It’s the last day of 2013, a year that saw our beloved District of Columbia continue to grow economically, politically, and socially. In population and in, uh, bike lanes. Also, in restaurants, millennials, rats, government shutdowns, and scandals.
Indeed, a lot happened this year. Some of it was good, some of it was bad, but it was never, ever boring. While we look ahead toward 2014, and hope that it brings more good news to report and less bad news, it’s time to take a look back and reflect on some of the biggest local news stories from the past year.
So, without further adieu, here are the five best, five worst, and five weirdest news stories from 2013. Never change, D.C. (except for, you know, all the things that you can do better.)
The Five Best
5. Jeff Bezos buys the Washington Post
Whether Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos’ purchase of the Washington Post is good or bad news for the paper remains to be seen, but we’re optimistic. Let’s believe that Bezos will take the paper in new and exciting directions, entering it into a new golden age of journalism. Because if a journalist doesn’t have a single shred of optimism in 2013, what’s left to cling to? — Matt Cohen
4. Bao Bao, the National Zoo’s new panda cub, is born
Whether you’re pro-panda or anti-panda, you can’t deny that this little bundle of fur invoked at least one involuntary “d’awww” from you this year. If you disagree, then you’re a liar. Panda cam forever. — Matt Cohen
3. Medical marijuana is finally legalized
It took a damn long time (more than 14 years of regulatory delays held it up until now), but medical marijuana finally became legalized for D.C. residents who suffer from cancer, glaucoma, or AIDS. Between this and the D.C. Council’s critical marijuana decriminalization bill, 2013 was a significant year for marijuana legalization advocates. But 2014 could be even bigger as the push for full legalization grows stronger. — Matt Cohen
2. Streetcar arrives on H Street NE
After decades of absence, an
1. “I’m on your side, don’t screw it up, okay? Don’t screw it up.”
The federal government shutdown was certainly one of the worst things to happen this year, leaving thousands of federal employees furloughed for over two weeks. But one positive to come out of the whole thing: That the D.C. government proved it wasn’t going to take Congress’s shit anymore and get roped into federal problems. While the D.C. government should have shut down along with the federal government, Mayor Vince Gray and the D.C. Council refused, with Gray demanding that Congress free the city’s budget. It was a bold move, and — maybe — took us one step closer toward statehood. — Matt Cohen
The Five Worst
5. Michael A. Brown convicted for accepting bribes from undercover agents
Another major facepalm in the long, storied history of facepalms in D.C. politics: Former At-Large Councilmember Michael A. Brown was caught accepting a $55,000 bribe from undercover federal agents and pleaded guilty. The kicker? He accepted one bribe in a Washington football team cup. Maybe that’s what cursed the team this season. — Matt Cohen
4. D.C. Taxicab Commission woes
Seriously, someone should make a movie about the various problems the D.C. Taxicab Commission went through this year. Between their ongoing battles with Uber, their clumsy attempts to update taxicab regulations, and their unpopular status among the District’s cabbies, it really would be ripe for a major motion picture adaptation. I even have a few suggestions for how to do it. — Matt Cohen
3. Frager’s Hardware burns down
In June, a four alarm fire consumed one of D.C.’s longest-running businesses: Frager’s Hardware. It was a huge loss for the D.C. community, but rest assured, it will be rebuilt. #FragersForever — Matt Cohen
While Mayor Gray and the Council’s response to the federal government shutdown was certainly a positive, it didn’t come close to the economic damage the shutdown had on our city. It also led to the furlough of crucial nonprofit employees, took away the panda cam and caused Sarah Palin to get press. No, not even the bearded Lincoln Memorial mower could make up for it. Never again, Congress. — Matt Cohen
In September, 34-year-old Aaron Alexis went on a deadly shooting spree at the Navy Yard, killing twelve people before shooting himself. This was a tragedy that shook the region and one that Washington will never forget. I hope nothing like this ever happens again. — Matt Cohen
The Five Weirdest
5. Man sets himself on fire on National Mall / Woman killed after car chase near Capitol
A tragic and bizarre two days in D.C.: On October 4, 64-year-old John Constantino died after setting himself on fire on the National Mall. According to his family’s lawyer, Constantino’s act “was not a political act or statement, but the result of a long battle with mental illness.”
And just a day before, a woman was shot and killed by police after a car chase. The woman, who was also allegedly suffering from mental illness, was trying to go to the White House as she supposedly had delusions that President Obama was stalking her. — Matt Cohen
4. Rusty the Red Panda makes his great escape
The biggest manhunt the city saw this year was not actually a hunt for a person, but a panda. A red panda, in fact. For about a day, National Zoo keepers were scrambling to locate Rusty the Red Panda, who mysteriously escaped from his enclosure. Luckily, Rusty was quickly found in a hangin’ around in a nearby neighborhood and was safely returned to the zoo. But, for a minute there, it was panda-monium in the District. (Sorry, not sorry.) — Matt Cohen
The launch of LADEE — the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer — from NASA’s Wallops Island facility in Wallops Island, Va. was certainly a historic moment, but it will forever be overshadowed by the unfortunate frog that was photographed launching alongside LADEE. While NASA is “not certain of the frog’s fate,” we can only hope that somewhere, Space Frog is out there, watching over us all. Long live Space Frog. — Matt Cohen
2. Snakes fall out of trees in Adams Morgan, Cleveland Park
Just because snakes falling out of trees is apparently a normal occurrence doesn’t mean it’s not terrifying when it happens. This summer, the nightmare came alive in both Adams Morgan and
1. Lincoln Memorial, National Cathedral vandalized with green
paint
In July, the seemingly impossible happened: The Lincoln Memorial was vandalized. Sure, it’s easy to access the monument, but who would want to deface it with green paint? We still don’t have an answer. But a woman, believed to be homeless, is on trial for doing the same thing to rooms in the National Cathedral. Jiamei Tian was ruled incompetent to stand trial, although a psychiatrist reported that she would be able to stand trial in the “foreseeable future.” —Sarah Anne Hughes
