After a fire gutted Eastern Market last April, the stretch of 7th Street SE adjacent to the market building was closed off on weekends to accommodate vendors, construction of the temporary East Hall and reconstruction of the South Hall. In an interview on WTOP (link to audiostream) last week, Ward 6 Council member Tommy Wells said he wants to keep 7th Street that way. The Hill picked up the story on Wednesday, and the Hilleast…

WMATA has put out a release to remind everyone that the first in a series of six planned public hearings on the proposed Metro fare hike is tonight. All six hearings start at 7 p.m., with open-houses beginning at 6:30 p.m. before each one. Tonight’s hearing is in Reston, at the Bechtel Conference Center, which is at 1801 Alexander Bell Drive. To get there, take the Orange line to the West Falls Church station, and…

Local LGBT activists are upset over a document distributed by the Washington Nationals, according to City Desk. The document details the team’s Vendor Procurement Program and features Major League Baseball’s affirmative action policy, which includes this portion:The Licensee shall not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment or against any service recipient or applicant for services because of race, color, ethnic status, religion, sex, age, national origin, disable veteran status, Vietnam era veteran status,…

By DCist Contributor Stephanie Taylor Halloween is fast approaching, and because the scariest day of the year was inconsiderate enough to fall mid-week this year, much of the drunken pin the rib on the skeleton madness begins next weekend. But the District has very few true costume shops. If you’ve sorted through your closet and still haven’t found a winner for this year’s costume, we thought we’d offer a few suggestions as to where to…

Many neighborhoods in the District tend to go through a rather predictable routine. They start as fringe areas, slowly attract residents and business owners looking for good deals on housing and commercial properties, see an influx of newcomers as word spreads, and soon become the city’s next hot destination. And throughout the process the usual conflicts tend to emerge — between old and new residents, between local and national businesses. Yesterday the rather tranquil Barracks…

The Washington Times brings us the most, ahem, alarming piece of news we’ve seen this morning: that D.C. fire officials are investigating whether some firefighters have been running a prostitution ring out of several of the city’s firehouses. Around a dozen employees from at least four firehouses are being investigated for involvement in the prostitution ring, which fire officials first learned of after a criminal investigation last month into claims that a sergeant exposed himself…

Matchbox Coming to the Hill As if we needed any more proof that Barracks Row is flexing its muscle in bringing business to the Hill. But, we have it anyway. Last week’s TomChat gave us the news that Matchbox, the over-popular Gallery Place pizza and mini-burger heaven, has signed a lease for a second location along Barracks Row—521 8th Street SE to be precise. According to Tom, the owner expects the new place to open…

In response to the record temperatures outside, the District has opened eight of its public swimming pools today. If for some reason you’re free for the rest of the afternoon, head on down to cool off.: The following pools were opened until 6 p.m.: * Fort Lincoln (3201 Fort Lincoln Drive NE) * Fort Stanton (1800 Erie St. SE) * Benning Park (5300 Fitch St. SE) * Kenilworth-Parkside (4300 Anacostia Ave. NE) * Fort…

As I rode home last night, I took a quick detour past Eastern Market. Some 22 hours after the fire that ravaged the market’s South Hall had been reported, firefighters remained, hosing down the building and testing the its structural integrity. A crowd had gathered outside, most blankly staring at what would be an empty shell for the months to come. This morning, fencing had been erected around the building, decorated with U.S. and D.C….

Two men were wounded in a drive-by shooting on Euclid near 17th Street NW in Adams Morgan on Saturday afternoon, but both have now been released from the hospital. Neighborhood resident Sebastian Renaud, who was walking with his girlfriend, was shot below the armpit, while John Brown, who lives on 18th Street SE, was shot in the left big toe and was walking with another man who may have been the intended target. Councilmember Jim…