Tag: dick uliano

DC high school basketball star Acaden Lewis chooses to go to University of Kentucky – WTOP News

D.C. high school basketball star Acaden Lewis, of Sidwell Friends School, announced on Saturday that he’ll be attending the University of Kentucky.

D.C. high school basketball star Acaden Lewis (middle), of Sidwell Friends School, gathered with family and friends on Saturday to announce that he’ll be attending the University of Kentucky. (WTOP/Dick Uliano)

One of the nation’s top high school basketball prospects, Acaden Lewis, of Sidwell Friends School, gathered with family and friends in the neighborhood gym that he loves on Saturday to announce his college decision.

The point guard sported a University of Kentucky T-shirt as he told a gym full of people he’ll play for the Wildcats and head coach Mark Pope following his 2025 graduation.

“Honestly, just grateful that I get to play at the University of Kentucky … outside of basketball, the system being a fit and everything, Pope and his staff made me feel like the priority, like the only person they really wanted,” said Lewis in a briefing with reporters following his announcement.

Lewis spoke of his affinity for the Trinidad Recreation Center, the Northeast D.C. neighborhood gym where he developed his basketball skills.

“This is actually where I started my career. My first workout ever was on this court,” Lewis said. He particularly appreciated Coach Pope and his staff making multiple visits to the gym and neighborhood he loves.

“As much as they were here, they came to Trinidad, they came to the barbershop, those are two places that really mean a lot to me. I’ve had the same barber my whole life, lived here my whole life,” said Lewis.

Among those surrounding Lewis on the day he announced his decision were his parents, coaches, teammates and neighborhood friends.

“We’re super excited for him. He’s put the work in and it’s coming to fruition. It’s been a long journey but deserving end,” said Jarett Lewis, father of Acaden. “He’s extremely disciplined and extremely committed and he was willing to make the sacrifices to get to this point. This is the compilation of a lot of hard work.”

Just outside the door of the rec center, dads manned the grill, cooking up hot dogs and hamburgers for the hungry crowd of admirers.

“I’m very proud of him, this is my first year playing with him, I’m a freshman on his team, he’s been teaching me a lot and I’ve definitely seen his grind, he’s been working a lot,” said Jadah Washington, a freshman on the Sidwell Friends team.

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November 2, 2024
Local witch and tarot reader describes her Halloween rituals – WTOP News

“Halloween is what I wait for all year long,” said Skye Marinda. “It’s the time when everybody is a little more open to getting … witchy.”

There are witches all throughout the Washington area. Real witches, that is, who can cast spells and conduct rituals.

One self-acclaimed witch who wants to tell you your future is especially popular.

“I think of myself as a witch and, for me, it’s a lot of setting intentions,” said Skye Marinda, who is known in the D.C. area for her tarot card reading skills. “I like to cast spells based on those intentions.”

It almost goes without saying that witches relish Halloween.

“Halloween is what I wait for all year long,” said Marinda. “It’s the time when everybody is a little more open to getting … witchy.”

In the days before Halloween, Marinda is booked at parties doing tarot card readings. In her own time, she has already has taken part in a pre-Halloween ritual with other witches.

“We got together in a circle … calling in the different elements, like water, air, fire, earth. We cast a spell together for Halloween,” she said.

Marinda said she typically dresses in black, accented with crystal jewelry. While she forsakes wearing hats most of the year, she will occasionally wear the traditional, black-rimmed, pointed hat — most identifiable as a witches’ hat.

Whatever you’ve heard about witches (of the good or bad variety), Marinda insists the spells she casts are always aimed at self improvement — and never to curse another person.

“I don’t personally cast spells on people, because I think it’s not a good use of your energy,” she said. “It’s more about (helping) yourself out.”

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October 30, 2024
37th annual 17th Street High Heel Race run goes off without a hitch – WTOP News

The 37th annual 17th Street High Heel Race went off without a hitch Tuesday evening as dozens of drag kings, queens and others dashed a few blocks on 17th Street in D.C. to the cheers of crowds lining the sidewalks, streetery bars and restaurants.

On a night in which Vice President Kamala Harris was delivering her campaign closing speech close by on the Ellipse, costumed revelers jammed the sidewalks of the Dupont Circle neighborhood, snapping pictures of elegantly dressed drag queens parading between P and S Streets.

At exactly 9 p.m., racers wearing high heels ran south on 17th Street to the cheers of revelers. A few moments later, the racers crossed the finish line, some gasping for breath from the sheer exertion of the competitive run.

Security was heavy for the event, with heavy trucks used to close intersections, sealing the neighborhood for the race hosted by Mayor Muriel Bowser and the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs.

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October 30, 2024
Thousands of ballots already cast as DC, Maryland and Virginia open for early voting – WTOP News

D.C. early voting begins Monday as the District joins Virginia and Maryland with preelection day in-person voting.

Sign up for WTOP’s Election Desk weekly newsletter to stay up-to-date through Election Day 2024 with the latest developments in this historic presidential election cycle.

D.C. early voting begins Monday as the District joins Virginia and Maryland with preelection day in-person voting.

Maryland election officials said turnout across the state exceeded 84,000 ballots cast Saturday and more than 46,000 cast on Sunday.

“I just learned today that I could come Saturday or Sunday. I just thought it was Monday through Friday, so that’s fabulous,” Elizabeth Goodloe-Vaughn of Riverdale told WTOP.

More Local Election News

Goodloe-Vaughn cast her ballot Sunday with her husband, Dunbar High School head football coach Maurice Vaughn, at the College Park Community Center. Vaughn said he came to the early voting site after leading his team to a 21-14 victory Saturday over Roosevelt High School.

“I look at it as an obligation to vote. A lot of people sacrificed a lot of things for us to have this opportunity to vote,” Vaughn said.

A steady stream of voters also filed into the community center gym, where election officials sat at a long table and voters cast ballots at voting machines spread across the gym floor.

Jared Lucero, 18, said that he’s looking forward to casting his first ballot in a presidential election this year.

“I’m pretty excited … I’m just glad that I’m here to vote and feel like I have a voice in the government,” Lucero said, encouraging other young people to vote, “I just say do it … I feel like there should be more young voices.”

Another first time voter among those casting ballots Sunday in College Park was Luis Mendoza.

“I just became a citizen last year … It’s very exciting but it’s also a big responsibility, I think, because this is a very important election,” Mendoza said.

Maryland’s eight days of early voting will end on Halloween this year, while Virginia, which opened early voting Sept. 20, suspends early voting on Nov. 2. D.C.’s early voting will run until Nov 3.

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© 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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October 28, 2024
Montgomery Co. event empowers domestic violence survivors: ‘We want to help’ – WTOP News

About 90 women walked a white carpet at Montgomery County’s police headquarters on Saturday, celebrating their newfound voice to counteract domestic violence.

About 90 elegantly-dressed women walked a white carpet Saturday at the police headquarters in Montgomery County, Maryland, celebrating their newfound voice to counteract domestic violence.
(WTOP/Dick Uliano)
WTOP/Dick Uliano

Each woman wore a stylish hat, called a “Hat of Strength,” symbolizing their personal journey and newfound empowerment.
(WTOP/Dick Uliano)
WTOP/Dick Uliano

Women stepped forward to take part in the program of workshops called “Voces Importantes” — Important Voices — a message to the women that their stories mattered and they need not suffer alone.
(WTOP/Dick Uliano)
WTOP/Dick Uliano

With friends and family members applauding, about 90 elegantly-dressed women walked a white carpet Saturday in Montgomery County, Maryland, celebrating their newfound voice to counteract domestic violence.

Each wore a stylish hat, called a “Hat of Strength,” symbolizing their personal journey and newfound empowerment during Saturday’s event at the county’s police headquarters.

“This all started really because six brave women approached us at different times throughout the year,” said Mariela Leon, the Hispanic community liaison for Montgomery County.

The women were all “victims of domestic violence, sexual assault or rape,” according to Leon, and had reported the crime because they felt “afraid, alone.”

Leon, herself a childhood victim of sexual assault, recognized her own ability to speak out had played a central role in her healing. She felt compelled to provide a voice for other women survivors.

First six, then 40, then 90 women stepped forward to take part in the program of workshops called “Voces Importantes” — Important Voices — a message to the women that their stories mattered and they need not suffer alone.

The women took part in a monthlong program of workshops at the police training academy, designed to empower survivors of domestic violence.

“We’ve met every week in the month of October … did different workshops, just teaching about different things, from all the resources the county offers in the police department for victims of sexual assault, rape or domestic violence, but also talked about the financial aspect,” Leon said.

The workshops aimed to teach the survivors that “they have power, they have skills” and show them how to “start making your own income … because a lot of the reasons they stay in those relationships are because they’re not financially independent,” Leon added.

Therapists and counselors from the Department of Health and Human Services were present every week throughout the program to offer support.

Police explained that this particular outreach was aimed at victims reluctant to contact law enforcement, specifically in the Hispanic communities of Gaithersburg and in the southern part of the county.

“I’ve seen this kind of stuff before, and I’ve seen people who have been reticent to come to us because of their past experiences with law enforcement,” said Capt. Jordan Satinsky, director of the Montgomery County Police Department’s Community Engagement Division. “This was one of those workshops that really brought those people together,”

Satinsky is a former homicide investigator. He created and supervised the department’s sexual assault unit and also redeveloped the police department’s domestic violence unit.

“When I first started in ’99, domestic violence was one of the most responded to calls we had, and many of the things that we did in law enforcement and even our judicial system … it was looked at more as a family problem,” Satinsky said.

However, according to Satinsky, “that mantra started to change” over time.

“We’re here to help, and we really are open. We want to help. We’re not here to judge. We’re here to assist and get you the resources,” he said. “If you call the police and want our help, we’ll help. If it’s something that we can’t help you with, for whatever reason, we will get you to the right resources.”

At Saturday’s event, a jazz duet of tenor and alto saxophones blew cool tunes, alongside singing and dance performances.

“This program doesn’t end just in the month of October. We’re going to continue meeting, to figure out what they need based on that,” Leon said. “We’re going to be connecting with other partners to provide them with those resources as well.”

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© 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

Dick Uliano

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October 27, 2024
Community sing fills Washington National Cathedral – WTOP News

About 750 people took part in “The Big Sing” — a free, community sing organized by the Kennedy Center, the Washington National Cathedral and Levine Music.

Conductor Micah Hendler (left) and Deborah Rutter, president of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, at The Big Sing on Oct. 23, 2024.
(WTOP/Dick Uliano)
WTOP/Dick Uliano

Hundreds of people gathered at the Washington National Cathedral in D.C. for no other purpose than to sing together on Oct. 23, 2024.
(WTOP/Dick Uliano)
WTOP/Dick Uliano

Conductor Micah Hendler leads the community choir on Oct. 23, 2024.
(WTOP/Dick Uliano)
WTOP/Dick Uliano

The singers sat themselves in sections divided by vocal range — bass voices in one section of pews, tenor in another and sections for altos and sopranos.
(WTOP/Dick Uliano)
WTOP/Dick Uliano

Hundreds of people gathered Wednesday evening at the Washington National Cathedral in D.C. for no other purpose than to sing together.

About 750 people took part in “The Big Sing” — a free, community sing organized by the Kennedy Center, the cathedral and Levine Music.

“The center really believes in the power of the arts to bring people together, to build understanding, empathy and community,” said Deborah Rutter, president of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. “And what better way than for us all to use our natural instrument — the voice?”

No singing skills were required, just a desire to come together with others to lift voices into the vaunted space of the sacred cathedral.

“Why not come to this gorgeous, gorgeous setting and collaborate with some community partners … and bring a whole bunch of people together to sing?” Rutter said.

Micah Hendler conducted the choir; he’s the founder and artistic director of the Jerusalem Youth Chorus, and leader of the Community Sings series at Levine Music, a music school with campuses around the D.C. area.

The singers sat themselves in sections divided by vocal range — bass voices in one section of pews, tenor in another and sections for altos and sopranos.

“You don’t need musical training” said Hendler. “You don’t need to know how to read music. You don’t need to have 10 years of choral experience or voice lessons. Literally, it’s singing, because singing is a thing that human beings do together, and that’s it.”

People scanned a QR code to provide the lyrics of the songs on their smartphones.

Hendler began the Big Sing with a few vocal warm ups before leading the large crowd in harmonies that soared to the rafters of the cathedral.

The two-hour program also included time for participants to chat with those around them, to get to know each other better before resuming their singing.

Wednesday’s event is not the only community sing. Levine Music hosts the event monthly and people across the D.C. region are invited to attend.

What singers get out of the event

The organizers said the community event could provide participants meaningful physical and emotional benefits from singing with hundreds of others.

It can have a positive impact on your health, Rutter said.

“Participating in music-making actually triggers something in your brain,” Rutter said. “It is really good for your brain and brain health.”

Hendler said that singing has played an important role in communities across the globe.

“There’s something about singing in groups that, from early on in human evolution, has played a really important role in creating a sense of community, of shared identity, creating a sense of who we are,” said Hendler. “And ultimately, is a way of channeling so many different emotions, and not just doing it one person to one person, but creating that group experience of togetherness.”

Hendler knows a thing or two about bringing people together.

“There are so many ways that singing can address some of the biggest challenges that we have as a society, in terms of helping people feel connected,” said Hendler.

The Jerusalem Youth Chorus he leads is comprised of Palestinian and Israeli youth.

“Whether you’re talking about political or racial divisions, or you’re talking about how we solve challenges together in a time when people feel so disconnected from each other,” Hendler said. “Even just thinking about technology, like we just desperately need ways for people to feel part of something bigger than themselves. And singing is designed to do that.

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© 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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October 24, 2024
Maryland music school aims to give students a ‘well-rounded experience’ – WTOP News

Each Sunday, around 200 school children fill the studios at the University of Maryland School of Music in College Park.

Kids of all ages can learn to play a variety of musical instruments at the Terrapin Community Music School.
(WTOP/Dick Uliano)
WTOP/Dick Uliano

Piano, trombone, flute, tuba, violin, viola, cello, bass and French horn are just a few of the instruments that middle and high school students receive private lessons on at the Terrapin Community Music School.
(WTOP/Dick Uliano)
WTOP/Dick Uliano

WTOP’s Dick Uliano reports on the classes and students at the Terrapin Community Music School.

Each Sunday, around 200 school children fill the studios at the University of Maryland School of Music in College Park.

The students, ranging in age from pre-K to high school, learn music from graduate students at the Terrapin Community Music School.

“Maryland School of Music sponsors this program in collaboration with Arts for All here on campus, and we are able to heavily subsidize the instruction,” said professor Allison Durbin.

There are more than 60 instructors on staff at the school.

“We are able to offer these lessons and ensembles to these students for about $200 a semester … and about 60% of our students receive financial aid on top of that,” said Durbin, a professionally trained violinist and also assistant clinical professor of music education and director of the Terrapin Community Music School.

Piano, trombone, flute, tuba, violin, viola, cello, bass and French horn are just a few of the instruments that middle and high school students receive private lessons on, in addition to ensemble classes and classes in musicianship.

“I care about what they listen to when they’re walking to school. I care about how they talk about music. I care about them sort of contextualizing music, both historically and also just in their lives,” said Lauren McGinley, a music education doctoral student who teaches musicianship. “I think it just gives them this well-rounded experience.”

Behind the closed doors of the studios, students paired with graduate students could be seen learning their instruments. In a nearby classroom, small children sat on the floor in a circle singing a song. The school’s “Hatchling” program instructs children from birth to age 8.

“This is my third semester here. I started exactly about a year ago. It’s a very good experience … it brings different kids from all over … Maryland,” said Cheyenne Souvenir, of Glendale, a senior at Eleanor Roosevelt High School, who is studying viola.

She added the lessons are cost affordable, too.

“To have 10 months of lessons and musicianship class, a really good price. And it’s a really good experience to learn more about your instrument and interact with other students who also play other things,” Souvenir said.

Durbin said she always wanted a community school at the university.

“It’s always been a plan and a dream of the University of Maryland, School of Music, to have this happen,” Durbin said. “The beauty of this program, I think, came out of a need of people being so isolated in the pandemic.”

The current semester will run until December and will conclude with a recital. A new semester will begin in February.

“Any week now, we’re going to have a set of steel pans being delivered from Trinidad. So we’re going to have a steel pan ensemble, which is going to be incredible for our students. And I hope to have small ensembles, a youth orchestra, a wind band, a choir, and just grow based on … what our students want and what our community is looking for,” Durbin said.

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October 20, 2024
Stop sign cameras may be coming to Prince George’s County – WTOP News

A bill to allow stop sign cameras in school zones is advancing in Prince George’s county council. The measure was passed unanimously on Oct. 10 by the Transportation, Infrastructure, Energy and Environment Committee.

Stop sign camera enforcement near schools could be coming to Prince George’s County, Maryland.

A bill to allow stop sign cameras in school zones is advancing in the county council. The measure was passed unanimously on Oct. 10 by the Transportation, Infrastructure, Energy and Environment Committee.

At the meeting, the panel was told by council staff that the bill was needed to authorize the camera installations, which have been given the green light by the Maryland General Assembly.

Some municipalities in the county already operated stop sign cameras in school zones, including Bowie, Cottage City and Forest Heights.

The goal of the measure is to change driver’s behavior so that they stop at stop signs, and thus improve safety for school children.

Staff members told the Transportation committee that the stop sign camera program would likely generate up to $5 million the first year for the county, with less revenue for each succeeding year as drivers get used to the camera placement.

Before passing the bill and sending it on to the full council, the committee briefly debated how to spend the millions in fines that the cameras were likely to generate it.

“There never seems to be enough money to make sure that our streets, sidewalks and crossings are safe as they should be for school children walking to schools. That, to me, seems like a good place to put the money because it’s directly related to the safety that the fines are coming from,” said Council member Eric Olson, chair of the Transportation, Infrastructure, Energy and Environment committee.

The panel was reminded about recent pleas for funds from agencies confronting domestic violence.

“Perhaps we could earmark it for domestic violence, perhaps we could earmark for student scholarships, perhaps we could earmark for senior citizens support services,” said Council member Edward Burroughs.

One of the bill’s lead sponsors told the panel of other enterprises in need of money.

“I’m constantly told no we don’t have enough money, you know, Black maternal health, we’re fighting for a dollar there. We’re fighting for money for reproductive health care, right now, we’re fighting for money for unhoused,” said Council member Krystal Oriadha.

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October 19, 2024
‘There he was hanged from a locust tree’: Identity of 3 DC-area lynching victims revealed by Maryland commission – WTOP News

The Maryland Lynching Truth and Reconciliation Commission held a hearing to discuss documented lynchings in Montgomery County between 1854 and 1933.

The Maryland Lynching Truth and Reconciliation Commission held a public hearing hosted by the Universities at Shady Grove in Montgomery County, Maryland, on Oct. 5, 2024. (Courtesy MLTRC)

Montgomery County received a painful history lesson this weekend. On Saturday, the Maryland Lynching Truth and Reconciliation Commission held a public hearing to discuss the three documented lynchings that happened in the county between 1854 and 1933.

George Washington Peck of Poolesville, was reportedly found struggling with a white girl and accused of attempted rape before he was lynched in 1880.

“An angry white mob soon gathered, seizing Mr. Peck, forcing a noose around his neck and dragging him to the vacant lot across from the Poolesville Presbyterian Church. There he was hanged from a locust tree,” said Maya Davis, chair of the Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture.

She explained to visitors in attendance at the Universities at Shady Grove that, at the time, Montgomery County was a rural area consisting of small farms raising corn and tobacco. The population was about 25,000, a third of whom were Black.

Six months later, the county registered its 2nd lynching — that of John Diggs Dorsey who was a laborer living in Darnestown.

Accused of sexually assaulting his employer’s wife, Diggs Dorsey was taken into custody following a 2-day manhunt. But a white mob of 30-40 men showed up at the Rockville jail and grabbed Diggs Dorsey.

“They made the prisoner walk in shackles about a mile outside town on Route 28. There they hung him from the limb of a large cherry tree. In the morning, several hundred white people gathered around the body, cutting the rope into pieces for souvenirs,” Davis said.

The third lynching in Montgomery County occurred in 1896, following a vicious ax attack on a family in Gaithersburg. A stranger in town from Milledgeville, Georgia, named Sidney Randolph was taken into custody while walking along Muddy Branch Road. It was Independence Day.

“On July 4, a mass mob of white men dragged him from his cell in the Rockville jail, brutally beat him and hanged him from a tree just outside of town along Route 355,” Davis said.

The state commission was told there are no known descendants of Peck, Diggs Dorsey or Randolph.

“The culture and the legacy of lynching created an environment of racial terror and fear for a lot of individuals, not just though who are contemporaries of the lynching victims but of those who followed them: the descendants. It created intergenerational trauma that is not easy to escape,” said Teisha Dupree-Wilson, a history professor at Copping State University and member of the commission.

The next public commission meeting is schedule for Monday, Oct. 7, at 11:30 a.m. at Bowie State University. A public hearing is scheduled weeks later in Harford and Cecil counties on Saturday, Oct. 26 at 10 a.m. More information on previous and upcoming meetings is available online.

The state’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s work Saturday is an outgrowth of years of research. It was established in 2019 to investigate unlawful killings of African Americans by white mob violence throughout Maryland’s history.

“The commission researches cases of lynching throughout the state and holds public hearings in communities where lynchings took place to shine a light on the dark legacy of lynching in Maryland and its enduring impacts on the Black community and communities of color,” a release on the meeting said. “At the heart of the MLTRC’s mission is the pursuit of justice and healing for the victims of lynching and their descendants.”

WTOP’s Ivy Lyons contributed to this report.

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October 6, 2024
U. of Virginia researchers explore new ways to manage diabetes – WTOP News

UVA Health is launching clinical trials for a new way to manage Type 2 diabetes that doesn’t rely on medications or weight loss.

UVA Health is launching clinical trials for a new way to manage Type 2 diabetes that doesn’t rely on medications or weight loss.

“We teach people how to control their blood glucose,” said Dr. Daniel Cox, professor of psychiatry and internal medicine at UVA Health.

The treatment, developed by Cox, increases a patient’s physical activity to lower blood glucose levels. It also identifies the foods that patients should avoid because they’re known to raise blood glucose.

“We encourage people to become more physically active after meals, walk their dog, go out for a walk with family members, do their outdoor chores, et cetera,” said Cox.

During upcoming clinical trials, volunteers will have their blood glucose levels monitored constantly so they can see the relationship between their physical activities, food choices and their glucose levels.

“The less their blood glucose level goes up in the first place, the less effort they have to engage in to bring it down, so people learn which foods push your blood glucose levels up a lot and which foods don’t push up your blood glucose levels at all,” said Cox.

Cox notes that foods like oatmeal and cold cereal “all push your blood glucose up exceedingly,” but scrambled eggs and plain yogurt are examples of dietary options that “don’t push your blood glucose level up much.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that more than 38 million people in the United States have diabetes.

“Type 2 diabetes accounts for about 90% of all diabetes,” Cox said.

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October 5, 2024
Rescued pets out of states hit by Hurricane Helene are coming to Virginia – WTOP News

Fifty to 90 rescued pets from North Carolina, which was hit by Hurricane Helene, are expected to arrive Tuesday night at shelters in Northern Virginia.

While search and rescue teams are saving lives during the disaster from Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina, some rescue teams are also working feverishly to save dogs and cats.

Fifty to 90 rescued pets from Mitchell and Yancey counties in North Carolina are expected to arrive Tuesday night at shelters in Northern Virginia.

“We are told that most of the roads in those towns are completely washed out. There is no running water, there is no cell (or) internet service. And so, the teams on the ground down there have been working with emergency services and the shelter staff to try to get these animals loaded up and headed our way,” said Sue Bell, founder and executive director of Homeward Trails, a nonprofit animal rescue that operates a shelter in Fairfax Station, Virginia, and a second shelter in Delaplane, Virginia.

Homeward Trails takes in about 3,000 unhoused animals every year, most of them from rural, under-resourced communities across Virginia where adoption rates are low and the number of homeless animals is high.

“The state of animal welfare in America right now is already in crisis. Animal shelters across the country are already full, and animal welfare workers have been struggling now for several years to secure live outcomes for the animals already in the shelters and in our communities,” Bell said.

“So when a natural disaster at this level hits, it’s incredibly overwhelming to think a minute or an hour or a day ahead to where we are going to find the resources, services and the locations to keep these animals safe,” she added.

The coordinated rescue plan involves teams in North Carolina preparing the pets for transport to Richmond and volunteer drivers ready to pick them up in Richmond to bring them to Northern Virginia.

“The most challenging part of this, aside from the logistics and operating in a geographical area with no cell service or internet or where roads are flooded, is balancing the needs of our more local shelters, who remain full and have to face decisions about euthanizing animals for space, against those animals who are victims of these natural disasters. The challenge of trying to be mindful of every animal and make the decisions about who we can help and who we can’t help are probably the most stressful decisions we make all year round,” said Bell.

Tuesday’s planned arrival of the rescued pets is expected to be the first in a series of transport operations in the weeks ahead.

“We are also mobilizing to take in animals from some of our Southwest Virginia partners, who are not hit quite as hard with flooding, but who have been operating in shelters without electricity, without running water for the last few days,” said Bell.

She said Homeward Trails reached an agreement Tuesday with District Dogs, a doggy day care in the D.C. area, to immediately take in some animals from its adoption center to make room for the hurricane rescue pets, some of which will require veterinary care.

The nonprofit is asking for help. It’s seeking donations of money to help pay the pets’ vet bills. It’s also collecting dog food, cat food and water to transfer to partners in North Carolina.

“We are told that water is the greatest issue, so we are gladly taking donations of those items to get down to the affected areas,” said Bell.

The rescue group also needs foster homes and volunteers.

“Our adoption center is only so big, so we can only house so many animals here, and we all know that animals are best served being in homes. … We’re going to need volunteers in the coming days, as our capacity here at our adoption center is exceeded … to help us feed animals and walk animals, help us transport animals to and from veterinary appointments,” said Bell.

Ironically, October is National “Adopt a Dog” Month. Homeward Trails has been given a $25,000 contribution from the PenFed Foundation that will be used to pay the adoption fees for approved veterans and military families. The adoption will also include a crate, food, toys and a free first exam with certain veterinarians.

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October 1, 2024
UVA cancer center pushes for more screenings as number of diagnoses rise among younger Americans – WTOP News

The medical lead of UVA Cancer Center’s Colorectal Cancer Screening Program is pushing for people to get screened.

Cancer prevention and breakthroughs in cancer treatment have helped lower the nation’s cancer death rate, but an annual report by the American Association for Cancer Research found the number of cancer cases is growing, particularly among people under the age of 50.

“Since the 1990s, fewer people are actually dying from cancer … overall cancer deaths rates are down by one third since 1991, which means that about 4.1 million cancer deaths are happening across the United States,” said Dr. Cynthia Yoshida, the medical lead of UVA Cancer Center’s Colorectal Cancer Screening Program.

Among the progress is a 42% reduction in breast cancer deaths over the past 30 years and, in the past decade, the Food and Drug Administration approved 16 new therapies against breast cancer.

Cancer deaths are also down because of screening, early detection and improvement in cancer prevention, such as reductions in smoking rates.

But cancer rates are increasing, including for people younger than 50. Researchers cite many factors including unhealthy diets, obesity, chemicals in the environment, antibiotics, sedentary behavior and increased use of alcohol.

“It’s not only colorectal cancer that’s rising in young people but also breast cancer, stomach cancer and certain blood cancers,” Yoshida said. “What this shows is that GenXers and millennials are going to have higher rates of cancer compared to prior generations and their chance of developing cancer is even higher than their grandparents.”

To guard against cancer, Yoshida recommended people pay attention to signs or symptoms that can signal cancer and participate in recommended cancer screenings. These include breast cancer screenings, which are recommended for those turning 40, and colorectal cancer checks at age 45.

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September 29, 2024
A new deal to provide more opportunity for students at Bowie State University – WTOP News

Bowie State University reached an agreement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that will create more environmental conservation opportunities for students.

President Aminta H. Breaux during an MOU signing with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service between Bowie State University, Alabama A&M and Bethune-Cookman University, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024.
(Courtesy Bowie State University)
Courtesy Bowie State University

Students interact with Red, an 18-year-old screech owl, during an MOU signing with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service between Bowie State University, Alabama A&M and Bethune-Cookman University, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024.
(Courtesy Bowie State University)
Courtesy Bowie State University

Students interact with Red, an 18-year-old screech owl, during an MOU signing with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service between Bowie State University, Alabama A&M and Bethune-Cookman University, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024.
(Courtesy Bowie State University)
Courtesy Bowie State University

Students present their research at an MOU signing with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service between Bowie State University, Alabama A&M and Bethune-Cookman University, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024.

(Courtesy Bowie State University)
Courtesy Bowie State University

Students interact with Red, an 18-year-old screech owl, during an MOU signing with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service between Bowie State University, Alabama A&M and Bethune-Cookman University, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024.
(Courtesy Bowie State University)
Courtesy Bowie State University

For Bowie State University students interested in environmental conservation, a new doorway is opening. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has signed an agreement with the Maryland university to expand its recruiting efforts there as part of an effort aimed at historically Black colleges and universities.

“We are a government agency. We work on behalf of all Americans. Our mission is to work with others to protect, enhance, conserve plants and animals for all Americans. We cannot do our work if our agency doesn’t represent and look like the Americans that we serve,” said Siva Sundaresan, deputy director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The agency is also signing agreements with two other HBCUs, Bethune-Cookman University, in Florida, and Alabama A&M University.

Bowie students won’t have far to travel to take advantage of this new opportunity to study nature.

“We have a National Wildlife Refuge that’s adjacent to Bowie State University … so it’s an incredible opportunity for students to get classroom experience and classroom knowledge, and then be able to get out into the field, out on the ground, and so it captures their mind and their hearts,” said Wendi Weber, northeast regional director for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Representatives from the federal agency and the schools signed an agreement Friday aimed at increasing the agency’s racial diversity.

“I want to applaud the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for partnering in this endeavor … the ultimate goal is to introduce green jobs and a workforce to underrepresented populations that our HBCUs are serving,” said Bowie State University President Aminta Breaux.

The agreement is in line with an executive order signed by President Joe Biden to advance diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility in the federal workforce.

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© 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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September 28, 2024
Va. and Md. emergency responders heading to Florida where Hurricane Helene makes landfall – WTOP News

As Hurricane Helene threatens to beat down on Florida, search and rescue teams from Northern Virginia and suburban Maryland have been sent down to help.

Fairfax County’s urban search and rescue team huddled up.(Courtesy Fairfax County Fire and Rescue)

As Hurricane Helene threatens to beat down on Florida, search and rescue teams from Northern Virginia and suburban Maryland have been sent down to help.

Virginia Task Force 1 is well on its way to the storm, as it was dispatched Tuesday afternoon, while Maryland Task Force 1 left for “The Sunshine State” on Wednesday afternoon. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) activated the teams at the request of the state of Florida.

“That’s common for hurricanes, we often stage before they strike so that we can be ready to roll in as soon as they pass. So along with teams from around the country, we’ll head down to Florida. And then once the storm passes through and Florida begins their damage assessment, they’ll work with the emergency management officials down there to figure out where exactly our team’s resources and capabilities are needed,” said John Morrison, spokesman for Task Force 1, Fairfax County Fire and Rescue.

There are 28 urban search and rescue teams nationwide sponsored by FEMA. Six teams have been ordered to go to Florida, including Maryland Task Force 1, which features a search and rescue team with 45 members from Montgomery, Howard and Prince George’s counties’ fire departments as well as D.C. Fire and EMS.

Virginia Task Force 1 is an 80-member team.

“When we deploy on behalf of FEMA, we really work with the local emergency management officials down there. So wherever they need us, that’s where we’ll go. And we provide a bunch of different capabilities that may be swift water or flat water rescue capabilities, wide-area search and rescue, collapsed building search and rescue. We bring over 30 tons of equipment along with our 80 people and four dogs,” Morrison said.

“Whatever the local officials down there need, we can provide that,” he added.

Both the Virginia and Maryland search and rescue teams will take up positions hours away from the expected landfall site of Hurricane Helene. Then, following the storm, the teams will swing into action if their services are needed.

Task force teams are fully equipped to provide for their own well-being while working to help others.

“We’ll bring two doctors and 10 paramedics,” Morrison said. “We want to be as capable as we can so that they’re designed to take care of our rescuers, along with any victims we may come upon. We also bring all of the food and water and shelter that we need to take care of ourselves, because we don’t want to be a burden on the local providers there. So we’ll bring everything we need to be self-sufficient.”

Maryland Task Force 1 has water rescue capabilities and also an incident support team, including a communications specialist.

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© 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

Dick Uliano

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September 25, 2024
HFStival rocks Nationals Park, returning to DC after more than a decade – WTOP News

Alt-rock icons and their fans descended on Nationals Park in D.C. on Saturday, marking the return of the HFStival after 13 years.

The festival, started in 1990 by local rock station WHFS, has been held at numerous concert venues around the D.C. region, including D.C.’s RFK Stadium, M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore and Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland. Back then, it was one of the biggest music festivals on the East Coast, featuring big names like the Ramones, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Jane’s Addiction.

It is the first time Nats Park has hosted the event, and organizers expect 29,000 concertgoers.

For many rock fans, HFStival’s return was highly anticipated. A large number of Millennials turned out, reminiscing on their times at the festival back in high school. Some folks came to the park sporting old HFStival T-shirts, and even T-shirts from WHFS, which went off the air in 2008.

Mike Rosen of Falls Church, Virginia, told WTOP he returned because he was nostalgic about the event and the music.

Many of Saturday’s concertgoers shared memories of previous festivals. KC of Alexandria recalled breaking his back at the show in 1997 at the age of 14.

“I was crowd surfing, and they dropped me,” KC said.

Another unusual story came from John Wirono of Germantown, who told WTOP that he got backstage access in the past because his friends were performing.

“I walked into Billy Idol’s dressing room one time when he was in a little bit of a situation I shouldn’t have walked in on,” Wirono said.

Tom Turner of Annapolis remembers “selling beers to old guys in traffic” on their way to RFK Stadium back in 2004.

Rock bands like Lit (“My Own Worst Enemy”), Filter (“Take A Picture”) and Tonic (“If You Could Only See”) opened the show, playing under the sunny, blue D.C. sky. Those were nicer conditions for festivalgoer Lee Van Voorhis than the 1992 festival.

“We remember going to the Prince George’s Equestrian Center — how muddy and dirty it was, but how great the music was on different stages,” said Van Voorhis.

Crowds were scarce when Lit, Filter and Tonic took the stage in early afternoon, but as the day wore on, crowds began to grow for Jimmy Eat World, Liz Phair, Bush and Incubus.

The music promised to bang on into the night, capping the evening with Death Cab for Cutie and The Postal Service.

See photos from HFStival below.

Dick Uliano

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September 21, 2024
Red-backed salamander gets support from students to become DC’s official amphibian – WTOP News

Fourth grade students from Powell Elementary School testified Wednesday to the D.C. Council in support of a bill that would make the red-backed salamander the official amphibian of D.C.

Natural closeup on a bright red Western redback salamander, Plethodon vehiculum sitting on the ground.(Getty Images/Wirestock)

Fourth grade students from Powell Elementary School testified Wednesday to the D.C. Council in support of a bill they helped launch last year that would make the red-backed salamander the official amphibian of D.C.

“In the pandemic it was boring, so we went herping in Rock Creek Park. ‘Herping’ is looking for reptiles and amphibians, then we found red-backed salamanders,” said Powell student, Max Girshick.

The tiny red-backed salamander is typically found in leaf litter or under logs in the city’s woodlands. They’re the most abundant vertebrae in eastern American forests.

“Salamanders help address one of D.C.’s worst problems — (like) mosquitoes. I think we can all agree that mosquitoes are terribly annoying and that we all hate mosquito bites. Guess what … salamanders eat mosquito larvae, so they help reduce the mosquito population,” testified Powell student Shula Toich.

It was Girshick’s Rock Creek Park outings that led to the idea of proposing the red-backed salamander as D.C.’s official amphibian.

D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson questioned the students on why they chose to study the red-backed salamander and propose it as the city’s official amphibian when there are other small amphibians here that also eat mosquitoes, like the red-spotted newt.

“The red-backed salamander’s red stripes emulate the D.C. flag,” said Milo Evans Snyder. The students also told the council there are far more red-backed salamanders in D.C. than there are red-spotted newts.

“While this bill was introduced by me and my fellow colleagues, it was researched and written by the students of Powell Elementary. … I am proud of your dedication in what started as an idea and made into a reality and getting so many adults to pay attention along the way,” said Ward 4 Council member Janeese Lewis George.

The council is expected to have its first vote on the red-backed salamander bill as soon as October and could face a final vote by the end of the year.

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© 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

Dick Uliano

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September 19, 2024
The Great Frederick Fair brings a lively midway and bustling barn to Maryland – WTOP News

The nine-day Great Frederick Fair opened in Maryland this weekend with livestock judging, a colorful midway of rides and games, and a packed schedule featuring big-name performers and old-school county fair events.

Bachman-Turner Overdrive is on center stage Saturday night following a warm summer day of fair activities, including goat judging and baked goods arriving for weekend competition.

“My daughter is showing her heifer, her cow/calf pair and her bull,” said Tony Woodie of Empty Pockets Livestock, as the pair groomed their animals inside the Beef Barn. “I hope to have first place all the way around, but realistically, we come in the middle, we’re good.”

The fair has a birthing barn, a youth building and newly-renovated interior space beneath the expansive grandstand.

Country stars Sara Evans and Tracy Lawrence are scheduled to perform Sunday night, and the Beach Boys will take the stage Thursday.

Horses have always been a big part of the Great Frederick Fair, dating back to its first year in 1865.

“We have harness racing here in the afternoon, it is free and open to the public to go into the grandstand,” said Nancy Free Keller, president of the fair.

The long-running fair also has events popular over the years with county fairgoers, including a tractor pull competition and demolition derby.

The fair runs until Sept. 21 at the fairgrounds in Frederick.

Dick Uliano

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September 14, 2024
‘The needs are really, really enormous’: High demand for volunteer tutors for DC-area students – WTOP News

With classes back in session, a major drive is underway to recruit a legion of volunteer tutors needed for students throughout the D.C. area.

A booth for the D.C. Tutoring & Mentoring Initiative at Adams Morgan Day in D.C.(WTOP/Dick Uliano)

With classes back in session, a major drive is underway to recruit a legion of volunteer tutors needed for students throughout the D.C. area.

At the Adams Morgan Day festival on Sunday, the D.C. Tutoring and Mentoring Initiative spread word about the need for 60,000 volunteer tutors and mentors needed across the region. Only 4,000 were enlisted last year, according to Tom Pollak, the organization’s executive director.

“We’ve got two out of three kids reading below grade level, even more needing help with math,” Pollak told WTOP. “We support more than 50 different non-profit organizations and schools and we need folks who can help out just one to two hours a week.”

On Saturday, at a D.C. After-School Fair at the Deanwood Community Center in Northeast D.C., parents and students browsed dozens of tables of information on after-school programs. Many of the more than 60 offerings on display were devoted to tutoring.

“Our primary focus is STEM and STEAM: science, technology, engineering, math and changing the minds of the youth in Washington D.C. to move in a more positive direction,” said Amos Drummond, operational manager of Positive Focus Foundation, a nonprofit group that tutors D.C. students.

At the end of each school day, tutors from Drummond’s group fan out to D.C. schools where they sit with kids as they do their homework.

“Our main goal is when parents pick the young people up at the end of the day, the homework is already completed, and that builds confidence, and self esteem and cognitive skills in the youth…the kids do their homework and that takes pressure off the parents,” said Drummond.

The D.C. Teaching and Mentoring Initiative matches volunteers with 50 partner tutoring and mentoring programs in the District and the suburbs.

Some volunteers come in during the school day, while others work with students right after classes end or later in the evening.

“We have flexible programs and virtual programs where you could connect up with your mentee on the weekend at a local coffee shop or at a location that worked for you,” Pollak said. “A lot of our partners can also get free tickets to local sporting events, things like that. So you can take your mentee, could go to the local sporting event, or go for a hike, get a lot of different options. The needs are really, really enormous.”

Because the school year is young, Pollak said the ensuing days and weeks are good times to become involved.

“I can’t tell you how fulfilling it is, how satisfying it is … working with an elementary school kid in third grade, maybe who’s struggled to learn how to read … or your mentoring a high school student or middle school student.” said Pollak.

“You don’t have to have a college degree either,” Pollak added. “Just caring adults that’s what we say is the main criteria.”

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© 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

Dick Uliano

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September 9, 2024
DC promotes more than 120 free after-school programs – WTOP News

Recently, the District agreed to spend $25 million to fund numerous nonprofit groups that conduct the after-school programs.

On Saturday, D.C. parents and their school children spent time browsing a gymnasium full of information about more than 120 after-school programs available free to the District’s young people.
(WTOP/Dick Uliano)
WTOP/Dick Uliano

Recently, the District agreed to spend $25 million to fund numerous nonprofit groups that conduct the after-school programs.
(WTOP/Dick Uliano)
WTOP/Dick Uliano

Parents and kids eagerly explored the tables at the after school care fair in D.C., collecting pamphlets and signing up for more information.
(WTOP/Dick Uliano)
WTOP/Dick Uliano

From vaping, the cost of school supplies to cellphone policies, the WTOP team is studying up on hot-button topics in education across the D.C. region. Follow on air and online in our series “WTOP Goes Back to School”.

D.C. parents and their school-age children spent time on Saturday browsing a gymnasium full of information about more than 120 after-school programs available free to the District’s young people.

“You have dance, you have tutoring, you have football, you have writing, you have performing arts. All of the above and more,” said Shontia Lowe, executive director, Office of Out of School Time Grants and Youth Outcomes, in the office of the D.C. Deputy Mayor for Education.

Recently, the city agreed to spend $25 million to fund numerous nonprofit groups that conduct the after-school programs.

One of the popular programs is Words, Beats & Life, a more than 20-year-old after-school program organized by St. Stephen and the Incarnational Episcopal Church in the Mount Pleasant neighborhood. The classes are held in the church building and also conducted both in school buildings and online virtually.

“The programs we currently offer and have offered over time have been break dancing, DJing, graffiti, chess, poetry, photography, podcast classes … comic book creating, African drumming, step classes, entrepreneurial classes,” said Javier Starks, site coordinator for Words, Beats & Life.

The after-school programs are not all fun and games. Among the programs are those in which tutors work with children to complete their homework assignments.

“We have teachers that we pay to tutor them one on one for those two hours live or we can go online and treat each youth as an individual case,” said Amos Drummond, operational manager of the Positive Focus Foundation. “I was one of these kids who received help … I was exposed to geometry which led me to become a chemist,” Drummond said.

Parents and kids eagerly explored the tables, collecting pamphlets and signing up for more information.

“Because I’m a parent that is why I’m here I need my daughter to know … what’s available to us to be able to get her a better education … I want her to be in the STEM programs, I want her to get into the arts,” said Taseeta Samuel, a Ward 7 resident who visited the after-school fair with her fifth grade daughter.

Find information online about D.C.’s numerous after school programs at learn24.dc.gov.

“We know for a fact that when students attend programs after school they have increased attendance, improvement in their grades and they develop, generally speaking holistically as a young person,” Lowe said.

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© 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

Dick Uliano

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September 8, 2024
Metro police host back-to-school bash at Fort Totten station – WTOP News

From vaping, the cost of school supplies to cellphone policies, the WTOP team is studying up on hot-button topics in education across the D.C. region. Follow on air and online in our series “WTOP Goes Back to School” this August and September.

A colorful back-to-school fair greeted children and their families Saturday at the Fort Totten Metro Station. The station’s parking lot was temporarily turned into a place of fun and games for the annual “Metro Transit Police Department’s Back-to-School Bash.”

“We get people to where they want to go and a lot of people have to get to school, whether they work at school. Custodians. The kids. The parents,” said Metro General Manager Randy Clarke who said the fair is a great way for transit police and all Metro employees to engage with riders, young and old.

There was free food and treats like popcorn and snow cones. A master barber in a mobile barber shop had kids taking turns in the chairs, to get a haircut before the first day of class. Outside the mobile barber shop manicurists were busy tending to little hands.

“I’m telling you my daughter’s been bugging me the whole time to get her nails painted so it’s really enjoyable being out here and seeing them enjoy themselves, said Leonard Hill, whose daughter is a rising 3rd grader, and his son is starting first grade.

Uniformed Transit officers were busy digging into big cardboard containers full of stuffed book bags, containing note pads, pens, pencils, crayons and glue sticks.
Kids lined up for their free school supplies that came in white or navy colored nylon bags.

“The kids, to be able to get free stuff for school — nails, hair shape ups, that’s amazing and will save a parent a dollar,” said Anya Brown visiting the school fair with her two children.

Kids frolicked amid bubble machines and checked out the Transit Police’s bomb detection unit, including remote operated robots. There was also a Metro bus exhibit set up, where kids could climb aboard and get a sense of being on the big bus.

“The Metro trains and Metro buses are the primary form of transportation for children in the District of Columbia … we want to show the community, particularly the kids that we’re here to keep them safe,” said Captain Aaron Donald, commander of the Fort Totten District, Metro Transit Police.

Metro tells kids to be safe, if they see something that doesn’t seem right reach out to an officer or a Metro station attendant. Observe all safety rules on the rail system, staying clear of tracks, stay behind lines and follow instructions of bus operators. One other important tip for kids.

“Don’t leave your cellphones on the train. All these kids have phones on them, kids seem to magically drop their phones,” said Metro GM Clarke.

Summer is fun, but the kids and their parents seem eager for a return to school.

“We’re just waiting for them to go back, for sure, we’ve been enjoying the summertime but it’s time to go back to learning,” said Leonard Hill with a laugh.

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© 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

Dick Uliano

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August 17, 2024