Photo by tzk333

Good morning, Washington, and happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. If you have today off work and haven’t already made plans to volunteer somewhere, you may well be forced to enjoy a day of leisure. Greater DC Cares, for example, has already reached volunteer capacity for its various MLK Day of Service projects. But if you’re still looking for a way to remember the life and work of Dr. King, you can always join the Peace Walk that’s planned to start at 12:30 p.m. at the 10th Street Baptist Church (11th and R streets NW) and then proceed northbound to the African-American Civil War Memorial, where they’ll end with a wreath laying ceremony. Also note that the 900 block of G Street NW will be closed until 5 p.m. for the Service DC event at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library, which features a community expo including an H1N1 clinic, a soup kitchen and a clothing drive.

Bob McDonnell Takes the Oath Virginia officially has a new governor, as Republican Bob McDonnell was sworn in on Saturday. The Post describes the scene: “The crowd, packed mostly into the 4,800 seats arrayed around the Capitol’s south portico, was treated to Native American ceremonial dances, a fife and drum corps, bagpipers and a flyover by four Virginia National Guard F-22s.” As the Times-Dispatch notes, conservatives are ecstatic over McDonnell’s win, and there’s a lot of quotes from GOP heavies trying to compare the change in Virginia with one they hope to see in Massachussets tomorrow.

Leonsis Hopes to Buy Wizards This Week: Capitals owner Ted Leonsis is negotiating to buy the Wizards and the Verizon Center from the estate of Abe Pollin, and he’s hoping to do it by mid-week, as the Post reports. A deadline is looming on Wednesday to reach an agreement, which is expected to be in the $400 million to $500 million range.

King Statue Work Begins on National Mall: Appropriately enough, the Associated Press notes this morning (via Washington Times) that this is the first King holiday where organizers behind the planned Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial on the National Mall can actually see work being done on the site. “Workers have been clearing the site on the Tidal Basin since Dec. 28. They will move some trees to another part of the Mall, including a few of Washington’s famous cherry trees. By February, heavy construction will begin.”

Briefly Noted: Memorial for George Michael set for Thursday … Region’s charter bus traffic could double … Help needed to sort through Haiti donations.

This Day in DCist: In 2009, pre-inauguration madness had led to a perpetual line down the block at Ben’s Chili Bowl, and in 2008, a man was arrested near the Capitol for carrying a tactical vest, a loaded shotgun, a bow and arrow and a samurai sword.