2016-09-03



Here is the latest Local News from the Washington Times.

Steve Schuh, Anne Arundel County executive, asks school board to reconsider transgender guidelines

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — County Executive Steve Schuh is asking the Anne Arundel Board of Education to reconsider allowing transgender students to use bathrooms of their gender identity.

Media outlets report that last week, the school system sent a set of guidelines to school administrators stating that students should be …

Maryland schools could trim spring break to meet Gov. Larry Hogan’s mandate

BALTIMORE (AP) — School administrators across Maryland are ripping up their calendars for next year and considering shortening spring break in order to meet the requirements of Gov. Larry Hogan’s new executive order to start future school years after Labor Day.

The Baltimore Sun reports that next year’s …

John Hinckley to live full-time in Virginia beginning Sept. 10

John Hinckley, the would-be assassin of President Ronald Reagan, officially will be released this month from the D.C. psychiatric hospital where he has lived the last three decades.

Mr. Hinckley will leave St. Elizabeths Hospital in Southeast on Sept. 10 to begin living full-time with his 90-year-old mother, Jo Ann, …

A Frenchman’s legacy, America’s black history museum

ANALYSIS/OPINION:

Do you know who Philip Simmons was?

What Hiram Revels did?

The difference between antebellum “mammy” and an African named Mami Wata?

Give a hearty standing ovation, please, to Jacques-Louis Macie — a bastard child of France — for helping to provide the answers to those and countless other …

Georgetown to offer preferred admission to descendants of school’s former slaves

Georgetown University on Thursday unveiled several measures the school expects to take in order to acknowledge and atone for its ties to slavery during the 19th century.

Among the efforts announced by university President John J. DeGioia are plans to extend the same preferential treatment offered to the relatives of …

Washington, D.C., to launch bid contract corruption investigations

D.C. Council member Mary Cheh has vowed to hold a hearing to investigate why the head of the city’s property management agency resigned and two top officials were fired amid concerns over their handling of two major contracts.

“There have been some rather strong charges made or suggestions about the …

Rev. Cynthia Hale, DNC platform official, to speak at black caucus event

The Democrats mix politics and the pulpit as usual.

A vice chairman of the Democrats’ convention platform committee will deliver the keynote address at this month’s Congressional Black Caucus prayer breakfast.

The Rev. Cynthia Hale, senior pastor of Ray of Hope Christian Church in Decatur, Georgia, served as a platform …

Larry Hogan, Md. governor, signs executive order requiring schools to start after Labor Day

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan signed an executive order Wednesday that will require schools in the state to start after Labor Day and end by June 15, beginning in the 2017-2018 school year.

“Starting Maryland public schools after Labor Day is not just a family issue – it’s an economic and …

Larry Hogan, Maryland governor, directs public schools to open after Labor Day, beginning 2017

Maryland students next year can revel in one more week of summer: Gov. Larry Hogan announced Wednesday that schools will begin their academic year after Labor Day from then on as a way to boost economic activity across the state.

On the Ocean City boardwalk, Mr. Hogan, a Republican, signed …

D.C. schools see some improvement in standardized test scores for blacks, Hispanics

Minority students made gains overall in the District’s annual standardized test assessment, but some schools are still failing to turn out pupils ready for life after high school.

About 27 percent of students in the District rated as being on track or better in the 2016 English Language Arts (ELA) …

Emailed threats received at Virginia Tech, William & Mary

BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) — Campus police at the College of William & Mary say someone on the campus received a threatening email that’s similar to threats emailed to people at Virginia Tech.

Dozens of people at Virginia Tech got the threatening email Monday. Police said the message “included a threat …

Community helps Silver Spring apartment complex residents recover from explosion

An outpouring of support has eased the recovery process for residents of a Silver Spring apartment complex who were left without a home following a natural gas explosion nearly three weeks ago.

Within hours of the Aug. 10 blast at the Flower Branch Apartments, the Red Cross had set up …

Metro begins free Wi-Fi pilot progam at six subway stations

It just got easier to check your email, send texts and scroll through social media on the region’s subway trains.

Metro on Monday began offering free public Wi-Fi at six stations as part of a pilot program. The six stations are: Metro Center, Gallery Place, Judiciary Square, Union Station, Archives …

Memo to D.C. parents

Now that the doors have swung wide for the 2016-17 school year, it is time to direct some gnawing questions toward the Bowser administration.

The queries have little to do with regular class schedules; the SAT, the ACT and other tests; or extracurricular activities. You know, the usual stuff thrown …

10,000th Syrian reaches U.S. this week in resettlement program

AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — The U.S. will reach its target this week of taking in 10,000 Syrian war refugees in a year-old resettlement program, the U.S. ambassador to Jordan said Sunday, after meeting families headed to California and Virginia.

The resettlement program has emerged as an issue in the U.S. …

Metro to conduct simulated derailment exercise on Sunday

This weekend, Metro will conduct a simulated derailment drill with a host of public safety workers, weeks after a subway train ran off the rails near the East Falls Church station.

“The exercise, which will take place on the elevated track approaching the Pentagon station over the Potomac River, will …

D.C. food trucks now a smorgasbord of lunchtime cravings

For Washingtonians, food trucks have turned a lunchtime famine into a smorgasbord. An outdoor food court at Farragut Square greets customers with the aroma of delicacies that can be purchased and received within a matter of seconds.

Among the hundred-plus trucks that service the nation’s capital, hungry consumers can sample …

Washington Monument elevator repair requires 9-month closure

The Washington Monument’s notoriously finicky elevator likely will be out of commission for nine months because the lift system needs an overhaul, inspectors said.

The elevator has broken 24 times since the monument was reopened in May 2014 after a three-year closure to repair earthquake damage, according to the National …

D.C. Ward 3 residents file lawsuit to block homeless shelter

Residents in two neighborhoods of the city’s toniest ward filed a lawsuit Tuesday to stop the construction of a 50-unit shelter for homeless families.

The lawsuit says the D.C. Council did not give advanced notice to those living near the proposed site in Ward 3, behind the Metropolitan Police Department’s …

Ido Leffler, Yoobi school supply CEO, donates to D.C. students

The co-founder of a school supply company on Wednesday helped distribute pens, pencils and other educational goods to students at Hendley Elementary School in Southeast as part of his company’s mission to provide resources to underprivileged children.

Ido Leffler, co-founder and CEO of Yoobi, said his Los Angeles-based company loves …

DC Water to build new storage tower in Southeast

D.C. residents east of the Anacostia River could soon find themselves under more pressure — at least when taking a shower.

For the first time in 71 years, DC Water will build a water tower. It will service customers east of the river, where water pressure historically has been much …

Activists press Facebook’s Zuckerberg on removal of video of fatal police shooting

A national coalition of community activists is demanding that Facebook disclose information about its compliance with a law enforcement request to remove videos of a standoff recorded by a woman who was killed by Baltimore County police officers this month.

During the Aug. 1 standoff in her Randallstown apartment, Korryn …

D.C. police arrest homeless man for defacing Chinatown with swastikas

D.C. police arrested a man Monday for writing anti-Semitic graffiti on a mural as well as several coffee shops in Chinatown.

Patrol officers from the Metropolitan Police Department’s First District arrested 60 year-old Generoso Anthony Capodilupo of no fixed address, and charged him with multiple counts of defacing public or …

Peter Newsham, assistant chief, to take over D.C. police on interim basis

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has named Assistant Chief Peter Newsham to head up the city’s police department on an interim basis.

Chief Newsham will take over for current Chief Cathy Lanier who is leaving Sept. 17 to take a job running security for the NFL.

For 14 years, Chief Newsham …

Md. school district: Don’t tell parents of transgender males bunking with daughters on field trips

A Maryland school district is instructing teachers and administrators not to tell parents if their daughters are bunking with male transgender students on overnight field trips.

Bob Mosier, chief communications officer for the Anne Arundel County public school system, says in a training video on how to accommodate transgender students …

FBI probing stabbing in Virginia where suspect shouted ‘Allahu akbar’

ROANOKE, Va. (AP) — The FBI is investigating a stabbing in Virginia in which the suspect shouted “Allahu akbar” while attacking a man and woman.

Wasil Farooqui of Roanoke County is charged in the stabbings at The Pines Apartments in Roanoke on Saturday. Roanoke County police say that during the …

Muriel Bowser celebrates D.C.’s new all-male high school

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser kicked off the school year Monday by celebrating the District’s new all-male high school that aims to empower young men of color.

But some have criticized Ron Brown College Preparatory High School, saying it leaves behind girls who could use the help as well.

The city’s …

Israel Tennis Center children’s exhibition shows triumphs over disadvantages

For many children, playing tennis is just a fun, extracurricular activity, but for the students at the Israel Tennis Center, the game means a new shot at life.

The nonprofit tennis facility, based in Ramat Hasharon, Israel, has trained more than 20,000 disadvantaged children at its 14 centers since 1976, …

Terry McAuliffe, Va. governor, restores voting rights of 13,000 felons

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe announced Monday that he has individually restored the voting rights of 13,000 felons, a move undertaken after the state Supreme Court rescinded a prior executive action that restored the right to vote en masse to more than 200,000 former inmates.

The Democratic governor said individual restoration …

Montana Malik Barronette, ‘Baltimore’s No. 1 trigger puller,’ arrested: Police Commissioner Davis

Baltimore police on Monday announced the arrest of “Baltimore’s No. 1 trigger puller,” a gang member who is accused of more than a dozen homicides, the city’s police commissioner said.

“He’s a bad, bad, evil guy, and he’s no longer on the streets of Baltimore,” Commissioner Kevin Davis said during …

Donald Trump battles to retake Virginia, once-reliably red state gone blue

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. — Donald Trump hasn’t given up the fight to win back Virginia for the Republican Party in November, but he is battling strong political headwinds that have the once solidly red state poised to vote Democrat for the third consecutive presidential election.

Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton holds …

DEA: Many more drugs looted in Baltimore riots than reported

BALTIMORE — Officials say the amount of drugs looted from Baltimore pharmacies during riots last year was substantially higher than initially reported.

An U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration official tells The Baltimore Sun (http://bsun.md/2bmIBMF) that 80 percent more doses of drugs were taken than previously thought during the riots …

Michel Richard, D.C. chef, dies at 68

The D.C. restaurant scene can aptly be split into two distinct eras — before Michel Richard and after Michel Richard.

The French-born chef who revolutionized the District’s food scene died Saturday at the age of 68 from complications of a stroke.

Mr. Richard, who moved to the D.C. area in …

Bill XXXV, Naval Academy’s goat mascot, dies

Bill XXXV, the Naval Academy’s goat mascot, has died at just 2 years old, the academy announced Thursday.

Bill died peacefully, euthanized at a veterinary facility run by the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary medicine.

The goat had been in poor health since arriving at the academy in 2015, the Capital …

D.C. charity donates bras and feminine products to homeless women

After Dana Marlowe lost a considerable amount of weight, her bras didn’t fit anymore, so she just left them in the drawer.

Then Mrs. Marlowe visited a Soma lingerie store and learned what she could do with them: A sales clerk said she could donate them to homeless shelters.

What …

Board approves $2.5M for Ellicott City flood recovery aid

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Maryland officials have approved $2.5 million to help small businesses and property owners in Ellicott City recover from last month’s flooding.

The Board of Public Works voted 2-0 Wednesday to make the money available from the Small, Minority and Women-Owned Business Account.

The money will be …

Cathy Lanier leaves D.C. police on own terms after serving three administrations

Police chiefs of big-city departments often come and go with the election of a mayor — but after leading the Metropolitan Police Department for nearly 10 years and in three different administrations, Chief Cathy L. Lanier opted to leave on her own terms.

The District’s police chief announced Tuesday that …

Maryland horse therapy helps treat body, mind

CROWNSVILLE, Md. — Lana Robinson’s short-term memory has been weakened from Alzheimer’s, but her childhood memories of horseback riding remain intact.

Today at 62, Mrs. Robinson rides Chrissy with ease. A volunteer and instructor walk along her left, and another volunteer is at her right, but Mrs. Robinson maintains full control …

Cathy Lanier, D.C. police chief, stepping down to head security for NFL

WASHINGTON (AP) — Washington police Chief Cathy Lanier, the first woman to lead the department and one of the nation’s longest-serving and most popular big-city police chiefs, announced Tuesday that she is stepping down to become head of security for the National Football League.

Lanier, 49, started her career with …

Jeffrey Thompson, D.C. businessman, gets 3 months’ jail for corrupting elections

WASHINGTON (AP) — A District of Columbia businessman who illegally poured more than $3 million into city, state and federal elections — helping a mayor of Washington get elected and then creating a scandal that helped drum that mayor from office — was sentenced Monday to three months in prison.



Suspect shot by deputy outside of Inova Fairfax Hospital dies

A man shot by a Fairfax County deputy Monday night outside of Inova Fairfax Hospital in Virginia after he threatened the deputy with “some sort of edged weapon” has died, police confirmed Tuesday morning.

Police have not released the name of the suspect.

Shortly before 10 p.m. on Monday, security …

Kevin Plank, Under Armour founder, buying up Baltimore water taxi fleet: report

What if there were an Uber-style app for commuting by boat? Baltimore residents may soon find out, thanks to a major investment by Under Armour’s Kevin Plank.

The founder of the Charm City-based athletic apparel company is hoping to revitalize and transform the water taxis, The Baltimore Sun

Sixth body found at Maryland explosion site; 1 missing man now found

SILVER SPRING, Md. (AP) — The death toll has risen as searchers search the wreckage of an exploded Maryland apartment building.

Montgomery County Police said Monday that a sixth body has been found in the debris of the Flower Branch apartments in Silver Spring.

There is good news, too: Police …

D.C. Streetcar slow to attract local residents, businesses

D.C. officials long heralded the streetcar system as a boon for city, calling its $200 million price tag for a 2.4-mile track on H Street a down payment for an economic renaissance.

But six months after its debut, the free trolley service has failed to win over the residents and …

5th body found after Maryland apartment explosion; search continues

SILVER SPRING, Md. (AP) — A fifth body was recovered after an explosion and fire at an apartment complex in Maryland, authorities said Sunday evening as firefighters continued amid sweltering heat to comb through the rubble to search for several others who remain missing.

The explosion late Wednesday night sent …

John O’Sullivan, inmate, fatally stabbed inside Maryland prison

JESSUP, Md. (AP) — Authorities say a 43-year-old inmate has been fatally stabbed inside a Maryland prison.

Maryland State Police said in a statement that corrections officers found John A. O’Sullivan lying on the floor and bleeding Sunday morning after a fight inside Jessup Correctional Institution in Anne Arundel County.



12 protesters arrested in Baltimore at Maryland Fraternal Order of Police conference

BALTIMORE – Authorities say 12 people have been arrested while protesting a police conference in Baltimore.

Dozens of protesters gathered Sunday outside a hotel, where the Maryland Fraternal Order of Police is holding its biennial conference this week.

The Baltimore Police Department said in a statement that several of the …

Marion Christopher Barry, son of Marion Barry, dies at 36

WASHINGTON — The son of late District of Columbia Mayor Marion Barry has died.

Raymone Bain, a spokeswoman for the former mayor’s widow, Cora Masters Barry, said Marion Christopher Barry died early Sunday. He was 36 years old. Bain said she couldn’t comment on the cause of his death.

The …

At least 2 dead in Virginia plane crash near the Fredericksburg airport, state police say

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. (AP) — Officials say at least two people were killed when a small plane crashed near the Fredericksburg airport.

Virginia State Police spokeswoman Corinne Geller said the crash occurred near the Shannon Airport Friday afternoon. She says the crash caused the aircraft to catch fire. She says at …

D.C. Council committee chairman vacancies exceed lawmakers eligible to fill them

The D.C. Council will face a crisis in leadership when it is seated in January: Freshman lawmakers are barred from holding committee chairmanships, but the council will have more chairman posts than veteran legislators to fill them.

The 13-member legislature already has four lawmakers serving their first terms and is …

Fire official: Dozens hurt in Maryland apartment blaze and a few people missing

SILVER SPRING, Md. (AP) — Fire officials say 30 people and three firefighters have been injured and five to seven people are unaccounted for after a large fire and collapse at an apartment complex in a Maryland suburb of Washington.

The Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service reports first responders …

Family of Seth Rich, slain DNC staffer, calls for end to conspiracy talk

The family of a slain Democratic National Committee staffer is asking the public to stop politicizing the 27-year-old’s death, saying the conspiracy theories and speculation spread online are “causing more harm than good.”

Both the family of Seth Rich and D.C. police, who are investigating his fatal shooting, were compelled …

Vincent Orange resignation throws D.C. Democrats into disarray

The D.C. Democratic State Committee is in disarray over filling the remainder of D.C. Council member Vincent Orange’s term this year even though the at-large lawmaker has not yet resigned from office.

Party leaders have backed placing city activist Robert White, who defeated Mr. Orange in June’s Democratic primary, in …

Baltimore police’s discriminatory policies ‘deeply eroded’ community relations: Justice Department

The Justice Department’s top civil rights official says the Baltimore Police Department’s unconstitutional and discriminatory practices have “deeply eroded” the relationship between officers and the community and that the department has agreed to negotiate with the agency on reforms to its policies.

Vanita Gupta said during a news conference Wednesday …

D.C. Metro stop-signal violations pose grave danger, prompt federal probe

Most car drivers know they should stop at all red lights, but for some Metro train operators, the stop signal has been more of a suggestion than a command.

Two red-light violations by subway train operators last month have drawn attention to Metro safety, even as the Federal Transit Administration …

John Hinckley likely to register to vote after settling in Virginia

The conditions of John Hinckley Jr.’s full-time release from a psychiatric hospital after a three-decade long commitment are a laundry list of dos and don’ts meant to help him assimilate into society — he can’t own a gun, he must work or volunteer three days a week, and he can’t …

Baltimore police used excessive force, targeted black residents: Justice Department report

The Justice Department is set to release a blistering critique of the Baltimore Police Department on Wednesday, with the long-awaited review finding that officers routinely stopped, frisked or arrested black residents with little legal justification, according to media reports.

Among the findings reported by the Baltimore Sun, police officers also …

Power stuggle on D.C. Council

ANALYSIS/OPINION:

Meet Rosemary Smith.

An 80-plus-year-old woman, she is a fourth-generation Washingtonian who is as straightforward as many politicos are crooked truth-avoiders, and as opinionated as A-list commentators.

Another noteworthy thing is that you do not have to live in or around the nation’s capital to appreciate her political and …

Larry Hogan, Maryland governor, requests business disaster declaration after Ellicott City flooding

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Gov. Larry Hogan has asked the U.S. Small Business Administration for a disaster declaration for Howard County due to flash flooding.

The governor made the request in a letter on Tuesday.

An approved disaster declaration would enable businesses, homeowners and renters to apply for low-interest loans …

NAACP leaders stage sit-in at Bob Goodlatte’s GOP office in Va. over voting rights

ROANOKE, Va. (AP) — Two NAACP leaders were arrested in a sit-in for voter rights at the Virginia office of House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte.

Media outlets report that national NAACP President Cornell William Brooks and youth division director Stephen Green were arrested Monday after protesting with local civil rights …

Woodrow Wilson Center, D.C. think tank, rejects charges of helping spur Turkish coup

The Woodrow Wilson Center, one of Washington’s best-known think tanks, is defending itself against charges that it played a role in the failed military coup against the government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan last month.

The charges, played up prominently on Turkish newspapers in recent days, are a sign …

Fox 5 DC launches podcast for staff to discuss topics uncensored

WTTG, the District’s Fox affiliate, has launched a new podcast, “I Still Have a Keycard,” which premiered Monday, Fox 5 Vice President and News Director Paul McGonagle announced.

In the new podcast, Fox 5 staffers will riff, uncensored, with one another on a variety of topics from workplace romance to …

Rigged D.C. elections set up White to replace Orange

The Democrats clearly know how to get into City Hall, but they don’t know nothin’ about nothin’ when it comes to filling voluntary vacancies on the D.C. Council.

If a lawmaker dies, the rules and laws kick in automatically. Let a lawmaker say, “Kiss my butt, I’m outta here,” and …

D.C. Democrats to appoint Robert White to complete term of D.C. Council member Vincent Orange

The D.C. Democratic Party will likely appoint city activist Robert White next week to the at-large D.C. Council seat being vacated by Vincent Orange.

In an interview with The Washington Times, Mr. White confirmed Monday that he has been in talks with council member Anita Bonds, who also heads the …

Scott Silverthorne, Fairfax mayor, to resign after arrest in Virginia drugs-for-sex sting

FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) — Fairfax Mayor R. Scott Silverthorne is resigning after his arrest last week in which police say he attempted to trade drugs for sex in a sting operation.

City officials said in a news release Monday that Silverthorne’s resignation will be effective as of noon Thursday. The …

Helen Bentley, former Maryland congresswoman, dies at 92

TIMONIUM, Md. (AP) — Helen Delich Bentley, a former Maryland congresswoman who was an expert on the maritime industry, has died. She was 92.

A spokesman for the family said Bentley died shortly after 1:30 p.m. Saturday at her home in Timonium, where she was receiving hospice care.

Bentley, a …

Vincent Orange to resign from D.C. Council

D.C. Council member Vincent Orange will resign his legislative post just a week after he ignited controversy for accepting a job as head of the D.C. Chamber of Commerce.

Mr. Orange will officially announce his resignation Monday, but sources have told both WAMU and The Washington Post that the longtime …

Federal court puts Maureen McDonnell appeal on hold

A federal appeals court has put on hold former Virginia first lady Maureen McDonnell’s appeal of corruption convictions to give prosecutors and her attorneys more time to analyze the Supreme Court decision that overturned her husband’s conviction.

Former Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell’s bribery conviction was overturned in June, …

Richard ‘Scott’ Silverthorne, Fairfax, Va., mayor, arrested for meth sales

The mayor of Fairfax, Virginia, was arrested Thursday after police say he gave methamphetamine to an undercover police officer in return for sex.

Richard “Scott” Silverthorne, 50, was arrested Thursday at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Tysons Corner after police received a tip about a meth distributor last month, Fairfax …

Unions blast charter school funds, Philly dummies dumpster dive

ANALYSIS/OPINION:

Let’s momentarily step away from the new 24/7 reality show “Republican Apprentice.” (Spoiler alert: Donald Trump is trying to prove he never was on the Republican reservation.)

Now onto the respite.

This item falls into Forrest Gump’s “stupid is as stupid does” category.

The weekend after the Democrats held …

D.C. police credit violent crimes unit for homicide rate drop

The homicide rate in the District is falling after last year’s dramatic spike in killings, and D.C. police attribute the reduction to the swift action of a new unit charged with getting violent criminals off the streets quickly.

As of Tuesday, 74 homicides had occurred in the District compared to …

Hundreds of visitors get a whiff of the corpse flower at the U.S. Botanical Garden

The stench of the blooming corpse flower attracts carrion-loving insects and birds in the wilds of Western Sumatra, but in the District only tourists. Playing Pokemon Go.

Hundreds of people waited 30 minutes in line at the U.S. Botanical Garden Tuesday to witness the rare peak bloom of the 7-foot-tall …

Nicholas Young, D.C.-area police officer, charged with attempting to support ISIS

A police officer who worked for the law enforcement agency responsible for security in the Washington, D.C. subway system was arrested and charged Wednesday with providing support for the Islamic State.

The Justice Department said 36-year-old Nicholas Young, who has worked for the Metro Transit Police Department since 2003, provided …

Paul Wiedefeld, Metro GM, moves into Phase 3

ANALYSIS/OPINION:

Hear ye! Hear ye! Job cuts at the region’s Metro system are coming.

Metro General Manager Paul J. Wiedefeld’s court is scheduled to be in session on Wednesday, and the audience will mostly be managers and senior-level employees. The czar is holding a meeting Wednesday with managers and others …

National Arboretum fears Pokemon influx would trample flora

The U.S. National Arboretum stands out for its lack of crowds as tourists flock to the nation’s capital this summer, cellphones in hand, searching for Pokemon.

Jillian Aldebron, a volunteer and visitor services manager at the arboretum, says that staffers haven’t seen a spike in attendance due to the popular …

D.C. gun advocates fight to legalize Tasers

Second Amendment advocates are broadening attacks on laws that limit self-defense options, with three D.C. residents suing the District over the city’s ban on the possession of stun guns and Tasers.

In a lawsuit filed Tuesday in federal court, the residents argue that the ban on “destructive devices” is unconstitutional …

Joy Maloney, Va. school board member, arrested at Donald Trump rally

A Virginia school board member was arrested Tuesday for allegedly blocking people from entering a Donald Trump rally in Ashburn.

Loudoun County Sheriff’s deputies arrested county school board member Joy Maloney at about 9 a.m. after witnesses said she tried to prevent rally goers from entering Briar Woods High School, EAGNews.com …

Olympics considering returning softball in 2020

After 12 years on the bench, softball is eyeing its second at-bat on the Olympic stage — a prospect that reignites the dreams of female players worldwide to bring home the gold.

The International Olympic Committee will decide Wednesday whether softball will make its comeback in the 2020 Tokyo Summer …

John Hinckley out, NBA in with Events DC plans

ANALYSIS/OPINION:

John Hinckley, the man who tried to assassinate Ronald Reagan, is out. The NBA and WNBA basketball teams are in — and add to that list whatever other “entertainment” proposals that pop into the minds of Events DC staffers.

That’s essentially the lineup for the proposed sports facility to …

D.C. law enforcers, community leaders for annual National Night Out

The 33rd annual National Night Out kickoff event in the District on Tuesday aims to bring together local law enforcers and residents at River Terrace Park in Northeast in an effort to have fun amid lessons in crime prevention.

“Across the country, we’re trying to address these relationships and provide …

Washington Wizards training facility price jumps by $10M

Shovels haven’t even hit the ground yet, but the tab for the new multimillion-dollar Washington Wizards practice space and entertainment arena already is expanding: The city agency tasked with shepherding the project says the extra millions are necessary to build a competitive facility in a growing region.

In a letter …

D.C. Metro derailment during ‘Safe Track’ work alarms riders

Commuters on the Silver and Orange lines said Monday that their confidence has been shaken in Metro safety following a train derailment, but added that they will continue to ride the rail for want of better options.

Friday’s derailment, in which one person was slightly injured, occurred near a section …

Ellicott City: Historic Maryland town faces long recovery after flooding

WASHINGTON (AP) — The picturesque Main Street of Ellicott City, Maryland, faces a months-long recovery that could cost hundreds of millions of dollars after devastating flooding that damaged nearly every home and business along the road, officials said.

Two people were killed when the town about 14 miles west of …

D.C. Metrorail’s Orange, Gray lines still have closures

A portion of Metro’s Orange and Silver lines remained closed through Sunday to allow for repairs and a continuing investigation into a subway train derailment Friday morning that injured one person.

The derailment occurred about 6:15 a.m. Friday when an outbound Silver Line train jumped the tracks as it approached …

Metro to close portions of Orange, Silver lines through Saturday after derailment

Metro rail service on one section of the Orange and Silver lines will be suspended at least through Saturday after a train derailed at a northern Virginia segment Friday morning.

Service between West Falls Church/McLean and Ballston stations will remain suspended at least through the end of Saturday to allow …

MARC commuter service suspended on Camden line following collision with car

WTOP Radio on Friday afternoon reported that MARC commuter rail service on the Camden Line has been suspended between Greenbelt and Muirkirk, following an incident involving a car on the tracks.

The accident occurred at an at-grade intersection in Beltsville around 5:15 p.m.

“One person in the vehicle …

Bob McDonnell’s corruption case put on hold after Supreme Court ruling

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A federal appeals court has put former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell’s corruption case on hold to give prosecutors and defense attorneys more time to analyze the Supreme Court ruling.

The high court overturned McDonnell’s corruption conviction in June, saying his actions were distasteful but didn’t necessarily …

D.C. Metro train derails; 2 passengers evaluated for injury

ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — Metro says a train has derailed in northern Virginia and fire officials say two of about 75 passengers on the train are being evaluated for minor injuries.

Metro spokesman Richard Jordan says two cars derailed at the East Falls Church Metro station platform Friday morning, but …

Inner City-Inner Child teaching artists embrace alternative styles to reach different children

Each preschooler sitting on the classroom rug held a drum — some made from empty coffee cans, others from sand pails with neon duct tape stretched taut across the opening.

But they all wanted a turn with the caxixi shaker, a hollow gourd covered with netting studded with puka shells.



Karl Racine, D.C. attorney general, nabs school frauds

It has been an inside joke since the 1960s and ’70s. What do parents do when their children are prepubescent? Move to Maryland or Virginia.

Two decades later the chuckles came when someone asked, “What do D.C. school employees do when the 3 o’clock bell rings?” Drive home to Maryland …

Parents who sent kids to D.C. schools illegally face thousands of dollars in fines

A couple who enrolled their children in D.C. schools but lived in Maryland and Virginia are facing hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines.

According to D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine, Alan and Candace Hill avoided paying non-resident tuition for their children by listing their address as a city apartment …

John Hinckley, Reagan shooter, can leave hospital to live in Virginia: Judge

A federal judge on Wednesday ordered that John Hinckley Jr. is no longer a danger 35 years after he tried to assassinate President Ronald Reagan, and can be granted full-time release from the Southeast Washington psychiatric hospital where he has been treated for the last three decades. The decision that …

Marilyn Mosby never should have charged officers in Freddie Gray death, lawyers say

Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby’s decision to drop charges in the remaining trials connected to the death of Freddie Gray shows that she didn’t have the evidence to prosecute the six police officers in the first place, said several lawyers who have followed the trials.

“It was an excellent decision …

Virginia Quilt Museum exhibit takes closer look at national parks

A new art installation at the Virginia Quilt Museum rivals the quilting skills of grandmothers and home ec students alike.

Each of the 177 small quilts in the “Inspired by the National Parks: Celebrating 100 Years” exhibit are available for viewing at the museum in Harrisonburg. The textile masterpieces, handmade …

John Hinckley release shows too quick a judgment

ANALYSIS/OPINION:

Is John Hinckley “cured”? Who’s going to take the weight for killing James Brady?

Did Freddie Gray Jr. kill himself? Should anybody take the weight for his death?

With the Democratic Party’s ongoing kumbaya moment in Philadelphia sucking the wind out of front page-worthy news, this is as good …

Red Line repairs in August to cause major delays

If you ride the Red Line, don’t head to work, head to the beach, Metro officials are saying as they encourage Maryland commuters to stay off the busiest subway line for much of the month of August while tracks are repaired.

Now is a “great time for vacation,” Metro General …

Maryland sheriff charged with assaulting wife acquitted

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — A judge has acquitted a sheriff who was charged with assaulting his wife during a domestic dispute.

Anne Arundel County Sheriff Ron Bateman was acquitted Wednesday of second-degree assault. The Capital of Annapolis reports that Elsie Bateman refused to testify against her husband at …

Union Station evacuated over reports of suspicious package

Washington’s iconic Union Station was evacuated over a rush-hour bomb threat Wednesday afternoon, according to multiple news outlets.

Police began sealing off the Capitol Hill facility just after 5 p.m. because of reports of a suspicious package, the Metropolitan Police told The Hill newspaper.

District of Columbia Fire and …

John Hinckley, the man who shot Ronald Reagan, released from St. Elizabeths Hospital

John Hinckley Jr., the man who shot former President Ronald Reagan, was granted full-time release Wednesday from St. Elizabeths Hospital in Washington.

U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman’s said in an order that Mr. Hinckley will begin a “convalescent leave” on Aug. 5.

Judge Friedman said “all of the experts and …

Freddie Gray case: Mosby drops charges against three remaining Baltimore officers

Prosecutors Wednesday morning dropped all remaining charges against three officers who were waiting to stand trial in connection with the death of Freddie Gray in Baltimore.

In motions ahead of the trial of Officer Garrett Miller, one of six officers charged in the Gray case, prosecutors announced the decision in …

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