Good Morning, D.C. A lot of unanswered questions this morning after the gruesome discovery of the bodies of four children, sisters between the ages of five and 18, yesterday morning in the 4200 block of Sixth Street SE. The Examiner has identified the mother, 33-year-old Banita Jacks, as the woman who was taken into custody after the bodies were found by U.S. Marshalls at around 9:30 a.m. Both WJLA and WTOP say that Jacks has since been charged with two counts of felony murder, and that all four deaths have been ruled homicides. The nature of these murders will no doubt result in multiple investigations, potentially including the role of Child Protective Services, which had received at least one complaint about the family.
This is Why People with Kids Move to the Suburbs: Ever wonder why hardly anyone you know with a kid continues to live in the District? A new report ranking schools systems puts both Virginia and Maryland’s public schools in the top five in the nation (Maryland at third and Virginia at fifth), while unsurprisingly, D.C. schools are ranked 51st — behind every single state in the country. The researcher behind the study made sure to note that D.C. is more comparable to other major cities instead of entire states, which have a mix of successful and struggling schools. Still, the report is highly critical of the state of District schools, and with such great programs right across either border, it’s easier to understand why parents who can’t afford private school flee to the suburbs if they can.
Abusive Driver Fees Could Disappear: The Post reports on Va. Gov. Tim Kaine’s annual State of the Commonwealth speech last night before the General Assembly, during which he called for an end to the state’s controversial abusive driver fees. “We must continue to look for strategies to promote safety on the road,” said Kaine, who has been under pressure from fellow Democrats to end the fees. “The abuser-fee idea has flunked with voters, and we should acknowledge it and move on.” Va. Republicans responded favorably to the suggestion, which means the fees could likely be removed by the legislature this session.
Briefly Noted: Two women killed in collision with police cruiser … St. Elizabeths pharmacist pleads guilty to stealing $95K in medications … Two teens injured in drive-by remain hospitalized … Work on Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial set to begin in spring … Capitol Police officer convicted on child porn.
This Day in DCist: In 2007 we reported that a lot of Columbia Heights residents weren’t getting their mail, and in 2006 we looked at population trends in the District.
Photo by christaki
