Photo by lifeinthedistrict

Good morning, Washington. Last night FOX 5 broke the news that two different D.C. residents had been bitten by copperhead snakes in the last week. A 48-year-old Congress Heights woman was randomly bitten while out walking her dog, and a 31-year-old man was bitten by a different snake that he says he purchased, believing it was a non-poisonous python. That’s all well and good, but we have to admit we’re a little disappointed with the subsequent fleshing out of the supposed poisonous snake threat. How terrified should we be, FOX 5? Are you telling us that Washington, D.C. is absolutely crawling with copperheads? Are our children at risk?!? Somehow the go-to local broadcast outlet for hysteria let us down on this one, instead rather calmly noting that copperheads “are indigenous to much of North America, including Maryland and Virginia.” So this is just an average or normal amount of copperhead activity? Where is the FEAR, FOX 5?

Dr. Vigilance to the Rescue!: Yesterday’s serious collision at Alabama Ave. and Pennsylvania SE happened right nearby where city officials were about to hold a press conference, reports Darryl Fears in the Post. ‘Pierre Vigilance, the city health department director, and Shannon Hader, director of the HIV/AIDS Administration, happened to be standing under a shade tree less than a block away, waiting for Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) to arrive and lead a news conference on the District’s response to a health crisis: AIDS. As the driver of the SUV, who identified himself as Herman Smith of Southeast Washington, got out of his car and checked on two women trapped in the back seat, Vigilance tossed off his suit jacket and directed some of the good Samaritans. “I wanted them to talk to the victims, keep them calm, wait till the EMS arrived,” he said.’ So not only does Dr. Vigilance have the coolest name in city government, but now he may actually be a superhero? Get this man a Dos Equis.

Barry’s Contract Spending Tops Council: Finally, some actual numbers to consider when attempting to measure how Marion Barry’s spending on contractors compares with his Council colleagues. The Post investigates and finds that “from fiscal 2007 to 2009, Barry’s office spent more than $252,000 on outside contracts, eclipsing the second-biggest spender, Kwame R. Brown (D-At Large), whose office spent $45,000.” That’s a huge discrepancy, and, surprise, surprise, not all of that spending appears to be legit: “One consultant hired to address poverty in Ward 8 lived in Ohio.”

Briefly Noted: President Obama to stump for Creigh Deeds … Federal ID cards could eventually be linked to SmarTrip … Shuttered towing company sues D.C. for $10 million … Work on Dulles Rail project steps into high gear.

This Day in DCist: Last year, we paid a visit to Mt. Pleasant’s Korean carry-out, Adam Express, and the year before that, we were very concerned that Metro GM John Catoe was considering cutting back on late-night weekend Metrorail service.