Good morning, Washington. February’s almost upon us, and the D.C. Board of Education is still here. But for how much longer? Yesterday we mentioned the board’s attempt at self-preservation. Today the Post brings word that their counter-proposal may be a tougher sell than they had anticipated: an audit of the city’s finances returned generally positive results… except in the school system. Within it auditors found resistance and sloppiness that, if not corrected, could ultimately affect the city’s bond rating. It’s not the sort of thing that inspires confidence in the board’s ability to deliver on its ambitious 18-month plan to turn the city’s schools around.
Metro’s On Fire Again: Well, a small piece of it was — and just one a day after a fire at Farragut North. WTOP reports that the rear wheels of an L-2 bus caught fire on K Street this morning, briefly shutting the street down. Everything seems to be fine now, but that’s not this morning’s only Metro headache: the Braddock Road station didn’t open until 7:30 due to a suspicious package.
Maryland Considers Expanded Care: The Post reports that Governor O’Malley will be calling for the state to offer medical coverage to some of its uninsured residents in today’s State of the State address. Various members of the General Assembly seem to agree, but sides differ on how the proposals should be paid for. Among the ideas on the table: raising the cigarette tax by a dollar per pack.
Heating Assistance Stymied: The District government is trying to help make sure that citizens are warm through the winter months, but the effort is meeting hurdles in the form of consumer privacy protections, according to the Examiner. The city has programs in place to help residents whose heat has been shut off, but the utilities can’t give out affected residents’ information. Instead, the government is sending people door to door. Washington Gas has also agreed to attempt to communicate with affected customers directly.
Briefly Noted: Feds say “No” to Tysons Metro tunnel yet again… Fairfax planners overwhelmed by number of simultaneous projects… Merck inserts itself into HPV vaccine debate… Va. motorcyclists will have to keep their helmets on… 70% of Maryland residents want a smoking ban…
This Day In DCist: One year ago we announced the second Unbuckled and talked about some Maryland wines. Two years ago the city was voting on hazmat trains and welcoming FishbowlDC to the world.
Photo by Flickr user pingnews.com, used under a Creative Commons license.
