Good morning, Washington, and congratulations on not freezing to death or blowing away off the sidewalk as you made your way around town this weekend. The Capital Weather Gang is predicting huge temperature swings for the coming week, with the possibility of mid-60s followed by below 30 with a chance of snow accumulation. Could we be treated to our first snowpocalypse by Friday? Saturday’s brief flurries didn’t really cut it, but it’s looking like this week’s just might.

Debate Over Planned Mormon Church in 16th Street Heights: The Examiner reports on a development NIMBY battle we hadn’t been following before: the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints wants to build a new temple at 16th and Emerson Streets NW, but residents claiming they want to keep the neighborhood strictly residential oppose the plan, and have successfully lobbied the D.C. Zoning Commission to prevent the church from moving forward. The church now claims the reasons behind the neighborhood opposition are based in religious discrimination, but the National Capital Planning Commission has declined to get involved in the dispute.

Priest Chases Thief: First former mayor Anthony Williams chased a thief on K Street, and now the Post reports that Rev. Bill Hegedusich of St. Peter’s on Capitol Hill chased after a man who had stolen the church’s collection money. The priest managed to convince the suspect to drop one of the two bags he took, allowing the church to recover about half of the stolen money. Not that we want to see a sharp increase in crime, but if this recession means more mild mannered citizens turn into crime-fighting caped crusaders, consider us on the fence about whether it’s ultimately a bad thing.

Briefly Noted: Fenty to dip into Eastern Market fund to pay for new levee … Shooting in Southeast kills 1, injures 2, police arrest suspect … Arlington police investigate fatal shooting … Montgomery County Police searching for missing 16-year-old.

Photo by akkleis