Good morning, Washington. As you’ve probably heard, a commuter train derailed yesterday in Prince William County. Impressively, VRE says that its trains will return to a full schedule today. Riders were initially warned to expect delays as long as forty minutes, but it now looks like things are more or less back to normal.
Agreement Reached On Howard Hospital: Mayor Williams and Howard University President H. Patrick Swygert have reached an agreement surrounding the university’s plans for a hospital in Southeast. Significant portions of the agreement remain to be decided in the future, but the broad outlines include no ongoing subsidy from the District, and Howard’s existing hospital remaining open. The Mayor says he hopes to have the city council vote on the agreement by March.
Governor Orders DNA Testing For Executed Man: The Post reports that Virginia Governor Mark Warner has initiated DNA testing of evidence in the case of Roger K. Coleman, who was executed in 1992. Coleman consistently maintained that he was innocent. The news follows on the heels of Virginia’s recent experience with DNA-based exonerations.
First Murder Of 2006: Yesterday Chief Ramsey revealed that D.C.’s 2006 homicide-free streak has already come to an end. The unfortunate news came as part of Ramsey’s generally positive reflections on 2005’s crime trends. A sample size of one is obviously meaningless — but we still can’t resist noting that D.C. is on track for a much better year than last — for now.
Manassas Abandons Family Lodging Law: WTOP reports that the Manassas City Council will not be pursuing the recently passed law that prohibited extended family members from living together. Officials say the law was passed to discourage overcrowding, but critics say such measures would disproportionately affect minority communities. The ACLU is challenging the law in court; the council says it may repeal the statute.
Briefly Noted: Ana Marie Cox officially hands over Wonkette; so long, and thanks for all the links… Don’t forget: stamp prices increase on Monday… FLYi is officially bye-bye…
Image of Union Station posted to DCist Photos by Flickr user MatthewBradley
