Happy Friday, folks; may this day be the start of a fantastic, 80-degree yet cloudy weekend. On that note, who loses 1,137 laptops? It seems that, having announced the missing laptops Thursday night, only the Commerce Department is capable of such feats. NBC 4 tells us that since 2001, the laptops, 672 of which belonged to the Census Bureau, have vanished. Says Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez. “The amount of missing computers is high, but fortunately, the vulnerability for data misuse is low”. Well, when you phrase it that way, Carlos, things sound okay.
College Park Plagued by Violence: WTOP relays that the FBI has come out with a list that details college campuses with high rates of violence, and UM College Park is at the top of the list. The article mentions that when compared to other state universities with lots of undergraduate students, the Terrapins had the second highest number of violent crimes. The article notes that violence on the campus has risen 50% in just the last year. Possible reasons? The open nature of the campus, as well as the surrounding areas. To the tune of Justin’s Sexy Back, better watch your back.
Student Shot Outside Cardozo High School: Thursday afternoon around noon, a student was shot in the leg right off Cardozo High School property at the corner of 13th and Clifton streets Northwest. WJLA states that authorities aren’t sure of the motive, and that the victim was taken to Howard University Hospital with “non-life-threatening injuries”. WJLA doesn’t mention if they arrested the assailant or anything…hmm.
Local Schools Get Language Funding: We’re always hearing about cuts in education funding. Here’s some news that’s the opposite: WJLA tells us that Fairfax County schools will be receiving a grant totaling more than $188,000 to expand their Arabic and Chinese programs, While Montgomery County and D.C. schools will get getting around $175,000 each to continue early grants. This is all part of President Bush’s Security Language Initiative. States a junior at Annedale High School that’s quoted in the article, I figured with the war over in Iraq…Arabic would be good to take”. War, over?
Briefly Noted: Driving on the Dulles Greenway is about to get more expensive … 17-year old female sexually assaulted in Reston, police on the lookout for suspect … Things get feisty in the Maryland Senate … Illegal birth control pills sold in Reston, result in pregnancy for three women … In Baltimore, two men get life in prison for the murder of three small children … Mid-week, drill held at RFK to rehearse terrorist attack procedures.
This Week in DCist: In 2005, we went to the symphony and said hello to autumn. In 2004, it was all about a comics controversy , wish a dash of reflections on the District.
Props to Flickr’s hey-helen for the creative Kennedy Center shot
