Good morning, Washington. Buried at the bottom on the Post’s updated story this morning on the controversy surrounding Monday’s Adams Morgan fire, which has caused Mayor Fenty and Ward 1 Council member Jim Graham to start foaming at the mouth to take WASA to task for not replacing inadequate water mains fast enough, is a little human interest nugget. Apparently fire fighters managed to recover an engagement ring left behind by one of the building’s residents. While it might melt the hearts of the sentimental, doesn’t it seem a little weird that fire fighters had the kind of time to locate expensive diamond jewelry in the middle of a giant fire?

Former Schools Auditor Charged With Stealing $500,000: A former director of internal audits for D.C. schools has been charged with pilfering more than $500,000 in public charter school money, the Examiner reports. Eugene P. Smith was in his job until 2002, and has apparently been being investigated under the radar for the last four years. Court documents indicated Smith may have already pleaded guilty.

Schools Contractors Fired: D.C. school construction czar Allen Lew announced he was firing the contractors on the long-overdue $33 million renovation of Hardy Middle School in Georgetown, says the Post. In an announcement with Mayor Fenty by his side, Lew also promised that other underperforming contractors would be scrutinized and potentially fired. The senior project manager at Hardy says the city is to blame for many of the delays.

Briefly Noted: Suspected gunman arrested in drive-by … Georgetown students protest hate crime … Council seeks to slow traffic around schools … Schwartz calls for hearing on excessive bonus allegations under Mayor Williams.

This Day in DCist: Last year we wondered which in-office cafeterias were the best, and the year before we celebrated DC United’s playoff berth.

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