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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Want to know what’s up for your weekend? Sign up for The Weekend Scene, our newsletter about events, experiences and adventures for you and for your family around the DMV.

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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.

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.

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.

lottery Jan 2

Check your lottery tickets: $1 million Powerball winner sold in Prince George's County

Powerball Dec 28, 2023

Powerball jackpot jumps to $760 million for last lottery drawing of 2023

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.

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.

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.

decision 2024 Jan 3

Trump asks US Supreme Court to review Colorado ruling barring him from the ballot over Jan. 6 attack

Capitol Riot Dec 19, 2023

Group that planned Jan. 6 rally lied about Capitol march plans, government report says

Capitol Riot Dec 15, 2023

‘Militia enthusiast' gets over 4 years in prison for attacking police with baton during Jan. 6 riot

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.

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.

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“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.

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 19^th 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.

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.

gun violence Jan 2

‘Ashlei was amazing': Suspect arrested as 18-year-old killed at DC hotel party is remembered

gun violence Jan 1

18-year-old killed at Friendship Heights hotel in DC's 1st homicide of 2024

“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.

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.

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.

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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.

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.

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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.

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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.

• Prince George’s County: The county “prohibits all retail establishments from providing plastic carryout bags to shoppers and, with certain exceptions, shall charge at least 10 cents for each paper carryout or reusable bag provided to a customer.”
• City of Frederick: City officials say that “retail establishments will no longer be permitted to provide single use plastic bags at the point of sale. (Some exclusions do apply) Customers are encouraged to bring their own reusable carryout bags or packaging with them when shopping. Businesses may also offer reusable carryout bags to customers.”
• Anne Arundel County: County officials say retailers “will no longer be able to provide plastic bags to customers for their purchases at checkout. Retailers can provide paper bags or reusable bags to customers at checkout for purchase. This law only applies to bags provided at checkout, and does not apply in the City of Annapolis.”

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.

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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.

Officers were called to the 3700 block of Massachusetts Ave. NW at about 4:40 p.m., according to the Metropolitan Police Department.

At the scene, officers found a woman had been hit by a vehicle. She was taken to a hospital with serious injuries.

Police describe the striking vehicle as a delivery truck.

Video shows what appeared to be an Amazon truck on the scene.

The driver stayed at the scene and cooperated with the investigation, police said.

It was not immediately clear what caused the crash.

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

The video shows the intruders walking through the boarded-up building in the 1400 block of Shepherd Street NE, opening books and discharging a fire extinguisher.

The video shows hundreds of books, computers and a piano were left behind in the library. The building still holds materials that weren’t moved to the School of Divinity’s current location due to limited capacity.

The Rev. Kenyatta Gilbert, dean of the School of Divinity, released a statement condemning the act.

“The actions of those who trespassed and broke into Mays Hall remind us how some are willing to violate the sacred boundaries of our beloved HBCU campuses,” the statement says, in part.

Howard will reassess the contents of Mays Hall and improve patrols and security at the site.

Monroe was sitting at a bus stop outside the L’Enfant Plaza Metro station in Southwest D.C. when 36-year-old Deonte Spicer of Northwest D.C. approached him with an unleashed dog before 4:30 a.m. They exchanged fist bumps and talked for a few minutes before Spicer unzipped his jacket and pulled out an AR-15.

Monroe spread out his arms before Spicer fired, killing Monroe and shattering the bus stop’s glass shelter.

Spicer then boarded a bus with the dog a block away, then asked to be let out where Monroe was shot.

Rickey Cruse and his wife raised their grandson since he was three days old.

“Never was a confrontation,” he said. “Never got in no fights. Nothing like that. He always tried to diffuse something if it happened.”

Their living room is a shrine to Monroe. His sports trophies crowd a shelf. The walls are covered in awards, MVP plaques and pictures of the young man whose games they faithfully attended.

“He was liked by a lot of people, you know,” his father, Darryl Monroe, said at Saturday’s vigil. “He was a good-hearted guy. He was into sports, basketball, community.”

A 1,000-point career at Thomas Edison High School earned Monroe a basketball scholarship to Augusta University in Georgia, where he also had a 1,000-point career.

He returned to Virginia after graduation and recently moved into an apartment in Arlington, Cruse said. He always called his grandparents to see if they needed anything.

“He was calling us and asking how we were doing, do we need anything, do we need [him] to come by and help us,” Cruse said.

Monroe’s former college coach posted on X, formerly Twitter, “One of the most competitive players I’ve ever coached, gone far too soon.”

“We don’t question God; we don’t even try to understand what’s happening,” Monroe’s father said. “We just hope and pray that He makes us safe and sound through this struggle.”

Police have not released a motive for the shooting, but court documents note bizarre behavior by Spicer. Police indicated his mental status is being explored.

“Without that being done, we can’t speak to his mental capacity at the time or whether they knew or didn’t know each other,” D.C. police inspector Kevin Kentish said.

Spicer was charged with first-degree murder. He is in custody pending his next court appearance.

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D.C. will record more homicides this year than in any other year in more than two decades. But that’s not the same story nationwide.

Most big cities like New York, Los Angels, Baltimore and Philadelphia are seeing significant decreases in homicides.

“Nationally the trend is a sharp decline in murder this year relative to last year. “Of the 177 cities that we have data on,
murder is down 13%, or just about 13%, in those cities,” said Jeff Asher, co-founder of AH Datalytics, who tracks homicide trends across the country.

Asher says the decrease in homicides nationally is at an historic level.

“Typically, murder goes up or down by a couple of percentage points,” Asher said.

So far this year D.C. has seen 272 homicides. That’s a 35% increase over 2022.

The last time D.C. had close to this many homicides was in 2002 when the number was 262.

However, D.C is not alone in seeing an increase. Dallas, Cleveland and Memphis also are also experiencing increases in the number of homicides.

“D.C. is really bucking the trend here, its sad to see,” said Adam Gelb from the Council on Criminal Justice, a non-partisan think tank focused on crime in the U.S. “Most of the country is reverting to pre-pandemic level, a lot of big cities spiked up after pandemic, but now are coming back down. D.C. is really not seeing that”

“It really defies explanation,” Gelb continued. “It’s very troubling. It’s troubling for residents of D.C., but it’s troubling for the entire nation because Washington has such an outsized role in the conversation about crime and criminal justice.”

2023 included highs, like Beyoncé declaring D.C. the “errbody on mute” challenge winner, all the glitter and pink of “Barbie” movie showtimes, and some impressive local anniversaries, like Ben’s Chili Bowl hitting 65 years.

There were also some lows. Children were killed in shootings, carjackings doubled and wildfire smoke made the air hazardous to our health.

We remember it all, and we gathered some of the biggest stories of 2023 for you to look back on.

YouTube prankster shot in Dulles mall by food delivery driver

In April, 21-year-old Tanner Cook made a nonsensical audio recording on his cellphone and began following a delivery driver in the food court of Dulles Town Center while playing the audio. Video shows the driver, Alan Colie, trying to get away from Cook and telling him three times to stop as he attempted to push the prankster’s phone away from his face. After about 20 seconds, Colie pulled out a gun and shot Cook.

Colie was charged in the shooting but found not guilty of aggravated malicious wounding. The jury was split on two lesser firearms counts and decided to convict him on one and acquit him on the other.

Many on social media supported Colie, saying Cook was harassing a stranger. Meanwhile, Cook said he planned to continue making his prank videos.

Gun violence devastates DC communities, with children among the victims

Gun violence devastated D.C. families and neighborhoods in 2023. As many U.S. cities have seen drops in their homicide rate, homicides in D.C. are up 35% year over year, as of the last days of December. In 2022, 201 people were killed, compared to 272 in 2023.

Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice Lindsey Appiah testified before the House Judiciary subcommittee in October and said violent crime in the District has become a “crisis.”

In February, a shooter went on a rampage in the Potomac Avenue Metro station, killing a 64-year-old Metro mechanic who died trying to protect others. Robert Cunningham tried to intervene as the gunman shot people seemingly at random. Three other people were hurt.

On Mother’s Day in May, 10-year-old Arianna Davis’ family was headed home when a barrage of more than 50 bullets were fired around their car. Davis was struck and died days later.

During a Fourth of July gathering in the Deanwood area of Northeast D.C., at least one drive-by shooter wounded nine people, including a child and a teenager.

New D.C. Chief of Police Pamela Smith was selected in July and said her top priority will be to drive down crime.

In December, the mayor’s office and Metropolitan Police Department announced a state-of-the-art real-time crime center to monitor surveillance cameras around the clock, together with federal law enforcement.

The News4 I-Team’s series Gun Violence: A Call to Action explores how gunshots change the victims and their families, how social media can fuel gun violence, what obstacles families face in trying to get away from violent communities, and the impact violence has on young people.

DC area briefly has the worst air quality in the world

“Very unhealthy” and “hazardous” air quality put the health of people across the D.C. area at risk in early June as smoke from Canadian wildfires brought in some of the most polluted air ever recorded in the region.

Heavy smog surrounded D.C.’s monuments and Northern Virginia’s airports. Many people on the streets wore face masks, and some schools cancelled outdoor activities or kept students indoors during recess. The Washington Nationals postponed a game, and the Commanders moved practice to their indoor bubble.

Burgundy and sold: Commanders say goodbye to Dan Snyder, welcome new ownership group

At long last, the NFL approved the $6.05 billion sale of the Washington Commanders from Dan Snyder to a new ownership group led by Philadelphia 76ers co-owner Josh Harris.

Many fans greeted the news with joy. Cheering Commanders fans wore “Bye, Dan” T-shirts and cheered at a “Burgundy and Sold” party at The Bullpen in D.C.’s Navy Yard neighborhood.

While the sale process of the team took less than a year, it felt like an eternity for many Commanders fans. Under Snyder’s stewardship, the football team’s performance on the field tanked. Since 2000, the year Snyder took full control, the team registered a terrible 154-214-2 record, losing 60 games more than they won. They also earned just one playoff victory in 23 seasons. And that’s to say nothing of the numerous lawsuits, investigations and allegations during Snyder’s tenure. The NFL fined the organization $10 million and ordered Snyder to pay $60 million after an investigation supported claims of sexual harassment and financial fraud.

While the Commanders have continued to struggle this season, Harris already has been showing long-term vision.

Greenbelt selected as next FBI headquarters site as FBI director and Virginia leaders object

After years of discussions over the fate of the J. Edgar Hoover Building in downtown D.C. and where the next FBI headquarters should be, Greenbelt, Maryland, was announced in November as its future site.

A three-member voting panel made up of two General Services Administration employees and an FBI employee evaluated three sites: Greenbelt and Landover in Maryland, and Springfield, Virginia. Greenbelt was selected because of the cost to taxpayers, its transportation access and the project delivery schedule, a GSA spokesperson said.

Maryland leaders including the governor, senators and Prince George’s County executive celebrated and said the huge project will spur growth in the area.

FBI Director Christopher Wray said in a letter that he was concerned about a “potential conflict of interest” in the site selection process. Virginia’s senators and nine U.S. House members called for an investigation.

The former federal official, Nina Albert, who found herself at the center of the controversy dismissed accusations and defended the pick.

“Actually, everything’s quite transparent and open book. GSA on their website has all of the documents that explain what my decision-making process was, what the site selection process was,” she said.

The inspector general for the GSA will review how the site was selected.

Carjackings terrify drivers as officials look for answers

The number of carjackings in D.C. doubled in the past year. More than three-quarters of the crimes involve guns, and 62% of people arrested are minors, according to MPD statistics near the end of the year.

The victims in 2023 included a member of Congress, Rep. Henry Cuellar, of Texas. In October, he said three people pointing guns at him “came out of nowhere” near his home in Navy Yard.

Some of the crimes this year ended in tragedy. Thirteen-year-old Vernard Toney Jr. died after he was shot in the Penn Quarter area in October by an off-duty federal officer. Toney and another young person had tried to carjack him when the officer opened fire, police said.

That same month, a teen girl who was inside a carjacked vehicle was killed in a crash in Northeast. In Glenarden, Maryland, four teenagers died after a stolen car crashed into a tree. Relatives of two of the teens said they got into the Kia not knowing it had been taken in a carjacking in Greenbelt earlier that day.

A criminologist told News4 last month that some of the carjackings are crimes of opportunity and that a perceived lack of consequences can explain the surge in cases.

U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Matthew Graves — whose office has fielded criticism for not pursuing more of these cases — has blamed D.C. law that loosened penalties on young violent offenders as contributing to the problem. His office said it’s now charging more cases, and Graves is urging D.C. officials to reinstate tougher mandatory minimums for the crime.

Flash flooding kills 10 dogs at District Dogs; DC 911 response grilled

A startling late August storm flooded Northeast D.C. and brought fast-rising, waist-high water to the front windows of District Dogs. After climbing to 6 feet in a matter of minutes, the water crashed through the plate glass windows of the doggy day care.

Employees and first responders saved around 40 dogs, but 10 dogs drowned that day.

Their human companions grieved and then questioned how the tragedy could have happened.

“It was supposed to be celebrating his birthday,” one owner said through sobs.

“They were so innocent. They didn’t do anything to deserve this,” another said as she cried.

The owner said the District Dogs location on Rhode Island Ave. will never open again after the flood, but he will explore opening a different location to serve the Northeast community in the future. D.C. later decided to restrict how the storefront can be used in the future.

911 dispatch records later showed a delay between the first calls and when rescue teams arrived and began to enter the building.

“We could have done things differently. This was an unprecedented event, and so now as we look at what we could have done differently, we are making changes,” said Heather McGaffin, director of the D.C. Office of Unified Communications.

Maryland town divided over decision to restrict beach to residents

A comment from the mayor of Chesapeake Beach, Maryland, drew rebuke from some residents and visitors after the town voted to extend restrictions until 2025 prohibiting non-residents from visiting a local beach.

In a March meeting, after a councilman raised concerns from businesses about prohibiting their guests or other tourists on the beach, Mayor Pat Mahoney countered by saying, “I’ll be the voice of the south side now. Quote-unquote: We don’t want them people down here.”

A longtime resident, Denise Plater, observed: “The way that he said it, it is definitely perceived as a discriminatory term.” Plater, who is Black, said she didn’t know if the mayor was referring to a specific demographic, but she knows it didn’t sit well with many of her friends and family. Census data shows Chesapeake Beach is more than 80% white, with African Americans making up less than 10% of its residents. Plus, she said, many of the town’s tourists come from predominantly Black areas.

The I-Team made multiple attempts to ask Mahoney about those comments, but he did not respond. In a statement to The Southern Maryland News, however, he said that by “them people,” he meant “tourists” and “fossil hunters.”

Fentanyl overdoses spike among students

School districts across the region have struggled with student overdoses. Last month, officials with Loudoun County Public Schools said at least 10 students at six different schools suffered suspected overdoses on their campuses since the beginning of the school year.

Celia Linares said her son was one of them, and the overdose nearly killed him.

“He didn’t have a pulse when they took him to the hospital,” Linares said in Spanish. “I was very worried.”

Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman wants parents and kids to know these potentially deadly pills are disguised to look like prescription drugs. Those pills are suspected of containing fentanyl, the incredibly potent opioid the DEA says is causing a spike in overdose deaths nationwide.

“They look just like Percocet pills,” Chapman said. “They look like pharmaceutical-grade pills and they’re not.”

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin issued an executive order stating that school districts must tell parents about any overdoses involving their children’s schools within 24 hours. And across the river, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser declared a public emergency in response to the rise in opioid overdoses in the District.

Sonic boom rattles DC area as fighter jets respond to private plane that flew through restricted airspace

F-16s dispatched by North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) set off a sonic boom heard and felt from Annapolis to Fredericksburg, Virginia, on a Sunday afternoon in June as they scrambled to intercept a private jet that flew through D.C.’s restricted airspace.

The fighter jets were authorized to fly at supersonic speeds to respond to the Cessna Citation jet with an unresponsive pilot. The airspace in about a 30-mile radius of D.C. is restricted.

The Cessna flew at an altitude of 39,000 feet more than 450 mph directly over Northwest D.C. and through Virginia, according to FlightAware. A defense official told NBC News that NORAD F-16s scrambled, began shadowing the plane and saw the pilot onboard was incapacitated.

The jet crashed in rural southwest Virginia after running out of fuel, government sources said.

“By far the most likely suspect is some sort of a pressurization issue,” William Waldock, a professor of safety science who teaches aircraft accident investigation at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, Arizona, told the Associated Press.

First responders reached the crash site on foot about four hours after local and state authorities were notified. No survivors were found, officials said.

NBC News reported that the Cessna Citation belonged to John Rumpel from Melbourne, Florida. Rumpel said his daughter, granddaughter, nanny and their pilot were all on board.

The mother and her daughter were returning home to the Hamptons, News4 New York reported.

Lakhinder Vohra told News4 New York his friend Adina Azarian, a Hamptons realtor, and her 2-year-old daughter, Aria, were on the Cessna.

Driver goes on rampage in multiple vehicles, including stolen ambulance

A Maryland man stole two different trucks and an ambulance during a wild August chase from Virginia into D.C. By the end of the driver’s rampage, he had caused more than 13 hit-and-run crashes — one of them with a Virginia State Police trooper’s car.

The chaotic chase began on I-66, with a truck reported stolen out of Falls Church. The driver caused a two-car crash on the interstate before speeding off.

The same driver caused another multi-car crash in the northbound lanes of I-395 just minutes later. Five people were injured and sent to the hospital, after the stolen truck crashed into at least 10 cars sitting in heavy traffic.

The driver then got out of the truck and ran away, eventually getting into a second truck and stealing it. Minutes later, he caused another crash on the George Washington Parkway by driving the wrong way down the road and hitting another vehicle.

An ambulance heading to the chaos on I-395 stopped on the Parkway to attend to that crash. When medics got out of the ambulance to help, the driver of the stolen truck hopped in and drove off. A Virginia State Trooper began a chase.

When the driver stopped the ambulance at one point during the pursuit, the trooper got out of his car — but the ambulance then reversed into the police vehicle, and drove off again, back onto I-395.

The wild ride ended when the driver crashed the ambulance head-on into a parked car on 14th and D Streets. The driver was arrested, and charged by federal, state and local law enforcement.

Virginia officials and Wizards, Caps owner agree on $2B plan to bring teams across the river

The announcement of a tentative deal to send two of D.C.’s marquee sports teams across the Potomac River caught most DMV residents by surprise. It was only Monday afternoon when we learned Virginia leaders were looking to lure the Washington Wizards and Capitals into the commonwealth. Less than 48 hours later, the owner of the teams and Virginia’s governor made a surprise announcement that it’s all but a done deal.

The $2 billion plan would transform the rapidly developing Alexandria neighborhood of Potomac Yard. It’s also poised to send shockwaves through downtown D.C., which is accustomed to the economic rewards of hosting tens of thousands of Cap and Wizards fans but has struggled with increased crime.

And it throws another ball into the air for a region that’s trying to juggle a lot of major changes — including the FBI HQ’s move to Maryland from D.C., and D.C.’s efforts to coax the Washington Commanders back from Maryland.

“National Landing Wizards doesn’t quite have the same ring,” D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said, referring to a name frequently used by developers for a strip of neighborhoods that includes Potomac Yard.

In the leadup to Wednesday’s announcement, D.C. and Virginia lawmakers proposed dueling multimillion-dollar bids to either transform the teams’ Capital One Arena in the District, or spur the move across the river.

Then Ted Leonsis, owner of Monumental Sports and Entertainment — the company that owns the teams — and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced they will work together to create a “world-class” entertainment district in Potomac Yard (“pending legislative approval and completion of definitive documents,” a statement from Monumental noted).

In case you missed it, here are some of the biggest questions looming about the move of the Washington Capitals and Wizards from D.C. to Northern Virginia.

COVID cases surged late in the summer

As the summer wound down, people around the DMV suddenly noticed a lot more of their friends and family getting sick.

COVID was back with new variants, and with a vengeance that caused hospitalizations to go up again.

“This [virus] is still being nasty and tricky. It’s still shifting just as fast as vaccines can be developed. And we are seeing an uptick in infection nationally, an uptick in emergency room visits and hospitalizations, but it is nothing to the kind of level that was experienced earlier in the COVID epidemic,” Dr. Jesse Goodman, a professor of medicine and infectious diseases at Georgetown University Medical Center, told News4 in mid-September.

Omicron subvariant EG.5, which some health experts nicknamed “Eris,” was the dominant strain, while FL.1.5.1 was the second-largest strain.

With most COVID tests now done at home and unreported, individual cases of COVID-19 are harder to track. But CDC data showed hospitalizations were on the rise since late July. Goodman, who is a physician at three hospitals in the D.C. area, said he saw an increase in COVID-19 patients in the weeks before speaking with News4.

“I think just generally, and also talking to my colleagues, whereas a few months ago we weren’t seeing much, we didn’t have many COVID patients hospitalized. Now, we’re starting to see them,” he said in mid-September.

A new formula of COVID vaccine was approved by the CDC on Sept. 13.

Why a driver going 36 in a 35 mph zone got a speed camera ticket in Virginia

A problem with some speed cameras in Northern Virginia school zones led to drivers receiving tickets in error, Fairfax County police said.

Driver William Restrepo knew something was wrong when he saw why he was ticketed: for going one mile over the speed limit.

“They clocked me at 36, and the speed limit is 35. So I’m like, that’s a little petty to begin with,” he said.

Restrepo got the ticket after a speed camera on Franconia Road near Key Middle School, in Springfield, recorded his speed. When school is in session, flashing 25 mph signs light up. But he was ticketed in July.

“I realized they are only supposed to be working during school hours. Who do I talk to?” he asked.

Restrepo emailed News4. It turns out he was right to suspect that something was wrong.

Police said the tickets were issued in error to drivers near three schools: Key Middle School, in Springfield, Irving Middle School, in Springfield and London Towne Elementary School, in Centreville.

Frederick sheriff ‘regretted’ signing letters to allow gun shop owner to get machine guns, court docs say

A motion filed in June by federal prosecutors shows Frederick County Sheriff Charles Jenkins “regretted” signing letters that allowed a gun shop owner to obtain combat-style machine guns.

Jenkins was indicted in April for allegedly helping Robert Krop get machine guns and conspiring with him to rent the weapons to private citizens. Jenkins pleaded not guilty to five counts of conspiracy and making false statements.

The indictment alleges Krop wrote five letters between 2015 and 2023 for Jenkins to sign requesting machine gun demonstrations for potential future purchase by the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office.

The motion filed this week details how undercover federal investigators tried to prove Krop had illegal machine guns at his Frederick business The Machine Gun Nest. 

Jenkins returned to his duties as sheriff and was back in court in October.

Horrific DUI crash on Rock Creek Parkway reveals problem with DC DMV

A problem with how D.C.’s Department of Motor Vehicles was processing DUI cases was uncovered after a horrific crash on Rock Creek Parkway in March.

Nakita Marie Walker, 43, of D.C., was charged with second-degree murder in a drunken driving crash that killed three people on Rock Creek Parkway.

She had five DUI convictions – three in DC – but never had her driving privileges taken from her, according to prosecutors and court records.

City officials blamed a processing error between the courts and the DMV.

A senior administration official close to the investigation said the problem could go back as far as 2010.

“That’s resulted in what is a significant amount of individuals in the same position as Ms. [Nakita] Walker, meaning that they are on the roads driving with convictions that have not been added to their record and their licenses have not been suspended,” said Joseph Davis, who works at the DMV and is vice president of the union.

The problem with the D.C. Department of Motor Vehicles processing DUI convictions could go back more than a decade, News4 learned.

Davis said some DUI cases don’t get processed for as many as 10 years after the conviction.

“It is a regular occurrence that individuals will appear who have just recently had their DUI appear on their record and the DUI occurred 10 or more years ago,” Davis said based on his experience.

Mayor Muriel Bowser’s administration launched a multiagency investigation in to how widespread the problem is.

Giant pandas leave DC for China

One of the most bittersweet moments of the year came when the National Zoo’s giant pandas, who called D.C. home for more than two decades, left for a new home in China.

Tian Tian, 26; Mei Xiang, 25, and their youngest offspring, 3-year-old Xiao Qi Ji, were loaded into white FedEx crates and onto a truck before traveling out of the District.

When the pandas arrived at the airport, crews carefully off-loaded them and hoisted them onto the FedEx “Panda Express” plane.

Mei Xiang could be seen peeking out of the window of her crate on the way to the plane, giving the D.C. area what felt like one final goodbye.

The plane took the pandas on the 19-hour journey from Dulles International Airport to Chengdu, China, where they now live in a new home at the China Wildlife Conservation Association.

That new home is basically “a panda base, if you will,” according to Bryan Amaral, senior curator at the National Zoo.

“It’s a place where they have lots and lots of giant pandas, very similar to what you would see — how our giant pandas live here, very similar to that,” Amaral said. “They just have a lot more giant pandas than we have. Where we have elephants and, you know, all kinds of other things, they have just pandas.”

While it’s not the first time D.C. has had to say goodbye to pandas at the National Zoo, it’s the first time in 23 years that the panda exhibit at the zoo is empty.

Those living in the DMV know they had something special with these pandas, and the pandas’ keepers were just as sad about their departure, although they also know the pandas will be well cared for in their new home.

“I’m excited for their future,” Brandy Smith, the zoo’s director, told News4. “Although I’m a little bit heartbroken for us.”

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About 140,000 people in D.C. 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 for nine months if the District had a budget surplus. The District did end the last fiscal year with a surplus, but so far Bowser has refused to use the funds to increase SNAP benefits.

Council members have urged the mayor to comply with the law. Ward 4 Council member Janeese Lewis George called Bowser’s refusal unlawful, and At-Large Council member Robert White said it’s irresponsible.

Bowser pushed back last week, questioning whether putting the $38 million toward SNAP was the best use of the money.

“How can we best use that $38 million for the same people?” she asked.

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“Is this the best way? Is it better to use it for [Temporary Assistance for Needy Families] increases that affect more people? Is it better to use it for a summer benefits program where the federal government can be a partner?” she continued.

In an opinion, D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb wrote, “The mayor must expend the funds as the council directed and cannot unilaterally use them for another purpose.”

Bowser told reporters she’s in talks with council members about how to best use the surplus funds.

“We do have some questions that come from our agencies. Should we advance a nine-month benefit that goes away, or should we work on something that’s more sustainable for more people?” she said.

“Those are our questions, and that’s the question I put to the council. I have not advanced the reprogramming, which is why I say nothing needs to be restored, but I do think it’s responsible to have that conversation,” she added.

Some advocacy groups have threatened to take the mayor to court to compel her to put the $38 million toward SNAP benefits.

The legislation had called for the SNAP benefits to increase beginning in January, but that seems unlikely, given the mayor has yet to reprogram the surplus funds.

1: New Metrorail faregates

Perhaps no transportation project has gotten more attention recently that the new, taller, stronger Metro faregates. In 2024, you’ll see them in every Metro station. Metro General Manager Randy Clarke said they should be fully installed by next summer.

“These things are really resilient. Could I physically get through one? Yes. I’m going to have to work really hard, like trying out for the Commanders, to get through there. But we just want people to respect the community system, and I think it’s trying to bring some order back, and recover fare revenue,” he said.

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800 tons of asphalt in 6 hours: Inside the race to repair DCA's main runway

2: DCA runway repairs

At Reagan National Airport, the nightly race to repave the main runway, which is considered by some to be the busiest runway in the country, should finish by late 2024.

“This is probably the most that we have done since the runway was built,” construction manager Priyam Shah said.

3: Route 7 expansion

In Northern Virginia, seven miles of Route 7 between Tysons and Great Falls will go from four lanes to six lanes, with new bike and pedestrian improvements. It’s all set to be finished by summer 2024.

Crews broke ground on the project back in 2019. When the work finishes, they will have been five years of construction along the busy roadway and people will be glad to see it finally done.

4: Better merging on I-270

Along Interstate 270 in Maryland, high-tech ramp sensors should be fully installed to help eliminate awkward and mistimed merges.

”They get to the end of the ramp, they have nowhere to go, so they stop, which will cause the traffic in the main line to slow down,” Stephen McVeigh of MDOT said.

That project is expected to be done in fall 2024.

Let’s hope we all can commute smoothly next year.

News4 spoke with Kelly about his 34-year career at the Post, why he says D.C. is a “proud town” and why he wrote about squirrels so often.

Kelly is a rock ‘n’ roll drummer in The Airport 77s by night but is best known for his day job as a Post writer. He was 26 when he started writing for the Post Weekend section in 1989. He spent nine years writing for the section and created the section for young people called KidsPost.

“I thought, oh, man. I went to Harvard for this?” he said.

Kelly started KidsPost in 2000, ran it for three or four years, and came to love it, he said.

“It’s actually really hard to make a complex story understandable to a 10-year-old,” he said.

He began writing his daily column, John Kelly’s Washington, in 2004 after Bob Levey retired. Levey wrote the column for almost 30 years. But the column dates back to 1947, when it was first written by Bill Gold.

“The paper thought a daily human-interest column would help connect with readers,” Kelly said.

The column ran in the A section and was an immediate hit.

“Readers loved it – all these little bits about the streetcar and pets and Children’s Hospital,” he said.

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‘I love the passions and the enthusiasms that people have’

Over the past two decades, Kelly has penned more than 4,000 columns about local Washington – the weird, the quirky, the mundane and, yes, the squirrels.

“Discovery does really well with Shark Week, and you’re much more likely to see a squirrel than see a shark. So, I started devoting a week every spring to squirrels and did that every spring since 2011,” he said.

“I love the passions and the enthusiasms that people have about anything, whether it’s squirrels or D.C. history or local music, some bit of local trivia. Those are the things I like exploring and sharing,” he said.

Kelly recently joined other Post writers in a one-day strike, and he’s among several other Post writers to take a buyout. Courtland Milloy, another longtime voice of the paper, is among those leaving.

“I don’t feel like I’m being pushed out,” Kelly said. “It does sadden me that a lot of people are taking the buyout, and especially older people who, as you say, have a lot of institutional memory, and a lot of people who are in the Metro section. The way the buyouts were structured, it seemed heavily towards local news coverage.”

“My hope is the Post will continue to be the preeminent local news machine that it is,” he said.

As for what’s next, Kelly said he’ll turn to his band, books he wants to read and movies he wants to watch.

“I will think about, are there things, projects I want to do, writing that [is] longer than 800 words every day, five days a week?” he said. “[…] So, I’m looking forward to what comes next, but I don’t know what it is.”

So, what does one learn from writing about his hometown five days a week for 20 years?

“We are a small town, in a way, and we’re a proud town. And I mean that to include Washington but also Silver Spring and Vienna and Bowie and Arlington and, you know, the whole area,” Kelly said.

“Washington is as much a town of regular people who have great affection for where they grew up as any other place in the country,” he said.

News4 asked the Post about the future of Kelly’s and Milloy’s columns. They said in a statement: “We are immensely grateful to Courtland Milloy and John Kelly for their work chronicling this community, its changes and its challenges through the years. Their reporting helped create an ongoing dialogue with our readers that we are committed to maintaining, whether through columns or other formats that deepen our engagement with the Washington region.”

If the proposal to move the men’s teams to Virginia becomes a reality, the owner of Monumental Sports, Ted Leonsis, has said he wants to move the Mystics from their current venue – the Entertainment and Sports Arena, on the St. Elizabeths campus east of the Anacostia River – to Capital One Arena downtown.

That may be easier said that done. Monumental is under contract with the District to use the ESA venue for Mystics games and Wizards practice. The $400,000-per-year contract calls for the teams to stay there until 2037.

A spokesperson for Mayor Muriel Bowser wrote, “The District honors its contracts, and we trust and expect our partners to do the same. This partnership and the arena it built have been a catalyst for change in Ward 8, creating jobs and opportunity and paving the way for new housing, retail, and health care on the St. Elizabeths East Campus. The Mystics organization and players have been strong supporters of Ward 8, and the community has embraced the team right back. We look forward to continuing this shared success.”

A spokesperson for Monument told News4 the Mystics and women’s sports in general are outgrowing the ESA venue, which only holds about 4,000 fans.

“The fandom of women’s sports has exploded in recent years and the Mystics are consistently selling out their home games. We believe we can create a tailored gameday experience for that expanding fanbase and provide the space for this championship-winning team to continue growing the franchise to play for 10,000 fans within 3-5 years,” they said.

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Leonsis has said that if the Alexandria arena deal goes through as planned, the Caps and Wizards would move in 2028. He said he hopes to completely redesign Capital One arena, making the seating flexible so it could accommodate 10,000-seat events like women’s and college basketball and expand to 20,000 seats for concerts and other large events.

Holiday shoppers were still out and about at about 8:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 18, in the 900 block of F Street NW when the Metropolitan Police Department officer opened fire.

According to police, officers spotted a man who police say they believed was carrying a gun in his waistband. As officers approached him, he fled. Police provided preliminary details the night of the shooting.

“As the officers were attempting to stop that individual, a firearm was displayed. One officer discharged a round at the individual,” Executive Assistant Chief Jeffery Carroll said.

The video shows an officer chasing the man down the sidewalk and yelling at him.

“Put your hands up!” he says on video.

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The man appears to slip and fall, get back up and continue to run away, at which point the officer fires one shot.

“Shot fired. Don’t move, don’t move,” he said.

Even slowing down the video, which was blurred by police, it’s unclear if the man draws a weapon and points it at police, or if the man was facing police when he was shot.

As an officer handcuffs the suspect, the man tells police he’s been shot.

“Excuse me. I’m bleeding,” he says.

“Nobody cares. Shut your mouth,” someone is heard replying.

As police search the man, an officer points to a handgun on the sidewalk.

“The weapon is right there,” someone says.

According to police, the loaded semi-automatic handgun was recovered near the man, a 27-year-old.

Police charged him with assault on a police officer, possession of a controlled substance and six firearms charges, including unlawful possession and carrying a pistol without a license.

The officer was placed on routine administrative leave pending an investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Police say the man’s injuries were not life-threatening, that no officers were injured and that it did not appear that the man fired his weapon. Police declined to answer any follow-up questions about the shooting.

On December 31, Metrorail will be open from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m., two hours more than the usual time. Meanwhile, on January 1, the trains will operate from 7 a.m. until midnight, the agency said.

Because last train times vary by station, Metro urged riders to monitor station pages. Add two hours to the Sunday closing time at any station to find out when the last train will leave.

In a written statement, the transportation agency added that 14 bus routes will be available 24 hours a day in Washington D.C. Click here for more.

RED LINE CLOSURES

Metro also reminded riders that the Farragut North and Metro Center stations will not have Red Line service until December 30, the day before New Year’s Eve.

Buses are available free of charge between those stations.

Trains run every 8-10 minutes between Shady Grove and Dupont Circle and every 10-12 minutes between Gallery Place and Glenmont.

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Additionally, the Green and Yellow Lines will continue to serve Gallery Place and the Blue, Orange and Silver lines will continue to serve Metro Center.

Those Metrorail lines offer regular service levels on Sundays during the holidays, the agency said.

Lastly, during the holidays, parking is free in all Metro-owned parking spaces.

The man was shot in the 600 block of Maryland Avenue SW just before 4:30 a.m., D.C. police said. He was taken to a hospital, where he died. His name was not immediately released, pending notification of his family.

The suspected shooter was caught on surveillance cameras and the search for him is ongoing, police said.

Shattered glass could be seen at a bus station near the Metrorail station. The Maryland Avenue and Seventh Street station entrance was temporarily closed and later reopened.

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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The D.C. Home Rule Act, signed by President Richard Nixon on Christmas Eve in 1973, answered calls for self-determination that dated back to the 1870s. A year after the legislation, city voters chose their first elected mayor, Walter E. Washington, and their first elected city council. But the bill wasn’t the be-all and end-all for local governance.

​Instead, it’s been referred to as a pig in a poke, and the ensuing years would reveal what was in that bag.

“I call it limited home rule because that really is what it is,” Chairman Phil Mendelson, of the D.C. Council, said. 

Most glaring were the limits on fiscal freedom. Before home rule, pensions for city police officers, firefighters, teachers and judges were handled on a federal pay-as-you-go basis. So when it became the city’s responsibility, there was no money – a structural flaw that was only addressed amid budget-killing debt.​

“That got up to about $3 billion before finally that got fixed,” Mendelson said. ​

Other shortcomings persist.​

“Our criminal justice system is half federal, half local, and in all these ways, it’s more complicated and more difficult to govern,” Mendelson said. 

​As recent as this past summer, amid rising crime and proposed changes to the city’s criminal code, a Republican from Tennessee sponsored legislation that would repeal the D.C. Home Rule Act and place the District back under control of Congress. The bill was short on details and language; it’s barely a page long and is languishing in the House.

​And Congress has always kept a Damoclean sword dangling over City Hall. ​

“All of our bills have to go to Congress. And in the past 50 years, something like four bills have actually been disapproved. Congress still puts riders on legislation, trying to constrict what we’re doing,” Mendelson said. 

​And the 700,000 residents of D.C. still don’t have full representation in Congress, which Mayor Muriel Bowser also addressed in a statement available here.

​“Anniversaries are always an important time to reflect as well as to renew commitment, and this government and this city has been fighting for statehood for decades, so this is an opportunity to renew that commitment,” Mendelson said. ​

Expect celebrations of the D.C. Home Rule Act all year long, including a reunion of past elected leaders, survivors of the system that at 50 years old is still growing.​

“But still, it’s a better government than the preceding hundred years,” Mendelson said. 

The lab has regained accreditation for its biology lab, which processes DNA, and the chemistry lab, which processes drugs for testing.

The National Accreditation Board is expected to make the announcement next week.

News4’s Mark Segraves first broke the story on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Saturday.

In 2021, the lab found itself at the center of a criminal investigation after reports of errors in the lab’s firearms and fingerprint sections, along with mismanagement and cover-ups.

 It’s unclear when the firearms unit could be accredited again.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C. issued a statement confirming the news on Tuesday and said work will begin to resolve “the significant CODIS backlog.”

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is pleased that DFS has regained its ANAB accreditation in two forensic science units, a critical first step in rebuilding the lab,” the statement said. “We wholeheartedly agree with DFS’s decision to immediately begin work in the Forensic Biology Unit on resolving the significant CODIS backlog, which addresses an important public safety issue. Additionally, as an accredited lab, DFS will be able to hire essential experts and staff, enhance its quality assurance system, and further work towards ensuring its experts will be qualified for testing for criminal cases. We appreciate the commitment of DFS, under Dr. Diaz’s leadership, to transparency with our Office as DFS continues the rebuilding process. We believe that under his leadership DFS will take the additional steps that will be necessary for DFS personnel in these two forensic science units to be accepted by our courts as experts. Accreditation is an important mile marker in the journey towards having testifying experts again. We look forward to DFS completing the journey in the coming years, and we are prepared to provide whatever support we can in these efforts.”

Mayor Muriel Bowser said in a statement Tuesday that the reaccreditation is a “critical step in supporting case closure.”

“I am pleased to announce that the Department of Forensic Sciences’ (DFS) application for reaccreditation of its Forensic Biology and Forensic Chemistry Units has been approved,” the mayor said. “Responsible for testing and analyzing biological substances, including DNA, controlled substances and drugs, these reaccredited units will support MPD investigations and will add to our existing network of outside labs as well as those accessible by the U.S. Attorney. We remain focused on reducing crime and that means ensuring all parts of our public safety and justice ecosystem are working at full capacity. Reaccreditation is a critical step in supporting case closure and affording us another tool to advance justice for victims. I want to especially acknowledge the dedication and experienced leadership of Dr. Diaz and the continued hard work of the DFS scientists and staff.”

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

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D.C. Police officers are now looking for the suspects in two separate incidents, as they hunt for the dogs in hopes of reuniting them with their owners.

The first dog theft took place on Monday, when a burglar broke in the window of a home on Galveston Place Southwest. That burglar entered the home around 5:50 p.m. that evening, took unspecified property and a dog, and left the area.

The dog is a 2-year-old male French bulldog named Tyson. The dog also answers to the name “Cheese,” according to a police report, and he is gray with a white patch on the front of his chest.

On Friday afternoon, just before 3 p.m., a woman living in Southeast D.C. listed her dog Mocha for sale online.

The robber contacted the woman online to buy Mocha, but when the suspect and another person arrived at the 3300 block of 14^th Place SE, the robber grabbed the dog from the woman. When she tried to get her dog back, one of the two people pointed a handgun at her and threatened to shoot her.

The woman left, calling 911, police said.

Mocha is a 1-year-old beige French bulldog with a fresh C-section scar on her stomach. According to the police press release, she also has a microchip.

D.C. Police currently offers a reward of up to $10,000 to anyone who provides information that leads to the arrest and conviction of people responsible for a violent crime committed in D.C.

“In our neighborhood, a lot of people have doorbell cameras, garage door cameras, and they’re really quick to make everyone aware,” a resident said.

Earlier this week, a man broke into Annie’s Ace Hardware on 8^th Street NE. Inside the store, he broke down a cage door to get to power tools before stuffing a black trash bag with other items.

The owner of the store said the burglar got away with $500 worth of tools and caused $2,000 in damage to one of his doors.

Surveillance cameras recorded the burglary.

The business was one of multiple Northeast locations 35-year-old Christopher Flood allegedly broke into, including a few homes and Paulist Evangelization Ministries, an all-male seminary school, police said.

He was strategic about the places he burglarized and destroyed property, police said.

“He was really kind of targeting places that were a little bit out of the way, not maybe lit as well as they could be,” said District Cmdr. Sylvan Altieri said.

“He had a pry bar, but the way the handle was shaped, the color, was, like, super distinctive,” Altieri said. 

Neighbors and their security camera video helped police narrow in on the suspect, providing certain clues to what he was wearing.

“We were able to not just put together a good description of the suspect, but there were certain things that were really key identifiers for this,” Altieri said.

“We were not only able to determine the houses that he got into, but, like, his flight path,” he said.

Officers caught Flood Thursday night breaking into a home on Hamlin Street, police said.

“Anything that we can do to help the police do their job and to try to push back on some of the increase that we’re seeing in the crime these days,” the resident said.

Maybe you clicked on this good news article because you want to keep the warm-and-fuzzy holiday vibes going. Or maybe you clicked it because you still miss precedented times, and this year was another rough one.

No matter why you’re here, just remember that a brand-new year, 2024, is waiting patiently just days away, and ready to greet you with good things you can’t imagine yet.

But before that, take a second to appreciate the good we saw this year, too.

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Plenty of good Samaritans were just waiting for a reason to help their fellow humans in need. More than a few baby animals were born, and a lot of D.C.-area residents celebrated triple-digit birthdays. Some iconic institutions celebrated big anniversaries, too.

Here’s a look back at all the good things that happened around the DMV in 2023.

We saw some warm and fuzzy animal stories

Sometimes good Samaritans help animals, too. In Virginia, back in July, Jeffrey Simpson said he was driving into work when he came upon a troubled skunk trying to navigate the streets with a cup stuck on its head.

After a few minutes of coaxing, multiple harrowing near-misses from cars and several pleas from Simpson to the skunk not to spray him, the animal was freed, and the skunk and its rescuer parted ways.

In Woodley Park, 2023 saw an influx of new, adorable baby animals at the National Zoo. From two fluffy Andean bear cubs to a gorilla baby named over the summer, there was plenty to squeal over.

Though we’re still nursing the heartache that came with wishing the giant pandas farewell, we made a new friend in the form of Basil, the one-eyed opossum. (As if his permanent wink wasn’t enough, he’s also a fan of fluffy blankets and eating pesky, disease-causing ticks.)

And how does the National Zoo keep all those animals warm even as temperatures drop in the District? News4 took a tour behind the scenes back in November to find out.

There was plenty of good news when it came to less exotic, less wild animals around the DMV. Many, many animals were adopted as part of the Clear the Shelters Campaign — 157,000 nationwide in 2023 alone.

But months before that annual campaign kicked off, one whopper of a cat in Richmond, Virginia delighted his internet fans by getting adopted.

Patches, a 40.3 pound cat with white fur and gray spots, finally found an owner “to help regulate his “gloriously gluttonous body,” as the Richmond Animal Care and Control shelter said on Facebook.

We also saw efforts to save the environment around the District

Love for nature wasn’t limited to just your favorite fluffy creatures this year.

Metro invested millions of dollars into a greener transit system in 2023. A whopping $104 million was put toward quieter, more environmentally-friendly electric buses.

It’s just a few pieces in the District’s massive bus fleet, but it’s the first step toward a lofty goal: to have the entire Metrobus fleet — nearly 1,600 buses — to zero emissions by 2042.

Over at Catholic University, officials unveiled plans to open D.C.’s largest-ever solar array. In March of the new year, a 25-acre series of solar panels will help power the university, with any extra energy generated going towards the city.

And down by the Tidal Basin, the National Park Service approved a plan to help mitigate flooding near the iconic walkway.

Rising sea levels have compounded with the sinking Tidal Basin seawall, causing walkways, trees roots and even benches to end up underwater. The most iconic example of the effects is Stumpy, a beloved-if-scraggly cherry tree that still blooms every spring.

The NPS rehabilitation project will raise the seawall by around 5 feet, along with other changes in a construction project expected to start next summer.

Good Samaritans helped others all year long

You never know when the universe will align to make good things happen.

News4 first met Dolly Turner in February, when she was on a mission to recover her late father’s military memorabilia. She’d spent decades looking for the Tuskegee Airman’s belongings, many of which went missing when Turner’s family sold their house.

“We have a great, rich family history and that’s why it’s so important for us to get these items back,” Dolly Turner said.

After News4’s story aired, one viewer saw it all the way down in North Carolina.

“My heart almost stopped. When I saw a picture of the memorabilia that had been lost, it was exactly the photograph of what I had just purchased,” she said. She asked to remain anonymous.

She said she’s an African American history collector and bought the items online. Once she realized Turner was looking for them, she sent it all back to her free of charge.

“There are good people in the world,” Turner said.

Way back in March, Jelani Clayton pulled off Ohio Drive SW just south of the Lincoln Memorial to wait out some frustrating traffic and enjoy the view. Then, he saw something strange in the water.

“I did not realize it was a person,” Clayton said. “I thought it was an animal or some trash, and as I got closer, the person whimpered.”

It was a woman with a jacket zipped up over her face. He jumped into action without hesitation to pull the woman out, and called 911. She was just barely conscious — but thanks to Clayton’s quick action, she survived near-hypothermia.

“Humanity still exists. It could have been easy for me to walk away,” Clayton said. “Nobody was here; nobody was around. I could have left, but the humanity in me said that that’s a person in need, that’s a person who needs help.”

In June, an elderly man was also rescued after his car went into the Chesapeake Bay while he was still trapped inside.

Brent Mints, a retired Prince George’s County sheriff’s deputy, was riding his motorcycle near Kent Island when he saw a group gathered near the water. It didn’t take him long to realize something was wrong.

So he jumped into the water to help guide the car back towards the shallows near the pier, just in time for first responders to arrive.

In September, when Noah Fowler was driving down I-66 on his motorcycle, a powerful thunderstorm descended upon him with little notice.

”I was, like, two miles from my house, so I was, like, ‘Ah, I can make it home; I know where I’m going,’” Fowler said. “And next thing I know, I wake up on the ground with like 20 people or so around me.”

Fowler had been struck by a lightning bolt that traveled through his helmet and down his body. It burned his silver necklace into his skin, set his bike on fire — and sent him flying.

Luckily, Erica Sutherland and her fiancé, who work in the medical field, were heading in the other direction on I-66 and passed by right as Fowler was hit.

The duo stopped by Fowler and began performing CPR. Four minutes and 12 seconds into the chest compressions, Fowler regained consciousness.

In late October, when firefighters arrived at Malcolm Hemphill’s apartment in Southwest D.C., Hemphill was technically dead. He had stopped breathing and entered cardiac arrest, with his heart stopped for four minutes.

But that didn’t deter the D.C. Fire and EMS crew that arrived to save his life.

“[It was] hectic, chaotic,” William Steele, an EMS paramedic with the D.C. Fire Department, said of that day three weeks before. “Like everything else, we’ve found, in this city.”

“We were okay though. We had a really good crew that day,” Steele said.

It was the second time that the crew had saved Hemphill’s life this year. When he had been in medical distress months earlier, D.C. firefighters from Engine 7 responded then, as well.

In late November, Hemphill reunited with the medics who brought him back — and without any emergencies to be seen, everything was hugs and gratitude.

The work of first responders ranges from life-or-death to simple aid that makes a world of difference for people like Olivia Norman.

Norman is blind, and relies on her dog, Tofu, to get around in D.C.’s Cleveland Park neighborhood. Heavy rain and construction on Connecticut Avenue left her disoriented and unsure how to get home one night in September.

So she called 311, and was transferred to 911.

“I kept apologizing for bothering her,” she recalled. “I’m so sorry to be using city resources, but I don’t really know where I am. I’m lost. I just need to get home.”

Lamaya Wade, who had only been a 911 call taker for a few months, sent Officer Michael Jankowski to pick up Norman and Tofu, and safely drop them off at home.

Wade, Jankowski and Norman were reunited at the end of November, and shared their story.

And, good news for all those do-gooders out there: A study from earlier this year found that acts of kindness can ease symptoms of depression and anxiety. They also promote social connection and improve overall life satisfaction.

People made new connections and gave back to their communities

A Fairfax County teenager, Samantha Grayer, has always loved reading. To help increase child literacy and encourage other kids to grow their love of books, she started a nonprofit: Berries for Books.

Grayer has already collected thousands of books, and thanks those who donate to her mission with chocolate-covered strawberries.

In Montgomery County, back in February, 14-year-old Patrick Kaufmann delivered 20,000 Valentine’s Day cards to patients in local hospitals and nursing homes, hoping to reach those who may need some extra affection.

“Many people might not receive a card, and maybe they don’t have family that visit them a lot, or, you know, they’re kind of lonely on that day, so I think that one card, one simple card, can really just change the entire day or just make them feel special,” Patrick said.

It’s the third year he’s been delivering the cards, and he started with just 300.

Some area residents kept their community in mind even after they hit it big: Grammy nominees Michael and Tanya Trotter, better known as The War and Treaty, returned to the House of Ruth in D.C.

It’s the same homeless shelter where Michael Trotter stayed with his mom in the 90s.

The duo hosted a holiday party for kids staying in the shelter, complete with toys and a meeting with a very musical Santa and Mrs. Claus.

And sometimes, Santa doesn’t give the presents — he gets them. One mom decided it was time to say thanks to old St. Nick after her kids stopped by the Tyson’s Corner Center mall in Virginia for almost 20 years to greet him.

“This is my whole babies’ lives, and you were a major, major part of every Christmas, so I want to thank you for that,” said Elaina Ward, as she surprised Santa with photos from every visit.

We celebrated the places that make the DMV great

On U Street in D.C., iconic rock club The Black Cat celebrated its 30th anniversary at the beginning of September. A show full of hyperlocal Washington favorites let club regulars let loose for a weekend.

“Everybody who works here works here because they like music and like putting on shows, and so all the other stuff, it’s neat and it’s creative and it’s fun to do, to change stuff, but mostly, we like putting on concerts and enjoying music and having a fun bar to hang out at,” club owner and founder Dante Ferrando said.

If you thought 30 years was impressive, the story of Mount Jezreel Baptist Church will blow you away: The historically Black church in Silver Spring, Maryland celebrated its 150th anniversary in October.

Though the milestone marks the survival of the church since 1883, the congregation has roots in D.C. that go back to the end of the Civil War.

Their current pastor, Dr. Jamison Hunter, said across all that time, one thing’s been constant: “There’s a community impact. We’re in the community at heart.”

Speaking of community impact, let’s take a moment to appreciate all that Ben’s Chili Bowl half-smokes have done for people around the District: The restaurant has been handing them out for more than 65 years, as of August 2023.

In 1958, NASA was created, the Hope Diamond was donated to the Smithsonian, and Ben and Virginia Ali opened Ben’s Chili Bowl on U Street. The restaurant celebrated its big birthday with a block party, and Virginia Ali shared some of the most memorable moments along the way.

“It was always going to be Ben’s Chili Bowl, which included chili and half-smokes. Which was really a breakfast sausage but we thought it would be great on a hot dog bun,” Virginia Ali said. “A nice, steamed hot dog bun with mustard, onions and chili, and it turned out to be the number one seller.”

“Still is today’s. D.C.’s signature dish,” she said.

We celebrated some long-standing community members

Just like her business, Virginia Ali has been around to see it all. The Ben’s Chili Bowl founder turned 90 earlier this December, and celebrated with News4 in the studio.

“The glass is always half full, not half empty,” Ali said. “And when you wake up in the mornings, and you know that you’re gonna put that smile on your face and you’re gonna meet people — it just gives me happiness, being able to live to be 90 years old.”

In Lincoln, Virginia, the entire town came together to celebrate Helen Cook’s 100th birthday. Cook was the cafeteria manager for 50 years, helping make school lunches for three generations of students.

After working into her 80s, many of those former students remembered how she nourished body and soul with her kind words.

And she still has boundless energy after 100 years: Cook had recently renewed her driver’s license before her birthday in June, and still mows her own yard. She credits her faith and her love of the Lincoln community for how long she’s kept going.

In Silver Spring, Maryland, at the beginning of November, 107-year-old Katherine Gains was recognized by the Montgomery County Council for her courage and remarkable life.

Gains lived through the 1918 influenza pandemic, the Great Depression, the space race, the civil rights movement and the COVID-19 pandemic.

“All my life has been special,” she said. “I have really been fortunate and blessed that I have been able to live this long and be in the condition I’m in.”

And we applauded some long-lasting relationships

Way back on Valentine’s Day in 2019, a couple that met in the Navy got married at the Prince William County courthouse — with News4 there to cover the happy occasion.

Four years later, the Masons are still going strong. They celebrated their anniversary in February with their baby daughter, Octavia, and the family is now living in Laurel, Maryland.

Also in Prince George’s County, a Landover couple celebrated a milestone that only .1% of married couples ever reach, according to the U.S. Census Bureau: 69 years of marriage.

Lenard Harvey is 93 years old, and his bride Bernice Harvey is 98. They said the secret to their long marriage is faith and appreciation.

“I think it’s a blessing,” Lenard said. “God has blessed us, truly.”

On the other end of the DMV, Dave and Vivian Smith celebrated an impressive 75 years together in Falls Church.

Their World War II era romance started in a pretty typical way: Vivian, then a student at the College of Wooster in Ohio, was out with some girlfriends. The young women spent a night chatting with some young men, stationed at the college for Navy Pilot training.

“My mom with out with some girlfriends and they met,” said one of the couple’s two daughters. “And she was with one guy, but she was like, ‘But who’s THAT guy?'”

But how did the couple stay together so long? A whopping seven-and-a-half decades that included the start and end of the Cold War, the moon landing, the dawn of the information age and a global pandemic?

“It just happens,” said Dave Smith. “I mean, you’re busy doing stuff, you know, all the time. And you’re working and you’re having children, and they’re growing up. It’s a very… It just… happens!”

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Patricia Harris, 35, and Tyrone Jacobs, 24, were among the people standing outside the Friendly Food Market on Half Street SW, about a block from Nationals Park, when a Jeep Cherokee rolled up just before noon. Then someone inside the Jeep sprayed gunfire into the group.

Harris died at the scene, and Jacobs was rushed to a hospital, where he died later that day. Both were residents of Southwest D.C., police said.

Two other men were hurt. One was treated and released, and the other remained hospitalized, police said Friday.

Police have made no arrests, but they believe they’ve found the SUV used in the shooting.

Authorities initially issued a lookout for a white Jeep Grand Cherokee before they found a vehicle in Maryland matching the description. It had been abandoned and set on fire at the intersection of Arnold Road and Whitehall Street in Suitland.

“Due to the condition of the vehicle, confirmation is ongoing,” police said Friday.

The Jeep had been stolen in an armed carjacking near Blair and Kansas streets NW just a day before the shooting, Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela A. Smith said.

‘It hurt my heart to see another person die like that’

Many people walked by the crime scene outside the market Friday, wanting to see where it happened. Most said they didn’t know the victims. Others knew just a first name. Still, they were saddened by the violence.

One woman went to leave a stuffed animal and a bouquet of flowers. She said she didn’t know Harris.

“But it hurt my heart to see another person die like that, and it shouldn’t be that way,” she said.

“It’s not cool for another person to lose their life,” she said. “What’s the reason you’re shooting these people?”

As the day continued, others left mementos, and police kept an eye on the block.

The car owned by the man who runs the market remained parked outside; a bullet had punctured a back passenger-side window and exited from the front passenger window.

A law enforcement source says the shooter used an assault weapon. The velocity of the bullets was apparent, with holes pierced through brightly painted cinderblock walls.

As many as 20-30 shots fired at victims, witnesses say

Witnesses to Thursday’s drive-by shooting say the gunfire was rapid and loud, with as many as 20 to 30 shots fired at the victims.

Shortly after the shooting, a woman named Shantice said she ran to the scene with her baby in a stroller after getting a call saying her cousin may have been shot.

“I’m shaken; it’s crazy,” she said. “My nerves is very bad right now. I’m ready to pass out.”

Shantice was in tears, as were others as news of the shooting spread throughout the neighborhood.

“It’s terrible; you can’t walk to school with your kids,” she said. “You can’t walk outside with your kids. You can’t even walk to the store. It’s bad. It’s very bad. It don’t look good for the city.”

A woman named Yodie told News4 she thought she knew one of the victims.

“That stuff hurts!” she said as she cried. “And I think they just need to just stop and put down the guns and stop shooting and love one another. They got to put it down because we gonna lose a lot of people on the street with this violence.”

The street in front of the market was littered with shell casings. The neighborhood has had its share of gun violence over the years, and police had installed multiple crime cameras.

“For as long as we have been here, we hear gunshots all the time,” neighbor Stephanie Rogers said. “It’s like random handgun shots.”

Rogers said after she heard Thursday’s gunfire, she went outside and saw a man crying out in pain.

“He was limping to come around in front of the store and going, ‘I’ve been shot,’ and so I didn’t know what to think and just flipped around and came in the house and locked the door,” she said.

Smith said police often have an increased presence in the area but there hadn’t been any violent crime in the last 30 days.

Police are asking anyone with information about the shooting call them 202-727-9099. Anyone wishing to remain anonymous may text a tip tp 50411.

U.S. Park Police responded to a call about a car that went into the river near the Memorial Bridge just after midnight. When officers arrived, the car was found in the Potomac with one person inside.

The man was pulled from the car and rushed to a hospital, where he later died.

D.C. police and D.C. Fire and EMS were also at the scene, which cleared around 5 a.m.

The man has not been identified. Officials are still working to determine what led to the car’s plunge into the river.

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Vincent and Clementine Hawkins’ family includes their six children; dozens of grandchildren; great grandchildren; great-great grandchildren; and one, tiny great-great-great grandchild.

Vincent and Clementine both were born in the District, and theirs was a teenage romance. More than one young lady caught the eye of the handsome young man juggling three newspaper routes, but Clementine says she knew he was the one for her.

“He was a hard worker,” she said. 

They settled down to raise a family in a rowhouse on 5th Street NW that they’ve owned since 1958.

Both of his parents worked hard to provide, Tony Hawkins said. 

“They taught us to be the best,” he said. “Put forth your best effort. And that has always been one of my mantras to my children. Be the best that you can be.”

Vincent still looks at his wife like she was that teenage girl who caught his eye along his paper route more than seven decades ago.

“But the thing of it is, she deserves a reward for putting up with me,” Vincent said.

As celebration and joy filled every inch of the Hawkins’ home, Vincent answered the question everyone wants to know: How did their marriage last this long?

“Learn when to shut up,” he said. “It takes two to make an argument. If one shuts up, the other eventually will stop.” 

Thursday is National Homeless Persons Memorial Day, and it comes as the number of people experiencing homelessness across the nation has increased — and so as the number of those who have died on our streets.

Advocates marched Thursday morning on the streets of downtown D.C., demanding more housing options.

Carrying a casket representing the nearly 100 people who have died on D.C. streets so far this year, they marched to the Church of the Epiphany, where advocates, D.C. officials and many who are currently living on the streets gathered inside.

This was the 34th year the event has been held here.

“And we do it on this day because it’s the longest night of the year, the winter solstice,” said Donald Whitehead, executive director of the National Coalition for the Homeless. “And so we want to make sure that people understand that tens of thousands of people are dying on streets in one of the richest countries in the history of the world.”

Here in D.C., homeless encampments are common sights.

According to Laura Zeilinger, director of D.C.’s Department of Human Services:

• Last year, 77 people experiencing homelessness in D.C. died on the streets
• So far this year, that number is 90
• And of those 90, 57 of them had been approved for housing vouchers but were still in the process of being placed — a process that has come under scrutiny for being too slow

“We’ve allocated more resources than ever before to scale, and that we’re connecting people who need them to those resources,” Zeilinger said. “And we are working to do a number of things to make that process of moving into housing more efficient.”

“Anytime anyone in our country, and particularly in our community, in our nation’s capital, that somebody dies without the dignity of a home, it is heartbreaking, and it is a call to action,” she said.

Whitehead warned this is not just a problem here in D.C.

“It’s happening everywhere,” he said. “It’s happening in suburban communities. It’s happening in rural communities. It’s happening in urban communities. We again have seen a 12% increase over the last year, according to the Annual Homeless Assessment Report.”

According to the National Coalition for the Homeless, of the 90 people who have died this year, the oldest was 82, the youngest 24.

“I didn’t even see the gun at first. I just heard him say, ‘Give me your keys, Ma,’” said Monyea, who picked up the teens in D.C. for a ride to Fairmount Heights in late November. “And I turned around, like, ‘Are you kidding me? You’re not really doing this.’”

In that moment, Monyea nearly became one of a record number of carjacking victims in the D.C. area this year. 

The latest data show that while carjackings are on pace to fall by nearly 10% in Fairfax County, Virginia, which has only seen a couple dozen carjackings in 2023, the crime is increasing in other parts of the D.C. region.  

Year-to-date data shows carjacking has jumped roughly 40% in Montgomery County, Maryland, with more than 100 recorded as of mid-December. Prince George’s County, meanwhile, has seen a nearly 20% increase from last year and has recorded more than 490 carjackings so far. 

But that’s nothing compared to D.C., where carjacking has more than doubled, rising to roughly 940 carjacking reports as of this week. 

“It’s getting ridiculous,” Monyea said.  

D.C.’s surge comes at a time the News4 I-Team found carjacking is falling in some other major American cities, including New York, Chicago, Philadelphia and Baltimore, which have all seen double-digit declines in carjacking rates from 2022.  

U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Matthew Graves — whose office has fielded criticism for not pursuing more of these cases — has blamed D.C. law that loosened penalties on young violent offenders as contributing to the problem. His offices said it’s now charging more cases, and Graves is urging D.C. officials to reinstate tougher mandatory minimums for the crime.

“I have been sounding the alarm that the criminal justice system that D.C. has built does not meet the moment that we are in,” Graves said earlier this year. “The mayor has correctly flagged that the law has swung too far over the last seven years. Armed carjacking is a great example of her and my point.” 

Graves’ office recently indicted 10 young people associated with carjacking rings in the District and Maryland, alleging the groups sold the cars from a garage on Florida Avenue NE.

But University of Texas at Dallas criminologist Bruce Jacobs, who has studied carjacking for years, said while a portion of carjacking is perpetuated by organized gangs, it’s also often a crime of opportunity.  

“A lot of the reason that these kids are carjacking these vehicles are really mundane … Like, ‘I was stranded. I needed a ride. I didn’t want to wait for the bus. No one was picking me up,’” he said.  

Jacobs said while it’s tough to get a full picture of the problem due to differences in the way agencies track this form of vehicle theft, what’s clear is that roughly 75% of carjackings are committed by teens and young adults.

He agreed a perceived lack of consequences can explain some of the surge cities like D.C. are seeing.  

“It’s called vicarious punishment avoidance effects, which means, ‘Oh, my friends just did this. They didn’t get caught. Or if they did get caught … not much happened to them,'” he said. 

A quick glance at D.C.’s carjacking data suggests some of that could be at play. 

Data from the Metropolitan Police Department shows that, of the more than 900 carjackings recorded this year, there have only been about 170 arrests. It’s unclear how many carjackings those arrests are associated with. Sixty-three percent of those arrested are juveniles.

The D.C. Office of the Attorney General, which handles crimes involving kids, reports prosecuting about 57% of the roughly 170 carjacking and armed carjacking cases it received through October, saying there wasn’t sufficient evidence to pursue the rest.  

Monyea, who is driving Uber on the side to help her terminally ill daughter, managed to keep her car by doing what experts say you shouldn’t do: She fought back. While one of the teens held a gun to her face, she said, an oncoming car tooted the horn and caught his attention.  

“He turned around, and look, that was his mistake. When he did that, I shoved him as hard as I could … and then I pulled off,” she recounted.  

Two of the teens were still in her backseat but bailed out when she told them she was driving them to a police station, she said.  

At her family’s urging, she’s since installed cameras in her car and is now driving around with Kevlar plates.  

“In the event somebody else points another gun at me, at least I have a way to protect myself from the shot,” she said.

Reported by Ted Oberg, produced by Katie Leslie, shot and edited by Jeff Piper. News4 I-Team reporter Tracee Wilkins contributed to this report.  

Adult readers enjoyed memoirs like Prince Harry’s “Spare” and bestsellers-turned-TV-shows like “Lessons in Chemistry.” The two millionth digital book borrowed this year was Tiphanie Yanique’s historical fiction piece “Land of Love and Drowning,” according to the library.

Before you turn the page to a new year, check out the DC Public Library’s data on the most borrowed and downloaded books this past year.

Most-borrowed adult fiction books:

1. “Lessons in Chemistry” by Bonnie Garmus
2. “Demon Copperhead” by Barbara Kingsolver
3. “Happy Place” by Emily Henry
4. “Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow” by Gabrielle Zevin
5. “Pineapple Street” by Jenny Jackson
6. “Romantic Comedy” by Curtis Sittenfeld
7. “I Have Some Questions for You” by Rebecca Makkai
8. “Book Lovers” by Emily Henry
9. “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” by Taylor Jenkins Reid
10. “Carrie Soto Is Back” by Taylor Jenkins Reid

“Lessons in Chemistry,” Bonnie Garmus’s book about Elizabeth Zott, a self-assured chemist who finds herself starring in a 1960s cooking show, was the number one fiction book at the DC Public Library. This year, it became an Apple TV+ show led by Brie Larson.

Barbara Kingsolver’s “Demon Copperhead” was ranked second in adult fiction. The book, about a poverty-stricken boy growing up in the mountains of Appalachia, was the winner of a 2023 Pulitzer Prize.

Ranked third was “Happy Place” by Emily Henry, a romantic comedy about a recently-broken-up couple who has to pretend they are still engaged for their friend group’s annual beach trip.

Most-borrowed adult nonfiction books:

1. “Crying in H Mart” by Michelle Zauner
2. “Spare” by Prince Harry
3. “I’m Glad My Mom Died” by Jennette McCurdy
4. “Stay True ” by Hua Hsu
5. “The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times” by Michelle Obama
6. “The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma” by Bessel van der Kolk
7. “All About Love: New Visions” by bell hooks
8. “An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us” by Ed Yong
9. “Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty” by Patrick Radden Keefe
10. “Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants” by Robin Wall Kimmerer

Coming in number one is Michelle Zauner’s “Crying in H Mart,” a memoir about growing up Korean American and losing her mother. Fans of D.C’s 930 Club may have seen the author perform as leader of indie band Japanese Breakfast in 2018.

Unsurprisingly, Prince Harry’s memoir was the second-most-borrowed adult nonfiction book. In January, D.C. readers just couldn’t wait to hear his perspective on the Royal Family. At the time, the DC Public Library said there were nearly 400 holds on the book, nearly 4.5 times the number of books available at the library.

Jennette McCurdy’s “I’m Glad My Mom Died” ranks third. McCurdy is known for her role as a teenager on Nickelodeon’s “iCarly,” and her memoir made waves when it came out in August.

The title is attention-grabbing, but she said she means every word. In her book, she wrote that her mother “emotionally, mentally and physically abused” her.

Most-borrowed fiction eBooks:

1. “Verity” by Colleen Hoover
2. “Lessons in Chemistry” by Bonnie Garmus
3. “The Last Thing He Told Me” by Laura Dave
4. “Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow” by Gabrielle Zevin
5. “It Starts with Us” by Colleen Hoover
6. “Demon Copperhead” by Barbara Kingsolver
7. “Romantic Comedy” by Curtis Sittenfeld
8. “Pineapple Street” by Jenny Jackson
9. “Remarkably Bright Creatures” by Shelby Van Pelt
10. “One Italian Summer” by Rebecca Serle

When D.C. checked out more than two million digital books from the library in November, the library said it was nearly double the amount checked out in 2022. The move to online check-outs skyrocketed in 2020 during the pandemic, with the help of the Libby app and OverDrive platform, library officials said.  

“District residents are demonstrating an increasing reliance on our online offerings,” Executive Director of the DC Public Library Richard Reyes-Gavilan said.

The psychological thriller “Verity” by Colleen Hoover ranked first, followed by “Lessons in Chemistry” and “The Last Thing He Told Me” by Laura Dave. Dave’s mystery-thriller novel was also an Apple TV+ show — perhaps proving that D.C. likes to both read a book and watch the show version.

Thrillers were popular with the digital loan readers, as was the romance genre, which includes “It Starts With Us,” “Romantic Comedy” and “One Italian Summer.”

Most-borrowed nonfiction eBooks:

1. “I’m Glad My Mom Died” by Jennette McCurdy
2. “Spare” by Prince Harry
3. “Maybe You Should Talk to Someone” by Lori Gottlieb
4. “Crying in H Mart” by Michelle Zauner
5. “Educated” by Tara Westover
6. “Born a Crime” by Trevor Noah
7. “Tastes Like War” by Grace M. Cho
8. “Killers of the Flower Moon” by David Grann
9. “How to Do Nothing” by Jenny Odell
10. “Atomic Habits” by James Clear

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The victims were shot just before noon as they stood outside a store called the Friendly Food Market on Half Street SW, near the intersection with O Street, police said. Witnesses told News4 a Jeep Cherokee rolled up outside the store and gunfire was unleashed on a group out front.

A woman died at the scene. Three men were rushed to local hospitals, where one of them died.

The other two victims, both men, are in critical condition.

Police said that the white Jeep Grand Cherokee believed to have been involved was found abandoned in Prince George’s County.

The Jeep had been taken in an armed carjacking Wednesday near Blair Street and Kansas Street NW, D.C. police chief Pamela A. Smith said. The Jeep had a sunroof, tinted windows and a Maryland license plate.

Witnesses say the gunfire was rapid and loud, with as many as 20 to 30 shots were fired at the victims.

Police have not yet released the names of the victims who were killed. But a woman named Shantice said she ran to the scene with her baby in a stroller after getting a call saying her cousin had been shot.

“I’m shaken; it’s crazy,” she said. “My nerves is very bad right now. I’m ready to pass out.”

Shantice was in tears, as were others as news of the shooting spread throughout the neighborhood.

A woman named Yodie told News4 she thought she knew one of the victims.

“That stuff hurts!” she said as she cried. “And I think they just need to just stop and put down the guns and stop shooting and love one another. They got to put it down because we gonna lose a lot of people on the street with this violence.”

The street in front of the market was littered with shell casings. The neighborhood has had its share of gun violence over the years, and police have installed multiple crime cameras.

“For as long as we have been here, we hear gunshots all the time,” resident Stephanie Rogers said. “It’s like random handgun shots.”

Rogers said after she heard Thursday’s gunfire, she went outside and saw a man crying out in pain.

“He was limping to come around in front of the store and going, ‘I’ve been shot,’ and so I didn’t know what to think and just flipped around and came in the house and locked the door,” she said.

Chief Smith said police often have an increased presence in the area, but there hasn’t been any violent crime in the last 30 days.

Singer Huntley from Fredericksburg, Virginia, just got the Christmas gift of a lifetime: He won season 24 of “The Voice”!

Huntley quickly went from playing anywhere he could in Virginia – even park benches – to champion.

“Every time I get out there, I just feel like it’s where I belong,” Huntley told Tommy. “Going out there, just not knowing if that’s going to be enough and I felt I had to give it my all and I don’t want any regrets.”

We’ll share more of his D.C.-area shows in The Weekend Scene newsletter as soon as we hear about them. Until then, check out his “Holdin’ On” single and music video filmed in Fredericksburg.

The winter solstice on Thursday marks the official beginning of winter, but don’t expect a white Christmas in the D.C. area.

We’re wishing you peace, joy and many delicious cookies this holiday season!

Wrap up your holiday shopping

Present procrastinators don’t need to be Santa Claus to give a thoughtful present before the season ends! Running into a tried-and-true local store is basically as fast as two-day shipping, and more satisfying than Amazon.

Shop small at these six stores in the District open through Dec. 24, including D.C.’s glitteriest pop-up; a shop celebrating all things science and a spice store on a mission to uplift Black entrepreneurs.

It’s also your last holiday season to shop at Miss Pixies’ staple location on 14th Street NW before they downsize.

📱 ICYMI: We explored a few cute spots on TikTok!

Shopping for the person who has everything, or no space in their apartment? Museum memberships; adventurous activities and theater subscriptions can create memories that last forever with zero clutter. Add a thoughtful note to really delight your giftee.

No time to ship a gift? Here are 30+ experiences in the D.C. area that make great holiday presents, plus tips on getting the best deals.

Things to Do DC Dec 19, 2023

The best Christmas gifts for people who have everything? Fun experiences in the DC area

Disney’s “Frozen”

📅 12/20-1/21
📍 The Kennedy Center
💲 $35-$185
🔗 Details

Elsa, Anna and Olaf are coming to The Kennedy Center, and we can’t just let it go!

The Tony–nominated Broadway musical features your favorite songs from the movie, plus a dozen new tunes. It stopped at the Kennedy Center in late summer 2021, but we know a flurry of new “Frozen” fans have come of age. Plus, could there be better time of year to visit Arendelle?

Spectacular Factory at ARTECHOUSE

📅 12/20-1/3
📍 Southwest D.C.
💲 $25-$31 for adults
🔗 Details

Immerse yourself in the larger-than-life Spectacular Factory experience at ARTECHOUSE again for a limited time. The interactive digital art exhibit will be open on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and through New Year’s for a festive and family-pleasing outing. The XR Bar will be pouring merry craft cocktails, as well.

Beyond the Light, an interactive journey inside a nebula, will return on Jan. 5.

The Hip Hop Nutcracker with Guest MC Kurtis Blow

📅 Through Fri.
📍 The Music Center at Strathmore in North Bethesda
💲 $28-$68
🔗 Details

Melding the classic score with hip-hop moves, “The Hip Hop Nutcracker” is stopping in North Bethesda along its national tour. And to turn up the hip-hop bona fides, Kurtis Blow, one of the genre’s founding fathers, will kick off the performance with a short set.

Shows are scheduled for Wednesday to Friday at 8 p.m., plus there’s a 2 p.m. matinee on Thursday.

Free pick: Washington, D.C. Temple Festival of Lights

📅 Nightly through 1/1
📍 9900 Stoneybrook Dr, Kensington, Maryland
🔗 Details

The white towers of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints temple in Kensington sparkle with more than 400,000 lights for the Christmas season with musical performances most nights. The display illuminates between 4:45 p.m. and 9 p.m. nightly. Free parking is available.

Everyone is welcome to attend; visitors are requested to “dress modestly, use clean language, and treat everyone with respect.”

• If you’re in D.C., we recommend Georgetown Glow and Main Street displays across many neighborhoods.
• Virginians should stop by the Neabsco Boardwalk Holiday Walk of Lights in Woodbridge; it’s open through Saturday. The Franklin Park Arts Center in Purcellville is another nice option.

Things to do in D.C.

Shaw’s Tavern 12th Annual Holiday Sing-along
Weds., 8 p.m., Shaw’s Tavern in Northwest D.C., free entry
FYI: Open bar available 7-8 p.m.

Champagne Gatsby Soiree with swing dance lessons
Fri., 7-10 p.m., The Embassy Row Hotel in Northwest, $25-$35

Murder mystery comedy show: Murder on 34th Street
Thurs., DC Improv, $25

Right Round: 80s Alt-Pop Dance Night w/ DJ lil’e
Fri., The Black Cat, $10 (advance) or $15 (day of show)

Emo Night Brooklyn
Sat., 9:30 Club, $28

Edlavitch DCJCC’s December 25 Day of Service
$20 program fee requested; registration required

Matzoball
Sun., Decades in Northwest D.C., $40+

Things to do in Maryland

Winter Solstice Labyrinth Walk and Campfire
Thurs., 4-7 p.m., Locust Grove Nature Center in Bethesda, $6, Ages 6+

Screening: It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
Thurs., 7 p.m., Harmony Hall Arts Center in Fort Washington, $10

DIY Project Braided Rag Rug
Sat., 10 a.m. to noon, Brookside Nature Center in Wheaton, $25 (registration required)

“The Polar Express” at Bowie Playhouse
Sat., 1 p.m., free, tickets required

“Elf” at Bowie Playhouse
Sat., 5 p.m., free, tickets required 

National Harbor fireworks and tree lighting show
Sat., 5:30 p.m., free 

Things to do in Virginia

“Die Hard” at Arlington Drafthouse
Fri., 9:30 p.m., 2903 Columbia Pike, Arlington, $10

Tea with Santa
Sat., 11 a.m., Hank’s Oyster Bar Old Town Alexandria, $65

“Elf” at Arlington Drafthouse
Sat., 3 p.m., 2903 Columbia Pike, Arlington, $8 

Holiday Film: A Year Without A Santa Claus
Sat. and Sun., 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., $8

Want to know what’s up for your weekend? Sign up for The Weekend Scene, our newsletter about events, experiences and adventures for you and for your family around the DMV.

Cameras captured the crime inside the store on I Street NW at around 5:30 p.m. Sunday. Thieves wearing hooded sweatshirts and what appear to be rubber gloves grab handfuls of merchandise before escaping.

“One of the suspects discharged a fire extinguisher multiple times with its contents striking a Special Police Officer while the other suspects took merchandise from the store,” D.C. police said in an update Wednesday. 

As the suspects were leaving, an armed security officer hired by the store fired once, but no one was shot. 

Police said they are looking for a white sedan seen leaving the scene. Video also caught one suspect’s face. 

The same Chanel was robbed back in February. A flash mob in that incident also set off a fire extinguisher to create a distraction.

Anyone with information should call police at (202) 727-9099 or text a tip to 50411. D.C. police are offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case.

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The words “Free Palestine” and another message saying in part “land back!!” were spray painted at the base of the memorial, on the steps near the reflecting pool, an image from WTOP’s Kate Ryan shows.

Another photo taken from below the memorial showed splatters of red paint on the steps.

The vandalism was discovered Wednesday morning, police said. Officers cordoned off the area, and crews from the National Park Service (NPS) are working to remove the paint from the stone.

“National Park Service conservators have begun the process of removing the paint this morning, though it may take multiple treatments over several days to remove all of it,” NPS spokesperson Mike Litterst said.

The steps on the west side of the reflecting pool are closed to visitors until the work is finished, he said.

Police are reviewing security camera video from the site. They ask anyone with information to call their tip line at 202-379-4877 or email USPP_tipline@nps.gov.

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Gray, 81, said serving in the District government has been one of the greatest honors of his life in a statement, but the mission to make the District a better place will never be complete.

“I will continue to be an advocate for our city and the people who call it home, but the time has come for me to pursue that as a private citizen,” Gray said.

Gray plans to serve out the rest of his term as Ward 7 Council Member until it ends in January 2025.

Gray said his final year in office won’t be different than any others.

“The council member has occupied a big space in Ward 7 politics for a long time,” said Mayor Muriel Bowser, who defeated Gray when he ran for reelection as mayor in 2014.

“I think he can look back on lots of years in elective office where he’s contributed a lot to the District … I know those decisions aren’t easy to make, and I wish him well,” she added.

Gray served as D.C.’s mayor from 2011 to 2015 after running on a “One City” platform aiming to unite the diverse District. He lost his 2014 reelection campaign amid a long-running federal probe into a shadow campaign scandal that helped elect Gray mayor in 2010. Prosecutors ended that probe without charging Gray.

Two years later, he returned to elected office as the Ward 7 Council Member. According to his website biography, he pushed for school reform and government transparency.

In 2020, Gray won the Democratic primary with about 48% of the vote in his 2020 primary, ensuring an easy path to reelection to the council.

Gray had a “mild stroke” in 2021. According to The Washington Post, other council members became concerned about his health in the following months.

Ward 7 voters will choose a new representative at the June 4 primary and Nov. 5 general election next year. Longtime political analyst and former News4 reporter Tom Sherwood said he expects at least a dozen people to run for Gray’s seat. Even before his announcement, six candidates had filed run for the seat. Bowser said Wednesday that she will consider whether or not to endorse a candidate.

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Surveillance video shows the moment a car blocked the cyclist’s path on Belt Street NW on Tuesday, Dec. 12. Three suspects then jumped out, one of them armed with a gun. In a few seconds, they made off with his Canada Goose jacket and drove off.

D.C. police said they’re searching for a white 2013 Hyundai Sonata with Maryland tags.

The daytime theft jarred one parent whose kids attend a preschool nearby.

“Regardless of the neighborhood, regardless of if it’s in a school zone, and regardless of the time of day – like, as you mentioned, this was 3:45 in the afternoon. They’re just getting bolder and bolder,” Jeremy Harrell said.

Crime and Courts Feb 6, 2023

Couple Walking in Dupont Circle Robbed of Canada Goose Jackets

Crime and Courts Feb 3, 2023

Concern Grows Over Canada Goose Jacket Robberies in DC

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More Canada Goose Jacket Robberies Reported Near GW Campus

Thieves have been targeting people wearing the expensive winter coats worth more than $1,000 each since last winter.

During a 48-hour stretch in late November, police said there were three robberies and an attempted robbery of expensive coats in Northwest.

Earlier in the year, thieves stole jackets from a couple walking around Dupont Circle. They were visting D.C. from out of state.

In January and early February, police reported that thieves were targeting Howard University and George Washington University students who had the jackets.

D.C. has seen a 68% increase in robberies compared to this time last year, according to data from the Metropolitan Police Department.

Canada Goose coats range in price from more than $1,000 to almost $1,800. D.C. police suspect some of the stolen coats are being resold online.

The Cycle House building along North Capitol Street in the Truxton neighborhood will be home to 18 low-income families. Using solar panels and other technology, it’s designed not to add any pollution.

“This is about making sure that as a city we’re doing our part in controlling climate change,” said Nina Albert, the acting deputy mayor for planning and economic development. “I think what’s unusual, though, and the unique opportunity to a resident about having a net-zero building, is that now your operating costs come down.”

Mark James is one of the developers. He said he wants to see net-zero housing available for people at all income levels.

“It surprises people to find out who lives in affordable housing. It’s our school teachers, it’s our police officers, it’s our bus drivers, government workers, the person serving you a coffee,” he said. “[…] This city is a city for everyone.”

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Faith Stewart is among the District’s affordable housing residents. She’s a recent college graduate who is applying to law school while holding a full-time job.

“As someone who just graduated college, I’m now working to not only build but also maintain credit,” she said.

“Affordable housing is extremely important where I can be able to afford to maintain a livable and secure area as far as environment and also pursue my educational journey,” she added.

The District will need more housing, as new Census numbers show the city’s population grew for the second straight year. D.C. has more than 8,000 additional residents, according to recent numbers. For the first time since before the pandemic, more people moved into the District than moved out. D.C.’s population is now almost 680,000 residents.

The building on North Capitol Street is due to be complete in 2025.

Ronzoni Allen Jackson Jr., 24, was arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder while armed in the deaths of 28-year-old Octavio Quintano and 35-year-old Osmine Quintano, the office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia said in a release Tuesday.

The shooting happened just after midnight on Dec. 12 near The Pollo Company on 4th Street NE, authorities said. After they were shot multiple times, the brothers crawled underneath a car, where they died next to each other, the attorney’s office said.

Jackson pleaded not guilty during his arraignment, the attorney’s office said.

A judge ordered Jackson be held without bond until his next hearing on Jan. 2.