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Bedtime Stories From Prison

We begin today with a focus on fathers - dads who WON'T be spending Father's Day with their kids. DC is the only jurisdiction in the country where the federal government is responsible for its felons. Years ago, most of the District's prisoners were held closer to home. But when a prison complex in Lorton, Virginia - which housed prisoners from the District - closed in 2001, inmates were sent around the country. Many felons originally from DC are now serving time hundreds, sometimes thousands of miles away. This makes visits from loved ones virtually impossible. But it doesn't mean there can't still be a bedtime story from dad. Kavitha Cardoza reports.

Science Fair at the Detention Center

It's high school graduation season. Time for exams, final papers and in some cases the science fair. At the Youth Services Center in Northeast Washington, nearly 30 students presented projects. It wasn't your typical science fair, because THIS is a detention center. That means because of safety concerns, no chemical reactions and no sharp objects allowed - not even scissors - and no baking soda volcanoes. But there was also no lack of enthusiasm. Ginger Moored reports.

Thanks also to Jocelyn Frank for assistance with this report.

Rockville Autism Program - Year One

This week marked the end of the first year at the Kennedy Krieger School's Montgomery County Campus. The Rockville school works exclusively with children diagnosed with autism. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in every 150 people in the United States has autism. The school offers a mix of classroom instruction and cutting edge technology. And as Andrew Hiller reports, Kennedy Krieger also provides a multi-sensory experience.

Fred Fiske - The Water Crisis

Everyone's talking about the price of gas these days. But Senior Commentator Fred Fiske says THAT's not the issue that really gets him worried.

From Bo Diddley to Shaft - The Guitar of Skip Pitts

The legendary blues guitarist and singer Bo Diddley, who passed away earlier this month at the age of 79, played an often-overlooked role in Washington's music history. The man who created some of the most distinctive guitar rhythms in all of rock and roll once lived in Northeast DC, at 2614 Rhode Island Avenue. He left his mark on many area musicians. One of them is guitarist Charles Pitts - best known as 'Skip.' He became a sought-after studio and touring musician and remembers Bo Diddley as one of his first influences.

Our profile of Skip Pitts was produced by Lex Gillespie, and was funded in part by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts.

2008 SilverDocs Festival Preview

The 6th annual SILVERDOCS festival hits the AFI Silver Theatre in Silver Spring next week. It kicks off on Monday and runs through June 23rd - and there will be over a hundred films to choose from. We preview a FEW of those documentaries with Metro Connection film critic Bari Biern.

Commentary by Jennie Apter - Dancing Ghosts

We finish the Friday the 13th edition of Metro Connection considering the city's ghosts. Rumors are that the Chastleton apartment building on 16th Street, NW is haunted. Writer Jennie Apter says she knows firsthand about the spirits there - living, breathing, dancing ones.