Baseball Deal Reached: Dust off those would-be Washington Nationals relics: Anthony Williams and Linda Cropp are friends again! The mayor and District Council chairman reached a deal last night that is putting the dream of returning Major League Baseball to the District of Columbia back on track. Cropp, who is pushing for a privately financed stadium, will yield on her demands somewhat.

The Post reports:

Under the new proposal, which the 13-member council is to vote on today, the city will purchase insurance for potential cost overruns on the stadium and split the payments with Major League Baseball. Also, District officials will continue pursuing private financing for the project for several months. But Cropp said she will drop a requirement that 50 percent of the construction costs be paid for with private money.

As we’ve said before, this process seems far from over, but compared to last week, the possibility of having the Nationals debut on the baseball diamond next year seems far more promising.

(On a side note, we saw Mayor Williams yesterday morning getting coffee at the McLean Gardens Starbucks. He looked a little pissed off before being whisked away in his mayoral SUV. We assume he may be smiling this morning.)

4 Plans Being Considered for Columbia Heights: The Post reports that the National Capital Redevelopment Corp. is evaluating four proposals for a condominium project at the foot of Columbia Heights, 14th Street NW at Florida Avenue. The NCRC controls land at the northwest corner of the intersection and intends to set aside 20 percent for low- and moderate-income households. A final decision on which plan will be pursued is expected in March.

Dr. Fire Rebuked by GW: Although Dr. Willie Blair — who testified under oath that he set patients’ skin on fire with flammable surgical solutions during procedures — is not part of the medical staff at George Washington University Hospital, the medical center has revoked the admitting privileges of Blair, who practiced there every once and a while, the W.Times reports.

Briefly Noted: There’s another arrest in the Hunters Brooke subdivision arson … Deadly fire in Southeast kills five members of family while others escape a fire in Northwest … NTSB report: Baltimore water taxi was carrying too much weight when it capsized …

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