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Saturday, July 31, 2010
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October 15, 2009 - WASHINGTON (AP) The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is giving $10 million to the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture planned for the National Mall in Washington. The grant announced today will support the capital campaign for design and construction of the new museum.
WASHINGTON (AP) Philanthropist Adrienne Arsht is giving $5 million to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to support musical theater programming. The gift announced today will create the Adrienne Arsht Musical Theater Fund to produce musical theater over the next 10 years.
WASHINGTON (AP) Supreme Court officials say Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who had cancer surgery earlier this year, was briefly hospitalized overnight after having a bad reaction to some medicine. A statement from the court says Ginsburg was released from the Washington Hospital Center this morning.
ASHBURN, Va. (AP) The Loudoun County Sheriff's Office says an Ashburn woman indicted for mortgage fraud has been arrested in Turkey. Authorities say 42-year-old Diane Frederick Atari was apprehended yesterday after local officials contacted INTERPOL for assistance. She is in a Turkish prison awaiting extradition.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
October 15, 2009 - BALTIMORE (AP) Rodger Doxsey, an early leader of the Hubble Space Telescope's science team, has died at age 62, according to the Hubble Web site. Doxsey died of cancer Tuesday after entering a hospice over the weekend.
WASHINGTON (AP) More cell phone users will be able to get service in the Metro starting tomorrow. A new wireless network will provide service to customers of Verizon Wireless, Sprint Nextel, AT+T and T-Mobile.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
October 15, 2009 - RICHMOND, Va. (AP) The Commonwealth Transportation Board has awarded contracts for stimulus projects that include replacing or repairing 119 bridges and culverts across Virginia. The Virginia Department of Transportation says 112 of the structures are deficient.
NORFOLK, Va. (AP) The Navy says its economic impact for the Hampton Roads area topped $14.6 billion in the fiscal year that ended September 30th. That's an increase of more than $765 million from the previous fiscal year.
PRINCE GEORGE, Va. (AP) Rolls-Royce is preparing to start construction of a new aircraft-engine components plant in Prince George County. A groundbreaking ceremony is set for 10 a.m. Monday. Rolls-Royce North America President and CEO James M. Guyette and Governor Timothy Kaine are among the dignitaries scheduled to attend.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
October 15, 2009 - On federally funded achievement tests, often referred to as the nation's report card , the District of Columbia and only four other states saw increases in math at both the 4th and 8th grade levels.
According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress or NAEP, the District of Columbia was the only place where student's scores in math improved across every group--by race, gender and family income.
But despite these gains, D.C.'s average scores in math are still the lowest among all 50 states and Department of Defense schools. Stuart Kerachesky, the Acting Commissioner of NAEP, says a cynical way to look at it is D.C. scores can only go up. "However", says Kerachesky, "we should be heartened by the improvement and understand it doesn't always have to be this way."
Since 2007, Maryland and Virginia showed no significant change at the 8th grade level, while Maryland 4th graders did show some improvement. Both states posted scores above the national average.
Kavitha Cardoza reports...
October 15, 2009 - As part of our continuing series "Conversations," reporter Michael Cottman speaks with Marc Duber, executive vice president of The Bernstein Companies, about residential development on the Southwest D.C. waterfront...
October 15, 2009 - San Miguel School in Northwest, D.C. is on a mission to help underprivileged Latino boys succeed. All the boys come from immigrant families and many don't speak English when they arrive. But school president Thomas Gerrow says there's no limit to what these children can achieve, and celebrities Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony agree.
Jessica Gould reports...
Celebrity couple Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony visited the San Miguel School in Northwest, D.C. to help inspire underprivileged Latino boys to succeed.
Courtesy of: Jessica Gould
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October 15, 2009 - Savvy cell-phone users know you can use Verizon in underground Metro stations.Ditto with Sprint phones roaming onto the Verizon network. But try using AT&T or T-Mobile and no such luck.
Until now.
Metro has united with the four carriers to build a new wireless network, slated to debut tomorrow in 20 of Metro's busiest stations, including Dupont Circle, Judiciary Square and Pentagon City.
It's part of Metro's three-year deal with Congress, to secure $1.5 billion in federal funding. The agreement requires Metro to wire all underground stations by October 2010.
But eventually, the "Step back, doors closing" chimes won't be the only ringing tones you'll hear inside actual trains. Metro says it plans to expand wireless service to the entire Metrorail system -- tunnels included -- by 2012.
Rebecca Sheir reports...
Dupont Circle is among 20 underground Metro stations with expanded wireless service.
Courtesy of: Rebecca Sheir
October 15, 2009 - Nineteen year old Robert Hannah admits to punching Tony Hunter just over a year ago outside a gay bar on Northwest DC's 14th street. Hunter fell back, hit his head and fell into a coma. He died ten days later. Hannah plead guilty to simple assault and was sentenced to six months in jail. Chris Farris, co-chair of Gays and Lesbians against Violence, sees the attack as a hate crime and the calls the sentence inadequate.
"Some semblance of justice was done, but it's a hollow victory. For a man to receive six months in jail with two months credit for time served for the murder of another human being is unacceptable, under any measure," said Farris.
But Hannah, the attacker, argued that he was provoked, that Hunter groped him. Prosecutors say they couldn't find a reliable witness to dispute that claim.
Complicating matters further, Hunter had been drinking, making it easier for him to lose his balance. As a result, Prosecutors say, they were only able to press charges of simple assault.
Sabri Ben-Achour reports...
October 15, 2009 - College campus security professionals in the Washington region are taking a closer look at plans for threat assessment. The goal: to avoid tragedies like 2007's Virginia Tech shooting.
Approximately 200 security personnel, clinical physiologists, and school administrators attended this training seminar at Gallaudet University. It's an effort designed to create greater awareness for the signs of potential campus violence before it happens.
Lt. Virginia Fiedel is an investigator with the security detail at Gallaudet University. She says the workshop's focus on behavioral threat assessment is key.
"Well we've had a team so this is allow us to revisit the systems that we have in place to asses and make adjustments were needed. But I think it's far more useful for universities that don't have a behavioral assessment team in place yet," said Fiedel.
Additional seminars are planned for other areas around the U.S., all funded by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Elliott Francis reports...
College campus security professionals in the Washington region met to take a closer look at plans for threat assessment.
Courtesy of: Elliott Francis
October 15, 2009 - As area colleges settle into the new academic year, the issue of campus safety is back in play. Security professionals are taking a closer look at threat assessment to avoid tragedies like 2007's Virginia Tech shooting.
This training seminar held on the campus of Gallaudet Univerisity drew approximately 200 participants, mostly security personnel and clinical physiologists from all around the Washington region. The goal here, is to create greater awareness for the signs of potential campus violence before it happens.
Campus security expert Steven Healy calls it, behavioral threat assessment.
"The methodology that we teach is about having a multi-disciplinary team, reviewing those incidents that may be of concern and making educated decisions about what do we do next," said Healy.
Gene Dysinger is deputy chief of Police for Virginia Tech and was part of the team which investigated 2007 shooting on that campus.
"What higher education institutions are challenged with is putting all the pieces together in a meaningful way to get a better perspective and understanding about what's going on around campus," said Dysinger.
The seminar is the first in a series of similar workshops funded by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Elliott Francis reports...
Campus security expert Steven Healy talks to participants.
Courtesy of: Elliott Francis
October 15, 2009 - (October 15) PHILOSOPHER KINGS Often seen but rarely noticed, the lives of eight extraordinary janitors are brought to light in the movie The Philosopher Kings. The film is presented in two screenings - at the Service Employees International Union headquarters in downtown D.C. today at noon and at Georgetown University's Bunn Intercultural Center tonight at 8. "The Philosopher Kings" uncovers the wisdom found among the cleaning staff at America's top universities. A Q&A with the filmmakers follows both screenings. The documentary is part of the D.C. Labor FilmFest.
(October 16) CHIARA STRINGS The versatile Chiara String Quartet plays Strathmore in North Bethesda tomorrow night at 7:30. The four musicians of Chiara play chamber music in any chamber, from bars and nightclubs to Carnegie Hall. Tomorrow night it's a bit of Beethoven, Debussy and Prokofiev in the intimate hilltop setting of the Strathmore mansion.
(October 16-24) THE DEAD The University of Maryland's Theatre Department stages James Joyce's The Dead, opening at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center in College Park tomorrow. The show runs one week only, through October 24th. The Dead follows an Irishman through a lively holiday party as he observes and eavesdrops on others, sharing tales of love, loss and longing.
October 15, 2009 - Most of the sports talk around town these days has to do with the sorry state of Washington's NFL franchise. But commentator Fred Fiske wants to talk about game day at the White House...
October 15, 2009 - In her spare time, Michelle Ryan scuba dives in the Chesapeake as part of an environmental group that builds oyster reefs.
She says the water is so polluted, it's sometimes impossible to see her hand in front of her face. "It's like diving with your eyes closed," Ryan says. "Yes, it's that bad."
Until recently, cleaning up the bay has been a state responsibility, which many environmentalists say has resulted in polluters receiving little more than a slap on the wrist.
But now, under an executive order from President Obama,the EPA has been given unprecedented authority to force states and businesses to clean up the Chesapeake.
"Our job here is really to improve the performance and accountability of the Chesapeake Bay Program," EPA Advisor Charles Fox says. "That will include some additional federal oversight where that's appropriate."
And early next week, Senator Ben Cardin(D-Md) and Representative Elijah Cummings (D-Md) will introduce bills to expand that executive order to give the EPA even more authority over the Chesapeake.
David Schultz reports...
EPA Adviser Charles Fox (l) sat on a panel with Virginia State Senator Mary Margaret Whipple (D), Chesapeake Bay Foundation Vice-President Roy Hoagland and U.S. Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.) to discuss cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay.
Courtesy of: David Schultz
October 15, 2009 - To some oysters are a delicacy, but to environmentalists they may be the key to saving the Chesapeake Bay.
In pre-Colonial times, there were so many oysters in the Chesapeake, that their natural water-filtering mechanisms required only four days to clean the bay. Since then, the number of oysters has declined 96 percent and it now takes them a full year to achieve the same result.
Even though Roy Hoagland with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation says the situation remains dire, he notes the oyster population is increasing thanks to human intervention.
David Schultz reports...
October 15, 2009 - Tensions are rising between the D.C. Council and the city's Latino community. Last week, the council rejected Mayor Fenty's pick to lead the department of parks and recreation.
Several Latino leaders are calling on the D.C. council to formally apologize for the treatment of Xiena Hartsock,a native of Chile, during her confirmation hearing. During the meeting, D.C. Council member Marion Barry implied that Hartstock did not understand African-American Culture. Hartstock was also questioned about her immigration status.
At a protest outside city hall Wednesday afternoon, League of United Latin American Citizens director Brent Wilkes says Latinos are often shut out of the political process.
During the protest, Council member Kwame Brown made his way down the steps of the Wilson Building to address the crowd. Brown was one of seven members to vote against Hartstock. He says she violated the law by helping privatize city day care centers.
When he finished, Brown walked over and confronted attorney general Peter Nickles, who last week accused the council in an examiner article of holding a "racist, mysoginist hearing."
Brown told Nickles that he ought to be ashamed of himself. Nickles responded that Harstock was voted down unfairly.
Patrick Madden reports...
October 15, 2009 - A soldier convicted of maltreating detainees at Abu Ghraib in Iraq says she hopes her appeal to the military's highest court will exonerate all whose reputations were tarnished in the scandal.
Former Army Reserve Specialist Sabrina Harman of Lorton, Virginia spoke with the Associated Press before a hearing Wednesday in Washington before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces. Her defense attorney argues Harman should not have been convicted of maltreatment for photographing and posing with naked detainees because prisoner nudity appears to have been Army policy. But prosecutors contend any reasonable observe would have concluded such conduct was abusive. The five-judge court could rule within months on whether to overturn any of the six counts on which she was convicted.
Bill Redlin has the details...
October 15, 2009 - A House Veterans' Affairs panel meets this afternoon to consider the GI Bill, post 9-11. The bill enticed more than 275,000 veterans to apply for college.
Elizabeth Wynne Johnson reports...
October 15, 2009 - The attorney for convicted D.C. sniper John Allen Muhammad says he plans to ask for clemency for his client. Muhammad was sentenced to death in 2002 for the slaying of Dean Harold Meyers at a Manassas gas station during a string of shootings that left ten people dead and three wounded in Virginia, Maryland and the District. He is scheduled for execution next month.
But his attorney, Jonathan Sheldon plans to file a clemency request next week with Virginia Governor Tim Kaine. According to his law firm's web site Sheldon also plans to file an appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court.
Kaine previously has said he's unlikely to grant clemency but would review the request.
Muhammad's accomplice Lee Boyd Malvo, a teenager at the time of the shootings, is serving life in prison.
Natalie Neumann has the details...
October 15, 2009 - All 24 of Maryland's state's attorneys may have to testify about how they decide whether to seek the death penalty in capital cases.
The case in question involves an inmate accused of killing a prison guard in 2006 at the now-closed Maryland house of correction at Jessup. As part of Lee Stephens' defense, his attorneys plan to argue that the death penalty is unconstitutional because it's applied differently in different jurisdictions.
To make their case, the attorneys have subpoenaed all of Maryland's top prosecutors, the state's attorneys, to appear in Anne Arundel County Circuit Court next week.
Harford County State's Attorney Joseph Cassilly tells the Baltimore Daily Record newspaper the Maryland Court of Appeals has already determined that geographical disparities in the death penalty's application don't render it unconstitutional. County prosecutors have filed a motion to quash the subpoenas.
Matt McCleskey reports...
October 15, 2009 - Police in Montgomery County, Maryland are trying to slow a surge in thefts from vehicles parked at Metro stations. A county council report shows larceny crimes jumped ten percent at mass transit stations last year, almost exclusively in Metro parking lots. The Twinbrook Metrorail station in Rockville is the only station in Maryland that ranks in Metro's top ten in terms of thefts from vehicles.
Matt Bush reports...
Police in Montgomery County, Maryland are trying to slow a surge in thefts from vehicles parked at Metro stations.
Courtesy of: Matt Bush
October 15, 2009 - Health agencies across our region are marking National Latino AIDS Awareness Day today.
Health workers and educators in Northern Virginia say the fight against HIV/AIDS in their Latino communities may be even harder than it is within the DC city limits
Yvonne Williams is the executive director of K.I. Services a non profit health agency working across Northern Virginia. She says one thing has remained constant in her 7-year quest to get more Latinos tested for HIV/AIDS.
"People don't want to come in because they think they're going to get deported," she says.
Felisa Baptista a health counselor for Alexandria's Health department says a bigger issue for Latinos in Northern Virginia suburbs is getting to treatment centers once they decide to get tested.
Baptista, who's been working with Alexandria for 15 years says now she sees Latinos walking into health clinics and asking for condoms something they never did when she first started working there.
Many people who works with Latino populations say data is unreliable because undocumented residents are, well, undocumented.
But according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Latinos, who make up 13 percent of the population, make up 18 percent of all new AIDS cases.
Jonathan Wilson reports...
October 15, 2009 - H1N1 intranasal spray and injections are available for adults today from noon to 4 p.m. at the Springhill Lake Health and Wellness Fair, at Springhill Lake Elementary School. The school is located at 6060 Springhill Drive, Greenbelt, Maryland.
Every Thursday, starting October 22, H1N1 vaccines will be available to the general public at the Prince George's County Health Department Immunization Clinic at the Cheverly Health Center, located at 3003 Hospital Dr., Cheverly, Maryland.
Elementary school children and sixth graders will be able to receive that vaccine at the school starting the week of October 19th.
For more information call the Cheverly Immunization Clinic at (301) 583-3300.
H1N1 Vaccines are being offered until 4 p.m. October 15 at the Springhill Lake Health and Wellness Fair.
Courtesy of: Centers for Disease Control Influenza Laboratory
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