Photo by sintixerr.

Happy Saturday, Washington. In what will certainly be music to the ears of those who ride the Red Line everyday, Metro is inching closer to normalcy after the June 22 accident which has snarled trains for these past few weeks. The National Transportation Safety Board has finished their investigation at the site of the crash, which means that Metro can now send their workers to repair the track circuitry. This process will include laying several thousand feet of cable. The work is expected to take 30 days — but at least this feels like some sort of progress. While we’re on the topic, don’t forget about Metro’s normally scheduled maintenance this weekend, which will affect all lines.

In other news this morning:

>> Perhaps lost in the Council’s recent budgetary scrambling is Friday’s approval of emergency legislation which extends unemployment benefits that were about to expire. About 5,000 people now have 20 more weeks of assistance while they look for a job.

>> Looks like Maryland got the worst of yesterday’s stormy weather. A tornado touched down in Frederick County; most homes were spared despite the 100 mile per hour winds and uprooted trees. Numerous trees also came down on Interstate 66, blocking traffic — in total, 55,000 people lost power due to the storms.

>> Looking for a job at the University of Maryland? Might want to shop that resume around elsewhere: the AP reports that the Old Line State will be freezing hiring in its university system, as well as laying off 24 current employees to cut $37.8 million from next years budget.