Good morning, Washington. For two D.C. area men, seemingly innocuous backyard delicacies turned out to be “death caps” and “destroying angels.” Catering to dangerous culinary whims, the men grew extremely ill after they ate mushrooms growing on their properties, which had flourished after heavy rains around the region.

Frank Constantinopla, 49, of Springfield, Va., said that when he grew up in the Philippines, it was common to go looking for mushrooms after rainy weather and put them into meals.

After eating Amanita phalloides, known as death caps, in a stir-fry, Constantinopla suffering from dysentery, dizziness, nausea, and fatigue and was in danger of liver failure. Georgetown University Hospital secured permission to administer the experimental drug silibinin, not yet approved by the FDA, which is supposed to inhibit the damaging effects of the death caps. Constantinopla received the drug on September 15 and has been recovering.

On September 21, Walter Luntz, 82, a farmer in Frederick, Md., also became ill after eating mushrooms on his property. Luntz ate Amanita bisporigera, known as destroying angels. He was also given the experimental drug and has been recovering.

>> The Washington Post reports that the District will no longer pay outside firms to lobby the federal government. Mayor Vince Gray decided to sever relationships with the law and lobbying firm Van Ness Feldman and lobbyist Mitch Butler, relationships that were begun under Adrian Fenty. Gray will manage the city’s relationship with the federal government in-house.

>> New census data reveals that seven out of every 10 residents in Arlington have earned a college degree, making it the most educated county nationwide. Loudoun County and Alexandria made it into the top five, and Montgomery and Fairfax counties ranked in the top 10, meaning that six of the 10 highest-educated local jurisdictions are in the Washington area. Half of all D.C. residents earned a college degree last year. According to the Washington Examiner, if compared with the 50 states, the District’s ratio of bachelor’s degrees would be the highest in the nation.

>> According to the Greater Washington Board of Trade, the region’s business community lowered its outlook for the first time since the recession. The portion of businesses that plan on hiring more employees next year is at its lowest level since December 2009, and nearly two-thirds say their staffing will stay the same or decrease.

>> Despite not having red light cameras, someone is trying to dupe Vienna residents into paying fines for getting caught by them. Someone is calling residents to tell them that they were caught on camera running a red light, and that they’ll be arrested if they don’t pay a fine. The caller then tells the victim that they can take care of the payment over the phone using a credit card. Police are warning Virginia residents to be wary of the scammers.

>> Howard County police need the public’s help in locating a missing 78-year-old man who disappeared this Friday from his home in Ellicott City. John Condayan suffers from a cognitive disorder and relatives are concerned because his condition requires him to take medication daily. Condayan was last seen driving his silver/gold 2003 Toyota Highlander with the Maryland handicapped license plate 64622HV east on Route 32 in the Clarksville section of the county. Condayan is described as a white male, 5 feet 6 inches tall with gray hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a light gray polo, khakis and sneakers. He walks with a cane, because one leg is shorter than the other.

>> Teen pregnancies in Montgomery County are rising, and the latest figures show the Latino teen pregnancy rate is 2.5 times greater than that of black youths, and four times that of whites.

>> The Washington Nationals secured a 4-1 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Saturday; and D.C. United beat Real Salt Lake 4-1.

>> Is Gallaudet University in danger of losing its deaf culture?

>> It pays to be an eagle scout.

>> No more coveting straight As.

>> Arlington is not only full of smart people, it also breeds celebrities.