker. more ›

The number of women who have reported being stabbed or slashed by a man in Fairfax County has now increased to nine, after three more women came forward. more ›

This morning, the Virginia Task Force 1 rescue team from Fairfax County returned from helping with USAID efforts in Japan. Despite a week's worth of searching, earthquake damage and weather conditions proved too extensive to find survivors around the seaport city of Ofunato. Previously we linked to this video, released by the Department of Defense, of the search and rescuers laboring through rubble and helping with recovery efforts. According to WTOP, over $145,000 worth of gear, supplies and vehicles was left behind for the continuing effort. The Embassy of Japan has setup a website with information of agencies collecting donations. more ›

The Washington Post is reporting that the string of more than 110 burglaries and attempted break-ins may have come to an end. With nuances and shades straight out of The Wire, the Post piece follows the police trail leading to an arrest. Fairfax County police investigators have linked Brad K. Edmonds to the series of burglaries that have plagued the entire county, and perhaps several surrounding areas, for the past three months. The arrest was made after police were tipped off to Edmonds' suspicious behavior, leading investigators to catch him later in Montgomery County breaking into two vehicles. Although, Edmonds is not yet been charged with any of the more than 110 incidents in Fairfax County, he has been charged 13 counts in Montgomery County resulting from the investigation. A search of items in his house and similarities in Edmonds' robbery patterns ultimately led police to believe he is the serial burglar. more ›

WUSA9 first caught the story that a newborn baby girl was found at around 6:30 a.m. this morning in the parking lot of St. Raymond Catholic Church, Springfield, VA. A church patron had found the baby -- believed to be a few hours old -- wrapped up inside a bag. The infant was taken to Inova Fairfax Hospital for tests, but is in good condition, according to the Washington Post. Fairfax police believe the patron could have missed the drop by just a few minutes, as the baby had not been affected by the cold temperature. Fairfax County police urge anyone with information to contact Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-8477. more ›

Silver Spring resident Rick Santos can count himself among the fortunate humanitarian aid workers who survived what sounds like a harrowing ordeal. The Washington Post reports that Santos spent 50 hours trapped in a tiny space under the rubble of the Montana Hotel in Port-au-Prince, returning Saturday after he was rescued by French firefighters. Santos, president of IMA World Health, says he met a Fairfax County responder, some of whom are working with French rescuers to pull survivors from the Montana Hotel collapse. More improbably than that DMV reunion, Santos plants to return to Haiti to help with rebuilding -- his horrifying experience notwithstanding. Dude, that is ballin.' Welcome back. more ›

You have to feel sorry for the 15-year-old son of Vienna's Jenifer Joy Madden, who got outed by his mom in an op-ed in Sunday's Washington Post for having only just now learned how to ride a bus.

We couched it as another test of their mettle. After all, if these 15-year-olds could swing at objects flying 90 miles an hour and get whacked by titanium lacrosse sticks, they could walk to a bus stop and ride a few miles across town.

We're working on a Snake Theme here, people. WTOP's Hank Silverberg reports that a house fire in Fairfax County has claimed the lives of dozens of snakes, scorpions, and lizards that were trapped inside cages in the attic when the fire broke out. Resident Zachary Frodge had been breeding the animals, which included "non-poisonous ball pythons, corn snakes, rat snakes, Columbia red tail boa constrictors, bearded dragons and a green iguana," for sale. No humans were injured in the blaze, though the house, which is in the Alexandria section of the County, was pretty badly damaged. more ›

The McCain campaign has announced that a rally originally planned to be at Fairfax High School on Wednesday morning has been moved to Van Dyck Park in Fairfax County. The campaign told supporters through an email and robo-telephone calls that the event, which will begin at 8 a.m., had been moved because the high school field was not big enough — no mention of the concern voiced by some that the county school system had violated one of its own rules by agreeing to host the rally during school hours. The Post says the high school field house can hold as many as 6,500 people -- so we'll have to see tomorrow whether more than 6,500 people show up to Van Dyck Park. more ›

UPDATE: Point now moot! The rally has been moved amid all the outcry, although no word yet on the new location. more ›

Good morning, Washington. Supporters of Gov. Mike Huckabee and Sen. Barack Obama are riding high off their caucus victories in Iowa last night, but locally, D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty continues to suffer some bumps in the road after one year in office. Just weeks after the resignation of Attorney General Linda Singer, Fenty's former deputy chief of staff, Neil Richardson, has also resigned. Richardson, who was a key Fenty aide during his mayoral campaign, had been moved out of Fenty's "bullpen" in October and placed in an office called Serve DC, where he was tasked with creating a volunteer program to help the school system. Yesterday Richardson decided that the demotion, which came, according to the Post, after Richardson complained to the mayor that he was not listening enough to the public on key decisions, wasn't worth sticking around for, and tendered his resignation. WTOP has excerpts from Richardson's resignation letter, which reiterates complaints heard from others about Fenty's dictatorial governing style. more ›

Temperatures are expected to remain well below freezing again overnight, which can mean danger for the District's homeless population. The city has put out a reminder to call their Hypothermia Shelter Hotline should you spot anyone trying to sleep outside when it's this cold. more ›

A happy Friday to you, Washington. Hopefully you all made it in to work on time despite Metro having reduced the speed of their rail cars in several areas this morning. Speed restrictions were in place until 8:10 a.m. along portions of the Orange line in Maryland and Virginia, the Red line from Union Station to Silver Spring and from Shady Grove to Grosvenor, and the Green line from Branch Avenue to Congress Heights... more ›

Happy Thanksgiving, Washington. The streets are quiet this morning in the capital; one cab driver remarked to this writer that it was his favorite day to drive in the city -- no traffic, no tourists, and everyone he picks up tends to be cheery and a big tipper. The forecast in D.C. today is calling for an unseasonably warm high of 72 degrees, with a solid chance of afternoon showers and gastrointestinal distress. What's the... more ›

Now is the time of year when we all get to start complaining about how stupid standard time is and how walking out of our offices last night into pitch black darkness was weird and uncomfortable and made us confused about what time happy hour was supposed to start. That is all. 'Fat Gap' Between Whites and Blacks in D.C. High: We've certainly talked about the income gap between whites and blacks in our city... more ›

Former Editor-in-Chief Ryan Avent writes a weekly column about neighborhood and development issues. Things used to be clearer for Fairfax County. It used to be known as the epitome of upper-middle class suburbanity, even earning name-checks in popular novels and songs as such. With acres and acres of rolling hills covered in leafy suburbs and landscaped office parks, it was a quiet complement to the quirky inner suburbs of Northern Virginia and the dense chaos... more ›

If you live in Virginia and take public transportation into Washington every day, WMATA is looking for you. Metro’s Riders’ Advisory Council needs commuters from Virginia to fill three vacant positions on the Council, two from Fairfax County and one from Arlington County. To be eligible for the positions, you need to live in either Fairfax or Arlington counties, ride bus, rail and/or MetroAccess, and not be a Metro employee, contractor or elected official. You... more ›

Former Editor-in-Chief Ryan Avent writes a weekly column about neighborhood and development issues. Summer in Washington means the return of many familiar sights, some welcomed, others not as much. It means baseball, but also sticky heat and humidity. It means evenings at barbecues and bars with outdoor seating, but also children roaming the streets with backpacks full of cherry bombs and bottle rockets. It means, for many of us, time off. For others it means... more ›

Former Editor-in-Chief Ryan Avent writes a weekly column about neighborhood and development issues. Sometimes I imagine that the vicious territoriality residents of this or that place occasionally display when comparing their home enclave to another is a sign of something positive, a rootedness and sense of belonging, maybe, to the neighborhood or city or state one calls home. If that’s the case, then residents of the cities of Baltimore and Washington must be some rooted... more ›

It's never a good sign when it's already this steamy this early in the morning, and indeed, the heat index looks like it will near 100 degrees today (actual temps closer to 94). The D.C. Homeland Security and Emergency Management has some helpful tips to beating the oppressive heat, but this list has a shameful lack of ice cream sandwiches involved. DCist heartily recommends the Ice Cream Sandwich Method of keeping cool today, which involves... more ›

>> Dan Steinberg has some classic footage on "Bog TV' of Preakness Race fans drunk off their gourds. One guy's insistence that "this is what Maryland is all about," and by "this" he means heavy drinking, is just fun for the whole family. [D.C. Sports Bog] >> Fairfax County police locked down Willow Springs Elementary School in Centreville this morning after reports of a shooting in the nearby area. The school re-opened around noon without... more ›

Good day, Washington. Are you getting tired of this gorgeous weather yet? Yeah, us neither. As you work out the kinks in your upcoming Memorial Day Weekend plans, we wish you good luck and delight in describing the rest of this week and weekend ahead as forecast to be sunny and hot enough to give you that sunburn you've been hoping for. We're also putting together a few ideas for last-minute day trips for those... more ›

Former Editor-in-Chief Ryan Avent writes a weekly column about neighborhood and development issues. The news came as absolutely no surprise to most observers of the city of Washington, but it still managed to produce banner headlines and an outbreak of hand wringing. Which, I suppose, should also have been no surprise, in a city where issues of race and income lade every public policy discussion. Earlier this week, the Census Bureau released new data on... more ›

>> D.C. looks to be trapped in the middle of a presidential endorsement face-off, with Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine already firmly in the Sen. Barack Obama camp (the first governor to endorse the candidate), and Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley declaring his support for Sen. Hillary Clinton. Will D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty step into the fray with an endorsement of his own? >> Police have arrested a 12-year-old boy in connection to the "pins in the... more ›

Good Morning, Washington. It looks like another fine spring day from our vantage point at DCist headquarters -- weather fit for a queen, as it were. Thanks to Flickr user Jon-Miles for sharing some of his shots with us from yesterday's press event with President Bush and Queen Elizabeth II. Today is the final day of the Queen's tour of the region. Before a private dinner with the Bushes, she'll spend it by visiting the... more ›

Today, Washington is still dealing with the aftermath of losing so many area residents at Virginia Tech and trying to grasp the scope of Monday's events. Even those not connected to the school have been moved to prayer and shows of support. In situations like these, many of us feel powerless, yet some gain strength by joining others to reflect and remember. Yesterday students at UVa, Georgetown, Galluadet, Howard, UMd, Catholic University, American, UDC, GW... more ›