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Saturday, March 20, 2010
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September 03, 2008 - A fall filled with road construction is expected to swell area roads with traffic. AAA says the week after Labor Day usually has some of the slowest morning commutes of the year. Why? Drivers must get used to having roads full again after the number of commuters drops close to 15 percent over the summer because of vacations and schools out of session. Lon Anderson of AAA Mid-Atlantic says commutes could stay slow throughout the fall. Nicholas Ramfos, the director of CommuterConnections.org, believes that could mean more people joining his Web site, which helps match people who want to carpool. Around 33,000 people have already signed up for Ramfos website.
Matt Bush reports....
September 03, 2008 - Retail health clinics providing on demand medical care are popping up in drugstores around town. But one medical group in Maryland says some physicians are concerned about the quality of care they provide to patients.
Jessica Forres has more...
September 03, 2008 - Virginia Tech has installed new electronic message boards throughout campus, following a recommendation from a university committee looking at safety after the 2007 shootings. The school has installed the last of the 201 devices across campus, including 165 in classrooms. The boards, which are about 2 feet long, will normally just display the date and time. But in the case of an emergency, the boards will display campus alerts.
A spokesman for Virginia tech says the university is working to sync the boards with other systems that notify the campus of emergencies via text message, e-mail, phone and online messaging. With varying levels of cell phone reception and many professors prohibiting students from keep phones turned on in class, the message boards offer another layer of campus safety.
Meymo Lyons reports...
September 03, 2008 - Members of the Virginia National Guard are mobilizing this week before being sent to Afghanistan to train that nation`s army and police. Major General Robert Newman Junior, the adjutant general of Virginia, announced the mobilization. The 16 soldiers will leave tomorrow for Fort Riley, Kansas, to train for the mission. The soldiers are expected to deploy to Afghanistan in late November. The team will train and mentor members of the Afghan National Army and the Afghan National Police. Training will include logistics, tactics, strategic planning and military decision-making.
Meymo Lyons reports...
September 03, 2008 - (Sept 4) RNC CONVENTION PARTY A free RNC Convention Party and Reception hosted by the social club Things To Do D.C. will gather in front of the big screen in the comfort of Tommy Joe's restaurant in Bethesda, Thursday night starting at 7:30pm. As the presumptive presidential Republican candidate John McCain takes the stage, you can get to know new friends who also enjoy the public side of political partying. An RSVP email will guarantee you a spot among the observers.
(Sept 4) ELDERFEST Elderfest, a citywide celebration of seniors at D.C.'s Freedom Plaza tomorrow from 10am to 2pm. This outdoor festival features live entertainment, informational exhibits, free health screenings and handmade arts and crafts.
(Sept 4) JAZZ AT SAAM The Carnaval del Corazon brings flamenco to the Smithsonian American Art Museum tomorrow from 5 to 8pm. Performances and demonstrations under the glass canopy of the Kogod Courtyard will keep the Smithsonian sizzling well into the evening, with lessons for anyone willing to stomp a heel or two, accompanied by the flamenco and rumba beats of Ramin Rad and Jose Oretea.
September 03, 2008 - A former professor, whom the U.S. government once charged with being a top Palestinian terrorist, has been released from custody for the first time in more than five years. Immigration authorities released Sami Al-Arian to the custody of his daughter just hours before a federal judge ordered the agency to explain the Al-Arian's continued detention. The former professor once taught computer science at the University of South Florida.
Kavitha Cardoza reports...
September 03, 2008 - Virginia Governor Tim Kaine's administration has ordered heads of state agencies to prepare contingencies for slashing their budgets by as much as 15 percent. The order from Kaine's office was sent to directors of state departments Tuesday as the government copes with steadily slowing economic growth and declining tax collections. In it, officials are told to prepare separate blueprints for cutting their operating costs by 5 percent, 10 percent and 15 percent.
The administration warned in July that major sources of state revenue, including income and sales taxes, were not meeting projections on which the budget is based. Tuesday's memo from Kaine's chief of staff, was the first direct order to plan specific cuts and the first indication of how deep they might be.
Stephanie Kaye reports...
September 03, 2008 - Hundreds of dogs have had their day at an Alexandria pool for the fifth annual Doggie Day Swim last Tuesday. Now that the pool is closed for the summer to humans, the city allowed the dogs to play before the pool was drained and cleaned for the winter. Owners were charged five dollars per dog, and the proceeds went to the Alexandria Animal Welfare League.
Sabri Ben-Achour reports...
September 03, 2008 - Republicans await Alaska Governor and presumptive Republican VP pick Sarah Palin's address to their national convention. Todd Zwillich reports on what's at stake as she takes center stage tonight...
September 03, 2008 - The Virginia National Guard is sending soldiers and airmen to help with response efforts related to Hurricane Gustav.
Anne Marie Morgan reports...
September 03, 2008 - He was once Al Gore's running mate, but last night Joe Lieberman implored Democrats to cross the aisle and support Republican John McCain and Sarah Palin. Tonight the Alaska Governor accepts the Vice Presidential Nomination.
Melinda Wittstock reports on what delegates from Virginia say Palin needs to accomplish...
September 03, 2008 - Wildlife officials in Maryland are trying to determine why more than 100,000 fish died over the Labor Day weekend near Annapolis. The fish were menhaden -- a type caught commercially in the Chesapeake bay. They died in an enclosed cove off the South River.
Officials with the Maryland Department of the Environment tell the Baltimore Sun tests did detect a toxic algae in the water but not in amounts sufficient to poison the fish. Instead, authorities say they think when the tide changed, the fish couldn't find their way out of the cove and likely used up all the oxygen in the water. According to the Chesapeake Bay Program, the menhaden fishery is one of the most productive on the Atlantic Coast, but there are concerns about the declining number of menhaden in the Bay.
Matt McCleskey has more...
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