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New appraising techniques could ensure fairness, innovators say
Innovators in a collaborative challenge explain how their businesses help improve fairness in the home appraisal process.
MARYLAND, USA — After WUSA 9 published a report last November detailing allegations of alleged home appraisal bias in Prince George’s County, more families have come forward with similar experiences. These families claim because they’re Black homeowners in majority-Black neighborhoods, some home appraisers are assigning lower values, suggesting these neighborhoods do not hold equal value to houses in majority-white neighborhoods.
Nichelle Shaw believes she may have been a victim of appraisal bias. The Hyattsville homeowner purchased her house in 1999 for $109k. She refinanced her house several times and said she never had a problem. But her luck ran out in 2019.
“I knew in my gut it was wrong,” said Shaw, describing her own experience with a lower-than-expected appraisal.
In 2019, Shaw was once again going through the process to get her house refinanced. The first appraisal returned at $273,000.
“When I got the report back, it was saying stuff like I need to paint the house, I needed to fix the taps," she said. "I would have to spend about $5,000 to refinance a house I'm staying in."
The report didn’t make sense to her, especially since similar houses in her neighborhood were selling for $300,000.
“I felt a little foolish,” Shaw said.
She closed her case with the bank she was working with and went to another bank. When the house was appraised again, it was valued at $315,000—an increase of $40,000.
Examples like Shaw’s highlight the need for change in the home appraisal process.
"If we can find ways to remove these drags or racism from housing markets, you uplift entire economies, you [can] uplift [an] entire family," said Dr. Andre Perry, Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institute. "So, it's an important issue."
In March, The Interagency Task Force on Property Appraisal and Valuation Equity (PAVE), released its report outlining action items to address inequity within the home appraisal process. Some of the recommendations include enhancing enforcement of fair housing laws, requiring appraisers to participate in bias training, and limiting barriers for entry for those wanting to become an appraiser.
“It's one thing to know it and read it. It's another thing to see people who have lived it,” said Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia Fudge. “The cost of housing today is so phenomenally out of reach for the average person, you can't even buy a home, but we have people who have invested in their homes and are getting nothing."
Many are banking on innovation to help propel change. The Brookings Institute partnered with Ashoka, a social entrepreneurship organization, to create the "Valuing Homes in Black Communities Challenge." The competition gave 10 organizations up to $100,000 to address devaluation. Rosalind Williams, the Co-Founder of With Action, was one of the winning organizations.
WITH Action uses restorative home appraisals, requiring appraisers to use comparable sales from wealthy white neighborhoods when appraising homes in Black neighborhoods.
“I think a lot lies in the guidelines for appraisers that really just recreates redlining in Black neighborhoods,” said Williams. "I picked restorative because it’s what it should have been if it wasn't for the devaluation of all these years."
John Liss, CEO of True Footage, made it to the semi-finals of the challenge. His company also focuses on home appraisals using a diverse group of certified appraisers and broad data to limit home appraisal bias.
“We're looking at adding more data to the process and making sure that all decisions being made in the appraisal process are focused on data,” explained Liss.
The idea is that with a greater reliance on data, appraisal bias should be limited with fewer incidents. Critics, however, add that if the data is skewed, it could perpetuate the problem as well.
WUSA9 investigation prompts appraisal bias legislation, now a leading issue in Maryland's gubernatorial race | 2022-05-10T00:26:13Z | www.wusa9.com | New technology helps to ensure appraisal equality | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/features/originals/appraisal-bias-new-technology-to-promote-fairness/65-4faf76b0-c07d-4931-98f4-3efac959b8eb | https://www.wusa9.com/article/features/originals/appraisal-bias-new-technology-to-promote-fairness/65-4faf76b0-c07d-4931-98f4-3efac959b8eb |
Over the last two weeks, the percentage of baby formulas that are out of stock jumped from 30% to 40% according to Datasembly.
WASHINGTON D.C., DC — Some families across the D.C. region are struggling to find baby formula amid a national shortage that has left retailers struggling to keep it on the shelves and parents desperate to get ahold of it.
The shortage started in February after a recall of certain baby formula brands. Datasembly, a retail data website based in Tysons, Virginia said over the last two weeks the percentage of baby formulas that are out of stock jumped from 30% to 40%. In D.C. 34% of the formula is currently out of stock, according to Datasembly.
The Napkin Network, a D.C.-area nonprofit of moms helping moms in need has stepped up to try and connect parents who are able to donate unused and unneeded formula with parents who desperately need it.
The local organization started as a way to get diapers, formula, wipes, and other necessities for moms who couldn't afford them, but the last two to three months have turned into a mission to help moms find and secure baby formula.
"As a mom, there’s no greater fear than you won’t be able to take care of your child," Lindsay Gill, the Founder of the Napkin Network said.
"You can’t get around feeding your child. And what we’re seeing also is parents are starting to maybe water down their formula or do things that are unhealthy and could potentially be deadly if they do it incorrectly. So we really need to be aware this could be a crisis if we don’t address it at a local and even a national level with our administration," Gill said.
RELATED: Abbott recalls more Similac formula after second baby dies
The White House addressed the issue of the formula shortage Monday. White House Press Secretary Jen Pskai said the FDA is working to ensure the formula on the shelves is safe while working to make more formulas available soon.
But that message isn't calming the anxieties of mothers who are struggling to find out where they can buy their baby's next meal.
As Gill works to help families locally, and across the country, she herself is running into the same problem the moms she's working to help are facing.
"I have a four-month-old who uses formula, the shelves were bare. I bought one can. I’m afraid for when that’s done with where the next one’s going to come from," Gill said.
Despite the anxiety of running out of formula, Gill is urging parents not to hoard it, warning it could lead to more problems.
“Moms, parents, they’re getting nervous so they’re buying it up in bulk I see a lot of signage saying limited to one or two at a time to avoid that toilet paper issue we had during COVID where the shelves were bare because people were hoarding them," Gill said. "But this is different than toilet paper, this is food for your child. Like I said, I have a baby that’s his only source of nutrition is formula.”
If you are a parent and you have formula you are not using you can donate it to the Napkin Network by clicking HERE.
If you are in need of formula you can find help through the nonprofit HERE.
You can also learn more on the nonprofit's Instagram. | 2022-05-10T02:00:37Z | www.wusa9.com | Baby formula shortage worsens across DC region | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/health/baby-formula-shortage-problem-continues-to-worsen-as-parents-struggle-to-find-it/65-99771371-bde3-4271-b60e-c35784a2b82a | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/health/baby-formula-shortage-problem-continues-to-worsen-as-parents-struggle-to-find-it/65-99771371-bde3-4271-b60e-c35784a2b82a |
The comments were made during the Capital Stonewall Democrats debate on May 4.
WASHINGTON D.C., DC — An apology from a long-time politician who is trying to get back into office. Former Ward 5 Councilmember Vincent Orange is running for his old seat. Now, he is walking back some comments he made during a recent debate about his openly gay opponent.
Orange served as Ward 5 Councilmember from 1999 to 2007.
The veteran politician is up against six candidates including State Board of Education President Zachary Parker who has gained endorsements by the Washington Teachers Union and Attorney General Karl Racine.
The Orange campaign platform is robust: from crime-fighting, pedestrian safety, and free tuition at the University of the District of Columbia to portable showers for the unhoused. But it’s what he said at the end of the last debate that has everyone talking. Orange seemingly referred to Zachary Parker’s social media announcement a month ago that he identifies as a gay man.
“Twice I’ve heard Mr. Parker say, ‘I’m openly gay and I’m espousing to help,” said Orange in the May 4 virtual debate, which was recorded on Zoom. “But he was an elected official for almost four years and all the things we’ve discussed tonight he could have helped those young kids and adults by being that proud LGBTQ leader…So it seems out of convenience.”
“I apologize,” said Orange during an interview Monday. “I regret if it came out the wrong way, and out in the context of which we were discussing the issues of the day, the issues of the day were violence on the LGBTQ youth.”
During the debate, Parker responded in his closing statement by saying, “it is worth noting that violence comes in many forms and we’ve seen that here tonight.”
Many took to Twitter to admonish the veteran politician, including Ward 1 Councilmember Brianne Nadaeu.
WOW. @ZacharyforWard5 thank you for sharing your whole self with all of us openly, on your terms. I'm sorry you're facing this hatefulness, but I am not surprised. Hell no, VO. You need to do some more work sir. This is not acceptable and the District deserves better. https://t.co/dnmTBDcLSk
— Brianne K Nadeau (@BrianneKN) May 7, 2022
Many were critical not only of what was said but where. The debate was hosted by the Capital Stonewall Democrats which is a long-time LGBTQ political action group.
“Those comments were unexpected but honestly not surprising my opponent has a record of opposing LGBTQ+ issues,” said Parker in Monday’s interview. “It’s up to the voters to determine if that’s the kind of person they want representing them on the council.”
“I've been a champion ever since my evolution, I have a strong LGBTQ record,” responded Orange who admits to being opposed to same-sex marriage in 2006, but said he later performed the first ceremony of its kind in the Wilson Building. His opponent called the comments divisive and a distraction from issues like crime, education and affordable housing.
“We have a possibility to amplify all voices of residents in Ward 5,” said Parker. “To bring a fresh, ethical leadership to the Ward.”
There are five other candidates running for the Ward 5 council seat. WUSA9 reached out to all of them for their reaction, but only one replied. Juan Ulua, Gordon Fletcher's campaign manager emailed a statement from Mr. Fletcher that read:
"This will be a historic election regardless of whoever wins the Ward 5 race. You could have the first immigrant, first woman, or first openly gay person representing the ward. As an immigrant, I know what it is to be marginalized. How and when someone comes out is a personal choice. There’s no place for homophobia in this race.”
The D.C. Primary election is on June 21.
RELATED: Survey: Many DC teachers have contemplated leaving profession during the pandemic
RELATED: DC Council member to resign amid conflict of interest flap | 2022-05-10T02:00:43Z | www.wusa9.com | Vincent Orange apologizes for comments about openly gay opponent | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/dc/veteran-dc-politician-running-for-ward-5-council-apologizes-for-remarks-toward-openly-gay-opponent/65-252afea4-f051-41e3-953c-0f7199dced9f | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/dc/veteran-dc-politician-running-for-ward-5-council-apologizes-for-remarks-toward-openly-gay-opponent/65-252afea4-f051-41e3-953c-0f7199dced9f |
The Democrat made national headlines in 2017 when she became the first openly transgender person to be elected and seated in the Virginia legislature.
Danica Roem, a Democrat for Delegate in Virginia's district 13, and who is transgender, sits in her campaign office on September 22, 2017, in Manassas, Virginia. "Look at the inside of my shoe, ok?" replies Danica Roem when asked how many voters she has already approached in her bid to win a Virginia statehouse seat.The Democratic candidate has no time for subtleties as she races to become the first openly transgender person elected to office in this Republican US state. Whether spitting in the trashcan during a recent interview with Cosmopolitan magazine or whipping off her ballerina flat to show its worn insole to AFP, this young woman does not shy from flaunting her working-class roots. / AFP PHOTO / Paul J. RICHARDS / TO GO WITH AFP STORY -"Transgender metalhead makes historic political office bid" (Photo credit should read PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP/Getty Images)
PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. — A popular Virginia Delegate has announced plans to seek a seat in the Virginia state Senate next year.
Delegate Danica Roem, D-Prince William County, says she will run for the newly drawn 30th Senate District in Western Prince William County and Greater Manassas.
The Democrat made headlines in 2017 when she became the first openly transgender person to be elected and seated in the Virginia legislature.
The Virginia state Senate will be of massive importance in determining how the Commonwealth handles controversial issues in the future.
Currently, Republicans control the Governor’s seat and the House of Delegates, while Democrats hold the Senate by a slim 21 to 19 majority.
Roem said she is aware of the significance of her race.
“You tell me who wins the outer suburbs of Northern Virginia and I'll tell you who’s going to be the next majority in the State Senate,” she said.
Today, I'm announcing my candidacy for the newly drawn, open 30th District of the Virginia state Senate in 2023 to represent the people of western Prince William County and the Cities of Manassas and Manassas Park.
🔃 RT
✅Donate: https://t.co/hWBv7Ex3ubhttps://t.co/jutCLaZPPh
— Del. Danica Roem (@pwcdanica) May 9, 2022
Much like her first campaign, Roem remains focused on improving transportation infrastructure in her community.
She says despite recent progress, there is still work to be done to alleviate traffic congestion along Route 28.
Roem also says there’s a need for more mass transit in the area too. She said she would like to see a new bus commuter line created between Western Prince William County and Dulles International Airport.
“We still have a lot more work to do in terms of developing our mass transit for Western Prince William and for the cities of Manassas and Manassas Park,” she said.
Despite the partisan divide in Richmond, Roem also contends that she would be able to work across the aisle. She said Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin signed nine of her bills into law during the most recent session.
However, she added she will not go along with any efforts to loosen protections for transgender students in Virginia schools.
Instead, Roem said she wants to continue to fight for increasing teacher pay and feeding hungry children in the state.
"If you want a candidate who's going be focused more on burning, and book banning, and censorship, and trying to make people feel bad about their very existence, then I'm not going to be that candidate,” she said.
Many people are also looking to the Virginia Senate to also play a big role in what the Commonwealth does next if Roe v. Wade is overturned by the Supreme Court.
Early this month, Politico reported a leaked draft of a court decision that suggested the court was ready to reverse its abortion position.
I’m humbled today to announce my candidate for the newly-created 30th Senate District. There’s much work to be done- but I’m ready to get started. Why? Because Virginia Can’t Wait. #VirginiaCantWait pic.twitter.com/IMzCoVhrpp
— Ian Lovejoy for State Senate (@IanTLovejoy) March 17, 2022
Roem said if the question of abortion were to go back to the states from the federal government she would do what she could to protect existing reproductive rights.
“Personally, as a trans woman, my transition depends on having reproductive freedom and bodily autonomy,” she said. “And, if I don't want the government restricting my bodily autonomy and taking away my reproductive freedom, then I sure don't want them doing it to anyone else, either.”
Former Manassas City Councilmember Ian Lovejoy also announced on social media in March his intentions to run for the 30th Senate District as a Republican.
WUSA9 has reached out to Lovejoy for comment on his campaign and is still waiting to hear back.
On his campaign website, Lovejoy said he wants to work to reduce regulations on small businesses, empower parents to guide their children's education and ensure public safety is one of the top priorities of government at any level. | 2022-05-10T02:00:49Z | www.wusa9.com | VA Delegate Danica Roem will run for state Senate in 2023 | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/virginia/virginia-delegate-danica-roem-announces-her-plans-to-run-for-state-senate/65-ef71e9ac-bf4d-462a-90c1-c1dd2135802a | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/virginia/virginia-delegate-danica-roem-announces-her-plans-to-run-for-state-senate/65-ef71e9ac-bf4d-462a-90c1-c1dd2135802a |
An employee at Lansdowne Resort was charged with abduction and kidnapping, after she refused to give up the child, eventually returning him to his mother.
LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. — Imagine being at a spa with your infant son when an employee picks up your child and refuses to give him back? That is what one father faced over the weekend in Virginia.
On May 7 just before 11 a.m., a father and his infant son were in the area of a spa at Lansdowne resort in Leesburg off of Woodbridge Parkway. When all of a sudden a female employee walked up to the child and picked him up, according to deputies.
The father asked for the woman to return his son, but the woman reportedly refused to give up the infant, Loudoun sheriffs said in a release.
Security for the resort called the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office (LCSO) and when deputies arrived, the employee and the father had already been separated.
WOW! A father and his infant son were in the area of the spa at Lansdowne Resort when an unknown female employee walked up to the child and picked him up. The employee refused to give the father back the child.
The child's mother arrived at the spa and the employee eventually handed the child to her unharmed, according to police.
Sandra J. Brown, a 38-year-old woman from Ashburn, was charged with Abduction and Kidnapping and transported to the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center where she is being held without bond.
WUSA9 reached out to Lansdowne Resort to get a statement, we are awaiting a reply.
RELATED: Woman arrested for trying to snatch 3-year-old girl who was sitting with her family in a mall food court
RELATED: Kidnapping suspect was on probation for abduction, home invasion conviction | 2022-05-10T03:26:40Z | www.wusa9.com | Woman charged with kidnapping after taking man's son from him | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/virginia/employee-at-spa-takes-fathers-son-refused-to-return-him/65-ead45cd8-f5c9-4ab2-8549-61ddbf3696c2 | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/virginia/employee-at-spa-takes-fathers-son-refused-to-return-him/65-ead45cd8-f5c9-4ab2-8549-61ddbf3696c2 |
DC Police investigating after 3 Northwest DC stabbings in a matter of hours
Police are still working to determine whether any of the incidents are related.
WASHINGTON — Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers are investigating multiple stabbing incidents that occurred in District late Monday and into Tuesday morning.
The most recent stabbing occurred shortly after 3 a.m. Tuesday in the 1300 block of L St. Northwest. Police say the incident stemmed from an argument between two homeless men which escalated when one of the men was stabbed. The suspect fled the scene and the victim was transported to a local hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries, police said.
According to a tweet from MPD, officers also responded to the 700 block of Newton Place, Northwest for a report of a stabbing around 1 a.m. Police are looking for a female suspect in her 20s, but offered few details about what led up to this stabbing.
Late Monday night, police received a 911 call for a stabbing at Georgia Ave. and Morton Street, Northwest. Police say officers found a female victim with stab wounds to the arm and face when they arrived on scene. Her wounds appear to be non-life-threatening.
Anyone with information about these cases is asked to call the police at 202-727-9099. Additionally, anonymous information may be submitted to the department’s text tip line by sending a text message to 50411.
RELATED: Man stabbed to death inside Prince George's County apartment, police say
RELATED: Maryland man gets 80 years in prison in mom's stabbing death | 2022-05-10T09:36:48Z | www.wusa9.com | Police investigating 3 Northwest DC stabbings | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/dc/3-northwest-dc-stabbings-police-investigating/65-2605db98-ba6d-4a13-b404-2d4e9f20a8b1 | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/dc/3-northwest-dc-stabbings-police-investigating/65-2605db98-ba6d-4a13-b404-2d4e9f20a8b1 |
Hands-on learning is at the heart of Roer's Zoofair in Vienna, Virginia.
VIENNA, Va. — Roer’s Zoofari is home to more than 50 species of animals in Vienna, Virginia. Visitors have an opportunity to get up close and personal with llamas, donkeys, kangaroos, goats and more. The facility is divided into two parts: The petting zoo and the safari tour.
The petting zoo lets people observe, play with and feed different animals. Kids can be face-to-face with goats and other barnyard animals in an outdoor enclosure. Lisa Barber, a Roer’s Zoofari member, said she’s seen a transformation in her daughter since they started coming to the zoo.
“When we joined the zoo last year, she was afraid of animals,” said Barber. “And now, she thinks it’s the greatest thing ever. She wants to be a zookeeper when she grows up.”
For an additional cost, visitors can have a special one-on-one encounter with animals including an armadillo, parrot, rabbit or snake. Zookeepers will give fun facts about the animal and species.
Michelle Logan bottle-feeds an 11-month-old red kangaroo named Mauve during an animal encounter.
Those who work at the zoo see the positive impact animals have on people. Eliott Hamblin, an animal manager, said he thinks we can all benefit from connecting with other living creatures.
“The lesson is the world is larger than what’s outside your front door,” said Hamblin. “If we have that conscious awareness of the world around us, we might be able to see our problems a little differently and have a different perspective.”
Just a short walk from the petting zoo is the safari side of the park, where guests take a 20-minute tram ride through a park. Complimentary feed comes is included with the price of admission, so guests can stop along the safari route to feed animals like donkeys and llamas.
Cups of animal feed are provided to guests. Visitors are not allowed to bring in food from outside the park.
Other animals, including zebras and ostriches, can be observed from afar from the zoofari route.
Roer’s Zoofari is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. expect on major holidays. | 2022-05-10T11:09:25Z | www.wusa9.com | Visit Roer's Zoofari for an up-close look at wild animals | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/entertainment/television/programs/get-up-dc/roers-zoofari-virginia-hands-on-petting-zoo-get-up-getaways/65-b7591cff-1b88-412f-b45b-6595933bfcdf | https://www.wusa9.com/article/entertainment/television/programs/get-up-dc/roers-zoofari-virginia-hands-on-petting-zoo-get-up-getaways/65-b7591cff-1b88-412f-b45b-6595933bfcdf |
An acquaintance brought the man with multiple gunshot wounds to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead shortly after arriving.
GAINESVILLE, Va. — Editor's Note: The above video is from May 8, 2022.
Police are investigating a shooting in Gainesville, Virginia after a local hospital alerted them of an 18-year-old man who arrived with a host of gunshot wounds.
It happened Sunday, May 8. Officers responded to investigate the shooting just before 2 a.m. at the nearby Somerset Pointe Apartments in the 14000 block of Deming Drive in Gainesville. Police were told the incident happened an hour earlier.
The man, who was brought to the hospital by an acquaintance, was pronounced dead a short time after his arrival. He was identified as Michael Arthur, from Dumfries.
Police said their investigation revealed that Arthur was shot following a fight in the apartment’s parking lot. No other injuries were reported.
“The incident does not appear to be random and there is no active threat to the community,” police said. | 2022-05-10T11:09:31Z | www.wusa9.com | Dumfries 18-year-old shot dead | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/virginia/virginia-18-year-old-killed-in-gainesville-sunday/65-43c8c4cf-00e3-4bad-9302-42c708cd132c | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/virginia/virginia-18-year-old-killed-in-gainesville-sunday/65-43c8c4cf-00e3-4bad-9302-42c708cd132c |
Myles Frost has been nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical.
Myles Frost, center, appears on stage during the "MJ: The Musical" Broadway opening night curtain call at the Neil Simon Theatre on Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2022, in New York. (Photo by Greg Allen/Invision/AP)
BOWIE, Md. — A student from Bowie State University is nominated for one of Broadway's highest honors.
Myles Frost, a music technology major at Bowie State, has been performing in the lead role of Michael Jackson in MJ: The Musical since last year, when he made his debut at the Neil Simon Theatre.
Since then, Frost has been dazzling Broadway audiences in New York with his acting, dancing and singing. Now he's nominated for a Tony award.
Frost is competing in the for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical category.
Professor Tewodross W. Williams, chair of the Fine and Performing Arts Department at Bowie State, says he is overcome with joy at the news of the nomination.
"When I saw him perform on Broadway in March, I knew he was a special talent,” Williams said in a press release.
Including Frost's nomination, MJ: The Musical was nominated for 10 Tonys in total, including best musical. That's the second-most nominations for one production, behind A Strange Loop.
Winners will be announced on CBS and Paramount+ on June 12.
RELATED: Bowie State senior wins Black History Month design contest for Target
RELATED: This Black Irish step dancer is making history in award-winning Riverdance show | 2022-05-10T14:12:00Z | www.wusa9.com | Bowie State University student gets Tony award nomination | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/maryland/tony-award-nominations-myles-frost-bowie-state-university/65-168b79ff-5b06-4c39-905a-193f11199b30 | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/maryland/tony-award-nominations-myles-frost-bowie-state-university/65-168b79ff-5b06-4c39-905a-193f11199b30 |
The Justice Department has linked the D.C. chapter of the 18th Street gang to multiple violent crimes, including the 2019 murder of a 19-year-old woman.
WASHINGTON — Two members of the D.C. chapter of a violent California street gang have agreed to plead guilty in connection with a 2019 armed conflict with members of the rival MS-13 gang at the Petworth Metro Station.
According to court documents, surveillance cameras captured members of the 18th Street gang drawing weapons as they approached alleged members of MS-13 inside the metro station on Sept. 17, 2019. As the two groups converged, members of both drew weapons. One, Christian Figueroa-Gutierrez, allegedly pulled a meat cleaver out of his backpack. Another, Christopher Molina-Garcia, brandished a large knife. DC Police were eventually called after a third co-defendant drew a .38-caliber Taurus revolver and fired shots.
Members of the gang handed off backpacks and fled the scene. Molina-Garcia was stopped on Sept. 27, 2019, while police were looking for a suspect in an armed robbery in the 4300 block of Arkansas Avenue NW. A large knife was discovered in his backpack but he was not placed under arrest.
Members of the 18th Street gang draw weapons in a confrontation with alleged members of MS-13 at the Petworth Metro Station on Sept. 17, 2019.
A little more than a month later, on Oct. 30, 2019, police received a tip that members of the 18th Street gang were meeting in a laundry room on the 600 block of Longfellow Street NW – allegedly to plan violence against another gang. Officers responded and stopped six individuals, including Molina-Garcia and another individual who was found to have a .38-caliber Taurus revolver. The gun was eventually matched to a bullet casing found at the Petworth Metro Station.
Last week, Molina-Garcia appeared before U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan to plead guilty to one count of violent crime in aid of racketeering and one count of unlawful possession, brandishing and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence. The first count carries a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison. The second count stems from a July 2019 armed robbery in the 4100 block of 14th Street NW.
In June, a second alleged member of the gang linked to the Petworth incident, Figuero-Gutierrez, is scheduled to enter his own guilty plea.
The 18th Street gang is one of the largest international criminal gangs in Los Angeles, according to the Justice Department, rivaling the more infamous MS-13. The DOJ says the gang now has cliques operating in 37 states and 120 cities around the country, including D.C., where members have been linked to multiple violent crimes.
In July 2017, a 19-year-old member of 18th Street, Bryan Montesino, was sentenced to 42 months in prison for two armed attacks at the Columbia Heights Metro Station. Montesino was convicted by a jury of assaulting and threatening to stab a man he believed to be a member of MS-13 in September 2016. He later pleaded guilty to brandishing a handgun and threatening to kill two other men in retaliation for what he believed to be a threat from MS-13 that same month.
In December 2019, four alleged gang members were charged with the murder of 19-year-old Sara Gutierrez-Villatoro. Gutierrez-Villatoro’s body was found shot to death in a wooded area of Maryland. The Washington Post reported at the time police believed her death was retaliation for a perceived betrayal of the gang. Two men – Rigoberto Machado and Jonathan Rivera-Escobar – have pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in connection with Gutierrez-Villatoro’s death. Machado was sentenced in December to 50 years in prison, and Rivera-Escobar is set to be sentenced on July. Two other men, Geovany Dominguez-Escobar and Jordan Moreno, are scheduled to go to trial that same month.
'Reign of terror' | MS-13 leader facing up to 45 years for horrific murders, gang-related crimes in Maryland
Prosecutors seek 35-year sentence for gang member in DMV killing
DOJ: 3 MS-13 gang members arrested, charged with violent crimes | 2022-05-10T17:14:14Z | www.wusa9.com | 18th Street gang members plead guilty in fight at Petworth Metro | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/crime/18th-street-gang-members-to-plead-guilty-in-confrontation-with-ms-13-at-petworth-metro-cleaver-gun/65-84863ed9-17c4-4c02-9fde-442f6be8f8a0 | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/crime/18th-street-gang-members-to-plead-guilty-in-confrontation-with-ms-13-at-petworth-metro-cleaver-gun/65-84863ed9-17c4-4c02-9fde-442f6be8f8a0 |
Unclaimed Baggage, the nation’s only retailer of lost luggage and a highly popular tourist destination, is heading to the DC area during a 50-state tour.
Credit: Unclaimed Baggage Center
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — In celebration of its 50th anniversary, the nation’s only retailer of lost luggage items is bringing its one-of-a-kind experience on the road with a 50-state, 14-week tour, and The first stop is Washington, D.C.
Located in Scottsboro, Alabama – population 16,000 – Unclaimed Baggage is 50,000-square-foot store that stretches more than a city block. Treasure seekers can shop the weird and wonderful contents of lost luggage. Store finds range from clothing and sporting goods, to musical instruments, vintage concert tees and even exotic treasures, such as a 40-carat emerald, all priced at a bargain.
The pandemic caused the unique shop to head online, but now its emerging from the pandemic and hitting the road.
Credit: Unclaimed Baggage
On May 11, Unclaimed Baggage will pop up at the Hampton Inn in Alexandria for an event from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Visitors can participate in the "Baggage Experience" and sort through unclaimed luggage to find their own treasures, visit “The Museum of Oddities,” a collection of the strangest items discovered over the years and the stories behind them and snap pictures with "Hugo," the famous 1965 Chevy truck that picked up the first unclaimed bags from Trailways in 1970.
Credit: UBC
Unclaimed Baggage is also giving back to the local community by donation $1,000 in lost gift cards to N Street Village, a nonprofit serving nearly 2,000 women experiencing homelessness in Washington, D.C. Gift cards are among the most frequently found items in lost luggage, and Unclaimed Baggage’s “Reclaimed For Good” foundation donates these cards to worthy organizations. N Street Village plans to use the gift cards to purchase clothing, feminine hygiene items, toiletries and cleaning supplies.
RELATED: Unexpected piece of family history found in North Carolina thrift shop
RELATED: Man sells watch he found at secondhand store for $35,000
Get Uplifted: Fairfax Co. school sends letters of hope to Ukrainian refugees | 2022-05-10T17:14:20Z | www.wusa9.com | Thrift fans check out this lost luggage pop up coming to DC | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/virginia/unclaimed-baggage-lost-luggage-pop-up-in-alexandria/65-d75d0141-1552-46f8-bd42-6d9001c8df6a | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/virginia/unclaimed-baggage-lost-luggage-pop-up-in-alexandria/65-d75d0141-1552-46f8-bd42-6d9001c8df6a |
Cheverly reveals new town seal, removing plantation image
New town seal revealed after Cheverly decides to remove image of plantation site
Cheverly removes plantation from town seal, reveals now design
With the help of the residents, the town decided on a clean spare design featuring no iconography and the town name inside a circle for the new seal.
CHEVERLY, Md. — Editor's Note: The video above originally aired on June 29, 2020.
A small town in Cheverly, Maryland recently took a stand to create a new town seal that "better reflected town ideals."
In 2020, council members unanimously voted to remove an image of Mt. Hope Plantation from the town seal, citing inspiration from the Black Lives Matter movement. Now, the town is unveiling the new design created by the Town Seal Commission.
With the help of residents from all six wards, and advice from the Neighborhood Design Center, the town decided on a clean, spare design featuring no iconography and the town's name inside a circle.
The original town seal design was chosen by the town's first mayor, Mayor Fred Gast, in 1931. According to the National Historic Register, Mount Hope was built in 1839 by Fielder Magruder Jr., who used to manage the 716 tobacco fields that ultimately turned into the town of Cheverly.
Credit: national historic register
The removal of the image was in large part thanks to the efforts of the town's current mayor, and first Black mayor, Kayce Munyeneh. The former Ward 4 councilmember, a descendant of slaves herself, said once she realized slaves lived and worked at Mount Hope, it was a no brainer to remove it from the seal.
"It was more than just a political move," Munyeneh said. "It is emotional. And I hope it's just a start."
RELATED: 'Reckoning needs to take place' | Cheverly Town Council votes to remove plantation from town seal | 2022-05-10T20:19:08Z | www.wusa9.com | Town of Cheverly reveals new seal without plantation imagery | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/maryland/new-town-seal-cheverly-maryland-removes-plantation-image/65-fe934a3a-adb7-49bf-8154-747a10960541 | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/maryland/new-town-seal-cheverly-maryland-removes-plantation-image/65-fe934a3a-adb7-49bf-8154-747a10960541 |
Police say a 14-year-old girl was shot and wounded in her abdomen during the "Kiwanis Karnival" at Gar-Field High School.
WOODBRIDGE, Va. — Editor's Note: The video above originally aired on April 16.
Prince William County Police have released new photos of a man wanted in connection to the shooting of a teenage girl during a carnival held outside a high school in mid-April.
According to the Prince William County Police Department, multiple shots were fired just after 9:15 p.m. in the parking lot of Gar-Field High School after a verbal altercation occurred between two groups at the Kiwanis Karnival on April 15. A 14-year-old girl was shot in the abdomen during the violence and was rushed to the hospital. Investigators said they expected the girl to recover.
Though the photos are very blurry, police have put out a suspect description for a tall, thin man last seen wearing a red sweatshirt with white writing on the sleeve and white writing on the chest, black pants, and white sneakers.
The department is also offering an additional $1,000 for information that leads to an arrest and conviction in the case, bringing the total reward to $6,000 (the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive is offering $5,000).
RELATED: Carnival reopens Saturday in Woodbridge, one day after teen girl was shot
*REWARD: #PWCPD through a partnership with @ATFWashington are offering up to a $6,000 reward for the arrest & conviction of the suspect involved in the carnival shooting that occurred on the grounds of GFHS on April 15. Call police if you have info. https://t.co/Alt62frOPI pic.twitter.com/2NGDEHRyKf
The Kiwanis Karnival has been an annual tradition for the past 20 years in Woodbridge, serving as the group's primary fundraiser for the year.
According to the Kiwanis Club of Woodbridge, six off-duty Prince William County police officers patrolled the carnival during the time of Friday's shooting.
"It was just tons of teenagers and parents with their kids," Austin Green, who attended the carnival with his girlfriend on Friday night, said in and interview with WUSA9. "As we were getting on the ride, that’s when we heard the shots ring out. One second everyone is kind of frozen, then the next thing you see everybody running back towards the parking lot.”
At first, Green and others wondered if the popping sounds they were hearing came from fireworks or car exhaust. However, after seeing the police response, he soon knew something dangerous had happened.
"You see Prince William police walking around with semi-automatic rifles. You’re like, 'Wow what is going on? Is there an active shooter?'" he said. "You think of funnel cakes and fried Oreos. You don’t think of gunfire.” | 2022-05-10T20:19:14Z | www.wusa9.com | Suspect photos released for Gar-Field High carnival shooting | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/virginia/suspect-photos-prince-william-county-police-gar-field-high-school-carnival-shooting/65-efae1a99-8256-416c-ad15-caad68a40eca | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/virginia/suspect-photos-prince-william-county-police-gar-field-high-school-carnival-shooting/65-efae1a99-8256-416c-ad15-caad68a40eca |
The Deputy Director of Public Works asked the public to continue to avoid the area near the sinkhole.
FREDERICK, Md. — A sinkhole in the city of Frederick, Maryland has been causing some traffic detours and disrupting water access for local businesses for several days. The hole was first noticed last Wednesday and by Friday, some businesses said they were without water for six hours.
The hole just off of Monocacy Blvd has expanded some since it formed, which isn't uncommon according to Deputy Director of Public Works Tracy Coleman.
"Where there are areas underground, between solid hard rock and soluble rock that dissolves, there's too much water sitting on the surface, and it has a place to travel underground," Coleman said. “The sinkhole sucks down, or it is a pathway, for the soils to go through. And if you add water to that, it just makes that migration of soils accelerate."
A water line runs directly in the path of the hole, which impacted access to water for many nearby businesses.
“As the sinkhole expanded, it undermined the existing waterline that's in this roadway," Coleman said. "We have a 16-inch water main, when it undermined it, the pavement, the weight on top of the pavement, and having nothing beneath the waterline caused the waterline to collapse and break."
Coleman added the city of Frederick will be responsible for closing the large gap in the road, saying they'll work alongside city engineers to find a contractor to make the necessary fixes. They’re hoping for a slew of sunny days and clear skies.
“We're asking the public just to stay away from it," Coleman said. "While it appears stable right now, we have a very deep hole. If for some reason that became a little bit unstable, the payment could collapse more and it's a very dangerous situation. We'd really like people to stay away." | 2022-05-10T23:20:43Z | www.wusa9.com | Sinkhole on Monocacy Blvd to take months to repair | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/frederick-sinkhole-maryland-sinkhole-repairs-water-access-issues/65-8eca5485-db8e-464a-baba-087073013d65 | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/frederick-sinkhole-maryland-sinkhole-repairs-water-access-issues/65-8eca5485-db8e-464a-baba-087073013d65 |
A total lunar eclipse of the full, flower moon will be visible across the entire DMV late Sunday night.
Author: Topper Shutt
WASHINGTON, D.C., USA — When the sun, earth and moon are in alignment we are treated to a lunar eclipse. Sometimes they are partial but sometimes, like the one this Sunday night, they are total.
On average, we can see a total lunar eclipse once just under every three years. If the weather cooperates here's what we will see.
Credit: tt
Around 10 p.m. the moon will just be entering the partial shadow, the penumbra. Until a bit after 10 p.m. nothing will be noticeably different.
The full eclipse begins around 11:29 p.m. as the moon enters the umbra.
The maximum total eclipse occurs at 12:12 a.m. The full eclipse ends at 12:53 a.m.
The moon exits the penumbra at 2:30 a.m. Monday.
The bottom line is the best viewing will be between 11:29 p.m. and 12:54 a.m. For best viewing move away from street lights and tall trees.
'Pink moon' named for spring to shine this weekend
WATCH NEXT: Partial solar eclipse seen in D.C. region
Here's a look at a brief view of a partial solar eclipse in the D.C. region Thursday morning. | 2022-05-10T23:21:13Z | www.wusa9.com | When you could see the lunar eclipse Sunday night in the DMV | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/weather/total-lunar-eclipse-sunday-night/65-7755b38c-0fc4-472e-98a7-99d8f31babb4 | https://www.wusa9.com/article/weather/total-lunar-eclipse-sunday-night/65-7755b38c-0fc4-472e-98a7-99d8f31babb4 |
Police have not released a motive for the shooting.
WASHINGTON — Police have arrested a 16-year-old boy in connection to a deadly shooting that took the life of 15-year-old Malachi Jackson.
According to the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), the shooting happened on April 11 in the 3000 block of 13th Street, Northwest. When officers arrived just before 11 p.m., they found Malachi suffering from a gunshot wound. When DC Fire and EMS arrived, they found he had died from his injuries.
Malachi became the youngest D.C. homicide victim in 2022.
Nearly a month after Malachi was killed, police arrested a 16-year-old boy in connection to the deadly shooting. The unidentified teen was taken to the Homicide Branch where he was charged with First Degree Murder While Armed.
"They took my rock from me," said Malachi's father Antwon Williams in an interview with WUSA9 last month. "He was a real beautiful and bright kid and had a lot of potential. It was an honor for me to be his father.”
'They took my rock from me' | 15-year-old boy becomes youngest DC homicide victim of 2022
WATCH NEXT: 'They took my rock from me' | 15-year-old boy becomes youngest DC homicide victim of 2022
According to investigators, the shooting occurred along the 3000 block of 13th Street NW shortly before 11 pm on Monday. | 2022-05-11T00:49:53Z | www.wusa9.com | Police arrest teen for shooting death of Malachi Jackson | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/crime/teen-arrested-connection-death-dcs-youngest-homicide-victim-2022/65-b9cead01-afc1-45da-a105-4994cc9162d8 | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/crime/teen-arrested-connection-death-dcs-youngest-homicide-victim-2022/65-b9cead01-afc1-45da-a105-4994cc9162d8 |
Police said increments of $25,000 were taken out of the Adams Morgan restaurant's account.
WASHINGTON — Small businesses have been through a lot over the last two years, and as restaurants and bars attempt to bounce back the hits keep coming for one Adams Morgan restaurant.
Johnny Pistolas in Adams Morgan had about $460,000 stolen from their company accounts just before the new year, according to the business's management. To date, management said they are still owed roughly $230,000. The hack came hours before they were planning for a new New Years' Eve crowd in late December.
“It’s huge. We didn’t have any money to run our payroll. We had to borrow money from our personal accounts to transfer in," Jonathan Askarinam said. Askarinam's father owns Johnny Pstolas, and he manages the business's daily duties. "Imagine we’re coming out of two years of COVID and we’re just getting back on our feet and all of a sudden boom this unfortunate situation happened.”
According to D.C. Police Department's report, more than $476,000 was taken from the company's Truist bank accounts in increments of $25,000.
“It’s a terrible situation but the fact is the bank didn’t protect us, didn’t protect our money, and didn’t protect a small business," Askarinam said. "In about eight hours no notifications, no calls, no nothing, and $460,000 was taken out of your account. We reported it first thing in the morning as soon as we saw our account."
Askarinam said the bank's investigation was closed and the communication with them has since turned nonexistent.
"Luckily we were able to get some of the money back but we’re still down about $230,000 again it’s an unfortunate situation. A hard-working man who's worked his whole entire life and came here poor to this country and now has to deal with this, it’s unfortunate," Askarinam said.
Askarinam is warning businesses to stay up to date on all possible security procedures with their banks, as they themselves work to slowly get back on their feet.
“We’re just working our way toward getting back up and hopefully we’ll be there one day.”
WUSA9 reached out to Truist but did not immediately hear back.
Ransomware persists even as high-profile attacks have slowed
A hacking scam hiding in plain sight on Facebook | 2022-05-11T02:23:24Z | www.wusa9.com | Hackers steal more than $400k from DC restaurant, police say | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/crime/hackers-steal-400k-from-dc-restaurant/65-0a8f8e7f-5de2-48bd-a3b2-46628d46cd16 | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/crime/hackers-steal-400k-from-dc-restaurant/65-0a8f8e7f-5de2-48bd-a3b2-46628d46cd16 |
Police are looking for a man who is wanted after allegedly grabbing two 12-year-old girls while they were walking to school.
TRIANGLE, Va. — Officers are asking for the public's help after a man allegedly attempted to adduct two 12-year-old girls while they were on their way to school.
Prince William Police were called to the 3800 block of Graham Park Rd, in Triangle, Virginia for a reported assault just before 8 a.m. Tuesday.
According to investigators, a 12-year-old girl was walking to school near Graham Park Road, when a man began to follow her. While she continued to walk to school, the man reportedly grabbed the girl from behind. While the man was holding the girl, he inappropriately touched her before she yelled and tried to get away from him, police said in a release.
Eventually, the man let the girl go and ran toward Ginn Memorial Park. The girl kept walking to Graham Park Middle School where she immediately told school personnel who contacted the School Resource Officer (SRO), about the attempted abduction and assault.
While police were investigating the attempted abduction and assault, police officers were told that a second 12-year-old girl had also been assaulted by someone matching the description of the original suspect.
#Breaking a 12-year-old girl, was walking by 3800 blk of Graham Park Rd on her way to school when an unknown man walked past her and then began following her. The man grabbed her from behind. While the man was holding the girl he inappropriately touched her before the she yelled pic.twitter.com/wD9IB5CAg4
The second 12-year-old girl told police that she was walking near Ginn Memorial Park when she noticed a strange man had begun following her, according to police.
At one point, the man approached the girl from behind and inappropriately touched her. The girl also yelled and began to run away from the man.
When a driver who happened to be passing by, saw the 12-year-old girl running, the good Samaritan stopped their vehicle and gave the girl a ride back to her home. The girl told her family, who then called police.
In a letter to parents, interim Principal Steven G. Stoebe wrote a letter to parents.
"This morning, two students reported they were approached by an individual and assaulted by the individual while walking to Graham Park Middle School," he wrote. "The students were able to get away and made it safely to school. We contacted the police immediately."
According to police, the suspect did not speak to either of the young girls during the two separate encounters.
Detectives with the Special Victims Bureau are actively investigating the incidents and wish to speak with anyone who may have seen the suspect in the area at the time of the assaults who matched the provided description.
The man is described as a Hispanic male, approximately 20-30 years old, about 5’6”, with brown eyes, and a full beard. Last seen wearing a light brown hooded jacket, grey sweatpants, and black shoes.
Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to contact the Prince William County Police Department tip line at (703) 792-7000 or submit a tip online.
RELATED: This dad says his toddler was abducted to Ukraine. He's applying with the Embassy to go find him | 2022-05-11T03:53:00Z | www.wusa9.com | Police: 12-year-old girls assaulted, almost adducted in Virginia | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/virginia/police-say-man-wanted-for-trying-to-abduct-two-12-year-old-girls-in-va/65-aeffc76f-4f2d-4085-83d5-dba8cd41c8db | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/virginia/police-say-man-wanted-for-trying-to-abduct-two-12-year-old-girls-in-va/65-aeffc76f-4f2d-4085-83d5-dba8cd41c8db |
Tenants at the Allegro Apartments say their water was shut off without warning early Monday morning.
WASHINGTON — Residents living at an apartment building in Northwest D.C. say they haven't had water for several days now.
It's beyond inconvenient and far from what they pay for, people in the high-end apartment building say.
"It's a disaster. It's a mess," said tenant Ben Godman.
Since Monday at 7 a.m. dozens people at the Allegro Apartments on 14th Street Northwest say they've had no running water.
"I pay a lot of money to live here. And I haven't had water for going on almost 40 hours," said one tenant who didn't want to give his name.
"It smells real bad in our apartment because...what do you do?" said Katie Norton who lives with her family in the building.
People here say not only are there families with children, but a lot of older folks living here, too.
"I take care of my elderly father who's disabled," said Krystal Brooks. "Monday was his bath day, and he didn't get a bath."
Tenants say the word around the building is something broke during scheduled maintenance. Except for multiple emails with broken promises about when the water will be back on, they say they can't get answers from the management company Buzzuto.
"I don't even know who's working on it or what they're doing. They won't tell us anything," said Godman.
Inside the apartment building, the staff was seen handing out bottles of water but people here say that is just not enough to get life back to normal.
"Hotel accommodations would be nice," said Brooks.
While they wait for water, some say they have been encouraged to see neighbors helping each other.
"Pretty cordial and neighborly sharing and trying to get through it," one man said of his neighbors. "The front desk people are doing the best they can. It's not their their fault either."
WUSA9 reached out to Buzzuto, the management company. So far, the company has not called back with any answers.
But late Tuesday night a tenant said the company said water should be back on by 3 a.m. Wednesday.
RELATED: Fire leaves 48 people homeless, causes more than $4 million in damages, officials say | 2022-05-11T09:13:29Z | www.wusa9.com | Residents want answers after water shut off at apartment building | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/dc/no-water-for-residents-at-allegro-apartments-in-northwest-dc/65-b2c4e1d0-907f-4a8a-bf00-92004c265697 | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/dc/no-water-for-residents-at-allegro-apartments-in-northwest-dc/65-b2c4e1d0-907f-4a8a-bf00-92004c265697 |
Visit the Strathmore mansion for tea, music, art and sophistication.
BETHESDA, Md. — Afternoon tea at the Strathmore mansion is an elegant affair. Guests sip a signature Strathmore tea blend, indulge in a beautifully catered lunch, all while listening to musicians who further the mood of sophistication.
“This is a lovely place,” said Paul Mickey, who’s played at the teas many times. “They have a crowd that is appreciative, respectful, and sometimes people will get up to sing a song.”
There are rotating themes for teas, which are often accompanied by a lecture or live concert. They are are held on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Visitors pay $32 to attend a specialty tea, or $35 to go to a Tea & Talk.
The teas take place on the first floor of the Mansion at Strathmore, which used to be a private residence until Montgomery County purchased it in the 1970s.
Monica Jeffries Hazangeles, Strathmore President & CEO, said a community committee had the vision for the property to become a venue for the arts.
“This area has seven times the national average of live music attenders,” said Hazangeles. “So they knew right from the very beginning that it would be a place that would become home for the arts.”
The mansion’s upstairs is used as an art gallery. Exhibits showcase local artists.
Local artist Dany Green incorporates pieces of teacups from the tearoom into her mosaics, which are displayed the mansion’s gallery.
Many locals know Strathmore for its 2,000-seat concert hall, the Music Center at Strathmore, which is just steps away from the mansion.
Strathmore’s influence in the arts community goes well beyond the 11-acre property. Hazangeles said programs are developed as a direct response to what community members have asked for.
“We have concerts for 2nd and 5th grade students – every single one in the county school system,” said Hazangeles. “Those were started in response to what our teachers wanted.”
There are also initiatives to help develop the passions and skills of local artists. The Artists in Residence program teaches professional development skills to musicians ages 16 to 32.
Each visit to the ever-evolving Strathmore invites people discover something new about the arts. | 2022-05-11T11:22:16Z | www.wusa9.com | Strathmore mansion offers tea, music, art | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/entertainment/television/programs/get-up-dc/visit-the-strathmore-mansion-in-bethesda/65-8f07be0e-b891-4354-b15b-869dc8e18e38 | https://www.wusa9.com/article/entertainment/television/programs/get-up-dc/visit-the-strathmore-mansion-in-bethesda/65-8f07be0e-b891-4354-b15b-869dc8e18e38 |
Police say the employee was taken to the hospital for treatment. Their condition is not known.
DISTRICT HEIGHTS, Md. — Editor's note: The above video is from May 8, 2022.
Police in District Heights are investigating an armed robbery that sent one person to the hospital Tuesday afternoon.
District Heights police officers were called to the 6100 block of Marlboro Pike for a reported robbery. When officers arrived on scene, they found an employee had been shot during the robbery.
Police say the employee was taken to the hospital for treatment of their injuries. Their condition is not known.
Investigators did not release information about a suspect in this case, and did not say how much money was taken.
The location of the robbery is just over a half-mile away from the SKC daycare center, and less than a mile from where a 4-year-old boy and a 14-year-old were hurt in a drive-by shooting.
The daycare announced last week that it would be closing its doors for good, citing an increase of violent crime in the area.
RELATED: District Heights daycare center to close because of crime
“I did not want to be driving to pick up my daughter one day and bullets are flying out of nowhere, that’s scary. No parent should have to worry about that. You are thinking, am I actually going to get hurt while I pick up my child from daycare," she said. | 2022-05-11T11:22:19Z | www.wusa9.com | District Heights armed robbery near daycare center | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/maryland/armed-robbery-shooting-near-district-heights-daycare-closing-because-of-crime/65-667ac317-66c6-4fd3-a5a7-9d1d44783cd8 | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/maryland/armed-robbery-shooting-near-district-heights-daycare-closing-because-of-crime/65-667ac317-66c6-4fd3-a5a7-9d1d44783cd8 |
The Prince George's County Memorial Library System will be passing out free groceries to county residents until June at select branch libraries.
LARGO, Md. — The Prince George's County Memorial Library System started a program in partnership with the Montgomery County Health Department called "Community Health Worker in the Library."
According to a press release, this program will allow Prince George's County residents to take a preventative health assessment and receive free groceries.
PGCMLS says in their release that groceries are available for pickup one to two days a week until June at certain PGCMLS branch libraries. Faces masks are required for all visitors ages 2 and up, according to the release. Up to 100 grocery bags will be available each week at each location. They will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.
PGCMLS Grocery Distribution Schedule
Hyattsville Location: Tues. 12:30 - 5 p.m., Thurs. 10:30 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Largo-Kettering: Tues. 12:30 - 5 p.m., Wed. 12:30 - 5 p.m.
New Carrollton: Wed. 12:30 - 5 p.m., Thurs. 10:30 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Spauldings: Tues. 12:30 - 5 p.m., Thurs. 10:30 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Upper Marlboro: Wed. 12:30 - 5 p.m., Thurs. 10:30 a.m. - 6 p.m.
PGCMLS says that the Largo-Kettering location will only be distributing groceries for the month of May.
Additionally, free KN95 masks and COVID-19 rapid test kits will be provided while the supplies last and public health workers will be present to answer questions on community resources and services.
Prince George's County's Health Officer, Dr. Ernest Carter says that one of the most important priorities in public health today is health equity.
Find more information about a site near you by clicking here; you will find all events listed in the library system calendar.
Construction barges halt in Potomac River and leave community members worried | 2022-05-11T11:22:23Z | www.wusa9.com | Free groceries to be given to Prince George's County residents | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/maryland/maryland-free-groceries-to-be-provided-for-prince-georges-county-residents/65-f4461585-ed6f-4f5b-a38c-24f85edec5e3 | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/maryland/maryland-free-groceries-to-be-provided-for-prince-georges-county-residents/65-f4461585-ed6f-4f5b-a38c-24f85edec5e3 |
Two suspects snatched property from the victim, threw it across the street, and fled. Police say a 14-year-old is in custody.
WASHINGTON — Metropolitan Police Department detectives have arrested a 14-year-old boy for a robbery that happened three months ago.
According to D.C. police, the incident happened on February 21, around 8 p.m. in the 1400 block of Swann Street, Northwest.
Two suspects, including the 14-year-old boy, walked up to the victim, assaulted them and grabbed property.
One of the suspects threw the property across the street before both suspects took off on foot.
Detectives arrested the teenager on May 10, police said. He was charged with robbery.
Anyone who has information about the incident should call the police at 202-727-9099 or send a text to the department's text tip line at 50411.
WATCH NEXT: To round out this week of stories on kids in crisis, WUSA9's Jess Arnold sat down with five activists working to end the cycle of violence in D.C.
RELATED: Kids in crisis: 5 DC activists talk violence trends among kids; where we go from here | 2022-05-11T13:23:40Z | www.wusa9.com | Police arrested 14-year-old boy for robbery in NW DC | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/crime/14-year-old-boy-arrested-for-robbery-in-nw-dc/65-4ac8970c-f1a5-41e2-85d0-d6638468895f | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/crime/14-year-old-boy-arrested-for-robbery-in-nw-dc/65-4ac8970c-f1a5-41e2-85d0-d6638468895f |
The shootings all happened within an hour and a half, and no arrests have been made.
WASHINGTON — Four men were shot, one of them fatally, in D.C. on Tuesday evening, all within an hour and a half.
First, two men were shot at 8:07 p.m., in the unit block of Galveston Street, Southwest. One man was discovered conscious and breathing. The other was pronounced dead a short time later, according to police.
Just 10 minutes later, police responded to a shooting at 9:30 p.m., also in Southeast, at 2600 Stanton Road. Police found that victim conscious and breathing.
Police are still on the lookout for suspects and have not yet confirmed any arrests. They also have not specified any additional identifying details about the men who were shot.
Anyone with information about any of these shootings is asked to call the Metropolitan Police Department at 202-727-9099 or text the department's tip line at 50411. | 2022-05-11T15:18:42Z | www.wusa9.com | 4 men shot in SW, SE DC | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/dc/dc-4-men-shot-in-sw-se-dc-in-violent-tuesday-night/65-67248cdf-9300-4026-949d-1a84c5153204 | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/dc/dc-4-men-shot-in-sw-se-dc-in-violent-tuesday-night/65-67248cdf-9300-4026-949d-1a84c5153204 |
Family members of Jacai Colson have settled a lawsuit with Prince George's County, but vowed they are not finished.
Author: Scott Broom, Brielle Ashford (WUSA9)
PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, Md. — (Editor's note: the video above shares information from a 2018 update in the case.)
The family of slain Prince George’s County Police Officer Jacai Colson is calling on county prosecutors to reopen the 6-year-old friendly-fire tragedy with an eye toward prosecuting the fellow officer who fired the fatal shot.
“By no means is the Colson family finished,” said James Colson, the father of Jacai Colson.
Lawyers for the Colson family - who lost their son after a fellow police officer mistook him for a threat - also announced Wednesday that a $400,000 settlement has been reached in their civil lawsuit against Prince George's County.
The announcement is the most recent update in the years-long situation that began when a gunman attacked county police headquarters in March 2016.
A shootout resulted from the attack, which left 28-year-old narcotics detective Jacai Colson dead. Another officer, Taylor Krauss, shot Colson after mistaking him for a threat. Colson was serving in a plainclothes capacity and wasn't in uniform, according to former Prince George's County Police Chief Hank Stawinski.
Colson's family filed a wrongful death lawsuit in 2018, alleging that Krauss showed a "reckless disregard for human life" by shooting through an obstructed view. However, he was ultimately cleared by a grand jury.
The legal counsel stated that they are pleased the matter won't have to go to trial and re-traumatize the family with disturbing details. They are also pleased that the settlement brings some sense of closure.
However, the legal team and family stated that the settlement does not fully encompass the degree of justice deserved.
James Colson said his son was “killed recklessly by another officer from the Prince George’s County Police Department.”
"There's no amount of money that is worth the life of my son - especially after he was a hero and saved the community, only to be recklessly and carelessly shot," Colson's mother said at the press conference. "This county was not forthright with showing us what really happened and that made the reality even harder to take."
Family members said they remain bitter because a county grand jury declined to bring any charges against Krauss, who fired the fatal shot from an AR-15 rifle near the end of the gunfight with suspects who were attacking the District 3 police station in Palmer Park on March 11, 2016.
The victim's family also took turns sharing the sentiment that the county did not do enough to achieve justice for Jacai Colson and called out officials whom they felt did not come to their aid sufficiently.
The Colson family said they blame former State’s Attorney Angela Alsobrooks for failing to present a strong case to the grand jury in 2016.
Alsobrooks is now the county executive of Prince George’s County.
Credit: PGPD
“This was certainly an incident that was painful to the Colson family and members of the Prince George’s County Police Department,” Alsobrooks said in a written statement.
“While the County has disputed many of the allegations in this lawsuit, our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the family members and friends of Corporal Jacai Colson.”
Alsobrooks said her administration has worked to reform police practices to “carry us forward into the future.”
The legal team emphasized that they feel race was a factor in the situation, alleging that Colson, a Black officer, was mistaken for the Black attacker, Ford, by a white officer, Krauss.
The legal team also stated that they have seen a host of evidence that the Prince George's Police Department fails to adequately train their officers and check excessive use of force.
"The department must continue to right the wrongs that have been done and provide reparations to the numerous victims of their excessive force," a member of the legal team said.
The Prince George's County Police Department did not immediately provide a statement in response to the allegations by the family's legal team.
Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy did not immediately comment on the calls from Colson’s family to re-open the investigation of Krauss’ actions, which they call “careless” and “reckless.”
A judge ultimately sentenced the original attacker, Michael Ford, to 195 years. A jury convicted the 25-year-old man of second-degree murder and other charges. Ford testified he was trying to get himself killed by police when he fired his handgun nearly two dozen times outside the station.
Ford's two younger brothers drove him to the police station and videotaped the 2016 shooting with their cellphones. They pleaded guilty and were sentenced to prison terms of 20 and 12 years.
Trial to begin over deadly attack on Maryland police station
Slain PGPD Officer’s family wants 'accountability, transparency and the truth'
Family of fallen Md. police officer files lawsuit | 2022-05-11T18:52:49Z | www.wusa9.com | Settlement reached after cop killed by fellow officer in shootout | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/maryland/maryland-prince-georges-county-police-killed-in-line-of-duty/65-73c670e1-2efb-46f8-a37c-5df768b18db2 | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/maryland/maryland-prince-georges-county-police-killed-in-line-of-duty/65-73c670e1-2efb-46f8-a37c-5df768b18db2 |
WASHINGTON — In less than 24 hours, seven men have been shot, two fatally, and an eighth man was stabbed, according to DC Police.
First, two men were shot at 8:07 p.m., in the unit block of Galveston Street, Southwest. One man was discovered conscious and breathing, according to police. The second man, identified as 19-year-old Deonte Pittman, was pronounced dead.
Just 10 minutes later, police responded to a shooting at 9:30 p.m., also in SE, at 2600 Stanton Road. A man was taken to the hospital for treatment, where he later died. Police identified the man as 38-year-old James Curtis of SE.
Several hours later, around 1:08 a.m., police were called to the 1400 block of Montana Avenue Northeast where officers found a man shot. He was conscious and breathing when found.
Around 9:37 a.m. Wednesday, officers responded to the 1200 block of Brentwood Avenue NE for a shooting. A man was found in critical condition, unconscious and not breathing, and police said he was taken to the hospital for treatment. His current condition is not known. Police say they are looking for a dark gray Honda Accord with tinted windows and paper tags in connection to that shooting.
Police were called to the 1400 block of North Capitol Street Northwest at 1:26 p.m. for reports of a sixth shooting. A man was found conscious and breathing with gunshot wounds and was taken to the hospital. Nothing further is known about his condition.
Additionally, an eighth male victim was stabbed early in the morning Wednesday in the area of 2nd Street and D Street NW.
Alert: Stabbing Investigation in the area of 2nd Street and D Street NW. Lookout for B/M 6'3" dark complexion, short beard, long dreads, gray scarf, black jacket, and gray jeans.
Police are still on the lookout for suspects and have not yet confirmed any arrests. Anyone with information about any of these shootings is asked to call the Metropolitan Police Department at 202-727-9099 or text the department's tip line at 50411.
According to MPD's crime data, 2022 is slightly outpacing the homicide rate of 2021, which recorded a 14% increase in homicides over 2020. | 2022-05-11T20:32:12Z | www.wusa9.com | 7 men shot, 1 stabbed leading to 2 deaths in 24 hours across DC | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/dc/violent-24-hours-in-dc-multiple-shootings-deaths/65-67248cdf-9300-4026-949d-1a84c5153204 | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/dc/violent-24-hours-in-dc-multiple-shootings-deaths/65-67248cdf-9300-4026-949d-1a84c5153204 |
There are three ways to participate in the centennial anniversary of the memorial with just the click of your phone.
WASHINGTON — Editor's note: The video above aired in April 2022.
The Lincoln Memorial turned 100 this month! To celebrate its centennial birthday, the National Park Service is asking for the public's help.
With nearly 6 million visitors annually, many Washingtonians and tourists alike have a memorable moment to share about their time at the Lincoln Memorial. A new NPS social campaign will allow you to do just that. On May 12, you can post any of your special memories at the Lincoln Memorial by using the hashtag #LincolnMemorialMoment. Whether that's a concert photo, an engagement story, a family photo, a memory of a school field trip, or just a weekend outing to take in the scenery of D.C., the hashtag was created to let people share their connections to the memorial and join the celebration of the anniversary regardless of where they are.
Individuals and organizations can also participate in the movement by replying to or commenting on the National Mall's posts (@NationalsMallNPS).
The hashtag #LincolnMemorialMoment can be posted on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook for you to share your favorite memory.
RELATED: Easter Sunrise Service returns to the Lincoln Memorial | 2022-05-11T20:32:18Z | www.wusa9.com | Three ways to participate in the #LincolnMemorialMoment | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/dc/ways-to-join-the-lincoln-memorial-moment-social-media-campaign/65-72859ed1-0d17-474d-9bfe-1c399d4999e5 | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/dc/ways-to-join-the-lincoln-memorial-moment-social-media-campaign/65-72859ed1-0d17-474d-9bfe-1c399d4999e5 |
Planned Parenthood Federation of America alongside Planned Parenthood Action Fund and Women's March will come together to hold rally in D.C.
In light of the news of the potential overturn of Roe v. Wade, major activist groups are collectively taking a stance and organizing a rally in support of abortion rights.
The rally is set to take place on Saturday, May 14 at noon in D.C. at the Northeast side of the Washington Monument. Around 2 p.m. the participants plan to march to the Supreme Court, according to the event notice.
It is estimated that around 17,000 people will participate in the rally, according to the rally's permit.
In late April, Politico released a leaked draft opinion of the Supreme Court possibly overturning the case of Roe v. Wade which granted people the right to abortion in the U.S.
However, in recent months the discussion over abortion has become a topic of debate, especially after Texas' passed a law in 2021 that restricted abortions after six weeks of pregnancy.
More recently, abortion access was one of the defining topics in Virginia's Gubernatorial race between Terry McCauliffe and Glenn Youngkin in 2021. Currently, Virginia sits on the edge of the decision. The state's senate breaks nearly down the middle between party lines, leaving democrats in the majority with 21 elected officials and republicans in the minority with 19 elected officials. | 2022-05-12T01:23:08Z | www.wusa9.com | Major groups to hold abortion rights rally on Saturday in DC | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/dc/bans-off-our-bodies-major-groups-to-hold-abortion-rights-rally-on-saturday-dc/65-9d998827-0ce9-4ae1-b011-387da8d21caf | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/dc/bans-off-our-bodies-major-groups-to-hold-abortion-rights-rally-on-saturday-dc/65-9d998827-0ce9-4ae1-b011-387da8d21caf |
Gregory DeShawn Collins, Jr. was found guilty of multiple charges, including first-degree felony murder, in the shooting death of Lynn Marie Maher.
WALDORF, Md. — Editor's Note: The video above originally aired in October 2020 after Lynn Marie Maher was shot and killed.
A 23-year-old man charged with killing a 7-Eleven clerk during an armed robbery was convicted by a jury on multiple charges, including first-degree murder.
Lynn Marie Maher, a 49-year-old mother, was shot to death by Gregory DeShawn Collins, Jr. on Oct. 1, 2020. The shooting happened around 1 a.m. at the 7-Eleven on Middletown Road in Waldorf within seconds of a man entering the store and demanding money. Several customers were inside the store during the shooting, and no one else was injured.
"This is a very quiet area," Charles County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Diane Richardson said at the time of the shooting. "It's unusual that something like this happens. We think that the community obviously will be outraged, and again if anybody knows anything, we're hoping that they'll call."
Collins was located and apprehended in Georgia two weeks after the shooting, and extradited back to Maryland. He pleaded not guilty to all charges against him.
His jury trial began on May 2 and the jury returned a guilty verdict Wednesday. He was found guilty on nine charges, including:
Use of Handgun in the commission of a crime of violence
Use of a handgun in the commission of a 1st degree assault
Use of a handgun in the commission of an armed robbery
Theft $100-1,500
Wear, Carry, and Transport of a gu
Possession of a loaded handgun on a person
Detectives have identified Gregory DeShawn Collins, Jr. as a suspect in the Middletown Road 7-Eleven homicide which occurred on October 1. A cash reward of up to $42,500 is being offered for his arrest and indictment. For details, visit https://t.co/wOYtoePG1o pic.twitter.com/NlMLmhdMKy
— Charles Co Sheriff (@CCSOMD) October 16, 2020
Maher was a mother of three, and stepmother to a fourth, who was regarded as a friendly fixture that made the convenience store a community gathering place, according to her family. Originally from Germantown, Maher was a second-degree black belt in taekwondo who volunteered to teach kids who couldn’t afford lessons self-defense, her family said.
But when faced with a gun, she didn’t resist the robbery, they said.
“I just thought we'd be growing old together here in White Plains," her husband Travis Maher said. “The hardest part lately has been just being alone, and being where I always thought she'd be coming home but she never wound up coming home that morning.”
Travis Maher said he and Lynn had been married for 11 years, and had four boys between the two of them. He said he heard about Friday's update in the case from his brother, Chris Maher, who is in law enforcement, but said he wouldn't feel any closure until he has answers.
“I just want to know why," Travis Maher said. "Why, when my wife was willing to give you everything and put her hands up and just say you got it, you got everything, and then still to take her life. A mother, a wife, a daughter, sister. It's just, just wanting to know why, that's the biggest thing."
Police: Suspect wanted in the fatal shooting of 7-Eleven clerk in Waldorf caught in Georgia
7-Eleven clerk, mother of 4 shot and killed during Charles County robbery | 2022-05-12T01:23:14Z | www.wusa9.com | Jury verdict: Man convicted of murder in 7-11 clerk's death | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/maryland/7-eleven-clerk-killed-robbery-waldorf-jury-finds-man-guilty-gregory-deshawn-collins-lynn-marie-maher/65-e2f7cb24-6bb5-4c11-9596-1e7532506f87 | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/maryland/7-eleven-clerk-killed-robbery-waldorf-jury-finds-man-guilty-gregory-deshawn-collins-lynn-marie-maher/65-e2f7cb24-6bb5-4c11-9596-1e7532506f87 |
"They don't come with switchblades, they use their teeth." People in D.C. are concerned about rats digging through their garbage and teething at their trash cans.
Author: Megan Rivers, Natalie C. Hockaday
WASHINGTON — If you ever walked or biked down the street or alleyway in D.C. you've more than likely probably seen a rat before. Residents in Dupont say that the rats are eating through their garbage cans and they're hoping that the city is able to do something to stop the problem.
Residents in the Dupont community have reached out to city leadership on Wednesday including the mayor, the entire council and the department of public works. The community has not yet received a response, however, they are hoping the council will host a hearing to discuss a solution to the problem.
Nick DelleDonne, president of the Dupont East Civic Action Association, has lived in D.C. since the 60s and called the Dupont neighborhood home for the last 30 years.
He’s seen all of the makeovers D.C. has had, and with every facelift, the rats survive.
“The city has gone through a number of generations of trash cans, and there have been short ones and tall ones and hard ones. It's amazing what they can do, chewing through the durable plastic,” DelleDonne said.
DelleDonne says he hopes that better quality trashcans will be implemented as part of a solution to the rat problem in the neighborhood.
“It's related to a more serious problem, that is the rats. There seems to be no way to get around them. If there's excavation in the area, it seems to stir them up. and the traps are undisturbed because the rats know that they can get a free meal in the trash can," DelleDonne said.
RELATED: 'Oh it's the wrong address' | DC 911 dispatch sends ambulance to wrong house. Woman dies of cardiac arrest while waiting for help. | 2022-05-12T03:03:14Z | www.wusa9.com | DuPont community concerned about rats in their trash | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/dc/oh-rats-dupont-neighborhood-festered-with-unwanted-critters-dc/65-ea8c12ba-a049-4628-9979-880f6173d37b | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/dc/oh-rats-dupont-neighborhood-festered-with-unwanted-critters-dc/65-ea8c12ba-a049-4628-9979-880f6173d37b |
Police said one person had serious injuries, but they were not considered life-threatening.
WASHINGTON — One person is in the hospital with serious injuries after they were involved in a crash with a streetcar in Northeast D.C. Wednesday night.
According to a watch commander with the Metropolitan Police Department's 5th District, officers were dispatched to the area of 26th Street Northeast and Benning Road Northeast for a report of a crash around 10:45 p.m.
When officers arrived on scene, they found the crash involved two cars and a streetcar.
A preliminary investigation by MPD found that a car was attempting to pass another vehicle by squeezing between the streetcar and the other vehicle and crashed.
A person in the passing car was hurt and sustained a head injury. That person was taken to the hospital with serious injuries, but they are not thought to be life-threatening, according to the watch commander.
There is no indication that anyone was in the streetcar at the time of the crash other than the operator. The streetcar was damaged, but the operator was unhurt.
No one in the other vehicle was hurt, according to police.
The intersection where the crash happened was closed for the investigation but has since reopened.
RELATED: Man in critical condition following Montgomery County hit-and-run crash | 2022-05-12T09:17:50Z | www.wusa9.com | Streetcar crash leaves one hurt in Northeast DC | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/dc/streetcar-crash-leaves-one-hurt-in-dc/65-8e0535ce-6cff-4466-a139-e0c7cc65ca4b | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/dc/streetcar-crash-leaves-one-hurt-in-dc/65-8e0535ce-6cff-4466-a139-e0c7cc65ca4b |
For the past two years Larry Calhoun has chased down countless crime scenes running DC Realtime News and says from what he's seen, accountability is the answer.
WASHINGTON — A violent 24 hours in D.C. saw six shootings with seven victims. Two of them were killed. Another man was stabbed.
"We're trending in the wrong direction and we need to figure out what's going on," said Larry Calhoun. He sees first hand what the crime stats show.
For the past two years, he's chased down countless crime scenes running the popular Twitter account DC RealTime News @RealTimeNews10.
"I'm very passionate about informing the public of what is going on in their community," Calhoun said Wednesday.
He says what the community is telling him is that they are worried about crime.
"It's a lot of randomness now and unpredictable crime," he said. "That's what's scary for the community. When they do talk to me, they say, 'I barely want to pump my gas.'"
The D.C. native and gun violence survivor says he remembers the drug-fueled crime of the '80s and '90s. Today, he says it's a lack of accountability that's to blame - an opinion he knows isn't popular with everyone.
"I got every right to talk about it because I love my community," said Calhoun.
RELATED: 'Playtime is over' | MPD Chief Robert Contee responds to a rise in carjackings
"We got to start having some accountability going on in our community. We know somebody in our lives that is going down the wrong path. It's a brother, it's a cousin, it's a friend. So, when are we going to stand up and save them from themselves? Pull them to the side and say, 'Hey, I see what you doing, but I know that potentially you could be doing something else,'" he said. "I want old ladies to be able to walk outside. I want our kids to be able to play outside."
Which is something Calhoun says people didn't worry as much about when he was growing up. Another challenge today, he says any "code" of the street has changed.
A decade ago he says even the known criminals protected older folks, women, and children. None of those unwritten rules apply now, Calhoun said.
Police have made no arrests in the eight crimes reported Wednesday. Anyone with information about any of those crimes should contact police at 202-727-9099 or text the department's tip line at 50411. | 2022-05-12T10:48:47Z | www.wusa9.com | Accountability needed to reverse DC crime trend, advocate says | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/crime/violent-24-hours-in-dc-shines-light-on-dc-crime-trends/65-4ce0c81a-a39c-4294-be0f-9c67f12a8d89 | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/crime/violent-24-hours-in-dc-shines-light-on-dc-crime-trends/65-4ce0c81a-a39c-4294-be0f-9c67f12a8d89 |
Get Up DC live: Get fit with physical training in Reston
David Street is teaming up with Meta for a career day event.
Author: Amber Anderson
WASHINGTON — The DMV is filled with millennials doing fantastic work throughout the community. These individuals help uplift, empower, and educate the youth. One of those people is David Street.
Street is the Executive Director of P.E.N DMV. A nonprofit organization specializing in mentoring and social media training for middle and high school students living in Washington, DC. His goal with P.E.N’s social media training is to make the youth confident and aware that what they post could have serious consequences.
"Letting them know that if you’re trying to get into college, they will look at your profile. Jobs look at your profiles. People have been fired for things that they’ve tweeted,” Street said.
In addition to mentorship programs, P.E.N holds different types of career-based summits for the youth. P.E.N partnered with Meta DC again this year to host a career fair. The career fair is scheduled for Friday, May 13, at Phelps Senior High School in D.C. from 10:20 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. Street hopes that this event will inspire the youth and inform them of the different avenues they can explore throughout the tech industry.
Credit: PEN DMV
“We need Black engineers, we need Black lawyers, we need accountants…the whole nine. We’re bringing together students so they can listen and learn from the Black people who are pushing Meta to new heights.”
Street says this kind of information is vital for young people to learn early on. Most Black and Brown families don’t have the resources or connections to get inside information from the people that work in these industries, Street says. Events like this help broaden the youth’s spectrum to the various careers available.
“[Students] are going to hear from various departments within Meta, about how these individuals got there, what inspired them when they were sitting in their seats, to want to pursue these various careers. How did they land in Meta. What have been some of the challenges at Meta.
The time to register for the career panel event has closed to the public. But it is still open to Phelps Senior High School students and the youth who live in the surrounding area. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the event will be held at the school’s library instead of Meta’s Downtown D.C. office.
For those who cannot attend Friday’s career fair, P.E.N is coordinating an ‘end-of-the-year event with their partnering schools. Check out their Instagram @pendmv for updates on that. Also, if you’re a student at P.E.N’s partnering school you can sign up for the mentorship program through your school.
Street’s goal is to have rising juniors and seniors peer mentor the incoming freshman and sophomore classes to instill accountability.
RELATED: Fairfax principal hand-delivers dozens of letters written by students to Ukraine refugees
RELATED: Virginia students hold school walkouts advocating for abortion access | 2022-05-12T12:19:50Z | www.wusa9.com | PEN DC, Meta team up for student career summit | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/dc/pen-dc-meta-career-summit-for-dc-students-navigating-a-digital-world/65-f26e1354-0434-430a-998f-751584210a96 | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/dc/pen-dc-meta-career-summit-for-dc-students-navigating-a-digital-world/65-f26e1354-0434-430a-998f-751584210a96 |
Maryland had 16 heat-related deaths in 2021. Montgomery County is one of 14 areas in the nation selected by NOAA to monitor locations vulnerable to heat.
WASHINGTON — When the summer heat hits, it can be brutal. On average, heat has been the number one weather-related killer in the United States for the last 30 years.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is trying to cool that trend by identifying and monitoring the areas most vulnerable to heat. The "Urban Heat Mapping Campaign" will use heat data from 14 regions around the country and two international cities. This year Montgomery County has been selected as one of the 14 areas around the country to participate.
Montgomery County is looking for people to join the campaign. Volunteers will use heat sensors mounted onto their cars as they travel their neighborhoods on one of the hottest days of the year. The sensors will record temperature, humidity, time, and location.
“These local maps will help us identify where we can take action to protect vulnerable neighborhoods now and in the future from extreme heat risk,” Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich said. “We are pleased to be participating in this nationally competitive program and continuing our work in Montgomery County toward equitable climate resilience.”
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Residents can sign up to be a "street scientist" in the heat mapping project by going to the MyGreenMontgomery.org website.
Urban Heat Islands are areas that are hotter than nearby neighborhoods due to buildings, pavement, and other parts of urban environments. These areas are warmer because pavement, concrete and buildings absorb and emit the sun's heat more than vegetated and rural type areas.
Urban heat islands can put people at heightened risk of illness and death during extreme heat events.
Montgomery County officials said the heat mapping campaign will allow local climate scientists and residents to work together to identify the hottest areas in the county.
There was a total of 16 heat-related deaths in Maryland in 2021 during the heat monitoring period.
RELATED: How food waste is contributing to climate change and what Is being done to help | 2022-05-12T13:50:56Z | www.wusa9.com | Montgomery County selected for heat tracking program with NOAA | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/weather/weather-watchers/montgomery-county-selected-for-urban-heat-mapping-program/65-98958ec3-7b6d-45f2-9e01-a9cf9ce10313 | https://www.wusa9.com/article/weather/weather-watchers/montgomery-county-selected-for-urban-heat-mapping-program/65-98958ec3-7b6d-45f2-9e01-a9cf9ce10313 |
A bill that would add abortion rights to the state's constitution was passed in the Maryland House of Delegates but failed to pass the state Senate this past session
WASHINGTON — In light of the leaked Supreme Court draft opinion on the Roe v. Wade decision, lots of people are discussing what state protections exist.
We’re seeing some people talk about whether or not Maryland’s constitution includes a right to an abortion.
Does Maryland's constitution explicitly provide a right to an abortion?
Maryland House Bill 1171- "Declaration of Rights – Right to Reproductive Liberty"
David Rocah- senior staff attorney, ACLU of Maryland
Michele Gilman- professor of law and co-director of the Center on Applied Feminism, University of Baltimore
Odeana Neal- associate professor of law, University of Baltimore
Cardin & Van Hollen, both Ds who support choice. Van Hollen is up for re-election this year. Maryland codified the right to abortion in the state constitution this year, thanks to a D state legislature that overrode Larry Hogan’s veto.
— Gloria (@1963Gypsy) May 11, 2022
Our experts say there's no explicit right to an abortion in the Maryland constitution; however, that was something proposed in House Bill 1171.
Sponsored by House Speaker Adrienne Jones, the bill passed the Maryland House of Delegates, but the measure failed to advance in the state Senate this past legislative season.
The bill proposed adding an article to the Declaration of Rights that protects, "the fundamental right to reproductive liberty."
"If it had passed, it would have been sent to the voters in November to vote on as a referendum," Michele Gilman, law professor at the University of Baltimore, said. "And if passed, it would go into the Maryland constitution, but that will not be happening because it never was voted on by the Senate."
That's all part of the process to add something to the Maryland constitution. You need a three-fifths vote in both chambers, and then it goes to the voters as a ballot question.
"It has to be ratified, approved by a majority of the voters," David Rocah, senior staff attorney at the ACLU of Maryland, said.
But since none of this happened, we can verify, abortion rights are not explicitly enshrined in the Maryland Constitution.
Our experts say one could argue that existing constitutional provisions protect abortion rights. For instance, Rocah said one could argue Maryland's equal rights amendment protects reproductive rights; Gilman and associate law professor Odena Neal, both say an argument could be made that the state's right to privacy could include abortion rights.
"There isn't a specific provision in the Maryland or federal constitution[s] that creates the right to privacy," Odena Neal, associate professor of law at the University of Maryland, said. "The federal constitution has been interpreted to create such a right, however, and Maryland has interpreted its state constitution in accordance with the federal constitution so far."
That’s not to say that Maryland DOESN’T HAVE any abortion rights on the books.
"We have had the right to abortion protected by statute in Maryland since 1991,” Gilman said.
Gilman explained that constitutional amendments are "more secure" than laws that can "change depending on the political winds." Neal agreed.
"This is why people that want to enshrine the right to abortion in the Maryland constitution are so eager to have it done because it's difficult to do, but it's also difficult to undo," Neal said.
RELATED: No, Maryland bill would not allow newborns to be killed | 2022-05-13T00:33:09Z | www.wusa9.com | VERIFY: Are abortion rights explicitly in Maryland constitution? | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/verify/does-the-maryland-constitution-explicitly-provide-abortion-rights-fact-check/65-55bef2db-e72e-4cea-a15e-89e0ba83ee6b | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/verify/does-the-maryland-constitution-explicitly-provide-abortion-rights-fact-check/65-55bef2db-e72e-4cea-a15e-89e0ba83ee6b |
WASHINGTON — Editor's Note: The video above was published on 26, 2022.
On Thursday, Mayor Bowser alongside the Department of Employment Services came out with a press release encouraging D.C. residents to apply for jobs for the Something in the Water Festival. The festival is scheduled to be held in D.C. for the Juneteenth weekend. | 2022-05-13T03:35:37Z | www.wusa9.com | DC offering jobs being for Something in the Water music festival | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/dc/jobs-being-offered-for-something-in-the-water-festival-in-dc/65-f1405574-ef25-410f-b935-b869c0eb5d18 | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/dc/jobs-being-offered-for-something-in-the-water-festival-in-dc/65-f1405574-ef25-410f-b935-b869c0eb5d18 |
On social media, Commanders players 'smashed the competition.'
WASHINGTON — Every year, every NFL team makes a schedule release video for social media. This year, the theme for the Commanders was "smash the competition." With the help of some players they went through the schedule game by game and smashed the competition -- literally.
Here's a closer look at the Commanders' season.
The team hopes to take command in the first game of the season on September 11 at home against the Jacksonville Jaguars, last year's last-place team.
Week 2 they will travel to Detroit. Then, in Week 3, Washington hosts rival Philadelphia. The Eagles come with some highly touted rookies, and a big off-season acquisition in A.J. Brown. They'll take on their former QB at FedExField.
RELATED: 'I can see a vision for us' | Commanders new quarterback Carson Wentz introduced in DC
Week 4 is at Jerry's World facing the Cowboys. It should be noted that the first four games of the season are all 1 p.m., Sunday games.
Then in Week 5, Washington kicks off right here on WUSA9 to Tennessee. That game is also set for 1 p.m.
Exciting times for Commanders lineman Charles Leno in Week 6. For Thursday Night Football he'll return to Chicago where he spent seven seasons with the Bears. Leno tweeted he "can't wait."
Week 7 sees Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers coming to town.
In Week 8, the Commanders travel to Indianapolis. Yep, Carson Wentz has to play at his former team's stadium twice this season. The first stop against the Colts.
Week 9 sees another former Commanders quarterback coming back to visit. Kirk Cousins returns to FedEx with the Minnesota Vikings.
Week 10 is that big reunion game with the City of Brotherly Love for Wentz, and it's primetime, Monday Night Football.
Week 11, the Commanders travel to Houston.
Week 12 the Commanders host Atlanta. One of their big wins last season came in the Peach State.
In Week 13, the Commanders finally get a look at another division foe: The New York Giants.
Check out the full schedule here: https://t.co/yAFnTBRMv8 #GetUpDC pic.twitter.com/aScpfDnfbI
The team's bye comes late in the year on Week 14. Off their bye, they play the Giants again. The first half of December will be centered around New York.
A special Christmas Eve game for Week 16. The Commanders kick off in San Francisco on December 24 at 4:05 Eastern Time. That's a Saturday, so Washington will have off on Christmas Day, and if you're not making the holiday trip out west, you can catch the game right here on WUSA9.
Washington kicks off the new year with the Browns at home, 1 p.m. on New Year's Day.
To wrap up the regular season, The Commanders host the Dallas Cowboys. The time is TBD and so is the day, either January 7 or 8.
RELATED: Commanders coach wins George Halas Award | 2022-05-13T09:43:04Z | www.wusa9.com | NFL schedule release for the Washington Commanders | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/sports/nfl-schedule-release-for-the-washington-commanders-football-team/65-19a40cfd-a40c-4083-97db-f74ac30bb6db | https://www.wusa9.com/article/sports/nfl-schedule-release-for-the-washington-commanders-football-team/65-19a40cfd-a40c-4083-97db-f74ac30bb6db |
Throughout the summer, the coveted passes come out the week before the free Friday concerts that locals flock to for sangria and sounds at the NGA Sculpture Garden.
WASHINGTON — Jazz in the Garden is back in full swing for its 2022 season after months lost to the pandemic and many concert cancellations in 2021. Passes for the season's first show will be available by clicking here at 12 p.m. on May 13.
The idyllic event at the National Gallery of Art's Sculpture Garden is free to the public, however, passes are required and usually get snagged quickly when they come out.
All of this year's concert passes will come out at noon every Friday, one week before the concert will take place. People won't be able to get a pass more than a week in advance.
The free concerts take place on a total of 10 Fridays from May through July and feature everything from violinists to vocalists, and Afro-Brazillian sounds to Bluegrass. Every concert begins at 6 p.m.
This season's first performance will take place on Friday, May 20, featuring sounds by jazz violinist Nataly Merezhuk.
Beyond the beautiful tunes, the event is famous for its flowing sangria pitchers and other assorted food and drink available for purchase during the event as well. | 2022-05-13T12:44:42Z | www.wusa9.com | Jazz in the Garden returns to National Gallery of Art | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/dc/dc-jazz-in-the-garden-returns-tickets-schedule/65-6b8a5188-898a-44f3-a43f-bdef8918d561 | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/dc/dc-jazz-in-the-garden-returns-tickets-schedule/65-6b8a5188-898a-44f3-a43f-bdef8918d561 |
Tickets out now for Princess Diana 'walk through documentary' exhibit at Tysons Corner
New exhibit: Princess Diana 'walk through documentary' comes to Tysons Corner
The temporary exhibit will be on display at the Virginia mall starting May 25.
TYSONS, Va. — Princess Diana's life is going on display in a big way through a new pop-up-style exhibit coming to Northern Virginia in late May.
The new experience, called Princess Diana: Accredited Access Exhibition, is said to be the world’s first-ever walk-through documentary by its creators. The exhibit will encompass "a stunning, audiovisual journey through the life and legacy of the world’s most beloved Princess," as described in a release.
Tickets to the experience are now on sale (view them by clicking here) and the event's first day open to the public will be on May 25 at Tysons Corner Center. It will be open Wednesdays through Sundays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The experience generally lasts 60 to 90 minutes, creators confirmed.
Tickets begin at $25 for adults on the weekdays and raise to $32 on weekend days. Other ticketing bundles, like family and group passes, as well as senior and military discounts, are available. Children are welcome.
The exhibit has already traveled through Toronto, Chicago and Los Angeles and has racked up an average of 4.9 stars on Google reviews for the Illinois experience.
Its creators share that those interested will learn more about Diana's story, as told through the words of her official royal photographer and trusted friend, Anwar Hussein, and his two sons, Samir and Zak, who followed in their father’s footsteps as royal photographers with the next generation of royals.
"It features more than 140 larger-than-life photos paired with stories woven in with art and artifacts to celebrate Diana’s life and emotional path as she modernized motherhood, revolutionized fashion, and showed the world how to be human," the release shares. More than 50 never-before-told stories are also said to be highlighted on the website.
As far as how to get to the experience, the website offers specific instructions: find the site located on the ground floor of the Tysons Corner Center mall. Enter via Barnes & Noble, across from H&M. Park at Parking Garage C or take the Metro Silver Line to Tysons Corner Station. | 2022-05-13T14:19:18Z | www.wusa9.com | Princess Diana exhibit comes to Tysons Corner | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/virginia/virginia-princess-diana-walk-through-documentary-exhibit-comes-to-tysons-corner/65-268cd77b-320c-4ecf-aa46-ff577cc7493e | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/virginia/virginia-princess-diana-walk-through-documentary-exhibit-comes-to-tysons-corner/65-268cd77b-320c-4ecf-aa46-ff577cc7493e |
I-66 bridge inspections bring lane closures
From May 16 through May 20, 2022, work is scheduled to take place during daytime off-peak hours (9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.).
WASHINGTON — Commuters on I-66 should anticipate lane closures for the later part of May.
The District Department of Transportation plans to temporarily close lanes and shoulders as they work to perform bridge inspections.
Look out for the following closures when out on the roads:
Ramp from I-66 Westbound to Whitehurst Freeway – Lanes will narrow on the ramp from I-66 Westbound to the Whitehurst Freeway.
Rock Creek Parkway between K Street NW and Pennsylvania Avenue NW – Single Lane closures will be in place for northbound and southbound traffic on Rock Creek Parkway between K Street NW and Pennsylvania Avenue NW.
The work is scheduled to take place during daytime off-peak hours, which they define as 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The closures will begin on Monday, May 16 and are expected to finish by Friday, May 20.
"These closure dates and times are contingent on suitable weather, field conditions, and/or adjacent construction activities," the department said in their release as a disclaimer that dates may shift.
Officials assure that traffic controls, including signs, will be in place to help drivers and pedestrians make it through the work zones safely.
Lincoln Memorial turns 100: It's a DC thing! | 2022-05-13T17:25:12Z | www.wusa9.com | I-66 bridge inspections cause lane closures | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/dc/i-66-bridge-inspections-bring-lane-closures-washington-dc-traffic/65-bca5f440-727a-496f-9b83-d58253b4798e | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/dc/i-66-bridge-inspections-bring-lane-closures-washington-dc-traffic/65-bca5f440-727a-496f-9b83-d58253b4798e |
Road closure alert: Bridge inspections will close parts of I-66 for one week
The second fridge will be unveiled at the Glassmanor Community Center on Marcy Avenue in Oxon Hill at 11 a.m. on May 17.
PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, Md. — The Department of Parks and Recreation in Prince George's County and Feed the Fridge, a group that aims to battle food insecurity while helping the economy, will officially open their second fridge in the County later this month.
Feed the Fridge is a group that places refrigerators at recreation centers, schools and other locations throughout the District. Prince George's County and Montgomery County officials work with local restaurants to stock the refrigerators daily with meals that anyone can take, no questions asked.
“Thanks to the generous funding provided by Adventist HealthCare, and the willingness of the Department of Parks and Recreation in Prince George’s County to make the Glassmanor Community Center available as a location for this fridge," said Mark Bucher, co-owner of Medium Rare Restaurant Group and founder of Feed the Fridge/We Care, Inc. "We will be turning food insecurity into meal security for hungry Oxon Hill kids, families and seniors.”
According to a press release from the Department of Parks and Recreation in Prince George’s County, this will help the residents in the Glassmanor and Forest Heights Communities where many have to face a long, difficult and sometimes unsafe walk to the nearest grocery store.
Harris Teeter in Southeast D.C. to close after nearly 14 years
Mayor Bowser announces $9M grants through Food Access Fund for Wards 7 and 8, next application round now open
Maryland urged to allow beer and wine in Prince George's grocery stores to battle 'food deserts'
WATCH NEXT: Maryland urged to allow beer and wine in Prince George's grocery stores to battle 'food deserts'
The county aims to lure major grocers to build new stores and invest millions by allowing beer and wine sales. | 2022-05-13T18:54:50Z | www.wusa9.com | Fridge filled with free food to help lessen food insecurity in DC | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/maryland/feed-the-fridge-prince-georges-co-second-fridge-help-provide-food-those-who-need-it/65-ad519c5c-cb7b-442a-b0a5-f8e8eb9ff126 | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/maryland/feed-the-fridge-prince-georges-co-second-fridge-help-provide-food-those-who-need-it/65-ad519c5c-cb7b-442a-b0a5-f8e8eb9ff126 |
A second teen died after taking similar pills less than 48 hours later. But the man arrested has not been connected to that teen's death.
PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. — Police have arrested a 21-year-old man after a 14-year-old died from taking counterfeit Percocet laced with fentanyl. Latae’veion Naveiour Woods, 21, is charged with distributing narcotics.
According to a release from the Prince William County Police Department, a 14-year-old boy died after taking a counterfeit Percocet on April 26. The Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) lab helped analyze the pill and confirmed the counterfeit Percocets contained fentanyl.
Less than 48 hours later, another teen, a 15-year-old, died after taking similar counterfeit pills.
Investigators were joined by the DEA Washington Division and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to help identify a suspect they believed was operating in the Woodbridge community.
On May 11, the police department, DEA Washington Division and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), searched a home on Palm Road and took Woods into custody.
Officials say Woods allegedly sold the Fentanyl-laced pills to the 14-year-old. However, they say Woods is not connected to the death of the 15-year-old. The investigation into that death is ongoing.
Woods has been arrested and is charged with the distribution of schedule I or II narcotics.
Police: 2 teen deaths in 48 hours connected to counterfeit Percocet laced with fentanyl
WATCH NEXT: Dangerous new drug more potent than fentanyl found in DC
"We could be on the precipice of something devastating," one chemist said. | 2022-05-13T20:27:21Z | www.wusa9.com | Man arrested after teen dies from counterfeit Percocet | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/crime/man-arrested-teen-dies-from-counterfeit-percocet-laced-with-fentanyl-police/65-da21cb28-49a7-4983-b6e3-c1db061ef3e7 | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/crime/man-arrested-teen-dies-from-counterfeit-percocet-laced-with-fentanyl-police/65-da21cb28-49a7-4983-b6e3-c1db061ef3e7 |
How a litter trap is helping to clean, protect Anacostia River
A 21-year-old man and a 16-year-old boy were killed in the shooting. Police now believe the pair shot each other.
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. — Police believe a man and teen killed in a double shooting earlier this week shot each other during an argument.
According to Montgomery County Police, the shooting happened Wednesday around 4 p.m. in the 19600 block of Crystal Rock Drive in Germantown.
When officers arrived at Holy Cross Germantown Hospital on Observation Drive following the reported shooting, they learned 16-year-old Cesar Segovia had been shot to death. Shortly afterward, officers arrived at the scene of the shooting and found 21-year-old Jeffrey Baffour Akowuah suffering from a gunshot wound. First responders tried to help Akowuah but he died at the scene.
Investigators believe Akowuah and Segovia met up on Crystal Rock Drive but it is unclear why the pair decided to meet. Officers claim the two got into a fight after meeting up and shot each other.
Detectives are still working to understand the circumstances surrounding the two deaths and say the case is still ongoing.
"This can't be tolerated, you know, the fact that we've got bullet holes and bloodstains on the outside of our apartments," said one neighbor who spoke on the condition of anonymity. "It's like how the hell are we supposed to feel safe in this situation?" | 2022-05-13T20:27:27Z | www.wusa9.com | Police: Teen, man killed in double shooting in Montgomery County | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/crime/police-shooting-two-people-dead-including-16-year-old-21-year-old/65-7cf8be3c-f9dd-4fa1-93d4-cc1402a6adf4 | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/crime/police-shooting-two-people-dead-including-16-year-old-21-year-old/65-7cf8be3c-f9dd-4fa1-93d4-cc1402a6adf4 |
1 dead, 1 injured from shooting in Alexandria, police say
The shooting happened in the 2300 block of Richmond Highway before 4:30 p.m.
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Alexandria Police Department is investigating a double shooting that happened Friday afternoon and left one man dead and another person injured.
According to a tweet from APD, there is heavy police presence as of 4:30 p.m. on the scene of the shooting, located on the 2300 block of Richmond Highway.
"There is believed to be no threat to the public in connection with this incident," the tweet says.
A spokesperson for APD told WUSA9 that the injured person was taken to a hospital for treatment, but the severity of their injuries is unknown.
Police did not say if they have any idea of a motive for the shooting. They also did not indicate if anyone is wanted in connection with the shooting.
The APD spokesperson said the investigation is ongoing.
Notification:: There is a heavy police presence in the 2300 block of Richmond Highway. This is in response to a shooting that occurred that left one deceased and another injured. There is believed to be no threat to the public in connection with this incident. pic.twitter.com/xHnOLehzlA
— Alexandria Police (@AlexandriaVAPD) May 13, 2022 | 2022-05-13T21:55:43Z | www.wusa9.com | 1 killed in double shooting in Northern Virginia, police say | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/crime/double-shooting-death-injury-richmond-highway/65-06b30264-27c5-4104-b57c-19f89f52c1f1 | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/crime/double-shooting-death-injury-richmond-highway/65-06b30264-27c5-4104-b57c-19f89f52c1f1 |
Unité Reserve -- a signature estate red blend of merlot, cabernet franc and petit verdot -- won Melanie Natoli her first Governor's Cup gold medal.
Author: Dave Scarnato
MIDDLEBURG, Va. — For the first time in Virginia's history, a woman winemaker won the top prize for her craft. Melanie Natoli, of Cana Vineyard and Winery in Middleburg took home the prestigious Governor’s Cup, from Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
Natoli first moved to Virginia to continue her work as a physical therapist, but she always had an interest in wine. So, Natoli took a leap of faith.
“I had a probably more stable career in health care than I do now dealing with the weather, but I left it," she said. “I had to follow my heart and my passion.”
She changed her schedule to per diem to pay the bills and on weekends worked as an intern and apprentice at different Loudoun County wineries, getting to know the ins and out of the business.
She then took the reins at Cana in 2015, where she made her Unité Reserve—a signature estate red blend of merlot, cabernet franc and petit verdot.
“It’s a pretty bold red,” she said. “Dark on the flavor profile. It’s a blend that leads with a petit Verdot which has a dark flavor.”
That wine, from a 2019 vintage, brought home the gold medal this past March in the Governor’s Cup. The contest is a blind tasting, and Natoli’s wine was one of 615 entries this year -- a contest record.
“I got a phone call that week and that was my gold medal phone call,” Natoli said. “I was expecting to get a phone call because I knew something was special because I put them all out there. Did I expect to get a call saying ‘it’s a gold medal’, ‘ it’s in the case’, ‘it won’? No. It went a bit farther. So yeah, it was a surprise.”
At the award ceremony, Natoli commented on the lack of women previously featured in the contest.
“I saw a picture of the event from two years ago and the stage, aside from being all men, they were all in blue suits,” she said in her ceremony speech. “So, I said ‘I guess I need a blue suit. That’s what’s missing, right?' After I got the call. I went shopping.”
Now, Natoli has some words of wisdom for people facing a career crossroad.
“I say go for it," Natoli said. "There’s a lot of people in this industry or others who say there’s huge risks to take. Sure enough, know what you’re getting into, but you’re never going to know unless you try.”
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RELATED: From dairy farm to spy station: This local winery has a secret past dating back to WWII | 2022-05-13T21:55:49Z | www.wusa9.com | First woman wins Virginia's Governor Cup for winemaking | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/virginia/governors-cup-winner-2022-cana-vineyards-and-winery-of-middleburg-female-winemaker/65-7d48db6c-8855-4922-8fff-ee2467af3a5a | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/virginia/governors-cup-winner-2022-cana-vineyards-and-winery-of-middleburg-female-winemaker/65-7d48db6c-8855-4922-8fff-ee2467af3a5a |
How the big business of youth sports is exacerbating inequities for student-athletes
The youth sports industry now rakes in more money than the NFL, bigger than DC Government's 2022 operating budget.
Eric Flack, Ruth Morton
The big business and commercialization of youth sports
The growing popularity of 'reclassification': holding a child back for athletic advantage
Is the cost of reclassifying always worth it for student-athletes?
How reclassifying affects student-athletes who don't come from privilege
ASHBURN, Va.
The business of youth sports is exploding at an unimaginable rate. Families are making big financial sacrifices to help their young athletes reach the next level, but – according to industry experts – this sacrifice is creating an uneven playing field for some children.
One of the most extreme examples of youth sports spiraling out of control came in April during a 10 and under baseball game in Abilene, Texas, when a little league baseball coach was thrown out of a game after he assaulted an umpire, shoving him to the ground.
In the now-viral video of the incident, you can see the 10-year-old players standing in stunned silence as the umpire lays motionless on the field. The coach, whose name was not released by the league, was permanently banned by tournament organizers.
The big business and commercialization of youth sports:
Jon Solomon, editorial director for Aspen Institute’s Sports and Society Program in Washington D.C., believes in today’s world of youth sports the business of winning and losing has surpassed character development and camaraderie.
“It’s been a long time coming,” Solomon said in an interview with WUSA9. “A lot of it is the chase for the college athletic scholarship.”
Driven by the runaway travel sports industry, in which families pay thousands of dollars a year in team fees and travel costs to compete in national tournaments and events, youth sports have become an estimated $19.2 billion a year business in the United States according to the research firm Research and Markets, surpassing the $15 billion-a-year NFL industry and outpacing the $18 billion yearly operating budget for 2022 of the D.C. government.
By 2026, youth sports revenues are estimated to reach an unfathomable $77.6 billion a year.
“So, the travel sports world has, in many ways hurt the local rec leagues quite a bit,” Solomon said. “It has taken away a lot of coaches, it's taken away a lot of volunteers to run leagues. It's taken away the finances, the money, some of the facility space as well, just to be able to play at those leagues. Sometimes they're rented by the travel sports teams. So, a lot of families are getting left behind.”
At A1 Performance Training in Ashburn, Va. families pay strength and conditioning coach Greg Fenner up to $60 dollars an hour to help their sons and daughters get a leg up on the competition, with some parents starting their children as young as 8-years-old in the private training sessions.
Fenner said trying to keep up with the competition in youth sports without private coaches is difficult.
“You can, but you are automatically a step behind,” Fenner said. “You know, it's almost like we're racing 100 meters, but you get to start 20 meters ahead because this foundation has been instilled in you of not only the strength conditioning aspect, but the skill development is what sets the kids apart.”
The growing popularity of 'reclassification': holding a child back for athletic advantage:
For Brenden Robinson, getting a step ahead also meant moving a grade behind. Robinson is one of a growing number of young athletes repeating a grade in school not for academic, but athletic reasons. It’s called reclassification.
Robinson, a straight-A student, graduated from Belmont Ridge Middle School in Leesburg, Va. only to repeat his 8th-grade year at Virginia Academy in Ashburn.
“Basically, just gave me a better opportunity for sports,” Robinson said. “Just like more years to train.”
His parents were initially split on the decision. Brenden Robinson’s father, Brian Robinson, supported the idea. His mother, Sonja Robinson, initially did not.
“For her, it was a very tough decision,” Brian Robinson said.
Brenden Robinson, 18, with his parents Sonja (left) and Brian Robinson, speaking to WUSA9 about "reclassifying."
It took more than a year to convince Sonja Robinson, who was raised by a family of educators who instilled in her a message that it is misguided to hold a child back in school who doesn’t struggle academically.
“[I] wasn’t sure that it could create the athletic advantage that we thought,” she said.
After two years in the 8th grade, during his official freshman year of high school, Brenden Robinson started on the varsity football and basketball team.
Now in his junior year, four years since he was “reclassified,” at 18-years-old, Brendan Robinson just received his first Division I college offer. The family’s $80,000 investment in private coaches and travel teams led to a full athletic scholarship to the college of William and Mary in Virginia and there could be more to come.
“We got there,” Brian Robinson said.
“We made it,” Sonja Robinson added with a smile.
But not everybody who “reclassifies” makes it.
Is the cost of reclassifying always worth it for student-athletes?:
DJ Levine Jr. reclassified for athletics, repeating his junior year of high school after transferring to Fork Union Military Academy, a prep school in Virginia that touts its record of turning high school athletes into prospective Division I athletes. But when COVID canceled Levine’s senior seasons of football and track, he was left without any college scholarship offers.
Levine now takes classes at Northern Virginia Community College and his goal is to attend the Air Force Academy where he hopes to walk onto the football team.
DJ Levine Jr., who attends Northern Virginia Community College, tells WUSA9 he has no regrets about "reclassifying" his junior year of high school.
He says he has no regrets about his decision to repeat a year of high school.
“When it comes to regrets, it’s kind of like a leap of faith you’ve got to take forward,” Levine said. “Like you got to do something that you know you want to do. But you also know you're going to leave some things behind.”
How reclassifying affects student-athletes who don't come from privilege:
What about the families who can’t take the risk of holding their talented student-athlete child back a grade because they can’t afford the lifestyle of travel sports? Research from the Aspen Institute shows the average child from a low-income household is six times more likely to quit sports because they can’t afford it.
Most children of all income brackets now quit sports by age 11 because athletics has become less about friendly competition and more about competition.
Hoping to minimize the number of children left behind by the world of youth sports, in May the Aspen Institute held its “Project Play Summit” at Audi Field in D.C., to find ways to increase opportunities for young athletes regardless of income or talent level.
Speakers included former NFL great Greg Olsen, now a broadcaster and host of the youth sports podcast “Youth Inc.”
“Youth sports, whether we like it or not, is sort of a big business,” Olsen said. “You know, the idea of this just being a bunch of kids playing for their church or their rec league is, it's not really what's happening anymore. And you can interpret as a good thing or a bad thing. It’s up to everyone to make their own determination.”
Olsen added that rebuilding the network of less competitive, less expensive recreational sports opportunities should not come at the expense of the youth travel sports world.
“There is also a little bit of a stigma of the families who do play at the higher level and that do have those kids,” Olsen said. “As long as the kids are who are driving the ship, there is absolutely nothing wrong. And I would actually say I think it's great for these kids to go out and see the real world and see what really is out there outside of their little town.”
RELATED: Batters are getting hit by pitches more often in recent years | 2022-05-14T02:35:24Z | www.wusa9.com | “A lot of it is the chase for the college athletic scholarship.” | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/sports/youth-sports-19-billion-dollar-industry-spirling-out-of-control-a1-performance-training/65-e5106ee2-2ad3-4369-b7cc-b3919fbbd438 | https://www.wusa9.com/article/sports/youth-sports-19-billion-dollar-industry-spirling-out-of-control-a1-performance-training/65-e5106ee2-2ad3-4369-b7cc-b3919fbbd438 |
An 18-year-old man was shot to death just before 2 a.m. Friday on a Metrobus.
WASHINGTON — Editors Note: The video attached in this article is from a story WUSA9 did back in December of 2021.
In the early morning hours of Friday, an 18-year-old man was shot to death while getting onto a Metrobus in Washington D.C.
Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) are investigating a fatal shooting on May 13 in the 3700 block of 14th St NW DC.
According to a police report, an 18-year-old Anthony Arter was found lying face down, breathing and suffering from multiple apparent gunshot wounds to his body.
#Breaking The decedent has been identified as 18-year-old Anthony Arter, of Northwest, DC @wusa9 https://t.co/y1jHZDzw2H
DC FEMS members transported him to a local hospital for treatment of his injuries. After everything was done to try to save his life, Arter was pronounced dead at around 7:30 a.m. by medical staff.
The MPD currently offers a reward of up to $25,000 to anyone that provides information which leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for each homicide committed in the District of Columbia.
RELATED: Metrobus Shooting Victim Was The Brother Of Deonte Rawlings
RELATED: 10-year-old boy dies following crash with Metrobus, mother says | 2022-05-14T12:51:55Z | www.wusa9.com | 18-year-old killed on a metro bus in NW | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/crime/18-year-old-found-shot-on-metrobus-dies/65-5f3567f7-ffa6-4050-84b8-2526fa5abdd3 | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/crime/18-year-old-found-shot-on-metrobus-dies/65-5f3567f7-ffa6-4050-84b8-2526fa5abdd3 |
In 2021, there were more than 200 shootings that had automatic gunfire.
WASHINGTON — It started as a pleasant, sunny Friday afternoon along Connecticut Avenue in Northwest D.C. People wrapped up their work weeks and students at the Edmund Burke School prepared to dismiss for the weekend.
Suddenly, a barrage of gunfire rained down from a 5th-floor apartment window. Within minutes, more than 200 rounds of bullets scattered across Connecticut Avenue. As people ran for cover, police and paramedics responded.
But a question hung in the air: in a country where automatic weapons are basically illegal, how did the alleged shooter, Raymond Spencer, fire more than 200 rounds in a matter of minutes?
RELATED: 'I wish I knew why' | DC Police provide first major update on investigation into 'sniper-style' shooting
Credit: DC police
Evidence picture from Raymond Spencer's apartment.
WUSA9 took the question to ATF Assistant Special Agent In Charge Chris Amon.
“It's just this small device that is able to convert that firearm from semi-automatic to fully automatic,” he said. “It’s one pull of the trigger and you can empty an entire magazine in two to three seconds.”
Credit: Ruth Morton/WUSA
Assistant Special Agent in Charge Chris Amon sits down with WSUA9's Matt Gregory
That device is called an auto sear. On the streets it’s referred to as a "switch." But, most commonly they are used in handguns like Glocks, which gives it the term “glock switch.”
According to the ATF an auto sear works, "by applying force to the trigger bar to prevent it from limiting the weapon to firing only one round each time the trigger is depressed.” One simple slip-in of the device and the gun becomes fully automatic.
The small device on the back of this Glock-style gun is an 'auto sear.' It's commonly referred to by criminals as 'switch' or 'glock switch,' for its ability to turn any gun into a fully automatic weapon.
Amon said they are very easy to acquire.
“They can be 3d-printed, they can be made, coming from overseas, people can order them via the dark web," Amon said. "There's a lot of different ways that people are getting these. However, they are illegal because they constitute a machine gun.”
During the investigation of the Van Ness "sniper-style" shooting, DC Police said they found auto sears in several of the shooter’s rifles.
“When I say that so many more people could have been killed by this gunman, and the reckless behavior that was displayed here, that is not an understatement,” DC Police Chief Robert Contee said. "This really could have been a lot worse than what it was."
Auto Sear installed in a rifle
The Van Ness gunfire gutted Northwest D.C. But the fact is that the automatic gunfire phenomenon has been all over the District.
According to the ATF, in 2021 there were more than 200 shootings involving automatic gunfire in D.C., averaging out to almost four a week.
In 2019, DC police confiscated 14 auto sears. Two years later, that number jumped to 66. At the time of this reporting, police had taken 45 off the street in 2022.
But it didn’t use to be this way. According to Amon automatic gunfire used to be rare in city crime.
However, when any gun can be made automatic by simple modification, it creates an increasingly more deadly environment. It’s a problem that has law enforcement’s full attention.
“How do you prevent that?” Contee asked. “These are the things that are worrisome for community members, but also that keeps me up at night.”
Southeast DC school placed on lockdown after shooting unfolds behind campus | 2022-05-14T15:53:10Z | www.wusa9.com | One device is turning guns in DC into automatic weapons | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/dc/how-auto-sears-glock-switches-have-driven-a-rise-in-automatic-shootings/65-01580a7b-e273-4511-a6b5-c4b7d344149d | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/dc/how-auto-sears-glock-switches-have-driven-a-rise-in-automatic-shootings/65-01580a7b-e273-4511-a6b5-c4b7d344149d |
Parents of boy found in DC Giant parking garage has been located, charged with child cruelty
Metro Transit Police are working to identify and locate the suspect who shot a man.
Metro Transit Police sign at the Shaw-Howard metro station.
SILVER SPRING, Md. — The Metro Transit Police (MTPD) are investigating a shooting Saturday morning in the Silver Spring Transit Center.
Officers from the MTPD were called around 9:00 a.m. to the 8400 block of Colesville road.
When officers arrived at the scene, they found a man who was shot. The victim's injuries appeared to be not life-threatening.
The Metro Service - including shuttle buses and trains - was closed in Silver Spring during the time of the incident.
According to Metro, the Silver Spring's South entrance remains closed, and the north entrance has re-opened.
A preliminary investigation by MTPD found that the victim had an altercation with a suspect at the location, and the suspect pulled out a gun and shot the victim before police arrived.
Metro Transit Police are investigating a shooting in the 8400 block of Colesville Road. At this time, there is heavy police presence in this area. As a result, the Silver Spring Metro is closed for both bus and train service until further notice. #mcpnews pic.twitter.com/UNIud3BhGM
RELATED: Police arrest man in connection to fatal shooting of 17-year-old in Wheaton Friday night
RELATED: Fatal crash in Silver Spring shuts down New Hampshire Avenue | 2022-05-14T15:53:16Z | www.wusa9.com | Metro Transit Police are investigating shooting in Silver Spring | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/maryland/metro-transit-police-investigate-shooting-in-silver-spring/65-d58fba89-81dc-49a4-b011-36d868a780c5 | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/maryland/metro-transit-police-investigate-shooting-in-silver-spring/65-d58fba89-81dc-49a4-b011-36d868a780c5 |
DC FEMS celebrated a milestone with its first parade in 25 years.
WASHINGTON — Editor's Note: The video above originally aired in September 2021.
DC Fire and EMS Department (DC FEMS) celebrated 150 years of service to the nation's capital Saturday with a parade and a display of antique fire apparatus and other fire fighting gear.
DC FEMS began as volunteer fire companies between 1770 and 1860 and grew into a fully paid professional department in 1872. Today the department has nearly 1,900 members.
Saturday's parade went down Constitution Avenue between 7th and 14th Streets Northwest. Following the parade, there was a muster display of fire trucks and other emergency vehicles for people to enjoy.
The parade included fire service partners from across the District, Maryland and Virginia and featured a special tribute to the 101 fallen firefighters of the DC FEMS.
A proud day for #DCsBravest at our parade celebrating 150 years of service to the District as a fully paid department. We were joined by many regional partners from as far as Baltimore City, as well as antique apparatus owners. 102 flags were carried to commemorate our fallen. pic.twitter.com/T9Gicrbg1V
DC FEMS said the solemn display aimed to honor their ultimate sacrifice in keeping with our vow to never forget. The family of fallen DC Fire and EMS firefighter Anthony “Sauce” Phillips was present to talk about the importance of remembering those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to the community.
Today & everyday we honor the hard work of our 1,889 firefighters at DC Fire & EMS, including certified technicians, Paramedics & EMTs providing all hazards & EMS. On #InternationalFirefightersDay, we also acknowledge our fellow public servants in the region & across the country. pic.twitter.com/lFY0VnN9VH
Phillips was one of two DC Fire and EMS firefighters who died in the line of duty after battling a town home fire in the 3400 block of Cherry Road in Northeast on May 30, 1999. Phillips’ wife and two sons, one, currently a student at Bowie State University in Prince George’s County and the other, now a member of the Arlington County Fire Department, were on hand to speak about that fateful day and the process of rebuilding their lives.
pic.twitter.com/eQiWI5toUZ
If you want to learn more about the history of DCFEMS you can visit the department's museum at 439 New Jersey Avenue NW on the third floor of Engine 3 near Union Station in downtown D.C. It's advisable to call ahead at 202-673-1709 to arrange a tour.
If you were in town for #DCsBravest 150th Parade & Muster, stop by and visit the museum operated by @FFADC so you can learn more about our history. It is located on the 3rd floor of Engine 3 at 439 New Jersey Avenue NW. it will be open until 4 PM. pic.twitter.com/7uktXYq7cu | 2022-05-15T03:26:30Z | www.wusa9.com | DC Fire, EMS Department celebrates 150 years of service | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/features/dc-fire-ems-department-celebrates-150-years-of-service/65-085bbbc9-997c-4e7a-958f-89ce05f7c02e | https://www.wusa9.com/article/features/dc-fire-ems-department-celebrates-150-years-of-service/65-085bbbc9-997c-4e7a-958f-89ce05f7c02e |
Christine Chase, 48, was found dead from a gunshot wound in the 1200 block of Raum Street, police say.
WASHINGTON — Metropolitan Police Department is investigating the homicide of a 48-year-old woman that happened in Northeast D.C.
Police identified the woman killed as Christine Chase. Chase does not have a fixed address, MPD says.
On Friday around 10:45 p.m., officers were called to the 1200 block of Raum Street for reports of a shooting. Police say a woman, identified as Chase, was found suffering at the location from a gunshot wound.
DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services arrived at the scene and reported that Chase did not show any signs of life, police say. MPD says her body was taken to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
MPD is asking anyone with information about the woman's death to call 202-727-9099. Police are reminding members of the community that anyone who provides information that could lead to an arrest or conviction could receive an award of up to $25,000. People can also submit anonymous tips to police by texting MPD's TEXT TIP LINE at 50411.
RELATED: Police: Armed woman dressed in Special Police uniform fatally shot by DC police | 2022-05-15T03:26:36Z | www.wusa9.com | Police: 48-year-old woman fatally shot in Northeast DC Friday | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/dc/woman-fatally-shot-friday-northeast-dc-police-say/65-1a7d5555-0281-452b-9915-9200826facac | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/dc/woman-fatally-shot-friday-northeast-dc-police-say/65-1a7d5555-0281-452b-9915-9200826facac |
The Criminal Justice Coordinating Council's report has published the Gun Violence Reduction Plan, which includes 16 recommendations to drive down crime in the city.
WASHINGTON — For the fifth consecutive year, homicides in Washington D.C. are rising. In 2021, killings surpassed 200 for the first time since 2003; and as of May 12, the city is on track for an even higher number for 2022.
Mayor Muriel Bowser said in a press conference Friday that local government officials are concerned about the trend.
"We will drive down the violent activity,” Bowser, who is up for reelection this year, said.
The Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, a district agency, has published the Gun Violence Reduction Plan, which includes 16 recommendations to drive down crime in the city.
The proposal suggests increasing the number of violence intervention workers and creating an academy to train these specialists; it also includes weekly meetings to review every shooting incident in the city.
Authors of the report say their plan can reduce violent crimes like homicides and nonfatal shootings each year by 10%.
D.C. officials have called the plan a good foundation while they continue pushing their existing programs.
“We need everyone helping together," Bowser said while emphasizing the program that offers financial rewards for residents who report illegal guns in their community.
A 48-year-old woman found Friday night in the 1200 block of Raum Street Northeast has been one of the latest victims of gun violence identified by DC police. Christine Chase of no fixed address was located dead in an alley after reports of a shooting.
The nation's capital is not alone in this fight against gun violence. President Joe Biden asked state and local governments Friday to immediately invest unused COVID-19 relief funds in their police departments to make communities safer before summer when crime tends to rise. | 2022-05-15T13:52:06Z | www.wusa9.com | Gun violence is on the rise in D.C. | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/crime/homicides-in-dc-are-on-the-rise-but-a-gun-violence-reduction-plan-hopes-to-change-that/65-86252da1-f613-477e-964e-029ccb9eb521 | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/crime/homicides-in-dc-are-on-the-rise-but-a-gun-violence-reduction-plan-hopes-to-change-that/65-86252da1-f613-477e-964e-029ccb9eb521 |
A Prince George's County woman charged with possession of a destruction device and first degree arson.
Credit: Office of the Maryland State Fire Marshal
CHARLES COUNTY, Md. — Editor's note: The video attached in this article is from a story WUSA9 did back in February 2020.
A Prince George's County woman accused of throwing Molotov cocktails at two different houses last October has been arrested on multiple charges.
According to authorities, Deputy State Fire Marshals responded to the 3800 block of Shiner Court on Oct. 14 after a person who police believed to be the owner of the house, reported pieces of Molotov cocktails being discovered in their front yard.
When officers arrived at the residence, they noticed that the Molotov cocktail did not function properly or ignite as intended causing minor damage to the property.
RELATED: Woman dies after trying to save pets from Fredericksburg house fire
A video obtained by investigators shows a woman throwing an object consistent with the characteristics of a firebomb towards the front of the house late Wednesday Night, Oct. 14.
On the following night, Oct. 15, Deputy State Fire Marshals were sent to the 25100 block of Gallant Man Drive after officers from the St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office responded to a report of three Molotov cocktails being thrown at a residence.
Initially, the owner of the house told officers that they were inside when they heard a loud noise coming from outside of their home.
Officials say that the resident later discovered a Molotov cocktail burning feet from the doorsteps of the dwelling and subsequently and extinguished the fire.
RELATED: Man charged with arson after allegedly setting Georgetown house on fire
In a span of six months, detectives collected evidence - including cell phone records - which helped identify the suspect as Latrice Joneah Williams, 20, of Upper Marlboro, MD.
Woman Charged After Two Separate Firebombings CHARLES COUNTY, MD (May 13, 2022) - With the assistance of the Maryland...
Posted by Office of the Maryland State Fire Marshal on Saturday, May 14, 2022
Investigators were able to tie Williams to two of the firebombings in Charles and St. Mary's Counties.
According to authorities, Deputy State Fire Marshals, with the help of the Maryland State Apprehension Team, arrested Williams Friday morning with multiple charges of arson.
The charges Williams faces include manufacturing and possession of a destruction device and first degree arson.
She is being held without bond at the Charles County Detention Center. | 2022-05-15T17:24:06Z | www.wusa9.com | Prince George's County woman charged with first degree arson | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/maryland/maryland-woman-faces-multiple-arson-charges/65-66335c4d-8377-4ee2-8970-73f8c7c8462c | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/maryland/maryland-woman-faces-multiple-arson-charges/65-66335c4d-8377-4ee2-8970-73f8c7c8462c |
The 63-year-old Democratic Senator from Maryland said he expects to return to work later this week and will remain under medical observation.
WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland said in a statement that over the weekend he experienced a "minor stroke."
The Democratic senator made the announcement Sunday evening. Van Hollen said he experienced "light headedness and acute neck pain" when he delivered a speech in Western Maryland. After the speech, he was admitted to George Washington University Hospital.
The 63-year-old senator received confirmation from an angiogram Sunday that he experienced "a minor stroke in the form of a small venous tear at the back of [his] head."
"Fortunately, I have been informed that there are no long-term effects or damage as a result of this incident, but my doctors have advised that out of an abundance of caution I remain under observation for a few days," Van Hollen said.
Van Hollen thanked the medical team that cared for him and said he expects to return to work in the Senate this week.
RELATED: Montgomery Co. Council supports removal of Francis G. Newlands name from memorial fountain in Chevy Chase
RELATED: Pennsylvania Senate candidate John Fetterman says he had a stroke | 2022-05-16T04:11:39Z | www.wusa9.com | Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland hospitalized for 'minor stroke' | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/maryland/chris-van-hollen-of-maryland-hospitalized-for-minor-stroke-over-the-weekend/65-9733a734-4263-4509-8ee4-941fc31e7204 | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/maryland/chris-van-hollen-of-maryland-hospitalized-for-minor-stroke-over-the-weekend/65-9733a734-4263-4509-8ee4-941fc31e7204 |
WASHINGTON — A man died from a two-car collision in Seat Pleasant, Md. Sunday morning.
According to police, officers were called around 11 a.m. to Central Avenue Eastbound before I-495 South in Prince George's County.
A man was determined to have died from the crash, police say. Additionally, a woman was taken to a nearby hospital with serious injuries.
WUSA9 camera crews captured a white car had crashed over a guardrail. Police did not say the cause of the crash but as detectives were investigating Central Avenue Eastbound and Hampton Park Boulevard was temporarily closed.
Police did not identify the man killed in the crash. It is unclear if anyone else was affected.
Seat Pleasant Police Department is working to determine a cause for the crash.
Woman killed in Gaithersburg crash after being ejected from vehicle | 2022-05-16T04:11:45Z | www.wusa9.com | Police: Man dead from crash in Prince George's County Sunday | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/maryland/crash-in-pg-county-man-dead-sunday/65-95bbf02d-bf1a-40ae-843a-22e417c4d230 | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/maryland/crash-in-pg-county-man-dead-sunday/65-95bbf02d-bf1a-40ae-843a-22e417c4d230 |
WUSA9 attempted to contact Hagerstown Speedway last week to see if it planned to host the People's Convoy again, but it did not receive a response.
HAGERSTOWN, Md. — Editor's note: The above video is from May 6, 2022.
The People’s Convoy claims it is coming back to a familiar place later this week.
At a rally, on Sunday in Ohio, the truckers announced they plan to once again head to Hagerstown Speedway after they make a brief stop in Pennsylvania. The rally was livestreamed on a YouTube page belonging to 1st Responders Media.
The People’s Convoy’s official Facebook page also suggests the traveling protest will make its way back to Washington County, Maryland, later this week.
"May 17th. WE ARRIVE AT HAGERSTOWN SPEEDWAY!!! We greatly appreciate them having The People’s Convoy back!!” a post from the page’s administrator reads.
According to the People’s Convoy’s website, participating truckers are demanding an end to the national declaration of emergency concerning COVID-19.
In March, hundreds of truckers made their way to Hagerstown Speedway to protest COVID regulations. The truckers would then make daily trips to D.C. from that western Maryland location.
For the last several weeks, the truckers have promised to return to the District.
WUSA9 attempted to contact Hagerstown Speedway on May 6 to see if its management would confirm whether it planned to host the truckers again, but did not receive a response. WUSA9 has once again reached out to the speedway to see if this latest claim made by the truckers is true.
Trucker Convoy | Members of The People's Convoy claim they are coming back to Hagerstown Speedway this week. One convoy leader made the announcement on their official FB page. Another leader also made the claim during a live-streamed rally, Sunday, in Ohio. (@wusa9) pic.twitter.com/yS1GDFXGzp
Both the Maryland State Police Hagerstown Barrack and a spokesperson for the City of Hagerstown told WUSA9 last week they were not aware of any plans for the truckers to return to the speedway.
Both the website and the Hagerstown Speedway Facebook page do not mention plans to receive the truckers again.
Either way, D.C. government officials are planning ahead for more possible roaming protests in the area.
Over the weekend, Dr. Chris Rodriguez, director of the DC Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency released the following statement:
"The District of Columbia is aware of reports that this demonstration activity may return to our city. HSEMA and the Metropolitan Police Department continue to monitor for any possible threats to public safety. We are joined in that effort by our District, regional, and federal partners. As part of our layered mitigation strategy and enhanced preparedness posture, the District has focused support and resources to protect our residents, businesses, and minimize disruptions to our community. While we do not discuss operational tactics, MPD will take appropriate enforcement action against those who engage in unlawful behavior in the District of Columbia.”
Currently, D.C. is involved in a legal battle with some of the participants of the People’s Convoy.
In early May, 16 members of the People’s Convoy filed suit against D.C. claiming the local government violated their first amendment rights by not allowing truckers to enter certain parts of the District from the highway.
The suit, filed in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, said the plaintiffs were seeking an undisclosed amount in financial damages. The plaintiffs' complaint also asked for the court to make D.C. government allow truckers to enter the District, without interference, so they can participate in free speech activities.
The plaintiffs’ Arlington-based lawyer, Michael Yoder, has not responded to a request for comment on the suit.
A spokesperson for D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said her office does not comment on litigation. | 2022-05-16T08:24:56Z | www.wusa9.com | Trucker convoy claim it's coming back to Hagerstown Speedway | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/maryland/truckers-claim-they-are-coming-back-to-hagerstown-speedway-this-week/65-41e5167f-000d-4e4f-b0bb-7e9fafbc1a94 | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/maryland/truckers-claim-they-are-coming-back-to-hagerstown-speedway-this-week/65-41e5167f-000d-4e4f-b0bb-7e9fafbc1a94 |
Officers responded to the scene to find a man shot multiple times. He was taken to an area hospital where he is recovering
WASHINGTON — A man is in the hospital and police are searching for the people who are responsible for shooting him early Monday morning in Northwest D.C.
Police were alerted to the shooting just before 3 a.m. by ShotSpotter, according to Capt. Francis Jenkins, Metropolitan Police Department's Third District Watch Commander.
When officers arrived on scene in the 1200 block of U Street, Northwest to investigate, they found a man shot multiple times. He was taken to an area hospital where he is recovering from his injuries. He is in stable condition, Jenkins said.
Investigators three men were seen running from the scene of the shooting. Jenkins says police are still searching for the suspects. One of the suspects was armed with a handgun.
U Street Northwest was closed for the shooting investigation, but has since reopened.
Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact MPD investigators at 202-727-9099 or text the department's tip line at 50411.
This is a developing story. We are working to gather additional details. Stay with WUSA9 for the latest updates as they come in to our newsroom.
RELATED: Auto sears explained: How one small device turns handguns, rifles into machine guns | 2022-05-16T12:08:54Z | www.wusa9.com | U Street shooting leaves man hurt, suspects on the run | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/dc/u-street-shooting-leaves-man-hurt-suspects-on-the-loose/65-c96346fe-ee34-46d3-8152-9b91426a0bf4 | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/dc/u-street-shooting-leaves-man-hurt-suspects-on-the-loose/65-c96346fe-ee34-46d3-8152-9b91426a0bf4 |
Youngkin said the task force was created to combat a "crisis" of violent crime in the commonwealth.
RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin says violent crime is a crisis in the Commonwealth and he's launched a task force to deal with it.
The new task force, announced Monday, is a collaborative effort between the governor, Attorney General Jason Miyares and community and law enforcement leaders across Virginia.
“There is a clear recognition of a violent crime crisis in Virginia and my administration is committed to joining with community leaders, law enforcement, and Virginians around solutions with the Violent Crime task force. We will take a comprehensive look at how we can address the rise in violent crime by providing more law enforcement resources, creating alternative and after-school activities for children, and addressing the fear that results in witnesses failing to show up for a criminal hearing,” Youngkin said in a statement.
Miyares said fighting violent crime is a collaborative effort and his team is looking forward to being a part of it.
“There’s not a one size fits all approach to combating crime in the Commonwealth. It requires collaboration and communication with law enforcement, local officials, and community leaders. My team is excited to be a part of this new task force and we’re eager to work with our partners in the executive branch to carry out new, innovative solutions that will help to reduce crime and keep our communities safe,” Miyares said in a press release.
The new task force is led by Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security Bob Mosier, with additional leadership provided by the Chief Deputy Attorney General Chuck Slemp. Additional participants include leaders from the Governor’s Office, the Attorney General’s Office, the Department of Juvenile Justice, the Department of Criminal Justice Services, Virginia State Police and others.
News of the task force comes as police in Prince William County are investigating a double homicide in Woodbridge.
Officers responded to the Woodbridge Station Apartments Sunday afternoon, just after 4 p.m., for a report of destruction of property.
A resident of an apartment told police that a bullet hole was discovered in his ceiling and it appeared to have come from the apartment above. Officers attempted contact at the apartment where the gunshot was believed to have been fired to perform a welfare check on the people inside.
They got no response at the door and had maintenance open the door. Two men were found inside, unresponsive and suffering from gunshot wounds.
Investigators say there were no signs of forced entry into the apartment and no other injuries were reported.
The two men were identified as Malik Xavier Lamar Davis of Woodbridge, and Christian Jamar Roberts of Dumfries. Both men were 23 years old.
Detectives are still investigating what led up to the shooting. Preliminarily, the incident does not appear to be random and there is no active threat to the community.
Anyone with information about this case is asked to call Prince William County Police at 703-792-7000.
RELATED: Police: Man wanted for assaulting, trying to abduct two 12-year-old girls in Virginia | 2022-05-16T15:39:55Z | www.wusa9.com | Youngkin launches Virginia violent crime task force | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/virginia/youngkin-violent-crime-task-force-virginia/65-7a10724c-d414-4dbe-8411-6042540793e0 | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/virginia/youngkin-violent-crime-task-force-virginia/65-7a10724c-d414-4dbe-8411-6042540793e0 |
Loudoun County detectives are currently investigating the death of Kelley Muscara, whose body was found Sunday.
STERLING, Va. — A 33-year-old woman from Sterling, Virginia has been found dead after she was reported missing Saturday.
The Loudoun County Sheriff's Office (LCSO) found Kelley Muscara's body in the area of Kincora Drive Sunday. She was last seen alive in the 45100 block of Kincora drive. Officials said that there was concern for her well-being when she was reported missing, but they did not give any additional details.
"LCSO Detectives are conducting an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Kelley Muscara in conjunction with the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner,"LSCO wrote in a press release Sunday.
The investigation into Muscara's death is ongoing and anyone with any additional information regarding the case is asked to contact Detective R. Schmidt at 703-777-1021.
RELATED: Hannah Choi's goodbye dinner with an ex ended in murder. 1 month later police search for her alleged killer
Earlier this year, in an unrelated incident, another Virginia woman's body was found, named Hannah Choi. She was 35 at the time of her death.
Choi was reported missing by friends on March 6 and was ultimately allegedly killed by her ex-boyfriend in a wooded area of Piscataway Park in Maryland.
According to a spokesperson from the Fairfax County Police Department, deputies from the Charles County Sheriff's Department were called to the park Thursday morning after a body was found in the woods.
Arrest warrants have been issued for Choi's ex-boyfriend, 27-year-old Joel Mosso Merino, for second-degree murder and felony disposal of a body. He has yet to be apprehended.
RELATED: Mother begs for help after her son disappeared from Silver Spring weeks ago | 2022-05-16T19:00:40Z | www.wusa9.com | Sterling woman found dead, reported missing 1 day earlier | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/virginia/virginia-33-year-old-sterling-woman-found-dead-kelley-muscara/65-8fb9503e-4d5e-4b6d-9ba4-587822555842 | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/virginia/virginia-33-year-old-sterling-woman-found-dead-kelley-muscara/65-8fb9503e-4d5e-4b6d-9ba4-587822555842 |
Family plagued by strokes inspires Laurel man to drop 170 lbs
Laurel resident Trei Massie is now a contender to become "Mr. Health and Fitness 2022."
LAUREL, Md. — Over the weekend, two political figures suffered strokes, which in turn caused Trei Massie of Laurel, Maryland, to reflect on his journey to fitness.
Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen reported he had a “minor stroke” but is expecting to go back to work this week after treatment at George Washington University Hospital.
In Pennsylvania, Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, the leading candidate in that state's Senate Democratic primary race, was hospitalized after suffering a stroke Friday but said he’s “well on his way to a full recovery.”
Massie said it's proof that strokes can happen to anyone at any time.
“I've learned that from personal experience in terms of losing my family members,” Massie said.
Massie said his parents and two brothers all died from strokes or stroke-related effects. He is the only survivor of his nuclear family.
He said it was the "wake-up call" that started him on an unlikely health and fitness journey six years ago.
"I just had a come-to-Jesus moment where l said look, I have three kids (and) I want to be around for them, and I don’t want them to be a caregiver like I was,” Massie said.
At the time he says he weighed 350 pounds. He is now down to 180 pounds and is training as a contestant in hopes of being named "Mr. Health and Fitness 2022" by Muscle and Fitness Magazine.
Massie's journey started with dieting. He said was inspired by some early modest success.
"What I tell everybody is to start small. Don't think you can change your diet overnight,” Massie said. "And believe me, my exercise didn't start with me spending an hour to two hours in the gym lifting. It started walking half a block. I was lucky I could do 10 minutes on the treadmill."
He also credits emotional health counseling and a supportive community of other fitness-seekers encouraging him along the way.
WHAT IS A STROKE? WHAT ARE THE SIGNS?
According to the American Stroke Association, a stroke is a blood blockage or bleeding that damages the brain. Risk factors include high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes and smoking.
Dr. Mark Baker of The George Washington University Hospital said incidents of stroke are increasing.
“As our population continues to have relatively sedentary, unhealthy lifestyles, -- especially during COVID, as our mental health has changed -- we're not eating as well. We're not exercising as well. I think we're seeing stroke continue to be a problem within our population," Baker explained. "I think it's something that if we're able to take care of these other underlying medical problems, we can hopefully see that number go down.”
Baker emphasized the importance of recognizing symptoms and taking quick action when a stroke is suspected.
"The good treatments for stroke are all time-sensitive," Baker said. "It's not something where you wait around and take a nap and see if it gets better. You have to call 9-1-1. You have to present to your local hospital to be evaluated for stroke."
Back in the gym, Trei Massie said lifestyle changes that can reduce stroke risks are within reach for most people.
"You have to listen listen to your family history," Massie said. "You can't change your genetics but you sure as heck can change your risk factors.”
WATCH NEXT: Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland hospitalized for 'minor stroke'
U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland said in a statement that over the weekend he experienced a "minor stroke." The Democrat was admitted to GW Hospital. | 2022-05-16T22:12:48Z | www.wusa9.com | Maryland man losses 170 pounds after losing family to strokes | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/life/diet-fitness/stroke-inspires-laurel-man-to-drop-170-lbs/65-660cc542-2751-48e3-9940-07d394ab2ae5 | https://www.wusa9.com/article/life/diet-fitness/stroke-inspires-laurel-man-to-drop-170-lbs/65-660cc542-2751-48e3-9940-07d394ab2ae5 |
Police have arrested 17-year-old Ta'Quawn Henderson for the murder of Jailyn Jones. Police say the two teens went to the same high school.
Author: Laura Wainman, Kolbie Satterfield (WUSA 9), Natalie C. Hockaday
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. — Montgomery County Police made an arrest in the death of a high school senior who went missing in early January and was found dead two weeks later.
Police arrested 17-year-old Ta'Quawn Deon Henderson on Sunday after Henderson turned himself in. Henderson is charged with first-degree murder. He is being held without bond and is charged as an adult.
Jailyn Jones, 17, was reported missing on Jan. 7 and his body was found in a residential area of Germantown on Jan. 24 in a nearby creek.
An autopsy conducted in Baltimore revealed that Jones' death was a homicide that was caused by blunt and sharp force injuries, police said.
When police removed him from the water, they noticed that Jones had been stabbed multiple times in the head and torso. Police also found a pair of boots and jeans containing possible blood evidence.
Through Ring doorbell cameras near Jones' residence, police determined Jones left his house alone around 4:30 p.m. on Jan. 21.
Investigators say that around the last time he was seen, Jones told multiple people he was going to see a person named "Tay." "Tay" was identified as Ta'Quawn Henderson, who was Jones' classmate at Northwest High School.
Investigators obtained a search warrant for Henderson's DNA. Ultimately, police found that Henderson's DNA matched one of the profiles on the boots and jeans that were found with Jones' body. The other DNA profile matched Jones.
On May 12, an arrest warrant was obtained, charging Henderson with first-degree murder.
Police are still actively investigating this case and say they are still "following the evidence."
While a motive is not known, police confirmed that the teens went to school together and knew each other.
Jones's mother, Alexis McDaniel, has alleged that her son was a victim of bullying at Northwest High School, where she believes he became the target of a gang.
"I strongly do believe that bullying had something to do with it ... and I know it probably could have been the thing that put him in harm's way because he was a protector," McDaniel said.“I think that he probably was set up and brought to that location ... I don’t feel it was one person; it couldn’t have been.”
RELATED: 'We will catch you and we will seek justice' | Mother fights for answers after son found dead in Montgomery County
I spoke with the 17-year-old victim’s mother, who MCPS confirms is 12th grader Jailyn Jones.
She says she pleaded for her help for her son who was a victim of bullying, but didn’t get it. @wusa9 pic.twitter.com/FGbrNOlQBF
— Kolbie Satterfield (@KolbieReports) January 26, 2022
WUSA9 reached out in January to the school district for comment following McDaniel's bullying allegations. A spokesperson for MCPS said privacy rules governing students prohibit them from answering specific questions relating to students, however, said Northwest High School and all of MCPS were "deeply saddened" by Jones' death.
"Our kids ... should be safe when they go to school," McDaniel said. "They should be safe when they’re walking the streets."
A preliminary hearing for Henderson is scheduled to take place on May 27.
RELATED: 'Took a piece of my soul' | Mom wants answers after teen son found dead in Montgomery County | 2022-05-16T22:12:55Z | www.wusa9.com | Arrest made in 17-year-old's death that was ruled a homicide | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/crime/arrest-made-17-year-old-jailyn-jones-death-northwest-high-school-montgomery-county-police/65-c40f4ed5-496e-4d28-9149-0ee561097820 | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/crime/arrest-made-17-year-old-jailyn-jones-death-northwest-high-school-montgomery-county-police/65-c40f4ed5-496e-4d28-9149-0ee561097820 |
There is not yet an official cause of death for the men. No signs of trauma or suicide were found. A cellmate was given Narcan after being found in medical distress.
WASHINGTON — Editor's Note: The above video is from a 2021 story featuring a tour of the current jail.
Authorities are investigating after two people died over the weekend at the DC Jail.
A Department of Corrections spokesperson confirmed that Ramone O’Neal, 28, died on Friday.
Then, on Sunday, DC DOC said 37-year-old Sean Lee died.
Lee was a cellmate with 40-year-old Marcell Jackson. Jackson was administered Narcan after being found in medical distress.
DC DOC says there is no official cause of death yet for both O’Neal and Lee. No signs of trauma or suicide were found.
The DC Office of the Chief Medical Examiner is currently conducting autopsies of the two men.
DC Jail | The DC Dept. of Corrections says 37yo Sean Lee & 28 yo Ramone O'Neal died. 40yo Marcell Jackson was hospitalized after receiving Narcan. Cause of death for Lee and O'Neal has not been released. DC DOC can't say at this time where the three are originally from. (@wusa9) https://t.co/wTDooZItnB
DC DOC could not say whether Lee, O’Neal or Jackson were D.C. residents.
All three were housed in the DC Jail’s central detention facility.
The DC DOC said the department remains vigilant about contraband.
“These incidents are currently under investigation,” said DC DOC spokesperson Keena Blackmon.
On Sunday, DC Councilmember and mayoral candidate Trayon White made an emergency visit to the jail in response to the deaths.
"Since Friday, I have followed up on reported concerns about the conditions and mistreatment of inmates at the DC Jail. I spoke to the family of an inmate that died in the jail’s psychiatric unit,” White said. “The mother of the deceased is outraged, having last heard from her son on Mother’s Day.”
It is unclear if the inmate who died in the jail’s psychiatric unit is Lee or O’Neal.
In March, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser highlighted investments in the Hill East community, including the plan for a new DC Jail on Hill East.
In her budget, Bowser allotted for an investment in a new jail and the shutdown of the current facility.
"We’ve been able to invest in opening a new high school, and an advanced career technical center," Bowser said at the time. "We’ve been able to invest in something we’ve been wanting to invest in a long time -- the sports complex -- and we’ve been able to invest in a new jail."
The $251 million investment in a new DC Jail attached to the current correctional treatment facility would mean the “eventual” closure of the current DC jail, with conditions so concerning to U.S. Marshals that they moved their inmates out last November.
Member of DC Police Union loses police powers over allegations of 'unwanted sexual contact'
Does the mayor's proposed budget do enough to keep DC kids off the streets? | 2022-05-16T22:13:01Z | www.wusa9.com | 2 men die at Washington, DC Jail | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/dc/two-inmates-die-dc-jail-investigation-underway/65-a49c33f2-19b6-46ef-a1db-138c2136969b | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/dc/two-inmates-die-dc-jail-investigation-underway/65-a49c33f2-19b6-46ef-a1db-138c2136969b |
The pandemic protection limited how much a landlord could increase the rent.
SILVER SPRING, Md. — Some residents in Maryland fear rent increases could force them out of their homes, now that their pandemic protection is over.
Landlords in Montgomery County were banned from raising rents beyond .4% for the past two years. That cap expired on May 15.
Monday, May 16 was moving day for Patricia Beckham. The retired nurse was forced to downsize to a smaller apartment after two increases pushed her rent to nearly $2,200 a month.
“Not only that but the facilities have gone up too,” she said. “Parking, storage and we’re on a fixed income! I’m really concerned. I think it’s outrageous and to some degree, it’s immoral to continue to go up on rent for residents that are on fixed incomes.”
Legislation spearheaded by Montgomery County Councilmember Will Jawando put a cap on rent increases for the past 2 years, but starting Monday landlords can increase rents.
“At any one time in Montgomery County, one of the wealthiest counties in the world, we see between 10 to 15,000 renters still behind on their rent,” said Matt Losak, executive director of the Montgomery County Renters Alliance.
Losak said nearly 40% of county residents are renters, a figure that’s up from 23% in 2007.
“Rents have gone up since 2019, during the pandemic on average 8.3%," explained Losak. “We think we’re going to see an increase much higher than that. Takoma Park, the only rent-stabilized municipality in this area, is going to be raising rents over 7%.”
Losak said compounding that is the demand for housing in the region that is pushing up rent and property values.
“There’s an incredible amount of pressure on renters who are low income and struggling to move out,” he said.
As for Beckham, she said she understands the business needs of landlords. She just hopes for a compromise that will keep people in their homes.
“I’m all for them making a living and a profit but it has to be reasonable,” said Beckham. “They have to balance because people are suffering and they’re afraid.”
Advocates said there is still some federal money available in phase four of the county’s Covid Rent Relief Fund. If you’re still struggling to pay the bills dial 311 for help.
Renters in Montgomery County aren’t the only ones feeling the pinch, rent relief programs in Virginia expired on March 15.
RELATED: Montgomery County Emergency Rental Assistance Program Application Portal to Close Dec. 31
RELATED: Gov. Hogan announces new affordable housing package, creating thousands of new affordable units in Maryland | 2022-05-16T23:48:12Z | www.wusa9.com | Some maryland renters fear losing homes as cap on rents expire | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/renters-fear-losing-their-homes-as-rent-cap-expires-in-montgomery-county/65-38e0ff70-070d-4b9f-961e-200d0368c061 | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/renters-fear-losing-their-homes-as-rent-cap-expires-in-montgomery-county/65-38e0ff70-070d-4b9f-961e-200d0368c061 |
Bitty & Beau's Coffee started with one store in Wilmington, North Carolina in 2016. The company now has 24 locations in 12 states and D.C.
WASHINGTON — Photographers with those big long professional lenses were snapping shot after shot. It would have been easy to think a major celebrity had been spotted along M Street in Georgetown on a recent weekend.
A massive crowd had overtaken the sidewalk and spilled onto the streets. There were massive throngs of people cheering, yelling and waving.
Turns out it wasn't a celebrity sighting but a lifetime achievement being celebrated. Bitty & Beau's Coffee, a company centered around employing people with disabilities, was hosting its grand opening. The hundreds of people gathered were the family and friends of those who were recently hired to work at the new store.
New Georgetown coffee shop centers around employing people w/ disabilities.
The people AND the coffee @bittyandbeaus are AMAZING!
I've got the scoop on #OpenMic w/ @reesewaters
7pm @wusa9 pic.twitter.com/nMt6ZGTVZz
"For a lot of them it’s their first job," said Meghan Young of Bitty & Beau's Coffee when we met a few days later inside the Georgetown shop.
"When they’re first born, parents are inundated with all that their child will never be able to do. All of a sudden, to have a job – people come to celebrate that. They’re coming to celebrate this achievement and that we’ve gotten to a place where people with disabilities can shine in this way."
The company began in 2016 in Wilmington, North Carolina. The owners, Amy and Ben Wright, have four children. The oldest has autism and the two youngest, Bitty and Beau, have down syndrome.
"When they looked to the future for their children, they know that 80% of people with disabilities don’t have a job. So they went out to change that," said Young.
Oh myyyy ❤️❤️❤️❤️@bittyandbeaus pic.twitter.com/tx98XZ6JAm
— Holly Robinson Peete 💃🏾♍️ (@hollyrpeete) March 23, 2022
The company is enjoying incredible success and expansion. There are twenty-six new employees at the store in Georgetown and the entire company employs 350 people. What began with the one store in Wilmington has ballooned into a company of 24 stores across twelve states and D.C. Young says several more stores are in the works and will open soon.
"I like serving at Bitty & Beau’s because I make people smile," said cashier Lena King as we chatted during a break in the near-constant stream of people popping into the new store.
I sampled an iced coffee and it earned my five-star seal of approval. All of the employees were in great spirits and that attitude seemed to imbue everyone else in the store with an aura of happiness.
A post shared by Bitty & Beau's Coffee (@bittyandbeauscoffee)
"We're here to show people what’s possible for disabilities and that they make great employees," said Young. In fact, part of the mission behind Bitty & Beau's is to inspire people with other companies to hire people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
In our nation's capital city, a well-timed smile and cup of coffee could lead to a groundbreaking change at any number of other D.C. corporate or governmental institutions.
“I think a lot of customers will come in for the first time and might have their preconceived notions about people with disabilities or what a coffee shop run by people with disabilities might look like or taste like," said Young. "Our goal is to exceed those expectations."
WATCH NEXT: Women break a skydiving world record | Mic'd Up
Five planes and 84 skydivers were involved in breaking the record. | 2022-05-17T01:23:29Z | www.wusa9.com | Employing people with disabilities the goal of new DC business | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/bitty-and-beaus-coffee-georgetown/65-cdf84e71-9a51-4957-8311-185d91df6679 | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/bitty-and-beaus-coffee-georgetown/65-cdf84e71-9a51-4957-8311-185d91df6679 |
The traveling protest is expected to arrive at the Hagerstown Speedway Tuesday afternoon.
HAGERSTOWN, Md. — The People’s Convoy is expected to return to Hagerstown Speedway on Tuesday, but it remains unclear how locals will receive them.
The truckers, who are demanding an end to the national declaration of emergency concerning COVID-19, announced plans to come back to D.C. earlier this month.
The convoy first traveled to the D.C. region in March after setting up a base camp at the Hagerstown Speedway. At the time, hundreds of convoy participants gathered at the speedway, in their cars and trucks, to support the movement. The convoy was also met by many locals along the National Pike waving flags empathetic to their cause.
Hagerstown resident Adam Turner lives just a few blocks away from the Hagerstown Speedway.
He said he supported the convoy’s mission.
“I like what they’re doing,” he said. “I like the purpose of what they’re doing and anything to block up D.C. traffic and get them to think about what’s been going on, I want them to do.”
Turner added that he felt convoy participants were neighborly to people living in the area.
“There was a lot of nice people down here,” he said. “Met some people from down South, [I] offered if you need anything, come on down here and knock on the door, if there’s anything I can do to help you.”
But not everyone agreed. One of Turner’s neighbors, who did not want to be named, said she was not happy the truckers were coming back to the area.
“At first, I thought, it was cool, Day 1, and that was about it,” the neighbor said. “After that, we were overrun, you [couldn’t] even get gas, they got the gas stations full and here I am scraping pennies for gas and these guys are wasting it.”
The neighbor added that she felt the truckers created needless traffic and created too much noise.
“We had three weeks of no sleep,” the neighbor said. “Honking for three weeks straight. We were looking for a hotel.”
Right now, it is unclear how many truckers will arrive in Hagerstown on Tuesday or when they will eventually make their way down to D.C.
However, some convoy participants who arrived early at the Hagerstown Speedway Monday told the region to expect truckers from all across the country to attend. | 2022-05-17T02:54:50Z | www.wusa9.com | Hagerstown prepares to welcome trucker convoy for a second time | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/dc/peoples-convoy-hagerstown-prepares-to-welcome-truckers-a-second-time/65-8a8c67d3-e93d-4258-8ca9-7bfa04f7fe28 | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/dc/peoples-convoy-hagerstown-prepares-to-welcome-truckers-a-second-time/65-8a8c67d3-e93d-4258-8ca9-7bfa04f7fe28 |
The now, former general manager of Metro announced he was retiring effective Monday.
WASHINGTON — For six years Paul Wiedefeld was the General Manager and Chief Executive Officer of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. On Monday he announced he would be taking his retirement effective immediately, over a month earlier than his original retirement date.
Andy Off will be the interim general manager of WMATA.
“I have decided to make my retirement effective today to provide a more timely transition to Interim General Manager Andy Off," said Wiedefeld. Wiedefeld added that stepping down early was "in the best interest of the agency and its workforce."
Additionally, Wiedefeld announced he accepted the resignation of Chief Operating Officer, Joe Leader, effective immediately.
Wiedefeld originally announced in January that he would be retiring on June 30 and was going to be succeeded by Randy Clark. WMATA announced on May 10 that Clark would be the next general manager and CEO of WMATA and start in the late summer of this year.
On Sunday, WMATA announced that 72 train operators would be removed from service due to them being out of compliance prior to May 2021. This will have an impact on the green and yellow lines making a temporary reduction shortage of services from every 15 minutes to every 20 minutes, according to WMATA. | 2022-05-17T04:26:04Z | www.wusa9.com | WMATA's Paul Wiedefeld steps down early | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/dc/wmata-paul-wiedefeld-announced-early-retirement/65-e1fdce68-fe91-47fc-9c3d-258cfb5962bc | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/dc/wmata-paul-wiedefeld-announced-early-retirement/65-e1fdce68-fe91-47fc-9c3d-258cfb5962bc |
The Lamond-Riggs Boys & Girls Club reunion felt like a family affair.
It was a celebration of a neighborhood that would become a large Black middle class population by the 1980s. The reunion felt like a big family affair.
There were loving accolades to pillars of the neighborhood, like Mrs. Baker, who was front-and-center at 102 years old. Mr. Biggs, at 95, traveled from North Carolina to attend the event.
The afternoon was full of reminiscing and laughter between old friends and teammates, like Former Lamond-Riggs Boys Club football player Richard Dyer, who would go on to be the current president and general manager here at WUSA9.
The rich fabric of this community is so intricately woven into D.C.'s history that it warranted a visit from the city's mayor, Muriel Bowser, who sang the community's praises.
This tightly knit neighborhood help to build the foundational success of many of those in attendance and it felt uplifting and inspiring to hear the old stories and the plans for the future of the rec center that continues to be a nurturing safe haven for a new generation of young people who call Riggs Park home.
RELATED: 7-year-old track star goes viral after losing her shoe, winning race anyway | Get Uplifted | 2022-05-17T10:30:35Z | www.wusa9.com | Celebrating community, history at Lamond-Riggs reunion | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/life/heartwarming/get-uplifted/lamond-riggs-community-center-celebration-get-uplifted/65-b681fab5-0445-4e97-8958-2a048697dd6b | https://www.wusa9.com/article/life/heartwarming/get-uplifted/lamond-riggs-community-center-celebration-get-uplifted/65-b681fab5-0445-4e97-8958-2a048697dd6b |
A pill suspected to contain psilocybin mushroom powder was found on the suspect when he was searched at the jail.
STAFFORD COUNTY, Va. — A 23-year-old Spotsylvania man is in jail after he shot and stabbed an acquaintance, head-butted a deputy and broke out a patrol car window, Stafford County deputies say.
Deputies were called to a report of a medical emergency on Fox Lane in the Woodlawn subdivision around 3 a.m. on Saturday, May 14. A man was found in the driveway of a home there, bleeding profusely and suffering from what was thought to be life-threatening injuries, according to deputies. Deputy K.P. Hall rendered first aid to the victim and he was taken to a nearby hospital.
Meanwhile, deputies were alerted to a disturbance inside the home and learned the 23-year-old Ryan Madden was inside, acting irrationally. Deputies say Madden assaulted the victim inside the home.
Deputies detained Madden. He then became extremely irate as he was placed in the patrol car. During the arrest, he head butted a deputy and broke out a patrol car window, according to Stafford County Sheriff's Office deputies. The head-butted deputy was treated by medics at the scene.
Madden was initially charged with assault and battery, assault and battery on law enforcement and vandalism.
During a search of Madden at the jail, a pill suspected to contain powder of psilocybin mushroom was found, deputies said.
Investigators later learned that the victim who was transported to the hospital had been both shot and stabbed, but was expected to survive. In the course of their investigation, detectives learned that Madden was an acquaintance of the victim and had shot him.
Madden was charged with unlawful wounding, along with possession charges for the suspected mushroom powder.
He is being held without bond at the Rappahannock Regional Jail, deputies said.
RELATED: No foul play suspected after missing Sterling woman found dead, police say
18-year-old dead after attempted carjacking, shooting in Alexandria | 2022-05-17T10:30:36Z | www.wusa9.com | Stafford Co. deputies arrest man for shooting, stabbing | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/virginia/stafford-county-deputies-arrest-man-for-shooting-stabbing/65-d1a9a1a8-f1c5-4c65-b496-665aa3a1f7ab | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/virginia/stafford-county-deputies-arrest-man-for-shooting-stabbing/65-d1a9a1a8-f1c5-4c65-b496-665aa3a1f7ab |
The DEA has identified "iso" mixed with other substances in the area. They say it's at least as potent as fentanyl -- and could be deadly.
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) says a drug at least as dangerous as fentanyl has hit the D.C. region. It's called "iso."
That's short for isotonitazene.
DEA Intelligence Analyst Maura Gaffney said it doesn't have the same chemical composition as fentanyl, but it's at least as potent.
“It caused a lot of overdoses in the Midwest to begin with," Gaffney said. "It didn't show up here until last August. So that's about nine months ago.”
The DEA said so far they have found iso mixed in with other substances, like fentanyl, heroin, and M30 pills (like oxycodone -- an opioid.)
There's one big differentiator from fentanyl.
“There's no way for somebody who's using a test strip to know that there's something else in there," Gaffney said.
RELATED: More fentanyl strips being used as overdoses increase, Arlington Co. officials say
A warning for you this morning from the @DEAHQ...
A drug at least as dangerous as fentanyl has hit the DC region.
It's called "iso," and the DEA is finding it mixed in with other substances.
What you need to know on #GetUpDC. @wusa9 @AnnieYuTV @DCAllisontv @TonyPerkinsFMTV pic.twitter.com/X97rKJsLMS
— Jess Arnold (@JessArnoldTV) May 17, 2022
There are test strips to detect if fentanyl is in a drug you're about to use.
The DEA said those strips, however, will not detect iso, so there's no way to find out if it's mixed in before ingesting it.
“Drug traffickers do not have quality control," Gaffney said. "So, even if you've tried something from your drug trafficker before, and it was fine, and you didn't have any ill effects, the next dose could be the one that kills you.”
The DEA said they haven't heard of people specifically asking for iso -- it's getting mixed in somewhere on the production line.
They said drug distributors may not even realize it's part of what they're peddling.
The DEA does however say the substance is coming from China.
To try to combat its prevalence, the administration has already listed iso as a schedule I controlled substance, which means it has a high potential for abuse.
It also allows for certain criminal sentences if there's any prosecution on cases involving iso.
So, the DEA's message continues to be that you should only take pills prescribed to you. Otherwise, you're playing Russian Roulette.
RELATED: DC chemist finds drug more potent than fentanyl that's on city streets now | 2022-05-17T12:02:44Z | www.wusa9.com | iso, drug as dangerous as fentanyl found in dc region | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/dc/dea-new-drug-dangerous-fentanyl-iso-dc-region/65-abc443d9-ab9c-42a0-bde3-dbb66a29961e | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/dc/dea-new-drug-dangerous-fentanyl-iso-dc-region/65-abc443d9-ab9c-42a0-bde3-dbb66a29961e |
The benefit program responsible helps ensure that households can afford the broadband they need for work, school, health care and more.
WASHINGTON — Thanks to a new FCC benefit program, more households in D.C., Maryland and Virginia will have the internet they need in today's digital world.
The Affordable Connectivity Program works to ensure that households can afford broadband for work, school, health care and more. The benefit provides a discount of up to $30 per month toward internet service for eligible households and up to $75 per month for households on qualifying Tribal lands, according to the website.
Eligible households can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 to get a laptop, desktop computer or tablet from participating providers if they contribute more than $10 and less than $50 toward the purchase price.
The FCC stated that a household is eligible for the program if the household income is at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, or if a member of the household meets at least one of the criteria below:
Veterans Pension or Survivor Benefits or Lifeline;
The program takes two steps to enroll, while some providers may also have an alternative application for people to complete. Click here to learn how you can get started.
In addition, service providers can find more information about how to participate by clicking here. | 2022-05-17T19:40:41Z | www.wusa9.com | Some DMV households can get discounted high-speed internet | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/dc/heres-how-some-dc-households-can-get-discounted-high-speed-internet-washington/65-1d015c88-afac-4dd1-88b4-d9aa8314053d | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/dc/heres-how-some-dc-households-can-get-discounted-high-speed-internet-washington/65-1d015c88-afac-4dd1-88b4-d9aa8314053d |
Villacorta was wanted in connection to the 2021 death of 20-year-old Kayshaun Daly.
STERLING, Va. — Police arrested a Maryland woman on charges of first and second-degree murder after she flew from El Salvador to Washington Dulles Internation Airport Sunday.
According to a press release from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, 23-year-old Norma Elizabeth Rivas Villacorta from Riverdale Maryland was taken into custody at an arrival gate. She was later turned over to FBI special agents and Prince George's County Police.
Police claim officers arrived at a home in the 6700 block of Oakland Avenue on May 22, 2021. Inside the home they found Daly suffering from a gunshot wound. He died at the home.
Prince George's County detectives say Villacorta was in a relationship with Daly. An arrest warrant was filed in September 2021.
Within days of the deadly shooting, Villacorta left the country. She has been arrested and charged with first and second-degree murder and related charges. She remains in custody in Loudoun County.
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Grace Costello was driving with her four-year-old daughter when a tree fell on top their car in February. | 2022-05-17T22:42:04Z | www.wusa9.com | Woman arrested in connection to 2021 deadly shooting | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/crime/woman-arrested-connection-2021-deadly-shooting-maryland-man/65-3032a166-0d10-4546-af6c-680f2533448b | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/crime/woman-arrested-connection-2021-deadly-shooting-maryland-man/65-3032a166-0d10-4546-af6c-680f2533448b |
The increase in domestic related cases is not limited to violence by romantic partners, and 46 of the calls have involved a weapon, according to police.
In 2022, the police department said they've responded to more than 600 domestic calls, thus far, 46 of which involved a weapon and 78 involving strangulations.
“We've seen a big hike in strangulation cases,” Saly Fayez, the director of Victims Services Section for Fairfax County Police, said. "There's a rise in the severity [of calls.]"
On May 14, Fairfax County Police found a couple in their late 70s shot to death in their home. After a preliminary investigation, detectives believe the husband shot his wife and then himself, police said. It marks the 7th homicide of the year for the county.
RELATED: Husband shoots wife, then self in Fairfax Co., police say
Fayez said that her department believes the pandemic has played a role in the rise of cases throughout the county and possibly nationwide. And oftentimes, the violence doesn’t start physically.
“A lot of domestic violence starts with emotional abuse, which is harder to prove for people that have physical altercations," Fayez said. "If your significant other is starting to control your every move, who your friendships are, your finances, things like that, that's a sign."
Fayez said the fear of financial hardship often makes victims return to their abusers or even worse, prevents them from reporting the abuse.
But the calls aren't limited to violence by romantic partners.
“It's not uncommon, now, for a child to assault, and sadly murder, their parents," she said. “Resources are available, whether it's shelter, emergency resources, long-term counseling, short term counseling. I think that people forget there's so many other dynamics in domestic violence. It's not just the physical abuse itself."
RELATED: 'Something is different in 2021' | Police fear more domestic violence cases this holiday season | 2022-05-17T22:42:10Z | www.wusa9.com | Rise in domestic violence calls in Fairfax during pandemic | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/fairfax-county-police-domestic-violence/65-583692b0-aca9-410a-a118-473fd3216dc9 | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/fairfax-county-police-domestic-violence/65-583692b0-aca9-410a-a118-473fd3216dc9 |
Maryland women's lacrosse inching close to another National Title
The Terps are preparing for NCAA Tournament quarterfinals.
COLLEGE PARK, Md. — The University of Maryland women's lacrosse team stands just three wins away from another national title. Maryland is one of eight teams remaining in the NCAA Tournament and are preparing to face the University of Florida for a chance to punch their ticket to the Final Four.
“Every single day I get to come out here and put that jersey on, or put my practice shirt on with the M on the front of it, it's just something we don’t take lightly because it’s something we all worked so hard for,” said Maryland starting goalie, Emily Sterling.
The Terps have won 10 straight games. They’re 18 and 1 on the season, and looking to make it 19, as they compete in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals this Thursday.
“Just to be still one of eight teams left to get to step on the field every day, to get to do what we love, it’s just really exciting. We’re really excited to play some Maryland lacrosse,” said Abby Bosco.
“They’re enjoying the moment, they’re trying to stay present, and they are having fun while competing together. We’ve really made that an important part of our program to just enjoy each other and the time we have together,” said Maryland head coach, Cathy Reese.
The Terps' ultimate goal is to win a national championship but they know they must take things one game at a time.
“We’re taking it one game at a time. So I don’t want to look too much ahead but it’s definitely something I want to achieve, and I’m excited that I have the chance to achieve that,” said Aurora Cordingley.
“We’ve been waiting for this moment, yes, for three years — but also since we were little girls." - Shay Ahearn
QUARTERFINALS BOUND! pic.twitter.com/LLwyKhGf9t
This program has a rich history of success. Under head coach Cathy Reese, Maryland has five national championships, with their most recent national title coming in 2019. A win Thursday would send Reese to her 12th Final Four as head coach.
Final Home Game of the Year ☑️
Spot in the Final Four on the line ☑️
Spend your Thursday with the Terps!
🎟 https://t.co/BNW2fmShAF pic.twitter.com/1xSMNNXMXK
“The history behind the program that Cathy has built and just the culture behind the team on and off the field, it’s just really special to get to play for Maryland,” said Bosco.
“We need to make sure we step on the field and execute our game plan with composure, poise and discipline and these guys are dialed in. They are focused, they are ready to compete. I'm looking forward to Thursday, it’s going to be a lot of fun,” said Reese.
Maryland hosts Florida at the Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex in College Park, Maryland, Thursday at noon.
The only D1 school with two lax teams still playing. @MarylandWLax 🤝 @TerpsMLax pic.twitter.com/hYjZ2Jgv8Z
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Brenda Frese is back coaching Maryland basketball and now the Terps are back to their winning streak. | 2022-05-17T22:42:28Z | www.wusa9.com | University of Maryland lacrosse closer to another National Title | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/sports/maryland-womens-lacrosse-inching-closer-another-national-title/65-57aa3133-de55-4800-bad1-9e91c63fe316 | https://www.wusa9.com/article/sports/maryland-womens-lacrosse-inching-closer-another-national-title/65-57aa3133-de55-4800-bad1-9e91c63fe316 |
The community meal initiative is addressing a nationwide issue. All 10 refrigerators across the DMV will have free baby formula starting Wednesday.
OXON HILL, Md. — On Thursday, Feed the Fridge will start giving out free baby formula to address the nationwide shortage.
Over the last two years, the Feed the Fridge initiative has served more than hundreds of thousands of free meals to people in the DMV. The mission that began during the pandemic was created to address food insecurity.
Now there are 10 refrigerators spread across the area where people can pick up a meal, no strings attached.
"We've assembled. What we've done is lean on our partners in the medical community and trucking community and friends we have out of state. They are buying baby formula and shipping it to us," Mark Bucher, co-owner of Medium Rare Restaurant and founder of Feed the Fridge said.
Starting Thursday, in addition to our ready to eat free restaurant prepared meals, Feed the Fridge will be including baby formula in all of our fridges. Hunger has no age limit .We are here for our communities. Feed the Fridge is the neighbor that can always be counted on. pic.twitter.com/SL0iFyvOiW
— Medium Rare (@MediumRareDC) May 17, 2022
Bucher says there are some neighborhoods across the nation with more of an elderly population that have baby formula available.
"We're finding it, consolidating it and putting it in our fridge for the next three to four weeks until the supply chain issues ease up," Bucher said.
The free meal initiative launched its 10th location in Oxon Hill, Maryland, on Tuesday. The newest fridge sits right outside the Glassmanor Community Center in Prince George's County.
According to a press release from the Department of Parks and Recreation in Prince George’s County, this will help the residents in the Glassmanor and Forest Heights Communities, where many have to face a long, difficult and sometimes unsafe walk to the nearest grocery store. | 2022-05-18T12:34:54Z | www.wusa9.com | 'Feed the Fridge' will provide free baby formula | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/feed-the-fridge-provides-free-baby-formula-at-ten-locations/65-40f7309a-0bb0-4f9b-8d8d-cf0e74234c87 | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/feed-the-fridge-provides-free-baby-formula-at-ten-locations/65-40f7309a-0bb0-4f9b-8d8d-cf0e74234c87 |
DC Police offer new hires rental housing assistance
DC Police offer new hires thousands in rental assistance
The department says they'll be offering up $6,000 to offset the costs associated with starting a new career.
WASHINGTON — D.C. Police have announced that they will be helping new hires pay their rent with hopes it will create an incentivize for new officers to live in the District. The starting salary for all new hires will be $60,199.
"The MPD Recruit Rental Assistance Program is designed to assist new police officers in their transition to working and living in the communities they serve," the Metropolitan Police Department describes on their website.
D.C. Police also specify that all recruits are eligible to sign up for the rental housing assistance benefits during their first three months of employment with MPD. In addition, all recruits must commit to staying with MPD for two years after they complete their six-month training program at MPD’s Metropolitan Police Academy.
Participation in the Recruit Rental Assistance Program requires recruits to commit to staying with MPD an extra six months (for a total of two and a half years) after they graduate from the academy.
Any interested and perspective officers must complete an application and present a signed lease agreement for a residence in the District. Those interested can get an application and more information by contacting the Professional Development Bureau (PDB) at (202) 727-9832 or by emailing pdb.adminbox@dc.gov.
Just last year, in July, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced a plan to add 170 officers to the department, which was estimated to cost $11 million.
Based on last year's numbers, MPD typically hires 250 officers each year. After the department's budget was cut by $15 million in 2020, the department said it was left with a near-empty hiring pipeline. The department only hired 42 new officers at that time so far in 2021: 21 cadets who became recruits, 12 reinstatements, eight senior police officers and one leadership official.
RELATED: DC mayor hopes to add 170 officers to the Metropolitan Police Department
#WeAreHiring! To encourage officers to live in DC, and to offset the costs associated with starting a new career, we are offering up to $6k rental housing assistance. To learn more or apply today visit https://t.co/5hzAaQS2HO! #Jobs #HiringAlert pic.twitter.com/PsrnNTfwf5
Two women, one of which is pregnant hurt after shooting in NE | 2022-05-18T17:07:00Z | www.wusa9.com | DC Police offer $6K in rental assistance to new hires | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/dc/washington-dc-police-offer-new-hires-rental-assistance-hiring-department-officer/65-330a5df1-3ec1-4e70-aebd-3863462ca908 | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/dc/washington-dc-police-offer-new-hires-rental-assistance-hiring-department-officer/65-330a5df1-3ec1-4e70-aebd-3863462ca908 |
"When we're talking about our streetscape, that's always a problem,” Melik Abdul said.
WASHINGTON — We can’t talk enough about street safety. People living in Ward 8 along Stanton Road SE are calling on leaders to make their bus stops and streets safer for pedestrians and cyclists.
Residents say the conditions are far worse than in other parts of the city and they feel neglected. When you turn on to Stanton Road SE from Suitland Parkway, there are three bus stops along the street. Neighbors want to see safety made a priority.
“I mean it's like the motocross speedway,” Melik Abdul said.
Going uphill, there’s one crosswalk and many drivers zoomed through it.
“We have to kind of play the, you know, the cat and mouse kind of game out in the street and it's not something that's really safe,” Abdul said.
He and other neighbors are calling on DDOT, council members and the mayor to make their street safer. Especially the lone bus stop on one side of the street.
The W8 bus stop in front of 3037 Stanton Road SE is symbolic of systemic neglect by District agencies. In a city as resourced as ours, ppl shouldn't be subjected to conditions like this while doing something as simple as waiting for the bus or crossing the street. pic.twitter.com/wR3X1UEmaM
— OUCmecalling311 🚸 (@oucmecalling311) May 17, 2022
“What you're seeing now hasn't changed over the years. The sidewalk ends behind the stop here. So, there is no other side, which is why we have to go on the other side of the street,” Abdul said.
Abdul said in his 20 years of living in this area, environmental improvements have happened. But the overall quality of life isn’t keeping up with the pace of other parts of the city.
“We try to focus on quality of life issues. It's not just about the big-ticket items, there are certain quality of life issues that impact what we do much like this bus stop,” he said.
On the first part of Stanton Road SE, coming off of Suitland Parkway, there are three bus stops. Two of them have ample room for riders to stand but an abandoned moped and shopping carts take up a portion of the small sidewalk where riders wait at the stop across the street.
“All here don't have access to cars, and so we rely on bikes, we rely on walking. I don't have a car myself and so I'm always walking or I'm taking the circulator, and all of that access is great. But when we're talking about our streetscape that's always a problem,” Abdul said.
There's a portion of Stanton Rd. SE where the sidewalk ends, right at a bus stop. The stop is also filled with garbage, shopping carts, and an abandoned moped. There's also only one cross walk, not near the bus stop at all. Check out this video of car zooming uphill. .@wusa9 pic.twitter.com/cMXZJvzQzR
Abdul is hoping their plea doesn’t fall on deaf ears and improvements can be made before someone is hurt.
“Fortunately we were able to get a crosswalk back there, but that crosswalk itself is still pretty dangerous because so many people speeding up Stanton Road, trying to just get all the way up the hill,”
We’ve reached out to DDOT to see if they’re aware of the concerns neighbors expressed. As of this report, we have not heard back yet.
RELATED: 2-car crash near DC school has neighbors calling for change | 2022-05-18T23:17:46Z | www.wusa9.com | Neighbors call for safety improvements along Southeast roadway | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/community/stanton-rd-southeast-dc-safety-concerns-ddot-bus-stop/65-356e9440-de40-4412-aeb9-eb405d2db4af | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/community/stanton-rd-southeast-dc-safety-concerns-ddot-bus-stop/65-356e9440-de40-4412-aeb9-eb405d2db4af |
Mayor Jud Ashman talks about 13th annual Gaithersburg Book Festival
The quarterfinal matchup between these two longtime regional rivals is a rematch from last year's NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship.
COLLEGE PARK, Md. — The Maryland Terps men's lacrosse team is the top-seeded in this year's NCAA Men's Lacrosse Tournament. But its quarterfinal matchup against the Virginia Cavaliers on Saturday is a shot at redemption after its loss in the championship game last year.
The matchup in Providence, Rhode Island will have the Terps face off against the Cavaliers less than a year after its Memorial Day weekend loss to Virginia. It gave UVA the National Championship, and in return, Maryland and its fans heartbreak.
The Terps in 2021 had a perfect season on the line when it fell to UVA in the season's final game. In 2022 it's a similar feeling of Deja Vue for Maryland, with it now fighting for a perfect season again with a 15-0 overall record heading into this weekend's match.
Virginia (12-3 overall) will look to play the upsetter of dreams.
The Cavaliers handled Brown University in the first round with a steady stream of goals in the second half and are on a four-game winning streak after its last loss to the Duke Blue Devils in mid-April.
These two teams don't play often, anymore. Conference realignment in the 2010s due to football forced these once Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) foes to miss what was for decades appointment viewing for lacrosse fans in this region.
Collectively, both Virginia and Maryland have won 10 NCAA Men's Lacrosse championships since 1971. The Cavaliers have six titles and the Terps have three, according to NCAA records.
This lacrosse rivalry includes a slight edge for the Terps over the Cavs of 47-46 through 93 matchups dating back to 1926, according to Maryland Athletic Department record books.
The last national title Maryland won came in 2017. | 2022-05-19T00:47:37Z | www.wusa9.com | Maryland and Virginia lacrosse get NCAA Tournament rematch | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/sports/maryland-virginia-lacrosse-ncaa-tournament-saturday-providence/65-4ca57eb1-9b56-4da0-abc0-97c7028c47f1 | https://www.wusa9.com/article/sports/maryland-virginia-lacrosse-ncaa-tournament-saturday-providence/65-4ca57eb1-9b56-4da0-abc0-97c7028c47f1 |
The festival is back in person this year for the first time since the pandemic started, with plenty of authors, writing workshops, food and fun.
WASHINGTON — For the first time since the start of the pandemic, book lovers can attend the annual Gaithersburg Book Festival in Maryland on Saturday.
The festival was started by the city's mayor, Jud Ashman, in 2010 and for more than 10 years the festival has brought together hundreds of authors, poets and writers. The last time the festival was held in person, more than 20,000 people from the DMV area and around the country attended.
The festival, now in its 13th year, is free. It is scheduled for Saturday from 10 a.m until 6 p.m., rain or shine, at Bohrer Park, located at 506 South Frederick Avenue.
Ashman told WUSA9 in an interview that this year's festival will feature "authors for everybody" that write for a variety of genres and age groups.
Are you getting super excited for #GBF yet? 🤩🤗
A few highlights of the many amazing people coming to meet you on Saturday, May 21st at Bohrer Park in Gaithersburg. Join us! (FREE!) pic.twitter.com/DQO5owx9XR
— Gaithersburg Book Festival (@GburgBookFest) May 12, 2022
"Our festival, we bring the some of the very best authors, journalists, educators on the planet to come speak about their latest work and sign books," Ashman said. "This year we have we have over 120 authors, many, many bestsellers, winners of the Pulitzer Prize, National Book Award, Newbery Medal, Caldecott Medal [and more]."
Some of the most anticipated authors who will attend include Jocelyn Nicole Johnson, author of "My Monticello," Reyna Grande, author of "A Ballad of Love and Glory," Jeanine Cummins, author of "American Dirt," S.A. Cosby, author of "Razorblade Tears," and U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, author of "Unthinkable."
There will also be writing workshops, poetry and multicultural readings, activities for children and plenty of food.
"I just believe that books and book festivals like this one, add to the world, they enlarge our experience," Ashman said.
Here is a full look at the schedule for the day's festivities.
RELATED: Here's what it will take to redevelop Lakeforest Mall in Gaithersburg
RELATED: Feel the buzz. Gaithersburg mead makers thriving with honey-based alcohol drinks | 2022-05-19T02:17:46Z | www.wusa9.com | Gaithersburg Book Festival returns Saturday with 120 authors | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/gaithersburg/gaithersburg-book-festival-returning-saturday-may-21/65-7147c756-0253-4ae9-a00f-012342e81237 | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/gaithersburg/gaithersburg-book-festival-returning-saturday-may-21/65-7147c756-0253-4ae9-a00f-012342e81237 |
County officials attribute the recommendation to the recent surge in COVID-19 cases.
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. — As a new Axios poll finds one in three Americans say the pandemic is over, county leaders in both Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties are recommending people voluntarily wear their masks indoors as COVID-19 cases start to rise again.
Montgomery County issued its recommendation Tuesday, attributing the recent rise in COVID cases in the county and region.
“Our current surge in cases is lasting longer than expected, which leaves more people at risk of being exposed to COVID-19,” County Executive Marc Elrich said. “I encourage everyone to wear masks indoors in public spaces when possible as well as continue to use our ample testing and vaccination resources we have in the county. I know we are all tired of this virus, but the virus is not tired of us.”
The Prince George’s County Health Department issued its voluntary mask-wearing in indoor places recommendation on Friday after it had a 35% increase in COVID cases over the last week.
RELATED: COVID-19 | Metro considers 'mask only' cars, Prince George's County recommends wearing masks inside public places
“In terms of COVID in the community, we’re definitely seeing more infections. For example, in the state of Maryland, the positivity rate is 6.5% and most recently it was as low as 3% so we’re definitely seeing an increased rate of positive infections in the community,” Dr. Sunil Madan, the Chief Medical Officer of Luminis Health, Doctor’s Community Medical Center said.
D.C. and the Northern Virginia region are seeing a similar trend in COVID cases.
Credit: coronavirus.dc.gov
D.C.’s weekly case rate was listed as a "medium" level for the first time since February.
It’s been a similar trend in the Northern Region health district of Northern Virginia with the number of cases going up for the first time since the winter omicron variant surge, according to the Virginia Department of Health.
Credit: VDH
As the numbers rise, Theatre Washington made the decision this week to extend its policies to require masks and proof of vaccination through July 31.
“Our audiences are overwhelmingly telling us they want these policies to stay in place and so we’re not trying to put too many mileposts out there that we can’t see, so for the moment we’re only extending through the end of July and we’re not trying to predict what will happen after that and really just wanting all of our audiences to know they can have confidence coming back to the theater,” said Maggie Boland, the Managing Director of Signature Theatre.
Not being able to foresee how the variants can change is something doctors are considering too.
“There’s always unpredictability of where things can go. There is always a possibility of an uptick and there’s always an ability for the variants to escape our own immunity. But the bottom line is if people continue to protect themselves, we can stay above this,” Dr. Anita Gupta, an Assistant Professor Adjunct in Dept. of Anesthesiology at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. “According to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center, we are potentially not concerned about a huge wave, again it’s really going to be hopeful.”
“Right now for me, it’s about wearing masks whenever possible, and right now in the Washington D.C. - Maryland region, although we’re seeing an uptick according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource center even though we’re beginning to see an uptick the concern should be most people should get vaccinated. They should wear their mask and they should stay tested.” | 2022-05-19T02:17:52Z | www.wusa9.com | Montgomery and Prince George's Counties recommending masks indoor | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/maryland/montgomery-county-recommends-mask-wearing-inside-public-places/65-3c911e08-c269-46e6-ba24-f9629f1b5671 | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/maryland/montgomery-county-recommends-mask-wearing-inside-public-places/65-3c911e08-c269-46e6-ba24-f9629f1b5671 |
Anthony Moaf, 25, of Fairfax County died after suffering a "medical emergency" in his cell Wednesday morning, the sheriff's office says.
WASHINGTON — The Alexandria Sheriff's Office is investigating the death of an inmate at the William G. Truesdale Adult Detention Center Wednesday morning.
According to a statement from the sheriff's office, at around 8 a.m. deputies found an inmate — identified as Anthony Moaf, 25, of Fairfax County — "suffering an apparent medical emergency alone in his cell."
The deputies called 911 for assistance and medical professionals in the jail performed emergency treatment on Moaf. According to the sheriff's office, medics from Alexandria Fire Department eventually took over the treatment but Moaf was confirmed to have died around 8:45 p.m.
Moaf's cell was located in the booking area of the jail, the sheriff's office says because he had just been admitted into the detention center on Monday evening.
Alexandria Police Department is taking over conducting the death investigation because Moaf's death was in the custody of the sheriff's office.
Because of an agreement with the U.S. Marshal's Service, the sheriff's office houses federal inmates at Alexandria Adult Detention Center.
The sheriff's office says it will review the response to the incident "to ensure all policies and procedures were followed."
The sheriff's office did not specify what type of medical emergency Moaf suffered from.
55-year-old inmate dies in custody of Fairfax County Sheriff's Office
Police confirm body found in wooded area is missing Virginia woman Hannah Choi
Maryland crossing guard struck by car protecting student, video shows | 2022-05-19T02:18:04Z | www.wusa9.com | Inmate dies in Alexandria Detention Center, sheriff's office says | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/virginia/alexandria-sherriffs-office-25-year-old-inmate-died-in-its-custody/65-9344742d-f8c3-45d6-94de-d321d5cf247f | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/virginia/alexandria-sherriffs-office-25-year-old-inmate-died-in-its-custody/65-9344742d-f8c3-45d6-94de-d321d5cf247f |
The Metropolitan Police Department is investigating a stabbing in SE, D.C.
WASHINGTON — Editor's Note: The video above was published on May 17, 2022, about an incident in Fairfax County, Virginia.
DC police are investigating a stabbing that took place in the 700 block of L St. in Southeast, D.C. Wednesday evening.
Police say that the victim is an adult male and is conscious and breathing.
Police are searching for two suspects. Officers describe one suspect as a Black man wearing a camo fishing hat, a grey t-shirt, tan shorts, and a black face mask. He is reportedly around 40 to 50-years-old.
The second suspect is described to be a Black man wearing a black polo shirt, black fishing hat, tan cargo pants, carrying a black knife and is reportedly around 40 to 50-years-old.
Investigators say the suspects left in a blue van.
WUSA9 currently does not know any additional information surrounding this incident and will provide updates as they become available.
RELATED: Spotsylvania man wanted for shooting, stabbing acquaintance assaults deputy upon arrest
RELATED: Special Police exchange gunfire with suspects in Anne Arundel Co. | 2022-05-19T03:51:18Z | www.wusa9.com | DC Police investigating Southeast stabbing | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/dc/dc-police-investigate-stabbing-incident-southeast/65-be03d31b-b8b7-4a4c-a719-163c1b36dada | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/dc/dc-police-investigate-stabbing-incident-southeast/65-be03d31b-b8b7-4a4c-a719-163c1b36dada |
The handouts, attributed to anti-abortion group Created Equal, offer Dr. Cesare Santangelo's home address
WASHINGTON — Joseph Lash says he was not expecting that the battle over abortion rights would be delivered directly to his mailbox.
The D.C. resident says this past weekend he received two flyers at his home in the Berkley neighborhood near Palisades that read, “Beware Dr. Cesare Santangelo, late-term abortionist, resides in our neighborhood," the medical expert's home address is also included.
“It looked like a thinly veiled threat against him and his family," says Lash, who posted about the mail on the social media application Next Door.
Only one of the handouts contains a stamp, Lash thinks that the other might have been delivered in person. The flyers attributed to the group, Created Equal contain a photograph of a fetus that according to anti-abortion activists is one of five found inside the Capitol Hill home of Terrisa Bukovinac and Lauren Handy in March.
RELATED: Lauren Handy's anti-abortion group now claims it took 115 fetuses from outside DC clinic
On the back of the flyers, it reads:
"On March 25, 2022, five aborted children who were retrieved by a whistleblower were killed by late-term abortionist Cesare Santangelo at his Surgi-Clinic in Washington, D.C. Since then, an investigation has been called for into whether Santangelo violated federal law. This violence against innocent children has no place in our nation."
Santangelo has been licensed to practice in D.C. for more than 20 years without any disciplinary issues on his record.
Lash expressed concern for his neighbor and other health professionals.
“I think we are going to see a lot more of it. It is really scary to see it close to home, a couple blocks away," he added.
The handouts come days after the Virginia Fusion Center, an anti-terrorism and violence partnership between the Virginia State Police and Department of Emergency Management warned about potential unrest related to the Supreme Court leak.
RELATED: US warns abortion ruling could increase extremist violence
They alerted their members about potential threats to large public gatherings, possible cyberattacks, and as well as the release of personal information to increase targeted attacks known as doxing.
But abortion rights activists also have faced criticism for sharing personal information like the addresses of the Supreme Court Justice’s homes which have led to weeks of protests in Maryland and Virginia.
The events outside the residences of Chief Justice John Roberts, and Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Samuel Alito were mentioned Wednesday during a hearing on abortion rights held by the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Rep. Darrell Issa, from California, criticized that none of his Democratic colleagues have denounced the protests.
Anti-abortion activist Catherine Glenn Foster echoed his sentiment and added, “It fits the narrative, the leaker meant to bring up chaos and public pressure."
However, Lash disagrees with the sentiment.
"Victims are showing up to Supreme Court’s houses, aggressors are delivering home addresses and physical threats, not peaceful protests,” Lash said.
We reached out to Created Equal, the group whose name appears on the flyers that showed up in the D.C. neighborhood but we have not heard back in time for this report. | 2022-05-19T09:58:18Z | www.wusa9.com | Anti-abortion activists target DC abortion doctor with flyers | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/dc/dc-neighbors-receive-abortion-doctor-flyers/65-6deb2cb9-0ba9-4c50-a4f1-bc34ebec26be | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/dc/dc-neighbors-receive-abortion-doctor-flyers/65-6deb2cb9-0ba9-4c50-a4f1-bc34ebec26be |
Montgomery County programs celebrate the power of change at grad ceremonies
Four people graduated from the county's adult drug court program, and students also graduated from the truancy prevention program.
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. — Change is a powerful thing.
The power of change was on full display at two poignant graduation ceremonies in Montgomery County on Wednesday.
At the first, four people graduated from the county's adult drug court program. The voluntary program takes nearly two years to complete and participants must finish all phases of the program, and show a commitment to recovery and sobriety.
It's a huge accomplishment in the fight against addiction.
"It's a joyous occasion for people who have been addicted to drugs their entire lives. They've altered their personal relationships, their inability to stay in anything meaningful in terms of their employment, they've turned their lives around," said Montgomery County State's Attorney John McCarthy.
In another uplifting moment, 49 middle school students are recommitting to their education. All 49 students graduated from the county's Truancy Prevention Program on Wednesday.
We spoke with one student and mother who say the pandemic played a big role in the problem. Each student is paired with a mentor to help get them back on track.
"I just got to talk to them about what was going on in my day, talk to them about what issues I had during the day. It was relieving," the student said.
"That's what every parent wants," said the student's mom. "You want your kid to want to go to school, so I think that the program really helps with that."
Congratulations to the graduates of both of these programs who have been working so hard to better themselves. It's never too late to turn it around!
RELATED: Generations celebrate Riggs Park at reunion event | Get Uplifted | 2022-05-19T13:04:31Z | www.wusa9.com | Montgomery Co. drug court, truancy grads celebrate change | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/life/heartwarming/get-uplifted/drug-court-and-truancy-prevention-graduation-ceremonies-montgomery-county/65-e1e6ee27-213d-4f21-b53d-04eaafcde569 | https://www.wusa9.com/article/life/heartwarming/get-uplifted/drug-court-and-truancy-prevention-graduation-ceremonies-montgomery-county/65-e1e6ee27-213d-4f21-b53d-04eaafcde569 |
New Alexandria police chief takes helm of department; staffing shortage remains an issue
Chief Don Hayes took over the role last month following 41 years with the police department.
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The new police chief in Alexandria hopes to tackle the issue of staffing shortages as one of his main priorities.
Chief Don Hayes was promoted to the position after serving as acting chief since June. The D.C. native has been with the department for 41 years and took over the role from Chief Michael Brown, who retired in 2021.
"It's kind of like they allowed me to ride the bike with training wheels on," Hayes told WUSA9 in a sit-down interview since his appointment. "Now, I get to take the training wheels off."
Although he is nearing retirement, Hayes said there is more room for changes. However, like many other jurisdictions, the department is still understaffed. The city budget approved $68 million for the department, much of which is geared towards salaries. The city is enhancing efforts to increase staffing and add more resources like body cameras, but Hayes stressed the lack of qualified applicants.
To him retaining and obtaining new officers starts with leadership.
"If we can convince our officers that this is a great agency to be and work around in the community, they'll be our best marketing tool because they'll tell people like them why they should do this job," Hayes said.
Hayes does not see himself as a typical chief but one who is more "participatory." The department has improved community policing over the years to gain trust, but Hayes wants more engagement from the police force and organizations to better serve juveniles and offer activities that can help steer them from trouble.
Overall, juvenile crimes have not been the biggest issue in Alexandria compared to other cities in the DMV. However, Hayes is noticing more assaults or fights involving teenagers.
While the number of violent crimes remained steady in the city, overall crime has increased by 8%, mainly because of car thefts and burglaries.
The city recently warned residents about fake Percocet laced with fentanyl, a highly potent synthetic opioid claiming the lives of many people across the country.
The uptick in drug overdose cases because of fentanyl accompanies more drug seizures in the city.
"They're coming from everywhere, and the accessibility to these drugs are a big problem," Hayes said.
The department coordinates drug stings with the help of shipment companies. Once the team is notified of a possible drug package, a K9 team sniffs out the shipment before it is sent to the receiver.
RELATED: 'It hurts' | Mother of teen killed in alleged attempted carjacking speaks out | 2022-05-19T23:45:05Z | www.wusa9.com | One-on-one with new police chief of Alexandria | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/virginia/one-on-one-with-the-new-alexandria-police-chief-don-hayes/65-b19f78e3-ada4-4100-b327-55051b09f2a8 | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/virginia/one-on-one-with-the-new-alexandria-police-chief-don-hayes/65-b19f78e3-ada4-4100-b327-55051b09f2a8 |
General Assembly’s Joint Committee on Fair Practices and State Personnel Oversight found former Environmental Service director, Roy McGrath "abused his position."
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Editor's Note: The video above was published on April 21, 2022. It discusses and addresses a different topic.
Roy McGrath, former Chief of Staff for Gov. Larry Hogan who was accused of wiretapping and fraud for his time at Maryland Environmental Services, was found to be abusing his position while he was the Director of the Maryland Environmental Service, according to Maryland General Assembly’s Joint Committee on Fair Practices and State Personnel Oversight.
The Committee found that McGrath hired "close associates" that did not fall under standard MES personnel policies.
Maryland Senate President, Bill Fergusen expressed his disdain for McGrath's actions in a statement, describing McGrath's behavior as "beyond the pale of what we expect of our public servants.”
The Maryland legislature had oversight hearings in 2020 in response to McGrath's MES severance payments, which the Committee says resulted in the state's general assembly passing Maryland Environmental Service Reform Act.
McGrath was indicted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland on six counts and the Maryland State Prosecutor's Office filed 27-count criminal information in Anne Arundel County's Circuit Court back in Oct. 2021.
According to lawmakers, The act was created to uphold stricter protocols for compensation and to implement accountability measures to reform MES.
Additionally, officials reportedly discovered that McGrath collected $169,306 for personal expenses which the committee describes to be almost "ten times his predecessor's expenditures."
The report also noted some of McGrath's "lavish trips" were charged to MES, one of which was a trip in 2018 to Orlando, Florida for a Disney Approach to Leadership Excellence Course that was reimbursed by MES, according to the Committee.
The Committee also found that McGrath created new positions at MES, employed "personal allies" and made the salaries for the positions at what the committee says was at the expense of taxpayer dollars.
RELATED: Former Hogan chief of staff charged with fraud, wiretapping | 2022-05-20T01:19:50Z | www.wusa9.com | Former Maryland official allegedly abused his position at MES | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/maryland/former-md-official-allegedly-abused-his-position-state-general-assembly-joint-committee-says-maryland/65-8b4629db-38f7-40ac-818e-54ceed82047a | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/maryland/former-md-official-allegedly-abused-his-position-state-general-assembly-joint-committee-says-maryland/65-8b4629db-38f7-40ac-818e-54ceed82047a |
Maryland ready for lacrosse NCAA Tournament rematch with Virginia
The Terps are using last season's championship loss as motivation when taking on UVA in the NCAA quarterfinals.
COLLEGE PARK, Md. — It’s a rematch for the ages. Maryland is set to take on last year’s defending national champion, Virginia, in the NCAA men’s lacrosse quarterfinals. Last year, these two went head to head in the national championship game, with the Terps coming up short, losing 17-16.
“In terms of motivation, I think last year, at the end of the year, the championship game, that kind of plays a role into our motivation, obviously,” said Maryland goalie, Logan McNaney.
The 2021 season is very much in the rearview mirror for Maryland, but the memory of losing the National Championship to Virginia is still very fresh and adds fuel to the Terps' fight to get to another championship weekend.
“You know I told the guys the other day, to think back to a year ago, and how bad that hurt. Now everything you want, and everything you worked for is right in front of you, so it’s time to take it and make the most of the opportunity we have,” said senior, Brett Makar.
Maryland and Virginia played each other early in the season, with Maryland winning 23 to 12, but a lot has changed since then, and the Terps know tournament wins aren’t guaranteed.
Makar says the team is very excited to play the upcoming game.
"They do a great job of creating chaos, and I told our guys it's almost like you get a moth in a glass jar and the things are just bouncing around. That's the way they play. So we just got to be able to control the chaos and clear the ball well, get stops on defense, and get it to our offense which has done an awesome job all year. I think those are the keys to success for us," added Makar.
Success has been a staple for Maryland this season. The Terps lead the nation in scoring offense, and scoring margin, as the only undefeated team.
An incredible TWELVE Terps named to the @Inside_Lacrosse All-American teams including five on the top line.
📰: https://t.co/4JQSAJfC2L#BeTheBest pic.twitter.com/jQT9RpEjsH
“It’s the brotherhood. We’re all so close together, and that combination of just being calm, cool, and collected and having fun in the locker room. Then we come out and compete against each other, and that [brotherhood] is really what brings us together and helps us on game days," said McNaney
Head coach John Tillman has taken the Terps to eight championship weekend appearances in his 15 seasons at Maryland.
“You want them to walk away and when they have their kids to take them to championship weekend and be able to say 'hey I was part of this,' so I think there’s a lot of motivation there making sure that Maryland is part of that," said Maryland head coach, John Tillman.
For these players, it is about pride and representing Maryland to the best of their abilities.
“Any time that you get to go out there on the field with those eight letters on your chest, it really means something. I think that speaks volumes louder than any record," said Makar.
Cherishing every moment together. #BeTheBest pic.twitter.com/6FEenId0rY
The University of Maryland women's lacrosse team has already punched its ticket into championship weekend, after defeating Florida in the quarterfinals, Thursday. Maryland will face Boston College in the semifinals.
The University of Maryland men's team plays the University of Virginia this Sunday at 2:30p.m.
Sunday at 2:30 PM.
ESPN U.#BeTheBest pic.twitter.com/DlXvsWtJG3
RELATED: Maryland women's lacrosse inching closer to another National Title | 2022-05-20T02:53:13Z | www.wusa9.com | Maryland ready for NCAA Tournament lacrosse rematch with Virginia | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/sports/maryland-ready-for-ncaa-tournament-rematch-with-virginia-sports/65-f81c758c-7782-45ec-8b7c-55b372211633 | https://www.wusa9.com/article/sports/maryland-ready-for-ncaa-tournament-rematch-with-virginia-sports/65-f81c758c-7782-45ec-8b7c-55b372211633 |
Kristine Knizner, a Fairfax Co. teacher was arrested and charged with two felonies that police say are connected to the possession of child pornography.
WASHINGTON — Kristine Knizner, a 28-year-old woman and Fairfax Co. public school teacher was arrested by Fairfax Co. police and charged with two felonies in connection to the possession of child pornography, officials say.
According to police, when Knizner was arrested she was employed as a teacher at Irving Middle School in Springfield, Virginia, and was a teacher at Key Middle School before that.
An investigation into the incident began on May 17, according to officers. The investigation started after detectives got a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Detectives were informed that a Snapchat account that was associated with an IP address in Fairfax Co. had possession of "child sexual abuse material," officials say.
Detectives determined the IP address belonging to an apartment in the 6800 block of Meteor Place in Springfield, Virginia. They conducted a search after receiving a warrant and identified Knizner as the only person living at the home.
Knizner was taken to the Adult Detention Center and was released on a $2,000 unsecured bond. Police say that Knizner's employment does not seem to be connected to the victims.
RELATED: Construction site may be cause of dozens of fish found dead in Fairfax | 2022-05-20T04:21:58Z | www.wusa9.com | Virginia teacher arrested for possession of child pornography | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/virginia/former-fairfax-co-virginia-teacher-arrested-for-possession-of-child-pornography/65-58377dcb-7989-4a00-8590-1cc8c2e8f49b | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/virginia/former-fairfax-co-virginia-teacher-arrested-for-possession-of-child-pornography/65-58377dcb-7989-4a00-8590-1cc8c2e8f49b |
The superintendent calls it a “cowardly act” and says the district is working with the Charles County Sheriff’s Office to investigate.
LA PLATA, Md. — Students are upset and both school administrators and a sheriff’s department are investigating after a Confederate flag was found hanging on the flag pole outside a Charles County high school.
La Plata High School says Thursday morning JROTC cadets found the flag when they went to raise the American flag.
“It's exhausting for me, but it's also exhausting for the generations before me,” said Dezmond Rosier a 2021 graduate of La Plata High School who previously served as the president of the Charles County NAACP Youth Council. “I was disappointed but not surprised."
Students reported it, and administrators had it taken down. The superintendent calls it a “cowardly act” and says the district is working with the Charles County Sheriff’s Office to investigate.
“I worry about the kids who support the flag and the children who don't support the flag because it's a difference of opinion that's going to lead to conflict,” said Rosier. “That's the last thing we want at La Plata High School.”
But, it’s the work students had already done that some say makes this display even more disappointing.
This time last year, the Class of 2021 petitioned to have members of the Class of 1969 walk with them at graduation. Just over 50 years ago some Black La Plata students were denied their diplomas for protesting racism in the school then.
“That was a major victory for the player high class of 2021,” recalled Rosier. “To see that almost a year later that there is a Confederate flag being hung up really is setting us behind.”
With just a day left in the school year for seniors, some think someone thought this was a prank.
“It's anything but a prank to the students who live their lives in this building. It's just hateful,” said Ian Herd a current La Plata senior who has spent the last two years as the Charles school board student member, and is now running for county commissioner. “It's clear we need to deal with the school culture. The student body needs to know that this is unacceptable."
Credit: La Plata High School
RELATED: Confederate-themed neighborhood battling over street names
RELATED: If you see an all-black American flag, what does that mean? | 2022-05-20T15:28:42Z | www.wusa9.com | Confederate flag hung outside La Plata High School | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/maryland/confederate-flag-raised-la-plata-high-school/65-d8bf6dbf-0e81-4ab2-841e-6d471d2dac6b | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/maryland/confederate-flag-raised-la-plata-high-school/65-d8bf6dbf-0e81-4ab2-841e-6d471d2dac6b |
The dog, named Izzy, suffered from a traumatic brain injury, broken femur, broken vertebrae, dislocated tail, and vision loss, among other serious injuries.
LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. — Two men from South Riding are now facing charges of animal cruelty after a small lap dog appeared to have suffered from severe injuries, for which the owner did not seek any immediate care, according to officials
The situation revolved around a 5-year-old dog named Izzy, who suffered from a traumatic brain injury, broken femur, broken vertebrae, broken rib, dislocated tail, and vision loss, among other serious injuries. The details came out of a Loudoun County Animal Services (LCAS) Humane Law Enforcement investigation.
Officials say the two men, 18-year-old Quentin Fischer, and his father, 65-year-old Henry Fischer, Jr., treated Izzy cruelly in Loudoun County. LCAS was contacted by the Humane Rescue Alliance (HRA) in D.C. concerning the severely injured dog.
The dog was brought to a veterinary hospital in the District with "profound and life-threatening injuries" of a suspicious nature, police said. Currently, Izzy remains hospitalized under the care of HRA.
Quentin Fischer is charged with felony animal cruelty and Henry Fischer is charged with misdemeanor animal cruelty. Both are scheduled to appear in General District Court to be arraigned on the animal cruelty charges on separate dates. Quentin Fischer is scheduled to appear in court May 27. Henry Fischer is scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 3.
A conviction of a Class 6 felony is punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $2,500. Anyone convicted may be prohibited by the court from possession or ownership of companion animals. A conviction of a Class 1 misdemeanor in the Commonwealth of Virginia is punishable by up to 12 months in jail and a fine of up to $2,500. | 2022-05-20T19:11:29Z | www.wusa9.com | Son, father charged in Loudoun for animal cruelty | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/virginia/dogs-animal-cruelty-son-father-charged-in-loudoun-broken-bones-virginia/65-d36115a4-66b3-4025-a915-9aa726701860 | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/virginia/dogs-animal-cruelty-son-father-charged-in-loudoun-broken-bones-virginia/65-d36115a4-66b3-4025-a915-9aa726701860 |
Endangered animals may not be around for much longer. Here's how you can help
Not even a trip to the zoo is required for you to make a difference for these special animals and our planet.
WASHINGTON — The International Union for Conservation of Nature estimates about 40,000 of the world’s species are considered to be in danger of going extinct. WUSA9 met a few animals whose species are endangered at the Smithsonian National Zoo and talked to the experts who know them best, to learn more about the creatures and how you can help them.
What can we do to help endangered species?
Staff at the Smithsonian National Zoo:
Mimi Nowlin, animal keeper at the Small Mammal House
Matt Evans, assistant curator of the Reptile Discovery Center
Brian Gratwicke, research biologist
Thomas Wippenback, animal keeper at Amazonia
Becky Malinsky, curator of Primates
“Conservation doesn’t just help one species, it can often help many, including humans," said Becky Malinsky, curator of Primates.
Here are the tips from the staff at the Smithsonian National Zoo.
Shop responsibly.
DON’T BUY WILD
Spider tortoises are like “ambassador animals” at the Reptile Discovery Center, teaching visitors more about them and other endangered species around the Zoo.
“We try to figure out ways we can actually get visitors up close and see these guys,” said Matt Evans, assistant curator of the Reptile Discovery Center. “These tortoises have very small home ranges in the wild,” he added, “like two to three square feet.”
Their similarly-sized enclosure at the RDC protects them from one of their main threats: the illegal animal trade.
“You want to make sure anything that you’re getting is not coming from the wild,” said Evans. That includes pets as well as items made with wild animals’ shells, scales, and feathers.
Look for sustainably harvested products
You could also be buying products harmful to animals and not even know it, said Malinsky.
“It’s hard to look at an orangutan and not see similarities between them and us,” she said from below the “O-Line,” the series of towers and cables connecting the orangutan habitats. “It gives them a lot of choice and control over their environment, just like they would have if they were in the wild.”
Though, because of destruction in their natural habitats, it’s estimated just 100 to 130-thousand live in nature. Harvesting palm oil often found in beauty, food, and cleaning products devastates orangutans' home forests.
“One thing that we do here at the zoo is encourage consumers to read labels before they purchase items, and to try to purchase items that contain sustainable palm oil,” she said.
Deforestation is a major threat to the golden-headed lion tamarin, too.
“It’s really important to source your materials that you’re buying sustainably and support sustainable agriculture," said Mimi Nowlin, animal keeper at the Small Mammal House.
Minimize your environmental impact
Reduce, reuse, recycle—what’s good for the environment is good for its animals.
“We have to do everything we can to protect them basically to keep the diversity of the oceans,” said Thomas Wippenback, animal keeper at Amazonia. He says minimizing the impact of climate change can make a big difference for coral, which is struggling in current water conditions. “We can use less plastic, we can lower our carbon footprint.”
Support conservation research
“A huge message of zoos, in general, is just educating the public,” said Nowlin.
Many of these animals are part of a “species survival plan,” which Nowlin and Evans explain as a type of “insurance policy” against population loss.
“In a captive setting, we can maintain a genetically viable population with the hope that we can actually change what’s happening in the wild and get these guys back into a situation where they’re thriving,” said Evans.
"If the wild population were ever to drop, and we suddenly needed to reintroduce the species to the wild, we will be able to use the animals that we have in human care, and in different zoos that are participating in the species survival plan, and reintroduce them back into the wild to back up that wild population," added Nowlin.
Though Panamanian golden frogs are no longer found in the wild, a group of them live at the Zoo. What researchers find here could help reintroduce them to their natural habitats.
“There are over 100 species of other harlequin toads in nature, and most of them are critically endangered and threatened with extinction," said Brian Gratwicke, research biologist. “We need to actually protect all of the members of this community, and all of the species, an ogre to have a rich and diverse planet that we’ve inherited, that we can pass on to our children." | 2022-05-20T19:11:53Z | www.wusa9.com | How to help endangered species | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/verify/you-can-make-a-difference-for-global-endangered-animals/65-bfc2dbfe-75b3-40a2-9993-fdfad49375d2 | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/verify/you-can-make-a-difference-for-global-endangered-animals/65-bfc2dbfe-75b3-40a2-9993-fdfad49375d2 |
Maryland officials say the Chesapeake Bay's blue crab population is estimated to be at its lowest since an annual survey began in 1990.
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Editor's Note: The video above originally aired in June 2021.
Maryland's 'Chef of the Year' award goes to St. Michaels resort chef
It's a bird, It's a plane, Its a... crab? Pilot draws difficult crustacean-shaped flight path
Crab prices at an all-time high across DMV | 2022-05-20T20:59:12Z | www.wusa9.com | Chesapeake's crab population at lowest since 1990, survey says | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/maryland/chesapeakes-crab-population-at-lowest-since-1990/65-72211fcf-1395-497f-beaa-18571a58d11c | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/maryland/chesapeakes-crab-population-at-lowest-since-1990/65-72211fcf-1395-497f-beaa-18571a58d11c |
Yellow Weather Alert: Very hot Saturday & stormy for some Sunday evening
Two-year-old Ellie relies on Elecare Jr. for most of her nutrition due to food allergies. But a recall has forced this Virginia family to make sacrifices.
FALLS CHURCH, Va. — For some parents and caretakers across the country, the shortage of infant formula has been an inconvenience, but for a Falls Church, Virginia family it has meant an entire lifestyle change.
Ellie Arroyo is almost 2-years-old and she can only tolerate four solid foods. But medical experts have yet to pinpoint a diagnosis.
"Her doctors have described her as a conundrum, as a puzzle," her mother Jillian Arroyo said. "It's a learning-as-we-go process. She has been reacting to foods through my breast milk since she was a newborn."
Ellie relies on Elecare Jr. to get the rest of her nutrition. The problem is, that it is one of the products made by Abbott Nutrition, the embattled baby formula producer forced to do a massive recall of their products in February.
Credit: Jillian Arroyo
Jillian says they have tried several alternative products for Ellie, but none have been successful. Concerned about her daughter's health, she decided to continue lactating, which meant a huge undertaking for the entire family.
"Dairy, wheat, oats, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, coconut, and tomato, all of those things I do not eat, which means my husband doesn't eat," Arroyo said about the family's diet restrictions that are now posted on their refrigerator.
The Arroyo family was bombarded with letters and phone calls warning them of a potential shortage of formula, but Jillian Arroyo said experts offered little to no solutions.
"Every time we would get a letter we would more and more frustrated that people were just telling us about it and nobody was doing anything," she said.
Finally, Jillian Arroyo decided to channel her frustration into action. With the support from her husband and father, the new mother decided to share her story on social media. She created pages on Facebook and Instagram under the name "Abbott Formula Recall" where she urged parents like her, to send letters to their congressional representatives.
Jillian Arroyo said at first the responses were generic, but as the weeks went on and the shortage got worse, the responses from elected officials seemed to change.
Congress recently approved a bill intended to improve access to baby formula as the U.S. contends with the shortage. It now goes to President Joe Biden's desk for his signature.
"Seeing things starting to happen, it's overwhelming," Jillian Arroyo said. "For us it's a relief. I don't think we feel totally at ease, that we are out of the woods, and that it is all of this is going to be fixed. It's certainly not all going to be fixed tomorrow, it is going to take time."
Jillian Arroyo said the one thing she wants all mothers and caretakers to know, is that they are not alone in such difficult times. | 2022-05-20T22:37:12Z | www.wusa9.com | Virginia family struggles amid infant formula shortage | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/life/parenting/virginia-family-sacrifices-during-baby-formula-shortage/65-9f01fb80-0ed6-42eb-a7de-dfe818568c04 | https://www.wusa9.com/article/life/parenting/virginia-family-sacrifices-during-baby-formula-shortage/65-9f01fb80-0ed6-42eb-a7de-dfe818568c04 |
Bowers spokesman Andrew Wilder provided this statement:
"The emails appear to have been among the hundreds of thousands of messages sent to the Speaker’s office during that period. Speaker Bowers did not see, much less read, the vast majority of those messages, including the form email sent by Mrs. Thomas."
Bolick is married to Arizona Supreme Court Justice Clint Bolick, who counts Clarence Thomas as one of his mentors. | 2022-05-20T22:37:30Z | www.wusa9.com | Ginni Thomas sent Arizona lawmakers emails after 2020 election | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/politics/elections/justice-clarence-thomas-wife-pressured-arizona-lawmakers-to-block-bidens-victory-emails-show/75-13d37493-9b7e-4d6f-8fc7-379d9895c8bd | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/politics/elections/justice-clarence-thomas-wife-pressured-arizona-lawmakers-to-block-bidens-victory-emails-show/75-13d37493-9b7e-4d6f-8fc7-379d9895c8bd |
Friends of Fletcher’s Cove face down climate change and a man-made river blockage in an effort to save an iconic D.C. recreation spot.
WASHINGTON — Archaeologists believe humans may have been gathering on the banks of the Potomac River at Fletcher’s Cove for thousands of years.
But modern fishermen, kayakers and wildlife watchers say they come to the iconic spot accessed by an awkward turn off Canal Road NW through the C&O Canal National Historical Park for the same reason natives did; it’s an ideal protected spot on the Potomac safe from the river’s sometimes raging currents, where countless adventures on the river can be launched.
Fletcher's Cove is one of the few public access points for river recreation in the District, and the only safe and accessible launching spot in the upper river above Georgetown, according to Friends of Fletcher's Cove, an organization dedicated to saving the site. Despite centuries of history, the future of the Cove is now in doubt, the Friends say.
They point to life-choking sediment and mud that have largely filled in the cove in recent decades.
Aerial photos from 1955 (left) and 2007 (right) show how sediment has filled in Fletcher's Cove. (Image: Courtesy Friends of Fletcher's Cove)
“This is a threat to one of the greatest urban fisheries in America,” said Chris Wood, a member of the organization’s steering committee and the President and CEO of Trout Unlimited, a national conservation group.
Climate change and a man-made obstruction made of rock and fill dumped at the river’s edge during construction of a major sewer line in the 1960s are the primary problems, Wood explained during a springtime tour of the river bank.
The fill changed the historic flow of the river while climate change promises to increase the frequency and intensity of floods bringing loads of sediment in, he said. Already the cove is so badly silted in, that low tides can leave the iconic fleet of red skiffs rented by Fletcher’s Boat House since the early 20th century stranded in mud.
Sediment chokes Fletcher's Cove seen in a photo provided by Friends of Fletcher's Cove
Two attempts at dredging, dating back to 1988, have not proved to be a permanent solution.
Mike Bailey, one of the legendary “River Rats” of the cove who has haunted the river and guided fishermen for decades, says the mud is choking the life out of the historic site.
“That's my biggest concern, is the sedimentation that's going to choke off access to what has been accessible for centuries, centuries, way before us,” Bailey explained as he led a tour walking across the filled-in area, which has become a woodland since it’s construction in 1964. “The river used to naturally cut through and flush the cove out."
Bailey said an attempt at cutting a new channel through the fill during a dredging project in the 1980s proved to be a failure.
“The water gets really high and it just drops the sediment and it never flushes out," Wood said. "The river has lost its natural ability to flush out the cove and we are slowly losing access to this resource."
Fishermen like Wood and Bailey fear losing the prime access to a nationally-known hotspot for harvesting runs of fish like Hickory Shad and Striped Bass that migrate from the Atlantic Ocean to spawn in the wild part of the Potomac River between Georgetown and Great Falls.
In 2020, a rare shortnose sturgeon was caught and released near the cove, sparking hopeful speculation that the species is beginning a comeback.
RELATED: Extremely rare shortnose sturgeon caught in Potomac River excites biologists and fishermen
The Cove is a mecca for a colorful community of fishermen and boaters who gather at the boathouse before dawn, particularly in the springtime when the fish spawning runs are on.
Kayakers, cyclists and walkers visiting the C&O Canal National Historic Park also stop at the boathouse, which has continuously sold refreshments and snacks to all comers for decades. All should be concerned about the future of the Cove, Wood says.
“Our job as a nation is to help to make these natural systems more resilient to the effects of a changing climate,” Wood said.
RELATED: Yes, you can swim in the Potomac River, but would you and should you?
At a season kick-off event in April, D.C. Del. Elanor Holmes Norton (D) promised to steer more funding to agencies like the National Park Service, which administers the cove as part of the C&O Canal National Historical Park.
“Fletcher’s Cove offers a unique haven for residents of the District of Columbia and the National Capital Region to enjoy fishing, boating, wildlife watching, and many other forms of outdoor recreation,” Norton said. "Saving Fletcher’s Cove is one of my biggest priorities."
The National Park Service is committed to another round of dredging and improvements for better public access to the area, according to John Noel, deputy superintendent of the C&O Canal National Historic Park.
“We’re trying to find funding now to remove some of the sediment that we see behind us, but also to study to understand the impacts of the river and how we might develop a long-term solution,” Noel said.
The solution is likely to involve removing some of the fill upstream of the cove in an attempt to restore natural flows, according to Friends of Fletcher’s Cove members who acknowledge such a project will be much more expensive than dredging. One recent proposal estimated the cost of limited dredging at $120,000.
Any large-scale engineering solution will have to withstand the effects of climate change, according to Jeff Seltzer of D.C.’s Department of Energy and Environment, which would be a partner in any project in the cove.
Seltzer said the prospect of climate change “keeps [him] up at night.”
Any future project would require collaboration between the National Park Service, the US Army Corps of Engineers and DC DOEE. | 2022-05-21T00:19:57Z | www.wusa9.com | Friends of Fletcher Cove fight to save public river access | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/tech/science/environment/friends-of-fletchers-cove-fight-to-save-historical-dc-landmark-climate-change/65-323cc63e-fe05-4ace-ba30-477840d07099 | https://www.wusa9.com/article/tech/science/environment/friends-of-fletchers-cove-fight-to-save-historical-dc-landmark-climate-change/65-323cc63e-fe05-4ace-ba30-477840d07099 |
Cedric Williams, 34, was found showing no signs of life after being shot in Southeast D.C., police say.
WASHINGTON — Editor's note: The video attached in this article is from a story WUSA9 did back on May 14, 2022.
Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) is investigating the homicide of a 34-year-old man that occurred in Southeast D.C.
Police identified the man killed as Cedric Williams of Southeast, DC.
On Friday, May 20, officers from the Seventh District were called to the intersection of Poplar Street and Oak Drive, Southeast D.C., for reports of a shooting.
Police say a man, identified as Williams, was found suffering at the scene from an apparent gunshot wound.
Shortly after, D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services arrived at the location and reported that Williams did not show any signs of life, police say.
His body was taken to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
MPD is asking anyone with information about the man's death to dial 202-727-9099.
Police are reminding members of the community that anyone who has information about the incident that could lead to an arrest or conviction could receive an award of up to $25,000.
Those who wish to remain anonymous can send a tip to police by texting MPD's text tip line at 50411.
RELATED: Teen arrested for shooting death of 16-year-old DeShawn Francis
RELATED: Woman shot in back by stray bullet in Southeast DC, police say | 2022-05-21T18:17:10Z | www.wusa9.com | Police: Man fatally shot in Southeast DC Friday | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/dc/police-identify-man-fatally-shot-in-southeast-dc/65-9a9efbfc-82b6-4f4f-8aa2-20ccedb8b14e | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/dc/police-identify-man-fatally-shot-in-southeast-dc/65-9a9efbfc-82b6-4f4f-8aa2-20ccedb8b14e |
“We have said we're sick and tired of being sick and tired with this racial hatred,” Pastor Kip Banks said.
WASHINGTON — A week ago, a lone gunman shot 13 people at a grocery store in Buffalo, New York. Ten of those people died, they were all Black.
On Saturday, a small group, many from Buffalo, gathered along Black Lives Matter Plaza in D.C. to pray for the families of the victims and their community. The group held a moment of silence.
Pastor Kip Banks from Southeast, D.C. led the prayer along Black Lives Matter Plaza in honor of the victims of the Buffalo shooting.
“We call to you Father God because we are upset. We call to you all God because we are angry,” he prayed.
That emotion has flowed through the bodies of so many people.
“We’re angry of the racism in this country. We’re angry God because of the death of 10 of your children at the hands of an evil white supremacist,” Pastor Banks added.
The small group gathered, reflecting on how their hometown of Buffalo is forever changed. Former Buffalo Councilman and New York State Senator, Antoine Thompson, brought them together.
“The only thing they did wrong, two things they did wrong, was being Black and going grocery shopping,” he said.
Today, a group of people, many from Buffalo, prayed and held a moment of silence for the victims of the Buffalo shooting. @wusa9 pic.twitter.com/JP4DcMwNen
Many of the victims were friends of his. After the prayer, Thompson led a moment of silence for 123 seconds; the same length of time the shooter was in the store.
“Racism is a taught thing, you're not born to be racist. Black lives got to matter in America, especially just going grocery shopping,” Thompson said.
Having grown up just blocks away from the store, Beyshinah Woods was compelled to show her support for her hometown, praying for justice and change.
“For that to happen is just very upsetting. It's tragic, but we are going to rise above what that person stands for,” Woods said.
As they held hands, in the blistering heat, a chill came over them when the timer went off, realizing how long their friends and family were trapped inside a grocery store with a killer.
The reality looms that their family members and friends should still be alive.
“On behalf of the Black churches across the country, we are angry! We have said we're sick and tired of being sick and tired with this racial hatred and gun violence and it has to stop,” Pastor Banks said.
WATCH NEXT: First funerals of deadly supermarket shooting held in Buffalo
The first of several funerals for 10 Black people massacred at a Buffalo supermarket was planned for Friday. | 2022-05-21T23:05:25Z | www.wusa9.com | Moment of silence in DC honors of those killed in Buffalo shootin | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/dc/group-holds-moment-silence-honor-buffalo-victims/65-3532b250-b7db-4481-8ec7-f6fe8cff14fe | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/dc/group-holds-moment-silence-honor-buffalo-victims/65-3532b250-b7db-4481-8ec7-f6fe8cff14fe |
Man fatally shot Sunday in Hyattsville, Prince George's County police say
Police have not identified any suspects connected to the shooting Sunday morning in Prince George's County.
HYATTSVILLE, Md. — Editor's note: The video attached in this article is from a story WUSA9 did back in February of 2022.
Prince George's County Police Department (PGPD) says a homicide investigation is underway after a man was found shot to death Sunday morning in Hyattsville, MD.
According to a tweet from PGPD, officers were dispatched to the 6300 block of New Hampshire Ave around 2:30 a.m. after receiving a call about a shooting. Officers located a man in a parking lot unresponsive and suffering from apparent gunshot wounds.
He was pronounced dead on the scene, according to police.
PGPD tweeted that they are working to identify a suspect or suspects connected to the shooting.
Police have not released the name of the man killed. The motive of the shooting still remains unknown.
Anyone with information about the shooting is urged to call the Prince George's County Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-TIPS.
We are on the scene of a homicide in the 6300 block of New Hampshire Ave in Hyattsville. pic.twitter.com/L5fVG9NIsq
RELATED: Woman killed by 30-year-old son who lived with her in College Park, police say
RELATED: Prince George's County Police see increase of jump-in car thefts from 2020
RELATED: Police arrest suspect after fatal shooting in Prince George's County | 2022-05-22T13:51:42Z | www.wusa9.com | Man dead from shooting in Hyattsville, police say | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/maryland/prince-georges-county-police-man-fatally-shot-sunday-in-hyattsville/65-ffc61223-39f2-4514-a209-8f5db3fa5dc5 | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/maryland/prince-georges-county-police-man-fatally-shot-sunday-in-hyattsville/65-ffc61223-39f2-4514-a209-8f5db3fa5dc5 |
Michelle Davis-Younger was elected mayor in 2020, and has since started the My Mayor Looks Like Me program.
MANASSAS, Va. — Manassas elected its first-ever Black female mayor, and she’s working to make sure she’s not the last.
Her name is Michelle Davis-Younger.
She grew up in Manassas and is determined to leave it a better place than she found it.
“It is so important to see people like me in positions like this,” Mayor Michelle, as she likes to be called, said.
She broke multiple ceilings to get to her current podium – first Democrat, first woman and first African-American elected mayor of Manassas.
“In the time that I'm given, that's what I'm going to do is try to open those doors and make it possible for others to come in,” Mayor Michelle said.
Because there were doors her parents weren’t allowed in for much of their lives.
“My dad is 88. My mom is 83… They've been here all their lives,” she said. “The segregation, the hatred, the just because of the color of your skin having to go in separate entrances that was right here in the city. “
She can now see one of those entrances from her office window in City Hall.
“Looking at that every day is a reminder like, yep, this is why I do what I do,” she said.
RELATED: New Manassas mayor is first woman, African-American and Democrat elected
She remembers the past as she paves the path to a different future.
“I believe you're elevated to a position not just to sit there, but you are to share and make sure others can come behind you,” Mayor Michelle said. “And it's lifting as you climb.”
So, she’s lifting up young girls with her My Mayor Looks Like Me program.
Mayor Michelle lets the girls spend an hour in her shoes, first showing the wall of portraits of former mayors of Manassas.
“Look at the portraits on the wall, see them? So what’s the difference, what do you see? How they’re all male, yeah,” Mayor Michelle said talking to the girls. “I want my girls up on that wall filling in the rest of the row.”
She also lets them bang her gavel and interview her.
That’s when Isabella Salazar asked: “Did you like it when they elected you to be the first woman?”
She of course replied, “Yes.”
“I am so happy that she can see now that she can do whatever she wants,” Isabella’s mom, Carolina Salazar said. “If she wants, she has to work hard, but she can do it.”
The Salazars have worked hard to get to Manassas.
They moved from Ecuador last year, which they said definitely didn’t have programs like the mayor’s.
“I really, really liked it,” Isabella said. “It was a good idea. I get it to like show that girl or woman can do a lot more things than you think they can do.”
Langley Wright is already doing more than you’d think a 10-year-old could.
She started her own dog-walking business with a friend, and Mayor Michelle has encouraged her to continue it – checking on her periodically.
“Even in her school, she doesn't have a lot of Black women, but she can see, right? So, access to understanding what that person is doing, how they're making a difference locally, I think has inspired her to make a difference in our community, too,” Langley’s mom, Kenay Wright said.
Langley agrees.
“It tells me that I can be like them, but in my own unique way, and that they inspire me a bunch of the times,” she said.
Mayor Michelle also gives each of the girls gift bags with mirrors so they can tell themselves positive mantras and a notebook with a personalized, encouraging message.
“And I wanted people to see that this position is attainable,” she said. “I'm not untouchable. Like I'm real. And you can do it too.”
For the first time, these girls’ mayor looks like them, but it doesn’t have to be the last.
When asked if she was interested in becoming the next mayor, Langley said, “Um, maybe the next mayor of fashion.”
Moving forward – Mayor Michelle is looking to expand the program to include young boys as well to make sure no one is left out.
If you want to sign your child up, you can contact the mayor at mdavis-younger@manassasva.gov | 2022-05-23T12:15:24Z | www.wusa9.com | My Mayor Looks Like Me program in Manassas Virginia | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/virginia/manassas-mayor-virginia-my-mayor-looks-like-me-program-michelle-davis-younger/65-89b5bbae-1d3c-4bba-8eb2-22dceeea80d6 | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/virginia/manassas-mayor-virginia-my-mayor-looks-like-me-program-michelle-davis-younger/65-89b5bbae-1d3c-4bba-8eb2-22dceeea80d6 |
The U.S. Department of Transportation does have rules airlines must follow when it comes to keeping passengers idle on the runway. Here's what to know.
VIRGINIA, USA — Groups of passengers were left uncomfortable and frustrated Sunday when they left stranded on the tarmac at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) for hours overnight.
WUSA9 spoke with two passengers on American Airlines flight 5197 from Cleveland to DCA. The flight landed at the airport at 11:50 p.m., Flight Aware data shows, but passengers did not get off the plane until around 3:15 a.m. on Monday. Passengers on other flights reported similar issues.
"I’m tired, hungry and I'm just really annoyed,” passenger Mary Elkordy said.
RELATED: Passengers report being stranded on DCA tarmac for hours due to Sunday's weather
The airline cited the weather as a reason for the complications. Sunday brought severe storms to the DMV after a three-day heatwave. The weather left behind road closures, damage and thousands of homes went without electricity for hours.
Although weary travelers may become frustrated with all of the delays and changes that have become synonymous with trips - especially in the pandemic - everyone should beware of what is required of the airline when it comes to passengers' treatment and comfort. It's also important knowledge to have during delay and cancellation season.
“Summertime is actually more volatile, in my experience than wintertime,” said Foggy Bottom-based travel expert, Director of Airline Partnerships Scott Masciarelli at Connoisseur Travel, who blames the onslaught of summer thunderstorms. “Of course, a big ice storm is an issue [in the winter], but the erratic weather seems to happen in the summer.”
So what do you need to know if you get stuck?
To start, there is a limit on how long airlines are supposed to keep you out on the runway. You should also get some kind of update from the pilot no later than half an hour after the delay begins.
The U.S. Department of Transportation states on their website that for flights landing at U.S. airports, airlines are required to provide passengers with an opportunity to safely get off of the airplane before the 3-hour mark for domestic flights and before 4 hours international flights. It's the same length of time for those departing from any airport in the country.
Airlines are also required to provide passengers with a notification regarding the status of the delay when the tarmac delay exceeds 30 minutes. However, they specify that there are exceptions to the time limits allowed for safety, security, or air traffic control-related reasons.
"You should not exit the airplane unless told by the airline that you can do so safely," the department warns.
Another important caveat passengers should be aware that if they choose to get off the airplane during a tarmac delay, airlines are not required to let them back on, which could pose a problem if you are waiting on your flight to depart.
"The flight may take off without them and passengers may be responsible for finding another flight," the department states.
The airline is not required to offload any of those checked bags that may be inside before your plane takes off.
Although airlines are not required to provide you with a full meal, they must give you some kind of snack, like a granola bar, as well as water, no later than two hours from the start of the delay on the runway.
"The only instance in which an airline is not required to hand out food and water to all passengers during a tarmac delay that lasts two hours or longer is when the pilot determines that food and water service cannot be provided due to safety or security reasons," the department added. "For example, when an airplane is taxing on an active runway, it may be unsafe for flight attendants to hand out food and water."
Passengers are also entitled to working toilets, comfortable cabin temperatures and appropriate medical attention, if needed, during tarmac delays.
For more information about what passengers should expect during these delays, click here. | 2022-05-23T17:27:29Z | www.wusa9.com | How long can airlines keep you on a plane on the tarmac? | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/virginia/what-airlines-are-required-to-do-if-stuck-on-a-tarmac/65-0daca7c1-03b3-4a5d-9bc9-054730ca241e | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/virginia/what-airlines-are-required-to-do-if-stuck-on-a-tarmac/65-0daca7c1-03b3-4a5d-9bc9-054730ca241e |
Howard University Hospital reaches agreement with nurses after 9-month labor dispute
Howard University Hospital, DC Nurses Association reach agreement after 9-month labor dispute
Seattle's finance director to become DC's chief financial officer
The DC Nurses Association reached an agreement with HU/HUH for a fair contract for nurses and to implement solutions to the staffing crisis.
WASHINGTON — Editor's note: The video above originally aired in May 2020.
The D.C. Nurses Association (DCNA) and Howard University/ Howard University Hospital (HU/HUH) have reached an agreement following nine months of a labor dispute.
The agreement was ratified on May 19, after months of negotiations between the two departments.
DCNA and HU/HUH said the agreement will help to advance patient care and provides nurses, pharmacists, social workers, and dietitians with new resources, which will include high-quality care and services for district residents, increased compensation and benefits, and further their ability to administer safely.
“It was only through the efforts and collective action of our members, with support from the community, that we were able to achieve agreement on a fair and equitable contract that recognizes our hard working healthcare professionals and their commitment to caring for patients who come to HUH for care," Edward Smith, DCNA Executive Director said in a media release. ”
The news comes after nine months of actions from nurses at HUH that included petitions to negotiate a fair contract, an informational picket in January, and a 24-hour strike in April.
The agreement ensures that there will be no pay cuts for senior health care professionals in the overall compensation. The agreement will continue to maintain patient care and acknowledge the importance of having experienced health care professionals to care for all patients in the community.
“This is a great day for Howard University Hospital. We are one team with a common purpose, united behind the principles of respect, kindness, care and compassion,” says Anita L.A. Jenkins, HUH Chief Executive Officer. “The new CBA continues our shared goal to value the hard work of our DCNA members and will go a long way to advance patient care by demonstrating a firm commitment between the Union and the Hospital’s management."
Howard University Hospital nurses striking Monday
Maryland creating 'strike teams' to help nursing homes battle coronavirus | 2022-05-23T20:44:55Z | www.wusa9.com | Howard Hospital and nurses reach labor agreement | wusa9.com | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/dc/howard-university-and-dc-nurses-association-reach-agreement/65-5feeec59-55b0-45ac-8786-8890c09caefa | https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/dc/howard-university-and-dc-nurses-association-reach-agreement/65-5feeec59-55b0-45ac-8786-8890c09caefa |
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