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Saturday, November 7, 2009

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Police Warn of Nightclub-Related Crime After Fatal Shooting

December 01, 2008 - Police in Maryland's Prince George's County are asking for help monitoring late-night activities near nightclubs -- after a 21-year-old was shot after leaving a club in Waldorf Saturday.

Prince George's County police are investigating the fatal shooting of Kordero Howard of southeast Washington.

Howard had visited the Icon Nightclub with a group. As they reached Branch Avenue and Coventry Way in Clinton on their way home, an unknown suspect pulled up and fired a single shot at the car, hitting Howard. He died later at a hospital, police say.

Acting Chief Roberto Hylton says violence related to nightclubs is a problem for several jurisdictions in the Washington area.

Rebecca Blatt reports...

Interim Superintendent Takes Over Prince George's County Schools

December 01, 2008 - The new interim schools superintendent in Maryland's Prince George's County starts work today. William Hite is looking to build on the accomplishments of his predecessor, John Deasy, who left to join the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. But one school board member says Hite will not have the enormous fund balance Deasy enjoyed during his two years at the helm and will probably have to oversee sharp budget cuts. The school board is searching for a permanent superintendent and expects to announce a choice by the end of the school year.

Erin Stamper reports...

MD To Pay Unemployment Benefits With Debit Cards

December 01, 2008 - Maryland is looking to save money by paying unemployment insurance benefits with debit cards. Only new applicants will receive the prepaid debit cards. People already receiving unemployment benefits will continue to get checks. By making the change, the state expects to save about $400,000 a year in postage, paper, and processing costs. Officials also say the cards will help people who rely on check-cashing services to avoid paying costly fees. Unemployment in Maryland has been up sharply in recent months. A spokeswoman for the department of Labor, Licensing , and Regulation tells the Baltimore Sun about 52,000 people in the state are receiving unemployment benefits.

Matt McCleskey has more...

Bodies of Man and Teenage Daughter Killed On Pilgrimage to India Returning to V

December 01, 2008 - The bodies of a man and his teenage daughter who were killed while on a pilgrimage to India are being returned to Virginia from Mumbai. The Synchronicity Foundation says a memorial is being planned for Alan Scherr and 13-year-old Naomi. They were among 25 people affiliated with the meditation center who went on the pilgrimage with Master Charles Cannon, the founder of the sanctuary in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains,Southwest of Charlottesville. Meymo Lyons has more...

Aids Activists Rally for Affordable Housing

December 01, 2008 - Using World Aids Day as a peg for their protest, local activists rallied outside HUD to demand more affordable housing for AIDS patients.

Protesters pitched four camping tents near K and 1st streets during the lunch hour. George Kerr,heads up DC Fights Back. He says the symbolism is clear. "We're outside the regional offices of HUD to demand that they get 278 people off the waiting list. Housing is a life or death situation for people living with HIV."

Sheena Sood, with the Student Global Aids Campaign, says housing and health are linked. "People who have stability in housing are much more likely to adhere to their medications." Roneto Wilkins is living with aids. "It was shock to me, to find out way back in 1984, that I was HIV positive. But now, there are so many people that are HIV positive that need housing. There's not enough landlords that are willing to subsidize their housing," Wilkins said.

The HIV rate in the district is 1 in 20-the same as the overall rate in sub-Saharan Africa. David Klatt reports...

"Art Beat" with Stephanie Kaye - Monday, December 1, 2008
Stephanie Kaye

December 01, 2008 - (Dec 2-Jan 25) LES MISERABLES The epic Les Miserables opens at Signature Theater in Shirlington, Virginia tomorrow with an innovative production of the beloved 1985 musical. It's a passionate saga of love and betrayal set during the upheaval of post revolutionary France. This new version of Les Miz features 28 actors, 138 costumes, a Broadway-sized orchestra and five tons of steel within Signature's intimate 280-seat MAX theater. As they say, "Vive la difference!"

(Dec 12) HOPE HOUSE Getting into the spirit of giving? The people at Hope House hope so. Their holiday party to benefit kids and moms in need is next Friday at the Edmund Burke School in Northwest D.C. Hope House provides the dinner, entertainment, crafts and fun; you can drop off a gift this week to be included in the school's free "Burkendales Store," where needy kids get a chance to "shop" and choose donated presents for their families. The deadline for donations is next Monday.

(Dec 2-Jan 4) TWELFTH NIGHT The Shakespeare Theatre Company opens Twelfth Night tomorrow at the Harman Hall in downtown D.C. through January 4th. This romantic and comedic tale ponders love lost and found, as shipwrecked and separated twins Viola and Sebastian wash up in a land turned upside-down by love.

On Saturday, January 3rd, following the 2 p.m. matinee, the Shakespeare Theatre Company hosts a Classics in Context round table discussion about Twelfth Night with local bloggers, scholars and artists. Panelists include John Aravosis, Editor of AMERICAblog.com; Amanda Maddox, Assistant Curator of Photography and Media Arts at the Corcoran Gallery of Art; and Christopher K. Morgan, choreographer and arts facilitator.

(Through Dec 23) MIRACLE ON OGLETHORPE STREET Miracle on Oglethorpe Street kicks off Presents for Paws at the Washington Animal Rescue League with drop-off points around town through December 23rd. If you're interested in giving some holiday cheer to needy dogs, cats and the people who love them, this gift-giving helps ease the burden for low-income residents.

Les Miz at Signature Theatre The epic tale is on stage in Shirlington December 2nd through January 25th. courtesy of: Scott Suchman

Outdoors Are Safer than Shelters for Some District Homeless
Jessica Forres

December 01, 2008 - Even though the hypothermia season has, begun and despite the District reporting plenty of empty beds, some homeless people continue to avoid the city's shelters.

D.C. councilman Tommy Wells has been making daily checks on shelter vacancies since the end of September when the Fenty Administration closed the Franklin shelter in Northwest. He is trying to take a hands on approach to finding out why some homeless people prefer sleeping outdoors.

One homeless man, Tyrone Murray, has plenty of reasons why he avoids shelters.

Jessica Forres has more...

Christmas Price Index Increase Blamed on Turtle Doves, Swans and the Partridge
Kavitha Cardoza

December 01, 2008 - It's the most expensive Christmas ever, according to a tongue-in-cheek study by PNC Bank. It calculates the current state of the economy based on the cost of items in the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas."

Kavitha Cardoza reports...

Report on Virginia's Future is Mixed
Kavitha Cardoza

December 01, 2008 - Virginia has improved in many areas this year over the year but has suffered setbacks in others. Kavitha Cardoza reports on the findings of a report produced by Council on Virginia's Future....

Power Breakfast for December 1, 2008

December 01, 2008 - Todd Zwillich talks with incoming Virginia Senator Mark Warner about expectations and ambitions during his first term.

Demand for Eco-Friendly Homes Rises

December 01, 2008 - As energy costs continue to fluctuate, the popularity of environmentally friendly homes is growing.

David Schultz has more...

Church Celebrates 100 Years of Worship, Growth and Service

December 01, 2008 - A church in Arlington is celebrating its 100th anniversary as the neighborhood around it changes.

David Schultz has more...