Good middle-of-the-morning, Washington. It’s Presidents’ Day, so we’re not operating on a normal schedule, but we thought those of you stuck at work on this federal holiday might appreciate a handful of headlines and a few other things we’ll have for you later today. We’re relatively sure it’s what old George and Abe would have wanted.

Illegal Drag Race in Prince George’s County Kills Eight: Eight people are dead and at least five injured after a car plowed into a group of people watching a drag race in Prince George’s County early Saturday morning. The Post reports investigators are having a hard time getting witnesses to talk due to the illegal nature of the race. It is not believed that the car that struck the crowd was actually involved in the race, and police are urging witnesses to come forward without fear of being punished for being involved in the illegal drag racing community.

Club Envy Temporarily Closed After Shooting: A man was killed and a woman was wounded in a shooting outside Club Envy, located in the 2100 block of Queens Chapel Road in Northeast, in the early morning hours of Sunday, and Police Chief Cathy Lanier has since used emergency powers to temporarily shutter the club. Police told the Post the club has been a regular source of trouble, with 77 calls for service there since January 2006. We’ll just have to wait and see whether Envy gets the H2O treatment, and is allowed to slowly re-open, or the Club 1919 treatment and is forced closed forever.

Gandhi Urges Caution with Soccer Stadium: Embattled District CFO Natwar Gandhi isn’t letting the Office of Tax and Revenue scandal stop him from one of his favorite pastimes: issuing strongly-worded memos warning of the dire financial consequences of a plan that’s been hyped by the media but not actually formalized yet. The Examiner reports that Gandhi’s latest memo warns Mayor Adrian Fenty that using surplus tax revenues from the Nationals stadium to finance a soccer stadium would be a risky move, considering the alternative — that the city could use the funds to pay down its debt faster.

Briefly Noted: Police shoot and kill man suspected of killing shooting a D.C. Police officer near Catholic University … Two U.S. Airways planes clip wings on National airport runway … Fire destroys home in Takoma Park … Probe finds no racist, anti-gay intent at firehouse, but cites ongoing issues.

Photo by Scott Ableman