It's marijuana Thursday! The AP via WaPo reports that a 19-year-old Chevy Chase man has been arrested for growing approximately 10 marijuana plants in Rock Creek Park. Isiah Johnson was caught tending the plants after the National Park Service discovered them in what's being described as a "remote" part of the park, and set up surveillance. Not remote enough, apparently.......

It wasn't a very merry Christmas for Michel Morauw, the manager of the Park Hyatt Washington Hotel. NBC4 reports that an MPD officer shot and killed Morauw's dog on Monday in a small park adjacent to Rock Creek Park at 24th and N Streets NW. The officer reportedly said he was on foot patrol and entered the park "when an unleashed dog attacked him." The officer fired his gun at the dog, and the dog......

We were alerted yesterday via the Art Law Blog that the U.S. Department of the Interior is gearing up to change motion and still photography rules on federally run lands. In an amendment to current regulations, three DOI agencies, the Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Services, and the National Park Service, will be authorized to charge standardized fees to and require a permit from commercial photographers who want to shoot in an area......

>> "Florida's top police agency said Wednesday its investigation into former U.S. Rep. Mark Foley's lurid Internet communications with teenage boys has been hindered because neither Foley nor the House will let investigators examine his congressional computers." [AP via TPM] >> "A New Carrollton mother accused of leaving her five young children in filth pleaded guilty in the case on Thursday." [NBC4] >> "A D.C. Superior Court judge today sentenced a former D.C. police......

It's hard to believe it's been six years since congressional intern Chandra Levy disappeared. This week marks five years since her body was finally discovered in Rock Creek Park, almost 13 months after she vanished without a trace. No one has ever been charged with her murder. Today Susan Levy, Chandra's mother, is in town to meet with MPD Chief Cathy Lanier to urge her to continue investigating Chandra's death. Levy's case generated national headlines......

Our friends over at OffSeventh are, if you pardon the expression, losing their shit over some pet owners' inability to pick up after their pooches. They're up in arms over a monumental amount of dog waste occupying a strip of sidewalk on 9th Street. The city is littered with signs warning people to curb their dogs, or face a weighty ticket. Yet it's clear that a few dog walkers still aren't scooping the poop.......

It was two years ago that we first took notice of D.C.'s new population of coyotes. Back then we worried about the threat of an international incident as the animals made their way to Embassy Row. Today the Post confirms that coyotes continue to roam the edges of Rock Creek Park, bringing them in much closer contact to city residents. This is one case of animal/human cohabitation that can't be blamed on urban development pushing......

Good morning, Washington. Today is the day of the Voting Rights March. If you can, gather at Freedom Plaza at 2:30 p.m. to march to the capitol with your friends from DCist and other Washingtonians. Or, just meet us for the rally planned at 4 p.m. at the Capitol Reflecting Pool. Either way, we hope you make it out for at least one hour to show your support for District voting rights. Don't let this......

Yesterday Mayor Fenty made his way to the far north end of the city with plans to demolish a brand new home. Why would the mayor and neighbors invite the media to see the shiny, $1.5 million building dismantled piece by piece? The answer lies in an almost farcical gaffe on the part of city officials and the federal government's control over lands in the District. We've mentioned it briefly before, but the full story......

Hope you didn't stay up too late debating the President's speech with friends last night, Washington. We stayed up a bit past our bedtimes ourselves, mostly pondering the rhetorical significance of the difference between the phrases "mistakes were made", and "where mistakes have been made". Either way, we take full responsibility for any mistakes that were/have been made in this morning roundup, which was completed with the known unknown of the amount of sleep we......

Good morning, Washington. As you may have heard, former President Gerald Ford passed away yesterday. The Post has all of the currently available details, as well as the detailed obituary you would expect. Moussaoui Barriers To Remain In Alexandria: The Post reports on a story near of particular interest to us. Alexandria resident Jim Savage has been trying to get rid of the allegedly-temporary security barriers that were placed around the town's courthouse for the......

It's been a tradition since time immemorial (or at least since pagan days): the Christmas tree. A reader getting into the holiday spirit wondered where to get their piney living room centerpiece in the city, since it's probably frowned upon to take a saw to some trees in Rock Creek Park. Thankfully, at least for those among us with the Christmas spirit, trees are available all over the city. Here's a few of our......

So, apparently it rained last night...A tornado touched down in Severna Park, Maryland. The Post says that according to area utility companies, 30,000 customers across Maryland, Virginia and the District lost power last night. I know my Internet is out; can I blame the storm? In other news, today is the 116th birthday of Rock Creek Park: check out the National Park Service's list of activities celebrating the District's very own nature-y goodness. District Teen......

Last month we reported that the District's first official triathlon, the Nation's Triathlon, was a go. After months of haggling with competing jurisdictions for permit, race organizers got the final go-ahead for the event, which would include a swim in the Potomac River, a bike ride up Rock Creek Park, and a run to the U.S. Capitol and back. Plenty of readers made jokes about swimming in the Potomac. Hell, so did I --......

It's the weekend, which means it's time to leave the cement palaces behind and find something a bit more soothing. Turns out you don't have to stray too far from home to hang with Mother Nature for awhile, as Flickr user Grundlepuck shows us with this photo from Rock Creek Park. Pack a picnic, avoid the annoying Metro delays, and hang with the water striders tomorrow. EXIF.......

After months of torturous planning, organizers of the first officially sanctioned triathlon in the District announced today that the race is on. The Nation's Triathlon, set for September 16, 2006, will take its 1,750 participants on a short 1 kilometer swim in the Potomac River, a 32 kilometer bike ride up Rock Creek Park and back, and an 8 kilometer run around the city's monuments. Pre-registration is closed for the race, though organizers have......

Part of DCist's very nearly award-winning Deluge '06 coverage If you get on Rock Creek Parkway at Calvert and Connecticut in Northwest to drive through gorgeous Rock Creek Park on your daily commute, then you, too, have been experiencing a series of headaches and u-turns the past few days. Though local radio has been reporting that parts of the RCP have been reopened, a significant portion of it is still closed. We found a press......

If you're the type who turns to your friends haughtily when they're jonesing for some Hamlet or Othello and replies contemptuously, "I don't pay for Shakespeare," it's almost your time of year. That's right, while companies like Folger Shakespeare Theatre and Washington Shakespeare Company are wrapping up their productions, and we'll have to wait until 2007 for the amazing Shakespeare In Washington extravaganza, we still have options to get our Bard fix, and we don't......

So, this morning we told you all about Lincoln Ross' potential District anthem. Now, as suggested in the comments, we're going to take a vote. Here are the nominees: "Come to Washington," by Lincoln Ross. "Chocolate City," by Parliament. "Washington, DC," by Magnetic Fields. "Washington, DC," by Johnny Cohen. "Rock Creek Park," The Blackbyrds. "Bustin' Loose," by Chuck Brown "DC Will Do That To You," by Smart Went Crazy. "DC Fight Song," by Federal City......

Back in the summer of 2001, news stations were broadcasting saturation coverage of the disappearance of Chandra Levy, the Federal Bureau of Prisons intern who was allegedly having an affair with California Representative Gary Condit. The September 11 attacks wiped the story off the national radar; even the discovery of Levy's remains in Rock Creek Park failed to stir renewed interest in the still unsolved case. Now, however, E! is running an episode of......

It's Labor Day weekend, and you thought everybody had gotten the hell out of Dodge City, hadn't you? Well, they probably have, and we're experiencing serious envy of anyone who's on a beach right now with a margarita in hand. But don't despair - there's still tons to do in D.C. this weekend, and we've rounded up the best of the best for you to do in a special extended version of Weekend Picks. But......

In an interesting article highlighting the power of blogs and internet forums in promoting democratic discourse, the Examiner today reports on a heated debate that has developed on D.C. Watch's bi-weekly online newsletter concerning a new $400 million, 250-bed hospital being planned for Southeast. Gary Imhoff, longtime city activist and the newsletter's publisher, recognized the importance of new forums in allowing residents access to large audiences, stating, "There are few places where someone who......

DCist cannot tell a lie. We were more than a little disappointed (although somewhat elated as we had yet to purchase tickets) to hear that Andre Agassi has withdrawn from this year's Legg Mason Tennis Classic to better focus on the upcoming US Open. Agassi, a five time champion of the event, won his first tournament of the year last weekend in Los Angeles and opted to take this week off, lest his back......

Any D.C. resident who has put on a pair of running shoes and ventured out his or her front door knows that Washington is one of the best cities for runners. The editors of Runner's World magazine agree. In a recent article on MSN, Washington is ranked the fifth best city for running. According to the editors: Yes, the capital leads our 25 cities in percentage of park area, but local runners get pumped by......

Have you heard anything about Live on Penn making a comeback for the summer? Last summer when DCist was in super-secret beta mode, we actually answered this very same query when the concert series was abruptly stopped in July 2004. So no, no comeback in the works as far as we have heard. But have no fear, Fort Reno's summer lineup was just released today. The series kicks off tomorrow with The Rude Staircase, Sentai......

The Shakespeare Theatre's Free for All is perhaps this DCist's favorite thing about summer in the city. Sure, blistering 90 degree days stuck in rush hour traffic are also a highlight, but nothing compares to seeing a little bit of Shakespeare in the park. This year, the Shakespeare Theatre presents "A Midsummer Night's Dream," from May 26-June 5, at the beautiful Carter Barron Amphitheatre in Rock Creek Park, with original direction by Mark Lamos. According......

In January a reader wrote to us asking how they could dispose of a large broken TV. We suggested hauling it to the dump at Fort Totten or scheduling a bulk pickup with the D.C. Department of Public Works. Another reader suggested the D.C. Freecycle e-mail list, which we hear has some good stuff for the taking if you're quick on the "reply" button. We recently learned there was a better option available to get......

Coyotes, which have been spotted in the northern reaches of the District in Rock Creek Park near Oregon Avenue have migrated past Klingle Road, past the National Zoo, past Adams Morgan and now have been spotted near Massachusetts Avenue. This map from RestonPaths.com gives you a good sense as to the area where coyotes have been exploring. The Post's headline on the matter, "Coyote Sightings in Park Spread Toward Embassies," indicates that coyotes could threaten......

The Washington City Paper's Department of Media column was interested to find out where the new Washington Examiner delivered. So they called 274 advisory neighborhood commissioners (receiving responses from 119) and scouted around town a bit. What did they find? According to the survey, majority-black neighborhoods are lucky to get even spotty service. The paper's red plastic missives tend to land in exclusively white neighborhoods, with a some exceptions here and there. (Cleveland Park, for......

Before heading out of town or burrowing at home with a glass of eggnog and cookies, be sure to check out some new and closing exhibits this week -- or to visit some of the decorated historic house museums in D.C. >> "Tradition in Transition: Russian Icons in the Age of the Romanovs" will be closing Dec. 31 at Hillwood Museum & Gardens, the former home of Marjorie Merriweather Post that sits on the edge......