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On Patrol with the Bomb-Sniffing Dogs

Since last week’s terrorist attacks in London, bomb-sniffing dogs have become a much more common sight in the region. Metro Transit and U.S. Capitol Police are using the dogs to conduct random searches of buses. They’re also seen padding along in metro stations and trains. The U.S. Park Police Canine Unit has been conducting regular sweeps along the National Mall. WAMU’s Lisa Nurnberger spent a day with a U.S. Park Police handler and her dog to learn what it takes to develop a team. She found much of a dog’s success depends on the relationship with its owner. But in a world of suicide bombers, handlers are wondering whether their four-legged partners will really be able to make much of a difference.

London Bombs, Then and Now

The bombs in London last week sparked many discussions on how to prevent future attacks. But they made WAMU Senior Commentator Fred Fiske think about the past.

Youth Voices - Part Three

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, about half of all chronic cases of mental illness begin by the age of 14. And although about 80 percent of those with a mental disorder will eventually be treated… it’s not unusual for a person to wait ten years or more before seeking help. Fifteen year old Youth Voices reporter and Bell Multicultural High School student Kamilia Epps has discovered a few reasons why that might be.

Our Youth Voices pieces are produced by WAMU’s Sidsel Overgaard.

Broad Acres Elementary School

In the summer, most kids are enjoying vacations… but public schools in the Washington area don’t get much of a break. This is the time of year when many schools get THEIR report cards. The No Child Left Behind act requires students to meet a series of academic benchmarks. And if a school’s students fall short two years in a row, that school is put on a watch-list. Broad Acres, an elementary school in Silver Spring with many low-income and non-English speaking students, was on that watch-list for three years, but has since made big strides. This summer, Montgomery County crowed that Broad Acres’ students had - - for the third year in a row - - made progress on state tests, and held the school up as a shining example of transformation. WAMU’s Sarah Hughes spoke with the school’s principal, Suzette Chagnon. Chagnon says the school made several key changes, starting with the curriculum.

From Reston... to Res-TOWN?

An effort is underway to officially incorporate Reston as a town. It would still be part of Fairfax County - - but the idea is that a TOWN with its own elected officials would be better able to influence matters in the region… and that local complaints that might take a while for the county to handle, would be addressed faster by town employees. Here to talk about what it takes to become a town in Virginia is Ted McCormack, Associate Director of the Virginia Commission on Local Government.

Planning an Anne Bancroft Film Festival

Actress Anne Bancroft died in June at the age of 73 after a 50-year career filled with highlights in theatre, film and TV. Video Critic Bari Biern helps us plan an at-home video festival of Anne Bancroft films - - side-stepping her two most well-known works.

Hairspray - the Real Story

Get out your spray cans and start shaping your hair, because the Broadway musical “hairspray” opened at the Kennedy Center this week. The musical is the stage adaptation of the 1988 film by Baltimore native John Waters… which was based on true events surrounding a popular TV dance show that aired in Charm City from the late fifties through the early sixties. But while the period hairstyles might be accurate, the history is not. As Lex Gillespie reports, the real life story ended very differently than it does in “Hairspray.”

Peter Pan Soars into Wolf Trap

On July 19, Cathy Rigby arrives at Wolf Trap in a musical revival of Peter Pan. But it’s not all lighthearted whimsy and soaring around the stage. Local playwright Norman Allen uncovers the dark side to this children’s classic.