<![CDATA[Local – NBC4 Washington]]> https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/ Copyright 2024 https://media.nbcwashington.com/2019/09/DC_On_Light@3x.png?fit=558%2C120&quality=85&strip=all NBC4 Washington https://www.nbcwashington.com en_US Sat, 06 Jan 2024 23:03:37 -0500 Sat, 06 Jan 2024 23:03:37 -0500 NBC Owned Television Stations ‘Let's go!': Cyclists bike through snow in Mount Weather https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/lets-go-cyclists-bike-through-snow-in-mount-weather/3508889/ 3508889 post https://media.nbcwashington.com/2024/01/cyclists-bluemont-virginia-snow.png?fit=300,195&quality=85&strip=all The first significant snowfall of the season started out as mostly sleet and then rain, but even when it picked up in places like Bluemont, two intrepid cyclists pushed through. 

In Leesburg, all of the Virginia Department of Transportation’s preparation kept the roads passable, even when the temperatures dipped below freezing. By noon on Saturday, light, wet snow had started to fall. Places toward the west like Winchester got a bit more, but treated roads were fine.

And if you were really into snow, you did have to travel a bit to get some. About halfway between Leesburg and Winchester, at the foot of the aptly named Mount Weather in Bluemont, there was just enough snow to make things postcard picturesque. 

“I’ve been wanting to go over Mount Weather for a little while, and I just got impatient,” cyclist Alex Scheets said. 

So he asked good friend Brian Garcia to come along.

“I was like, you wanna do this with me? And he was like, ‘I’ll do it! I’m down! Let’s go!’” Scheets said. “That’s kind of what I had in mind when I was picturing the ride. In my head I was like, I want it to be snowing like this.”

Though they were fully aware of the forecast and didn’t let it stop them, by the time they ridden 23.5 miles to the front porch of the Bluemont Welcome Center, they’d seen enough. 

“Turning around and going back we’ll have to do the same distance, so we got our distance in. I think for safety’s sake we’re gonna avoid going any higher in elevation,” Sheets said. 

Early on, there wasn’t enough snow to shovel, and what was on cars the wipers could handle. So snow-lovers in the DMV will have to wait, like the cyclists headed back the way they came will have to wait to go higher up the mountain.

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Sat, Jan 06 2024 05:10:49 PM
Weather Alert: Snow to the west, rain to the east as first storm of 2024 hits DC area https://www.nbcwashington.com/weather/weather-alert-wintery-mix-of-snow-and-rain-expected-in-dc-area/3508730/ 3508730 post https://media.nbcwashington.com/2024/01/415676569_933859261432707_6160742948148653622_n.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,169 Some residents of the D.C. area saw snowflakes this weekend — but cold rain in the forecast washed out hopes for a winter wonderland near the Beltway.

The winter storm was moving out of the region on Saturday night, but before it did, it left light snow and some sleet before it changed into all rain for much of the area. Highs were in mid- to upper 30s.

“We could see rain and snow coming down at a pretty good rate at times,” Storm Team4 Meteorologist Amelia Draper said.

Areas to the north and west of the D.C. metro area saw the largest effects of the storm and the most frozen precipitation. Loudoun County, Virginia, public schools canceled on-campus activities and announced administrative officers would be closed Saturday.

Fairfax County and Fauquier County schools in Virginia followed suit, also closing on-campus activities for Saturday. In Maryland, Frederick Community College canceled classes and closed its campus for the day.

Storm Team4 predicts:

  • Little to no accumulation in the D.C. metro area
  • 1-3 inches of snow north and west of D.C., for Warrenton up through Leesburg to Frederick
  • 3 to 6 inches of snow and some ice further north and west, in the I-81 corridor.

Here’s where snow and rain are expected

Red zone: Along the I-81 corridor and up to Frederick County, Maryland is where the storm will have the biggest impacts. Snow is expected to arrive in the morning and continue into the afternoon. Even in this zone, the storm will likely end with rain.

But there’s also the chance for some ice in these areas north and west of D.C., including the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Hagerstown area.

Yellow Zone: Between Washington; most of Fairfax, Montgomery and Prince William counties and down through Stafford and Fauquier counties, expect a wintry mix of rain, freezing rain, sleet and/or snow.

“We’re looking at a mix of rain and snow changing over to all rain by the midday and afternoon hours” on Saturday, Draper said.

Green zone: In southern Maryland, central and southern Prince George’s County and up through Anne Arundel County, you’re dealing with mainly rain.

“Could you see a few snowflakes? Absolutely,” Draper said. “But this is just going to be, for the most part, a rainy chilly day for those of you east of I-95.”

Weather radar

Download the NBC Washington app on Apple and Android to use the weather radar on your mobile device.

Timing and snow totals

By 9 a.m. Saturday, we saw a wintry mix across the area, dropping mainly wet snow around D.C. and areas to the north.

By midday, the rain and snow line was in play right along the I-95 corridor. The D.C. area saw a shift to mostly rain in the afternoon.

Olivia, age 4, stands with her snowman in Walkersville, Maryland. The first winter storm of 2024 brought snow to parts of West Virginia, Maryland and Virginia, though D.C. and counties closer to the coast saw cold rain.

But residents further west, in places like Purcelville and Clear Brooke, Virginia; Walkersville and Corriganville, Maryland; and Petersburg, West Virginia, snow began to accumulate by lunchtime.

Rain will exit as we head into nighttime, but there could be a lingering shower or some lingering snow showers out there on Sunday.

We’re talking about a lot of moisture: Nearly an inch of precipitation could fall in D.C. and its immediate suburbs.

Unfortunately for snow lovers, most of this precipitation will be rain.

If this storm system was all snow, we’d be talking about nearly a foot of snow across the area. But surface temperatures will be too warm, among other factors.

Winter weather advisory issued for parts of Maryland and Virginia

A winter weather advisory will be in effect from Saturday morning through the evening in areas all around D.C., including:

  • Spotsylvania County, VA
  • Orange County, VA
  • Greene County, VA
  • Culpeper County, VA
  • Madison County, VA
  • Stafford County, VA
  • Central and Southeast Prince William County/Manassas/Manassas Park, VA
  • Fairfax County, VA
  • Rappahannock County, VA
  • Northern Fauquier County, VA
  • Northwest Prince William County, VA
  • Eastern Loudoun County, VA
  • Western Loudoun County, VA
  • Central and Southeast Montgomery County, MD
  • Central and Southeast Howard County, MD

Roads could be slippery in these areas, the National Weather Service warned.

A winter storm watch was issued for the I-81 corridor, including Winchester and Luray.

In Frederick, Maryland, state police activated the county’s Snow Emergency Plan on Saturday afternoon, designating a series of highways as snow emergency routes and requiring drivers to use snow tires.

Stay with Storm Team4 for the latest forecast. Download the NBC Washington app on iOS and Android to get severe weather alerts on your phone.

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Sat, Jan 06 2024 08:26:05 AM
Mother, 6 children displaced by New Year's Day fire https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/mother-6-children-displaced-by-new-years-day-fire/3508657/ 3508657 post https://media.nbcwashington.com/2024/01/28176370654-1080pnbcstations.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,169 A D.C. mother and her six young children lost everything in an apartment fire in Anacostia on New Year’s Day.  

Despite the fire, Gabby Crumpton and her six kids are doing their best to brighten their days.

“No one’s gonna do it how I’m gonna do it, so I gotta constantly tell myself, ‘You’re gonna be OK,’” Crumpton said.

The fire took place on Douglass Road SE Monday night. Huge flames reached toward the sky.

“Mom mode was like, get them out of there,” Crumpton said. “It’s time for you all to go.”

“My kids left out of there with just the clothes on their back,” she said. “No shoes, no nothing.”

She and her kids moved into a hotel in Clinton, Maryland, but she said the apartment complex is only paying for it through Monday. After that, they’ll likely move to a shelter.

Making things more difficult, Crumpton’s son Za’kari needs a feeding tube because of medical problems.

“Having six kids and going through what we’re going through right now is very hard,” she said. “I feel like I’m on my last leg.”

Crumpton has shared her story online, and people have donated clothes and supplies. An online fundraiser has raised more than $10,000.

“Very grateful, very thankful and highly blessed,” Crumpton said. “I gotta give it to the man upstairs, God, ‘cause without him, I don’t know where me and my kids would be, honestly.”

She said fire investigators told her an electrical malfunction caused the fire.

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Fri, Jan 05 2024 11:50:22 PM
Puppy needs $10K surgery after being shot in Northwest DC https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/puppy-needs-10k-surgery-after-being-shot-in-northwest-dc/3508655/ 3508655 post https://media.nbcwashington.com/2024/01/28176454752-1080pnbcstations.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,169 A dog shot outside his Southwest D.C. home Thursday night now needs expensive surgery.

Dwight Foster’s 10-month-old shepherd-lab mix Double O was shot three time in the 200 block of L Street SW.

The dog survived but needs jaw surgery that costs more than $10,000.

Foster is a senior citizen living on a fixed income.

“He means the world to me,” he said. “Like I told them, that night I just wanted him to get well.”

An employee at a veterinary hospital started a community fundraiser on GoFundMe to help Foster and Double O.

D.C. police and the Humane Rescue Alliance are investigating.

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Fri, Jan 05 2024 11:45:39 PM
‘Life completely changed': Hit-and-run left Virginia woman in a coma https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/northern-virginia/life-completely-changed-hit-and-run-left-virginia-woman-in-a-coma/3508599/ 3508599 post https://media.nbcwashington.com/2024/01/28171429924-1080pnbcstations.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,169 A hit-and-run driver left a Virginia woman in a coma and her children desperate to find the person responsible.

Mary Wong, 63, was walking home from work about 8 p.m. Dec. 27 when she was struck in a crosswalk near her home in Springfield.

“Life just completely changed in that one moment,” said her daughter, Jeanie Wong.

Her mother’s prognosis doesn’t look good.

“They can’t really operate on her, so we’re just hoping that she wakes up,” said the victim’s son, David Wong. “Every day we try to stay positive, but the news from the doctors just aren’t that great.”

The Wongs’ father died of a heart attack in December 2021.

“It’s just so unfair that this had to happen so early on after we lost my dad,” David Wong said.

He and his sister say their mother always put them first and is the type of person who wants to make others happy.

“She’s just very warm,” Jeanie Wong said. “She would always ask people if they were hungry so she could find a reason to cook something in the kitchen and overfeed us.”

Fairfax County police reviewed surveillance video and believe a sedan hit Mary Wong.

“I’d want to say to them that they took our definition of home away from us,” David Wong said. “If you have any sort of self-conscience, I hope you step up and just admit to it.”

The family set up an online fundraiser to help with medical expenses.

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Fri, Jan 05 2024 10:10:36 PM
Preakness Stakes could temporarily move to Laurel Park under Pimlico upgrade plan https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/preakness-stakes-could-temporarily-move-to-laurel-park-under-pimlico-upgrade-plan/3508397/ 3508397 post https://media.nbcwashington.com/2024/01/GettyImages-1398554544.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,169 Maryland’s storied Preakness Stakes could be moving to a different track — at least briefly.

Horse racing officials are calling on lawmakers to upgrade the state’s horse racing model. The plan would temporarily relocate Preakness, the second leg of the Triple Crown, from Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore to Laurel Park in Anne Arundel County for two seasons.

Under the proposal, Pimlico would be rebuilt as a hub for Maryland’s year-round racing industry. There are plans for a hotel, event space and other developments to attract visitors.

However, the changes would first need to be approved by Maryland’s General Assembly.

Gov. Wes Moore released a statement Friday, saying in part, “I look forward to working with the General Assembly and the Maryland Thoroughbred Racetrack Operating Authority to finalize an agreement that ensures this important industry continues to create jobs and drive economic growth for years to come.”

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Fri, Jan 05 2024 07:37:57 PM
4-month-old girl left on porch after being taken in Georgetown car theft https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/4-month-old-girl-found-after-being-taken-in-georgetown-car-theft/3508529/ 3508529 post https://media.nbcwashington.com/2024/01/Georgetown-car-theft-with-baby.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,169 A 4-month-old girl was found after being taken in a car theft in Georgetown, D.C. police confirmed.

The white Jeep SUV with a missing gas cap door was taken from the 3000 block of M Street NW about 6 p.m. on a bitter cold winter evening. The baby’s mother left the car running while she went inside a Le Labo perfume store, witnesses said.

The baby was found in a car seat in the 1500 block of 28th Street SE about 7 p.m., police said. Residents of a home there said there was a knock at their door and they found the baby on the porch.

D.C. Fire and EMS evaluated the baby and found no injuries, police said. She was reunited with her mother.

The car is still missing.

Stay with News4 for developments to this story.

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Fri, Jan 05 2024 07:19:05 PM
Would you risk catching the flu for $1,900? Maryland study to look at spread of illness https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/health/would-you-risk-catching-the-flu-for-1900-maryland-study-to-look-at-spread-of-illness/3508243/ 3508243 post https://media.nbcwashington.com/2024/01/28171055328-1080pnbcstations.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,169 Nobody likes getting the flu. The sore throat, the stuffy nose, the coughing, the fevers and chills — there’s not much to like, and it’s certainly not something most people would choose, if they had the option.

But if getting sick could put $1,900 in your bank account, many people would consider it.

To figure out how the flu is transmitted, researchers at UMD are conducting “a first-of-its-kind study” — and recruiting some brave, paid participants.

The University of Maryland School of Public Health in College Park and the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore are trying to learn more about how illness spreads. Their two-month study needs people willing to quarantine in a hotel with flu-infected people, likely getting infected themselves.

The goal is to better determine how the virus infects us every flu season.

“Nobody has successfully observed influenza transmission under controlled conditions,” said Dr. Donald Milton of UMD’s School of Public Health. “It has never been done.”

There could be a number of factors that play a role in the flu’s spread and infectiousness, and we need more information, the researchers say.

“There also might be the airborne component, and we just need to think about it when we get more of the data,” said Dr. Wilbur Chen of UMD’s School of Medicine.

Milton and Chen are leading the study, which will recruit both healthy patients and those who are in the early, onset days of the flu. The patients will mingle together in the same air-controlled environment, playing games, talking and watching TV to mimic a gathering.

“We just need to be able to capture it and monitor it very closely while on the quarantine unit,” Chen said.

“That then will tell us, if people get infected when the air quality is very poor, but not when the air quality is very good, that will tell us that they were getting it by breathing,” Milton explained.

What the study’s findings may show

If the researchers’ flu transmission hypothesis proves to be true, they say it could serve as the catalyst for a change in public health policy. Their goal is to spark improved air circulation in buildings.

“We can help make people healthier that way,” Milton said. “Colds are one of the main ways that people end up with severe asthma attacks, end up in the hospital.”

The multi-million dollar study uses money from the National Institutes of Health. It will include medical devices to measure the number of virus particles in exhaled air, and to test UV lights and air filters.

“I figured this will be a good opportunity to just kind of take a look and experience how studies are being conducted so that I can make my own judgment,” said Matthew Tan, one of the study participants.

Researchers have already recruited the healthy volunteers, but Friday is when they’re recruiting participants with the flu.

To qualify, adults between the age of 18 and 59 must have:

  • A cough or sore throat
  • A fever of at least 100.2 and
  • A positive flu test

All volunteers will stay at the Lord Baltimore Hotel, with all expenses paid. They’ll also get up to $1,900.

The results of the study are expected in the spring.

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Fri, Jan 05 2024 06:03:46 PM
Ron Rivera gets reflective about his time in Washington on the verge of likely his final game https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/sports/washington-commanders/ron-rivera-gets-reflective-about-his-time-in-washington-on-the-verge-of-likely-his-final-game/3508306/ 3508306 post https://media.nbcwashington.com/2024/01/GettyImages-1897706819.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,200 It took until just over 48 hours before what’s almost certainly his final game coaching the Washington Commanders for Ron Rivera to get reflective.

About his four years in charge. About handling off-field issues that had nothing to do with football. About how this season under new ownership went wrong on the field after a hopeful start.

And about how everyone knows change is on the horizon following the season finale Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys. Rivera acknowledged controlling owner Josh Harris will be splitting general manager and coaching duties moving forward, with a fresh start coming for the organization in the next few weeks.

“It’ll be separate, and that, I think, is going to be really good,” Rivera said Friday after running his final practice of the year and, possibly, his NFL career.

The respected coaching veteran, who turns 62 Sunday and could be dismissed as early as Monday morning, had largely been reluctant to talk about his tenure in Washington. He got wrapped up in the day-to-day coaching that ramped up after Thanksgiving when he fired defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio and started calling the defensive plays.

Being back in the thick of coaching after three and a half years of what he called “managing” gave Rivera a thrill and reminded him how much he missed having a hands-on approach.

“I had certain responsibilities before that — you get pulled away from certain things,” Rivera said. “You got to deal with certain things, you got to respond to certain things, you got to correct or set up, so that was different. But being in the middle of it now, yeah, that’s kind of cool.”

Rivera has ‘been very encouraging of us,’ McLaurin says

The Commanders (4-12) have lost seven in a row, and any talk of playoff contention was gone in November. But team leaders never sensed anything from Rivera about giving up on a lost season, even knowing he wouldn’t be back, barring a sudden, unforeseen change of events.

“He’s been very encouraging of us,” top wide receiver Terry McLaurin said. “He hasn’t really come down with a bad demeanor or a ‘woe is me’ attitude because of our season. I think we all know we’ve had a hand in where we’re at, but he’s just kept things consistent for us.”

Offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy has adopted a similar approach of digging into his job and not addressing his uncertain future. After coming to Washington to work under a defensive coach to show what he could do away from Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes and potentially get an NFL head-coaching job, this season has not gone as planned and left Bieniemy in a sort of no man’s land.

“The only thing I can worry about and control is today,” Bieniemy said Thursday. “You can only live in this particular moment. You can’t worry about tomorrow. You can take care of tomorrow when tomorrow gets here.”

Rivera said he thinks Bieniemy can still get a head coaching gig based on his time in Kansas City, when the Chiefs won two Super Bowls.

“I’m talking about his whole career,” Rivera said. “I mean, guys who’ve done less have gotten opportunities.”

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Fri, Jan 05 2024 05:32:18 PM
The teacher shot by a 6-year-old still worries, a year later, about the other students in the room https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/the-teacher-shot-by-a-6-year-old-still-worries-a-year-later-about-the-other-students-in-the-room/3508233/ 3508233 post https://media.nbcwashington.com/2024/01/GettyImages-1246066075.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,200 A year after she was shot by her 6-year-old student in a Virginia classroom, former teacher Abby Zwerner said she still worries about the other children who saw it happen, and wonders how they’re faring.

Wounded by a bullet that struck her hand and chest and punctured a lung, Zwerner rushed the other first-graders into the hallway before she collapsed in the elementary school’s office.

“I hope that they are enjoying school, enjoying their second-grade year,” Zwerner, 26, told The Virginian-Pilot newspaper. “I hope that they’re still kind to their classmates, kind to teachers. I hope that they still have happiness, and that their happiness wasn’t completely stripped away.”

Zwerner gave a round of local media interviews before the Jan. 6 anniversary of the shooting at Richneck Elementary in Newport News. And while she’s endured an extremely challenging 12 months, both physically and emotionally, Zwerner recalled moments of joy with friends and family and the warmth of strangers who’ve contacted her from across the globe.

“The amount of kindness that people still have, that really resonates with me,” she told ABC affiliate 13News Now. “That helps me remember that, just because something terrible happened to me that should never have happened, there’s still kindness and good left in the world.”

Zwerner said she also has faith in the American court system.

She’s suing Newport News Public Schools for $40 million, alleging that school officials ignored multiple warnings the boy had a gun and was in a violent mood.

The school board has tried to block the lawsuit, arguing that Zwerner is eligible only for workers compensation under Virginia law. But a judge ruled in November that the lawsuit can proceed to trial.

The school board is in the process of appealing that ruling, which some legal experts said was surprising given Virginia’s strict workers’ compensation law. The school board also filed a claim Friday before the Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission seeking full benefits on Zwerner’s behalf, including nearly 10 years net pay and lifetime medical care for her injuries.

A statement from school board attorney Anne Lahren noted that a two-year statute of limitations for seeking benefits would otherwise expire before the trial’s scheduled start date in late January 2025.

“She has recently given interviews expressing worry about medical expenses arising from her injuries, all of which would be covered for her lifetime by workers’ compensation benefits,” the statement said. “We do not want to see these significant benefits jeopardized by letting the deadline for filing lapse. We firmly believe that the Workers’ Compensation Commission is the correct forum to determine this case, not the Circuit Court.”

Meanwhile, the mother of the boy who shot Zwerner, Deja Taylor, has been sentenced to a total of nearly four years in prison for felony child neglect and federal weapons charges. Her son is now in a different school and in the care of his great-grandfather.

Taylor’s son told authorities he got his mother’s handgun by climbing onto a drawer to reach the top of a dresser, where the firearm was in his mom’s purse. Taylor initially told police she secured her gun with a trigger lock, but investigators said they never found one.

Zwerner declined to talk about Taylor or her son. But she told The Virginian-Pilot that the shooting is “always going to be there with me … and it’s always there in the back of my head.”

Zwerner was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. She still endures nightmares of violence. And after spending nearly two weeks in the hospital, she has had five surgeries to try to restore motion to her left hand.

Zwerner no longer works for the school district and has no plans to teach again, telling 13News Now that her career has “been taken from me, stripped from me.”

She hasn’t been in touch with her former students because “it’s still been really hard to think of the last time I was with them,” Zwerner said. “And then I think about their last time that they were with me.”

I hope that they are enjoying school, enjoying their second-grade year. I hope that they’re still kind to their classmates, kind to teachers. I hope that they still have happiness, and that their happiness wasn’t completely stripped away.

— former teacher Abby Zwerner

The former teacher said she’s considering another career path but isn’t ready to share what it is. In the meantime, she’s been sustained by her family, friends and even strangers. A GoFundMe page set up by her sister has raised more than $280,000. The costs of her recovery — from ambulance, hospital and doctors’ bills to ongoing therapy appointments — continue to grow.

She said this year’s holidays were hard. But they’ve always been hard since her father passed away a few years ago.

“So, I feel like it was double hard this holiday,” Zwerner told 13News Now. “But it was really nice to be able to have a holiday again.”

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Fri, Jan 05 2024 05:31:26 PM
‘Denial is not our friend': Researchers say Americans need to ‘wake up' in time to prevent political violence https://www.nbcwashington.com/investigations/denial-is-not-our-friend-researchers-say-americans-need-to-wake-up-in-time-to-prevent-political-violence/3507720/ 3507720 post https://media.nbcwashington.com/2024/01/GettyImages-1230465281.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,200 As the nation enters the first presidential election season since the insurrection of Jan. 6, 2021, new research shows an alarming number of Americans support violence to achieve political goals.

Researchers who surveyed more than 8,600 Americans about their support for and willingness to commit political violence shared their findings recently with the News4 I-Team.

A third of those surveyed told researchers violence would usually or always be justified to uphold at least one of 17 situations researchers asked about.

The most popular, 18.7% strongly or very strongly agreed that “if elected leaders won’t protect American democracy, the people must do it themselves, even if it requires taking violent actions.”

Nearly 8.5% of people in the survey agreed strongly or very strongly with the idea of using violence “to stop an election from being stolen,” and 12.1% said political violence is justified “to preserve an American way of life I believe in.”

In another question, 19% strongly or very strongly agreed that “having a strong leader for America is more important than having a democracy.

“[They] think it’s very important for the United States to have a leader who reflects their views and who are willing to use violence to get there,” Dr. Garen Wintemute recently told the I-Team.

“The thing that really concerns me is the possibility that all of us in the middle are not going to wake up in time to keep that from happening.”

Wintemute is an emergency room physician who started the Violence Prevention Research Program at the University of California, Davis and authored the survey. He told the I-Team his work in the ER led him to follow gun violence trends and a growing anti-government movement. “And then Jan. 6 happened,” Wintemute explained.

“Everybody wanted to move on to other things and kind of put political violence behind us, but the gun purchasing didn’t slacken,” he said. “I started digging into the literature on political violence and talking to the experts and realized people may be arming up. We may be getting ready for civil war or something like that. We started a program of survey research to find out if the answers to those questions were ‘yes.’”

When his team asked those thousands of Americans if they thought civil war was coming, 50.1% somewhat, strongly or very strongly agreed in the next few years, there will be civil war in the United States.

‘The truth doesn’t matter … The storytelling matters.’

Jason Van Tatenhove, the former media director for the anti-government group the Oath Keepers, shares the concern. He left the group before the Jan. 6insurrection but told Congress during hearings on it, “I think we need to quit mincing words and just talk about truths. What it was going to be was an armed revolution.”   

Jason Van Tatenhove (standing right), an ally of Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes, is sworn in to testify as the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol holds a hearing at the Capitol in Washington July 12, 2022. (Shawn Thew/Pool via AP)

Van Tatenhove is the author of a new book, “The Perils of Extremism” and writes for The Colorado Blade, an online news outlet. In his book, Van Tatenhove acknowledges the error in underestimating the movement he was once a part of. He writes Oath Keepers founder “Stewart [Rhodes] had always sprinkled the coming civil war into the messaging, but I had always made the mistake of dismissing such rhetoric. That was a mistake I will no longer make.”

“We’re in a country that’s spiraling right now, and we’ve got to figure out some ways to reengage,” Van Tatenhove told the I-Team in his Colorado hometown.

As someone who spent years crafting the Oath Keepers message, the I-Team took particular note when he said, “The truth doesn’t matter in any of this. The storytelling matters. That’s what matters. That’s what people consume. That’s what they get worked up about.”

“[Is it] also why they leave their house with a loaded weapon?” the I-Team asked.

“Yes,” Van Tatenhove replied.

He explained much of the anti-government movement fed on people’s anxiety over change in the country and then filled the gap with a notion that the work was for a greater good.

Supporters of anti-government movement show higher support for political violence, survey finds

Rachel Carroll Rivas, a 20-year researcher of the anti-government movement for the Southern Poverty Law Center, said on Jan. 6, “None of it surprised me.”

“The anti-government movement for decades used the concept that there would need to be a moment that people would have to take up arms against their own government for patriotic reasons in their minds,” she said. “So, yes, these conversations are very real, and they happen often.”

“I saw that everything that happened on Jan. 6 felt like exactly what they had been saying they were going to do when the time came. For all of those years,” she said.

And still happening — even since Jan. 6 — with the thousands of arrests and trials.

Carroll Rivas said while those cases might have cut out leadership from some groups like the Oath Keepers, a group that drew membership from elected leaders and some civic-minded volunteers, the arrests and federal cases empowered other groups like the Proud Boys or Boogaloo Boys, whose very existence, she says, is predicated on being ready to resist the government.

In Wintemute’s research, supporters of those groups, at least 70%, showed higher levels of support for political violence. According to his results, 41.5% of strong supporters of the Boogaloo movement were very or completely willing to kill a person to advance a political objective.

“Policymakers need to understand that there are groups out there interested in overthrowing the United States. And what our survey suggests is, apart from the groups, the ones who have names that we studied, there are plenty of people just out in the population who share that interest,” Wintemute said.       

Researchers however did not stop at named groups, but studied differences between non-gun owners, those who owned guns and subsets of gun owners. Overall, the survey showed support for political violence between gun owners and the general population was not much different, but support grew among those who said they were recent firearm purchasers and grew even more among those who admit they always carry a firearm outside their home.

According to the survey, 5% of non-gun owners and 6.6% of gun owners said they are “somewhat willing” or “very willing” to kill someone to advance a political objective.

That number jumped to 13.3% for respondents who say they almost always carry a weapon outside the home.

That’s hundreds of people in the survey results, but Wintemute says it equates to millions of Americans in the overall population.

“What the data tell us is there are, on any given day, thousands of armed people walking around in the United States who think that political violence is justified,” Wintemute said.

When his team drilled down even further, it found 62.5% of people who always carry weapons and 29.9% of people who recently purchased a firearm said it was very or extremely likely they would be armed when political violence is justified.

“Denial is not our friend here. We need to believe these data and act on them,” Wintemute said.

“I got sucked in and I got radicalized to a certain extent,” Van Tatenhove told the I-Team as he looked back on his time with the Oath Keepers. “I was lucky in that I was shaken awake and didn’t recognize myself anymore. And I was like, ‘What am I doing?’”

As for solutions, Van Tatenhove offered this warning: “I think our leadership needs to take a much harder stand and say this is not acceptable. This is not who we are as Americans. We’ve got to reject the notion of political violence.”

Reported by Ted Oberg, produced by Rick Yarborough, and shot and edited by Steve Jones.

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Fri, Jan 05 2024 05:14:09 PM
GW Parkway traffic pattern to shift again amid major rehab https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/transportation/gw-parkway-traffic-pattern-to-shift-again-amid-major-rehab/3508161/ 3508161 post https://media.nbcwashington.com/2024/01/gw-old-phase1200-1.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,169 Heads up if you drive on the George Washington Memorial Parkway in Northern Virginia. The traffic pattern is set to shift this weekend as the road undergoes major rehab work.

The next phase of the north parkway rehabilitation project begins Friday night. Crews with the National Park Service (NPS) will shift traffic patterns from the northbound lanes to the southbound lanes.

Right now, all traffic is flowing in the northbound lanes of the GW Parkway between Route 123 and the Capital Beltway. But starting Friday at 8 p.m., crews will begin work to shift traffic to the southbound lanes.

The NPS says this new traffic pattern will be in place until late next year while crews make several improvements, including replacing pavement, reconstructing stone walls and roadside barriers, and lengthening entrance and exit lanes at some interchanges. The northern section of the parkway was completed in 1962 but has never undergone major rehab work until now. As the busiest section of the parkway, it carries about 26 million drivers every year.

To help keep workers safe, the speed limit is 40mph on the GW Parkway between the Capital Beltway and Spout Run Parkway. This reduced speed limit will continue until the project is done.

Find more info on the NPS’ website here about traffic changes, ramp closures and construction zone safety.

The NPS has warned that if there is ice or more than two inches of snow in the forecast, this section of the GW Parkway will have to close.

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Fri, Jan 05 2024 03:34:44 PM
14-year-old boy shot in Hyattsville after men tried to steal his jacket: police https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/teen-boy-shot-in-hyattsville-nearby-school-on-lockdown-during-suspect-search/3508152/ 3508152 post https://media.nbcwashington.com/2024/01/hyattsville-shooting-jan-5-2024.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,169 A 14-year-old boy is seriously hurt after he and other teens were approached by men who tried to steal his jacket and one opened fire, authorities in Hyattsville, Maryland, said Friday. A nearby high school was locked down as a precaution.

The teen who was shot was taken to a hospital in “critical but stable” condition,” Hyattsville Police Chief Jarod Towers said.

The search for the shooter is ongoing.

Three “young teenagers” were walking when they were approached by three men, Towers said. The men tried to take the 14-year-old’s jacket, and the two groups began to fight. One of the men pulled out a handgun and shot the teen once.

Everyone except the wounded teen ran away. A witness called for help and stayed with the victim until police arrived. The men were not able to steal the jacket, police said.

Hyattsville officers responded to the 3500 block of Carnaby Street, in a neighborhood of new townhouses west of Adelphi Road, at about 12:05 p.m.

Northwestern High School was placed on lockdown as a precaution, Towers said. Police said they couldn’t say whether any of the six people involved are Northwestern High students.

Police said in an update that the jacket was the brand Moose Knuckles, whose jackets start at about $900.

A number of jackets by another high-end brand, Canada Goose, have recently been stolen in the D.C. area.

The police chief said he was sorry to see a young person wounded and a community traumatized over a jacket.

“It’s absurd. It’s just another example of ruthless crime,” he said.

One resident said he’s interested in talking with his neighbors about safety concerns.

“I think this is the wake-up call for us,” he said.

Anyone with potentially relevant information is asked to contact police.

Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.

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Fri, Jan 05 2024 01:00:39 PM
The Weekend Scene: 10+ things to do to kick off 2024 around DC https://www.nbcwashington.com/entertainment/the-scene/the-weekend-scene-10-things-to-do-to-kick-off-2024-around-dc/3505958/ 3505958 post https://media.nbcwashington.com/2024/01/image-40-1.png?fit=300,169&quality=85&strip=all Subscribe to The Weekend Scene newsletter to get our picks delivered straight to your inbox — every Wednesday

Happy New Year! 2024 got off to a rockin’ start with an earthquake centered in Rockville, and Storm Team4 is keeping an eye on a little snow, then plenty of rain for Saturday. We’re taking those as signs for an exciting year to come.

We’re already counting down to plenty of goodness…

We’ll share our Winter Restaurant Picks on Wednesday in The Weekend Scene newsletter.

But until then, we have fun fitness, shows with some surprising twists and more to fill up these cold January days.

Elvis Birthday Fight Club

📅 Fri. and Sat.
📍 GALA Hispanic Theatre
💲 $33
🔗 Details

The zany wrestling show celebrating The King’s birthday is back for its 13th year, so those entering the ring should expect some side-splitting bad luck. Get ready for seven rounds of cartoonish fisticuffs featuring a secret list of celebrities, pop stars and politicians (well, impersonators) with burlesque breaks and the fight club’s inaugural drag performance.

Shows will begin at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. each night; it will also be in Baltimore next weekend.

Musicals you can sing along to

Two jukebox musicals – shows powered by some of your favorite songs – will be in D.C. for a couple more weekends, through Jan. 14.

“As You Like It” at the Shakespeare Theatre Company has the Bard’s romantic comedy come together with The Beatles music and a ‘60s setting.

Fans of The Avett Brothers and roots music should check out “Swept Away”, which recently extended its run at Arena Stage.

Sandbox VR

📍 McLean, Virginia
💲 $50-$55 per person
🔗 Details

Strap on a virtual reality headset and enter a different dimension where you journey to space, fight off a zombie ambush or test your fortitude in Squid Game.

Sandbox VR just opened in December and, unlike some other VR arcades we’ve visited, this one has you wear sensors on your ankles and wrists for a full-body immersive experience.

You can book a room for two to six players, which includes 30 minutes of gameplay where you move around the room wielding swords, firing lasers and dodging enemies.

It would be a fun, weather-proof birthday outing for any gamer Capricorns or Aquarians! Guests must be 48 inches or taller to play, and people under 18 must be accompanied by a guardian.

ICYMI: Great museum exhibits

January is the perfect time to revisit a favorite museum and catch up on what’s new.

If you missed seeing Oprah’s portrait debut at the National Portrait Gallery over the busy holiday season, now is a great time to go. 

One of the most big-deal exhibits to open in the District last year, the National Gallery of Art’s Mark Rothko: Paintings on Paper, is worth checking out before it closes at the end of March. You may encounter a line, so be patient!

At the Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton, Virginia, you can visit the 9th Annual Workhouse Glass National through Jan. 14 in the Vulcan Gallery, showcasing local and national artists; and Kinetic Candy exhibit through Feb. 4.

The Glenstone Museum in Maryland recently opened “Iconoclasts,” and its retrospective on the work of minimalist painter Ellsworth Kelly is on display through March. Make sure to reserve tickets early. Admission is also guaranteed for students and visitors who arrive via the RideOn bus.

Concerts this weekend

Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Birchmere, $49.50
Multi-Grammy-winning country and bluegrass legend. Details

Jackie and the Treehorns, 8 p.m. Saturday, Pie Shop, $15
Prolific and inventive alternative rock from Alexandria. Details

Things to do in D.C.

First Friday Art Walk – Dupont
Fri., 6-8 p.m., free

Your Rich BFF: Vivian Tu
Sat., Miracle Theatre, $29.50+

Reopening: “Beyond the Light”
Fri., ARTECHOUSE, $26+

Last chance: Georgetown Glow
Through Sun., free

Book talk: “King: A Life” by Jonathan Eig
Mon., 7 p.m., National Museum of African American History & Culture, free (in-person and virtual)

Things to do in Maryland

Film Screening: “The Endless Summer”
Thurs., 7 p.m., Gateway Arts Center in Brentwood, free

C&O Canal Sunset Hike and Bonfire by REI
Fri., 3:30 p.m., Potomac, $60-$90

Artful Afternoon
Sun., 1-3 p.m., Greenbelt Community Center, free

Book talk on Black surgeons in the Civil War
Sun., 2 p.m., National Museum of Health and Medicine in Silver Spring, free

Things to do in Virginia

Last chance: Bull Run Festival of Lights and Meadowlark’s Winter Walk of Lights
Open through Sun.

Visions of Resilience: Art for Climate Justice
Opening reception Fri., open through 1/27, Del Ray Artisans gallery in Alexandria, free

The D.C. Big Flea & Antiques Market
Sat. and Sun., Dulles Expo Center, $10 (adults over 12)

Navidad Flamenca
Sat., 7 p.m., McLean Community Center’s Alden Theatre, $20-$30

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

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Fri, Jan 05 2024 08:44:44 AM
Baltimore celebrates historic 20% drop in homicides even as gun violence remains high https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/baltimore-celebrates-historic-20-drop-in-homicides-even-as-gun-violence-remains-high/3507786/ 3507786 post https://media.nbcwashington.com/2024/01/GettyImages-1639251571.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,200 Long plagued by rampant gun violence, Baltimore recorded less than 300 homicides last year for the first time in nearly a decade, ending a surge that began in 2015 following the death of Freddie Gray, which sparked civil unrest and prompted widespread calls for police reform.

The 20% annual decrease, which city leaders called the largest ever, suggests Baltimore’s ongoing anti-violence efforts are working.

“We’re finally seeing those efforts paying off and saving lives,” Mayor Brandon Scott said at a news conference earlier this week.

To some extent, Baltimore’s 2023 data is reflected nationwide as many cities have reported declines over the past several months following a pandemic peak.

But to Baltimoreans whose loved ones were among the 263 people killed last year in the city, the positive trend is bittersweet. Dozens of mourners gathered outside City Hall for a candlelight vigil Wednesday night where elected officials and community leaders read aloud the victims’ names.

“We’re nowhere near where we want to be, but 20% is substantial. We have to celebrate,” said Ray Kelly, a longtime Baltimore police reform activist who attended the vigil. “That’s 60 less families getting heartbreaking news.”

While pinpointing a specific cause for the decrease is virtually impossible, officials and residents cited a confluence of factors that likely contributed, including law enforcement initiatives and community supports. An uptick in youth violence beginning in early 2023 added urgency to the work.

Scott, a Democrat who is running for reelection this year, heralded his administration’s comprehensive violence strategy, which seeks to address the root causes of gun violence by treating it as a public health crisis and combining targeted enforcement actions with resources and social programs that help people choose a different path.

Those efforts have coincided with a series of court-ordered police reform measures aimed at curbing unconstitutional policing practices. The city’s police department was placed under a federal consent decree after the Justice Department launched an investigation in the wake of Gray’s death from spinal injuries sustained during transport in a police van.

Since then, Baltimore’s annual homicide count has remained stubbornly above 300, a number that has come to symbolize an undesirable high-water mark in a city consistently ranking among the nation’s most violent per capita.

Scott noted last year’s drop in homicides was accompanied by a decrease in unconstitutional arrests. A recent report from the city’s consent decree monitoring team says officers are making fewer arrests without probable cause.

“There’s much more work to be done,” Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley said. “I think we’ve shown over the last couple years that we can both reduce crime and reform a police department at the same time.”

Nonfatal shootings also decreased about 7% last year, according to Baltimore police data, while gun violence soared in neighboring Washington, D.C.

Baltimore homicide detectives solved about 45% of their cases in 2023, a modest increase from the year before despite a deepening manpower shortage that has severely impacted the unit, agency leaders said. Nationwide, the homicide clearance rate hovers between 50% and 60%.

While clearing cases brings families closure and helps build public trust, officials said, the issue of curbing gun violence extends far beyond solid police work.

“Police are not going to solve this problem alone. There’s just no way,” Director Steven Dettelbach of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said following a Baltimore news conference Thursday morning.

Targeted enforcement is key, said U.S. Attorney for Maryland Erek L. Barron. He said police and prosecutors are using their limited resources to go after a relatively small number of known trigger pullers.

Local, state and federal law enforcement leaders touted their collective work to target Baltimore’s most violent offenders, dismantle drug trafficking organizations and seize illegal guns.

Baltimore police are building stronger gun cases, in part because they are working with federal investigators and using ballistics technology to trace individual firearms. In turn, prosecutors are charging more gun cases in federal court, where defendants often face harsher penalties, they said.

About six months after Scott took office in December 2020, he released a five-year plan he hoped would reduce Baltimore gun violence by 15% annually. He created a new office to oversee anti-violence efforts, including the city’s flagship Safe Streets program, which employs conflict mediators with credibility and knowledge of the streets.

The plan also includes a Group Violence Reduction Strategy, which is still being rolled out. It relies on a collaboration between Baltimore police and community groups to target potential shooters and victims, offering them services and support, including employment opportunities, therapy and life coaching. Similar initiatives have seen success in other cities.

While the numbers are promising, city officials and community leaders acknowledged the gaping shortfall that remains when it comes to meeting the needs of young Black men from Baltimore’s poorest and most overlooked neighborhoods. Most perpetrators of violence grow up in poverty and attend underperforming schools. Signs of the local drug trade are all around them and vacant houses line their streets.

For Brunetta Phair, whose older brother was shot and killed last spring, the city’s recent progress has brought her family little comfort.

“It’s still not enough,” she said. “I understand the numbers are going down, but it’s just not enough.”

Clifton Phair, 59, died May 10 from multiple gunshot wounds, according to police. A Baltimore native, he joined the military after high school and left behind two adult children, his sister said.

“He came home from work, stopped to talk to his neighbor and ended up dead,” Brunetta Phair said. She attended Wednesday’s vigil to honor her brother’s memory and remind city officials that his family is still waiting for answers as the case remains unsolved.

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Fri, Jan 05 2024 08:22:40 AM
Hundreds of convictions, but a major mystery is still unsolved 3 years after the Jan. 6 Capitol riot https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/hundreds-of-convictions-but-a-major-mystery-is-still-unsolved-3-years-after-the-jan-6-capitol-riot/3507777/ 3507777 post https://media.nbcwashington.com/2024/01/GettyImages-1230460136.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,200 Members of far-right extremist groups. Former police officers. An Olympic gold medalist swimmer. And active duty U.S. Marines.

They are among the hundreds of people who have been convicted in the massive prosecution of the Jan 6, 2021, riot in the three years since the stunned nation watched the U.S. Capitol attack unfold on live TV.

Washington’s federal courthouse remains flooded with trials, guilty plea hearings and sentencings stemming from what has become the largest criminal investigation in American history. And the hunt for suspects is far from over.

“We cannot replace votes and deliberation with violence and intimidation,” Matthew Graves, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, told reporters on Thursday.

Authorities are still working to identify more than 80 people wanted for acts of violence at the Capitol and to find out who placed pipe bombs outside the Republican and Democratic national committees’ offices the day before the Capitol attack. And they continue to regularly make new arrests, even as some Jan. 6 defendants are being released from prison after completing their sentences.

The cases are playing out at the same courthouse where Donald Trump is scheduled to stand trial in March in the case accusing the former president of conspiring to overturn his 2020 election loss in the run-up to the Capitol attack.

“The Justice Department will hold all Jan. 6 perpetrators at any level accountable under the law, whether they were present that day or otherwise criminally responsible for the assault on our democracy,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said Friday. He said the cases filed by Graves and the special counsel in Trump’s federal case, Jack Smith, show the department is “abiding by the long-standing norms to ensure independence and integrity or our investigations.”

A look at where the cases against the Jan. 6 defendants stand:

More than 1,230 people have been charged with federal crimes in the riot, ranging from misdemeanor offenses like trespassing to felonies like assaulting police officers and seditious conspiracy. Roughly 730 people have pleaded guilty to charges, while another roughly 170 have been convicted of at least one charge at a trial decided by a judge or a jury, according to an Associated Press database.

Only two defendants have been acquitted of all charges, and those were trials decided by a judge rather than a jury.

About 750 people have been sentenced, with almost two-thirds receiving some time behind bars. Prison sentences have ranged from a few days of intermittent confinement to 22 years in prison. The longest sentence was handed down to Enrique Tarrio, the former Proud Boys national chairman who was convicted of seditious conspiracy for what prosecutors described as a plot to stop the transfer of power from Trump, a Republican, to Joe Biden, a Democrat.

Many rioters are already out of prison after completing their sentences, including some defendants who engaged in violence. Scott Fairlamb — a New Jersey man who punched a police officer during the riot and was the first Jan. 6 defendant to be sentenced for assaulting law enforcement — was released from Bureau of Prisons’ custody in June.

Defense attorneys and prosecutors are closely watching a case that will soon be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court that could impact hundreds of Jan. 6 defendants. The justices agreed last month to hear one rioter’s challenge to prosecutors’ use of the charge of obstruction of an official proceeding, which refers to the disruption of Congress’ certification of Biden’s 2020 presidential election victory over Trump.

More than 300 Jan. 6 defendants have been charged with the obstruction offense, and so has Trump in the federal case brought by special counsel Jack Smith. Lawyers representing rioters have argued the charge was inappropriately brought against Jan. 6 defendants.

The justices will hear arguments in March or April, with a decision expected by early summer. But their review of the obstruction charge is already having some impact on the Jan. 6 prosecutions. At least two defendants have convinced judges to delay their sentencings until after the Supreme Court rules on the matter.

Dozens of people believed to have assaulted law enforcement during the riot have yet to be identified by authorities, according to Graves. And the statute of limitations for the crimes is five years, which means they would have to be charged by Jan. 6, 2026, he said.

Several defendants have also fled after being charged, including a Proud Boys member from Florida who disappeared while he was on house arrest after he was convicted of using pepper spray gel on police officers. Christopher Worrell, who spent weeks on the lam, was sentenced on Thursday to 10 years in prison.

The FBI is still searching for some defendants who have been on the run for months, including a brother-sister pair from Florida. Olivia Pollock disappeared shortly before her trial was supposed to begin in March. Her brother, Jonathan Pollock, is also missing. The FBI has offered a reward of up to $30,000 for information leading to the arrest of Jonathan Pollock, who is accused of thrusting a riot shield into an officer’s face and throat, pulling an officer down steps and punching others.

Another defendant, Evan Neumann, fled the U.S. two months after his December 2021 indictment and is believed to be living in Belarus.

One of the biggest remaining mysteries surrounding the riot is the identity of the person who placed two pipe bombs outside the offices of the Republican and Democratic national committees the day before the Capitol attack. Last year, authorities increased the reward to up to $500,000 for information leading to the person’s arrest. It remains unclear whether there was a connection between the pipe bombs and the riot.

Investigators have spent thousands of hours over the last three years doing interviews and combing through evidence and tips from the public, said David Sundberg, assistant director in charge of the FBI Washington Field Office.

“We urge anyone who may have previously hesitated to come forward or who may not have realized they had important information to contact us and share anything relevant,” he said in an emailed statement on Thursday.

The explosive devices were placed outside the two buildings between 7:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on Jan. 5, 2021, but officers didn’t find them until the next day. Authorities were called to the Republican National Committee’s office around 12:45 p.m. on Jan. 6. Shortly after, a call came in for a similar explosive device found at the Democratic National Committee headquarters. The bombs were rendered safe, and no one was hurt.

Video released by the FBI shows a person in a gray hooded sweatshirt, a face mask and gloves appearing to place one of the explosives under a bench outside the DNC and separately shows the person walking in an alley near the RNC before the bomb was placed there. The person wore black and light gray Nike Air Max Speed Turf sneakers with a yellow logo.

___

This story has been corrected to show that the Supreme Court justices will hear arguments in March or April, not that they won’t.

___

Richer reported from Boston. Associated Press reporter Lindsay Whitehurst contributed from Washington.

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Fri, Jan 05 2024 07:33:51 AM
Weather Alert: Some snow and plenty of rain expected in DC area Saturday https://www.nbcwashington.com/weather/some-snow-then-plenty-of-rain-expected-in-dc-area-saturday/3507873/ 3507873 post https://media.nbcwashington.com/2024/01/415676569_933859261432707_6160742948148653622_n.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,169 Editor’s Note: To see the latest updates about this winter storm as it moves through our area on Saturday, click here.

Many residents of the D.C. area could see snowflakes this weekend — but cold rain in the forecast is washing out hopes for a winter wonderland near the Beltway.

Storm Team4 is tracking a winter storm expected throughout Saturday. Some snow is expected Saturday before it changes into all rain for much of the region. Highs will be in the mid- to upper 30s.

“We could see rain and snow coming down at a pretty good rate at times,” Storm Team4 Meteorologist Amelia Draper said.

Areas to the north and west of the D.C. metro area will see the largest effects of the storm. Loudoun County, Virginia, public schools canceled on-campus activities and announced administrative officers would be closed Saturday.

Storm Team4 predicts:

  • Little to no accumulation in the D.C. metro area
  • 1-3 inches of snow north and west of D.C.
  • 3 to 6 inches of snow and some ice in the I-81 corridor.

Here’s where snow and rain are expected

Red zone: Along the I-81 corridor and up to Frederick County, Maryland is where the storm will have the biggest impacts. Snow is expected to arrive in the morning and continue into the afternoon. Even in this zone, the storm will likely end with rain.

But there’s also the chance for some ice in these areas north and west of D.C., including the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Hagerstown area.

Yellow Zone: Between Washington; most of Fairfax, Montgomery and Prince William counties and down through Stafford and Fauquier counties, expect a wintry mix.

“We’re looking at a mix of rain and snow changing over to all rain by the midday and afternoon hours” on Saturday, Draper said.

Green zone: In southern Maryland, central and southern Prince George’s County and up through Anne Arundel County, you’re dealing with mainly rain.

“Could you see a few snowflakes? Absolutely,” Draper said. “But this is just going to be, for the most part, a rainy chilly day for those of you east of I-95.”

Weather radar

Download the NBC Washington app on Apple and Android to use the weather radar on your mobile device.

Timing and snow totals

By 9 a.m. Saturday, we’ll likely have a wintry mix across the area, dropping mainly wet snow around D.C. and areas to the north.

About midday, the rain and snow line is set to be in play right along the I-95 corridor. But the D.C. area can expect a shift to mostly rain in the afternoon.

Rain will exit as we head into nighttime, but there could be a lingering shower or some lingering snow showers out there on Sunday.

We’re talking about a lot of moisture: Nearly an inch of precipitation could fall.

Unfortunately for snow lovers, most of this precipitation will be rain.

If this storm system was all snow, we’d be talking about nearly a foot of snow across the area. But surface temperatures will be too warm, among other factors.

Winter weather advisory issued for parts of Maryland and Virginia

A winter weather advisory will be in effect from Saturday morning through the evening in areas north and west of D.C., including:

  • Culpeper County, Virginia
  • Fairfax County, Virginia
  • Fauquier County, Virginia
  • Loudoun County, Virginia
  • Prince William County, Virginia
  • Spotsylvania County, Virginia
  • Stafford County, Virginia
  • Howard County, Maryland
  • Montgomery County, Maryland

Roads could be slippery in these areas, the National Weather Service warned.

A winter storm watch was issued for the I-81 corridor, including Winchester and Luray.

Stay with Storm Team4 for the latest forecast. Download the NBC Washington app on iOS and Android to get severe weather alerts on your phone.

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Fri, Jan 05 2024 06:43:17 AM
DC driver says cyclist shattered rear window, injuring dogs in car https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/dc-driver-says-cyclist-shattered-rear-window-injuring-dogs-in-car/3507636/ 3507636 post https://media.nbcwashington.com/2024/01/shattered-rear-window.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,169 A bicyclist threw rocks through the rear window of a car, covering two dogs in the back seat with glass, in an apparent act of road rage in Dupont Circle Tuesday afternoon.

Frankie Sanderson said he was driving down Q Street NW with his dogs in the car when he saw a bicyclist weaving, not permitting him to pass.

“The guy’s obviously just like not paying attention to the traffic behind him, so I gently tap on my horn, and he moves out of the way, no problem,” Sanderson said.

Then he looked in his rearview mirror.

“And I see this guy driving aggressively toward me, and I think to myself, This doesn’t look good,” Sanderson said.

In an instant, the back window of his car shattered. Two rocks had come through the window.

“I’m in rage mode, and I follow him,” Sanderson said.

He took several photos of the man and shared them with police.

“It was traumatizing, and the first couple of minutes that I was chasing him, I was enraged, but what broke my heart was seeing my dogs so terrified,” Sanderson said.

He said he had to pull glass from the dogs’ paws when he got home.

Sanderson said the city needs to crack down on drivers and bicyclists ignoring the rules of the road.

Police are looking for the bicyclist.

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Thu, Jan 04 2024 09:03:23 PM
Last remaining charge dropped against Virginia elections official https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/northern-virginia/last-remaining-charge-dropped-against-virginia-elections-official/3506559/ 3506559 post https://media.nbcwashington.com/2023/05/GettyImages-1062082582-e1685323034253.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,156 Prosecutors have dropped the last remaining charge against a Northern Virginia elections official who had been accused of misconduct related to the 2020 elections.

A judge on Wednesday formally dismissed a misdemeanor charge of willful neglect of duty against Michele White, the former registrar in Prince William County, a suburb outside the nation’s capital, after prosecutors requested the dismissal.

The most serious charges against White had already been dismissed. The Virginia Attorney General’s Office said it was forced to drop felony charges of corrupt conduct and making a false statement because a key witness had revised their testimony.

White was indicted in 2022, and the office of Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares never spelled out publicly or in court papers exactly what it alleged White did wrong. Court records indicated only generally that the allegations had to do with 2020 election results. And back when White was indicted, county officials said only that the alleged discrepancies in vote totals would not have affected the outcome of any race.

Assistant Attorney General James Herring declined comment on the case after Wednesday’s hearing. Miyares’ spokeswoman, Victoria LaCivita, said in a statement that, “This case was heavily dependent upon witness testimony and the inconsistencies in these witness statements forced us to reluctantly withdraw the charges.”

White’s attorney, Zachary Stafford, said after the dismissal that the government’s case amounted to a hodgepodge of complaints “and the underlying theme was that Ms. White was bad at her job.”

He said the allegations ranged from trivial — that she moved her office to a different building — to a serious allegation that she reported incorrect results in the presidential race from the county’s central absentee precinct. Stafford said that allegation “was subsequently disproven by a Commonwealth witness.”

“(T)he evidence is clear that Ms. White did not commit any crimes during her tenure as Registrar in Prince William County, and the Attorney General’s office wisely dropped the charges,” Stafford said in a written statement. “This process has been traumatic for Ms. White, and today’s dismissal is just the first step towards recovering from that trauma. Ms. White was a dedicated public servant, and the evidence shows that she conducted an accurate election in 2020.”

The case against White is the only criminal prosecution brought thus far by a special Election Integrity Unit that Miyares formed in 2022, with as many as 20 lawyers assigned to the unit.

“I pledged during the 2021 campaign to work to increase transparency and strengthen confidence in our state elections. It should be easy to vote, and hard to cheat. The Election Integrity Unit will work to help to restore confidence in our democratic process in the Commonwealth,” Miyares said when the unit was formed.

In White’s case, prosecutors insinuated that the case fell apart because a witness in the county’s elections office “conveniently” changed their testimony to the detriment of the government’s case.

At Wednesday’s hearing, Judge Carroll Weimer asked if the government was implying that there were “shenanigans” that caused the government’s case to collapse.

Herring maintained that he considered some of the witnesses’ revisions to their testimony “convenient” but said that he had no reason to believe that White was responsible for those revisions.

White’s attorney disputes that there was inconsistent witness testimony.

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Thu, Jan 04 2024 08:36:48 PM
New Maryland report highlights stagnant state economy https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/new-maryland-report-highlights-stagnant-state-economy/3506272/ 3506272 post https://media.nbcwashington.com/2019/09/maryland-state-flag.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,169 Maryland’s economic growth effectively stalled in 2017 and has been stagnant ever since, despite the fact that the state tops the nation in several key economic categories, according to a report released Wednesday.

The report, the first of its kind released by the state comptroller’s office, notes that Maryland has the highest median household income of about $108,200 and the nation’s lowest unemployment rate at 1.8%.

Maryland also has above average productivity and one of the lowest poverty rates in the U.S., about 8.6%, according to the report. The state’s economy also benefits from diverse employers and institutions, and Maryland’s proximity to the nation’s capital means the federal government plays an outsized role the state’s economy.

But despite those advantages, the state’s economic growth stalled even before the COVID-19 pandemic and remains stagnant.

“Recent fluctuations in Maryland’s economic environment serve as flashing yellow lights for the state’s fiscal health,” Comptroller Brooke Lierman, a statewide-elected Democrat, wrote in a letter with the report.

Although labor force participation in the state is 65.3%, which is higher than the national rate of 62.7%, it has not recovered to Maryland’s pre-pandemic levels, as has been the case in the rest of the nation.

“Maryland added federal jobs throughout and following the pandemic, but private sector job growth has been stagnant,” Lierman wrote. “People are moving to Maryland from states with higher costs of living, but more Marylanders are moving away to states where cost of living is even lower.”

The state’s Bureau of Revenue Estimates and Policy Division used publicly available data, academic research and government studies to analyze economic indicators in the report, comparing the data across neighboring states as well as nationwide.

The report found that Maryland is behind neighboring states and the nation in gross domestic product, personal income, real wages and population growth.

Maryland’s low unemployment rate is an indicator of a constrained labor supply, with the number of vacancies exceeding the number of available workers, the report found.

The report also noted that Maryland has experienced more women leaving the workforce, compared with women leaving the workforce nationally.

Maryland women ages 16 to 34 saw a 2.0% decline in labor participation from 2019 to 2021, according to the report. By comparison, only 1% of women ages 16 to 24 and 0.4% of women ages 25 to 34 dropped out of the labor force nationally during that same time frame. Commonly cited reasons include taking care of the home, including child care, and returning to school.

Maryland was ranked as the eighth costliest state for child care in the 2022 Cost of Care Survey, the report said.

The report also noted data showing fewer people are moving to Maryland than are moving out of the state to lower cost-of-living states like North Carolina, South Carolina, Pennsylvania and Florida. Meanwhile, Maryland has attracted residents from areas where cost of living is higher, including New York, New Jersey and Washington, D.C.

Within Maryland, people are moving away from the Baltimore and Washington metro areas to the Eastern Shore, southern Maryland and western Maryland, where the cost of living is lower, the report said.

Housing affordability and availability is potentially driving migration out of the state and hurting efforts to attract new residents who could fill job vacancies. People leaving Maryland tend to be under age 26 or over age 55 and make either less than $50,000 or more than $100,000, according to the report.

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Thu, Jan 04 2024 08:28:51 PM
Capitals team up with PGCPS to introduce hockey to students https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/prince-georges-county/capitals-team-up-with-pgcps-to-introduce-hockey-to-students/3507593/ 3507593 post https://media.nbcwashington.com/2024/01/28149730165-1080pnbcstations.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,169 The Washington Capitals teamed up with Prince George’s County Public Schools to introduce hockey to its students and expand access to the sport.

The intent is to provide skills on the ice and in the classroom.

“They’re going to make a difference,” NHL Senior Director of Youth Hockey and Industry Growth Matt Herr said. “It’s going to help their math scores, their social studies, their history.”

The partnership looks to introduce the game to more than 93,000 students in the county’s elementary and middle schools.

“This program means exposure and access, which is one of the things that a lot of students who are Black and brown don’t necessarily get a lot of,” Capitol Heights Elementary School principal Shawna Berry said.

She believes the initiative will lead to multiple successes.

“Many of our students will be able to engage with a sport that promotes physical activity, leadership and teamwork skills — all things that can work to their advantage outside of the rink,” she said.

The Capitals invested almost $4 million in the development of young players in schools across D.C., Maryland and Virginia.

“Kids are learning valuable life lessons, as principal Berry said today, that are going to help these kids throughout their lives, and I think that’s probably the most valuable piece,” Herr said.

The program has reached 1 million local students thanks to the NHL’s industry growth fund.

“Not only are we affecting diverse communities like this, but we’re also seeing diversity in gender,” Herr said. “And you’re seeing more girls’ teams, and all of this could be coming from just having access to gym class.”

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Thu, Jan 04 2024 07:58:23 PM
Millionaire Christmas: Three DMV residents win massive lottery prizes https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/millionaire-christmas-three-dmv-residents-win-massive-lottery-prizes/3507330/ 3507330 post https://media.nbcwashington.com/2024/01/image-55.png?fit=300,256&quality=85&strip=all The Christmas holidays are about giving, receiving and, for some, testing your luck. That was the case for three DMV residents, who won million-dollar prizes in the lottery.

For Michael Brosnan, the New Year’s celebration became even better after he found out that his ticket was the winner in Virginia’s New Year’s Millionaire Raffle.

“I almost fell to the ground. It was amazing!” he exclaimed to the lottery officials.

Brosnan’s father called and told him that one of the winning tickets was sold where Brosnan had purchased his — Paddy’s 32 Steakhouse & Pub, located on Center Street in Stafford, the Virginia Lottery said in a news release.

Although he hasn’t specified what he will spend the money on, he stated that his excitement is “hard to explain.”

DID YOU VERIFY YOUR TICKET?

Meanwhile, the Maryland Lottery is still searching for the winner of a million-dollar prize as part of the Powerball drawing on January 1. The winning numbers were 12, 21, 42, 44, 49, according to the agency.

The ticket was sold at the Green Meadows Exxon, located at 6762 Riggs Road in Hyattsville.

According to the Maryland Lottery, winners should sign the back of their tickets immediately and store them in a safe place. They have 182 days from the draw date to claim their prizes.

THE AWARDS CONTINUE

Prince George’s County wasn’t the only place in the DMV where there were Powerball winners. D.C. resident Pamela V. won $2 million as part of the same lottery.

Pamela told DC Lottery officials that she was shocked to discover on Christmas Day that she and her husband had bought the winning ticket in early December.

Their winning ticket was sold at the Capitol Hill Safeway, located at 415 14th Street SE, for the drawing held on Saturday, December 2, 2023.

“We are elated to find out we won, it’s life-changing,” she said in a press release. “We have kids in college, so this will definitely help with college tuition.”

The couple added that they appreciate spending time with their family, so they are considering taking a trip to the Caribbean. They also plan on trying to save some of the money.

The store will receive a commission of 10,000 for having sold the ticket, executive director Frank Suárez said.

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Thu, Jan 04 2024 03:11:36 PM
Do you recognize this dog? Pennsylvania spaniel found in Maryland https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/do-you-recognize-this-dog-pennsylvania-spaniel-found-in-maryland/3507096/ 3507096 post https://media.nbcwashington.com/2024/01/28133628080-1080pnbcstations-e1704384023793.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,169 Who the dog belongs to and how it got to Maryland from Pennsylvania is a mystery — but concerned volunteers are on the case.

The black and white dog roamed the miles between Southeastern Pennsylvania and Frederick County, Maryland, for weeks. She repeatedly evaded efforts to capture her and bring her to safety, getting steps away from a trap-type cage several times, until she was taken in Wednesday night.

Community members began posting sightings on social media in mid-December, which were seen by members of Montgomery County-based Tailed Treasures of Maryland.

“We talked to the admins, we see, we talked to the neighbors and see what’s going on,” Jill Barsky, from Tailed Treasures of Maryland, said. “And we find out this is a dog that has been lost from Pennsylvania.”

When there’s a missing dog sighting, volunteers set up a cage and remain on watch for as long as they can. They used bacon, rotisserie chicken and barbeque sauce to attract the dog with smells.

In the end, the skittish Springer Spaniel walked not into the cage, but into the arms of a 15-year-old volunteer named Serenity. Her home-school schedule allowed her time to sit in the cold and earn the dog’s trust.

“Speaking to her softly, giving, throwing her treats, and just giving her time to watch me and, like, letting her trust me enough to get that close again,” Serenity said.

The dog did not have a collar or microchip which would have helped identify her.

She is now at the Adams County SPCA in Pennsylvania. She was brought there by Glenda Rupert, who had spearheaded the rescue effort in Pennsylvania.

“She just kept turning more into Maryland and we were getting really frustrated because it was getting way out of our area,” Rupert said.

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Thu, Jan 04 2024 11:17:11 AM
Mom and 3-month-old baby missing from DC since late December https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/mom-and-3-month-old-baby-missing-from-dc-since-late-december/3507123/ 3507123 post https://media.nbcwashington.com/2024/01/missing-mom-and-baby.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,169 D.C. police are asking for help finding a woman and her infant who have been missing since Dec. 29.

Kristin Sherman, 36, and her 3-month-old baby, Freedom Kayla-Rose Sherman, were last seen in the 5000 block of D Street SE, police said. The mother was pushing her baby in a black Graco brand stroller at the time.

Kristin Sherman is 5 feet, 4 inches tall, weighs 140-150 pounds, and has long red hair, brown eyes, and a scar on her upper lip, police said. She was last seen wearing blue jeans and brown boots. Freedom Kayla-Rose Sherman has a little bit of brown hair. It’s unknown what she was wearing when they were last seen.

(Go here to see a larger version of the flier.)

D.C. police described the two as critically missing. Anyone with information is asked to call 202-727-9099 or text 50411.

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Thu, Jan 04 2024 11:14:08 AM
One attack, two interpretations: Biden and Trump both make the Jan. 6 riot a political rallying cry https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/one-attack-two-interpretations-biden-and-trump-both-make-the-jan-6-riot-a-political-rallying-cry/3506840/ 3506840 post https://media.nbcwashington.com/2024/01/jan-6-2021-police-clash-with-trump-supporters-inside-capitol.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,169 Former President Donald Trump will spend Saturday’s third anniversary of the Capitol riot by holding two campaign rallies in leadoff-voting Iowa in his bid to win back the White House.

To mark the moment, President Joe Biden plans to visit a site near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, on Friday where George Washington and the struggling Continental Army endured a tough winter during the American Revolution. Biden’s advisers say the stop in a critical swing state will highlight Trump’s role in the Jan. 6 siege and give the Democrat a chance for him to lay out the stakes of this year’s election. Weather concerns led Biden to move up his appearance from Saturday.

With Biden and Trump now headed toward a potential 2020 rematch, both are talking about the same event in very different ways and offering framing they believe gives them an advantage. The dueling narratives reflect how an attack that disrupted the certification of the election is increasingly viewed differently along partisan lines — and how Trump has bet that the riot won’t hurt his candidacy.

Trump supporters stormed the Capitol in an attempt to stop Congress from certifying Biden’s victory, and they forced lawmakers and then-Vice President Mike Pence to flee for their lives. Many Trump loyalists walked to the Capitol after a rally outside the White House in which the Republican president exhorted the crowd to “fight like hell” or “you’re not going to have a country anymore.”

Nine deaths were linked to the attack and more than 700 people have gone to court for their roles in it, and more than 450 people have been sentenced to prison.

Federal prosecutors in Washington have charged Trump in connection with the riot, citing his promotion of false and debunked theories of election fraud and efforts to overturn the results. Trump has pleaded not guilty and continued to lie about the 2020 election.

Trump has still built a commanding lead in the Republican primary, and his rivals largely refrain from criticizing him about Jan. 6. He has called it “a beautiful day” and described those imprisoned for the insurrection as “great, great patriots” and “hostages.” At some campaign rallies, he has played a recording of “The Star-Spangled Banner” sung by jailed rioters — the anthem interspersed with his recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance.

Republican strategist Alice Stewart said that “a lot of Republican voters don’t love Jan. 6, but they’re not obsessed about it either” and may support Trump because they oppose Biden’s economic policies.

“Republican voters can hold two consecutive thoughts and say, ‘Jan. 6, that wasn’t great, but that doesn’t affect my bottom line,’” she said.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, one of Trump’s rivals for the Republican nomination, called Jan. 6 a “protest” that “ended up devolving,” and has more recently said Trump “should have come out more forcefully” against the rioters. Another candidate, Trump’s former U.N. ambassador, Nikki Haley, frequently tells crowds that Jan. 6 “was not a beautiful day, it was a terrible day.”

But views overall of the attack have hardened along partisan lines.

In the days after the attack, 52% of U.S. adults said Trump bore a lot of responsibility for Jan. 6, according to the Pew Research Center. By early 2022, that had declined to 43%. The number of Americans who said Trump bore no responsibility also increased to 32% in 2022 compared to 24% in 2021.

A Washington Post-University of Maryland poll released this week found that about 7 in 10 Republicans say too much is being made of the attack. Just 18% of GOP supporters say that protesters who entered the Capitol were “mostly violent,” down from 26% in 2021, while 77% of Democrats and 54% of independents say the protesters were mostly violent — essentially unchanged from 2021.

A December poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, meanwhile, found that 87% of Democrats and 54% of independents believe a second Trump term would negatively affect U.S. democracy. Some 82% of Republicans believe democracy would be weakened by another Biden win, with 56% of independents agreeing.

Biden’s campaign also announced an advertising push starting Saturday with a spot centering on the Capitol attack.

In the ad, Biden says, “There’s something dangerous happening in America.”

“There’s an extremist movement that does not share the basic beliefs of our democracy,” Biden says as images from the insurrection appear. “All of us are being asked right now, what will we do to maintain our democracy.”

His campaign is spending $500,000 to run the 60-second ad on national television news and on local evening news in TV markets in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, as well as shorter versions on digital platforms.

It’s a theme Biden has returned to repeatedly.

He marked the first anniversary of the riot in 2022 by standing inside the Capitol’s National Statuary Hall — which was flooded by pro-Trump rioters during the attack — to suggest that his predecessor and his supporters had had “a dagger at the throat of America.”

Ahead of the 2022 midterm elections, the president repeatedly characterized Trump as a threat to democracy. That included a speech at Philadelphia’s Constitution Hall, where he said that the “extreme ideology” of Trump and his supporters “threatens the very foundation of our republic.”

On the second anniversary of the attack in 2023, Biden awarded presidential medals to 14 people for their work protecting the Capitol during the attack and decried “a violent mob of insurrectionists.” More recently, he said there was “no question” Trump supported an insurrection.

“Not even during the Civil War did insurrectionists breach our Capitol,” said Julie Chavez Rodriguez, manager of Biden’s reelection campaign, in a call with reporters this week. “But, at the urging of Donald Trump, insurrectionists on January 6, 2021 did.”

Trump now counters that the federal charges he’s facing related to Jan. 6 — as well as authorities in Maine and Colorado trying to keep him off primary ballots on grounds that he incited an insurrection — show that Democrats are the ones looking to undercut the nation’s core values.

“Joe Biden and his allies are a real and compelling threat to our democracy,” Trump senior campaign advisers Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles wrote in a memo this week.

Aside from the back and forth of politics, such arguments over who endangers America more could indicate a deeper problem.

“When each side starts talking about the other as a threat to democracy — whatever the reality is — that’s a sign of a democracy that’s deconsolidating,” said Daniel Ziblatt, a government professor at Harvard University and co-author of the book “How Democracies Die.”

Associated Press writer Linley Sanders contributed to this report.

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Thu, Jan 04 2024 10:12:37 AM
NTSB releases final report on 2021 Metro derailment that sidelined 7000-series cars, criticizes poor safety culture https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/transportation/ntsb-to-release-final-report-in-2021-metro-derailment-that-sidelined-7000-series-cars-for-months/3506936/ 3506936 post https://media.nbcwashington.com/2024/01/28139971748-1080pnbcstations.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,169 The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released the final report from its investigation of the October 2021 Metro derailment, and NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy criticized the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) for not taking quicker action to correct a known problem that caused a train car to slip off the tracks.

The derailment happened because a set of wheels on a 7000-series train car had gradually migrated outward on their axle, leaving the wheels two inches farther apart than specifications required, the NTSB found. The eight-car train derailed and rerailed itself twice earlier in the day on Oct. 12, 2021, before coming to a complete stop between the Rosslyn and Arlington Cemetery stations in Northern Virginia while 187 people were aboard.

No one was seriously hurt, and all cars remained upright, but the derailment forced frightened passengers to evacuate the system through a dark tunnel and spurred the transit agency to pull its 7000-series railcars out of service. Those cars are Metro’s newest, making up more than half of its fleet.

“We’re lucky, absolutely lucky, that this didn’t end up in a tragedy,” Homendy said.

She went on to blast a “poor safety culture” at Metro, citing decades of problems and previous fatal incidents. She also said that she would still ride Metro, and commended the agency’s new General Manager and CEO Randy Clarke for taking this derailment seriously. Clarke joined Metro in 2022.

The derailment brought to light problems with the 7000-series railcar wheels that continue to impact service: Dozens of wheelsets on Metro cars have moved after manufacture, a process called wheel migration, Homendy said. This migration meant the wheels were spaced too widely apart for the tracks.

Metro says it currently inspects 7000-series cars every 30 to 60 days.

Metro is currently in the midst of a years-long effort to redo hundreds of the wheelsets in question and says the railcar manufacturer, Kawasaki, is responsible for footing the massive bill. Kawasaki said it met Metro’s design specifications.

Metro said it fully supports the NTSB report and thanked the NTSB and Washington Metrorail Safety Commission (WMSC) for helping to move the process forward.

Metro saw problems with wheelsets migrating in the years before the crash. There were four in 2017; one in 2018; four in 2019 and four in 2020, the NTSB said Thursday.

“We found that one department within WMATA was aware of wheel migration in its railcar fleet and attempted to mitigate the associated safety risks, but the department did not conduct a trend analysis to monitor the incidence of wheel migration or how effective its mitigations were,” the NTSB report summary said.

Then, the number skyrocketed. Eighteen wheelset migration issues were reported in 2021 before the derailment in October.

Train derailed and rerailed twice before coming off tracks between Rosslyn and Arlington Cemetery stations, the NTSB said

NTSB investigators found evidence that train 407 derailed two other times in the roughly 90 minutes before the crash but was pushed back onto the tracks and continued service.

At 3:24 p.m., the train was traveling north and derailed near Arlington Cemetery. Surveillance video shows the fifth railcar popping upward as its rear wheels come off the tracks, according to the NTSB.

At 4:13 p.m., the same car derailed near Largo Town Center while traveling west. Video shows dust flying into the air, which is consistent with a derailed wheel disturbing concrete, the NTSB said.

In both cases, the train car came back onto the rails as it passed over a “frog area” that’s designed to allow trains to switch from one set of tracks to another.

“The wheels leading from track two to track one pushed the wheelset back into position,” a video shown by the NTSB said.

Finally, the eight-car train derailed at 4:49 p.m. at the switch about 166 feet south of the Rosslyn station, where the Blue Line separates from tracks for the Silver and Orange lines.

“Because there was no crossover leading back to the Blue Line to guide the derailed wheelset back onto the track, the train remained derailed,” the video said.

Passengers were evacuated through the Arlington Cemetery station.

Investigators found that the wheels were two inches farther apart than allowed by design specifications.

‘Poor safety culture’

NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy skewered Metro’s “poor safety culture” and its “failure” to evaluate and mitigate safety risks during Thursday’s news conference, saying that recommendations and warnings issued to Metro years and even decades ago could still be applied today.

“It’s this same story again and again, since 1970,” when the system was still under construction, she said. “In case after case, WMATA struggles to proactively identify safety hazards, including low-probability, high-consequence risk. When they do identify hazards, they’re not communicated within the organization. Mitigations are put in place, but then those mitigations are not monitored or measured for effectiveness. And the hazards themselves aren’t tracked to see if there’s a trend over time, and to see if more actions need to be taken.”

“This accident is no exception,” she said.

Homendy said WMATA knew about the wheel migration issue since at least 2014, which means the problem predated the 7000-series railcars. The transit agency contracted a study in 2015 and began receiving 7000-series cars while it was still underway, she said. WMATA identified the same issue in the 7000 series in March 2017; three months later, it changed the specification to increase mounting forces on wheelsets.

But by then, WMATA had already received almost 500 railcars in the 7000-series, or about 66% of all cars in the series, Homendy said.

Wheelsets are made by pushing wheels onto the axle with an enormous amount of pressure. The axle is bigger than the wheel’s center hole, and the joints are held together by friction. Wheelsets assembled with more force are more resistant to wheel migration, the NTSB found.

The original specifications required 55 to 80 tons of force; that increased to 65 to 95 in 2017.

“Instead of replacing the wheelsets to the new specs, as they’re doing today, they chose to leave 66% of the 7000-series railcars with the old spec in service, including this rail car [that derailed], and put the rest of the 7000-series under a new spec,” she said.

Even under that updated specification, she said, Metro continued to see wheel migration. Despite this, those railcars remained in service.

In the four years before the 2021 derailment, Homendy said, WMATA found migration issues in about 30 wheelsets. After pulling 7000-series cars from the tracks, WMATA inspected all 2,992 of their wheelsets and found another 50 that exceeded the maximum allowable distance between wheels. However, none of those wheelsets had moved as much as the ones that caused the derailment, the NTSB said.

Now, WMATA is repressing all wheels with 80 to 120 tons of pressure.

But if WMATA had done a risk analysis, the derailment may have been avoided, Homendy said.

“As with any NTSB investigation, the key isn’t determining what happened, which we know pretty early on. But it’s how it happened. That’s how we prevent future accidents and tragedies,” Homendy said. “But once we issue those safety recommendations, those recommendations need to be acted upon. Otherwise, safety isn’t assured.”

Homendy made no effort to hide her concerns with Metro.

“Human error is a symptom of a system that needs to be redesigned. And when it comes to WMATA, they need to be proactive, not reactive, to assure safety,” she said. “We’re lucky, absolutely lucky, that this didn’t end up in a tragedy, in a derailment where there were potentially deaths or serious injuries.”

Homendy also shared an excerpt from the NTSB’s report on its investigation into the deadliest crash in Metro’s history, a 2009 collision near the Fort Totten Metro station that killed nine people and injured dozens more.

“This line, from 2009, applies to today, years later: ‘Shortcomings in WMATA’s internal communications, in its recognition of hazards, its assessment of risk from those hazards, and its implementation of corrective actions are all evidence of an ineffective safety culture within the organization.’ Again, that was from 2009,” she said. “You could take that line and apply it to today.”

What’s next?

Safety inspections and work to ensure the newer railcars are safe continue to affect Metro service more than two years later.

Ahead of Thursday’s briefing, NBC Washington learned that Metro has issued a “fleet defect letter” to Kawasaki, the manufacturer of the 7000 series railcars, essentially saying the company is responsible for fixing the cars.

Metro wants Kawasaki to pay for all costs to fix wheelsets on hundreds of 7000-series railcars. Repressing the wheels on 748 train cars is estimated to cost $55 million.

Kawasaki said they pressed the wheels based on Metro’s specifications and claims Metro failed to notify the manufacturer of changes to the wheel specifications that were made before the first 7000-series cars were delivered.

“As expected, the NTSB’s conclusions align with our own findings and confirm that Kawasaki met the design and mounting specifications established by WMATA for the 7000 series wheelsets. While we understand the budget crisis that WMATA is facing, any suggestion that Kawasaki should absorb the cost of WMATA’s own failures regarding the wheelsets of the 7000 series trains is not rooted in reality,” the company said.

“Any suggestion that Kawasaki should absorb the cost of WMATA’s own failures regarding the wheelsets of the 7000 series trains is not rooted in reality,” the company said.

That sets up a likely legal battle over the cost to fix the 7000-series railcars.

Nearly a year ago, the NTSB revealed new details on the derailment and released an image in which one Metro railcar appears higher than the others on the train that derailed. The NTSB describes that as “vertical car body disturbance.” In another picture, the same train is seen running its wheels on the ground and kicking up dust.

A lot of attention has been paid to the amount of force used to press wheels together on the 7000-series train cars. The wheels on the 7000-series had been moving outward.

Work underway to fix wheels on hundreds of Metro’s 7000-series train cars

Metro announced last month that it’s begun replacing wheels on all 7000-series cars. It’s a time-consuming process, requiring 72 hours of work on each pair of cars, followed by 30 hours of inspections, according to a press release.

“It will take an extensive amount of work over the next few years, but as we begin to have more 7Ks available, customers will begin to see even more improvements in reliability and service,” Metro chief Clarke said.

Metro developed a plan to press wheels on the 7000-series cars at a higher standard after analyzing an NTSB technical report, the release said.

That report cited “engineering experts who identified a technical issue – microslip due to reduction in contact pressure – as a factor in the 7K wheel migration issue,” the release said.

The number of 7000-series trains on Metro’s tracks is limited while the repressing work moves forward. Meanwhile, Metro continues to use its “oldest, least reliable railcars” to get passengers around.

Safety concerns and slowdowns hindered Metro’s efforts to entice passengers back after the pandemic. Transit riders were waiting upwards of 20 minutes and sometimes up to 40 minutes for train service.

Metrorail ridership on weekdays is 55% of its pre-pandemic levels, according to Metro’s latest report. Bus ridership and weekend ridership have rebounded more.

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Thu, Jan 04 2024 08:10:00 AM
DC mayor agrees to give SNAP benefits additional funding https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/dc-mayor-agrees-to-give-snap-benefits-additional-funding/3506799/ 3506799 post https://media.nbcwashington.com/2024/01/28133681297-1080pnbcstations.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,169 Mayor Muriel Bowser will give SNAP benefits additional funding, avoiding a showdown with the D.C. Council and a possible lawsuit.

About 140,000 people in the District receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance benefits, often called food stamps. Last March, families saw their benefits decrease after federal pandemic relief funding ran out.

To fill that gap, the D.C. Council passed legislation that requires the mayor to use about $38 million to increase those benefits by 10% for nine months if the District had a budget surplus. The District did end the last fiscal year with a surplus, but Bowser had not agreed to use the surplus for SNAP until Wednesday night.

News4’s Mark Segraves first broke this news on X, formerly known as Twitter.

D.C. Department of Human Services Director Laura Zeilinger confirmed the temporary increase, saying in part, “While fiscal and administrative pressures still exist, this evening I advised the mayor that DHS will make this program work while we attempt to solve ongoing challenges.”

The decision comes after the organization Legal Aid DC informed the Bowser administration that it intended to file a lawsuit on Thursday if it failed to fund SNAP in compliance with D.C. law.

“It shouldn’t take a lawsuit for the mayor to follow a law the council unanimously passed and that she signed,” Legal Aid DC Executive Director Vikram Swaruup said.

Bowser has said there are more urgent needs for the money, such as housing. She said she shouldn’t have signed the law.

“The mayor can’t unilaterally by executive fiat decide that this law is not one she likes and she’s not going to implement,” Swaruup said.

Bowser said she gave in reluctantly.

“I really haven’t changed my mind,” she said. “I continue to be concerned about a budget maneuver that I think is not a good idea, but the Council has indicated by saying that they would sue us that they’re not interested in talking about alternatives. So if they’re not interested in talking about alternatives, than we have to move forward with that bad idea.”

Council Chairman Phil Mendelson said he’s pleased the controversy is behind him.

“The public sees the two branches of government fighting with each other,” he said. “The news organizations love to see this kind of controversy, and it’s not a good look for the District government. What the public really wants to see is the mayor and Council working together on important issues.”

“We have resolved this issue,” Mendelson said. “It’s time to move on to the next issue.”

The average monthly SNAP benefit is about $188, so the increase will be about $18 per month per person.

Legal Aid DC and others have raised concerns the administration won’t be able to ramp up the increase before the end of January, for which the law calls. Bowser said she is unsure if she can get the funds in people’s hands by the end of the month. Advocates say the end of the month is the toughest time for families on food stamps as they’ve used up their monthly benefits.

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

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Wed, Jan 03 2024 10:54:56 PM
DC AG's office offering grants to help curb youth violence https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/dc-ags-office-offering-grants-to-help-curb-youth-violence/3506743/ 3506743 post https://media.nbcwashington.com/2024/01/28127212101-1080pnbcstations.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,169 The D.C. attorney general’s office’s Leaders of Tomorrow program will provide up to $250,000 grants to nonprofits dedicated to curbing youth violence.

“We’re at an unacceptable state in our city in terms of addressing public safety,” Attorney General Brian Schwalb said. “It’s incumbent upon all of us, government and community, to do everything we can.”

He said D.C. can’t arrest its way out of the youth crime problem.

“We also have to complement the policing and prosecution work with prevention work,” he said.

The District is looking to support organizations already on the ground “to try address what we know are some of the root causes that lead to crime.”

Organizations like Hood Smart: The Urban STEMulus Project — as in science, technology, engineering and math. Ateya Ball-Lacy has run the group for 12 years. It assumes the community role Schwalb spoke of, working to prevent youth crime by being proactive.

“We know that there’s a narrative around who our young people are in our major cities, however that narrative does not support who the majority of our children are,” she said.

Hood Smart holds events that put professionals with young people, fostering and rewarding their achievements. It sponsors chess tournaments, teaching life skills that go beyond the board.

Ball-Lacy said her organization will be applying for the grant.

“I’ll tell you, up until maybe the last year or two, all of the funding came from my family,” she said.

The deadline to apply for the grants is 11:59 p.m. on Feb. 2.

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Wed, Jan 03 2024 08:57:45 PM
Howard U. says its most important artifacts are safe after viral video break-in https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/howard-u-says-its-most-important-artifacts-are-safe-after-viral-video-break-in/3506728/ 3506728 post https://media.nbcwashington.com/2024/01/28127353304-1080pnbcstations.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,169 Howard University says the most important artifacts from the building that formerly housed the School of Divinity are safe after a break-in.

The university says TikTok video shows people breaking into Benjamin E. Mays Hall sometime in the past year. A group walked through a library, flipped through books and used a fire extinguisher.

“All of the critical assets, all of these items that we say are critical to understanding, researching and writing on the Black experience, they’re all safe, and they’re being supervised by highly professional staff,” Moorland-Spingarn Research Center Director Benjamin Talton said.

In 2015, the university went through a process to remove the most important artifacts from Mays Hall, he said.

“It was determined that these were books that were collected since the 19th century that are historically noteworthy but not significant in terms of what Howard University students, faculty and staff are doing in terms of their research, writing and teaching,” Talton said.   

He said the building is being used as a storage facility but at one point was the cornerstone of the college’s divinity school, which is now housed in the same building as the School of Law.

Since Mays’ closure, the university has worked to redevelop the land in conjunction with D.C. and other agencies.

DC Preservation League Executive Director Rebecca Miller says the building is going through a process to become an individual D.C. landmark.

“I think that Howard University owns a tremendous number of historic buildings, and they’ve made great strides in recent years to protect those buildings and work with the neighbors,” she said.

Talton says Howard has the tools to sustain its archives and is working to help other historically Black colleges and universities.

“Not every university, particularly HBCUs, are in the position that Howard’s in, so our goal is as we grow, we want to bring the other HBCUs with us,” he said.

Howard says it has increased patrols around Mays Hall and will continue to do so in the future.

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Wed, Jan 03 2024 08:27:22 PM
New Year's homicide suspect shot through DC hotel room door, prosecutors say https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/new-years-homicide-suspect-shot-through-hotel-room-door-prosecutors-say/3506711/ 3506711 post https://media.nbcwashington.com/2024/01/ashlei-hinds.png?fit=300,209&quality=85&strip=all The suspect in a New Year’s Eve homicide fired the fatal shots through a hotel room door, according to court documents. That suspect, 18-year-old Jelani Cousin of Northeast D.C., pleaded not guilty Wednesday to second-degree murder while armed in the death of 18-year-old Ashlei Hinds.

Cousin was drunk and arguing at a party at the Embassy Suites Hotel on Military Road NW, displaying a handgun several times, prosecutors allege in court documents. A witness said he repeatedly stated he would “blow this spot up.”

It’s unclear who Cousin was shooting at because he fired two shots through the closed door after leaving the hotel room, court documents say.

Hinds was gathering her things to leave the party when she was struck, witnesses said.

Hinds, who grew up in Prince George’s County, was a freshman at Louisiana State University and was home for winter break.

“Just loving, caring, a great heart, loves children, loves her family. [She was] just an all-around good girl. Never been in trouble a day in her life,” said her mother, Tiffany Falden.

“Ashlei was amazing,” said her grandmother Sandra Thomas. “I mean, there was nothing that she didn’t want to try, you know. She was always willing to help everybody. And sometimes she would tell me, ‘I’ll do that for you, Nana,’ or, ‘Let me get that,’ ‘Need me to help?’ She was always willing to help.”

Cousin turned himself in to detectives Tuesday after a surveillance image of him was released by police, court documents say.

His attorney told the judge police did not recover a gun and no one actually saw him fire a gun.

Cousin is being held without bond.

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Wed, Jan 03 2024 07:45:35 PM
Maryland oral surgeon sentenced to 45 years for girlfriend's overdose death https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/maryland-oral-surgeon-sentenced-to-45-years-for-girlfriends-overdose-death/3506535/ 3506535 post https://media.nbcwashington.com/2023/08/Dentist-convicted-in-overdose-death-of-girlfriend.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,169 An oral surgeon in Montgomery County, Maryland, was sentenced to 45 years in prison, with credit for time served, for his girlfriend’s overdose death in 2022.

Dr. James Michael Ryan was convicted last summer of second-degree depraved heart murder and involuntary manslaughter after the death of Sarah Harris in the home they shared in Clarksburg. Harris was 25 and died of ketamine, propofol and diazepam intoxication after prosecutors said Ryan, then 50, gave her powerful drugs from his practice.

“These drugs were drugs, except for one of them, that were used uniquely and exclusively in operating rooms,” Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy previously said.

Fifty-five years was the maximum sentence.

Text messages and emails showed Ryan had been providing Harris with the drugs, prosecutors said. They argued that one message showed that Ryan administered the drug while she was sleeping. “If you wake up … I just went [to] change after I gave you ketamine. Just now,” it said.

Harris’ sister showed the messages she found on her sister’s phone to the lead detective.

“That’s when he started his work on his investigation into Dr. James Ryan and what he was doing to my sister behind closed doors,” Rachel Harris said.

Harris’ family says she competed in beauty pageants, knew multiple languages and dreamed of joining the Peace Corps to help people around the world.

“Sarah was the shining star to all of our lives,” said her father, Mark Harris. “She was a caring, loving daughter, sister, granddaughter, aunt and friend.”

Ryan maintains his innocence.

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Wed, Jan 03 2024 07:07:43 PM
Fun indoor workouts to keep you motivated in 2024 https://www.nbcwashington.com/entertainment/the-scene/fun-indoor-workouts-to-keep-you-motivated-in-2024/3505529/ 3505529 post https://media.nbcwashington.com/2024/01/‘More-empowered-and-confident-Knockout-your-workout-in-2024.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,169 Many of us have made New Year’s resolutions to work on our health, and we know that getting active is good for you physically and mentally.

Gyms are packed at this time of year, but staying motivated in these cold winter months can be difficult.

The number one thing that helps motivate a real change is having a “menu of options,” psychologist Carrie Wilkens said.

Mixing some fun and novel activities into your rotation can turn workouts from a chore into something you look forward to.

Whether you have specific fitness goals or you’re just fighting the urge to hibernate, here are fresh ways to get active indoors in the D.C. area.

Tommy McFly is taking you inside some of the most fun workouts in D.C. in The Scene’s Fit in 2024 series. Watch this week on News4 Today, 4-7 a.m., and check back here for new videos.

Climbing for the adrenaline seekers

If you’re excited to see new sport climbing events at the Paris Olympics, then why not learn the ropes yourself?

Intro to rock climbing classes are the best way to try out what can be an addictive hobby.

Jenna, who teaches climbing at Sportrock, has seen students as young as 3 and well past retirement age.

“Whatever your walk of life is, we have a Parkinson’s group here, and our oldest climber is 82,” she said.

Where to find it: You have a lot of options!  Sportrock has locations in Alexandria, Gaithersburg and Sterling, and there’s even a Groupon for introductory classes (ages 14+ only). Reviewers also like Movement, which has locations in Crystal City and Rockville. Vertical Rock was still running holiday deals as of Jan. 2.

Boxing for a workout that packs a punch

Maybe you’ve seen boxing gyms popping up all around the D.C. area, but you’re not quite an Olympic athlete.

That’s no problem at BASH, a boxing-inspired gym that’s growing in Northern Virginia.

“We’re going to call you by name and face when you come into the studio and every single time that you come into class, we’re going to take you through your six core punches right from the start,” BASH founder Alex Trakas said.

Trakas founded the gym specifically to get more women involved in the sport, but her goals have grown.

“The second that I learned how to throw a punch, the second that I learned how to connect the combos and just felt more empowered and confident in myself, I was like, ‘I really want to bring this to more women,'” she said.

Where to find it: Bash has locations in Ballston, Rosslyn, Alexandria and the Mosaic District. You can find more boxing suggestions courtesy of ClassPass.

Cycling that’s not a luxury

Leticia Long’s Wired Cycling in Eckington strives to do fitness better.

Her classes are just $20 each, or you can buy five classes for $85. But she doesn’t compromise on the quality of her machines, and schedules classes early on most mornings so anyone can squeeze in a workout.

“I want you to figure out what feels right for your body today,” she said at a recent workout.

Where to find it: Wired Cycling can be found at 2028 4th Street NE, Washington, D.C. Book classes online.

Water aerobics for the whole family

Aqua aerobics provides a low-impact exercise where almost everyone can find a comfort zone.

Tons of gyms offer group classes, including YMCA Anthony Bowen at W and 14th streets NW.

Instructor and former Olympian Rush Mijuskovic trained at the gym before competing in the Beijing Olympics, representing Montenegro in the triathlon.

“And we have, like people, three generations in the family going together for a while. And I’m teaching this class for 16 years,” Mijuskovic said. “This is the exercise you can do for the rest of your life.”

Where to find it: Check the YMCA’s Find Your Y page or look for rec centers with indoor pools in your county. Classes are offered by most park districts, including Montgomery County and Prince George’s County in Maryland and Arlington County, Alexandria and Fairfax County.

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Wed, Jan 03 2024 09:50:02 AM
What is Three Kings Day (Día de los Reyes) and how to celebrate in the DC area https://www.nbcwashington.com/entertainment/the-scene/what-is-three-kings-day-dia-de-los-reyes-and-how-to-celebrate-in-the-dc-area/3503697/ 3503697 post https://media.nbcwashington.com/2024/01/GettyImages-1091888324.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,200 The holiday season hasn’t ended just yet.

On the twelfth day of Christmas, Three Kings Day or Día de Los Reyes is celebrated.

What is Three Kings Day?

Three Kings Day (Día de Los Reyes) or the Feast of Epiphany is a holiday that commemorates the day the three wise men — Melchior, Caspar, and Balthazar — arrived with gifts for baby Jesus.

When is Three Kings Day?

Three Kings Day or Epiphany is celebrated by Roman Catholics on Jan. 6, as the culmination of the 12 days of Christmas.

Although the birth of Jesus is celebrated on Christmas Day, the three Kings didn’t actually reach him until twelve days later—which is why Three Kings Day is celebrated on the 12th day of Christmas.

Orthodox Christian faiths celebrate Epiphany on Jan. 19.

The symbolism behind the Magi’s gifts

“The Three Kings” or the “wise men” or the “Magi” followed a star to Bethlehem to show their adoration for baby Jesus.

The Bible says a bright star led the magi from the east until it stopped “over the place where the child was,” and “upon entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother” (Matthew 1:24).

They presented Him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Gold has always represented wealth and power. It symbolized Christ’s royal status as King of the Jews. Frankincense, a type of incense and perfume, represented His divinity and identity as the Son of God. Myrrh, an anointing oil and embalming fluid, referred to Jesus’ mortality.

What countries celebrate Three Kings Day?

Día de Los Reyes is celebrated in Spanish-speaking countries like Mexico and Spain in addition to other countries in Latin America, the Caribbean, France, Poland, and by some Latinos in the United States, especially Puerto Rico.

How is it celebrated?

Popular traditions during the holiday include gift-giving, large feasts, and indulging in King Cake or Rosca de Reyes.

King Cake is most often associated with Mardi Gras but is also eaten in honor of Epiphany. Louisiana-style king cakes consist of a cakey bread dough twisted into a ring and decorated with icing and colored purple, green and yellow sprinkles.

Rosca de Reyes is a special bread with fruit and sugar that comes in the shape of an oval to represent a crown. Candied figs and cherries symbolize the crown jewels.

Inside both variations of cake, a baby Jesus doll is hidden.

Whoever finds the doll is believed to receive good luck but must also host a party on Candlemas (February 2nd) or host next year’s celebration.

Similar to stockings at Christmas, many children leave out their shoes the night before for the wise men to leave candies and toys in. 

And like the tradition of leaving cookies and milk for Santa, children will pick grass or hay and leave water for the camels to eat and drink.

Three Kings Day parades also take place around the world from New York City to Madrid and Uruguay.

How is it celebrated in D.C.?

A Three Kings Day parade (Fiesta de los Reyes Magos) is hapening right here in D.C. at the GALA Hispanic Theatre on Jan. 7 at 2 p.m.

A procession of the Kings and live animals will make their way around the block with a street parade, local musicians and dance troupes. Free gifts will be given out to children.

Tickets are available on the day of the event at the box office between 12:45 and 1:30 p.m. A maximum of four tickets is allowed per family (1 adult for every 3 children). The event is free.

Where can I buy Rosca de Reyes in the DMV?

Cocolita Food

Chef Carla of Cocolita Food is offering her traditional Rosca de Reyes adorned with white chocolate wise men for pickup at the National Union Building in D.C.

💲 Price: $30 when ordering through Instagram or WhatsApp (571-228-4890). $35 when you order through Shef.

📍 Address: 918 F St NW, Washington, D.C.


Panaderia Mi Pueblo

This traditional Mexican bakery in Alexandria will offer Rosca de Reyes from Jan. 4 through Jan. 10.

To pre-order, call (703) 746-8697 or walk in for same-day pick-up. It is cash only but an ATM is available.

💲 Price: $37

📍 Address: 8401 Richmond Hwy. Suite F Alexandria, Virginia


Cinco de Mayo Bakery & Taqueria

This bakery and restaurant in Glen Burnie will offer Rosca de Reyes in small, medium and large sizes. They come packaged in a festive red box and will be available from Jan. 3 through Jan. 6 or 7.

Cost: The small is $25, medium is $35 and the large is $45.

📍 Address: 445 N. Crain Hwy Glen Burnie, Maryland


Where can I buy King Cake?

Bayou Bakery

This local bakery in Arlington will begin selling their King Cakes on Jan. 6. As a bonus, cakes will include Mardi Gras beads and a card explaining the history behind the tradition.

Place your pre-order by Jan. 4 by calling (703) 243-2410.

💲 Cost: $50 plus tax.

📍 Address: 1515 N. Courthouse Road Arlington, Virginia


Best Buns

With locations in Shirlington, Springfield and Tysons, you can pre-order your king cake now! Best Buns requires at least 48-hour advance notice and King Cakes are only available for pick-up on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

💲 Cost: $32.32

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Wed, Jan 03 2024 09:12:10 AM
Huge Alexandria warehouse fire damages businesses https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/warehouse-fire-burns-in-alexandria/3505855/ 3505855 post https://media.nbcwashington.com/2024/01/fire-alexandria.png?fit=300,194&quality=85&strip=all A massive fire at a warehouse in Alexandria, Virginia, left a firefighter with a minor injury, damaged businesses and closed traffic Tuesday evening, authorities said. 

The Alexandria Fire Department responded to the 4400 block of Wheeler Avenue for a fire that started at about 9:20 p.m. The three-alarm fire was so large, firefighters only battled it from outside of the warehouse, the department said.

According to reports, no one was inside the warehouse at the time of the fire. A firefighter was taken to a hospital and treated for a minor injury.

The fire was contained as of 11 p.m., the department said. Crews remained at the scene for 20 hours to put out hotspots, completing intensive firefighting by about 5:30 p.m. Wednesday.

The building remains unsafe to enter, and work to make the structure safe for fire investigators will continue Thursday.

The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department assisted in the response. 

Video captured from a nearby high-rise apartment building shows flames and plumes of smoke billowing into the air.

AMi Direct, a marketing and digital printing business, resides in the warehouse with Jeffery’s Catering and the gym Healthy Baller.

AMi Direct appeared to be the only business with physical damage from the fire. Its roof fell in, and it had many broken windows.

Power was cut off to the warehouse, firefighters said. A strong smell of smoke remained in the area long after the worst of the fire was extinguished.

The business owners told News4 that today is not a normal business day and they’ve got their work cut out for them. Employees were seen walking away from the warehouse with belongings.

Alexandria police closed streets in the area in both directions.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

This is a developing story. Refresh for updates.

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Tue, Jan 02 2024 10:51:02 PM
‘Ashlei was amazing': Suspect arrested as 18-year-old killed at DC hotel party is remembered https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/suspect-arrested-in-dcs-first-homicide-of-2024/3505770/ 3505770 post https://media.nbcwashington.com/2024/01/ashlei-hinds.png?fit=300,209&quality=85&strip=all Police arrested a suspect in the shooting death of an 18-year-old woman at a hotel in Friendship Heights — Washington, D.C.’s first reported homicide of 2024.

Paramedics responded to the report of a shooting on the seventh floor of the Embassy Suites Hotel on Military Road NW about 1:15 a.m. Monday. They were told on arrival that the victim was in cardiac arrest.

Ashlei Hinds, of Clinton, Maryland, was pronounced dead at the scene, the Metropolitan Police Department said. She was a freshman at Louisiana State University, the school confirmed.

The victim’s mother, Tiffany Falden, said her daughter was home on holiday break, and that she was the student government president in her senior year at Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr. High School in Prince George’s County, Maryland.

“Just loving, caring, a great heart, loves children, loves her family. [She was] just an all-around good girl. Never been in trouble a day in her life,” Falden said.

Police arrested 18-year-old Jelani Cousin of Northeast D.C. on Tuesday and charged him with second-degree murder while armed.

A law enforcement source familiar with the investigation said about 10 people were attending a party inside a hotel room when a shooter opened fire.

Falden said her daughter had decided to go with a friend to a New Year’s Eve party at the hotel. Family members heard some uninvited people may have crashed the party.

Guests at the Embassy Suites said they heard two gunshots and then screaming.

It’s not clear if Hinds was the shooter’s intended target.

“She’s lived an amazing life and this wasn’t for her. This wasn’t her,” the victim’s mother said. “She’s not a street person. She doesn’t do that. She is around family or her friends all the time, but not a partyer or anything like that.”

Hinds’ grandmother, Sandra Thomas, said her granddaughter was a churchgoer and had recently asked her grandfather, a pastor, for her own Bible. It arrived a day before she was killed.

“Ashlei was amazing. I mean, there was nothing that she didn’t want to try, you know. She was always willing to help everybody. And sometimes she would tell me, ‘I’ll do that for you, Nana,’ or, ‘Let me get that,’ ‘Need me to help?’ She was always willing to help,” Thomas said.

Police said as many as six people left the room before police arrived.

Video shows police vehicles near an entrance to the Embassy Suites less than a block from the Friendship Heights Metro station on the D.C.-Maryland line. Hotel management said they were cooperating with police in the investigation.

Hinds was killed just after D.C. ended the previous year with 274 homicides. According to preliminary figures released Monday, homicides in 2023 were the highest in more than two decades — since 1997, when there were 302. Homicides were up about 35% from 2022, according to D.C. police data.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser says she is working to reverse this trend with new legislation that has yet to be passed.

Anyone with potentially relevant information is asked to contact police.

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Tue, Jan 02 2024 08:29:46 PM
Man, 21, killed in New Year's party shooting in Fort Washington https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/prince-georges-county/man-21-killed-in-new-years-party-shooting-in-fort-washington/3505756/ 3505756 post https://media.nbcwashington.com/2024/01/28105445632-1080pnbcstations.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,169 A man was shot and killed at a New Year’s party in Fort Washington, Maryland, Prince George’s County police said.

Three people were shot at the party on Blanford Drive in the early hours of 2024, police said. Jarreau Sanders, 21, died.

Police are still investigating who fired the shots and why.

“I’m just so sorry that my son had to be the one, or one of the ones out here that experienced this, and then leave me, ‘cause now I don’t even have no son no more,” Sanders’ mother said.

Sanders’ grandmother said he often rode with her when she was working for DoorDash so they could spend time together. He would drop off the food at the door so his grandmother wouldn’t have to walk as much.  

“I’m going to miss my grandson ‘cause he was my best friend,” Sanders’ grandmother said. “Everywhere I went, he went with me, just about.”

Sanders’ family said he played basketball at Cairn University outside Philadelphia on a partial scholarship. He studied business management and dreamed of one day creating his own line of sports gear.

“I loved on that boy,” his mother said. “I was just proud of him whatever his decisions was, whatever decisions he made. I was just proud of him.”

Sanders’ family said he worked at Home Depot and planned to transfer to Prince George’s Community College. 

Prince George’s County police are offering a $25,000 reward for information in the case.

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Tue, Jan 02 2024 07:49:54 PM
Wayne Rooney fired as manager after 15 games at second-tier Birmingham City https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/sports/soccer/wayne-rooney-fired-birmingham-city-15-games/3505692/ 3505692 post https://media.nbcwashington.com/2024/01/GettyImages-1858325279-e1704237591599.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,191 England great Wayne Rooney was fired as the manager of second-tier club Birmingham on Tuesday after 15 games.

Rooney earned only two wins since his controversial appointment in October. Birmingham was sixth in the Championship when he started, and has fallen to 20th.

The club was taken over last summer by a company owned by American businessman Tom Wagner, and it got rid of popular coach John Eustace, who had been in charge for 15 months and steered the club away from relegation.

“Birmingham City has today parted company with manager Wayne Rooney and first-team coach Carl Robinson,” the club said in a statement. “Despite their best efforts, results have not met the expectations that were made clear at the outset. Therefore, the board feels that a change in management is in the best interests of the football club.”

Birmingham lost at Leeds 3-0 on Monday, and supporters called for the removal of Rooney, the former Manchester United and England striker.

NFL great Tom Brady became a minority owner of the club in August.

Rooney thanked Wagner, Brady and club CEO Garry Cook for the opportunity but said he wasn’t given enough time.

“Football is a results business — and I recognize they have not been at the level I wanted them to be,” Rooney’s statement read. “However, time is the most precious commodity a manager requires and I do not believe 13 weeks was sufficient to oversee the changes that were needed.”

The 38-year-old Rooney added that it “will take me some time to get over this setback” but that he eventually will “prepare for the next opportunity in my journey as a manager.”

He had joined Birmingham in early October after one full season in charge at D.C. United in Major League Soccer. Rooney previously was manager of second-tier Derby.

Birmingham last played in the Premier League in 2011, the same year it won the English League Cup — one of two major trophies the club has captured in its 148-year history.

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

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Tue, Jan 02 2024 06:24:36 PM
‘Worst nightmare': Friend of missing Maryland 20-year-old charged in his death https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/prince-georges-county/murder-charge-in-maryland-missing-man-case/3505620/ 3505620 post https://media.nbcwashington.com/2023/05/23195323462-1080pnbcstations.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,169 Nearly nine months after 20-year-old Damion Myers went missing in Prince George’s County, police have charged his friend with murder in the case.

Damion Myers, of Fort Washington, was last seen April 14 at the Silver Diner in Waldorf, Maryland, just before midnight. His father and grandfather made a painful plea and prayed for answers in the search to find him.  

“Still numb, still numb. Any parent’s worst nightmare, any grandparent’s worst nightmare,” Damion’s father said.

Prince George’s County announced Tuesday they arrested Damion’s friend, 23-year-old Parrish Goode last week. He confessed to shooting Myers and disposing of his body, police said.

In the arrest warrant, investigators said the men left the restaurant and went back to their Fort Washington neighborhood when “an altercation ensued between Goode and Myers. Parrish Goode shot Damion Myers inside his vehicle and disposed of his remains.”

Goode’s abandoned Nissan Maxima was found in the 2300 block of Rosecroft Boulevard in Fort Washington on April 16. According to court documents, detectives found a handgun, a bloody sweatshirt and two fired bullets in the car. They believe Goode tried to throw away evidence but abandoned the car when it became disabled.

Court documents do not mention a motive for the shooting.

“I think right now we’re at the midway point because, like, we won’t reach the end until we find out where my son’s body is,” Damion’s father said.

Myers’ body has not been found after months of searching.

He said the last few months have been agony for their family. While they are grateful for some answers and to the homicide detectives who have been working on the case, they are still far from closure.

“Just because an arrest was made, it’s still not over,” Damion’s father said.

Goode was charged with first and second-degree murder, assault and several gun charges on Dec. 21. He appeared in court Friday and was ordered held without bond. He’s due in court again Jan. 26.

Anyone with information that can help the investigation is asked to contact police.

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Tue, Jan 02 2024 06:02:20 PM
Wintry mix of snow and rain expected in DC area on Saturday https://www.nbcwashington.com/weather/storm-team4-tracking-snow-chances-for-saturday/3505564/ 3505564 post https://media.nbcwashington.com/2024/01/snow-rain-map-jan-3-2024-with-amelia.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,169 Editor’s note: Go here for the latest forecast.

Many residents of the D.C. area could see snowflakes this weekend — but the closer we get to Saturday, the less likely it seems that we’ll get much.

Storm Team4 is tracking a winter storm expected throughout Saturday and into early Sunday. A mix of rain, snow and possibly ice is expected during the first half of Saturday, before it changes into all rain for much of the region. Areas to the north and west of the D.C. metro area will see the largest effects of the storm.

The rain-snow line is often a tricky part of winter storm forecasting, and it’s set to be in play in the evolving forecast for this winter storm.

“The big question is: Where is that rain-snow line going to set up?” Storm Team4 Chief Meteorologist Doug Kammerer said.

It’s still too early to talk about possible snow accumulation totals.

Here’s where snow and rain are expected

Storm Team4 Meteorologist Amelia Draper laid out where more snow is expected.

Red Zone: Areas of Maryland and Virginia farther away from the metro area will see the biggest impacts. “This is looking like mainly a snow event for you,” Draper said. The storm may end there as a wintry mix or rain.

These locations include:

  • northern Fauquier County, Virginia
  • Frederick County, Maryland
  • western Loudoun County, Virginia
  • upper Montgomery County, Maryland
  • Page County, Virginia
  • Rappahannock County, Virginia
  • Warren County, Virginia

Yellow Zone: The District and parts of Maryland and Virginia bordering the Capital Beltway will get a wintry mix, with snow arriving Saturday morning and then changing over to all rain. Not much snow accumulation is expected.

These areas include:

  • D.C.
  • Fairfax County, Virginia
  • Manassas, Virginia
  • lower Montgomery County, Maryland
  • northern Prince George’s County, Maryland
  • Prince William County, Virginia

Green Zone: Primarily rain, and possibly some snow flurries, are expected in parts of Maryland. These areas include:

  • Calvert County
  • Charles County
  • St. Mary’s County
  • southern Prince George’s County

The forecast models differ on where the rain-snow line may fall, but the general consensus is that more snow would fall north and west of D.C.

Rain is more likely farther to the south and east.

Here’s what we know about the storm timing

One computer model says we’ll still be dry at 6 a.m. Saturday and that we’ll see snow in the D.C. metro area toward midday. Rain will move in that afternoon, and the storm system will start to wind down overnight Saturday.

So, will be shoveling snow or skipping tests at school on Monday? As of right now, it doesn’t look likely.

Here’s the forecast for the rest of the workweek

Before the weekend, expect mostly calm and cool weather. High temperatures will be in the 40s, with breezy winds on Thursday. Lows will be in the mid 30s on Thursday and mid 20s on Friday.

Storm Team4 winter weather outlook

If you want snow, and lots of it, Storm Team4’s winter weather outlook said this could be your year.

Storm Team 4 predicted:

  • 22″-30″ of snow this winter for the I-95 corridor and the D.C. metro area
  • 15″-22″ in our southern zones
  • 30″-40″ in the western suburbs

Go here to see the full winter weather outlook.

Weather radar:

Download the NBC Washington app on Apple and Android to use the weather radar on your mobile device.

Stay with Storm Team4 for the latest forecast. Download the NBC Washington app on iOS and Android to get severe weather alerts on your phone.

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Tue, Jan 02 2024 04:48:26 PM
Bullet flies into Northwest DC home after man is robbed of Canada Goose jacket https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/bullet-flies-into-northwest-dc-home-after-man-is-robbed-of-canada-goose-jacket/3505380/ 3505380 post https://media.nbcwashington.com/2024/01/28089969064-1080pnbcstations.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,169 A shooting in the Ledroit Park neighborhood of Northwest D.C. sent a bullet flying through the window of a home after a man was robbed of his Canada Goose jacket.

The robbery occurred on Elm Street. Moments later, gunshots rang out at Fifth and T streets.

A bullet tore through a bedroom window at about 4:30 p.m. on Monday, New Year’s Day. Luckily, the resident had positioned a dresser in front of the windows as part of the room’s furniture arrangement.

He said he realized a bullet had gone through the window “after walking into my bedroom and finding chips of my dresser on the bed.”

D.C. officers placed at least nine evidence markers, marking shell casings, in the intersection.

The shooting appears to have occurred moments after a man was robbed at gunpoint of his Canada Goose jacket and yoga bag. He was not physically injured and did not appear to have been the target of the shooting.

Neighbors said the robbers seemed to be shooting at a bystander, who also was not physically injured.

Bullets dug into the brick of two nearby homes. Neighbors said they heard gunshots on the block just last week.

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Tue, Jan 02 2024 01:08:19 PM
Pizza Oven closes its doors after 66 years in Riverdale https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/pizza-oven-closes-its-doors-after-66-years-in-riverdale/3505293/ 3505293 post https://media.nbcwashington.com/2024/01/28081942816-1080pnbcstations-e1704215301181.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,169 After more than six decades, the Pizza Oven in Riverdale, Maryland, has served its last slice. 

The shop celebrated its years of serving the community at the East Pines Shopping Center, plus the owner’s birthday on New Year’s Eve.

As word of the closing spread, customers came back in droves for their last pizza and a taste of nostalgia. Owner Brian Boileau came out from behind the counter to say goodbye to some of his biggest fans.

“Every Wednesday, every Saturday, we always came here we would sit here or over there and my dad he just…’We going to see Brian?’” a customer said.

“My parents came here, but I started coming when I was around three years old,” Customer Peggy Childs said.

A car meetup was also held outside the restaurant. There were classic cars, like a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air, that could have been driven to the restaurant when it was new. 

Jim Woodhouse, who brought a classic car to the parking lot, said he’s been coming to the Pizza Shop since before he could drive.

 “I was like 10 years old coming down here getting pizza,” Woodhouse said.

Boileau is on a first-name basis with many of his customers. For many of them, it’s been like visiting a friend’s place, except with walls filled with memorabilia and ceilings covered in baseball hats.

 “This store, you won’t find many of them like it anymore,” a customer said. 

But it takes more than atmosphere to create such a following.

 “It’s the pizza, the pizza, all by itself,” a customer said. 

Boileau said construction on the Purple Line hastened the end of his beloved business, which he wanted to keep open as long as possible.

The Purple Line light rail has been under construction for many years and is scheduled to open in 2027. Last year, Prince George’s County offered grants for businesses that have lost customers due to the construction.   

Boileau was grateful for the many people who came to say goodbye to the Pizza Oven.

“It really makes me feel warm. My wife raised twelve kids and they’re all inside working,” he said.

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Tue, Jan 02 2024 12:27:28 PM
Small earthquake in Rockville felt miles away https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/small-earthquake-in-rockville-felt-miles-away/3505023/ 3505023 post https://media.nbcwashington.com/2024/01/28095461616-1080pnbcstations-e1704194501680.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,169 A small earthquake in Rockville, Maryland, shook communities and was felt as far away as West Virginia, overnight Tuesday.

The earthquake happened at about 12:50 a.m. and had a magnitude of 2.3, about the same energy release as a bolt of lightning, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS.) The epicenter of the earthquake was near Lakewood Country Club in Rockville.

No damage or injuries have been reported, authorities said.

Map courtesy of the USGS. Each dot is a report from a member of the public reporting what they felt.

Did you feel it?

People reported to the USGS that they felt the earthquake in Montgomery, Frederick and Howard counties, and as far as West Virginia. Some weak shaking was reported in Northern Virginia by early morning.

People quickly took to social media to describe what they felt and heard. Some said it woke them up, others were surprised it happened at the start of 2024.

"So there was an earthquake in Rockville, Maryland. That’s 17 miles from me. Is 2024 really starting this way? #Earthquake #DMV," @ScarlettYoli wrote on X.

"Yes I felt it and I live in Rockville. I heard it too. Sounded like a train but different," @Nicole01876101 wrote.

"Rattled our house here in Rockville for a few seconds," @JStantonDC wrote.

"Don’t think you could have missed it here in Potomac. It was very loud and lasted about 15 seconds," @RealPotatus.

News4's Joseph Olmo spoke to several people who said they did not feel the earthquake.

“Didn’t feel it… slept right through it," a man said.

“How come I didn't feel it? I felt the last one. Why didn't I feel this one?" a woman said.

“What do you think this says about the start of 2024 if we're already starting off with earthquakes?” Olmo asked.

“Ugh… not good!" a woman said.

“It’s just an earthquake," a man said.

How does it compare to the 2011 earthquake?

The 2024 shaker was much less intense than the damaging 5.8 magnitude earthquake that hit Virginia in 2011.

The 2011 earthquake was a thousand times stronger than the one recorded in Rockville and released as much energy as an average tornado, USGS said. It caused about $200 million to $300 million in damages, including to the Washington Monument and National Cathedral.

Earthquakes on the East Coast are felt differently than those that occur in the west, U.S. Geological Survey scientist Thomas Pratt told NBC Washington when we looked back on the quake.

"Eastern U.S. earthquakes are felt much more widely that the western U.S. because the rocks in the continent are much colder, they’re much older and they’re much stronger," Pratt said. "So, the energy gets transmitted much more effectively."

About a million earthquakes with a 2.3 magnitude are recorded yearly worldwide, according to the USGS.

This is a developing story. Stay with News4 for more updates.

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

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Tue, Jan 02 2024 06:23:37 AM
Man struck and killed on I-270 while trying to put gas into car, police believe https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/man-struck-and-killed-on-i-270-while-trying-to-put-gas-into-car-police-believe/3504874/ 3504874 post https://media.nbcwashington.com/2024/01/GettyImages-1291135215.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,200 A man was fatally hit by a car on the shoulder of Interstate 270 in the early-morning hours of New Year’s Day, Maryland state police say.

According to a preliminary investigation, a driver was pulled over on the shoulder trying to put gas into his car when he was hit by a Nissan. State troopers were called about 5 a.m. to the crash scene on northbound I-270, before the exit for Old Georgetown Road in Montgomery County.

The victim, 36-year-old Caesar Adigwe Jr., of Spotsylvania, Virginia, was taken to a hospital, where he died, Maryland state police said.

The driver of the Nissan, a 22-year-old Clarksburg resident, remained on the scene.

Maryland state police are leading the investigation and will submit their findings to the Montgomery County state’s attorney’s office, which will decide whether to file any charges.

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Mon, Jan 01 2024 10:02:02 PM
Pit bull puppy stolen during DC home invasion https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/pit-bull-puppy-stolen-during-dc-home-invasion/3504806/ 3504806 post https://media.nbcwashington.com/2024/01/Lola-Cropped-1.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,169 A pit bill puppy was stolen on New Year’s Eve in an apparent home invasion in D.C.’s Bellevue neighborhood.

Police say three people knocked on the door of an apartment in the 100 block of Atlantic Street SE about 7:25 p.m. When a resident answered, the suspects pushed their way inside, shoved the resident to the floor and hit him with a stick, police say.

They went to the back of the apartment and grabbed Lola, a 7-month-old female pit bull, according to police. One of the suspects announced they were going to “take the dog,” another resident of the apartment told police.

It wasn’t immediately clear if the suspects knew the victim before the crime.

Police say the suspects left the apartment and went upstairs to another unit, where they banged on that door, trying to get in. A resident of that apartment told police that one suspect hit her door with a gun, while another suspect covered up a nearby camera.

The three suspects weren’t able to get into that apartment.

They were last seen running in the 100 Block of Atlantic Street SE, police said. An incident report from D.C. police says they’re wanted for first-degree burglary, simple assault and unlawful entry.

Police shared a photo of Lola in hopes of finding her and the suspects. She has black fur and a white stripe on her head, chest and stomach.

This latest incident comes amid a rash of dog thefts in the District.

Anyone with information is asked not to take action themselves and to call police at 202-727-9099 or text 50411.

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

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Mon, Jan 01 2024 09:20:27 PM
A female D1 track star raced a man who insisted he could beat her. The result is going viral https://www.nbcwashington.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/a-female-d1-track-star-raced-a-man-who-insisted-he-could-beat-her-the-result-is-going-viral/3504745/ 3504745 post https://media.nbcwashington.com/2024/01/Sabbakhan_Virginia-Track-and-Field_Athlete-e1704146328459.jpeg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,200 A man who challenged Division 1 track and field athlete Alahna Sabbakhan to a foot race was swiftly defeated in a viral video that illustrates why female athletes should never be underestimated.

The University of Virginia runner raced a friend of her boyfriend’s who “refused to believe that a woman could beat him in a race,” as she explained in the video, shared Dec. 17 with more than one million likes.

During the first half of the 400-meter race, she kept pace with her challenger, who “does not run” regularly, she said in the video. But after the first 200 meters passed, she picked up the pace to “finish hard, because that’s what you do as a track runner.”

In the clip, she surges to the lead, as the man who challenged her quickly falls behind.

Sabbakhan, 22, tells TODAY.com that when she first heard murmurings that her boyfriend’s friend thought he could outrun her, she found it “ridiculous.” But when she was already set to work out at a nearby track, she asked if he wanted to join.

“He didn’t really know what to challenge me in,” she says. “He was like, ‘Yeah, I could beat her in the 400’ — not realizing that that was one of the hardest track events and that was one of my secondary events.”

Alahna Sabbakhan at the D1 indoor track and field championships. Courtesy Alahna Sabbakhan

The challenger ended up bringing his parents and friends to the track for the event. She says the outcome of the race was predictable early on once the group saw her warm up, which typically consists of drills and running a mile.

“He just kind of showed up,” she says. “I don’t know what he was expecting.”

The race actually occurred nearly a year ago, in January 2023, Sabbakhan says. But she stumbled upon the video recently and thought it was perfect for her growing TikTok page, where she posts exercise, diet and day-in-the-life content for her more than 12,000 followers.

Sabbakhan, whose main event is the 800-meter race, finished the 400m in 57 seconds, which was “pretty good for practice,” she said in the video. Her personal best times are 53 seconds from a 400m leg of a relay and 54 seconds in an open race.

“It was a successful workout, I think,” she says.

The man who challenged her, who she’s now “cool” with, took the loss well, she says.

“He wasn’t like, ‘Oh, that wasn’t fair.’ He was like, ‘Yeah, that was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life,'” she says. “I feel like it was just a really good learning experience. It showed people that they need to stop underestimating us — as in track athletes, female athletes.”

A ‘universal experience’

It was far from the first time Sabbakhan, who started running when she was 5 years old, had been challenged to a race by a man.

“Ever since I was younger, a lot of guys would want to race me on the playground because they thought they could beat me,” she says.

Early reactions to the video suggested to Sabbakhan that this was a “universal experience.”

“A lot of women were saying that they experienced that a lot, mainly men trying to challenge them in their sport or talent, or whatever they do,” she says.

In fact, 12% of men in Great Britain think they could score a point playing tennis against Serena Williams, according to a 2019 poll conducted by YouGov UK, which sampled 1,732 adults.

Sabbakhan eventually turned off comments on the TikTok page after it stirred “controversy,” with some turning it into a debate over whether men or women are better athletes.

“They were saying, ‘You barely beat him, that just shows how slow you are. Now race one of your male teammates.’ Like, ‘Men are still stronger,'” she says with a laugh. “I never said any of that.”

“(People) kind of just made it what they wanted to make it,” she adds.

Sabbakhan has her own theory for why some male non-athletes think they can beat female athletes.

“We make it look so easy,” she says. “People who sit on their couch … it’s so easy for them to just sit there and say, ‘Oh, I could do that, too, if I tried, if I trained for a little bit’ — not realizing how hard it actually is.”

Why she normally doesn’t entertain challenges

At the outset of the initial challenge, Sabbakhan’s attitude toward the race was relaxed, confident in her abilities and aware that the challenge was “ridiculous,” she recalls.

It’s a confidence that she says she developed over time with the help of family and coaches.

“Coaches tell me racing other people is just kind of ridiculous because we don’t really have anything to prove. We’ve already earned this status for a reason,” she says. “I just feel like I don’t have anything to prove.”

“My mom tells me this all the time: You already won. You already got your college scholarship, earned your athlete status,” she continues. “So I don’t think me racing some random guy at the track is really going to determine anything for me.”

Sabbakhan’s advice for building up confidence in one’s athletic abilities is simple:

Don’t compare yourself. “Focus on your journey and your progress and where you used to be and where you want to be, because it’s just going to waste your time and drain your energy to be focused on everyone else,” she says.

Keep realistic, motivating goals top of mind. “If you’re writing them down and reminding yourself of (your goals) every day, then that really helps block out that extra noise,” she says. “That’s been helping me not care about the negative things people are saying to me because of that video. I’m just reminding myself about how I have bigger goals.”

This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:

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Mon, Jan 01 2024 05:11:42 PM
18-year-old killed at Friendship Heights hotel in DC's 1st homicide of 2024 https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/woman-killed-at-friendship-heights-hotel-in-dcs-1st-homicide-of-2024/3504663/ 3504663 post https://media.nbcwashington.com/2024/01/28078869324-1080pnbcstations.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,169 An 18-year-old woman was shot and killed at a hotel in Friendship Heights, in Washington, D.C.’s first reported homicide of 2024. The search for the shooter is underway.

The new year wasn’t even two hours old when D.C. paramedics were sent to the Embassy Suites Hotel on Military Road NW for the report of a shooting on the seventh floor. They were told on arrival that the victim was in cardiac arrest.

Ashalei Hinds, of Clinton, Maryland, was pronounced dead at the scene, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) said.

Hinds was a freshman at Louisiana State University, the school confirmed on Tuesday.

A law enforcement source familiar with the investigation said about 10 people were attending a party inside a hotel room when a shooter opened fire.

Several guests at the Embassy Suites said they heard two gunshots and then screaming at about 1:15 a.m. Each room at the hotel has a picture window next to the door. In the room where the shooting took place, that window was shattered. It’s unclear whether it was shattered by gunfire or something else.

It’s not clear if Hinds was the killer’s intended target. Police said they were looking for a male who fled the scene wearing black clothing and a black ski mask.

In an update Tuesday, police distributed a photo of the suspect in the crime. He was captured by surveillance cameras, police said.

Investigators also are still looking for as many as six people who were in the room but left before police arrived.

Video shows police vehicles near an entrance to the Embassy Suites less than a block from the Friendship Heights Metro station on the D.C.-Maryland line. Hotel management said they were cooperating with police in the investigation.

Hinds was killed just after D.C. ended the previous year with 274 homicides. According to preliminary figures released Monday, homicides in 2023 were the highest in more than two decades — since 1997, when there were 302. Homicides were up about 35% from 2022, according to MPD data.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser says she is working to reverse this trend with new legislation that has yet to be passed.

Anyone with potentially relevant information is asked to contact police.

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

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Mon, Jan 01 2024 11:59:27 AM
3 men killed in separate New Year's shootings in Prince George's County, police say https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/prince-georges-county/3-men-killed-in-separate-new-years-shootings-in-prince-georges-county-police-say/3504638/ 3504638 post https://media.nbcwashington.com/2019/09/Prince-Georges-Police-Car.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,169 Two men were killed, and another was injured by gunfire within a couple miles of Rosecroft Raceway on New Year’s, and a third man was shot to death in Capitol Heights, police said.

On New Year’s Eve about 10:30 p.m., Prince George’s County police said officers went to investigate the sound of gunshots in the 1400 block of Dunbar Oaks Drive, between Cheverly and Fairmount Heights.

A man was found shot. He was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead, police said.

Prince George’s County police say detectives are also investigating the two fatal shootings that happened less than 3 miles apart on New Year’s Day.

Police responded to the 7500 block of Blanford Drive in the Fort Washington area about 3:50 a.m. on Monday.

Two men had been shot, Prince George’s County police said.

One man had been taken to a hospital privately. He died, police said.

Another man was found on the scene and taken to a hospital. He’s stable, police said.

At 4:30 a.m., Prince George’s County police said officers responded to another shooting in the 2900 block of Brinkley Road in Temple Hills.

A man who had been shot was found outside, police said.

He was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead, police said.

The victims’ names were not immediately released.

Detectives are investigating all three cases and asked the public to contact police with any information. No information on potential suspects in any of the shootings was immediately released.

Prince George’s County police had reported 100 murders in 2023 as of Friday.

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Mon, Jan 01 2024 10:42:25 AM
Minimum wage boosts, plastic bag bans: New laws take effect in DC area on Jan. 1 https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/minimum-wage-boosts-plastic-bag-bans-new-laws-take-effect-in-dc-area-for-jan-1/3503699/ 3503699 post https://media.nbcwashington.com/2023/12/image-83-2.png?fit=300,169&quality=85&strip=all Laws going into effect on Jan. 1, 2024, in the D.C. area affect how much people are paid, whether plastic bags are handed out at stores and whether insurance covers infertility treatments.

Here’s a look at some of the changes in D.C., Maryland and Virginia.

Washington, D.C.

Expanded infertility health insurance coverage: A D.C. law approved in fall 2023 aims to help people who are trying to get pregnant. As of Jan. 1, people who use DC Healthcare Alliance and Medicaid can have their infertility diagnosis covered, along with three cycles of ovulation-enhancing drugs.

In 2025, people who get insurance through D.C. employers or DC Health Link will become eligible, too. Their benefits will include diagnosis, three rounds of IVF, and if needed, an embryo transfer to a surrogate.

D.C. Councilmember Christina Henderson cosponsored the Expanding Access to Fertility Treatment Amendment Act.

“Infertility is a medical issue, and therefore your medical insurance should cover the ability for you to seek treatment,” she said.

Maryland

Minimum wage increase: Maryland becomes the sixth state in the country to enact a $15 minimum wage. The minimum wage for all workers, regardless of company size, is now $15 per hour as of Jan. 1. It was as low as $12.80 for some workers, if their companies had fewer than 15 workers.

Montgomery County workers will be less affected because the county was ahead of the state in raising wages, as News4 reported.

County Executive Marc Elrich said he would like to see the wage go up even more, into the low $20s, and said he plans to make that proposal in 2024.

“What I really think that people realize is that if you really had a proper minimum wage, the amount of money we spend on social programs would significantly drop,” he said.

County Councilmember Will Jawando, who fought to increase wages, said, “It’s a lifeline for over 150,000 families in the state. Raising the minimum wage is about dignity, fairness and building an economy that works for everyone.”

Plastic bags: Plastic bag laws are changing in some jurisdictions.

Virginia

Pay raises for teachers: Public school teachers and employees in Standards of Quality (SOQ)-funded positions will get a 2% raise as part of the 2023 amendments to Virginia’s Biennium Budget.

Tax exemptions for military retirees: Age requirements for military retirees to receive tax-exempt status are now repealed. All military retirees now are exempt from state taxes, regardless of age.

Counselor licensing: Virginia has signed the Counseling Compact, which allows eligible professional counselors who are licensed by one Compact member state to practice in other member states.

Hearing aid coverage for minors: Virginia will require health insurance companies to provide hearing aid coverage and related services for babies, kids and teens up to age 18, as recommended by a doctor. This includes a hearing aid for each impaired ear at a cost of up to $1,500 every 24 months.

Health care out-of-network notifications: Health insurance carriers now must notify policyholders if their current healthcare provider, or one they’ve seen in the past six months, will no longer be in network. The new law, HB2354, also provides for continuity of care, including the right to receive pregnancy care or treatment of life-threatening conditions for certain periods after the provider is removed from the network.

Medical marijuana program oversight: The Virginia Cannabis Control Authority (CCA) will take over regulation of the state’s medical cannabis program from the Board of Pharmacy.

“The CCA is committed to the well-being of medical cannabis patients, and our goal is to ensure they experience minimal disruption during this transition,” Jeremy Preiss, CCA’s acting head and chief officer, said in a release. 

Arlington impervious surfaces tax: An Arlington County law aims to fund a stormwater management program. Homeowners now will be charged a stormwater utility fee as a part of their real estate taxes. The fee is replacing the sanitary district tax that has existed since 2008.

The county says the new fee is based on the amount of hard surfaces, or impervious areas, on a property, which better correlates with stormwater runoff. It will be calculated as $0.017 per $100 of assessed value. Homeowners will see the new fee on their real estate bills starting in May. Estimate your fee here.

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Mon, Jan 01 2024 07:00:00 AM
With season almost over, Commanders can't keep up with 49ers  https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/sports/washington-commanders/with-season-almost-over-commanders-cant-keep-up-with-49ers/3504427/ 3504427 post https://media.nbcwashington.com/2023/12/GettyImages-1897876381-1.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,200 In a season of mostly lows and a few early highs, Washington delivered a solidly mid performance Sunday afternoon in a 27-10 loss to San Francisco. 

Defensively, the effort was fine, particularly in the red zone — but not good enough to beat a good 49ers team. Offensively, Washington moved the ball relatively well, but a pair of interceptions doomed an otherwise solid start from Sam Howell.

Sam Howell? Yes, despite Commanders head coach Ron Rivera publicly benching Howell on Wednesday, the second-year passer still got the start after a late-week hamstring injury to veteran Jacoby Brissett.

The quarterback roller coaster aside, Washington put forth a tough effort in a contest that Las Vegas oddsmakers expected them to lose by two touchdowns. San Francisco is a significantly better team than Washington, and eventually that talent won out.

The Niners are stacked with stars seemingly all over the field, although none of them exactly went off. San Francisco star running back Christian McCaffrey looked dominant early, but he was kept out of the end zone on multiple red zone tries before leaving the game in the second half with a leg issue. Deebo Samuel played well and scored a touchdown, but the stats don’t jump off the page. Chase Young, the former No. 2 overall pick for Washington, came back to town wearing a Niners jersey and had a quiet performance.

It was a pretty sleepy afternoon in a stadium packed with 49ers fans, and the Washington faithful seemed more ready for the season to end than another week of meaningless games.

There are no secrets about the Commanders situation.

At 4-12, the meaningful portion of the 2023 season has been closed for some time, and it seems that major wholesale changes will be coming after the Week 18 finale against Dallas.

The big questions — new coach, new general manager, new quarterback — won’t be answered for at least another week, and some could take multiple weeks. So that leaves Washington fans in an odd limbo.

The reality is: With a high draft pick in real range, there’s not much incentive to win games, but the players on the field still have no choice but to go all out.

Sunday’s loss to the Niners was nothing but another reminder that the end is near for the Rivera era in Washington.

San Francisco is built to win championships. Washington couldn’t even keep it close.

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Sun, Dec 31 2023 04:26:26 PM
Amtrak signal issue causes service delays on New Year's Eve https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/amtrak-signal-issue-causes-service-delays-on-new-years-eve/3504328/ 3504328 post https://media.nbcwashington.com/2019/09/amtrak-accidente.jpeg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,169 A server issue delayed Amtrak trains up and down the Northeast Corridor on Sunday as people headed out of town to celebrate New Year’s Eve.

Amtrak first reported the issues at 5:40 a.m., saying to anticipate up to two-hour delays and impacted departures. Several trains were canceled early in the morning.

In Maryland, Amtrak and MARC Commuter Train service was suspended at about 7:15 a.m. and reinstated several hours later. Go here for all service alerts.

Amtrak resolved the issue at 11 a.m. but said to expect residual delays. Service resumed between New York and Boston at about 10 a.m.

Information on what caused the server issue was not immediately available.

Change and cancellation fees were waived for those impacted by delays. To change your reservation, visit the Amtrak app or Amtrak.com.

This is a developing story. Stay with News4 for more updates.

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Sun, Dec 31 2023 11:27:41 AM