We start off this Monday morning with the very sad news that Star Foster, a co-editor of sister site Phillyist, passed away unexpectedly on Sunday morning. Phillyist will be going dark for a few days out of respect for Foster, who was with the site since its inception. Here at DCist, and across the -ist network, we offer our condolences and thoughts for her friends and family.

Gallaudet Taps New President: The board of the university announced Sunday afternoon that it would be tapping one of its own to become the school’s interim president following the contentious protests that took place on campus. Robert Davila, a recent retiree who’s worked at Gallaudet and for the U.S. Department of Education, will start his interim presidency in January.

Surprise Surprise, Money Not Well Spent in D.C.: Neglect, pervasive problems, failure — turns out they’re all terms that are applicable to how money is spent here in the District. A study released earlier this month by a city task force reported that “hundreds of millions of dollars were spent without contracts or through no-bid deals,” and that violations were not taken seriously. According to the AP article, during the tenure of Deputy Mayor Herbert Tillery, “the amount of purchases spent without proper contracts soared, the report said.” Lovely.

And Surprise Surprise, Metro Considers Fare Hike: Facing a $116 million budget shortfall, Metro might have to raise fares and reduce service. Board members say that Metro is considering several options, including a price raise in those traveling during peak rush hours and opening stations at 8 a.m. instead of 7 a.m. on weekends.

Clarendon Aims to Not Totally Suck: I love this sentence in the Post’s Sunday article about plans to help Clarendon retain its unique nature: “The Arlington County Board, which voted unanimously for the plan, aims to preserve Clarendon’s quirky character while still attracting the kind of development that has brought such retailers as Pottery Barn and the Cheesecake Factory.” Because, what? That sentence makes a rip in the fabric of space and time! Anyway, the plan would impose building height limits and create a green space on 10th Street while still trying to keep local businesses. Before the Cheesecake Factory and its freaky mosque decor eats them all.

Briefly Noted: Two dead after plane crash in Anne Arundel … Car smashes into Silver Spring Popeye’s … NYC school reforms could show up in D.C. … Adams Morgan tenant-landlord fight continues …

This Day in DCist: We gave you one of our most controversial Opinionists ever — one on the smoking ban.

Photo by Flickr user Grundlepuck