It looks like there has been another shooting at Virginia Tech -- and one of the victims is a police officer. more ›

A brief, if very important update to this morning's developments in Blacksburg: the alert that was sounded on the campus of Virginia Tech regarding reports of a person with a gun has now been lifted. more ›

UPDATE: The alert has now been lifted. The latest here. more ›

Good morning Washington. While D.C. teams enjoyed victories last night, this weather day isn't exactly something to celebrate. Beyond the cold rain, we might have flash flooding, severe storms, high winds - and perhaps a tornado? Yeah, this is the day to stay in and watch movies, do some laundry, or catch up on that project you were working on inside the house. And of course, read your favorite D.C.-themed website. more ›

Virginia Tech offensive lineman Greg Nosal got the game ball after the Hokies defeated Central Michigan by 24 on Saturday. It wasn't because he led the team in pancake blocks, or in recognition of him making the game's key play. No, it was because Nosal played nearly two-thirds of the game after having a half-inch of his left pinky cut off. more ›

One of our favorite events on the National Mall is the biennial Solar Decathlon, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, where colleges from around the world compete to build the most energy efficient houses. We're in an in-between year, so let's turn to the European Solar Decathlon and congratulate Virginia Tech, announced yesterday as the first place winner for their entry, Lumenhaus. As the website notes, "Inspired in the Farnsworth house by Mies Van Der Rohe, Lumenhaus house presents an open distribution that connects the inhabitants of the house ... with the external environment." Virginia Tech finished a disappointing 13th in the 2009 U.S. Solar Decathlon, but as the student in this tour of the 2009 version of Lumenhaus notes, "The motto goes: One sun, 20 teams, we all win." more ›

Virginia vs Southern Miss: I gather that the U. of Virginia took note when Southern Miss adopted the rugby-style punt last year. The Golden Eagles soared on that tricksy-looking punt, turning the season around after an awful start marked by dreadful special-teams performances and eventually nabbing a ticket to a bowl game. When the 0-3 Cavs deploy the rugby punt, though, it doesn't feel like Southern Miss's quick-fix for a special-teams problem. Of course, nothing against UVa sophomore kicker Jimmy Howell; hell, the rugby punt's the best play that offense has. more ›

LSU vs Arkansas: Sure, Arkansas won this nailbiter. And in the leadup to the game, all eyes might have been on Arkansas's dueling quarterbacks, brothers Casey and Nathan Dick. But the true star to emerge today was LSU quarterback Jordan Jefferson. No, his numbers weren't electric -- 9 of 21 for 143 yards and 2 touchdown passes -- but they're downright remarkable for a true freshman. Jefferson ran for a respectable 50 yards and, moreover, showed versatility in the pocket, running tall for one long gain of 15. He looked good out there. If I'm Les Miles, I'm not feeling so sorry about my prospects after a tough year for Tiger quarterbacks. more ›

All the Hits: Viewers at home are still recovering from Virginia Tech linebacker Brett Warren's assassination attempt on Darrius Heyward-Bey, a hit that had the Maryland wideout reeling as he left the field on Thursday night. (Speed ahead to 6:45 or watch it here close up about a third of the way in.) Then there was Hokie running back Darren Evans's arguably NSFW assault on Terps free safety Terrell Skinner, just one of a lineup of Terps defenders whose jerseys wound up stamped with #32 in maroon and gold as the red-shirt freshman rusher set the one-game rushing yards record for his school. Highlight hits: Hokies have them. more ›

Written by DCist contributor Brett Gellman. more ›

DCist's (hardly) comprehensive recap of the Saturday that was in college football, across the country and in our own backyard. more ›

Still in the office, D.C.? Yeah, us too. We hope you're only sticking around because you don't need to travel this holiday season. If so, enjoy the empty halls, bask in the quiet, and call it a day early. If not — well, good luck on the roads and at the airport. It sounds like they're going to be predictably nasty. There Seems To Be Some Sort of Holiday Occurring: And consequently you can... more ›

Good Morning, D.C. Remember the news we told you about back in August, about an investigation into a potential prostitution ring at D.C. firehouses? Well D.C. Fire Chief Dennis Rubin acknowledged yesterday under fire from the D.C. Council that "sex for overtime" allegations in his department are "potentially true." The Council also expressed concern about the abnormally high rate of disciplinary action against African American firefighters in the department. African Americans were the subjects of... more ›

Although Gist has been around with varying lineups for almost twenty years, the current lineup of singer/guitarist Nayan Bhula, bassist Finley Martin and drummer Fred Burton have only been together for the past five. In that short time they've released two albums, Art is Now Human and Diesel City, the latter of which established them as an act whose sound could be simultaneously tied to the district and reflect their diverse backgrounds and influences,... more ›

Written by DCist contributor Brett Gellman The Maryland Terrapins (4-2, 1-1) take on the 19th ranked Virginia Cavaliers (6-1, 3-0) in a nationally televised homecoming contest tomorrow night at College Park in what is shaping up to be the best ACC matchup of the entire day, and yes, that includes Miami-FSU. The Terps, who are coming off a much-needed bye week, squeaked out a 28-26 victory against Georgia Tech two weeks ago after Travis Bell’s... more ›

In the wake of the tragedy at Virginia Tech earlier this year, it's been reported all over the world today that two 17-year-old students were shot in an incident at Delaware State University last night. Both students, a male and a female whose names have not been released, were originally from the Washington, D.C. area. The male student is in stable condition, but the female’s injuries are listed as serious. The campus remained locked-down today... more ›

By no means am I strictly an NFL guy. When the lights dim after the Super Bowl each year, I seamlessly move with the seasons into the maelstrom of college hoops and then the long, drawn-out, slow-motion marketing fantasia that is the NBA. Over a lifetime, I’ve soured on baseball but stayed constant to soccer, the sport I participated in myself as a child, with engrossingly mediocre results. But then, the NFL comes around again... more ›

Good morning, Washington. An estimated 10,000 people attended the dedication Sunday of the official memorial for the 32 victims killed at Virginia Tech on April 16. Students at the university, about four hours outside D.C., begin classes for the fall semester today. On the same day as the dedication, about 23 Virginia Tech students living in an off-campus apartment building were taken to hospitals after showing signs of carbon monoxide poisoning. Several of the... 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 ›

Enrollment at Virginia Tech will be strong and steady this fall even after the shootings that killed 33 people on April 16 made international headlines. From the Roanoke Times: Tech received deposits from 5,215 students planning to enroll as freshmen this fall. That's up from 5,185 last year. The school has a target of 5,000 students after the first week of classes. Last year's initial group dropped to 5,084 by that time last year. The... more ›

From the front page of this morning's Washington Post, it seems the last person anyone expected to be right about anything, perennial whack-a-doo mayoral candidate Faith, wasn't actually that far off the mark during last year's campaign: Chocolate City is rapidly becoming Vanilla Villa. The District of Columbia will likely no longer be majority-African American within the next 13 years. The 14 percent increase in non-Hispanic white District residents and 6 percent decrease in blacks... more ›

Hey, Washington, how are ya? If you like hot weather and uninterrupted sunshine (and who doesn't) you're sure to enjoy this fine Tuesday. If instead you're not savoring the thought of arriving at work covered in a fine sheen of sweat, think twice about cutting out your walk by hopping in the car. Gas prices hit a new high yesterday, with the cost of a gallon over $3.00. Are there any good deals at... more ›

Over five years ago the Newseum shut its doors in its Rosslyn neighborhood and started laying down bricks on Pennsylvania Avenue. The venue dedicated to the First Amendment is still on schedule for its grand opening this October, and in the meantime has been stoking its coffers with donations from news makers all over the country. This week they received their biggest gift so far, $15 million from The Annenberg Foundation. Newseum will name its... more ›

Welcome to May, Washington. It's beautiful outside and will stay that way throughout the week. In fact, checking WUSA's weather forecast this morning, we smiled at all the pretty suns and mild temperatures. The clearest meteorological message, though, is the helpful "Warm" and "Nice" written neatly across the image. Not too shabby. It's also nice weather for balloting. Today, voters in Wards Four and Seven head to the polls to elect new D.C. council members.... more ›

>> Tomorrow D.C. United players will be sporting special maroon jerseys in honor of Virginia Tech. After the game, all 18 shirts will be signed by a player and auctioned, with the proceeds going to the Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund which provides assistance to victims and their families along with grief counseling and other "comfort expenses". >> Tax hikes may force Trimper Rides, one of the oldest businesses in Ocean City, to close shop.... more ›

This week we begin a new feature highlighting our favorite comments of the week. DCist is nothing without our readers, whose thoughtful and often entertaining contributions help make this a vibrant community. Whether you disagree with us, share tips or just have a unique take on life in Washington, keep those comments coming. We couldn't do it without ya. This week, fuzzy recollections of the Eighties, perils of D.C. residency, mainstream media critiques and more.... more ›

In the wake of last Monday's deadly shootings at Virgina Tech, many local college students are discussing campus security and the implications for their schools. In addition to holding a slew of vigils and showing support for their peers in Blacksburg, collegians wonder how such a tragedy could occur on American campuses and what university officials are doing to protect their students. American University administrators are taking a second look at their emergency response plan,... more ›

With all that went down this week, we thought we thought we'd cheer everyone up by giving everyone a double dose of dogs. It was a rollercoaster ride of emotions this week at DCist. Like the rest of country, we were floored by the news of so many dead coming out of Virginia Tech, and with so many of the victims and their relatives from the D.C. area, we felt it important to pay... more ›

This morning our local ABC affiliate, WJLA, decided to stop showing the disturbing images sent to NBC News by Virginia Tech shooter Cho Seung Hui. The package of still photos and videos was sent by Cho in the hours between the first and second shootings and show him wielding the murder weapons and delivering obscenity-laced diatribes. Since the footage was released on Wednesday, it has flooded TV screens, prompting some viewers and victims' family... more ›

>> Sen. John McCain probably wishes he didn't sing "bomb Iran" to the tune of the Beach Boy's "Barbara Ann" at a meeting with supporters. Or at least he wishes it wasn't captured on YouTube. [via Reason's Hit & Run] >> Local groups continue to schedule memorials to the victims of Monday's shootings at Virginia Tech. You can find a good list of Washington-area events here. [NBC4] >> Tickets for both Wilco and the... more ›