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Advocates, Consumers Slam Pepco Policy

January 24, 2010 - By Peter Granitz

About a dozen people protested outside the Wilson building Saturday. They blasted Pepco for shutting off heat during the winter months.

Advocates are pushing the council to put a moratorium on cutting power during the winter.

Mia Johnson says she'll do everything to make sure her power stays on. She says she paid her bill faithfully at the home she owns in Bloomingdale. But in December 2009, Johnson says, Pepco walloped her with a $7,400 bill.

She says Pepco had been using estimated rates for 33 months.

"It's unreal," says Johnson. "There's no way that two people can consume that much electricity, where we're out of the house at 6:30 in the morning and we're not in until seven or so at night."

Inside, Council Member Muriel Bowser chaired a utilities hearing. She did not indicate whether the council will take up the measure.

D.C. Schools Head Accuses Teachers Of Sexual Assault

January 24, 2010 - By Elliott Francis

The head of D.C. public schools claims that some of the teachers who were laid off last fall either sexually assaulted students or hit them.

D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee offered the revelation to a national business magazine, adding one of the teachers laid off missed 78 days of school.

Rhee declined to provide detail but added she was responding to union claims accusing her of creating a budget crisis in order to get rid of older teachers. She and D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty announced the firings as part of a $43.9 million budget shortfall.

George Parker, president of the Washington Teachers Union, says the union received no information that any of the 266 former teaches was accused of sexual misconduct against children. Parker calls the statements reckless and without basis in fact.

Fairfax County Aid Workers Prepare For Return

January 24, 2010 - By Sabri Ben-Achour

The Fairfax County search and rescue teams in Port-au-Prince, Haiti are beginning to wrap up their operations.

It's been a few days since the Fairfax County search and rescue team has pulled out anyone alive from beneath the rubble, but they still do go out and search when asked.

For the most part, they've been helping out whenever they can: cleaning up the embassy, or pulling out supplies from the rubble of a children's hospital to use.

The team has saved a total of 16 people and expects to return back to Fairfax County by the end of the week.

MD Environmentalists Getting Ready To Present Legislation

January 24, 2010 - By Mana Rabiee

An environmental coalition in Maryland is getting ready to present a single piece of legislation next week that would influence all of the state's energy and power decisions.

Every energy decision in the state, like a new power plant or transmission line, is made through the Public Service Commission (PSC).

Now a coalition made of faith, consumer, energy and environmental groups is finalizing legislation that would require the commission to oversee the creation of a comprehensive state energy plan.

"You wouldn't build a house without a blue print and Maryland is making important energy plans right now without a plan, without a blue print," says Jen Brock-Cancellieri, who is with the Maryland League of Conservation Voters, a group helping to lead the effort.

The Comprehensive Energy Planning Act would above all else require the PSC to make energy decisions in keeping with existing state environmental laws, including long term commitments to reduce carbon emissions.

Brock-Cancellieri says opponents of the bill may include energy companies that import coal into Maryland.