Good morning, Washington. Today our thoughts are outside the beltway and with the people in the regions bracing for the wrath of Katrina, which made landfall this morning. Katrina may have been downgraded to a category four hurricane, yet it remains among the most powerful to ever hit the continental U.S. Our friends at Capital Weather have been following the storm closely and have posted a trove of commentary and insight. Our thoughts are with the people in New Orleans and other coastal communities who were unable to flee the storm. One reader wrote to us suggesting we link to the American Red Cross, an organization who we are sure is already preparing to provide assistance in the affected areas. We’ll be following events closely today and encourage our readers to leave suggestions for other worthwhile charities in the comments.
D.C. Area Residents Travel South: WTOP radio is reporting that hundreds of area residents are currently traveling south to provide assistance in the areas affected by hurricane Katrina. The volunteers include employees of Dominion Power, Baltimore Gas and Electric, and Pepco, area search and rescue teams, and Red Cross volunteers. The Red Cross volunteer page has information about how to volunteer for this and other emergencies.
Cropp Joins Mayor’s Race: D.C. Council Chair Linda Cropp has joined the race for D.C. mayor, the AP reports. Cropp is the fifth person to announce their candidacy. Keep your eyes open for our analysis of the announcement and the latest developments in what we expect to be a crowded field.
D.C., Maryland Students Start School: We’re not envious of the D.C. and Maryland school students who start their school years today. In D.C., the new year means new principals for many schools, new security protocols (the District has ditched a private firm for the Metropolitan Police, the Examiner reports), and tougher testing standards. We hope everyone can find their lockers and navigates to class successfully. We liked how the W. Times put it: “Students in the District and in Montgomery and Anne Arundel counties are zipping up their backpacks, packing their lunchboxes and sharpening their pencils as they prepare to attend the first day of the school today.”
Briefly Noted: VRE riders should expect delays up to 30 minutes … New NIH security procedures in place today … Baseball stadium construction contract issued.
