Image by jagosaurusGood morning, Washington! Memorial Day weekend and 90 degree weather, along with the opening of District pools and grills across the city mark the start of summer for us, even though technically it doesn’t begin for another three weeks. And don’t worry, loyal DCist readers: esteemed Editor-in-Chief Sommer is just enjoying a well-deserved vacation, and hasn’t left us quite yet. Gosh knows we’re bookmarking our favorite Molly/cupcake/panda posts for when that parched day comes; for now, enjoy a full week of guest editors, including an exciting throwback to DCist Editors-in-Chief past. Today, your Managing Editor will have to do, so let’s get down to business.
Summer? Crime! This report by the Washington Post is pretty much all we need to know summer has started strong in D.C. Shootings in Chinatown, near Benning Road SE, and Petworth punctuated Sunday night in the worst way. Then there was the fatal stabbing at 9th and U Streets NW on Friday, for which an arrest was made, and, well, here.
Surprisingly, Traffic Was A Bitch Yesterday: A fire at a tire store yesterday on New York Avenue NE shut down the major artery and temporarily suspended Amtrak service for a few hours in the afternoon. Meanwhile, the BW Parkway was shut down for an hour after a major accident, involving the theft of a moving van. And the traffic suck has continued into this morning. So, bosses, if your employees are calling in sick today, DCist testifies that 20 hours in a car just outside of the city totally qualifies as severe illness.
Briefly Noted: Search for mother and daughter missing in the Potomac to resume … VRE disruptions today … D.C. community developer dies at 64 … Seafood comes from the ocean, ocean now filled with oil.
This Day in DCist: Last year we battened down the hatches in preparation for the Real World: DC filming, while aliens invaded Metro, in 2007, Ford Theater closed for renovations and we laughed (ahem) at cops on Segways, and in 2005 we enjoyed Mom’s meatloaf, mmm.