Good morning, D.C. If by any chance you’re a contractor with the city, you may be in for a rude awakening this morning, as City Manager Dan “The Man” Tangherlini and Chief Technology Officer Vivek Kundra have ordered your cell phone to be returned. Apparently some non-employee contractors have been getting a pretty sweet deal from the District for some time in the form of free cell phones, the end of which will save the city $103,200 next year — which is approximately the same amount they’ll spend on Mayor Fenty’s 80 some-odd Blackberries. Coincidence?
More on Fatal Teen Shooting: Since yesterday’s announcement that the U.S. attorney’s office would conduct an independent investigation into the fatal shooting of 14-year-old DeOnté Rawlings by an off-duty police officer, a few more pieces of information have come out about the incident. Turns out the two officers were not the ones to alert authorities that the shooting has occurred — instead, a rooftop ShotSpotter sensor designed to detect gunfire tipped off police to the spot where Rawlings’ body was found. It’s also been revealed that the officer who stayed behind in the SUV, Anthony Clay, actually drove away from the scene of the shooting for 10-15 minutes before parking the car at an unknown location and then returning to aide the other officer, James Haskel. Prosecutors now have possession of the vehicle.
Day Laborer Fight Turns Bloody: Anti-immigrant sentiment in the Northeast neighborhood of Brentwood was stirred up by a fistfight among a group of men who typically gather looking for work as day laborers there. Residents and members of the Washington Times staff who oppose the planned construction of a day laborer center in Ward 5 are already using the incident as a reason to question the facility.
Briefly Noted: Thirty D.C. Schools can be overhauled for failing to make minimum progress … Two pit bulls attack pregnant owner … Mystery boy found in iron coffin identified … Girl testifies in Capitol Police officer child porn trial … D.C. struggles to replace medical examiner.
This Day in DCist: In 2006 we wondered why DCRA couldn’t seem to collect any of the overdue fines owed to the agency, and in 2005 we mourned the death of beer pong at Dr. Dremo’s.
Photo by akkleis
