WAMU: Local News

Falling Snow Brings Rising Demand To Community Kitchen

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Rebecca Sheir

With more than two feet of snow blanketing the D.C. region, many agencies that feed the hungry are seeing a surge in demand. And with even more snow predicted, one community kitchen doesn't plan on slowing down any time soon.

D.C. Central Kitchens kitchen manager, Jerald Thomas, has been at work since the wee small hours, preparing lunch

"[It] was a pork stew,with local vegetables. It was awesome, actually," says Thomas.

Awesome and unusual. The 4,500 meals the Kitchen normally serves to social-service agencies and shelters each day include breakfast and dinner.

"Mostly because a lot of the shelters are 7pm to 7am shelters," says the Kitchen's CEO, Mike Curtin. "But when the weather is like this, they're gonna keep them open 24 hours a day and they wanna make sure the people have breakfast, lunch and dinner."

So D.C. Central Kitchen has been churning out an extra 3,000 meals a day since the blizzard hit with help from some faithful volunteers.

"You reach one person in the shelter system, walking out in the elements all day long," says Thomas. "That's why our volunteers are committed to coming."

Thomas says that's what keeps him coming, too: the desire to help people keep their strength and nutrition up no matter how much snow comes down.

There's No Business Like "Snow Business"

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By David Schultz

Workers with Katchmark Construction are using a tarp to remove snow from the roof of an office building in Chantilly, Va. They're shoveling snow onto the tarp and then dumping it onto the ground.

Steven Katchmark owns this roofing and siding company. They're received more than 150 calls for service so far this week, but Katchmark says he won't make a windfall profit this winter.

One reason: insurance.

"You know, it is generally good for our business. It does keep us busy during the winter months," says Katchmark. "But there's a lot of liability and a lot of safety concerns that no one gets hurt."

Then, there's the issue of finding people who are able to leave their homes and who want to shovel snow all day long.

"You end up having to have a massive amount of people in a short amount of time," he says. "So there is some confusion and organization that needs to get taken care of."

Katchmark says he's using all of his employees who are available, plus additional temporary workers. He says they're servicing 15 roofs at a time.

Workers At D.C. Snow Command Center Prepare For Round Two

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Patrick Madden

As the region braces for another major storm, those in charge of keeping the streets clear will have to battle another element as well: exhaustion.

Cabin fever may be kicking in at the District's snow command center.

"At this point I can't even tell you if its the day shift or the night shit," says DDOT's Jeff Marutian.

He has logged about 48 hours at the center over the past four days -- helping direct snow plows, scan traffic cameras, and answer angry phone calls from snowed in residents

He's got company at least. There are a half dozen others cooped up in this small dark room. The windows are blacked out. There are projections of live D.C. traffic on two of the walls.

"We've had our fair share of Duncan Donuts and we will all look forward to getting to the gym when this is all over," he says.

Those workouts will have to wait-at least for the next few days.

New Snowstorm, Now In The Midwest, To Hit D.C. To Boston

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 10:06:00 -0500

By AccuWeather.com Senior Expert Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski

A new snowstorm bringing the Plains and Midwest snow today will not miss New York City and southern New England and will hit areas from Washington, D.C. to Philadelphia again.

The new storm is part of a duo of snowstorms this week that will touch the lives of over half the people of the nation. The new northern storm will affect much more real estate than the last with "plowable" snow.

Unfortunately this will be a colder storm than the last, delivering a snow that is much more subject to blowing and drifting for a longer period of time.

There is the potential for a foot of snow or more from Wilmington, Del. to Boston, Mass.

People should be prepared for slow or no travel as the storm intensifies upon nearing the Northeast coast Tuesday night into Wednesday. Schools will close, commerce will be impacted and accidents will occur.

Lower temperatures, strong winds and deep, powdery snow could make this the worst of the two storms even in areas that were hit hard with the last.

From a meteorological standpoint the prospect of two blizzards in less than a week for the same area is absolutely amazing!

In terms of a human factors, this one may bring life-threatening conditions to the homeless in the region. Shoveling snow in the extreme cold could pose serious health risks.

In terms of fiscal issues, this could be the storm that breaks the bank from small businesses to large cities, who must pay to remove the snow.

The amount of snow from the new storm will be less than this past weekend's monster in the Virginias and southwestern Pennsylvania. However, even if these areas receive a foot or a mere six inches it will cause serious problems.

Snowfall from the next storm Tuesday into Wednesday could make the 2009-2010 winter season the snowiest ever for many mid-Atlantic cities. If not, there is plenty of winter left to make that happen.

Crews Work To Clear Residential Streets Of Snow

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 11:06:00 -0500

WASHINGTON (AP) Officials in Maryland and D.C. say main highways are passable as snow removal continues.

Maryland State Highway Administration spokeswoman Mariska Jordan said Monday that most of the state's interstates and main roads are drivable. Freezing temperatures, however, have left some roads icy.

In Washington a spokeswoman for the District Department of Transportation says cleanup is on schedule. The city tries to have main streets clear within 36 hours of the end of a storm. Department spokeswoman Karyn Le Blanc says they've met that goal.

The city tries to get residential streets clear within 60 hours after a storm. Le Blanc says efforts to get residential streets clear could be hampered by the fact more snow is expected Tuesday and crews will have to pre-treat roads for that storm.

Latest D.C. Local News

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 09:06:00 -0500

WASHINGTON (AP) Rail travelers eager to leave the nation's capital before more snow hits are lining up at Union Station. Passengers boarded Amtrak trains Monday going to Boston and New York and other destinations.

WASHINGTON (AP) Transit systems in the Mid-Atlantic region are starting to come back to life after a blizzard over the weekend, but service is limited. Washington's Metrorail is limited to underground service and its buses are operating on a limited basis.

WASHINGTON (AP) Power crews are still working to restore electricity to thousands of customers in the mid-Atlantic. Pepco is reporting nearly 42,000 outages early today. Most of the affected customers are in Montgomery County, Md.

WASHINGTON (AP) Airports in the Washington region are working to get back to normal days after a blizzard dumped nearly 3 feet of snow in some parts of the area. Flights are expected to resume today at Reagan National Airport.

Latest Maryland Regional News

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:06:00 -0500

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) With more snow in Maryland's forecast, state officials say it will be several days before they know how much battling the storm will end up costing. Work continued Monday just to dig out from the weekend's snowfall, which heaped more than 2 feet of snow on many parts of the state.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) The Maryland General Assembly is scheduled to return to duty after having a snow day due to the weekend storm. Alexandra Hughes, a spokeswoman for House Speaker Michael Busch, says the House of Delegates and Senate will follow the normal schedule with floor sessions starting at 10 a.m. on Tuesday.

BALTIMORE (AP) Reggie Holmes and Dewayne Jackson each scored 25 points to lead Morgan State to a 94-68 victory over Florida A+M on Sunday. Holmes hit four 3-pointers and Jackson came off the bench to hit six from beyond the arc for the Bears, who are 6-0 at home this year.

Latest Virginia Regional News

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 09:06:00 -0500

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) Virginia's Senate has passed a bill that would write into law executive orders by the past two governors that ban bias in the state work force based on sexual orientation. Sen. Don McEachin's bill advanced from the Democratic-controlled Senate on a nearly party line vote of 23-17.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) The Senate has passed a bill to ban talking on a cell phone while driving unless using a hands-free device. Sen. Thomas Norment's bill passed the Senate 25-15 Monday. It would phase in penalties for drivers who take their hands off the wheel to hold a cell phone.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) Two stimulus grants totaling $21.5 million have been awarded to expand broadband infrastructure in Virginia. The matching grants were announced Monday by U.S. Sens. Jim Webb and Mark Warner and Reps. Tom Perriello and Rick Boucher.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) Efforts to divert funds received from possible offshore drilling for oil and gas off Virginia's coast are moving forward in the General Assembly. The House passed a bill proposed by Gov. Bob McDonnell on Monday to divert 70 percent of the revenues to transportation, 20 percent to energy research and 10 percent to localities.

New Snow Storm Likely To Limit Afternoon, Evening Service

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 21:06:00 -0500

From the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority:

On Tuesday, Feb. 9, the Metrorail system will open at 5 a.m. with limited service and may close early depending on weather conditions as more snow and below-freezing temperatures are expected. Fifteen stations will remain closed due to heavy snow drifts on the tracks.

A combination of six- and eight-car trains will operate at 30-minute intervals and travel at maximum speeds of 35 miles per hour. Limited Metrobus service will begin at 5 a.m.

MetroAccess will operate limited service between 8 a.m. and noon Tuesday for customers whose trips are associated with life-sustaining medical needs such as chemotherapy and dialysis. After noon, MetroAccess will provide return-trips only to help get customers home.

Metrorail service for Tuesday morning (Feb. 9)

• Red Line Limited Service: Medical Center to Union Station and Glenmont to Forest Glen • Blue Line Limited Service: Franconia-Springfield to Stadium-Armory • Green Line Full Service: Greenbelt to Branch Avenue • Orange Line Full Service: Vienna to New Carrollton • Yellow Line Full Service: Huntington to Fort Totten

Metrorail stations that will remain closed on Tuesday include Shady Grove, Rockville, Twinbrook, White Flint, Grosvenor-Strathmore, New York Ave-Florida Ave-Gallaudet U, Rhode Island Ave-Brentwood, Brookland-CUA, Silver Spring and Takoma Metrorail stations on the Red Line and Benning Road, Capitol Heights, Addison Road-Seat Pleasant, Morgan Boulevard and Largo Town Center Metrorail stations on the Blue Line all due to snow drifts on the tracks of three to six feet.

Approximately 75 percent of Metro parking spaces will be available for parking.

Rail customers are encouraged to use station elevators from the street level into and out of the stations as they are safer than escalators in this type of heavy snowfall.

District Government Anticipates Another 10-20 Inches Of Snow

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

D.C. Public Schools will be closed Tuesday. Patrick Madden has more on how the district's government is getting ready for the next winter storm...

Ignoring Fire Department Advice, Residents Shovel Roofs

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Peter Granitz

As the D.C. area prepares for more winter weather, some residents are trying to clear snow from their homes before the next snow storm comes. The D.C. fire department is telling residents to stay off their roofs.

Flat roofs are more likely to collapse than pitched ones because the heavy, wet snow just sits on top. D.C. Fire and EMS personnel are telling people shoveling the snow off houses to lessen the load is actually more dangerous because it adds even more weight.

They're encouraging people to hire roofing contractors to remove the snow if necessary.

But in Ward Five's Trinidad neighborhood, LaNeise Lee is not heeding the advice. She says she always pays the same young man in the neighborhood to clear her roof.

Without a whole lot of room between her house and the fence, she holds an extended ladder at a pretty steep angle, while the young man throws the snow down below.

"It's an older house and a flat roof," she says. "Therefore preventative maintenance is better than having an eight-thousand to $10,000 bill (laughs) or more! Because it's all in your house now."

They tossed the snow into the abandoned lot next door. The fire department says people should shovel snow either onto their own property or into tree boxes on the streets.

Food Safety Tips For Power Outages

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Rebecca Blatt

Approximately 42,000 customers in the region are still without power after the weekend storm, and with more snow on the way, the area may face additional outages.

Michelle Peregoy, spokeswoman for Virginia's Department of Emergency, says to keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed if the power goes out. A fridge can keep food safe for about 4 hours, and a full freezer will hold the temperature for about 48 hours.

Peregoy says it's not a good idea to try to keep food cool outside, even in low temperatures.

"On a sunny day when the sun hits that food it can just the radiation can warm up the food and can cause the temperature of the food to rise," she says.

Most importantly, Peregoy adds: When in doubt, throw it out.

Roof Collapses At Falls Church Fire Station

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Jonathan Wilson

In Virginia, the weight of the snow caused a roof to collapse at a Falls Church fire station and more damage to another fire station just down the road.

A spokesperson for Fairfax County's fire department says the flat roofs on 37 fire stations have been checked and only these two fire stations so far have had trouble standing up to the snow.

Firefighters at the Bailey's Crossroads station awoke to a crashing sound a little after 3 o'clock this morning, the roof over the four vehicle bays in the station had caved in.

All the firefighters got out of the building without injury, and the department is still assessing damage to the vehicles stuck inside. Later in the morning a portion roof at the Annandale station was found to be sagging two inches under the weight of the snow.

Firefighters and vehicles have been moved out of that building. The department does not expect emergency response at either station to be affected.

National Weather Service: 10 To 20 Inches Of Snow Possible In Next Two Days

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:06:00 -0500

The National Weather Service has changed its previous winter storm watch to a winter storm warning to take effect at noon on Tuesday to 7 p.m. on Wednesday.

The NWS also increased its estimates of snow accumulation from 5 to 10 inches to 10 to 20 inches.

Near freezing temperatures expected Tuesday afternoon, dropping to the upper 20s Tuesday night and Wednesday.

The NWS warns that the snow and strong winds expected from this storm will make travel "very hazardous."

Big Snow Means Big Businesses For Ski Resorts

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 12:06:00 -0500

MCHENRY, Md. (AP) The big snow is bringing big business to Maryland's only ski resort.

Lori Epp of the Wisp resort in McHenry said Monday the parking lot was full as visitors enjoyed the 36 inches of snow that fell over the weekend in far western Maryland.

She says the storm caused some late openings of chair lifts Saturday as resort workers struggled to get in. But all skiable terrain was open by Saturday night, and sales on Sunday were 12 percent above a year ago.

Epp says the forecast for more snow and continued cold weather this week bodes well for Presidents Day weekend business.

Homeless Shelter Emerges From Storm, Braces For Another

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Jonathan Wilson

Volunteers and staff at Carpenters Homeless Shelter in Alexandria, Virginia are working to make sure residents have a warm, safe place to stay during the winter weather.

Mary Martin is the deputy director of Carpenters shelter and she says without volunteers, the shelter couldn't have dealt with all the people in Alexandria looking for a place to stay this weekend.

Claire Burns is one of those volunteers. She braved a 45- minute walk through the snow to get to the shelter this morning. She says when you're helping a place like Carpenters, its easy to go the extra mile.

"Literally and figuratively," she says with a laugh.

But getting to the shelter isn't the only challenge. Lee Spears and Anthony Butler, both currently housed in Carpenters residential shelter, took turns with a shovel this morning digging Butler's car free from snow. Spears needs a ride to work its his first day on the job.

"If I don't make it in, they'll go with somebody else, and I need the job," Spears says.

The overnight shelter here serves about 25 people a night, but weather has pushed the occupancy to 40 for the past few nights.

Triple AAA Representative Weighs In On Driver Safety

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

John Townsend of Triple AAA Mid-Atlantic talks with Morning Edition host Matt McCleskey about safety tips for drivers hitting the roads ravaged by the weekend's storm...

Firehouse Roof Collapses Under Weight Of Snow

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 09:06:00 -0500

FALLS CHURCH, Va. (AP) Some firefighters in Fairfax County didn't have to go very far to respond to a roof collapse overnight it was in their own firehouse.

County fire department spokesman Dan Schmidt says about 18 firefighters were asleep in their bunks at the Bailey's Crossroads station around 3 a.m. Monday when they were awakened by a crash. Schmidt says the roof over their engine bays had collapsed under more than two feet of snow.

Schmidt says everyone was able to get out safely, but the fire engine, fire truck and medic units inside were damaged.

He says emergency services continue in the area with increased staffing at nearby stations and a fire engine and ambulance are outside the station.

The Regions Airports Recovering After The Blizzard

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

Morning Edition host Matt McCleskey checks up on the region's airports after the storm with Courtney Mickalonis of Reagan National Airport...

Airport Information

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 09:06:00 -0500

From the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority:

Reagan National (DCA) Airport:

The airfield opened for flight operations at 10 AM today.

As flights operate today on a limited basis, passengers are advised to contact their airlines to confirm their flights BEFORE coming to the airport.

Passengers are urged not to come to DCA today unless your flight is confirmed.

If your flight was canceled, please call your airline's customer service telephone number or rebook through your airline's website.

As of this posting, Metrorail service was not operating to above-ground stations, including the Reagan National Airport Metro station. For information regarding Metrorail and bus service, click here.

Dulles International (IAD) Airport:

The airfield is open for aircraft operations today, although some flights may be canceled or delayed.

Passengers are advised to contact their airlines to confirm their flights BEFORE coming to the airport.

Passengers are urged not come to IAD today unless your flight is confirmed.

If your flight was canceled, please call your airline's customer service telephone number or re-book through your airline's website.

As of this posting, Metrorail service was not operating to above-ground stations, including the West Falls Church Metro. As a result, Washington Flyer Coach service from the West Falls Church Metro station to Dulles Airport remains suspended indefinitely. For information regarding Metrorail and Metro Bus service, click here.

Below are links to all of our airlines, including websites and contact numbers. In general during peak demand, service will be faster when using the website versus a phone call:

Airlines serving Reagan National Airport (DCA), click here

Airlines serving Dulles International Airport (IAD), click here

For a look at delays at major U.S. Airports as reported by the FAA, click here.

Former Education Sec. Rod Paige Speaks About New Book And Education's Future

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

For the next several months, reporter Jessica Gould will examine some of the major issues affecting public education throughout the National Capital region.

To begin, she speaks with Rod Paige, who ran the public schools in Houston, Texas before serving as the nation's Education Secretary under President George W. Bush.

Paige recently co-authored a new book called "The Black White Achievement Gap: Why Closing It Is The Greatest Civil Rights Issue Of Our Time..."

A Newcomer's Guide To Washington: Part Two

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

In the second installment of "A Newcomer's Guide to Washington," WAMU's Rebecca Sheir sheds a little light on height...

Alexandria Schools Cope With Overcrowding

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

Faced with dramatically increasing enrollment numbers, School Board members in Alexandria, Virginia are considering a proposal that would place enrollment caps on the city's most popular schools.

Projections suggest Alexandria's enrollment will double in the next six years. That's why Superintendent Morton Sherman has proposed a short-term solution he's calling "modified open enrollment." The plan would cap enrollment at crowded schools and place additional students at neighboring facilities.

The policy would also allow parents to choose to send their children to any school in the district, on a first-come-first-serve basis, until classes are full. The School Board is set to consider the plan in the next two weeks.

HOV Lanes Open In VA But Rural Areas Remain Under Snow

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

Virginia Governor Bob McDonnel says he expects the state's HOV lanes will be cleared for this morning's rush hour -- but cautions that rural communities in Northern and Northwestern counties may remain under snow for much of the day.

The Governor says Virginia's Department of Transportation needs at least until this afternoon to clear all corners of the Northern and Northwest counties, including parts of Fairfax.

Some 500 members of the National Guard have been deployed to those areas. McDonnel says heavy snow plowing vehicles were sent in over the weekend as reinforcements -- for areas with the heaviest accumulation. "Right now the National Guard has about 25 active missions to go into the areas to help on any number of things from delivering supplies to picking up emergency personnel to bringing people to hospitals."

More than 100,000 residents were without power last night. McDonnell expects that number to rise as tree limbs give out under the weight of heavy snow that froze over night.

Mana Rabiee reports...

Montgomery County Closed, Tens Of Thousands Remain Without Power

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Peter Granitz

Montgomery County schools and services are closed today. But the county executive says all necessary workers will continue clearing roads and helping those without power.

Tens of thousands of people in Montgomery County are still without heat and electricity. Pepco says it's working to get people's power back. The county is running three warming shelters for people to come and warm up.

County Executive Isiah Leggett says he may open more, but that depends on how cold it gets and how quickly Pepco restores service. Besides, he says, the roads are still too dangerous to ride on.

"One of the problems we have is not actually the shelters, but getting people to the shelters. In many of the residential communities people simply cannot get out and it's much more dangerous to have them navigate that rather than stay in place," says Leggett.

Snow is packed down on many roads in the Maryland suburbs. Montgomery County says it has eight-hundred vehicles cleaning the roads.

Power Breakfast For February 8, 2010

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

As economic barometers go. commercial construction is a good one. Workers make good money; the stuff they build tends to generate more money and jobs down the road.

Elizabeth Wynne Johnson reports.

DDOT Works To Restore District Streets Before Next Storm

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

Morning Edition host Matt McCleskey talks with Karyn LeBlanc with D.C.'s Department of Transportation about clearing the roads after the weekend's major storm and the anticipation of another one on the way.

MarylandReporter.com: State Roundup Feb. 8, 2010

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 10:06:00 -0500

From the Maryland Reporter website:

We've got updates on what's open, what's closed (the general assembly is) and what the cleanup might cost. But there's much more on sex offender laws, wine shipment and unemployment taxes.

SNOWMAGEDDON: The weather dominated weekend coverage. We’ll give you some highlights from across the state right here. Check out this page at The Baltimore Sun for a running update on what’s open and closed, and how the state is digging out.

For one thing, the general assembly is closed due to icy conditions, The Associated Press reports. Annie Linskey at The Sun writes that it looks like this has never happened before.

It looks like the state has already busted its budget for snow removal, with more on the way, according to the Washington Examiner.

Frank Roylance had some great coverage for The Sun on his Maryland Weather blog, which you don’t see often on MarylandReporter.com. He reports that we might be digging out again on Wednesday. Roylance also had the hot story that BWI airport doesn’t have an official snowfall total, because a federal contractor messed up.

And what would the snow coverage be without some good video? The Diamondback has a video of a campus snowball fight. WJZ has lots of stuff, as do WMAR, Fox45 and WBAL.

Here’s the local scoop from Annapolis, Frederick, Westminster, Prince George’s County (and College Park), Hagerstown, Salisbury, Washington, D.C., and Rockville.

UNEMPLOYMENT: Nick Sohr of The Daily Record reports that Gov. Martin O’Malley’s plan to offer unemployment tax relief to businesses could be dead after several groups urged the state to try to conserve what money it has left in its strained benefits fund. Julie Bykowicz at The Sun had the story too.

WINE: Sen. Joan Carter Conway, the Baltimore City Democrat whose committee will review a proposal to allow direct shipment of wine to consumers, says the measure isn’t going anywhere this year, according to Julie Bykowicz at The Sun.

SEX OFFENDERS: Del. Norman Conway, a Salisbury Democrat, wants to raise the age definition for child sex victims from 13 to 15, and make it easier to track sex offenders, Greg Latshaw reports in The (Salisbury) Daily Times.

HISTORIC TAX CREDIT: The Sun’s editorial board says O’Malley’s plan to expand eligibility for the state’s historic rehab tax credit is a “bribe” for legislators, but an effective strategy to get the job done.

LIQUOR FEES: Meg Tully has the scoop in the Frederick News-Post about the county legislative delegation’s deliberation over proposed liquor license fee increases.

MONTGOMERY RACES: Patricia Murret writes in The Gazette about a brewing battle in Montgomery County for Sen. Jennie Forehand’s seat and how that will affect the House.

JUDGE PAY: The Maryland Judiciary won’t ask for a pay increases for judges, Steve Lash writes for The Daily Record. (The Senate Budget and Taxation Committee rejected the raise for judges Friday, MarylandReporter.com reported.)

WIND POWER: Del. Wendell Beitzel, R-Western Maryland, is pushing the state to standardize its regulations for wind turbines, Kevin Spradlin reports for the Cumberland Times-News.

Local VA Shelters Help Those Who Lost Power

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 12:06:00 -0500

Several public shelters in Virginia have opened their doors to residents who have lost power during the historic snow storm that hit the region over the weekend. Click here for a list of local shelters.

MD Snow Crews Won't Reach Subdivisions Until Tuesday Morning

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Mana Rabiee

Maryland officials are doing what they can to help residents recover following yesterday's blizzard.

Gov. Martin O'Malley (D-Md.) says the next few days will be very difficult as the state continues to dig itself out of a blizzard that dumped up to 30 inches of snow on the region.

"We're going to be encouraging people that they need to plan, expect to stay off the roads for the next couple of days until we dig our way out of this thing," he says.

Meanwhile, Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett reports snow removal crews will first concentrate on clearing primary and secondary roads through Monday night. He added crews will not focus on most residential streets until Tuesday morning.

Leggett is also considering opening warming centers in locations scattered across the county for people left without heat in their homes because of power outages. He says the challenge will be bringing people to those centers without causing undue risks on the roads, which are expected to remain difficult to navigate throughout the day.

Most Residential Streets May Be Plowed By Monday

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Mana Rabiee

Road crews in D.C. are working around the clock to dig the district out of snow in time to have schools and offices open by Monday morning.

Snow removal crews were working around schools, libraries and recreation centers as early as Saturday in preparation for Monday morning.

Fenty says crews will work around the clock Sunday to clear many residential streets in time for the city's return to work.

"Hopefully [with] the sun coming out in the afternoon, we really do think that we're not only going to be able to clear a lot of the major arteries, the middle roads, but make significant progress into the residential neighborhoods" he says.

Fenty advised residents and businesses to remove the snow on their sidewalks while it's still soft because it will be nearly impossible to be shoveled once it freezes.

Meanwhile, the district opened three warming centers across the city overnight to help some of the 6,000 D.C. residents left without heat because of power outages.

Carbon Monoxide Poisons MD Families Trying to Heat Home

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

The blizzard that has hit the Atlantic Coast is leaving many people without power throughout Maryland - and no power means no heat. But as residents come up with creative ways to stay warm, some are putting themselves in danger.

A family of three in Montgomery County were taken to the hospital this morning after using a charcoal cooker inside their duplex.

Last night, Prince George's County Fire and EMS responded to a call in Landover Hills. They found seven people sick with carbon monoxide exposure from a gasoline powered generator.

Both families were without electricity because of downed power lines. Mark Brady is with PG County Fire and EMS. He syas, "Carbon monoxide is what fire fighters and paramedics refer to as the 'silent killer' because it's something you cannot see, you cannot taste it and you cannot smell it. People don't really realize that they're being overcome by carbon monoxide until it's too late."

Signs of carbon monoxide poisoning include flu-like symptoms, such as nausea and dizziness. Brady says the only safe way to heat a home without power is with a working fireplace, and that residents should not use gas stoves for heat.

Mana Rabee reports...

SHELTERS OPENING IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY

Shelters are opening in Montgomery County. The first has already opened at Richard Montgomery High School, located at 250 Richard Montgomery Drive in Rockville.

Two more shelters are expected to open at 4 p.m. for residents affected by power outages. The two shelters are located at the Margaret Schweinhaut Senior Center, 1000 Forest Glen Road, Silver Spring and the Longwood Recreation Center, 19300 Georgia Avenue, Brookeville.

Individuals using the shelter should bring any medications or personal supplies they require with them. No pets are allowed at shelters except for registered service animals.

Workers Shovel Out Cars For Uncertain Work Week

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

In DC, residents continue to dig their way out of the snow. But not everyone is certain whether it will be clear enough in time for work tomorrow.

Mayor Adrian Fenty says crews are covering all areas of the city and are reaching residential side streets. But that's not enough for some people living in Northeast Washington.

A man named Derrick - who only gave his first name - says he needs to leave his house at 4:45 in the morning to make it to Gaithersburg for work. Unlike most people, he's sure he'll be needed. He works at the Post Office.

Derrick and a few neighbors were shoveling their cars and the alley they share. He says if he can get the car out of the alley, he’ll be fine. "They haven't been through here yet, as you see. Does that always happen? This is DC. You never know what to expect, so you need to deal with it."

For those hoping to take public transit, Metro has yet to announce when it will resume above-ground trains.

Peter Granitz reports.

Blizzard Conditions Bring Local Airports To Standstill

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Jonathan Wilson

The winter storm has brought local airports to a standstill, and airports are expected to stay that way for most of the day.

Airlines began canceling flights as early as Thursday and by late Friday afternoon runways were closed at both Dulles and Reagan National, and terminals were nearly deserted.

A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority says at Dulles 400 staffers worked through the night, most working to clear the tarmac of snow. At Reagan National, 150 staffers remained overnight--flights there aren't scheduled to resume until Sunday.

At BWI, a spokesperson says the storm will likely be less disruptive than the record setting storm on the weekend before Christmas, because airlines will have an easier time re-booking passengers.

Tens of Thousands Without Power, Storm Rages On

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Peter Granitz

Tens of thousands of Metro-area residents are waking up this morning without power. Crews are working to get service back but it is unclear how long people will be without electricity.

More than 60,000 people in Northern Virginia don't have power this morning, and Pepco is reporting 85,000 homes are without electricity, most in Montgomery County. Less than 6,000 in Washington have lost service.

Spokesman Bob Hainey says the heavily-treed areas of Maryland and upper northwest D.C. are the hardest hit because the heavy, wet snow is causing trees to fall onto power lines.

Compounding that, Hainey says, work trucks are getting stuck in the snow on tight roads.

"These are large trucks. These are trucks with double wheels and chains," says Hainey. "But right now we are working with Montgomery County to get those trucks mobile again. It just shows you the power of this storm."

With possibly ten more inches of snow today, Hainey says he can't predict when people will get their power back. He says to call 877-PEPCO-62 to report an outage.

O'Malley Insists State Prepared, Eyes Federal Help

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Peter Granitz

Maryland declared a state of emergency because of the massive snowstorm. Gov. Martin O'Malley (D-Md.) says his state can handle the efforts, but is hoping for federal help.

O'Malley insists the state's budget will not affect the services and crews combating the snow storm throughout Maryland. The clean up in December cost $27 million, which is nearly half of the allocated money for the year.

On a conference call with reporters, he said the clean up will take several days and is sure to cost more than the previous one. He's hopeful the state will qualify help as a federal emergency.

"Twenty-eight inches is what's required and it's measured at the airport," he says. There's a federal ruler that comes out to do that. Now it's our hope that whoever comes out with the federal ruler does so after the next 6-8 inches fall and we hit that 28 inches."

The governor said the state has not opened any emergency shelters, but is prepared to if needed.

Days Before Residential Streets Can Be Cleared

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Mana Rabiee

Transportation authorities across the Washington area say it will take days before all the snow can be cleared from residential streets.

Transportation spokespersons from D.C., Virginia and Maryland say the snow fell so fast that highway crews had to clear the same roads repeatedly.

Most area residents will not see road crews entering subdivisions or residential streets until after the snow fall stops.

"The rule of thumb that the county has for clearing the roads is that is takes, for 24 [inches] of snow, it will take about 60 hours once the snow stops to at least make a run at every single one of those 5,000 lane miles of road," says Montgomery County Department of Transportation spokesperson Esther Bowring.

A Virginia Department of Transportation spokesperson also says it will take much of next week to remove all the snow and that some residents should not expect to go to work Monday.

NWS: Winter Storm Warning Upgraded To Blizzard Warning

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 18:06:00 -0500

By Keosha Johnson

The National Weather Service has upgraded the winter storm warning to a blizzard warning. The new warning takes effect at 10 p.m. tonight and continues until 10 p.m. tomorrow. The winter storm warning will remain in effect until 10 p.m.

A blizzard warning means wind gusts will exceed 35 mph, snow is likely to be extremely heavy, and visibility will be reduced below 1/4 mile.

The NWS says secure all loose objects on your property, since this dangerous storm is expected to produce record snowfall for the Washington D.C. metropolitan area.

Travel conditions tonight will be extremely hazardous and life-threatening, and all citizens are urged to remain indoors.

Update: Metro Suspends Bus Service on All Lines At 9 P.M.

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 20:06:00 -0500

Metrorail

As of 11 p.m. Friday, Feb. 5, Metrorail will suspend above-ground rail service and will run in the underground portions of the system only. On Saturday, Feb. 6, Metrorail will run underground only.

Metrobus

As of 9 p.m. Metrobus will suspend bus service on all lines until further notice.

MetroAccess

MetroAccess service has completed all remaining trips for the day.

Snow Emergency Routes For D.C.

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 20:06:00 -0500

From the District Deparment of Transportation:

The streets or portions of streets listed in this subsection are designated as Snow Emergency Routes:

I-66 – D.C Line to Whitehurst Freeway and ramps

I-295 – D.C Line to and across both 11th St. Bridges to the Southeast Freeway and ramps

I-395 – D.C Line to New York Avenue (including HOV Lanes)

Alabama Avenue, S.E. – Branch Avenue to Suitland Road

Anacostia Freeway – 11th St., S.E. Bridges to East Capitol St.

Arizona Avenue, N.W. – Canal Road to Loughboro Road Benning Road – Bladensburg Road, N.E. to Southern Avenue, S.E.

Bladensburg Road, N.E. – Benning Road to Eastern Avenue

Blair Road, N.W. – North Capitol Street to Eastern Avenue

Branch Avenue, S.E. – Pennsylvania Avenue to Southern Avenue

Brentwood Parkway, N.E. – Penn Street to New York Avenue

Brentwood Road, N.E. – T Street to Rhode Island Avenue

C Street, N.E. – North Carolina Ave. to East Capitol Street

Canal Road, N.W. – M Street to Chain Bridge

Cathedral Avenue, N.W. – Rock Creek Park to Connecticut Avenue

Chain Bridge, N.W.

Clermont Drive, N.E. – Hawaii Avenue to Harewood Road

Columbia Road, N.W. – Michigan Avenue to 16th Street (north side only)

Connecticut Avenue N.W. – K Street to Western Avenue

Constitution Avenue – 23rd Street, N.W. to North Carolina Ave., N.E.

Dalecarlia Parkway, N.W. – Massachusetts Avenue to Loughboro Road

E Street (North), N.W. – 18th Street to Virginia Avenue

E Street (South), N.W. – 17th Street to 20th Street to Potomac River Freeway

E Street Expressway, N.W. – 20th Street to Rock Creek Parkway

East Capitol Street - including ramp A on the north and from Independence Avenue(on the south) to Southern Avenue

Eastern Avenue, N.E. – Kenilworth Avenue to Minnesota Avenue

Florida Avenue – H Street, N.E. to 9th Street, N.W.

Florida Avenue, N.W. – U Street to 22nd Street

Foxhall Road, N.W. – Loughboro Road to Canal Road

Georgia Avenue, N.W. – Florida Avenue to Eastern Avenue

Good Hope Road, S.E. – Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue to Alabama Avenue

H Street – Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. to Benning Road, N.E.

Harvard Street, N.W. / Hobart Place, N.W. – 5th Street to 16th Street (south side only)

Hawaii Avenue, N.E. – North Capitol Street to Clermont Drive

Howard Road, S.E. – I-295 to South Capitol Street

I (Eye) Street, N.W. - Pennsylvania Avenue to New York Avenue

Independence Avenue – 15th Street, S.W. to 22nd Street, S.E.

Irving Street - Michigan Avenue, N.E. to 16th Street, N.W. (south side only)

K Street, N.W. – 7th Street to 29th Street (including service roadways)

Kenilworth Avenue, N.E. – East Capitol Street to Eastern Avenue

Kenyon Street, N.W. / Kenyon Place, N.W. – Irving Street to 14th St. (north side only)

Key Bridge, N.W.

L Street, N.W. – New York Avenue to Pennsylvania Avenue

Loughboro Road, N.W. –MacArthur Boulevard to Indian Lane and Chain Bridge Road

Louisiana Avenue, N.W. – North Capitol Street to Constitution Avenue

M Street – Maine Ave., S.W. to 12th Street, S.E.

M Street, N.W. – Connecticut Ave. to Canal Road

Maine Avenue, S.W. – 15th Street to M Street

Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue, S.E. – Good Hope Road to South Capitol Street

Massachusetts Avenue, N.W. – Western Avenue to North Capitol Street

Michigan Avenue – Eastern Avenue, N.E. to Columbia Road, N.W.

Military Road, N.W. – 16th Street to Western Avenue

Missouri Avenue, N.W. – North Capitol Street to 16th Street

Mt. Olivet Road, N.E. – Brentwood Parkway to Bladensburg Road

Mt. Vernon Place, N.W. – Massachusetts Avenue to New York Avenue

Naylor Road, S.E. – Good Hope Road to Southern Avenue

Nebraska Avenue, N.W. – Indian Lane and Chain Bridge Road to Military Road

New Hampshire Avenue, N.W – Missouri Avenue to D.C. Line

New York Avenue – 15th Street, N.W. to D.C. Line

New York Avenue, N.W. – 17th Street to 18th Street

North Capitol Street – Hawaii Avenue, N.E. to Blair Road, N.W.

North Capitol Street – Harewood Road to Louisiana Avenue (including the ramps at Irving Street)

North Carolina Avenue, N.E. - Constitution Avenue to C Street

Park Road, N.W. - 14th Street to 16th Street (north side only)

Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. – M Street to 3rd Street

Pennsylvania Avenue, S.E. – 2nd Street to Southern Avenue

Piney Branch Road, N.W. – 13th Street to Eastern Avenue

Reno Road, N.W. – 34th Street to 41st Street

Reservoir Road, N.W.- Foxhall Road to Wisconsin Avenue

Rhode Island Avenue – Connecticut Avenue, N.W. to Eastern Avenue, N.E.

Riggs Road, N.E. – Missouri Avenue, N.W. to Eastern Avenue, N.E.

River Road, N.W. – Wisconsin Avenue to D.C. Line

South Capitol Street – Southwest Freeway to Southern Avenue

South Dakota Avenue, N.E. – Riggs Road to New York Avenue

Southeast Freeway – Pennsylvania Avenue to South Capitol Street (including ramps)

Southern Avenue, S.E. – South Capitol Street to Naylor Road

Southwest Freeway – I-395 to South Capitol Street to Southern Avenue (including ramps)

Suitland Parkway, S.E. – South Capitol Street to Southern Avenue

Suitland Road, S.E. – Alabama Ave. to Southern Ave.

T Street, N.E. – 9th Street to Brentwood Road

U Street, N.W. – 9th Street to Florida Avenue

Virginia Avenue, N.W. – Constitution Avenue to Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway

W Street, S.E. – Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue to 13th Street

Western Avenue, N.W. – Connecticut Avenue to Massachusetts Avenue

Whitehurst Freeway, N.W. and ramps

Wisconsin Avenue, N.W. – K Street to Western Avenue

3rd Street – Constitution Avenue, N.W. to Independence Avenue, S.W.

6th Street, N.E. – Florida Avenue to Penn Street

6th Street, N.W. – Constitution Avenue to New York Avenue

7th Street – Southwest Freeway to Florida Avenue, N.W.

9th Street - Southwest Freeway to Florida Avenue, N.W.

9th Street, N.E. – Brentwood Parkway to Brentwood Road

11th Street Bridges (and ramps)

11th Street, S.E. – M Street to 11th Street Bridge

12th Street – Southwest Freeway and ramps to Massachusetts Avenue, N.W.

13th Street, S.E. – W Street to Good Hope Road

14th Street – 14th Street Bridges (I-395) and ramps S.W. to Thomas Circle, N.W.

15th Street, N.W. – E Street to New York Avenue

15th Street, N.W. – K Street to Massachusetts Avenue

16th Street, N.W. – H Street to Eastern Avenue

17th Street, N.W. – Constitution Avenue to Connecticut Avenue

17th Street, N.E. – Benning Road to Bladensburg Road

18th Street, N.W. – E Street (south) to Connecticut Avenue

19th Street, N.W. – E Street (south) to M Street

20th Street, N.W. – Virginia Avenue to Q Street

22nd Street, N.W. – Pennsylvania Avenue to Massachusetts Avenue

23rd Street, N.W. – Constitution Avenue to 22nd Street

24th Street, N.W. – Calvert Street to Connecticut Avenue

27th Street, N.W. – Virginia Avenue to K Street

34th Street, N.W. – Massachusetts Avenue to Reno Road

41st Street, N.W. – Reno Road to Western Avenue

Airport Information During Snow Storm

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 18:06:00 -0500

Baltimore/Washington International Airport:

Most of today's flights have been canceled. Click here to check the status of your flight.

Dulles International Airport (IAD):

Most airlines have cancelled Saturday flights. If you are scheduled to fly on Saturday, please contact your airline BEFORE heading to the airport to make sure your flight is still on schedule.

Click here for contact information for all airlines serving IAD.

The airport is open, but most airlines have canceled remaining flights for today. A few international flights are still scheduled, but passengers are urged to contact your airline BEFORE heading to the airport to make sure your flight is still on schedule.

Passengers are advised against coming to Dulles International Airport on Saturday to try to rebook canceled flights. Instead, please contact your airline's customer service telephone number or rebook through your airline's website.

Reagan National Airport (DCA):

All airlines have canceled all flights for Saturday.

Click here for contact information for all airlines serving DCA.

The airport is open, but all airlines have ended flight operations for today.

Passengers are advised against coming to Reagan National Airport on Saturday to try to rebook canceled flights. Instead, please contact your airline's customer service telephone number or rebook through your airline's website.

For more updates click here.

Roofs & Snow Loads: What You Need to Know During Winter Storms

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 20:06:00 -0500

From DC.gov:

Residents should call 311 in the event of an emergency building collapse. Also, call 911 for assistance with any medical needs related to the event.

Winter brings a heightened awareness of ice and snow problems. Ice and snow in our face and under foot cannot be ignored, but ice and snow on roofs is sometimes forgotten unless there is a leak or worse. With the large and multiple storms we have experienced recently, excessive ice and snow loads can overload a building's structural members and sometimes even cause a roof collapse.

Excessive snow loads are usually the result of wind creating large snow drifts. Snow drifts can create concentrated loads on roofs that are well in excess of the loads imposed by uniformly distributed snow. Winter rain storms and ice buildup can further increase roof loads.

Drifted snow conditions are common on pitched roofs, curved roofs, in the valley between adjacent parallel pitched roofs, on the lower levels of multilevel roofs and on roof areas adjacent to projections. Drifted snow conditions also occur on roofs with parapets, rooftop mechanical equipment, solar collectors, and other obstructions which provide an area sheltered from the wind.

Large roofs are more prone to snow drifting because there is a larger volume of snow available for drift formation. Another potentially hazardous condition occurs where snow can slide off sloped roofs onto lower roofs.

Warning Signs

Fortunately, few roof failures occur without warning signs. In one school a laminated wood beam broke with such force that security personnel reported hearing what sounded like a gun shot. Warning signs of structural roof problems include roof leaks, cracks in walls and ceilings, and excessive sagging of structural roof elements or ceilings.

Hung ceilings often hide the roof structure but will sag if the roof has excessively deflected. These warning signs should be looked for during the annual structural inspection. Signs of structural roof problems are usually more visible during periods of heavy snow loads. School personnel should include roof inspections during such periods as part of the annual visual structural inspection process.

The roofs of older buildings which have been re-insulated for energy conservation must also be reevaluated to make sure they can handle additional loads of accumulated snow. Added insulation may increase the probability that more snow stays on the roof longer, thereby increasing snow loads when there are multiple storms. Replacing a non-ballasted roof with a ballasted roof also may reduce the snow load carrying capacity.

Solving Excessive Snow Load Issues

Two means of solving excessive snow load problems are to reinforce roof areas to handle large potential snow accumulation, or to remove the snow to maintain snow loads at acceptable limits. Know your limits and keep to them. If your buildings are showing any signs of structural overloading, an architect or structural engineer should be consulted. Repeated overloading of roofs can significantly weaken the roof structure over time.

Your best insurance against structural damage from excessive snow and ice loads is to keep a watchful eye on your roofs this winter. Do not forget to check roofs for plugged drains and ice accumulation under the snow.

Note: Information provided by Ryan-Biggs Associates PC via New York State Department of Education

7 P.M. Update: Metro Transit

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 19:06:00 -0500

From Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority

Snow storm affects ability to operate safe service

Metrorail As of 7 p.m. Metrorail is still operating at near-normal service on all lines. Metrorail anticipates limiting service to underground portions of the system later this evening as weather conditions deteriorate.

Metrobus As of 7 p.m. all Metrobus lines have moved to snow emergency routes. Metrobus anticipates curtailing service later this evening as road conditions are deteriorating.

MetroAccess As of 7 p.m. MetroAccess service has nearly completed all remaining trips for the day.

Utility Companies Urge Caution For Work Crews

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Rebecca Blatt

Heavy snow and high winds this weekend cause widespread power outages across the area so utility companies are preparing for the worst.

Pepco, BGE and Dominion Virginia Power will work around the clock to respond to any outages, even bringing in additional crews from as far as Tennessee and Kentucky.

Pepco's Bob Hainey advises caution if you're out and about this weekend.

"Keep an eye out for our crews," he says. "They're out there trying to restore power to many of your neighbors."

The snow and winds may slow repairs because workers won't be able to get to the power lines in many situations. Heavy snow accumulations could bury transformers, making it difficult for the crews to get to remote locations, and high winds will prevent the workers from climbing power poles.

Whatever the weather, utility companies are reminding customers to call them immediately to report outages.

Pepco: 1-877-737-2662

Dominion Virginia Power: 1-888-667-3000

Allegheny Power: 1-800-255-3443

NOVEC - Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative: 1-888-335-0500

Baltimore Gas & Electric: 1-877-778-2222

SMECO - Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative: 1-877-74-SMECO

Weather Update: 6:35

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

NBC 4 Meteorologist Veronica Johnson has the latest weather forecast for the region...

Injuries After Snowstorm Fill ERs

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Stephanie Kaye

Doctors and nurses on call this weekend say its the injuries people get after a snowstorm that has them on alert.

Driveways and sidewalks are the two major culprits expected to cause most of the weather-related injuries filling emergency rooms.

Dr. Madonna Hinds works at Providence Hospital in northeast D.C. and knows the people she'll see.

"They've been shoveling snow, and it's usually heavy, and they get chest pain...or they usually come in with bone injuries, they slipped and fell on the ice, twisted their ankle," she says.

In her native Trinidad/Tobago, Hinds says she didn't see too many snow-related problems. But she still has advice to share, like wearing shoes with good traction, and relying on young neighbors for help.

"Usually neighborhoods do have children walkin' around, askin,''can we shovel your snow for...a nominal fee,'" she says. "I would definitely advise to have the young children or teenagers help them with shoveling."

Hinds is one of the many clinical staff members who'll be sticking around the hospital. Accommodations include cots in the auditorium and the overstuffed chairs in the dialysis center.

Michaele Johnson, director of nursing, will be joining her compatriots for the weekend ahead.

"I'll be sleeping in my office, so that's one less bed that another staff member will need," says Johnson.

Although her cot might not get much use. She expects to get about three hours of sleep tonight before making sure the next shift of doctors and nurses is ready to go.

Weather Update: 5:30

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

NBC 4 Meteorologist Bob Ryan has the latest weather forecast for the region...

Q & A With Maryland Highway Association On Snowy Road Conditions

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

WAMU host Pat Brogan speaks with Chuck Gishler, spokesperson for the Maryland State Highway Administration about road conditions during this weekend's major snow storm...

Advanced Notice Of Storm Leaves Airports Empty

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Jonathan Wilson

Hundreds of canceled flights have altered plans for travelers up and down the east coast.

Many of Friday's flights were canceled on Thursday in anticipation of the storm. so crowds were thin at Reagan National Friday.

Because of the advanced notice airlines gave passengers, an airport authority spokesperson says she's not expecting many stranded passengers to be spending the night at local airports.

But there will be at least one.

Eleni Footman, a medical student, is headed home to Florida for a funeral.

She's not scheduled to leave until Saturday at 2:30 p.m., but to be safe, she got to National Airport this morning and isn't going anywhere until she gets on a plane.

"This is something I really have to go home for, so I'm just prepared to suck it up," she says.

The worst of the snow is expected tonight, and no flights are expected to come in or go out Saturday morning.

Hospitals Rely On Cadre Of Volunteers

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Stephanie Kaye

Many hospitals in the region have volunteers in place to help during the storm this weekend, after staff reached out during December's snowstorm.

Michaele Johnson is the Senior Director of Nursing at Providence Hospital in northeast D.C. She heads up the operations that set the hospital's snow emergency procedures in motion: getting staff in place, stocking extra food and supplies, and finding residents who have four-wheel drive vehicles.

"From our last snowstorm, we got some great drivers," she says. "We've reached out to them and they are available to bring staff in."

Although Johnson is putting out a call for "volunteers," drivers do get paid for their services.

"We take the necessary security precautions, in terms of verifying they do have a current license, that they have insurance, and just assessing the character of the individual."

As for Johnson, she and her staff are taking the storm in stride.

Interested volunteers can contact the Providence Hospital staffing office at 202-269-7148.

Utility Company Numbers

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 16:06:00 -0500

Pepco: 1-877-737-2662

Dominion Virginia Power: 1-888-667-3000

Allegheny Power: 1-800-255-3443

NOVEC - Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative: 1-888-335-0500

Baltimore Gas & Electric: 1-877-778-2222

SMECO - Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative: 1-877-74-SMECO

National Weater Service: More Than 30 Inches Of Snow Expected In Some Areas

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:06:00 -0500

The National Weather Service has updated their Winter Storm Warning for the D.C. Metro Area. The storm warning has been in effect since 10 a.m. today and will continue until 10 p.m. tomorrow.

Between 20-30 inches of snow now is expected in the D.C. area, with localized amounts exceeding 30 inches.

The NWS says conditions will deteriorate rapidly through the afternoon today, with the heaviest snowfall expected from sunset today through Saturday morning. The NWS warns that near blizzard conditions are expected during that time.

Wind gusts of 20-30 mph expected by tonight, with some blowing snow. Visibilities will be approximately one-fourth a mile. The NWS says people should stay off roads this evening and overnight.

Live From Richmond, Governor Does Weather Channel Spot

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 15:06:00 -0500

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) If Gov. Bob McDonnell's day job doesn't pan out, he could always be a television weatherman. With snow from a major winter storm socking large portions of Virginia and the rest of the mid-Atlantic, McDonnell appeared on the Weather Channel Friday, explaining meteorological phenomena of the storm.

Across the state, Department of Transportation and emergency personnel were in place before snow began to fall Friday.

On Wednesday McDonnell declared a statewide weather emergency for the second time since he took office Jan. 16.

Forecasts called for snow accumulations of up to 30 inches in the Washington, D.C., suburbs and western parts of Virginia.

Weather Update: 4:30 P.M.

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

NBC 4 Meteorologist Bob Ryan has the latest weather forecast for the region...

NWS Gives Tips To Prepare For Snowstorm

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:06:00 -0500

From the National Weather Service:

FOLLOW MANUFACTURERS INSTRUCTIONS WHEN OPERATING A GENERATOR OR AXILLARY HEATER. ENSURE PORTABLE GENERATORS ARE ADEQUATELY VENTILATED.
TRAVEL CONDITIONS TONIGHT ACROSS THE REGION WILL BE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND LIFE THREATENING. HELP YOUR LOCAL AND STATE GOVERNMENT FIRST RESPONDERS AND TRANSPORTATION AGENCIES BY STAYING OFF ROADS LATER THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT.
FOLLOW LOCAL AND STATE GOVERNMENT EMERGENCY DECLARATION ORDERS. IF YOU ABSOLUTELY NEED TO TRAVEL IN AN EMERGENCY...DO NOT TRAVEL ALONE. LET SOMEONE KNOW YOUR TIMETABLE AND YOUR PRIMARY AND ALTERNATE ROUTES. CARRY WITH YOU A WINTER STORM SURVIVAL KIT WHICH INCLUDES A MOBILE PHONE...BLANKETS...FLASHLIGHT WITH EXTRA BATTERIES...HIGH CALORIE NON-PERISHABLE FOOD AND WATER...AND A SHOVEL.
IF YOU GET STRANDED IN YOUR VEHICLE...DO NOT LEAVE YOUR CAR TO TRY TO WALK FOR ASSISTANCE...YOU CAN QUICKLY BECOME DISORIENTED IN WIND DRIVEN SNOW AND COLD. THIS STORM WILL SUBSIDE SATURDAY AFTERNOON...SO WAIT IN YOUR CAR FOR EMERGENCY HELP TO ARRIVE.

PERIODICALLY RUN YOUR ENGINE FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES EACH HOUR FOR HEAT. ENSURE YOUR EXHAUST PIPE IS CLEARED OF SNOW AND ICE. CRACK YOUR WINDOWS TO AVOID CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING. TIE A COLORED CLOTH TO YOUR CARS ANTENNA TO BE VISIBLE TO RESCUERS. FROM TIME-TO-TIME...MOVE YOUR RMS...LEGS...FINGERS...AND TOES TO KEEP BLOOD CIRCULATING.

AVOID OVEREXERTION WHEN SHOVELING SNOW. BREAK THE SHOVELING DOWN INTO SMALLER JOBS AND TAKE FREQUENT BREAKS.
IN CASE OF POWER SUPPLY DISRUPTIONS...HAVE AVAILABLE FLASH LIGHTS WITH EXTRA BATTERIES...EXTRA FOOD AND WATER...EXTRA MEDICINES.
ENSURE ANY PETS AND FARM ANIMALS HAVE PLENTY OF WATER...FOOD...AND SHELTER.

FINALLY...THE KEY TO GETTING THROUGH THIS AND OTHER PERIODS OF HAZARDOUS WINTER WEATHER IS WITH ADVANCE PLANNING AND BEING AWARE OF CURRENT CONDITIONS. THIS STORM WILL BE WINDING DOWN EARLY SATURDAY EVENING...SO DO YOUR PART AND LET YOUR LOCAL AND STATE GOVERNMENTS RESTORE ROADWAYS TO NORMAL CONDITIONS BY STAYING AT HOME.

As Snow Piles Up, Costs Of Clearing It Rises

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:06:00 -0500

HANOVER, Md. (AP) Big snowfalls in Maryland are really starting to add up in costs for clearing roads.

Gov. Martin O'Malley said Friday the state budgeted about $60 million to keep roads clear. The state already has spent about $50 million of that.

O'Malley says the big December snowfall cost the state about $27 million, and he's expecting this one to cost at least that much. That means there will have to be some more budget balancing in a tough financial year.

The governor says it would take about 28 inches of snow for Maryland to qualify for federal disaster assistance. So he says he's hoping "our federal partners measure in a snow drift."

Latest D.C. Local News

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:06:00 -0500

WASHINGTON (AP) A powerful winter storm is bearing down on the Mid-Atlantic with as much as 2 feet of snow in store for the nation's capital. Airlines have canceled flights across the region.

WASHINGTON (AP) The National Transportation Safety Board says it will hold a three-day public hearing into the fatal collision of two Metro trains in June. The hearing will begin Feb. 23 in the NTSB's board room and conference center in southwest Washington,and witnesses will be questioned.

Latest Maryland Regional News

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:06:00 -0500

HANOVER, Md. (AP) Gov. O'Malley plans a news conference in Hanover today to talk about the weather. He will outline Maryland's snow storm preparations in anticipation of a big snow fall this weekend that could bring accumulations of 16 inches to 24 inches in the Mid-Atlantic region.

BALTIMORE (AP) Baltimore has a new mayor. Stephanie Rawlings-Blake was sworn in yesterday as the 49th mayor of Baltimore. Rawlings-Blake replaces Sheila Dixon, who resigned amid scandal.

WESTMINSTER, Md. (AP) A man who was convicted of arson in a fire at his ex-girlfriend's apartment will sentenced after a psychological evaluation. Forty-six-year-old Wayne Dougherty of Hampstead was convicted Wednesday in Carroll County Circuit Court.

BALTIMORE (AP) Police say an officer has been shot in northwest Baltimore. One of two suspects died when officers returned fire last night.

Latest Virginia Regional News

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:06:00 -0500

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) A domestic violence and anger management counselor in Fairfax County is accused of pulling a gun on two men who turned out to be federal marshals. Fifty-seven-year-old Jose Avila was arraigned in federal court in Alexandria yesterday on a charge of assaulting a federal officer.

ROANOKE, Va. (AP) A federal judge has dismissed one of four convictions against neo-Nazi leader William White. The judge cited a lack of evidence yesterday when he dismissed a jury determination that the white supremacist had threatened Canadian human-rights lawyer Richard Warman.

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (AP) Frontier Airlines plans to offer nonstop jet service between the Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport and Denver International Airport. The airline announced its plan yesterday. Flights start May 3, and tickets go on sale Feb. 14.

Selected Metrobus Lines Operating On Main Roadways Until Further Notice

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 18:06:00 -0500

From the Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority:

As of 6 p.m., 14 Metrobus lines are operating on snow emergency routes until further notice. It is expected that all Metrobuses will be removed from service late tonight as road conditions deteriorate and snow accumulates.

In the District of Columbia, the U5, U8, D2, G2, and H8 are operating on snow emergency routes. In Northern Virginia, the 1 (A,B, E, F, Z), 3A, 3T, 4(A, B), 16 (A,D), 16G, 17H, 28 (A,X), 29 (H,G) are operating on snow emergency routes.

Customers may want to take advantage of the Next Bus prediction technology to get an idea when the next bus will be arriving by logging onto Metro’s web site or calling 202-637-7000 and saying, "next bus." Buses are expected to be moving slowly on the roads, which remain slippery.

Metro officials cautioned riders to be mindful of slippery roads, which are being used as walkways because most sidewalks remain covered with snow. "Take your time when boarding a bus, as we know that there are huge piles of snow lining the edges of streets and blocking the bus stops," Metro Acting Deputy General Manager of Operations Dave Kubicek. "Please do not to run to catch a bus, as it’s not worth a fall that could cause an injury."

How to get Updates on Winter Weather Conditions

There are a variety of ways for customers to stay informed during a major storm. Metro constantly updates local news media of Metro service changes. Information is also available on Metro’s home page here. Customers can also subscribe to e-Alerts and receive up-to-date service disruption information on Metrorail and MetroAccess.

Gov. Warns That Snow Storms Eating Into Budget

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 20:06:00 -0500

By BOB LEWISAP Political Writer

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) Virginia has already used up its yearly allocation for snow plowing and removal, forcing the state to dip into already depleted transportation funds to tackle this weekend's winter storms.

"Now, it's just one more bill to be added to our budget challenges already before us," Gov. Bob McDonnell said.

The heaviest winter storm season in decades has already pushed Virginia's spending for clearing and salting roads well past $100 million, McDonnell said. The state normally sets aside $70 million to $80 million to cope with winter storms.

Even so, money will be moved from maintenance and repair accounts to clear highways and keep police on the job, McDonnell said. And with still more foul winter weather expected, it will deepen the budget hole Virginia already faces.

Just three weeks into his term, the governor on Wednesday declared a weather emergency for the second time to put state transportation, police and emergency personnel on alert for the winter storm.

His predecessor, Tim Kaine, did the same thing for a heavy mid-December winter storm.

Up to 30 inches of snow through Saturday are forecast for northern and western portions of Virginia, including the suburbs of Washington, D.C., the state's most populous region.

"Under the best of circumstances, it's going to be a tough go," McDonnell said, urging Virginians to hunker down at home and stay off the roads. "This is a very dangerous storm and it's going to get much worse tomorrow."

What's worse, the snowfall from the past two weeks in western Virginia now presents a threat for serious flooding in a week to 10 days when snow melt in the state's mountains sends runoff into creeks and rivers, McDonnell said in an interview.

Weather dominated McDonnell's day Friday. He even took a turn explaining the meteorological phenomena responsible for the storm in a live morning Weather Channel appearance.

Montgomery County Activates Snow Emergency Routes

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Greg Peppers

Montgomery County, Maryland activated its snow emergency routes at noon. That means there is no parking allowed on designated routes. County highway officials are also asking motorists to park off street as much as possible, even in residential areas, in an effort to help their snow clearing operations.

Keith Compton is with the Montgomery County Department of Transportation. He says they're responsible for clearing 5,000 miles of road and the primary roads are their first priority.

"We have about 1,000 miles of primary road; they are our top priority and will be treated first," he says. "This insures the mobility of all emergency services throughout the county and that's in our effort to triage the transportation system."

Compton says once they clear the primary roads they will focus on the secondary roadways.

VA Power Outages Climbing From Storm

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 13:06:00 -0500

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) Power outages are mounting in southwestern Virginia as a major winter storm rolls through.

Appalachian Power says about 17,700 customers were without service Friday afternoon.

The National Weather Service warns that widespread power outages are likely in parts of southwestern Virginia and southern West Virginia with wind gusts of up to 65 mph expected.

Two Killed On Snowy VA Interstate

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 13:06:00 -0500

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) Virginia State Police say a father and son have died after being hit by a tractor-trailer while trying to help driver who wrecked in snow on Interstate 81.

Around 12:40 a.m. Friday, a car spun out of control on I-81 in Wythe County and one of the passengers was injured. The men stopped to help, and minutes later a tractor-trailer trying to avoid the vehicle jackknifed, striking their minivan.

Police say 25-year-old William Edward Smith Jr. of Mooresburg, Tenn., was standing outside the minivan and was struck. His father, 54-year-old William Edward Smith Sr. of Sylva., N.C., was inside the minivan. Both died at the scene.

A third occupant of the minivan, a nurse who was helping the person injured in the car, was not injured. State police are investigating and say charges are pending.

Flying Out Of D.C. Amid Oncoming Snow Storm

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 15:06:00 -0500

View more news videos at: http://www.nbcwashington.com/video.

Snow Could Disable Neighborhood Roads

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By David Schultz

Even if you are able to get your car out of your driveway, there may be many streets throughout the region that won't be passable for days.

Mylissa Kennedy, a spokesperson with Arlington, Virginia's snow-clearing administration, says it will get to the neighborhoods after the main roads get plowed.

"And we should also note," she says, "That it is expected to be a windy storm, so there may be many passes needed on the primary roads before we consider them clear and then move on to secondary and neighborhood streets."

Lon Anderson with AAA Mid-Atlantic says local governments know snow plows have their limits.

"At some point you run out of places to put all of that snow and I'm sure those are the kinds of things they're going to be looking at," he says. "Where do you put all of that snow?"

Arlington County is asking car owners who normally park on the street to move their vehicles onto the curb so the plows have more room.

Amendment Could Re-Authorize D.C. Voucher Program

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Sara Sciammacco

Some senators are reviving their efforts to save a program that helps D.C.'s low-income kids go to private school. Opponents have argued the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship program is ineffective and steers away money from public schools.

Senators, like Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), want Congress to continue funding the program after it expires this year. But President Obama says the federal government won't pay for any new students. Lieberman says he's adding a five-year re-authorization amendment to a bill that's moving in the Senate.

"In many cases this program has not only changed lives, I believe it has saved lives. Yet powerful interests are determined to end this relatively small program, when you think about the millions of dollars we are talking about here," says Lieberman.

The voucher program, which is slated to cost more than $9 million in 2011, gives low-income kids up to $7,500 in scholarships.

Chaplain Guides Thousands At Dulles

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

Dulles Airport Chaplain Ralph Benson walks the halls of the airport every day in search of travelers who need some guidance, and they're easy to find.

Maureen Fiedler, host of Interfaith Voices, asked the chaplain what makes the people he serves at the airport different from those in a normal congregation. Last year, nearly 7,000 travelers sought pastoral counseling at Dulles and Reagan National Airport.

For more of Chaplain Benson's story, tune in to Interfaith Voices this Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m. on WAMU 88.5 FM.

Fairfax School Board Saves Some Programs - But Cuts Close To 600 Jobs

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Jonathan Wilson

In Virginia, Fairfax County's school board finally took a vote on the budget for the coming year after months of town hall meetings and public hearings.

But the vote settles little when it comes to the district's financial challenges.

The board decided to keep foreign language programs in elementary schools, freshman sports and indoor track, and hold average class size steady. But the budget still calls for close to six-hundred job cuts.

The changes mean the district will request more than $80 million from the county, much more than the $57 million originally proposed. And board chair Kathy Smith says even more programs will be in danger if county supervisors don't raise the tax rate by at least 10 or 11 cents.

"We are going to look at being funded again at the 2009 level for the third year in a row, while we have grown by thousands of students, and it will truly be devastating for Fairfax County Schools," says Smith.

County tax revenue provides about three-quarters of the districts budget.

Local Grocery Chain Prepared For More Snow

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Matt Bush

The second major storm in a little more than a month is expected to hit the DC region later this morning. And it isn't just snow plows that are preparing.

That sound is all too familiar during and after snowstorms. But one sound usually precedes that.

Long lines at the supermarket are common in the run-up to a storm. Giant Food spokesman Jamie Miller says they're ready for more snow.

Been awhile since we've seen a winter with this number of storms come through. Giants been a business for 70 years, and has been through a number of storms. We really pride ourselves on execution," says Miller.

Miller says the supermarket chain started ramping up deliveries to stores on Wednesday.

"We've been making additional deliveries of the staples; milk, bread, even windshield washer fluid and rock salt," he says.

One major change in the days before a storm is that Giant makes those deliveries 24 hours a day instead of just during business hours.

Power Breakfast For February 5, 2010

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

'Monopoly' should be a game, not a way of doing business.

While the Democratic Party struggles to regain some sort of momentum on health care overhaul, Congressman Tom Perriello is reviving one piece that already made it past the House once. The Virginia freshman says part of the reason he got into politics was because he thought Washington was in the pocket of insurance companies.

Elizabeth Wynne Johnson reports...

Northern Virginia Transportation Spokesperson Discusses Coming Storm

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

Morning Edition host Matt McCleskey talks with Public Affairs Spokesperson Joan Morris from the district of Northern Virginia about how the region is preparing for the weekend storm and advice for residents.

The Region's Top Stories With Washington Post Columnist Robert McCartney

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

D.C. is getting ready for a snow storm of historic proportions. Morning Edition host Matt McCleskey talks with Washington Post columnist Robert McCartney about how D.C. has responded to storms historically...

NBC 4 Meterologist Tom Kierein On How This Storm Measures Up To Past Ones

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

In anticipation of this weekend's big storm, NBC 4 Meterologist Tom Kierein joins Morning Edition host Matt McCleskey to talk about how this storm compares with ones from the past...

Weekend Planner: Old Favorites In A New Light

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

Every few weeks arts critic Colleen Fay joins us to highlight some of the must-see events going on around town. This time, the focus is on one exhibit at the National Gallery of Art.

Speaking with David Furst, Colleen says "From Impressionism to Modernism: the Chester Dale Collection" allows us to see favorite paintings in a new way...

Hospitals Learned Lessons From December Storm

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Stephanie Kaye

Medical centers throughout the region are looking for volunteers to help shuttle patients to hospitals. But some lessons learned from December's snow storm are paving the way for this weekend.

National Rehabilitation Hospital sits right across the road from Washington Hospital Center in northwest D.C.

"One thing that we learned from the December snowstorm was to have a database at our fingertips, saying we needed four wheel drives and things like that," says Derek Berry, who works with the hospital.

The rehab center is ready for any overflow from the hospital's ER.

"We can take patients over here and help treat them, if that situation is required," he says.

Berry recommends interested volunteers check in with their local hospitals and health centers.

This Week In Congress - February 5, 2010

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

SCRIPT:

I’m Elizabeth Wynne Johnson of Capitol News Connection. This Week in Congress...

The week began with considerable anticipation for the big reveal of President Obama’s… budget.

Need help finding it? It’s down there at the bottom of a really deep hole. Joe Minarik is with the Committee for Economic Development and a former chief economist at the Office of Management and Budget. Minarik sees the budget through the lens of a dilemma; so what would an expert economist do?

MINARIK: You would say that we need the federal government to stimulate the economy in the short run and then to pivot and to begin to bring the deficit down a couple of years out.

OK--so what’s the problem?

MINARIK: Uh, that is a very difficult message to explain. It is politically extremely risky to take that kind of a nuanced sophisticated approach to economic policy. The unfortunate part of the story is that that is something that is absolutely necessary at this time.

Congress spent much of the week dissecting the implications of the new budget. It’s the opening bell for what will be months of arguing over painful cuts, made all the more so by the fact that the biggest line items are off-limits. Florida Senator Bill Nelson took solace in a familiar mantra:

NELSON: The President proposes. Congress disposes.

Speaking of battles...This week the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee to talk about the future of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. Afterward, said committee chairman Carl Levin:

LEVIN: It was a good week because the military leadership came out against continuing this discriminatory policy. It had a big impact around the country.

Less of an impact, perhaps, on Republican committee member Senator Jeff Sessions. Before the hearing, Sessions said he’s reluctant to mess with the military’s long stand against serving-while-gay, but he wanted to hear from the military commanders. ("And I’d like to hear what they think.") After the hearing, he said he wasn’t convinced these commanders should be allowed to speak for the military.

SESSIONS: And we should be sure we listen to the people in the ranks that have different opinion and they should in no way be intimated in expressing their views.

In the meantime, the Pentagon plans to do its first in-depth study on the issue.

On Thursday a couple of Democrats got their outrage on… Senators Barbara Boxer of California and Jim Webb of Virginia introduced a bill aimed at reclaiming a chunk of this year’s Wall Street bonus boom.

BOXER: It would affect top earners at companies that received more than $5 billion in TARP funds. And any bonus payment over $400,000 would be subject to a 50-percent tax.

WEBB: All we’re saying is, on a one-shot deal, they should share the benefit of that bonus with the taxpayers who bailed them out.

Republican critics of the approach say it’s a populist vote-getter at best...an expression of class warfare at worst. Boxer says it’s about fairness.

BOXER: It’s symbolic but it’s also real. We estimate we could see about $10B into the Treasury at a time when we’re looking hard for deficit reduction. And that’s what this money would go for--deficit reduction.

The one-year bonus tax would apply only to firms that were bailed out to the tune of five billion dollars or more.

When Congress returns to the Hill next week--assuming anyone can locate the big white dome poking out from under all the snow--Newly-sworn in Massachusetts Republican Scott Brown starts his first official week in the Senate… which is expected to move forward on a jobs bill. Also up for consideration: Guantanamo detainee transfer policy.

That was This Week in Congress. I’m Elizabeth Wynne Johnson, Capitol News Connection.

MarylandReporter.com: State Roundup Feb. 5, 2010

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 20:06:00 -0500

From the Maryland Reporter website:

Today there's a lot of coverage of the sentencing of Sheila Dixon and the swearing in of now-mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, as well as of the submission of a referendum that could block the Arundel Mills slot proposal. We've also got FCC complaints against former Gov. Bob Ehrlich, more reflection on the State of the State speech and Republicans trying their hand at state budget proposals.

BALTIMORE MAYOR: Stephanie Rawlings-Blake was sworn in Thursday as mayor of Baltimore, replacing the newly-sentenced Sheila Dixon. Rawlings-Blake vowed to strengthen ethics laws and maintain public safety, all while dealing with a record budget gap, Julie Scharper reports in The Baltimore Sun. Annie Linskey covers the sentencing for The Sun, while Brendan Kearney reports on both events for The Daily Record.

ARUNDEL MILLS: A coalition has submitted almost 24,000 signatures in support of a referendum on Anne Arundel County's ballot to decide whether to overturn the decision allowing a slots parlor at Arundel Mills Mall, Nicole Fuller writes in The Sun. Stop Slots at Arundel Mills and the Maryland Jockey Club have exceeded the 9,395-signature requirement for the Feb. 5 deadline and eclipses the total 18,790 required to secure a place on the ballot. The Maryland Jockey Club is afraid a slot facility there would hurt business at Laurel Park, Liz Farmer reports in The Daily Record. John Wagner of The Post reports that the group used paid petition gatherers.

REPUBLICAN BUDGET: Maryland Republicans have decided to take the Democratic leadership up on their offer to consider alternative proposals: they're piecing together a plan to cut $2 billion from the state budget, Hayley Peterson reports in The Washington Examiner. So far, their plan would eliminate more state positions, roll back the Medicaid expansion, level-fund education and cut taxes.

STORMWATER: Tom LoBianco writes for Center Maryland that counties could be forced to levy a fee on property owners to deal with stormwater runoff issues, under one senator's proposal. Center Maryland also interviews Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith on the issue.

EHRLICH: The Maryland Democratic Party sent a complaint to the Federal Communications Commission against former Gov. Bob Ehrlich, alleging that Ehrlich violated "payola" rules last year in a segment on WBFF, Julie Bykowicz writes in The Sun. The accusation claims that Ehrlich, a likely challenger to Gov. Martin O'Malley, failed to disclose his ties to a slots applicant while discussing the slots proposals, Daniel Sernovitz writes in the Baltimore Business Journal.

An Ehrlich spokesman said the former governor made the disclosure on at least one occasion, Margie Hyslop writes in The Gazette, while Democrats are sowing concerns that Ehrlich may have spoken about clients without making his connection clear on other occasions. Here's the Post's take.

TRANSPORTATION FUNDING: The Greater Baltimore Committee will fight the diversion of transportation funds proposed by legislative analysts, Michael Dresser reports on his Getting There blog for The Sun. He also has a lot of snow-related transportation update.

GUBERNATORIAL RACE: Popular political pundit Larry Sabato thinks former Gov. Bob Ehrlich would win a rematch with Gov. Martin O'Malley, Sean Sedam and Doug Tallman report in The Gazette. Ehrlich has said he'll announce his election plans in March.

CORPORATION FOR CONGRESS: A Silver Spring public relations firm wants to push the limits of the U.S. Supreme Court's recent campaign finance ruling by running for Congress against Democrat Chris Van Hollen, Kevin James Shay writes in The Gazette.

GALLAGHER: Alan Brody in The Gazette has a profile of O'Malley Chief of Staff Matthew Gallagher.

BUSCH: John Wagner at The Washington Post has the rest of a promised off-beat interview with House Speaker Michael Busch. Busch still likes the Doobie Brothers and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.

CAMPAIGN FINANCE: Ryan Spiegel of the Gaitherburg City Council writes on Maryland Politics Watch that campaign finance reform might best be achieved at the local level.

TAX CREDIT: Some lawmakers and business owners question whether Gov. O'Malley's proposal to provide a $3,000 tax credit for each Maryland resident they hire will put people back to work, Hayley Peterson reports in The Washington Examiner. John Rydell at Fox45 has video on O'Malley's job creation tax credit proposal.

STATE OF THE STATE: Barry Rascovar in his Gazette column writes that much of the drama has been sucked out of the State of the State address, since the governor has already unveiled his budget and his legislative package by the time the speech is made. Another article in The Gazette criticizes has O'Malley's speech on Tuesday as flat.

CIGARETTE TAX: Mark Newgent at Red Maryland takes issue with arguments that a cigarette tax increase didn't hurt sales in Maryland.

MARYLAND FOOTBALL: A bill in the House would make the University of Maryland play Morgan State and Towson University in football at least once every four years, Alan Brody and Sean Sedam write for the Gazette. Athletic directors don't like the idea. Nick Sohr has more on his blog for The Daily Record.

CLOTHESLINE: Meg Tully of the Frederick News-Post has coverage of a bill that would force homeowners associations and local governments to allow clothesline use.

LOCAL CUTS: The Washington County delegation heard concerns that funding decisions for local programs, like after-school, diversion and teen pregnancy prevention, may be made at the state rather than local level, Erin Julius writes in The (Hagerstown) Herald-Mail.

Region Braces For Storm

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Rebecca Blatt

Preparations are under way across the region. In northern Virginia, 1,800 trucks will be ready to roll by Friday morning. Maryland's State Highway Administration says it has more than 200,000 tons of salt, nearly 2,200 pieces of equipment and 2,400 people available across the state.

D.C. will deploy more than 200 trucks, and federal authorities will add another 45.

Meanwhile, airports are also getting ready. Southwest Airlines is canceling flights at BWI, Philadelphia and Dulles International Airports starting tomorrow afternoon.

Latest D.C. Local News

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 11:06:00 -0500

WASHINGTON (AP) The Mid-Atlantic is preparing for a repeat of the December 19th storm that dumped more than 20 inches of snow on some areas. The National Weather Service has issued a warning stretching from Baltimore to northern Virginia and parts of West Virginia.

WASHINGTON (AP) Officials in the Washington region are preparing to deploy all their snow removal equipment as a major storm approaches. The District of Columbia is deploying 159 of its own trucks and 62 contract plows. Federal authorities will put out another 45 trucks in the city.

WASHINGTON (AP) Tai Shan, the young panda born in Washington four years ago, has left the National Zoo for a new home in China. Zookeepers fed him apple and pear slices by hand through bars in his shipping crate today before he left. Tai Shan munched calmly and looked out through plexiglass windows.

WASHINGTON (AP) A report by the Inspector General's office finds that the District's former juvenile justice director let two-and-a-half hours pass before police were notified that a 17-year-old inmate had escaped from a cookout at the director's home in 2008. The report found that Vincent Schiraldi's less-restrictive approach toward juvenile detention led to the escape.

Latest Maryland Regional News

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 11:06:00 -0500

BALTIMORE (AP) Stephanie Rawlings-Blake has been sworn in as the 49th mayor of Baltimore. Rawlings-Blake replaces Sheila Dixon, who resigned amid scandal. Rawlings-Blake, a 39-year-old Democrat, says her administration "will keep what works and fix what doesn't in city government."

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) A House of Delegates committee has rejected resolutions that recommended pay raises for Maryland lawmakers and the governor. The House Appropriations Committee voted today not to move forward with any raises.

Latest Virginia Regional News

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 17:06:00 -0500

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) Virginia legislators are taking a day off tomorrow because of a foul weather forecast. With the second Friday snowstorm in as many weeks forecast for Richmond, the House of Delegates is taking the rare step of cancelling all committees and its floor session.

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (AP) The Coast Guard is warning mariners from Virginia to New York about an approaching storm that could produce gale-force winds. The Coast Guard says a gale-force wind warning is in effect Saturday and Sunday, with wind speeds of 35 to 65 knots expected.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) Virginia's ban on radar detectors may be nearing an end. A bill advanced in the General Assembly today that would end Virginia's distinction as the last state in which detectors are illegal.

Fairfax School Board Set To Vote On Budget Cuts

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Jonathan Wilson

In Virginia, Fairfax County's school board is scheduled to vote on controversial budget cuts tonight. The district is facing an estimated $176 million shortfall.

After three public hearings on the budget last week, board members agreed in principle to avoid increasing the district's average class size for the third year in a row.

The revised budget also restores some funding for assistant principal and coaching positions.

The new plan calls for the board to request a transfer of more than $77 million from the county $20 million more than first recommended by Superintendent Jack Dale.

The board will also vote on several member-proposed amendments tonight. One would save foreign language classes in elementary schools, and another would keep indoor track and freshman sports.

Northern Virginia Prepares For Snow Storm

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

At the Arlington Trade Center, the headquarters for the county's army of snow trucks, the trucks are parked and their drivers have been sent home to rest.

They'll be back here at 4 a.m. tomorrow, treating the roads with salt and magnesium in preparation for the snow storm.

Even with the pre-treatment, Arlington is warning residents it could take at least 36 hours to clear out their streets.

A county spokesperson says residents should move their cars off the street now to make it easier for the snow plows.

Stephanie Rawlings-Blake Sworn In As Mayor Of Baltimore

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Meymo Lyons

Stephanie Rawlings-Blake has been sworn in as the 49th mayor of Baltimore. Rawlings-Blake replaces Sheila Dixon, who resigned amid scandal.

Rawlings-Blake, a 39-year-old Democrat, says her administration "will keep what works and fix what doesn't in city government." She was sworn in shortly before 12:15 p.m. at City Hall. The ceremony was delayed by a few minutes because her aunt fell ill.

Earlier today, Dixon received probation before judgment on counts of perjury and misdemeanor embezzlement. She is required to perform 500 hours of community service and contribute $45,000 to charities in the city.

The deal also allows her to keep a lifetime pension worth at least $83,000 a year.

Beloved Panda Tai Shan Leaves National Zoo

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Kavitha Cardoza

Tai Shan, the National Zoo's beloved giant panda, is en route to Chengdu, China. But in the Washington Metro area he leaves behind broken hearts.

Panda keepers with red rimmed eyes flanked the white custom made travel crate, carrying Tai Shan inside. The four-year-old was loaded with military precision into a waiting tractor trailer and taken to the airport.

"He's kind of our rock star," says Dr Erica Bauer, curator at the National Zoo.

Pandas are an endangered species and Tai Shan will be taken to a breeding program, under an agreement with the Chinese government. Bauer says this is necessary to conserve his species.

"There is no opportunity to breed him here," says Bauer. "He cant experience his life fully and get into the mating scene if he's at the National Zoo. So it's very important he meets other animals. He's gonna meet lots of girls!"

Zhu Hua, a journalist with China Central TV, says Tai Shan can anticipate the same level of adoration overseas. Hua says his American keepers laid to rest some fears that Tai Shan might face a language barrier, since he's accustomed to only hearing English.

"But they told me Tai Shan is smart. And they also help him to understand what they want to communicate by gestures," she says. "And they will show these gestures to the Chinese keepers. So there wont be any problem!"

But for many, the love he'll receive halfway across the world in his new home won't make up for his loss in D.C. As one woman put it, "there are pandas and there are pandas and then there's Tai Shan."

EPA Announces Grant Money For Local Communities

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Kate Sheehy

Communities around the country soon will have the opportunity to compete for nearly $2 million in federal grants to reduce pollution at the local level.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is making the money available through its Community Action for a Renewed Environment, or CARE program. It's goal is to educate people about reducing toxic risks and improving their environments close to home.

The CARE grants will range from $75,000 to $300,000 dollars. County and local organizations, schools, non-profits, businesses, and tribes are among those who can apply.

The EPA will then work with the grant winners to identify problems specific to their area and brainstorm solutions to environmental risks.

Proposals are due by March 9th and may be mailed or turned in online.

Conversations: Michael Cottman Speaks With Maya Rockeymoore

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

As part of our continuing series "Conversations," reporter Michael Cottman speaks with Maya Rockeymoore, President and CEO of Global Policy Solutions, about the $1.3 trillion budget President Obama sent to Congress...

Northern VA Leans On Non-Profits For Help With Gangs

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Jonathan Wilson

Law enforcement leaders in Northern Virginia say they're having some success fighting the spread of gangs, and much of the progress happens when police and prosecutors hand over some responsibility to community groups.

Bob Bermingham, director of Fairfax County's Juvenile Court, says its often hard to get teens, especially ones who've been in trouble with the law, to take advantage of services offered by law enforcement or county government.

He says that's why Northern Virginia's counties have turned to non-profit NVFS, or Northern Virginia Family Service, to work one-on-one with teens.

"By using non-profit organizations, we've found it to be more successful to get them engaged in the proper services or needs that they may have," Bermingham says.

NVFS administers the regions IPE program. It stands for Intervention, Prevention, and Education.

IPE workers meet with at-risk teens referred by law enforcement or the court system.

One teen, a former gang member who didn't want to give his name, has been meeting with his IPE worker, Carolina, for three months.

He says before he met Carolina, he didn't have anyone to give him advice when he got into trouble.

Carolina says his grades are already improving.

"Before he was going out every night, staying out late, sometimes not coming home till the next day," she says.

So far, the IPE program has worked with more than 300 teens and a report from the Northern Virginia Regional Gang Task Force shows that from 2003 to 2008, many gang-related crimes were on the decline.

Bermingham says measuring gang activity is often tricky but points to one statistic he's proud of -- Fairfax County, hasn't had a gang related homicide in three years.

New Lessons For Youth At The Library Of Congress

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Stephanie Kaye

A new online exhibit created by the Library of Congress takes a look back at the work of the NAACP, while preserving its history for the next generation.

The website was announced at the Library's Coolidge Auditorium on Capitol Hill, amid tributes both musical and historical.

"When we read movement history, the purpose should be to learn how to move forward as a country," says Benjamin Jealous, president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. "The NAACP's history being online allows us to continue a tradition of inspiring people."

One of those people is Junior "ROTC" Cadet Cindy Amaya, a senior at Bell Multicultural High School in northwest D.C.

"I think everybody should know where we've come from, the people who lived before us, what sacrifices they did in order to make huge changes," she says.

The online exhibit is part of a Library of Congress tribute to the NAACP during Black History Month. Events will conclude with a public forum on February 26th.

Food Coupons Streamline Distribution, Cause Problems In Haiti

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

Right now, the difference between eating and not eating for many in Haiti is a single piece of paper.

Earlier this week, aid groups started to hand out food coupons. The goal is to feed two million Haitians over the next two weeks. The program has helped streamline the food distribution process in Haiti, but as Patrick Madden reports, the coupons are creating some new challenges as well...

Higher Snow Means Higher Grass In Maryland

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Matt Bush

Higher snows in the winter will mean higher grass in the summer in Maryland.

The State Highway Administration is more than $20 million over its budget for snow removal. With no additional money on the way from state lawmakers, the SHA will shift money from other projects to fill that gap and pay for snow removal for future storms.

Spokesman Chuck Gischlar says that means delaying the mowing of grass on land the SHA owns. Grass at intersections will be mowed, according to Gischler, because of safety concerns.

Circulator Bus To Extend To Virginia

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By David Schultz

This week, the Council gave preliminary approval to a measure creating a new route for the Circulator, those red-and-gray buses that run through downtown D.C. The route would go from Dupont Circle to the Rosslyn Metro Station in Arlington.

That didn't sit well with Council Member Kwame Brown (D-At Large). He wants the Circulator to service D.C. neighborhoods east of the Anacostia River before it goes into Virginia.

John Lisle, a spokesman with the District's Department of Transportation, says that's a possibility.

"It's good to see that people are interested in the Circulator and that there is a lot of discussion about wanting to see it in new parts of the city. Obviously we have to be careful about how we expand, and weigh the costs and the benefits," says Lisle.

Lisle says the new Circulator route will replace the city-funded Georgetown Blue Bus, so it won't cost the city more money. He says that wouldn't necessarily be the case for an extension east of the Anacostia.

Incoming Mayor To Take Oath In Baltimore

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Rebecca Blatt

Baltimore will get a new mayor today. Sheila Dixon will step down from the post as part of a deal with prosecutors on perjury charges.

Baltimore's Council President, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, will take the oath of office just after noon. She steps into the job as the city faces a $127 million budget shortfall for the next fiscal year. Maryland's legislative session, which will determine funding for Baltimore, is already underway. And a new budget must be prepared for the city council next month.

Rawlings-Blake's new chief of staff, Sophie Dagenais, says while the city's finances top the priority list, her administration will also focus on public safety and education.

"We have a lot of moving pieces that we need to address all at the same time, and we have to put our minds together and come up with creative ways in which to do that," says Dagenais.

Rawlings-Blake is keeping two deputy mayors from the Dixon Administration on staff to help move that process forward.

School Budget Cuts Worry Anti-Gang Groups

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Jonathan Wilson

Law enforcement groups and their non-profit partners in Northern Virginia say the success they've experienced fighting the spread of gangs could be threatened by the tough economic times.

Bob Bermingham, Director of Fairfax's Juvenile Court, says he's proud that his county hasn't had a gang-related homicide in three years.

He credits cooperation between suppression and prevention efforts -- police and non-profit, service providers working together.

He says the economy hasn't had a direct impact on gang prevention efforts, but he does worry.

"The success we're having is because of what we've committed to prevention efforts and what were doing to combat gangs," says Bermingham. "If we back off that, things will change very, very quickly."

Another worry for those working in gang prevention is school district budget trouble. If schools cut extracurricular activities, managers at local non-profits working with at-risk teens, say more students will have time to get into trouble.

Power Breakfast For February 4, 2010

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

It sounds like an episode of Star Trek. Come to think of it, there is "enterprise" at stake...

It's a wonk-y concept with a Trekkie-sounding name: The Volcker Rule. As in Paul Volcker, the President's new economic recovery advisor. The Volcker Rule is about limiting the size and risk exposure of US banks. If it seems Volcker is prepared to go where no man in this administration has gone before. Republican Senator Judd Gregg cautions against comparing the former regulator to Obama's current team.

Elizabeth Wynne Johnson reports.

Former Juvenile Justice Director Blamed For Being Too Lenient

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Kate Sheehy

A report finds the District's former juvenile justice director let 2.5 hours pass before calling police after a 17-year-old inmate escaped from a cookout at his home. Vincent Schiraldi's less-regimented approach to juvenile detention is being blamed for the teenager's escape in May of 2008.

A report by the city's inspector general obtained by The Washington Post found Schiraldi made several other missteps during the incident.

It concludes Schiraldi's actions gave preference to the teenagers invited to the cookout, and as a result "affected adversely the confidence of the public in the integrity of government."

Schiraldi recently left the director's post to head the New York City Department of Probation.

D.C. Attorney General Peter Nickles says Mayor Fenty's administration will review the report to make sure the city is providing the best care possible and complying with laws and regulations.

Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon Steps Aside

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Meymo Lyons

Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon has received probation before judgment under a plea deal that required her to step down from office.

Dixon declined to address the court this morning as she was sentenced. She has already submitted her resignation, which took effect at noon. City Council President Stephanie Rawlings-Blake was then sworn in as mayor.

Dixon was convicted of embezzling gift cards donated to the city for needy families and lying about gifts from her former boyfriend, a prominent developer.

Judge Dennis Sweeney says Dixon is receiving "a heavy penalty, a badge of dishonor that she will live with for the rest of her life." But Sweeney also says Dixon was fortunate to get the plea deal because the cases against her "were strong if not indeed overwhelming."

MarylandReporter.com: State Roundup Feb. 4, 2010

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 11:06:00 -0500

In today's roundup officials agree snow must be removed but it may mean more budget cuts, there is lots of coverage of the Baltimore mayoral transition, and several links to stories on introducing casino table gaming. Also in the roundup: stories on health insurance, gun laws, Verizon and term limits.

SNOW REMOVAL: Officials across the state agree snow must be cleared at all costs. But as The Sun's Larry Carson reports the state had $26 million for snow removal and has spend $46 million before Tuesday night's snow.

TRANSPORTATION FUNDS: Budget analysts are urging legislators to transfer $60 million intended for transportation funds to general use, reports Michael Dresser with The Sun.

DIXON: Outgoing Baltimore Mayor Shelia Dixon will be sentenced today for being convicted in December of misappropriating gift cards meant for needy families. Yesterday Dixon spent a contemplative last full day in office, writes The Baltimore Sun's Julie Scharper. WBAL-TV has a report on the transition of the new mayor and of Dixon's parting speech at the city's Board of Estimates meeting.

RAWLINGS-BLAKE: City Council President Stephanie C. Rawlings-Blake will be sworn as mayor in at a small ceremony at 12:05 today. The Sun's Scharper also has a profile of the incoming mayor. Baltimore Business Journal reports Rawlings-Blake has picked Sophie Dagenais, a partner at Ballard Spahr LLP law firm, as her chief of staff. WJZ's Andrea Fujii reports on the challenges for soon-to-be mayor. Maryland Politics Watch's Adam Pagnucco blogs about Rawlings-Blake's transition team counsel.

YOUNG: Jayne Miller at WBAL-TV has a not-to-be-missed interview with prospective City Council President Jack Young, who tries to explain his home in Harford County and his state job.

HEALTH CARE: WBAL-TV's David Collins blogged about a report commissioned by the insurance industry that the private sector in the state has the resources to offer universal health care coverage as in Massachusetts.

USE OF FORCE: Plaintiffs' lawyers and gun and home owners are at odds on a bill that would allow people to use force against a home or office burglar without liability, writes Steve Lash in The Daily Record.

GAMING LAWS: Del. Frank Turner, D-Howard, introduced a bill amending the state's gaming laws to allow sites to operate table games, writes Adam Kerlin with Capital News Service. The Capital's Liam Farrell has a blog post about the issue. Washington County's state lawmakers agreed to look into possible slots legislation next session, writes Erin Julius with The (Hagerstown) Herald-Mail.

TERM LIMITS: Del. James King, R-Anne Arundel, is proposing a constitutional amendment to limit delegates, senators, the attorney general, comptroller and treasurer to two consecutive four-year terms, reports The Capital's Liam Farrell.

VERIZON SETTLEMENT: The Public Service Commission agreed to a modified settlement that would require Verizon Maryland to offer better service before being allowed to raise rates, reports Danielle Ulman with The Daily Record. Baltimore Business Journal's Scott Dance has their take on the story.

LOAN LOOPHOLE: State financial regulators want lawmakers to close a loophole that allows 700 percent interest rates on short-term loans, writes The Daily Record's Nick Sohr.

OBAMA ADMINISTRATION: Three Marylanders have been nominated to Obama administration positions. Inside Charm City posts a press release from Sen. Ben Cardin.

WIND FARMS: A recent federal court ruling has some Western Maryland wind farm critics urging state and local officials to increase regulation, reports Megan Miller with the Cumberland Times-News.

BUSCH ETC.: The Washington Post's First Click blog has its take on a number of stories found elsewhere, plus a teaser on an exclusive "offbeat interview" with House Speaker Michael Busch. John Wagner promises to post the full interview at 11 a.m.

Triple AAA Talks Snow Removal

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

From Lon Anderson, spokesman for Triple AAA Mid-Atlantic:

"The jurisdictions have been quite candid about the fact that they're broke, but they will find a way to do the clearing, to do what's necessary. And of course we've had plenty of notice is that it's not been a stealthy one. It has announced it's coming."

We don't yet know how much damage it's going to do, but for motorists we can just know that it's going to make life uncomfortable for a couple of days at least."

Latest D.C. Local News

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 11:06:00 -0500

WASHINGTON (AP) George Washington University's medical school has been taken off probation by its academic accrediting agency. Dean James Scott announced today that the Liaison Committee on Medical Education extended the school's full accreditation for eight years.

WASHINGTON (AP) A judge has dismissed a lawsuit by members of the nation's oldest black sorority, who sought to remove their president over alleged financial misdeeds. D.C. Superior Court Judge Natalia M. Combs Greene dismissed the lawsuit against Alpha Kappa Alpha on Monday.

WASHINGTON (AP) A Utah senator has filed legislation that would prevent D.C. from implementing a gay marriage bill until residents vote on the issue. The bill would ban the district from issuing same-sex marriage licenses until residents are allowed to vote on the issue.

WASHINGTON (AP) A D.C. fire official says three children are in critical condition after a fire in an apartment building. Firefighters were called to the 1900 block of Naylor Road southeast this morning and found smoke coming from the second floor of the three story building.

Latest Maryland Regional News

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 11:06:00 -0500

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) This year marks an opportunity for Maryland voters to hold a constitutional convention. The law requires a referendum on the ballot every two decades allowing voters to elect citizens to make changes to the constitution.

BALTIMORE (AP) Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon says her administration has much to be proud of. Dixon gave a farewell address at today's Board of Public Works meeting. She will step down tomorrow amid a scandal over gift cards and other gifts she received while serving as City Council president several years ago.

BETHESDA, Md. (AP) A Metro spokesman says the agency will review the way it notifies an oversight committee of accidents after failing to notify the committee of a maintenance vehicle crash over the weekend quickly enough. Metro's own safety office didn't know about the crash for more than 30 hours.

Latest Virginia Regional News

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 11:06:00 -0500

ROANOKE, Va. (AP) Police say the body of a child found in the Smith Gap Landfill is that of a missing Roanoke boy. Police said yesterday that the medical examiner's office confirmed the body found on Jan. 27 is that of 2-year-old Aevion Malik Lewis.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) An English baron and former television director has been convicted of petit larceny in connection with the theft of items from an antique store. Court records show Raymond DeVere-Austin of Albermarle County received a suspended six-month sentence yesterday and must pay a $1,000 fine.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) Gov. McDonnell has declared a state of emergency for Virginia in advance of a winter storm expected early tomorrow through Saturday. The declaration authorizes state agencies to assist local governments responding to a storm that could bring high winds and up to 20 inches of snow.

ORANGE, Va. (AP) A judge will decide whether the fight over a planned Walmart Supercenter near an endangered Civil War battlefield in Virginia will continue in a courtroom. A Circuit Court judge heard more than three hours of arguments yesterday on a request to dismiss a challenge of Orange County's decision approving the Walmart store.

Latest Virginia Regional News

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 11:06:00 -0500

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) Murder accomplices and those who kill certain law enforcement officials would be eligible for the death penalty under bills that have passed the Virginia House. The House voted 74-to-24 today in favor of a bill to expand Virginia's "triggerman rule," which reserves capital punishment for the person who actually does the killing.

ORANGE, Va. (AP) The Virginia county that approved a Walmart Supercenter near an endangered Civil War battlefield is asking a judge to reject a legal challenge of the planned store. A hearing is scheduled today in Orange Circuit Court on the request of the Orange County Board of Supervisors.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) Attorneys have filed a federal lawsuit accusing the Virginia Parole Board of unfairly denying parole for thousands of inmates. The lawsuit against board members was filed today in Richmond on behalf of 11 inmates convicted before the state abolished parole in 1995.

Suit Claims VA Parole Board Unfairly Denies Release

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Rebecca Blatt

Attorneys for 11 inmates in Virginia say the state's parole board is unfairly denying parole in thousands of cases, and they're asking a court to step in.

Virginia abolished parole in 1995. Before that, judges often sentenced people to lengthy prison terms with the understanding that they would be eligible for release after serving as little as a quarter of the sentence.

There are more than 6,000 inmates in Virginia who were sentenced before 1995 and are eligible for parole. The suit claims many are being unfairly denied release. The attorneys who filed the suit want the court to order the parole board to issue rules to ensure fair and meaningful consideration of parole in those cases.

G.W. Med School Off Probation

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Rebecca Blatt

George Washington University's medical school has been taken off probation by its academic accrediting agency.

The school was put on probation in October 2008. At the time, G.W. said the problems were superficial. A document later obtained by The Washington Post showed the accrediting agency was concerned with monitoring of student's time with patients and said student debt levels were among the nation's highest.

Dean James Scott says the group has extended the school's full accreditation for eight years.

In a note to faculty and students, Scott writes the school is stronger from the review process.

NAACP Artifacts Go Online

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Stephanie Kaye

Records of the NAACP, the most visited collection at the Library of Congress, are being highlighted in an online exhibit. Not only is it the most visited collection, it's the Library's largest, with about five million artifacts.

Curator Adrienne Cannon worked on the exhibit.

"We look at the rise of Booker T. Washington as a leader, we look at the phenomenon of lynching through the activities of Ida B. Wells Barnett, one of two African American women founders of the NAACP," she says.

But not all five million artifacts are going online, says Cannon. She says getting enough money to digitize 70 pieces for the Internet was tough enough. The Library has to raise private funds to pay for exhibits. But Cannon says it was worth the effort.

"The NAACP took the lead in trying to break down the color barrier in the United States, which had its origin in the original sin of slavery," she says.

Along with the launch of the online records, the Library will host a public lecture on February 26th, capping its tribute to the NAACP during Black History Month.

Snow Removal In Maryland Costly

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Matt Bush

The more snow falls, the more Maryland's State Highway Administration goes over budget in removing it.

February is just three days old, and last night's storm hasn't been factored in yet to the SHA's numbers, but spokesman Chick Gischler says they've almost doubled their snow removal budget.

That won't stop salt trucks and plows from treating and clearing roads during future storms, the earliest of which is expected to hit the area Friday. But come spring, Gischler says other projects the SHA conducts will be affected. First and foremost, that means delaying the mowing of grass on land they own.

Gischler says in the past, the Maryland legislature approved additional money for the SHA for snow removal. He says that won't be happening this year.

Parents Could Be Billed For Kids' Bomb Threats

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 13:06:00 -0500

CUMBERLAND, Md. (AP) A rash of high school bomb threats has prompted Allegany County authorities to warn parents they could be held financially accountable.

State's Attorney Michael Twigg said Tuesday that parents whose children make bomb threats can be billed for up to $10,000 worth of police expenses.

He says Maryland law also allows judges to order a six-to-12-month driver's license suspension for juveniles who make bomb threats.

The tough talk follows five bomb threats since early December at two county high schools. Schools were evacuated and after-school activities were canceled in four of the cases, but no explosives were found in any of the incidents.

The suspects have been suspended and referred to juvenile authorities.

Snow Blankets Washington Metro Region

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Kavitha Cardoza

Up to four inches of snow blanketed the Washington Metro region overnight. And while clearing the snow today is an inconvenience for many homeowners, it's a far bigger problem for area governments.

Robert Payne is shoveling snow just off Military Avenue in Northwest D.C. Snow capped cars stand parked just below sagging tree branches. It takes Payne approximately an hour to clear the sidewalk around his house.

He says he has a theory: "If I use a small shovel and make a small opening, nature will melt the rest of it! I don't go nuts."

While clearing the snow yourself doesn't cost you anything--except maybe lower back pain, that's not true for local governments. Even before this latest cleanup effort, Virginia and D.C. have used almost all of their snow removal budgets. Maryland was more than $10 million over budget.

Utah Senator Wants To Halt Gay Marriage Bill From Going Into Effect

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Kavitha Cardoza

A Utah senator has filed legislation that would prevent D.C. from implementing a gay marriage bill until residents vote on the issue.

Sen. Bob Bennett (R-Utah) introduced the legislation Tuesday. The bill would ban the district from issuing same-sex marriage licenses until residents are allowed to vote on the issue.

The measure is one of several filed in Congress about the D.C. bill, which was passed by the city council in December but has not yet taken effect. Because the city is a federal district, Congress has final say over its laws.

Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), a Republican, has filed similar legislation in the House. The gay marriage bill is currently in a period of congressional review but appears poised to go into effect in March.

O'Malley Talks Education During State Of The State

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Matt Bush

During his state of the state address, Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley painted a rosy picture regarding education in the state.

Last month, Education Week magazine ranked public schools in Maryland number one in the nation for the second straight year. But the state's largest school system, Montgomery County's, faces a fine of more than $23 million for failing to adequately fund a school funding formula called 'maintenance of effort' last year.

Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett says if the fine from the state board of education stands, it would have dire consequences for a county that faces a budget shortfall of more than $600 million.

Battle Over Wal-Mart Super Center In Virginia

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

The board of supervisors in Virginia's Orange County is asking a judge to reject a legal challenge by preservationists to a putting a Wal-Mart Super Center near a civil war battlefield there.

Wal-Mart plans to build a large scale super center less than half a mile from the Locust Grove area of the Wilderness battlefield in northern Virginia. The board approved the project in August, but preservationists still are opposed to it.

At a hearing today a judge is set to decide whether their legal challenge can go forward.

The Battle of the Wilderness was the first where troops under Union General Ulysses S. Grant faced those under Confederate General Robert E. Lee. Thousands of soldiers on both sides were killed or injured there 145 years ago.

Preservationists argue moving the store somewhere else is the best way to uphold that legacy. But supporters have said the super center would bring badly needed jobs and economic development to the area.

Medical Workers In Haiti Face Difficult Decisions

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Sabri Ben-Achour

Three weeks after Haiti's disastrous earthquake, medical workers from around the world continue to treat the seriously injured. Medical workers at the triage field hospitals face many difficulties.

But what happens to the lucky ones who make it to one of the hospital ships offshore?

It's just a five-minute helicopter ride from Port au Prince to the U.S. Naval Hospital Ship Comfort. Patients are greeted with 12 operating rooms, 700 doctors, nurses, and medical technicians: a high-tech hospital the size of Walter Reed. But all this pales in the face of the demand.

"You know I would continue to describe the work load as exhausting, cause that's what it is," says Marc Merino, head of nursing aboard the ship. "Everybody is working 18, 20-hour shifts, and doing it straight since we've got here without a day off. Everybody is physically and emotionally very weary."

Over the past several days the ship has actually had to stop taking as many patients because of the immense backlog in orthopedic surgery. Surgeons work around the clock. Some volunteers are "hot-racking," meaning two people will sleep in the same bunk, one during the day, one at night. And then there is the emotional toll.

"We're hard on ourselves because we expect perfection," says Tim Donahue, head of surgery for the ship.

But perfection isn't possible, especially not here and not now. Just as at the triage site, tough decisions are made.

In the United States a doctor might drain the blood bank to save one patient, but doing so here could kill five others waiting in line. Some patients don't stay on a ventilator as long as they might elsewhere. They aren't resuscitated as many times as they would be elsewhere. They die, where they might not elsewhere. But it's in order to save others.

Commander Zjolt Stockinger is a trauma surgeon and a triage specialist. He says this is a difficult adjustment for a lot of people.

"It's a bit of a medical culture shock," he says. "It's not a question of whether we can treat, it's whether we have the luxury to do so."

Then there are cases where people refuse treatment. Commander Donahue recalls a case that has played out multiple times already aboard this ship. A young woman whose crush injuries meant that if she wanted to survive, she'd need her legs and possibly an arm amputated.

"She's saying absolutely not; I might as well be dead," he says. "I won't be able to work, I won't be able to get around, support my family, life won't be worth living."

Donahue wonders if it's depression talking, or just the brutal reality that Haiti has limited resources to support amputees. Either way he can't force her.

"It's difficult because I know within 48-72 hours, she's going to die," he says.

The medical workers here have a lot of coping strategies. Some, like Anesthesiologist Laura Roberts, use exercise.

"I did two 5ks yesterday, one at noon and one at 10:30 at night," says Roberts.

Others, like pediatric nurse Carole Louis, use music.

"I carry an Ipod in my pocket and I listen to it, I hope the patients hear it," says Louis. "I also have Haitian music on it so I let them listen that way."

But the most important thing that keeps them going are the patients.

Lieutenant Commander Tracey Giles is the head pediatric nurse.

"The patients, just them smiling, you know, they are such a resilient people," she says. "They are just very stoic. When I see them smile, that lifts my spirits, because I know we're doing something good here."

Some of the medical workers will be here six months. Others will be rotated out in a few weeks. But for all of them, no matter how much good they know they are doing, they also know that it's just not enough.

President's Budget Includes Millions For Metro Safety

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Alex Keefe

President Barack Obama's budget for next year includes $180 million to help make Metro safer. But there are still a couple of congressional hurdles.

The president's budget proposal allots $150 million to prop up Metro's crumbling infrastructure. Federal Transit Administrator Peter Rogoff says it sets aside another $30 million to launch a new safety watchdog office within his agency.

"To pay for things like safety oversight inspectors, regulation writers, the associated lawyers, and other in-house staff that would stand up, for the first time in the FTA, a robust safety oversight program," he says.

The Obama administration came up with the idea for a new safety office after last year's Metro crash that killed nine people. But first Congress would have to give the agency broad powers to regulate commuter rail systems, and a bill to do that is still stalled on Capitol Hill.

The president's budget also includes $96 million to help build a silver line to Dulles Airport.

Local Attorneys Help Haitians Get Protected Status

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Rebecca Sheir

A new program is allowing qualified Haitian immigrants to stay in the United States and work, rather than return to their quake-ravaged country. More than 100 attorneys in the D.C. area are volunteering to help local Haitians apply and avoid being scammed.

Its called Temporary Protected Status, or TPS. Don Mooers, an immigration lawyer in Bethesda, Maryland, says its like being in a cocoon.

"The U.S. government says, 'we are not going to move to deport you. You are eligible to work. But its not on a permanent basis,'"says Mooers.

After 18 months, the U.S. government will look at conditions in Haiti and decide whether to extend TPS, like it has for immigrants from Central American countries devastated by hurricanes.

"So they're in a cocoon until the housing stock is vastly improved, the roads, electricity, gas," he says. "And that's gonna take some time."

The deadline to apply is July. But Mooers says some people would have Haitians believe otherwise.

There are people who don't practice law, saying, look, if you give us money, Ive got this buddy, I know somebody, and ya know, they say July, but your only chance is gonna be if you get it in right now,' he says.

Mooers says it isn't clear how many of the regions 20,000 Haitians are eligible for TPS. But he suspects he and his fellow immigration lawyers will be pulling some all-nighters, to make sure everyone who is eligible gets served.

Montgomery County Passes Hiring Preference For Disabled Applicants

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Rebecca Blatt

In Maryland, the Montgomery County Council has approved a bill to help disabled applicants get county government jobs. The bill establishes a "hiring preference." It means that if someone with a disability is among the highest rated in a pool of applicants, that person gets priority.

Councilman Phil Andrews, a chief sponsor, says it will help address the county's 31 percent unemployment rate among adults with disabilities.

"We're recognizing that there has historically been discrimination against people with disabilities, and there is a need to take some additional step in order to level the playing field," says Andrews.

Andrews says the county has been working toward the legislation for more than 20 years, and he thinks there are several more steps it needs to take.

He suggests forming a hiring authority to bring people with disabilities directly into specific positions. That would require a vote of approval from residents.

Falls Church H.S. Students Show Off Budget Knowledge

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Jonathan Wilson

Some educators are using President Obama's budget proposal as a way to discuss finances with students. On Tuesday, a lesson at Falls Church High School in Virginia showed budget issues aren't as foreign to students as you might expect.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan, and Virginia's new Education Chief, Gerard Robinson, led a class of seniors at Falls Church, and if they were hoping for an engaged audience for their lecture on education funding, they got their wish.

One student even brought up the complicated issue of Virginia's education funding formula, known as the Local Composite Index.

"Is Governor McDonnell going to reinstate the Local Composite Index?" the student asked.

A soft clapping came from Fairfax County Schools Superintendent Jack Dale; he and other local leaders are imploring the Governor to reverse a freeze on the index. It would mean 60 million extra dollars for Fairfax schools alone.

But some students in the class seemed more focused on funding for higher education than on the budget woes of the district they'll soon leave behind. Tony Schaffner says all the worry over the local budget is a distraction.

"I'm mean I'm aware of it, but my eyes are set forward. I'm looking to graduate. It's get out of here while I still can," says Schaffner.

For graduating seniors like Schaffner tough economic times have made financial assistance for college more important than ever.

One student guessed there was a total of $2 billion available to college students looking for help, the class seemed pleasantly surprised when Duncan said the total is closer to $170 billion.

Power Breakfast For February 3, 2010

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

There's no time like the future.

So far, the Senate has spent most of the week gridlocked over confirmations. Delaware Democrat Tom Carper, carped openly about that.

Elizabeth Wynne Johnson reports.

MarylandReporter.com: State Roundup Feb. 3, 2010

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 17:06:00 -0500

From the Maryland Reporter website:

Today we have lots of coverage of Gov. Martin O'Malley's State of the State address, with links to a dozen print and broadcast stories; there's a big legal victory for the NAACP, and texting while driving returns. Also reports on proposed laws on sex offenders, wine shipping and public defenders.

STATE OF THE STATE: Gov. Martin O'Malley gave his annual State of the State speech Tuesday, but this year he had no new proposals, save his jobs legislation, Brian Witte reports for the Associated Press.

Julie Bykowicz of The Baltimore Sun notes the speech's focus on jobs, while Erin Julius of The (Hagerstown) Herald-Mail offers her own recap of the speech, along with reactions from Western Maryland legislators. Scott Dance of the Baltimore Business Journal looks at the speech through the lens of O'Malley's reelection campaign, and Hayley Peterson of the Washington Examiner points out that some Democrats are skeptical of O'Malley's assertions on the end of the recession and job creation.

The Washington Post also has a recap, and Adam Bednar has reactions from Carroll County officials and business leaders for the Carroll County Times. And Meg Tully also has reactions from the local Frederick County delegation in the Frederick News Post. Andy Green writes an editorial on The Sun's Second Opinion blog, describing both parties in a "state of denial." And Julie Bykowicz at The Sun has a retrospective with some of the key lines, and Republican responses, from O'Malley's four State of the State addresses. John Rydell has video for WBFF, and Robert Lang of WBAL-AM has audio highlights from O'Malley's speech, along with reactions from Republicans and Democrats.

"DRIVING WHILE BLACK": A Maryland appeals court has ordered the Maryland State Police to turn over about 10,000 documents relating to accusations of racial profiling by state troopers as part of the "Driving While Black" case between the state police and the NAACP, Andrea Siegel reports for The Baltimore Sun.

TEXTING: Lawmakers are considering a bill that would expand the ban on texting while driving, passed last year, to prevent drivers from reading text messages as well, Kai Jackson reports for WJZ. Last year's proposal had a similar provision, but it was stripped from the bill.

RAWLINGS-BLAKE: Baltimore City Council President and future mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake was Stephanie Rawlings-Batman Tuesday in Annapolis. She was there promoting her legislative agenda, which centers around crime-fighting, Kate Amara reports for WBAL-TV.

CAMPAIGN STRATEGY: Adam Pagnucco at Maryland Politics Watch has excellent detail on the Maryland Democratic Party's media strategy for this year's election. It is based on the Obama campaign strategy.

RAIL STIMULUS: The state didn't get $1.7 billion in federal funding for a maglev train between Baltimore and Washington, D.C. Michael Dresser reports on his Getting There blog for The Sun. No big surprise, because there's a state law on the books prohibiting Maryland from spending its own money on such a project.

BALTIMORE MAYOR: State Prosecutor Robert Rohrbaugh blasted Mayor Sheila Dixon in a memo, describing her attitude as "unrepentant" and "defiant," Annie Linskey reports in The Sun.

WINE SHIPPING: A majority of members in both the House and Senate have co-sponsored bills to allow direct shipment of wine to Marylanders, advocates will declare at a press conference today. Inside Charm City reposts the press release.

SEX OFFENDER LAWS: Kenny Burns at Maryland Politics today has some audio of Republican Sen. Nancy Jacobs and Del. Michael Smigiel discussing some of O'Malley's sex offender laws.

PUBLIC DEFENDER BOARD: A bill in the House would increase the size and geographic representation on the Board of Trustees of the Office of the Public Defender, Brendan Kearney writes for The Daily Record. The proposal, sponsored by Del. Curt Anderson, D-Baltimore, went unquestioned and unopposed in its hearing.

GM JOBS: Mark Newgent at Red Maryland calculates that it cost Maryland $577,500 per job to bring new General Motors manufacturing to White Marsh.

MATHIAS: Vice President Joe Biden eulogized former U.S. Sen. Charles "Mac" Mathias at his funeral Tuesday, saying he brought out the best in people wherever he went, the Frederick News Post reports. Paul West and The Sun have more.

Latest D.C. Local News

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 16:06:00 -0500

WASHINGTON (AP) Metro Transit Police conducted an anti-terrorism drill at one of the Metrorail system's busiest stations, launching a new initiative aimed at deterring terrorist activity. Officials held the exercise this morning at the Union Station Metrorail station.

WASHINGTON (AP) Immigration officials say 36 people who were illegally in the United States have been arrested in a four-day operation across Virginia and the District of Columbia. The arrests were announced yesterday.

WASHINGTON (AP) Suspended Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas says in an op-ed piece that he now understands "guns and violence are serious problems, not joking matters." The piece was posted on The Washington Post's Web site yesterday.

Latest Maryland Regional News

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 16:06:00 -0500

ROCKVILLE, Md. (AP) The Montgomery County Council has approved a bill that would give disabled job applicants help getting open county jobs. The bill approved today makes it a preference for the county to hire someone who is disabled for a position if the candidate is among the highest rated in a pool of applicants.

BETHESDA, Md. (AP) Metro officials say a maintenance vehicle carrying 20 workers hit a rail truck on icy tracks, causing a domino effect crash that damaged at least four vehicles. No injuries were reported on Metrorail's red line Saturday night, but the crash came less than a week after two workers died after being hit by track equipment.

UPPER MARLBORO, Md. (AP) Prince George's County fire officials say a teen was rescued after he fell down a steep snowy hill and into a 100-foot deep ravine in Upper Marlboro. A fire department spokesman says the teen fell into the ravine near Marlton Center Drive around 6 p.m. yesterday but was not able to climb all the way out.

Latest Virginia Regional News

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:06:00 -0500

BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) Virginia Tech is now notifying parents when students under 21 are disciplined for alcohol- and drug-related violations. The university adopted the police last month after many parental requests. Previously, parents were notified of violations only after a second offense.

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (AP) Newport News officials are apologizing to residents who received early morning automated calls about a recycling change. City officials haven't determined how many residents received the calls shortly after midnight or what caused the glitch.

DENDRON, Va. (AP) The Dendron Town Council has approved zoning changes necessary for Old Dominion Electric Cooperative to build what could become Virginia's largest coal-fired power plant. The council's decision came late yesterday on a tie-breaking vote cast by the mayor.

O'Malley Gives Maryland State Of The State Address

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Matt Bush

Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley used his state of the state speech to call for tighter restrictions on mortgage companies.

Speaking to a joint meeting of the general assembly, O'Malley called on the legislators to take action to stop home foreclosures. But O'Malley didn't convince Republicans like senator Alex Mooney of Frederick County.

O'Malley plans to present the details of his mortgage foreclosure bill later this week.

Court Orders Maryland Police To Turn Over 10,000 Documents

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Rebecca Blatt

An appeals court is ordering the Maryland State Police to turn over about 10,000 documents relating to allegations of racial profiling by state troopers. The ruling is part of a long-running legal battle between the state police and the NAACP.

In 2003, a consent decree required the state police to work to stop racial profiling. The NAACP wants to inspect internal affairs documents to determine whether state police are properly investigating racial profiling allegations.

State police say the documents should be confidential because they are personnel records. The Maryland Court of Special Appeals rejected that argument.

Governor Bob McDonnell Talks With Host Matt McCleskey

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

Morning Edition host Matt McCleskey speaks with Virginia Governor McDonnell about his first weeks in office and priorities looking ahead...

Metro Police Officers Swarm Union Station For Anti-Terror Drill

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Kavitha Cardoza

Metro police swarmed Union Station for a anti-terrorism training exercise this morning. It's part of a three day drill that will involve more than 200 first responders from surrounding counties as well as the FBI.

Michelle Alsted takes the red line every morning from Silver Spring to Union Station. She looks around, surprised by police carrying machine guns and leading sniffer dogs.

"This is new," she says. "They're not normally here. I've never seen them before".

Approximately 50 police participated in what Metro is calling "Blue TIDE," which stands for Terrorism Identification and Deterrence Effort. The Deputy Police Chief for Metro, David Webb, says officers spread out near the metrocars and buses, making eye contact with commuters and looking for suspicious packages. He says this is also a visible reminder to commuters to be alert.

"There are 1.2 million people in this system everyday," he says, "and we really rely on them to say something. The old slogan 'if you see something say something' is really what we're looking for."

Commuters and police will have another chance to practice tomorrow and Thursday, with scenarios involving bombs and shootings.

Council Moves Toward Equal Rights For Guide Dogs

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Peter Granitz

The D.C. Council could move one step closer to granting guide dogs in training the same rights as service animals.

Disabled people and their guide dogs can eat in restaurants, travel on Metro and use all the services the rest of the population does. If this bill passes the Council, the people who train those dogs special skills will be able to do the same.

Council Member Phil Mendelson says the plan just makes sense. He chairs the public safety committee, which unanimously passed the measure.

"For a service animal to be fully competent it has to be trained," he says. "And how do they get trained unless they get socialized and have access to the same places when they're fully trained?"

He said the council could take a final vote as soon as this month.

D.C. And Maryland Combine Efforts On Crime

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Matt Bush

Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley says increased cooperation with D.C. law enforcement has led to a drop in crime on their border.

O'Malley says D.C. and Maryland need to work on the serving of arrest warrants. He met with D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty in Annapolis. They say they are creating databases to share information across the border.

Past meetings included the governor of Virginia, but new Governor Bob McDonnell was not in attendance. A spokesperson for O'Malley says leaders from Virginia were invited, but were not able to attend because of the short time McDonnell has been in office.

Governor McDonnell Talks Budget Cuts To Avoid Raising Taxes

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Matt McCleskey

Lawmakers in Virginia still need to trim $2 billion from the state budget to avoid raising taxes. Governor Bob McDonnell says that means cuts to education and health care spending, among other measures.

Speaking this morning on WAMU 88.5, McDonnell said he's working with the general assembly to determine where the next round of cuts will come. He didn't give specifics but said at least some will be from K-12 and higher education and from health care through Medicaid, since they make up much of the budget.

"It's just a mathematical reality that to adjust $2 billion in the budget there has to be some adjustments in those areas," he said.

McDonnell says while job creation to boost the tax base is one of his long term goals, in the short term he wouldn't rule out more layoffs of state employees. He did say given already high unemployment, layoffs are a last option, with other things like furloughs a possible first.

Council Considers Expanding Guide-Dog Laws

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Peter Granitz

The D.C. Council will consider today whether to grant guide-dogs-in-training the same access and rights that full service animals have.

Jo Anne Walser raises puppies as a volunteer for the Guide Dog Foundation, housing and training them from just weeks old until they're ready to move on to professionals who mold them into service animals worth tens-of-thousands-of-dollars.

They never leave her side, even when she flies or drives long distances for work.

At her home in Bristow, Virginia, she's teaching Opal, a 6 month-old golden retriever how to lead a blind person.

"The proper position for these dogs is different than your standard heel," says Walser.

She says the most important part of her job is exposing dogs to different environments, from the spread of land she has to crowded streets in D.C. But she says workers at the National Zoo have given her a hard time and a friend training a puppy was asked to leave the Lincoln Memorial.

She says the D.C. bill will make her job easier.

"There have been times where I've been some place in Virginia where somebody started giving me a hard time and I pull out the law and say: 'Oh by the way. Part of what we do is educate,'" she says.

A final vote could come later this month. It's already passed the Public Safety and Judiciary committees.

D.C. Council Chief Paints Worrisome Picture Of City's Budget Outlook

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Mana Rabiee

The head of the D.C. Council is painting a worrisome picture of the city's budget outlook, saying the District could face a more-than $600 million budget shortfall by the end of the next fiscal year.

Council Chairman Vincent Gray says the city faces a budget gap of nearly $225 million for this year alone.

"There's no question that we face an enormously difficult task," says Gray.

Gray says the 2010 shortfall is due to over spending by individual city departments including corrections, human services and education.

The city's emergency reserve also fell from nearly $1.5 billion in 2008 to approximately $920 million today -- mostly because of declining revenue and previous budget gaps.

Gray is pushing "emergency legislation " to require Mayor Adrian Fenty to spell out how he will compensate for this year's excess spending.

"We've got to get on top of this now. We want a plan from the Mayor that will explain how this will happen," he says.

The Mayor's office issued a statement saying he will take immediate measures to manage agency spending and will present a revised 2010 budget on April 1.

Virginia Senate Passes Bill Prohibiting Federal Insurance Mandate

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Rebecca Blatt

Virginia's Democratically-controlled state senate has approved three bills that would ban government health care mandates like the one being debated in Congress.

The bills are similar to measures introduced by conservative lawmakers in approximately 30 states. They're based on model legislation from the American Legislative Exchange Council, based in D.C.

Virginia Senator Frederick Quayle, who sponsored one of the bills, says it deals with a basic Constitutional issue - whether the federal government has the authority to require individuals to purchase anything. Quayle and other supporters say the federal government is stepping on states rights in trying to do so.

Opponents say the bills might adversely affect custody cases that require a parent to provide coverage for a child or sports activities that require participants to be insured. They also question whether the state has the power to block the federal government's mandate.

Virginia's Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli says he is ready to challenge any mandate in court.

Obama Budget Includes Increased Smithsonian Funding

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Rebecca Blatt

President Obama's budget plan trims funds for the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. However, it includes a $36 million increase for the Smithsonian Institution.

The proposal includes close to $800 million for the Smithsonian. That would be the most the Smithsonian has ever received. The Institution had requested funding for new priorities set out in a new strategic plan -- including a focus on biodiversity and climate change.About $8 million would be devoted to that research. Another $20 million would go to design the National Museum of African-American History and Culture, scheduled to open on the National Mall in 2015.

Approximately $1.5 million would be set aside for staff and equipment to continue digitizing the Smithsonian collections to make them accessible online for researchers and visitors who cannot go to the museums in person.

Demand For Care On U.S.N.S. Comfort Continues In Earthquake Aftermath

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

The U.S.N.S. Comfort has been caring for earthquake victims off the coast of Port-au-Prince. While the types of injuries doctors are seeing have changed, the demand for care remains intense.

Sabri Ben-Achour reports.

U.S.N.S. Comfort Faces Backlog Of Earthquake Victims

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

The U.S.N.S. Comfort is working through a backlog of trauma patients off the coast of Haiti.

Sabri Ben-Achour reports.

Northern Va. Delegate Wants Easier Path For New Charter Schools

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Jonathan Wilson

Virginia currently has only three public charter schools, and a state delegate from Manassas wants to ease the process for new ones.

State Delegate Bob Marshall, a Republican, says it's likely that local school boards, charged with approving new charter schools, are denying qualified applications.

He says its the only way to explain the small number of charter schools in the state.

"We cant believe that all the applications are that deficient," says Marshall.

Marshall is proposing two bills.

One would allow the state to hear appeals of denied public charter school applications.

The second would withhold some funding from school districts found to have denied legitimate applications.

Morton Sherman, Superintendent for Alexandria City Public Schools, says there's a simpler reason why Virginia has fewer charter schools than D.C. and Maryland.

"Often you find charter schools popping up where schools are failing," Sherman says. "You generally dont find that here in Virginia," says Sherman.

Marshall points out that the push for more charter schools is coming from both sides of the political aisle, getting support from Republican Governor Bob McDonnell, and President Obama.

"If you've got Bob McDonnell, Barack Obama and Bob Marshall agreeing on something, either look to the Book of Revelations for the end of the world, or do it," he says.

Marshall hopes to find bipartisan support among the members of the General Assembly.

Toyota Dealers Prepare To Repair Recalls

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Elliott Francis

As Toyota details a plan to recall and repair defective accelerator pedals in many of its models, local owners and dealers are working on what to do next.

The repair parts are expected to arrive in dealerships and repair shops later this week. If your car is recalled, you may still have to wait a few days until technicians are trained to make the repair says Jack Fitzgerald, President of Fitzgerald Toyota in Rockville, Maryland.

"I may want them to practice on some of the cars we already have before we turn them loose on the customers to make sure they know exactly what they're doing...," says Fitzgerald.

4-million Toyotas have been recalled to correct a flaw which could cause the accelerator to stick, yet some motorists ignore the recall. Glenn Marvin owns a car on the recall list but will not get it repaired.

"I had a sticky accelerator once on a Chevrolet and they had a recall on it but I never bothered taking it in," says Marvin.

Fitzgerald disagrees...

"I believe that less than half the people are getting them done. There's a reason for a recall, and we should all get them done," he says.

Owners of cars on the recall list will be notified by phone or email.

Power Breakfast For February 2, 2010

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

Don't know. Can't tell.

Tough to say what will happen when top military brass testify today on 'Don't Ask Don't Tell.' The mere fact of a hearing on the matter, is itself a long time coming. For a bit of perspective...

Elizabeth Wynne Johnson reports.

MarylandReporter.com: State Roundup Feb. 2, 2010

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 17:06:00 -0500

From the Maryland Reporter website:

STATE OF THE STATE: Gov. O'Malley will deliver the state of the state address today. Linda So with ABC2 News reports he will focus on the economy and jobs. How the governor wants to bring in more jobs is drawing criticism, reports David Collins with WBALTV.WJZ's Andrea Fujii reports on what the governor hopes to accomplish this year. Sean Sedam has a preview in the Gazette. Red Maryland editor Brian Griffiths issued a video "prebuttal" to Gov. O'Malley's state of the state speech.

SPENDING: Don Fry, head of the Greater Baltimore Committee and all-around go-to guy in the business community, wrote an intriguing essay for his members in which he tries to answer the question: "What's the ultimate cause of the Maryland government's deficit? Is it the recession or is it that Maryland's spending habits are out of kilter? State data suggest that the answer lies somewhere in between."

HOGAN: The leading Republican with clear pans to challenge Gov. O'Malley has dropped out of the race, Julie Bykowicz writes in The Sun. John Wagner with The Washington Post reports Lawrence Hogan, Jr. says he is convinced former Gov. Bob Ehrlich will run. Here's The Associated Press' take on the bow-out from the former Ehrlich cabinet member and Doug Tallman's report in the Gazette.

TABLE GAMES: Gov. O'Malley opposes expanding Maryland slots law to include table games or more slots parlor locations, reports Scott Dance with Baltimore Business Journal. However, state lawmakers are working on legislation to add table games to the state's slots sites, writes Hayley Peterson in The Washington Examiner.

SEX OFFENDER BOARD: Gov. O'Malley announced this appointments to the sex offender advisory board. Julie Bykowicz with The Baltimore Sun reports the committee has lain dormant since its establishment in 2006.

EDUCATION LEGISLATION: The state turned down a chance to receive federal education funds because state laws are unfriendly to trends in school reform. Some Republicans are gathering support for legislative changes, reports Leah Fabel with The Washington Examiner, and some of the changes are backed by State Superintendent Nancy Grasmick,

CRIME DATA: Maryland may share sensitive crime data as part of the next phase in intelligence-sharing between capital area law enforcement agencies, writes Aaron Davis in The Washington Post.

BUDGET: Bryan Sears with Patuxent Publishing writes that the state isn't the only one with budget woes, as Baltimore County faces a $138 million shortfall.

BUSINESS: Gov. O'Malley wants to help businesses with their skyrocketing unemployment insurance taxes. But The Sun's Bykowicz reports businesses don't seem to want the help.

DIVORCE LAWS: Lawmakers are pushing for relaxed divorce laws that would allow couples to live under the same roof during the year before the state will recognize their separation.

WIRETAP LAW: Eastern Shore Republican Del. Richard Sossi is proposing a bill to change the state's wiretap law, The Associated Press reports.

TRANSPARENCY: Baltimore City made it easier to access how much the city's agencies are spending each month with the launch of a new website, reports Danielle Ulman with The Daily Record.

TUITION: State officials say a tuition increase is unlikely, even if the University System of Maryland's is cut midyear, reports the Capital News Service.

RAIL STIMULUS: The ranking Republican on the House Transportation Committee, Rep. John Mica of Florida, called Maryland's $70 million stimulus share for high-speed rail improvements "an insult." Other states received amounts in the billions, reports Capital News Service.

BALTIMORE MAYOR: Baltimore City Council members praised outgoing Mayor Shelia Dixon at her final lunch with the council, writes The Sun's Julie Scharper. On Thursday, City Council President Stephanie Rawlings-Blake will take over as mayor. Last night was the council's final meeting with Rawlings-Blake as president, reports WBAL-TV.

MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT: We missed stories from the weekend about the state school board fining Montgomery County $23 million for failing to fully fund public schools in the Post and the Sentinel.

Latest D.C. Local News

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 11:06:00 -0500

WASHINGTON (AP) A 25-year-old man has been sentenced to 61 years in prison for fatally shooting a landscaper over some grass clippings that landed on him as he walked by. Lankward Harrington was found guilty of second-degree murder in the death of Jose Villatoro in 2006.

WASHINGTON (AP) A D.C. fire official says about 75 people, including 25 children, have been temporarily displaced after a small fire at an apartment building. A D.C. fire department spokesman says a relatively small electrical fire broke out around 5 a.m. today in the basement of a three-story building.

WASHINGTON (AP) Authorities are urging motorists to be careful on their morning commute after the weekend blast of snow and ice. They caution some roads may still be slippery with ice after the storm that blanketed the Mid-Atlantic region in snow.

Latest Maryland Regional News

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 11:06:00 -0500

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) After testing the waters, Republican Larry Hogan says he's not going to run for Maryland governor. Hogan called off work by his exploratory committee and called on former Gov. Robert Ehrlich to run instead for the GOP for the state's highest office.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley and D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty are crediting increased law enforcement cooperation with reducing crime along the Maryland-Washington border. Authorities say homicides especially are down in Montgomery and Prince George's counties near D.C.

BALTIMORE (AP) Former U.S. champion skater Kimmie Meissner has taken to the ice in Baltimore at a benefit to raise money for Haiti's quake victims. Meissner won't take part in the winter Olympics because of knee problems but wanted to help those injured in last month's powerful quake.

Latest Virginia Regional News

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 11:06:00 -0500

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) Virginia's Senate Democrats have passed a measure so Virginians won't have to purchase health care insurance even if it's mandated in the federal health care overhaul. Their initiative is based on model legislation by a watchdog group that seeks to limit government.

CHANTILLY, Va. (AP) Travelers at Dulles International have gone back to using the older "mobile lounges" to shuttle to their gates after a major water pipe break at the airport. Water flooded a platform area on the all-new AeroTrain shuttle that was unveiled last month.

HARRISONBURG, Va. (AP) Two Harrisonburg men have been arrested and charged with setting off an explosive device near James Madison University. Authorities say the weekend blast near some Harrisonburg railroad tracks caused minor damage but wasn't related to terrorism.

Chesapeake Cleanup Gets $13 Million More In Obama Budget

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 18:06:00 -0500

BALTIMORE (AP) Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts would get $13 million more under President Obama's newly released budget.

While the federal Environmental Protection Agency's overall budget would shrink slightly, funding for the bay, Mississippi River and Great Lakes would increase. The increase would bring funding for EPA's Chesapeake Bay Program to $63 million.

A budget summary released by the White House says the increased Chesapeake Bay funding supports Obama's May executive order, which calls for the development of a bay restoration strategy.

The EPA budget summary says the increased funding will support the federal agency's regulatory, permitting, modeling and reporting efforts.

Cooperation Leading To Reduction In Crime

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Matt Bush

The governor of Maryland the mayor of D.C. are hailing a reduction in crime along their border.

Before reaching his current position, D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty was a city councilman for Ward 4, which borders both Montgomery and Prince George's Counties in Maryland. He said residents back then felt crime solving stopped at the border.

He and Maryland governor Martin O'Malley say increased cooperation has led to a drastic drop in homicides. D.C. saw its lowest homicide total in 45 years in 2009, while the suburban Maryland counties also saw reductions in murders.

Lines Form For Jobs In New Department Of Homeland Security Building

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Kavitha Cardoza

The new Department of Homeland Security, or D.H.S., headquarters being built in southeast D.C. is expected to create 1,000 on site jobs as part of the more than $3 billion project, and many residents are hoping to take some of those coveted spots.

When Christopher Moskowitz got in line at six this morning, there were already more than 50 people ahead of him. They're all hoping to land a construction job on the DHS site.

Moskowitz has been unemployed for four months and has filled out hundreds of job applications. In his words, it's been "rough."

"Just needing some work. Old lady coming down on me," he says. "It was alright with her at first and she was understanding, but understanding doesn't get the bills paid."

Nia Brown is one of the few women in the queue. She says she has two children to take care of.

"It's a struggle. You got to ask people to help you. And I don't like asking people to help me," she says. "I want to do it myself."

Shapour Ebadi overseas the project. He says contractors have been asked to use the local labor force as much as possible.

"We want to be a good neighbor. We're one of the biggest recipients of stimulus funds," says Ebadi. "And we want to see what we can do to help the community."

Residents will have to wait a little longer: hiring will begin in earnest when the weather gets warmer.

D.C. Council Chief Calls City's Over Spending An 'Emergency'

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Mana Rabiee

The District of Columbia is burning through its 2010 fiscal budget faster than lawmakers expected. Now the city faces a shortfall of nearly $225 million and the head of the city council is calling for emergency measures.

City Council Chairman Vincent Grey says the city is spending money much too fast--so fast that he is calling for "emergency legislation" to rein in city spending.

"We have got to get on top of this," says Grey. "The council worked very hard to reach a balanced budget for fiscal year 2010 and we intend to have a balanced budget at the end of this year."

Grey places the blame squarely on Mayor Adrian Fenty's failure to follow council's budget recommendations.

"I think clearly where you have policy proposals that haven't been implemented that clearly falls on the executive," he says.

The emergency legislation would require the Mayor to submit a plan to address the city's overspending by February 8th.

VA Launches Mental Health Initiative For Uninsured

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 14:06:00 -0500

RICHMOND, VA. (AP) A $2 million initiative is under way in Virginia to provide mental health care to uninsured residents.

Gov. Bob McDonnell announced the "A New Lease on Life" effort Monday. Treatment will be provided through the Virginia Health Care Foundation.

The foundation received a $1 million challenge grant a year ago from the Attorney General's office when McDonnell was attorney general. The foundation raised $1 million to match the grant.

McDonnell says the initiative will help close a gap in treatment.

Maryland Republican Calls For Ehrlich To Run

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Matt McCleskey

A former Republican cabinet member in Maryland says he won't run for governor, but he's urging his old boss to give it another shot.

Larry Hogan served in the cabinet of former Republican Governor Robert Ehrlich. He had formed an exploratory committee to look into pursuing his party's nomination for governor this November, although following big Democratic gains in 2008, Hogan initially had said a Republican win looked like a long shot.

But now, he says recent Republican victories in important races around the country show Maryland could be competitive too. Hogan says he's dropping his bid and is instead urging Ehrlich to challenge current Democratic Governor, Martin O'Malley, to a rematch.

He's also urging any other Republicans thinking about running to unite behind an Ehrlich bid. There's been no word yet from Ehrlich on whether or not he'll run.

Virginia Wins Sliver Of Needed Rail Money

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Peter Granitz

Despite a $75 million grant to upgrade an 11-mile stretch of the railway between Washington and Richmond, some people want to know to pay for the rest of the corridor.

Rich Sampson, editor of Rail Magazine, says money Virginia won is just a sliver of what it could secure in the next few years.

Sampson says landing this money in the first go-around should force the Commonwealth to apply again when more federal money becomes available.

"You want to build momentum from the first project onward through successive ones," he says. "That leads me to believe there will be additional investments in Virginia going forward."

Sampson says completely upgrading the Washington-Richmond line will take more than $1.7 billion. That money would go to adding more lines, so passenger rail would not have to yield to freight lines in what sometimes seems like drawn-out games of chicken.

"I'd like to complain but I'm grateful for what we got," he says.

Republican Joe May represents Leesburg in the House of Delegates and chairs the Transportation Committee. He says the 11-mile upgrade near Quantico was the only shovel-ready project in Virginia.

"Would I have liked to have gotten more in Virginia? You bet your boots," says May. "But it's sort of hard to compete with the California shovel read."

May says Virginia is in a transportation funding crisis and will apply for future federal money.

Portrait Of Author J.D. Salinger On Display At Smithsonian

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 11:06:00 -0500

A portrait of the late "Catcher In The Rye" author J.D. Salinger will be installed today at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery.

The portrait, by Robert Vickery, can be viewed by the public starting at 11:30 a.m. today.

In this portrait the author is painted against a metaphorical amber wave of grain, according to a press release from the Smithsonian Institute. The image appeared on the cover of Time magazine in 1961.

D.C. Poll Rates Rhee Much Lower

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Kavitha Cardoza

Support for D.C. School's Chancellor Michelle Rhee is falling, according to a new Washington Post poll. Rhee's job approval rating has dropped over the past two years, even though residents of the district believe the public school system is beginning to improve.

Rhee's performance was viewed favorably by almost 60 percent of residents in January 2008, with approximately 30 percent disapproving. Now it's almost even: 43 percent approve of what she's doing, while 44 percent are dissatisfied.

Those with children in D.C. public schools have nearly reversed their opinion of Rhee. Two years ago, 54 percent of parents approved of her; now, 54 percent disapprove. And support for Rhee has fallen dramatically among African-Americans, with almost twice as many "strongly disapproving" of her performance.

But residents also believe violence in schools has declined. Under Rhee, the graduation rate and standardized test scores have improved.

Almost 1,200 D.C. residents participated in the poll.

Conviction Upheld For Former Maryland Police Officer

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Bill Redlin

A former police officer from Prince George's county, Maryland, will be staying behind bars for killing a furniture delivery man.

The Court of Special Appeals upheld the conviction of Keith Washington. He was also a county homeland security official, and he was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and first-degree assault in the January 2007 shooting.

Furniture delivery man Brandon Clark was killed, and a second man, Robert White, was wounded. In an opinion handed down Friday but made public today, the court rejected Washington's argument the trial court should have admitted evidence of White's 11 past criminal convictions to show a propensity for violence.

Washington contends the men attacked him. Also last week, a judge in Prince George's county threw out a civil suit brought by White, and by Clark's relatives.

New Fairfax County Parking Restrictions Start Today

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

New parking rules go into effect today in Fairfax County, where commercial vehicles will no longer be able to park on neighborhood streets.

The ordinance was unanimously approved by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in December, and places new restrictions on height, width and weight of vehicles that can be parked on residential streets.

The Fairfax County Police Department will begin responding to complaints today, informing people they'll need to find another place to park their commercial vehicles.

Michael Pope reports...

Getting Creative To Make Commuting Bearable

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

It's hard to overstate the effect transportation has on everyday life. It determines where people live, what jobs they take, where they shop, and where their children go to school.

WAMU is beginning a year-long partnership with public radio station WNYC in New York and the non-profit investigative news organization Pro-Publica to examine how transportation works - and how it doesn't work.

In the first story in this series, we examine the creative methods people use to make their commutes manageable.

David Schultz reports...

Fairfax Schools Tries To Avoid Another Class-Size Increase

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Jonathan Wilson

In Virginia, members of Fairfax County's School Board are facing a tough vote on the budget later this week. Some members say one way to avoid drastic cuts will be to ask county supervisors for more education funding.

The school district is facing a $176 million shortfall, but board members also want to save programs like indoor track and foreign language in elementary schools.

Most important to several members of the board is finding a way to avoid increasing average class size for the third year in a row. Tessie Wilson is the boards vice chairman.

"Especially in a time when were not able to give teachers or any of our staff a raise, the burden of increasing class size is hard to swallow," says Wilson.

To avoid bumping up class size, the district could ask the county for an extra $17 million.

Jason Tipton, a policy adviser for county Board of Supervisors Chair Sharon Bulova, says that would require an approximately one-cent increase in the property tax rate.

Tipton says much depends on the state's new governor, Bob McDonnell, who has yet to decide whether to reverse his predecessor's education funding cuts, or add more of his own.

VA Born Ms. America Pledges Support For AIDS Awarness

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Elliott Francis

A woman from Virginia is the nation's newest Miss America. She plans to spend the next year in an effort which gained the attention of Capitol Hill.

The newly crowned Caressa Cameron beat a field of 53 contestants to become the first black Miss America since Ericka Dunlap back in in 2005.

The 22-year-old native of Fredericksburg and student at Virginia Commonwealth, says she plans a second year away from college to raise money and attention for her platform issue, AIDS awareness.

Cameron says the issue is personal for her because her uncle died of AIDS and her family supported a foster child who lived with the disease.

She was recognized by Congress in 2007 for her work to bring instant-result HIV testing to the state of Virginia.

Women In Maryland Discuss Rights In The Workplace

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Mana Rabiee

Hundreds of women gathered in Rockville, Maryland to discuss legislative proposals that could affect the lives of working women across the state.

The Women's Legislative Briefing was sponsored by the Montgomery County Commission for Women.

Commission President Jaclyn Lichter says their legislative priorities this year center around mothers in poverty. They include measures to help women know their right to the Earned Income Tax Credit and to available unemployment insurance.

Her group is also working towards a bill that would protect against work place discrimination which stems from family responsibilities, like taking care of children or older parents.

"So say you're a mother and your boss never invites you to travel to a conference because he assumes you're a mother and you wouldn't want to go. The discrimination comes when then you're not offered a chance to compete," says Lichter.

Lichter says the measure has passed in counties like Montgomery and Frederick, but that they want the General Assembly to make it a statewide protection.

Handlers Prepare To 'FedEx' Tai Shan To Native China

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Mana Rabiee

The National Zoo's most famous Giant Panda returns to his native China this week. He'll need much more than a boarding pass for his long journey home.

Come Thursday morning, Tai Shan will join his cousin, a female from Atlanta, on board a custom-fitted FedEx cargo plane headed for China, where he'll begin a new life in a breeding program.

FedEx spokesman Ed Coleman says hundreds of people have been involved in the transport.

"If you take all the ground operations teams, and all the air ops team, and you put them all together and all the experts that it takes, we have been dedicated over the last couple of weeks to make this journey happen," says Coleman.

But only one person will be sitting at Tai Shan's side for much of the flight.

Nicole Meese met Tai Shan -- or Tai -- just weeks after he was born. She's now his principle keeper at the zoo.

"My plan is to just pretty much sit by Tai Shan as much as possible, enjoy those last few hours together and say my good-byes," says Meese.

Tai Shan will fly with one of his favorite toys - a piece of fire hose he likes to play with.

Power Breakfast For February 1, 2010

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

Let the reckoning begin.

Bits and pieces of the President's budget have already leaked. But for lawmakers like Oregon Democrat Earl Blumenauer, the fun is just beginning.

Elizabeth Wynne Johnson reports.

Baltimore's New Mayor Takes Over This Week

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Cathy Duchamp

Baltimore will get a new mayor this week. Sheila Dixon officially resigns from the post Thursday, following a plea deal that brings a drawn-out corruption probe to a close.

Rawlings-Blake will leave her Baltimore City Council President job for the Mayor's office with one top priority in mind: the city's $127-million budget deficit.

"That's the equivalent of our entire fire department, half the police force, 2,200 city jobs. We have to get our government working and that means balancing our budget," says Rawlings-Blake.

But for some residents, getting the government working means putting more police officers on the street. Valerie Neuder lives in Baltimore's Highlandtown neighborhood.

"They deal drugs around here all the time. And we call the police and they really don't do nothing," says Neuder.

Next-door neighbor Julie Chaplinski agrees. But they are also concerned about a government that allows outgoing Mayor Sheila Dixon to collect a city pension, despite her conviction for taking gift cards intended for families in need.

"I mean there are people out there that work 40 years for one lump-sum pension and she's getting it every year. No, that's not right," says Chaplinski.

Rawlings-Blake says the city council is looking at what other communities have done to address that issue. She also points to a bill she introduced last week that would change the makeup of Baltimore's ethics board.

"I think it's going to be a significant departure and signal very strongly that there's a new way to do business in the city," she says.

Rawlings-Blake takes the oath of office on Thursday.

Fairfax School Board Likely To Ask County For More Money

Sun, 31 Jan 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Jonathan Wilson

In Virginia, school board members in Fairfax County say they're unlikely to increase class size in the district for the third year in a row, a reversal of the superintendent's budget proposal.

Fairfax's public school district is facing a $176 million budget shortfall and increasing average class size would save $17 million.

Board Vice Chair Tessie Wilson says another class size increase would be horrible for the district and the board is likely to ask for more money from county leaders to avoid one.

But Wilson says decisions made by the school board now could still be rendered meaningless by the end of the Spring.

"We could have a decrease in state funding, so that anything that is added in now is not a given," says Wilson. "It may come out."

Fairfax's school board votes on the budget this Thursday.

Free Tax Filing Begins In District

Sun, 31 Jan 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Peter Granitz

Tax season is here, and every Saturday until April 15th, low-income D.C. residents can have their taxes prepared for free around the city.

D.C. residents making less than $22,000 a year can have their taxes filed by volunteers with the non-profit D.C. Earned Income Tax Credit Campaign.

Debra Fuller paid $150.00 last year to have her taxes prepared professionally. She says this year she needed to save that money, so she had her taxes filed for free at the Ophelia Egypt Center in northeast D.C. She learned right away she's receiving $450.00.

"This year it will be to pay off debts and help my daughter out with a few things, bills that she's behind on," she says. "And just take care of the grandkids."

Last year 6,000 people took advantage of the free service.

The campaign has five locations throughout the district, including the downtown library and two in ward eight.

Hundreds Attend Annual Briefing In MD On Legislation For Women

Sun, 31 Jan 2010 00:06:00 -0500

By Mana Rabiee

Hundreds of concerned women gathered in Rockville, Maryland for an annual review of legislative proposals in the state assembly and Congress that could affect their lives and their livelihoods.

Some 600 people, almost all of them women, gathered for the 30th Annual Women's Legislative Briefing, sponsored by the Montgomery County Commission for Women.

They met to to discuss new legislation that targets women and their economic security, from changing how unemployment insurance is calculated to unionizing child care workers.

"It's an opportunity for women to leave and say 'OK, I learned something, I'm now going to do something," says Commission President Jaclyn Lichter. "I'm going to go to Annapolis, I'm going to advocate for the issues that I care about, or I'm going to write a letter to my legislature."

One of the highest priorities at Sunday's event was the Pay Check Equality bill, which would make salaries at the workplace more transparent.