News Archive - June 30, 2010

Latest Maryland Regional News

NEWBURG, Md. (AP) Authorities are searching for a Virginia boater who went missing after a boat sank in the Potomac River. Officials say 36-year-old Daniel Ray Meyers of King George has not been found and is presumed drowned after last night's incident.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) Republican Robert...

Disabled May Soon Pay For Parking In Alexandria

By David Schultz

The cost of a parking meter in Old Town Alexandria is going up tomorrow from $1 an hour to $1.75.

The city is also considering the elimination of free parking for people with disabilities and moving to a new parking policy, known as "All May Park, All Must Pay."

...

Congress Members Grill Officials Over Arlington National Cemetery Controversy

By Sara Sciammacco

The nation's most revered military burial site has been mired in scandal since early June, when a federal investigation unearthed a shocking pattern of neglect and mismanagement. Today the House Armed Services Committee, which includes several Virginia and Maryland lawmak...

D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee On Education

D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee is just beginning her fourth year on the job. She was appointed by D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty when he took control of the District's school system in 2007.

Rhee has made sweeping changes, from laying off teachers to negotiating a new union contract. Now sc...

Hispanic Organization Launches Initiative to Reduce Latina Teen Pregnancy

By Elliott Francis

Recent figures show 52 percent of Hispanic teen girls will become pregnant before the age of 20.

One of the nation’s leading advocates for Latinos is taking a stand to reduce that number.

As a Latina teen, Evelyn Sanchez is in a peer group experts say has the...

VA Lawmakers Get Tour Of Transportation Trouble Spots

By David Schultz

Delegates and State Senators from across the Commonwealth are here visiting Northern Virginia's trouble spots - I-95, the Beltway, the orange line during rush hour.

Ed Scott, a Republican delegate from central Virginia, says he's not on this tour to verify rumors of t...

Northern VA Seeks Compassion For Commuters

By Patrick Madden

Today and tomorrow, more than a dozen Virginia state delegates and senators will be touring Northern Virginia to experience 'first-hand' the transportation problems afflicting the region.

Typically, when you invite lawmakers to your region to win them over, you try a...

Getting Kids To Eat Healthy During The Summer

By Matt Bush

The number of children receiving free summer meals in Montgomery County continues to increase.

Getting students the meals is only half the battle.

The other half is making sure they eat nutritiously.

Marla Kaplan is the director of the schools food service div...

MarylandReporter.com: State Roundup June 30, 2010

From the Maryland Reporter website:

RUNNING MATE Annie Linskey of the Sun blogs that one potential Ehrlich running mate is out: Alison Asti sent out a news release announcing that she wants to be an Anne Arundel County Circuit Court judge. While Alan Brody of the Gazette writes that Mary Ka...

Legislators Experience The "Orange Crush"

By Patrick Madden

Legislators from all over Virginia will be riding Metro, Virginia Railway Express and Northern Virginia buses today and tomorrow to see up close, the transportation issues confronting the region.

The goal is to give Virginia officials, particularly those living down...

"Art Beat" With Stephanie Kaye - Wednesday, June 30, 2010

(June 30-July 5) ICE COLD If you're looking to beat the heat, they're keeping it ice cold at Hendrick Avercamp: The Little Ice Age, on display for one last week at the National Gallery of Art on the Mall. The Dutch landscape artist's 17th century scenes feature ice skating, sleigh rides and outd...

Kagan Declines To Take Sides On 'Twilight' Debate

By ANN SANNER and NATASHA T. METZLER Associated Press Writers

WASHINGTON (AP) Team Edward or Team Jacob? That's one debate Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan steered clear of.

At her Senate confirmation hearing Wednesday, Kagan was asked by Sen. Amy Klobuchar about "The Twilight Saga:...

VA And MD Schools Measure Up Against Other Southeast States

By Jonathan Wilson

A group that advises 16 states in the Southeast region on education issues says Virginia and Maryland public schools compare well to those in other states.

The Southern Regional Education Board says Virginia's high school graduation rate tops the national rate and s...

Groups Ask For Permanent Halt To Offshore Drilling

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) Nearly 30 environmental groups along the East Coast are asking the Obama administration to permanently halt plans for oil and gas drilling in the Atlantic and Gulf regions.

The Southern Environmental Law Center submitted formal comments on behalf of the 28 groups Wednesda...

Senate Confirms Petraeus As Afghan War Chief

By Anne Flaherty Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) The Senate has unanimously confirmed Gen. David Petraeus as the next commander of the Afghanistan war. The vote was 99-0.

Petraeus replaces Gen. Stanley McChrystal, whose three-decade career ended in disgrace because of inflamma...

Power Breakfast For June 30, 2010

Today House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton heads up a hearing on a delicate and painful subject...

Elizabeth Wynne Johnson reports.

Maryland Immigrant Leaders Await President's Speech

By Matt Bush

President Obama is scheduled to give an address on the need for immigration reform tomorrow at American University.

Leaders on both sides of the issue in Maryland are eagerly anticipating his words. Gustavo Torres is the executive director of Casa de Maryland, the state's...

Latest Virginia Regional News

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) The State Medical Examiner's Office has attributed the death of Virginia Tax Commissioner Jane Elizabeth Bowen to hypertensive heart disease. Bowen was found dead in her Richmond home June 15th. She was 56.

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (AP) The commanding officer of Norfolk Naval Ship...

Whiskey By George

By Michael Pope

Build it, and they will chug. George Washington knew it was true, now you can too. Starting tomorrow, visitors to the general's newly reconstructed whiskey distillery can purchase rye whiskey from the general’s own recipe, which was heavier on rye than today’s corn-based bou...

Immigration Reform A Hot Button Topic In Virginia

By Jonathan Wilson

Prince William County Board of Supervisors Chair Corey Stewart led the charge to pass county laws making it possible for local police to check the immigration status of anyone they stop for any other offense.

Now he's pushing for state legislators to do the same thi...

Maryland's Top Transportation Official Calls MARC Service Unacceptable

By Meymo Lyons

Amtrak and Maryland transportation officials are meeting with riders following a rash of problems with MARC train service.

Maryland Transportation Secretary Beverley Swaim-Staley and Amtrak CEO Joseph Boardman will make themselves available to riders this afternoon from...

Latest D.C. Local News

WASHINGTON (AP) Angry lawmakers are questioning the Army on its mix-up of veterans' remains at Arlington National Cemetery in the first congressional hearing on the issue. Representative Ike Skelton, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, called for a "100 percent survey" of the cemetery...

Rhee Touts Accomplishments

By Kavitha Cardoza

D.C.’s school's Chancellor Michelle Rhee is beginning her fourth year on the job. She’s pointing to enrollment numbers, progress in special education and a new teacher’s contract as evidence her reform efforts are working.

Rhee says the new union contract¨passed una...

Chesapeake Bay Legislation Closer To Becoming Law

By Sabri Ben-Achour

A major piece of legislation designed to restore the Chesapeake Bay is one step closer to passage. The Chesapeake Clean Water and Ecosystem Restoration Act made it out of committee Wednesday relatively unscathed.

The legislation would give the Environmental Protect...