Metro Connection

Humans have long been fascinated by the idea of Bigfoot. And in our region, few have pursued this mysterious creature with as much zeal as Billy Willard, a Virginia native whose interest led to the founding of Sasquatch Watch of Virginia. Rebecca Sheir heads to an undisclosed wilderness area in Fauquier County -- where Willard and his sons reportedly encountered the elusive beast -- and hears about other reported sightings around the region.

[Music: "Hot on Your Trail" by Rockin' Ryan...

You might know about the old streetcar tunnels under Dupont Circle, but nearly a century ago, an entirely different -- and lesser-known -- series of tunnels was discovered on P Street NW. Rebecca Sheir visits the area with D.C. preservation buff Kim Bender, and hears about the mysterious tunnel system, and how this bizarre collection of passageways was the work of a man well versed in bugs and bigamy.

[Music: "Tunnel of Love" by Wanda Jackson from Queen of Rockabilly]

It's been three years since the Supreme Court overturned Washington's historic ban on handguns. Before the Supreme Court decision, approximately 70,000 guns were registered in the city, mostly for law enforcement and security. But since the laws changed to allow individuals to keep a gun in their home, only 1,300 guns have been registered for that purpose. So here's the puzzle: Why isn't legal gun ownership more common in the District? Reporter Emily Friedman posed that question to a D.C....

Puzzles have been popular, inexpensive entertainment since the Great Depression. And for one puzzle maker in Maryland, they're not just a form of entertainment; they're art. Thom Spencer takes months to design, paint and cut wooden puzzles that involve materials from acrylic paint to cupcake sprinkles. Courtney Collins spent an afternoon in his workshop to learn about his creative process and his influences.

[Music: "Jigsaw Puzzle" by The Rolling Stones from Beggar's Banquet]

On July 4, 1861, President Lincoln called Congress into an extraordinary special session. One of the House of Representatives' most powerful members at the time was Thaddeus Stevens: a flamboyant Radical Republican committed to creating equal opportunity for all. Rebecca Sheir visits the House's official historian, Matthew Wasniewski, to learn more about the so-called "Dictator of Congress."

[Music: "You Get What You Give" by New Radicals from You Get What You Give]

The District is in store for another summer of no-holds-barred, independent plays, musicals, dance and other performances, with the sixth annual Capital Fringe Festival. Running from July 7 through July 24, Fringe is the only unjuried, self-producing, open-access festival in the D.C. area, and Rebecca Sheir speaks with the Fest's executive director, Julianne Brienza, to learn how the anything-but-mainstream magic happens.

[Music: "Play" by Jennifer Lopez from J Lo]