Photo by Neil McKiernan

Good morning, Washington. It’s a quiet day in the District as the city commemorates Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., but there are plenty of local celebrations and community service events planned throughout the city. At 10 a.m., the 32nd Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Parade Celebration returns to the District, and the National Museum of American History is hosting a series of displays relating to Dr. King’s legacy. A good list of local events is here. For last-minute community service opportunities, check here.

President Obama Goes to Church: Though he initially promised to find himself a local church when he first took office, President Barack Obama hasn’t made going to church a weekly occurrence. But he has stopped in to a local church on the eve of the celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. over the last few years, and yesterday was no different. The Post reports that Obama and family took in services at the Zion Baptist Church on Blagden Avenue and 16th Street NW. (His motorcade almost hit an errant cyclist on the way back to the White House, tweeted the Post’s Tim Craig.) Today, according to WTOP, the First Family will participate in a local community service event before hitting the Kennedy Center for the Let Freedom Ring celebration of Dr. King.

Cabbies Complain Of Illegal Competition: In the wake of last week’s sting on high-end livery service Uber, cabbies are complaining more loudly about illegal competitors. The Examiner reports that cab drivers say that the estimated 2,000 illegal cabs that roam the District’s streets deny them much needed business, and if the city did a better job cracking down, a proposed fare increase wouldn’t be such a big deal. D.C. taxicab officials say they’re doing their best, but they currently only have 12 hack inspectors at their disposal to check licenses and look for violations. Those inspectors write between 15,000 and 18,000 tickets a year.

Florida May Offer Sunnier Chances for D.C. Statehood: The Washington Times reports that a Florida state legislator has introduced legislation supporting the District’s quest to become the 51st state, and that a delegation of city officials may soon travel down to the Sunshine State to lobby for the cause. A recent trip to New Hampshire to push for a similar pro-statehood bill was postponed due to snow; Mayor Vince Gray and members of the D.C. Council are slated to head to the Granite State on January 27.

Briefly Noted: Virginia congressmen don’t seem interested in presidential endorsements … D.C. ticket amnesty may fall short of goal … High rate of defaults in D.C. first-time home buyer loan program … Rick Perry really wants to get on Virginia’s ballot … How do local universities house their presidents?

This Day in DCist: On this day in 2011, D.C. was found to be the eighth gayest city in the U.S. and we explored Dupont Circle’s Toutorsky Mansion. In 2009, the District declared a prostitution-free zone in preparation for President Obama’s inauguration and an electronic sign tallying the amount of federal taxes paid by District resident went up outside the Wilson Building.