Photo by dracisk

Our little mayoral election seems to be garnering some major national attention, with both the New York Times and CBS dedicating stories over the last two days to the possible upset of Mayor Adrian Fenty come next week. (Not to mention the endorsements Fenty has gotten from outlets like The New Republic and GOOD.) You know what? We’ll take the coverage, as shallow as some of it might be. Anything to slowly chip away at the tired national assumption that Marion Barry is still the only thing in the District worth covering.

Nickles and Fenty Go Back A Long Ways: No, really, a loooong ways. The Post today reports on the relationship between Mayor Fenty and Attorney General Peter Nickles, one that started when Fenty was but a sparkle in his parents’ eyes. Throughout Fenty’s life, Nickles has served as something of a mentor and second father, doing everything from sneaking him sugary foods as a kid to protecting him during the rockier periods of his tenure as mayor. Of course, that unyielding loyalty to Fenty is exactly what has gotten Nickles so much flak in recent year. But if history should serve as a guide, that loyalty won’t likely diminish should Fenty be re-elected.

In the Department of News Metro Didn’t Want: A MetroAccess driver was accused of sexually assaulting a passenger with cerebral palsy, the fourth such charge this year for the agency tasked with transporting Metro riders with disabilities from their homes to local stations and back. Also, Metro announced that it was removing 99 buses from circulation because one burst into flames yesterday in Virginia. So if you see an Orion IV VI series Metro bus pull up to your stop today, you probably shouldn’t get on.

Takoma Park Might Go Wet Again: TBD writes that a Takoma Park, Maryland couple trying to open a specialty beer store in the historically dry town is provoking local residents to consider doing away with the century-old restrictions on the sale of alcohol for home consumption. (There is one store in town that sells booze, and only because it was grandfathered in from when a part of Takoma Park was in Prince George’s County.) Some residents have expressed concern with the plan, and a final hearing will be held on September 13 to hear the pleas for and against the proposed change.

Final Mayoral Debate Today: We’re not even sure how many of these there have been, but it’s nice to know that this will likely be the last. Mayor Fenty, D.C. Council Chair Vince Gray and Leo Alexander will square off at noon at Tony and Joe’s on the Georgetown Waterfront. Carol Joynt will moderate.

Briefly Noted: Crime becomes focus of Prince George’s County race … Pregnant D.C. special education student sues teacher, schools … Gray wants FBI to investigate claims of vote-buying by Fenty campaign.

This Day in DCist: On this day in 2009, 22 ghost bikes appeared in Dupont Circle and Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) assumed he worked in Maryland. In 2008, we made the Washington Monument way cooler and way more useful.