Good morning, D.C. Mother nature is teasing snow again today, and while we ponder the effects of global climate change on our ability to throw snowballs, the District government is appealing those new FEMA maps that would place large sections of downtown Washington in an official flood zone. FEMA has agreed to wait until March 26 before giving final approval to the new maps, the Post reports, and the city hopes to find a way to avoid having the flood zone become official, as it would require residents in the zone to obtain federal flood insurance, among other major changes. FEMA is in the process of reexamining flood maps and the structural integrity of levees across the country after Hurricane Katrina.

Ballou Shooting Arrest Expected: The Examiner reports that D.C. police expect to arrest today the gunman in the drive-by shooting that injured four students near Ballou High School. Initially only three students were thought to have been injured, but a fourth student has since been identified who was grazed by a bullet. Witnesses have come forward to help identify the shooter. All four students received non-life threatening injuries.

Karibu Closes its Doors: Prominent D.C. area bookstore chain, and one of the nation’s largest black-owned chains, Karibu, will close all its stores by February 10, City Desk reported yesterday. The Post has a longer piece up remembering what the stores have meant to the black population of D.C. and Prince George’s County. The closing is apparently the result of a personal dispute between the owners, and not for financial reasons. A message from CEO Simba Sana was posted on the company web site on Tuesday.

Briefly Noted: Stowaways discovered on plane at Dulles airport … Left hand turn lane approved for Rte. 7 in Great Falls … Forty-eight horses seized in Loudoun County … Chinese language immersion school coming to D.C..

This Day in DCist: In 2007 we called Jim Graham’s attempts to close under-age clubs a crusade, and in 2006 we interviewed local band Hello Tokyo.

Photo by Isabel Wang