Photo by {ryan}Good morning, Washington. It’s been a busy morning for the city’s emergency responders. Two suspicious package calls, one in the 900 block of 7th Street NW and another in front of the Islamic Center at 2551 Massachusetts Ave., had police and fire fighters out to inspect them during the rush hour this morning, tripping up traffic in those areas in the process. There’s also been a small hazmat incident at the First District police station at 101 M Street SW, which looks to have been caused by gas fumes coming out of an emergency generator. And finally there’s early word of a body found on a boat just before 9 a.m. at the Capital Yacht Club in Southwest. We’ll update on that story when there are more details available.
Catoe’s Contract Up Soon: The Post’s Lena H. Sun wonders whether Metro General Manager John Catoe could possibly be let go when his contract comes up in January, but concludes that despite the deadliest summer in Metro history, “there is little reason to believe he won’t get the chance” to stay. Many of the same board members who hired Catoe three years ago are still on the board, and then there’s this quote from board chairman Jim Graham: ‘There is not “a single word” from the National Transportation Safety Board, which is investigating this summer’s deadly crash, to suggest that “the current GM contributed in some fashion or another to the June 22 catastrophe,” he said.’ Meanwhile, the union that represents Metro workers is crying foul at employees taking the blame for all of the safety failures of the past several months.
Council Considers Free Parking for Funeral Attendees: At-large D.C. Council member Michael Brown has introduced legislation that would give funeral attendees the ability to break most regular parking laws for up to five hours, Michael Neibauer reports in the Examiner. The measure would also bar non-funeral attendees from parking in designated funeral zones during the same time. Brown’s move is presumably aimed at trying to make nice with the city churches that have so long bickered with their neighbors over double parking issues, but it seems destined to anger the actual residents (aka voters) – as opposed to the church members, many of whom live outside the city – who have done the complaining. Many churches in the Logan Circle and Shaw neighborhoods host funerals at least once a week, so this is not exactly a rare situation Brown in proposing.
Briefly Noted: Four men indicted in series of gang attacks … I-66 back to normal delays after 21-mile backup … Blair Underwood is in town to open a new AIDS clinic … Md. panel approves first slots parlor license … Georgetown University is knee-deep in swine flu.
This Day in DCist: Last year, then-candidate Barack Obama was deciding whether to delay a debate with John McCain, and the year before that, The Nationals said goodbye to RFK Stadium.
