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November 24, 2009 -
November 24, 2009 - Light rail or rapid buses. Those were the choices in Maryland for the Purple Line, a mass transit system that would run from New Carrollton to Bethesda. Light rail won out.
The same battle is taking shape with the Corridor Cities Transitway, which would run from the Shady Grove Metro station out to Clarksburg, Maryland. Even though the Montgomery County council recommended light rail, the fight is far from over.
Matt Bush reports...
November 24, 2009 - By JOSEPH WHITE AP Sports Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) Washington Wizards owner Abe Pollin has died. He was 85.
His death was announced by his company, Washington Sports + Entertainment. He died Tuesday but no details were disclosed.
Pollin, the NBA's longest-tenured owner, suffered from a rare brain disorder that impairs movement and balance. He had heart bypass surgery in 2005.
Pollin tried to run his pro sports teams like a family business. He bemoaned the runaway salaries of free agency and said it would have been difficult for him to keep the Wizards if it weren't for the NBA's salary cap.
His Washington-area sports empire began when he purchased the Baltimore Bullets in 1964. The Bullets, since renamed the Wizards, won the 1978 NBA title.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Wizards owner Abe Pollin was instrumental in the development of today's Washington Wizards team.
Courtesy of: NBC4.com
November 24, 2009 - By Kavitha Cardoza
A Superior Court judge in D.C. has ruled against the Washington Teacher's Union, which sought to reinstate approximately 250 teachers and staff who were laid off.
In her ruling, Judge Judith Bartnoff says the WTU did not prove its allegations against Chancellor Michelle Rhee. The judge ruled that DCPS did have a budgetary basis to make the layoffs.
Lisa Ruda, Rhee's chief of staff, testified the DCPS budget could support the current teaching staff, as well as the 900 new teachers, before a budget cut at the end of July. Judge Bartnoff writes she found Ruda to be a "credible" witness and the union did not provide any substantive challenge to her testimony.
George Parker is president of the Washington Teacher's Union. "Well understandably we are disappointed in the judge's decision not to reinstate the employees while we go through the challenge and appeals process," said Parker.
The judge writes reinstating the teachers would cause additional disruption to the students because the schools have revised schedules and staffing since the layoffs.
Also, she writes, the district asserts and the union has not disputed that if these teachers were rehired, DCPS would either have to lay off other employees even further into the school year or cut programs. Such action, says the judge, would not benefit DCPS, it's teachers, students, staff or the wider District of Columbia community.
The Union has not decided whether it will appeal the judge's ruling.
November 24, 2009 - WASHINGTON (AP) Independent safety monitors with the Tri-State Oversight Committee are expected to inspect Metro tracks next month. Metro said earlier this month that inspectors can approach live tracks if they have passed a safety class and are accompanied by safety escorts.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
November 24, 2009 - BALTIMORE (AP) State prosecutors today have dismissed charges, including theft and misconduct in office, against a Baltimore police officer. Twenty-nine-year-old Michael Sylvester was arrested in September. Police officials say he remains suspended and an internal affairs investigation continues.
MAYO, Md. (AP) Maryland Natural Resources Police say a body that washed ashore from the Chesapeake Bay has been identified as a missing kayaker. Authorities used fingerprint analysis to determine the body found Friday at Beverly-Tirton Beach Park in Mayo was Jerard Welsh.
WILLIAMSPORT, Md. (AP) The Maryland State Fire Marshals office says about 60 pounds of dynamite and 100 detonators have been removed from a car in western Maryland. The dynamite was found this morning in a garage in the 15000 block of Dellinger Road in Williamsport. It was used in the construction business of the former owner of the car and home.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
November 24, 2009 - TROY, Va. (AP) Corrections officials are investigating whether inmates are being denied access to religious services at Virginia's largest women's prison. The scrutiny is partly prompted by earlier allegations from prison guards and inmates that the lockup segregated masculine-looking lesbian prisoners.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) A state ethics panel has halted an inquiry into whether former Delegate Phillip Hamilton improperly used his powerful position to secure himself a job with Old Dominion University. The panel says it lacks jurisdiction to investigate a complaint regarding former legislators.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) The governors of Virginia and Maryland say it would be wrong for the Catholic Archdiocese of Washington to quit providing social services if the District of Columbia approves gay marriage. Both Gov. Kaine and Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley criticized the church's position today.
NORFOLK, Va. (AP) A Virginia Beach man faces up to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to wire fraud in connection with a mortgage loan scheme. Authorities say 44-year-old Wayne Marlon Benedic Lezama entered his plea Monday in U.S. Distirct Court in Norfolk.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
November 24, 2009 - By Sabri Ben-Achour
The owner of the Washington Wizards has died at the age of 85.
Abe Pollin was the NBA's longest tenured team owner. He and his wife Irene bought the Washington Wizards in 1964, though back then they were known as the Bullets. According to the Wizards' Website, Pollin championed redevelopment of the District, planning and building the Verizon Center in Chinatown. He donated millions of dollars to local and national charities.
As a manager, Pollin ran his pro sports teams like a family business. He bemoaned the runaway salaries of free agency and said it would have been difficult for him to keep the Wizards if it weren't for the NBA's salary cap. The team won the 1978 NBA title.
A cause of death for Pollin has not been disclosed, but he was known to have suffered from a rare brain disorder that impairs movement and balance. He also had heart bypass surgery in 2005.
November 24, 2009 - By Elliott Francis
A report about an unusually large traffic fine in Virginia has now been retracted. The Virginia State Police now say they DID NOT issue a $1,000 ticket during an HOV crackdown, as previously reported.
Police say they issued the citation to a motorist who had violated HOV restrictions for a forth time. The ticket was issued during a recent crackdown on carpool lanes in northern Virginia.
State police now say the only tickets issued that day included 25 first-time HOV violations and a pair of fines for second violations. The fine for the first offense is $125 and $250 for the second.
November 24, 2009 - By Elliott Francis
Certain Catholic schools in Maryland and the District could close soon.
Pastors at fourteen Catholic churches in D.C. and Maryland say their schools are in danger of closing if enrollments continue to decline.
The schools operated by the Washington Archdiocese are in both D.C. and Maryland and serve students in kindergarten through eighth grade. Pastors met with the parents of school children in the past month to discuss possible changes.
Officials say other schools in the system have discussed plans to make their operations more sustainable. The options included increasing enrollment through community outreach and strengthening bank accounts through fundraising.
Decisions about whether schools close will be made before the January enrollment process begins.
November 24, 2009 - By Natalie Neumann
Baltimore's city council is requiring pregnancy centers that don't perform abortions or provide birth control referrals to post signs saying so.
The measure is thought to be the first of its kind in the country, although similar legislation is under consideration in Maryland's Montgomery County.
Council President Stephanie Rawlings-Blake introduced the legislation after meeting with abortion-rights advocates who say some clinics provide inaccurate information, such as claims that abortions are connected to breast cancer and other problems.
But those opposed to the bill say it unfairly targets centers that provide good information and much-needed help for poor women.
Violators could face a $150 fine. The bill now goes to the mayor.
November 24, 2009 - Friday is the second annual National Day of Listening, a project conceived by the folks at Story Corps who bring you personal stories and conversations every Friday during Morning Edition.
The idea behind the day of listening is to spend time interviewing someone you care about: a parent, a sibling or a friend, and to document the conversation with a recorder or even a pencil and piece of paper.
Story Corps founder and documentarian David Isay speaks with WAMU's Rebecca Blatt about the event and why he believes sharing personal stories is so powerful.
November 24, 2009 - By Bill Redlin
Families who need helping paying heating bills this season may be getting funds from the company that supplies electricity in the Old Dominion.
Dominion is donating $1 million to a program that helps those who need assistance in paying their heating bills. The donation to Energy Share follows another $1 million contribution the company made in October.
Energy Share helps people who are unemployed or who have other financial problems to heat their homes after other forms of assistance have been exhausted. Payments on behalf of the recipients go directly to the energy vendors. Dominion chairman and CEO Thomas Farrell II says the company recognizes its customers are being affected by economic hardships that haven't been seen in several generations.
November 24, 2009 - By Kavitha Cardoza
Veterans may become visually impaired or blind for a variety of reasons, from I.E.D. explosions to macular degeneration. But advocacy groups are trying to retrain these former service members and help them find jobs.
Irving Anderson served for 10 years in the Air Force. Because of advanced glaucoma, Anderson can barely see and for years he struggled to find a job. "I can't think of nothing more challenging than losing your sight," says Anderson.
Angela Hartley with the National Industries for the Blind says people who are blind or visually impaired have very high rates of unemployment. One problem, she says, is that some potential employers have stereotypes. "They may presume they have to make very expensive job accommodations for example which is not the case," says Hartley. Hartley says the average cost of adaptive devices such as software that can translate print into speech and magnifying screens is less than $500 and often is covered by the government.
Anderson enrolled in a free training program run by Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind. Tony Cancelosi heads the organization and says he's placed veterans in government programs where sensitive documents need to be scanned.
"They do not want the documents to leave the building so we bring all the equipment and the people and do a turnkey on the site," says Cancelosi. Anderson is one of those placed in the program. He says it's given him a sense of purpose. "I guess this job gives me a sense of responsibility that I had lost between 2000 and the present," says Anderson.
According to the Blinded Veterans of America, there are approximately 160,000 veterans who are blind or visually impaired in the U.S.
Veterans Lawrence Harrison, left, and Irving Anderson.
Courtesy of: Kavitha Cardoza
November 24, 2009 - By Sabri Ben-Achour
Retailers are pulling out the deals as the holidays approach and early shoppers may get an advantage.
At Filene's Basement in downtown D.C., where the racks are gilded with tinsel, Manager Ernest Gatewood is putting up that other holiday decoration: Sale signs.
"Profits are down company wide but with us cutting prices on things, that should make spending a little bit easier than what it was last year," says Gatewood.
For most items, he's not cutting prices deeper but he is cutting them sooner. According to the National Retail Federation, there's another reason early bargain hunters will get the worm this year: inventories are smaller because many retailers are being conservative.
"Last year, we couldn't tell, but now we have a little bit more of a prediction from what happened last year," says Gatewood.
Deals will still play a big role - and they better says shopper Anika Fountain.
"Oh yeah I'm going straight to the clearance rack, I'm not gonna pay full price."
Like many consumers, Fountain is cutting back. A survey by the Credit Union National Association, or CUNA and the Consumer Federation of America found that 43% of consumers are scaling back their spending. But that's less than last year, when 56% of consumers said they were scaling back. Bill Hampill, Chief Economist for CUNA, says he expects consumer holiday spending may even rise slightly, though it would still be historically low.
The National Retail Federation has a less optimistic prediction: they say holiday sales will be down 1%.
November 24, 2009 - By Elliott Francis
The Maryland State Highway Administration is launching a pilot program using molasses to help keep roadways free of snow and ice.
The compound is sugar beet molasses mixed with the salt brine commonly used on roadways during winter months. Highway administration spokesperson Sandy Dobson says it could be the perfect ice melt solution.
"It's all natural, non-corrosive, and it helps in the application of the salt," says Dobson.
Typically, road salt and salt brine dissipates rapidly after it's applied. Highway tech manager Scott Simon says the molasses in the so-called 'Ice Bite' compound helps the salt stick to the roadway.
"With the heavy volume of traffic, it eventually beats everything off the road. This will let it lay on the road, let the traffic go over it and it will stay," says Simon.
Salt truck driver James Mackensie tested it last year. He wants to spread it a little further this season.
"We only done the bridges last year. This year we'll do most of 95," says Mackensie.
The program begins in Howard and Frederick counties.
Sugar beet molasses mixed with the salt brine is commonly used on roadways during winter months.
Courtesy of: Elliot Francis
November 24, 2009 - By Patrick Madden
This is the fourth day of deliberations in the criminal trial of Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon. Jurors have now spent about 18 hours deliberating.
On Monday, they passed several notes to Judge Dennis Sweeney. Two of the notes said the jury was making progress, but needed more time.
Dixon has been charged with misconduct as well as stealing and embezzling donated gift cards. Dixon cannot be convicted of theft and embezzlement. Either she didn't have a right to the possess the cards and stole them. Or, she had a right but misused them.
If she's found guilty of any of the charges, the Democratic mayor could be forced out of office and face fines or jail time.
November 24, 2009 - By Jonathan Wilson
Congested roads have long been a part of life in Tyson's Corner, Virginia -- and things could get even worse as construction on the Dulles Metrorail project ramps up.
A new, free shuttle service may help.
The shuttle is launching just in time for the holidays it will continue year-round on weekdays from 10 am to 2:30 pm.
Richard Forbes and Star Hunter, both shopping on Monday, say the midday service could make a difference.
"Yeah, sure, it makes a lot of sense," Forbes says.
"Its long overdue," Hunter says.
The shuttle isn't just for shoppers many of its stops are in front of major local employers such as Freddie Mac and Gannett.
Ellen Kamilakis, with Fairfax County's Transportation Department, urges people to use the connector and help Tyson's avoid a third rush hour in the middle of the day.
"Get on the bus it's free, it's every ten minutes," she says. "Run your errands, don't lose your parking spots and don't add another car to the road."
The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority and the Dulles Metrorail Project are splitting its $1.1 million annual operating cost.
November 24, 2009 - By Rebecca Blatt
Virginia's Governor Tim Kaine will present his biennial budget next month. And he is warning it will include some unpopular adjustments.
As Kaine faces a projected budget shortfall of nearly $3 billion for the next two years, he says all options are on the table -- including tax increases and cuts to education and Medicaid.
"I think people are going to see an awful lot in this budget that they don't like," he says. "But look, people are doing it in their families and they're doing it in their businesses. We haven't shrinked from them, and we're not going to shrink from them this next round."
Economic conditions have forced more than $5.5 billion in state budget reductions in a little more than a year. But the governor points to some signs of strength.
"We have the lowest unemployment rate of any large state in this country, and we have a AAA bond rating," he says. "I'm going to give them a budget that will maintain our business friendliness, our financial credentials and our strategic positioning."
The General Assembly and Governor-Elect Bob McDonnell will take up the proposal in January.
November 24, 2009 - By Mana Rabiee
As Thanksgiving approaches, those responsible for offenders at one juvenile detention center in Rockville, Maryland are trying to create some semblance of family away from home.
Maryland's Secretary of Juvenile Services, Donald DeVore, stands in the middle of the canteen at the Alfred D. Noyes juvenile detention center.
He's come for a Thanksgiving meal and he talks to a quiet audience of 50 young men and women there for a range of crimes including theft, assault and drug use.
DeVore doesn't mention of their offenses. He focuses on a positive message.
"At this time we want to be with you, to share food with you and make sure you know that we do care about you," DeVore says.
John Dowdy is the center's Superintendent. He says during holidays visiting hours are expanded and the courts try to release children to their families. But for the ones who stay.
"I wish that someone from their family will come out and visit them on Wednesday night. That will give them some hope and some motivation and let them know that even though they made a mistake, their family still support them, their community still support them, still loves them," Dowdy says.
Lead4Life, a non-profit that works closely with the Center, is trying to secure holiday gifts for the residents.
Some of the 56 young men and women held at the Alfred D. Noyes youth detention center in Rockville, Maryland stand in line for a traditional Thanksgiving meal provided by the non-profit Lead4Life.
Courtesy of: Mana Rabiee
View more images from this gallery.
November 24, 2009 - (November 23 & 24) GINGERBREAD MASTERPIECE Former White House pastry chef Roland Mesnier has turned to architecture. He'll wrap up a gingerbread masterpiece at Mount Vernon, George Washington's home in Virginia, today from 10am to 3pm. Mesnier's tasty replica of the Mount Vernon mansion, standing two feet high and five feet wide, is good enough to eat and will be on display during the historic site's holiday events.
(November 28 & 29) I RAN HOME IN AMERICA The Fridge D.C., a new art center in Northwest Washington, presents I RAN Home (In America), an exhibit that's on display through Sunday. The show separates politics from paint and social strife from sculpture, allowing the work of contemporary Iranian-American artists to stand on its own.
(November 24) THE SNARK ENSEMBLE The Snark Ensemble appears at The Kennedy Center's Millenium Stage tonight at 6. The group is dedicated to creating and performing new scores for old silent movies. The Snarks, named after a nonsensical poem by Lewis Carroll, use a wide array of instruments to bring the vintage films to life.
November 24, 2009 - When Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd returns to Washington next week - he'll pick up where he left off on one of the major legislative initiatives of his career. It's not health care.
Just before the break, the Senate Banking Committee began its final tinkering with a bill to overhaul the financial regulatory system.
Elizabeth Wynne Johnson reports...
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