Photo by kgrin

For the first week of 2012, there certainly wasn’t any shortage of big news to be had in the District and its surroundings.

• In historic political news, Harry Thomas, Jr. pleaded guilty to two federal crimes stemming from the theft of over $353,000 from the District and resigned his seat on the D.C. Council. Despite the fact that he’s gone and that federal prosecutors are plenty happy with the job that they did, Thomas’ indictment and resignation may only be the start of a broader scandal. Moreover, the District is on the hook for the cost of a special election to replace Thomas, though D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton is trying to change that.
• It was a tough week for some businesses in the District — Melody Records closed after 34 years in Dupont Circle, the Barnes & Noble in Georgetown quietly closed its doors, Penn Camera declared bankruptcy and Love Cafe decided that the rent was too damn high (its last day is January 29).
• In Occupy D.C. news, D.C. voting rights hunger striker Adrian Parsons called off his protest, the kitchen at McPherson Square was closed for cleaning, a lawyer filed a brief that would make it all but impossible to evict the occupiers and a group of protesters came up with an idea we can fully get into.
• In local politics, Mayor Vince Gray tried a reset (while his foes will try a recall), the D.C. Council went back into session with bills on mandatory SATs and better debt collection, Councilmember Phil Mendelson (D-At Large) looked to preempt any local “flash robs” and we reported that the toughest provisions of a new ethics bill will likely be delayed. Oh yeah, a Ward 7 candidate was busted for offering $20 to a cop for, well, “services”, Councilmember Marion Barry (D-Ward 8) had some laughs at the expense of his critics and a hearing was scheduled on a taxi reform bill.
• We dug further into the saga of upscale livery service Uber and its expensive surge pricing model, found out that local lawmakers will be headed to New Hampshire next week to lobby for D.C. statehood and continued reporting on the fate of Mood Lounge (and why you probably shouldn’t try to tell a liquor regulator that that blood stain is actually cranberry juice).
• In food news, Taylor Gourmet opened on 14th Street, Elisir freed all its water, Rustico started 2012 with a beer academy, we were weirdly fascinated by Mountain Dew-flavored vodka and we got a first look at Woodley Park’s District Kitchen.
• In film, despite the bad news that a transfer of jurisdiction for Union Square could bring for the District’s efforts to woo filmmakers, we got some great reviews: Norwegian Wood and Pariah.
• In odds and ends, the owners of Capitol Hemp may be offered a plea deal by prosecutors, we discovered that the District’s dating scene is pretty good, an infamous local lawyer and medical marijuana entrepreneur declared his intentions to run for the White House and we learned that car washes were apparently very popular with local LivingSocial users.