DC
Local news from WAMU 88.5
D.C. To Conduct Criminal Investigation Into EMS Decision
March 12, 2010 - By Rebecca Blatt
D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier says a criminal investigation is under way into a senior paramedic's decision not to transport a 2-year-old girl who later died.
Lanier says a preliminary review determined an investigation into criminal conduct or negligence was warranted. The girl's parents called for help twice on February 10th. Paramedics at first decided not to take her to the hospital. But her parents called again nine hours later. The girl was then taken to a hospital, where she later died.
D.C.'s Attorney General Peter Nickles says authorities will pursue the matter "vigorously."
EMS officials say the senior paramedic who made the initial decision not to transport the toddler has been put on no-contact administrative duty.
Heavy Rains This Weekend
March 12, 2010 - By Matt Bush
A flood watch is in effect for the entire region through tomorrow. The Potomac river is very rough and choppy this morning, but it as yet has not overflowed its bank. Joggers and dog walkers are moving along it as if it's any other day.
The city of Alexandria did not pass out sandbags to businesses in Old Town this morning, something it normally does whenever there's a threat of flooding. But that could change, with weather forecasts calling for periods of heavy rain tonight and tomorrow. There have been reports of ponding on some roadways and authorities recommend extra caution while driving this weekend.
Latest D.C. Local News
March 12, 2010 - WASHINGTON (AP) A spike in the number of homeless families in the District is causing crowding at the D.C. General shelter. More than 190 families, 242 adults and 390 children, were living at the family shelter meant for 135 on Monday.
WASHINGTON (AP) District authorities have recaptured an inmate who escaped while being take to Greater Southeast Hospital. Police say 28-year-old Terrance Moore of Washington apparently was able to free himself from his restraints while being transported and ran off when he arrived at the hospital yesterday morning.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Operator Involved In Feb. Farragut North Track Derailment Dismissed
March 12, 2010 - From the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority:
A Metrorail train operator, who was involved in the pocket track derailment at the Farragut North Metrorail station on Feb. 12, was terminated on March 11 from her position as a train operator. She was dismissed for failing to follow standard operating procedures.
The operator was placed on paid administrative leave following the accident, which is standard procedure. She had been a Metro employee since May 1976, and a rail operator since April 1999.
Soldier Portraits Mystify Metro Riders
March 12, 2010 - Peter Granitz
Each stark image shows a soldier from Fort Drum, New York, lying down, gazing off the frame or directly at the viewer. Some look as if they're feigning death. Photographer Suzanne Opton says focusing on each soldier's face humanizes her subjects.
"We put these billboards in eight different cities across the country because people see soldiers as heroes, and they are heroes, but they’re also fathers and brothers," she says.
Afifa Taleb Dean says she’s walked past the image at the Pentagon City Metro station all week and wants to know more.
"It struck my interest," says Taleb. "When I get off I usually don’t pay attention to many things or see many things. It struck my interest."
Fellow Metro rider Dana Faulkner says she heard about the images and wanted to know who the soldiers were and if they were comfortable with the photos.
"Was it scary to them, to lie in a pose that sort of imitates them being dead?" she asks. "That’s some place they don’t want to go."
Opton will be at the Chinatown Metro stop Saturday morning explaining the photos.
Latest D.C. Local News
March 11, 2010 - WASHINGTON (AP) D.C. police are searching for an inmate who escaped while being transported to United Medical Center for treatment. The Corrections Corporation of America says 28-year-old Terrence Moore fled when he arrived at the southeast D.C. hospital around 9 a.m. today.
WASHINGTON (AP) D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier says a criminal investigation is under way into a senior paramedic's decision not to transport a two-year-old girl who later died. Lanier says that a preliminary review determined an investigation into criminal conduct or negligence was warranted.
WASHINGTON (AP) Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg and Elizabeth Dole joined 250 veterans at the World War II memorial in Washington to honor their service. HBO brought the veterans to the memorial Thursday to mark the premiere of a 10-part series called "The Pacific."
WASHINGTON (AP) More bicycle lanes are planned for eco-friendly District commuters. The District Department of Transportation says new bike lanes are planned for downtown and the Golden Triangle to maintain traffic flow and better protecting bicycle riders.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Possible Lawsuit Over Laid Off Teachers Being Able To Cast Union Votes
March 11, 2010 - By Kavitha Cardoza
Who is a teacher in D.C.; rather, who should be considered a teacher? Nathan Saunders, who wants to be president of the Washington Teacher's Union, says he will file a lawsuit to find out.
Saunders, who's currently the vice president of the union, is challenging current president George Parker in an election this May. Saunders says teachers who have lost their jobs should be able to vote while their cases are being appealed.
"Hundreds of teachers have been fired under Mr. Parker's leadership," says Saunders. "They are not happy about the state of the union and consequently they are more apt to be a voter and probably will not vote for him so he doesn't want them to vote."
Parker says Saunders only wants to reinterpret union rules becasue it might benefit him.
"I don't see what the purpose is in challenging all that," he says. "I mean you have to change the constitution if you want people to be able to vote who aren't members."
Saunders has filed two lawsuits against the union in recent years, one was settled and one was dismissed.
Post: 27 Drop Paper Over Front-Page Gay Kiss Photo
March 10, 2010 - WASHINGTON (AP) A photograph of two men kissing that ran on the front page of The Washington Post has caused at least two dozen people to cancel their subscriptions.
The photo was taken last Wednesday, the day same-sex couples could apply for marriage licenses in Washington, and ran in the paper the next day. The paper's ombudsman, Andrew Alexander, reported on his blog that 27 subscribers canceled their subscriptions, specifically citing the photo. He wrote that while complaints usually subside quickly, in this case complaints lasted through Tuesday.
Readers suggested that the photo should have been placed in the paper's Metro section or not run at all.
Alexander disagreed and defended the paper's decision to run the photo prominently.
Information from: The Washington Post, http://www.washingtonpost.com (Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Latest D.C. Local News
March 10, 2010 - WASHINGTON (AP) Metro officials say manually operated trains are running slower and dozens of track problems are adding to the delays. Transit agency officials say trains have been late 11 percent of the time, mostly because they have been run manually since the fatal red line crash last year.
WASHINGTON (AP) The woman who operated the Underground Railroad to help slaves escape to freedom, will have a prominent place at the Smithsonian's future black history museum. Today the National Museum of African American History and Culture will add about 40 objects from Harriet Tubman's life to its collection.
WASHINGTON (AP) Same-sex couples are now able to marry in Washington. Marriage bureau officials say 42 couples returned to pick up their licenses by the time the bureau closed yesterday. At least a dozen couples married and returned the licenses the same day.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Increased Efforts To Educate Washingtonians About Discrimination
March 10, 2010 - By Kavitha Cardoza
D.C.'s Office of Human Rights is stepping up efforts to educate residents about legal protections by partnering with community organizations.
David Mariner works at an organization called D.C. Center on 14th street Northwest, where lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people attend support groups and social events. He hears complaints about possible discrimination.
"We had a young man who worked at a local bar and was HIV positive," he says. "He missed some days of work because of his illness and and subsequently his hours were cut to one day a week."
Mariner says often people are worried about filing a complaint.
"There are language barriers, there are cultural challenges as far as people not wanting to feel they're a victim or feel like they need help," he says.
To help overcome these challenges, staff from D.C.'s Office of Human Rights visit community centers such as this one to educate people about the 19 classes protected from discrimination in D.C., including sexual orientation, political affiliation and genetic information.
The office also airs advertisements, hands out fliers and provides some translation services. Gustavo Velasquez who heads the office, says complaints have increased 70 percent in the past two years and he says this means more people feel comfortable coming forward. Velasquez says this doesn't mean there's more discrimination, "Because consistently the proportion of cases we decide as real discrimination continue to be four to six percent on an annual basis."
Those cases have to go through mediation and if they cannot be resolved, they're referred to the Commission on Human Rights for a hearing.
First Same-Sex Couple In D.C. Wed
March 9, 2010 - By Matt Bush
The first same-sex marriage has been performed in the district.
After being the first in line to pick up their marriage license this morning at the city's marriage bureau, James Betz and Robert Hawthorne were wed outside the D.C. courthouse by reverend Bonnie Berger.
About 150 couples applied last week. Now that the mandatory waiting period has passed, they can pick up their marriage licenses today. Weddings are scheduled to take place all across the city, including one at a community garden and another at All Souls Unitarian Church, where mayor Adrian Fenty signed the law allowing gay marriages in the district.
A Newcomer's Guide To Washington: Monumental Myths
March 9, 2010 - This week, D.C. newcomer Rebecca Sheir sets out to solve mysteries, and debunk myths of monumental proportions...
SCRIPT:
I may be new in town, but Id like to think I'm not nearly as green as some.
British Tourists: Baraaaaack!!!!
Like these people, for instance. Okay, so they're actually tourists, fresh off the plane from Great Britain. But they're gathering on the Ellipse, behind the White House, in hopes of seeing:
British Tourists: Barack Obama! Whooooo!
But the President-he's a busy guy, right? Things to do, people to see. So why would these Brits assume hes actually home?
Crouch: See, they think he's home 'cuz the flag is flying.
This is Carolyn Crouch, founder of Washington Walks. And the link between the Presidents whereabouts and the flag atop the White House is something I've found many Washingtonians believe:
Sheir: Do you know what it means when the flag is flying on top of the White House?
Guy: The Presidents in!
Sheir: Is that what you heard?
Guy: Yes.
Sheir: Do you know what it means when the flag is flying on top of the White House?
Gal: That the president is in residence.
Sheir: Whered you hear that?
Gal: I think I learned that in school. Way to go, school! Teaching me things!
But in this case, says Carolyn Crouch, not entirely true things. Because the White House flag is always flying.
Crouch: Regardless of who's there. Whether it be just the family pet, or the whole family.
Sheir: So you suggest maybe, check the Twitter feed for the White House and see where Barack is.
Crouch: Yes, yes!
Great Britain, though, has its own shorthand for signaling when the head of state is in the house.
When the royal family's in residence in London at Buckingham Palace, their standard flies over that building, and when they're not there, it does'nt.
So its no wonder our British friends:
British Tourists: Under the white canopy! Someone zoom in!
...Think Obama...
British Tourists: Barack!!!!!
...Or, okay, Barack, will pop out from his house any minute.
Behind the Brits, up the hill from the Ellipse, stands a tribute to the one U.S. President who did'nt call the White House home. Heres a hint: it's shaped like an Egyptian obelisk it stands 555 feet and 5 and one-eighth inches tall.
Crouch: And just the casual passer-by, you would say it's white stone. In fact, its marble. But then if you stand and you contemplate it longer, you realize its a tri-color obelisk.
Indeed, about 150 feet up, the Washington Monument shifts from a snowier white to a darker shade. Then, a little higher, it changes again. And Carolyn says that's sparked all sorts of rumors.
My favorite is when people say its the result of a flood. And if that had been the flood, I mean, this would be Noah's Ark all over again! We would not be here today!
But we are, though the Washington Monument almost wasn't. See, back in 1848, a group called the Washington National Monument Society began using public donations to build the structure out of this bright white marble from a quarry in Cockeysville, Maryland.
At the same time, they were collecting engraved stones to place inside the Monument: from different states, countries; the Pope even sent a stone from Rome.
But in 1854, with about 150 feet of the Monument done, everything stopped thanks to an anti-immigrant, anti-Roman-Catholic political party, the Know-Nothings.
Kelly: So in the spring of 1854, there was a building on the east grounds of the Monument called The Lapidarium, in which many of the stones were being stored.
The Lapidarium is no longer on the grounds, but this guy often is; in fact, that's where I met him. His name is Michael Kelly, and he's a park ranger with the National Mall and Memorial Parks.
One evening, a group of Know-Nothing supporters broke into the Lapidarium, found the Pope's stone and stole it, and it's a mystery as to its fate.
But what isn't a mystery is what happened next. The Know-Nothings formed their own Washington National Monument Society, public donations dried up and construction didn't start again until 1876.
When work was resumed here, it was undertaken by the United States Army Corps of Engineers, who had returned to the original quarry. But the quarry no longer could supply enough stone for the final 400-plus feet.
So, they tried a quarry in Massachusetts, and started building with that marble.
There's about four or five courses of that. And that's the few lines that you'll see there with brown veining running through it.
Hence the first color change. But the Massachusetts quarry was kind of flaky filling orders on time, so the Corps of Engineers wound up finishing the Monument in 1884 with marble from a different quarry back in Cockeysville.
It's a closer match to that below, and when newer, it was the similar bright white snowy marble. But one of the things unknown to the Engineers at the time was that that stone above has a higher magnesium content. So with direct exposure to air, wind, rain, it darkened.
And there you have it: a tri-colored obelisk 36 years in the making.
Now, I say, obelisk. But technically, a true obelisk consists of just one stone. Michael Kelly says the Washington Monument contains more than 36,000.
It then becomes the very definition of E Pluribus Unum: Out Of Many, One. And it does really become a fitting monument to Washington because he was a strong proponent of unity, and of union.
Back at the Ellipse, Carolyn Crouch sees it a bit differently.
Crouch: Because democracy is messy, I appreciate the sort of non-blending aspect of it. That's appropriate for America, I think!
And for Washington, D.C., this city that draws millions of people from all around the world, to visit monuments and museums and maybe, just maybe, catch glimpses of presidents.
Web Exclusive: A 'Monumental' Conversation With Carolyn Crouch
March 9, 2010 - Carolyn Crouch is the founder of Washington Walks, a walking tour company in D.C. In this interview with WAMU reporter Rebecca Sheir, the local historian busts myths about what it means when the flag is flying atop the White House, and why the Washington Monument is a tri-colored obelisk...
Web Exclusive: Busting Myths And Marble With Michael Kelly
March 9, 2010 - Michael Kelly is a park ranger with the National Mall and Memorial Parks. Standing at the base of the Washington Monument, he explains the drama and political intrigue behind the structure's multitude of colors...
Same-Sex Couples Wed In Washington
March 9, 2010 - NBC Video:
Latest D.C. Local News
March 9, 2010 - WASHINGTON (AP) Health care activists protested in the nation's capital against what they call an abusive health insurance industry. Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean spoke to the crowd this morning at Dupont Circle, calling on Congress to take a final vote on the proposed health care overhaul.
WASHINGTON (AP) Liza Minnelli and Harvey Fierstein will host a tribute to the Kennedy Center's founding chairman, Roger L. Stevens. Plans for the May 2nd gala announced today also will include some of Broadway's biggest stars.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Michelle Obama To Speak At Two Graduation Ceremonies in D.C.
March 9, 2010 - First lady Michelle Obama will be the featured graduation speaker at two, and probably three commencement ceremonies this spring. Two of the schools are in D.C.
One is Anacostia Senior High School, a public school in the District, where the first lady will address graduates on June 11. Ms. Obama visited the campus last year as part of her mentoring program for young women.
And if students at The George Washington University complete 100,000 hours of community service before their May 16 graduation, Ms. Obama will speak at that commencement as well. The first lady issued the service challenge to the student body at the beginning of the school year.
Ms. Obama also has agreed to speak to graduates at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff on May 8. The White House says the university was the only state-supported institution of higher education for African-Americans when it opened more than 130 years ago.
Kavitha Cardoza reports...
First Same-Sex Weddings Held In DC
March 9, 2010 - By Rebecca Sheir
For the District's first same-sex weddings Tuesday, the words sounded a little different.
"Angelisa and Sinjoyla," the Rev. David North intoned, "by the authority vested in me, I hereby pronounce that they are partners in life, for always."
And with that, the bride kissed the bride and Angelisa Young and Sinjoyla Townsend became one of the first same-sex pairs in D-C to legally wed.
Young and Townsend married this morning at the Human Rights Campaign, which advocates for gay, lesbian and transgender issues. The couple had been the first to apply for a license, followed by Rocky Galloway and Reggie Stanley: longtime Washingtonians who exchanged their own vows.
"Rocky, the arc of the moral universe is long and bends toward justice," said Stanley. "But the arc of my love is longer, and bends toward you."
Reverend Dwayne Johnson performed the third wedding at HRC, that of Darlene Garner and Candy Holmes, who have been together for 15 years.
"Relationship is a gift," said Johnson, "and marriage is also a gift, that up until this day in the District of Columbia has been denied."
More than 100 guests attended the ceremonies, which went off without a hitch save for one near-hiccup, when Rev. North was handed the two brides' rings.
"Okay," he said with a smile. "I wont get em mixed up!"
Latest D.C. Local News
March 8, 2010 - WASHINGTON (AP) Police in Washington arrested a man for trespassing in the National Zoo's elephant enclosure. The elephant area is closed for a major renovation, but the man entered the space Saturday. A zoo spokesman says the elephants were outside at the time in another area.
WASHINGTON (AP) The Department of Defense says the Pentagon entrance that was the scene of a shooting last week will resume normal operations on Monday. Metro says both entrances of the Pentagon Metrorail station and both levels off the Pentagon Transit Center reopened on Saturday.
WASHINGTON (AP) A Muslim group in D.C. is rejecting a call by Al-Qaida spokesman Adam Gadahn for Muslims in the military to emulate an Army major charged with killing 13 people in Fort Hood. Pakistani officials said Sunday that the American-born Gadahn had been arrested recently.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
D.C. Region To See Increase In Hiring
March 8, 2010 - By Matt Bush
The D.C. region's economic outlook is improving, according to one company that monitors hiring by businesses.
Twenty-three percent of companies in the region interviewed by Manpower Incorporated plan on hiring new employees from April to June, compared to just three percent who will reduce their payrolls over the same time.
Tim Namie, a spokesman for Manpower, says companies looking to hire are doing so for many reasons.
"The results show, they're maybe a little more confident forging ahead with the projects that they've put on hold for this year," says Namie. "Especially since one of the sectors that they're looking to increase is the professional and business services sector. That's consulting and project space."
The Manpower survey ranks the D.C. region's economic outlook as the third best in the nation for April through June.
