Serene, isn’t it? The picture at right, snapped by adrummer boy and posted to DCist photos, reminds us of how scenic dusk along the Potomac River can be. Of course, such scenic serenity can only do so much in helping one forget that today is officially the day of heat-related death — the peak heat index is set to hit 105, air quality is ranked at orange, and the UV alert is “above normal.” It’s not the day for a picnic, it’s not a day for a bike ride, much less it is a day to try and walk the Mall end to end. Find air-conditioning and stay inside, that’s the mission.

D.C. Looks to Create ‘Baseball District’: District officials have announced plans to buy an additional 5 acres of land around the 20-acre site in Southeast where the new baseball stadium is set to be built, with an eye to better promoting commercial and residential development in the area, reports the Post. The land, currently owned by WMATA and the D.C. Water and Sewer Authority, is worth an estimated $50 million. Since the stadium plans were revealed, developers have been snatching up increasingly expensive plots of land for development, a move District officials are mimicking. Negotiations for the purchase of the land needed for the stadium are set to begin soon, and last week’s decision by a federal judge cleared the way for the use of the power of eminent domain against hold-outs.

Restitution for Bridge Accident Sought: The District is looking for someone else to pay the cost of repairing the underside of a bridge along Kenilworth Avenue which was clipped by a truck’s cargo exceeding the 14-foot height limit, notes the Post. The accident, which occurred on Tuesday, created massive traffic backups and forced District officials into a 23-hour repair frenzy, one which they would like the responsible party to pay for. Police reports on the incident are set to be completed on Tuesday, when the District plans on issuing the bill.

Metrorail Extension Plans Face Renewed Opposition: Opponents of a plan to extend Metrorail service out to Tysons Corner and Dulles International Airport have attacked claims by project engineers that they have been able to lower the cost of the ambitious extension by 25 percent, to $1.8 billion, reports WJLA. Activists claim that the reduction in cost is a distortion that masks an expensive and ineffective transit project. The project envisions 11 new stations along a 23 mile stretch, set to be completed by 2015.

Briefly Noted: Rafael Palmeiro makes quiet return to Orioles … Panda Watch continues, Mom stretches legs … Bomb sniffing dogs patrol Metro … Child pornography conviction overturned in Maryland.