Photo by fromcaliw/love.

Good morning, Washington. It’s somewhat bleak outside our windows this morning — but at least we aren’t suffering for a lack of interesting reading material. Between the City Paper’s annual Best Of D.C. list and the official release of Washington’s Census figures this afternoon, there will be no shortage of things to keep your attention off the dull weather and focused your computer screens. And that’s before we even get into the news, of which there is plenty.

The General Store Closes: The General Store in Silver Spring, home to some of the best fried chicken in town and some testy customer relations, has closed, owners Gillian Clark and Robin Smith announced yesterday. Clark and Smith wrote on the restaurant’s Facebook page that the the restaurant’s “landlord has not paid his back taxes and the county is taking back the building” — the story behind that claim, of course, is far more complicated. In a statement, Smith admitted that fears the landlord would sue the pair led them to the decision to pack up and leave. “We took this eyesore of a building and made it something great,” said Smith. “We’ll get some rest now and concentrate on our other projects.”

How Bad Are Gray’s Poll Numbers? Sure, the Mayor took a real beating in a job performance poll released yesterday. But just how poor are Vince Gray’s numbers? Well, Freeman Klopott adds this perspective: “Gray’s citywide approval rating is a dismal 31 percent…That’s only about 6 points higher than Marion Barry’s approval rating six months after he was caught on tape smoking crack in a District hotel room in 1990.” Ouch.

McKinley Tech Principal Placed On Leave: David Pinder, the principal at McKinley Technology High School who is under investigation for allegedly awarding credits to students for classes they never took, was placed on administrative leave yesterday as a “precaution.”

What A Difference Two Months Makes: Alan Suderman shares a recording of Ward 5 Councilmember Harry Thomas on the record, stating that he’d share records concerning an under-investigation non-profit he ran with the public. But when Suderman followed up with Thomas earlier this week, the Councilmember backtracked and said he’d share Team Thomas’ records with “the proper people.” Both the city’s Office of the Attorney General and its Office of Campaign Finance are investigating the Team Thomas allegations.

Briefly Noted: 15-year-old girl, accused of killing Anacostia High School student, to make appearance in court today…Homicide victim’s father accuses MPD of harassment…Looks like D.C. isn’t the only city with big time Breathalyzer problems…Man with history of mental illness arrested for Olney slayings…Triple shooting in Suitland kills one…George Mason president retiring…Classes at Wilson High cancelled today due to sewage backup…ICYMI: Tim Carman talks food with the venerable Kojo Nnamdi.

This Day in DCist: Last year, Senate Republicans tried to force a vote on same sex marriage in D.C. through the health care reform bill, DCPS stopped hemorrhaging students, and the commissioner of Major League Soccer offered some tough, if ill-timed, criticisms of the District government.