Good morning. It’s cool and damp outside, and it’s expected to get colder and windier later in the day. CapitalWeather.com points out the National Weather Service has issued a wind advisory, and expects temperatures in the 40s this afternoon. Today is also the last day of the hurricane season.
Stadium Plan Approved. It’s official: after months of protests, public wrangling in the press, and a marathon seven-hour meeting yesterday, the D.C. Council has given preliminary approval to use public dollars to build a baseball stadium in Southeast. The Post notes the bill can be modified when it is up for a final vote “Dec. 14 or 21,” but the amended bill passed yesterday 6 to 3 with 3 abstentions.
Capitol Visitor Center Costs Increasing The AP and the W. Times report on a story the Post had yesterday: the General Accounting Office thinks the Capitol Visitor Center now under construction will cost double what was expected at groundbreaking in 2000, and be completed as much as a year later than expected. The image above shows an artist’s rendering of the completed visitor center, and a view of excavation from 2003, both from the Architect of the Capitol’s website.
Coyotes in Rock Creek: The W.Times reminds us today that coyotes have moved into Rock Creek Park. A spokesperson for the National Park Service tells the newspaper he doesn’t think this development will be a problem, but ominously warns “Whenever people think ‘Oh, it’s a nice cute animal, and let’s go feed it,’ accidents can happen or worse.” (In early November the Post reported coyotes had attacked dogs in the park)
SpongeBob Stolen: A SpongeBob perched atop a Burger King in St. Mary’s County was stolen by two bored teens, who were promptly caught when the general manager caught wind of the heist the next day.
Briefly Noted: A development in Fairfax County could put “dozens of high rise towers” around the Vienna metrorail station … a “flood” of applications before the deadline at U. of Maryland has slowed down their website … It looks like New York is having rail issues, sort of like what we’ve been dealing with
