Subzero wind chills and highs in the 20s keep the D.C. area in a deep freeze Sunday, with a slow warmup arriving by midweek.
Bitter cold conditions continue across the D.C. region Sunday, as wind chills drop into the teens and even below zero early on.
Mostly cloudy and breezy conditions will keep temperatures locked in the 20s and cold weather alerts remain in effect through the morning. Winds will gradually ease later in the day, but highs stay well below freezing.
Skies will be mostly clear in the evening, setting up another chilly stretch with lows in the single digits and wind chills near zero. Northwest winds will be lighter, but temperatures remain extremely cold.
Expect a rebound in temperatures Monday as partly cloudy skies and light West winds move into the D.C. area, but 7News First Alert Meteorologist Jordan Evans said highs will reach around the freezing mark.
He said a more noticeable warmup will arrive Tuesday, with mostly sunny skies and highs in the mid‑40s. Conditions return closer to normal for this time of year as melting continues.
Wednesday could be the warmest day of the week, as temperatures rise into the upper 40s near 50. Evans said more clouds than sun and the chance for evening showers are expected.
FORECAST
TODAY: COLD ALERT: Mostly cloudy, breezy. Highs between 22 and 26, with a wind chill in the single digits and teens. Winds: Northwest 5-15 mph, gusts: 25-30 mph
TONIGHT: Mostly clear. Lows between 5 and 15, with a wind chill in the single digits. Winds: Northwest 5-10 mph
MONDAY: Partly cloudy. Highs between 29 and 33. Winds: West 5 mph
TUESDAY: Mostly sunny. Highs between 40 and 45. Winds: South 5 mph
WEDNESDAY: Mostly cloudy, evening showers. Highs between 45 and 50. Winds: Northwest 10 mph
CURRENT CONDITIONS
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Sixteen trains that stop at Union Station in D.C. were canceled by Amtrak on Thursday. And that will be the case again Friday.
Sixteen trains that stop at Union Station in D.C. were canceled by Amtrak on Thursday. And that will be the case again Friday.
The rail service is blaming what it calls “weather-related equipment issues” for the cancellation of three Keystone Service trains, seven Acela trains, 10 Northeast Regional trains.
Amtrak told WTOP it’s communicating directly with impacted customers with reservations on affected trains, and that additional charges will be waived.
The company said customers may change their reservations on the Amtrak App or Amtrak.com.
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Dandre Eric Davis, of Prince George’s County, who worked at a D.C. school, has been charged in a child sex abuse materials case, prosecutors said.
A Prince George’s County, Maryland, man who worked at Luke C. Moore Opportunity Academy in Northeast D.C. has been charged with distribution of child sexual abuse material.
Dandre Eric Davis, 31, of Suitland, exchanged messages beginning last month with someone using a dating app and later continued those communications on the encrypted messaging platform Telegram, according to federal prosecutors.
Court documents indicate Davis discussed illegal interests and ultimately shared videos depicting child sexual abuse. Federal prosecutors said Davis described himself in those online conversations as a “kinky perv,” and that Davis said he was interested in children between 7 and 15 years old.
The complaint was unsealed Monday by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, who was joined by FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren Cox of the Washington Field Office.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C., the case is being investigated by the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force as a part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Rodney Wormsley, principal at Luke C. Moore Opportunity Academy, told students and parents that there are currently no indicators that Luke C. Moore students were involved in the incident in an email statement on Tuesday.
“DC Public Schools (DCPS) treats all allegations of employee misconduct with the utmost seriousness and is following all required protocols and cooperating with the law enforcement,” Wormsley said in the statement. “The staff member is out of the building on leave and will not report to school while this matter is under review.”
WTOP has reached out to Davis for comment.
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Count on strong winds across the D.C. area Sunday as a nor’easter moves along the East Coast.
Count on strong winds across the D.C. area Sunday as a nor’easter moves along the East Coast.
7News First Alert Meteorologist Jordan Evans said northerly wind gusts could top 40 mph, creating dangerously low wind chills. He suggests covering all exposed skin when outdoors to avoid frostbite or hypothermia. Daytime highs will remain below freezing, with wind chills around zero.
Evans and the National Weather Service said wind chills are expected to fall below zero Sunday night under clear skies, with gusts up to 45 mph.
One more night of zero or below zero wind chills is expected tonight into Monday morning before a brief “warmup” occurs during the first half of the week. Expect one last round of Cold Weather Advisories to be issued later today. #DCwx#MDwx#VAwx#WVwxpic.twitter.com/CcerM16Gct
Conditions begin to thaw for parts of the D.C. region Monday, as highs could reach 35 degrees — marking the first time the area may rise above freezing in more than a week. But winds are expected to make temperatures feel like they’re in the 20s.
Despite increasing clouds Tuesday, Evans said it could be the warmest day of the week, with highs near 40. But again, winds may make temperatures feel like they’re in the 20s.
FORECAST
TODAY: COLD ALERT: Cold, windy. Highs between 25 and 30, with wind chills around zero. Winds: North 15-25 mph, gusts: 35-40 mph
TONIGHT: Clear, breezy. Lows between 5 and 15, with wind chills as low as -3. Winds: North 15-25 mph, gusts: 40-45 mph
MONDAY: Mostly sunny. Highs between 30 and 35, with wind chills in the 20s. Winds: Northwest 5-15 mph
TUESDAY: Increasing clouds. Highs between 35 and 40, with wind chills in the 20s. Winds: West 5-10 mph
CURRENT CONDITIONS
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D.C. Water said major progress has been made in its efforts to contain a sewer overflow that began after a section of the Potomac Interceptor collapsed along Clara Barton Parkway.
D.C. Water said substantial progress has been made in its efforts to contain a major sewer overflow that began after a 72-inch section of the Potomac Interceptor collapsed one week ago along Clara Barton Parkway.
The collapse triggered a significant sanitary sewer overflow into the C&O Canal National Historical Park.
The Potomac Interceptor is a 54‑mile sewer line that carries roughly 60 million gallons of wastewater a day from communities near Dulles International Airport, Loudoun and Fairfax counties, the towns of Vienna and Herndon, and parts of Montgomery County to the Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant in the District.
In the days after the Jan. 19 failure, crews assisted by the National Park Service worked nonstop to clear access, install pipes and build a temporary bypass system. The system is designed to divert wastewater upstream of the collapse, route it through a dry stretch of the C&O Canal and return it to the sewer line downstream.
D.C. Water said the bypass became operational Wednesday night. Six large pumps are now moving wastewater around the damaged section, and flow returning to the sewer system has increased by about 40 million gallons per day.
Potomac River Keeper Dean Naujoks, holds a biohazard collection bag while standing alongside the site where a massive pipe rupture has sent sewage spilling into the Potomac River, Friday, Jan. 23, 2026 in Glen Echo, Md. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)
Some wastewater is still escaping near the break, which D.C. Water said is expected while the collapsed pipe continues to drain. Additional pumps are being brought in to help reach full containment.
With the bypass running, D.C. Water said crews will begin excavating and inspecting the collapsed pipe segment, removing debris, stabilizing the surrounding ground and developing a long‑term repair plan. The utility has not yet said how long permanent fixes will take.
The collapse caused wastewater to spill into a creek bed that leads to the Potomac River. D.C. Water said once repairs are complete, the agency and its partners, including the National Park Service and the Maryland Department of the Environment, will survey affected areas for erosion, debris removal and any environmental cleanup.
D.C. Water said drinking water remains safe and unaffected. The District’s drinking water system is separate from its wastewater system, and the overflow occurred downstream of the Washington Aqueduct’s intake points. Intake structures at Little Falls were also closed as a precaution.
The collapse occurred just east of the Interstate 495 interchange along Clara Barton Parkway and initially forced the closure of the right inbound lane.
The public is asked to avoid posted areas along the canal or river. Anyone with questions can contact D.C. Water at 202‑354‑3600 or its 24‑Hour Command Center at 202‑612‑3400.
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The wintry weekend storm has moved on, leaving behind rock-hard piles of snow and bitter cold for people across the District, Maryland and Virginia to deal with.
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How snow and sleet are measured during snowstorms
The wintry weekend storm has moved on, leaving people across the District, Maryland and Virginia to deal with rock-hard piles of snow and bitter cold.
With anywhere from five inches to nearly a foot of snowfall across the D.C. region, along with a glaze of ice in parts to the south and east of D.C., 7News First Alert Meteorologist Mark Peña said the storm “has left quite an impact on our area.”
Monday’s temperatures are forecast to reach the mid to upper 20s, but windy conditions could make the air feel colder. Especially Monday night, with wind chills forecast below zero.
The National Weather Service said conditions would be “dangerously cold” through Tuesday morning. It suggests dressing in layers and keeping “pets indoors as much as possible.”
While Peña said snow and ice are going to stick around for the next seven to 10 days, no major additional snowfall is expected across the region until this weekend.
But he advises the D.C. area could see a few flurries Wednesday night. It’s those conditions that will reinforce “shots of cold, Arctic air,” Peña said, as high temperatures are expected to reach the mid 20s.
WTOP’s Luke Lukert said it took him about 30 minutes to clear his vehicle of ice and snow early Monday: “There was about three inches of solid ice that I just had to break up from that windshield, and that’s with the heat running … and just getting out.”
He said it took 10 minutes “going back and forth, getting out, digging out some part of the snow,” to get his all-wheel-drive vehicle out of its parking spot.
Lukert said “if you did not shovel your driveway at all yesterday, it’s going to be really, really hard for you to get out.”
He said the side streets he drove through Northwest D.C. were slightly more treacherous than “a normal snow day,” but not terrible.
“Once you get to a major commuter route like Wisconsin Ave. … you see wet pavement.” He said “the hardest part is just going to be getting out of your driveway, getting out of your parking spot.”
Storm’s impacts across DC region
Local leaders from Virginia and Maryland told WTOP those who live on side streets may not see plows come through for a while.
In Maryland, Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich said once crews do get to side streets, there will be additional challenges.
“We’re focused on the main arteries right now,” Elrich said. “They’re going to have a coating of ice on many of the streets by the time we get there. That’s going to make it more difficult, for sure.”
Snow blankets the headstones in Arlington National Cemetery, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Arlington, Va.
(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
AP Photo/Alex Brandon
People walk past the Marine Corps War Memorial as snow falls, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Arlington, Va.
(AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson
A person cross country skies during a snowstorm, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Arlington, Va.
(AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson
Snow plows clear Interstate 395, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Arlington, Va.
(AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson
People participate in a snowball fight in Meridian Hill Park in Washington, DC, on January 25, 2026. A massive winter storm on January 24 dumped snow and freezing rain from New Mexico to North Carolina as it swept across the United States towards the northeast, threatening tens of millions of Americans with blackouts, transportation chaos and bone-chilling cold. After battering the country’s southwest and central areas, the storm system began to hit the heavily populated mid-Atlantic and northeastern states as a frigid air mass settled in across the nation.
(Photo by Oliver Contreras / AFP via Getty Images)
Photo by Oliver Contreras / AFP via Getty Images
People participate in a snowball fight in Meridian Hill Park in Washington, DC, on January 25, 2026. A massive winter storm on January 24 dumped snow and freezing rain from New Mexico to North Carolina as it swept across the United States towards the northeast, threatening tens of millions of Americans with blackouts, transportation chaos and bone-chilling cold. After battering the country’s southwest and central areas, the storm system began to hit the heavily populated mid-Atlantic and northeastern states as a frigid air mass settled in across the nation.
(Photo by Oliver Contreras / AFP via Getty Images)
Photo by Oliver Contreras / AFP via Getty Images
A man walks along a path as snow falls in Washington, DC, on January 25, 2026. A massive winter storm on January 24 dumped snow and freezing rain from New Mexico to North Carolina as it swept across the United States towards the northeast, threatening tens of millions of Americans with blackouts, transportation chaos and bone-chilling cold. After battering the country’s southwest and central areas, the storm system began to hit the heavily populated mid-Atlantic and northeastern states as a frigid air mass settled in across the nation.
(Photo by Amid FARAHI / AFP via Getty Images)
Photo by Amid FARAHI / AFP via Getty Images
WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 25: Children play in the snow near the US Capitol on January 25, 2026 in Washington, DC. A massive winter storm is expected to bring frigid temperatures, ice, and snow to millions of Americans across the nation.
(Photo by Anna Rose Layden/Getty Images)
Photo by Anna Rose Layden/Getty Images
A view of a snow covered National Mall in Washington, DC, on January 25, 2026. A massive winter storm on January 24 dumped snow and freezing rain from New Mexico to North Carolina as it swept across the United States towards the northeast, threatening tens of millions of Americans with blackouts, transportation chaos and bone-chilling cold. After battering the country’s southwest and central areas, the storm system began to hit the heavily populated mid-Atlantic and northeastern states as a frigid air mass settled in across the nation.
(Photo by Amid FARAHI / AFP via Getty Images)
Photo by Amid FARAHI / AFP via Getty Images
WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 25: An Architect of the Capitol worker clears snow from the West front of the U.S. Capitol on January, 25, 2026 in Washington, DC. A massive winter storm is bringing frigid temperatures, ice, and snow to nearly 200 million Americans from Texas to New England..
(Photo by Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)
Photo by Kent Nishimura/Getty Images
A young boy sits in a fort built out of snow in the D.C. area on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026.
(WTOP/Abigail Constantino)
WTOP/Abigail Constantino
WTOP’s Dave Dildine measured nearly 5 inches of snow in Chevy Chase just before 9 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026.
(WTOP/Dave Dildine)
WTOP/Dave Dildine
A little girl builds a structure in the snow in Germantown, Maryland, on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026.
(WTOP/Linh Bui)
WTOP/Linh Bui
A plow clears a parking lot in Gaithersburg, Maryland, on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026.
(WTOP/Steve Dresner)
WTOP/Steve Dresner
A car spins out in Gaithersburg, Maryland, on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2025.
(WTOP/Steve Dresner)
WTOP/Steve Dresner
A couple walks in the snow in Arlington, Virginia, on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026.
(WTOP/Sandy Kozel)
WTOP/Sandy Kozel
Skye frolics in the snow in Bowie, Maryland,
(WTOP/Anne Kramer)
WTOP/Anne Kramer
Birds land on a balcony in Upper Marlboro, Maryland.
(WTOP/Dan Ronan)
WTOP/Dan Ronan
Emmett plays in the snow in a Chinatown park in the District.
(WTOP/Bill McFarland)
WTOP/Bill McFarland
A worker clears a sidewalk in Friendship Heights, Maryland, on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026.
(WTOP/Giang Nguyen)
WTOP/Giang Nguyen
A Metrobus travels through Chevy Chase, Maryland, on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026.
(WTOP/Julia Ziegler)
WTOP/Julia Ziegler
A small plow clears the area in front of a story in Chevy Chase, Maryland, on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026.
(WTOP/Julia Ziegler)
WTOP/Julia Ziegler
While there aren’t any reports of power outages in the D.C. region tied to the storm, officials with Pepco and Dominion Energy are warning that’s a possibility. Read about how to prepare and how utility companies are planning to respond to potential outages here.
Gov. Abigail Spanberger said Virginia is seeing an increase in emergency room visits due to hypothermia and cold exposure, as well as carbon monoxide exposure.
The latter is “concerning,” as more people attempt to use their generators at home to stay warm. And those concerns aren’t going anywhere, with bitter cold temperatures in the forecast for the rest of January.
Those same cold risks apply to pets, and veterinarian Sophie Kindberg-Hanlon told WTOP to be mindful of chemicals, such as antifreeze and ice melt, that could be present when taking your pet on walks in the snow.
“They can really hurt feet, and certainly cause gastrointestinal upset if pets lick them off,” she said.
School systems call it early, cancel classes Monday (and Tuesday)
The majority of D.C.-area school systems announced on Sunday their plans to be closed Monday due to the weather conditions.
Some school closings for Tuesday were also announced, with Maryland’s Montgomery County Public Schools system being among the first to make the call to cancel classes two days in advance.
Meanwhile, maximum telework is in effect Monday for federal government workers, and those who can’t telework will be granted weather and safety leave.
Lastly, Amtrak said Sunday night all trains traveling in the Northeast Corridor may be delayed or temporarily stopped when approaching Washington due to an intermittent communications outage.
Maryland’s Purple Line project is one step closer to completion, as officials said the “28th and final light-rail vehicle” has arrived ahead of schedule.
Maryland’s Purple Line project is one step closer to completion, as officials said the “28th and final light-rail vehicle” has arrived ahead of schedule.
“This milestone underscores the tremendous progress the Purple Line has made in 2025,” Purple Line Senior Project Director Ray Biggs II said in a news release.
Each 142-foot train can transport up to 430 passengers, including seating for 80, and accommodate eight wheelchairs and eight bikes. The vehicles were built by CAF in Spain and assembled in Elmira, New York.
The light rail vehicles are one of the longest in the U.S., according to the Maryland Department of Transportation’s Maryland Transit Administration. It said the final vehicle was delivered Nov. 19.
“Every milestone we reach brings us closer to delivering a more accessible and better-connected region,” Biggs said.
28 of 28! All 28 Light Rail Vehicles have arrived in Maryland; a major milestone for the Purple Line. This vital connection will knit communities, ease commutes, promote public transit and link riders to 21 stations and key destinations across the corridor. #PurpleLineprogresspic.twitter.com/fPPt88PsYd
The MDTA said the Purple Line is now 84.6% complete, with all rail installed in Prince George’s County and more than 148,000 feet of the 193,100 feet of track laid overall.
The 16-mile, 21-station light rail line will connect Montgomery and Prince George’s counties, linking to Metro’s Red, Green and Orange lines, plus MARC, Amtrak and local bus services.
After years of delays, the Purple Line is expected to open in 2027.
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A family is displaced after a fire that began in an attached garage swept through a house in Woodbridge, Virginia, early Saturday.
An overnight fire engulfs a Woodbridge home, which was later declared unsafe; all seven residents escaped safely.(Courtesy Prince William County Government Department of Fire and Rescue)
An overnight fire engulfs a Woodbridge home, which was later declared unsafe; all seven residents escaped safely.(Courtesy Prince William County Government Department of Fire and Rescue)
Flames that began in an attached garage swept through a house in Woodbridge, Virginia, early Saturday.
Prince William County Fire and Rescue said seven people, including a child, were all evacuated safely, as crews worked to contain heavy fire coming from a house in the cul-de-sac of Luca Station Drive around 2:45 a.m.
No injuries were reported.
The home sustained extensive damage and has been declared unsafe.
The Red Cross is assisting the displaced family.
Investigators are working to determine what caused the fire.
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Mayor Muriel Bowser issues ‘Cold Alert’ for D.C. as bitter winds sweep through the region.
A cold and windy Tuesday is in store for the D.C. area on Veterans Day, with highs only reaching the mid to upper 40s — but it’ll feel even chillier.
With strong northwest winds gusting between 30 and 40 mph through the afternoon, a ground stop was earlier issued for departing flights out of Dulles International Airport. According to the National Airspace System, wind conditions continue to cause ground delays of up to 77 minutes, on average.
Wind chills are expected to stay in the 30s and keep temperatures in the 40s, according to 7News First Alert Meteorologist Steve Rudin, who said the day’s temperatures put the region “about 12 degrees below normal for this time of year.”
“Don’t let the sunshine fool you this afternoon,” Rudin said.
With winds changing direction later in the day, conditions are expected to gradually ease after Tuesday’s 4:57 p.m. sunset. Temperatures are forecast to remain in the 30s overnight.
A cold alert issued by D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser is in effect for the District through 9 a.m. Wednesday. The alert is triggered when daytime or overnight temperatures feel like 32 degrees or colder.
D.C. officials said residents in need of shelter or assistance can visit cold.dc.gov, call the city’s shelter hotline at 202-399-7093 or dial 311. They also urge residents to check on neighbors, particularly seniors, children and those with disabilities.
However, Wednesday will see the return of more seasonable weather, with highs near 60 and gusty southwest winds. Thursday will be mostly sunny and breezy behind another dry cold front, with gusts in the 20 mph range.
Friday is forecast to begin with freezing conditions, but afternoon highs will warm into the lower 60s. Looking even further to the weekend, Rudin said “some neighborhoods will be pushing 70 degrees.”
7News First Alert Forecast
TONIGHT: Scattered Clouds Lows: 30-36 Winds: Southwest 5-15, Gusts 25 mph It won’t be as cold overnight thanks to a shift in wind direction.
WEDNESDAY: Partly Cloudy, Windy Highs: 58-63 Winds: Southwest 10-20 mph; Gusts: 30-35 mph More seasonable temperatures return Wednesday afternoon with highs on either side of 60 degrees. It will remain breezy to windy with gusts in the 30 mph range.
FRIDAY: Mostly Sunny Highs: 58-63 Winds: Northwest 5-10 mph Freezing temperatures kick-start the day, but afternoon highs will warm into the low 60s. With light winds and sunshine, it should be a great end to the week weather-wise.
CURRENT CONDITIONS
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New design renderings revealed Thursday show what the rebuilt Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, will look like once completed.
A recent rendering of the redesigned Key Bridge.
(Courtesy Maryland Transportation Authority)
Courtesy Maryland Transportation Authority
A rendering of what the redesigned Key Bridge will look like once its completed in 2028.
(Courtesy Maryland Transportation Authority)
Courtesy Maryland Transportation Authority
The redesigned cable-stayed crossing will feature two 12-foot lanes in each direction and stretch more than two miles across the Patapsco River, according to the Maryland Transportation Authority.
(Courtesy Maryland Transportation Authority)
Courtesy Maryland Transportation Authority
The new bridge will have a higher clearance and taller structural framework than the original.
(Courtesy Maryland Transportation Authority)
Courtesy Maryland Transportation Authority
The redesign will rise 230 feet above the water, with twin towers reaching more than 600 feet high, according to MTA.
(Courtesy Maryland Transportation Authority)
Courtesy Maryland Transportation Authority
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What Baltimore’s new Key Bridge could look like
New design renderings revealed Thursday show what the rebuilt Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, will look like once completed in the fall of 2028.
The yearslong project will replace the Key Bridge, which collapsed after being struck by a container ship in March 2024, killing six construction workers.
The redesigned cable-stayed crossing will feature two 12-foot lanes in each direction and stretch more than two miles across the Patapsco River, according to the Maryland Transportation Authority.
The new bridge will have a higher clearance and taller structural framework than the original.
The redesign will rise 230 feet above the water, with twin towers reaching more than 600 feet high, according to MTA. The original bridge had an 185-foot clearance and the main truss, which provides structural support, was 358 feet tall.
The project is expected to cost $2 billion and the new bridge is expected to expected to last a century.
Meanwhile, the National Transportation Safety Board will hold a hearing Nov. 18 in D.C. to discuss its marine investigation report tied to the collapse of the original bridge.
WTOP’s Jessica Kronzer contributed to this report.
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A child’s birthday party was tragically interrupted when a vehicle plowed into a group of people in Bladensburg, Maryland, leaving 11 people injured Saturday night.
A child’s birthday party was tragically interrupted when a vehicle plowed into a group of people in Bladensburg, Maryland, leaving 11 injured Saturday night.
Seven of the 11 people were children between the ages of 2 and 9 years old, according to the Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department.
The Bladensburg Police Department said officers responded to the 4100 block of 56th Avenue, just north of Annapolis Road, for a motor vehicle collision at 10:14 p.m.
It said a vehicle traveling “from the area of Annapolis Road” struck several people gathered in front of a home for a child’s birthday party. Then the driver ran away from the scene.
All seven children were transported to Children’s National Hospital. Four others were transported to area hospitals, including the Capital Regional Medical Center and Howard University Hospital.
The Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department said two of the children transported to Children’s National Hospital were in critical condition, the other five were in serious condition.
Bladensburg Police said the driver’s identity, the whereabouts of the driver and the cause of the crash are under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact detectives at 301-864-6080.
A map of the area where the vehicle crash happened is below.
(Courtesy Google Maps)
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A Burke, Virginia, man is recovering from injuries after being shot by a Fairfax County police officer Sunday night.
A Burke, Virginia, man is recovering from injuries after being shot by a Fairfax County police officer Sunday night.
Police officers, including “a co-responder team with a clinician,” responded to the 9700 block of Church Way, near the intersection of Covered Bridge Road, for a person in crisis at 10:13 p.m., according to the Fairfax County Police Department.
Police said when officers arrived on scene, they encountered a man outside a home.
At various points during negotiations between the man and Crisis Intervention Trained officers and Co-responder Units, police said he presented a firearm and “armed himself with chain saws, an ax, and a blowtorch.”
Officers eventually fired, what police described as two “less-than-lethal beanbag projectiles” at the man before an officer used their firearm, striking the man in his lower body.
After being shot, the man was transported to a hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.
The officer who shot him was placed on restricted duty status, which is routine after a shooting.
A map of where the shooting happened is below.
(Courtesy Google Maps)
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From what it took to get the Commanders’ stadium deal done to the federal law enforcement surge in D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser is sharing her thoughts.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser addressed a number of issues facing the District, from what it took to get the Commanders’ stadium deal done to the recent surge of federal law enforcement in the city, during an interview.
Speaking with political analyst Chuck Todd, in the most recent episode of the Noosphere app’s “Sunday Night with Chuck Todd,” Bowser shared a cup of coffee and a 45-minute conversation at Lauriol Plaza in Dupont Circle.
The Burgundy and Gold had to ‘get itself together’
Bowser, while discussing how she secured the multi-billion dollar deal to bring the Washington Commanders back to the RFK Stadium site with a new stadium, said before anything could begin in earnest, Washington’s NFL team had to “get itself together.”
“They went from a winning team to one who had troubled ownership and management and wasn’t winning and didn’t really have a vision for a future, to a new ownership team that likes to win. … When we had the right partner (referring to Commanders managing partner Josh Harris), we knew we were in the position to deliver the whole deal,” Bowser said.
When asked by Todd about former team owner Dan Snyder, Bowser called Snyder “a big impediment.”
She also downplayed any concerns regarding potentially negative effects for residents living nearby the RFK Stadium site, saying there’s been a football stadium there before, and “we can estimate with pretty good clarity the transportation impacts.”
Bowser said the difference between RFK Stadium and what will replace it is that it will be what she called “an entire entertainment district.”
“We’ll have better connections to the river, more park space and housing. And this was the vision for this … 180 acres. Thirty years ago, the Anacostia Waterfront Initiative that Mayor (Anthony) Williams launched envisioned that you would have a mixed use development there — with a focus on sports. And we’ve been able to deliver on that vision,” Bowser said.
She said the city has built in displacement protections in terms of property value for nearby residents: “So if you live there, your property value may go up, but your tax bill can only go up 10%. If you’re over 65, your property value may go up, but your tax bill can only go up 2%.”
Bowser added that “we expect that … there will be a lot of equity produced there, but more than that, jobs and $14 billion of economic activity.”
DC’s cooperation with the federal government
Bowser told Todd that while the president’s crime emergency declaration recently expired, she has issued her own mayor’s order that allows for D.C. police Chief Pamela Smith and the city’s Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Lindsey Appiah to work with their counterparts in the federal government to deploy additional federal officers when necessary.
“There is a group (U.S. Capitol Police, Secret Service, DEA, ATF, FBI and U.S. Park Police) that are in the National Capital Region all the time that can be helpful for us. And they actually surged personnel with our personnel to give us more manpower and womanpower on the streets,” Bowser said, adding “that’s helpful.”
But she said the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in D.C. are not.
“They’re not doing law enforcement work. They’re doing immigration enforcement work. And similarly, our out-of-state guardsmen, God bless them. They’re on orders, but they’re not really on mission either,” Bowser said.
‘The field has changed’: Bowser’s relationship with President Trump
When Todd asked Bowser why it appeared she was less confrontation with President Donald Trump during his second term versus his first term, the mayor responded with: “the field has changed.”
Bowser said there’s a difference between the president’s first and second administrations. She said whether one believes Trump should have been reelected president or not, he is the president and “we have to play the plays that work.” Acknowledging that there is “a lot out of our control.”
Regarding what Todd called “national Democrats” upset that she’s not being more confrontational with the White House, Bowser responded: “I don’t work for them. I work for the 700,000 people of Washington, D.C.”
And when it comes to her constituents, Bowser said: “D.C. residents trust my judgment. I feel very confident about that. … I go into rooms that they don’t go into, they don’t want to go into, and they don’t have to go into, because I go into those rooms. … They know what my north star is, and that is protecting Home Rule at every step.”
She added, “What’s going to happen in six months? I can’t tell you. I know where we are today is that we control our budget. We control our service delivery, and our council is making the laws that govern how we live in the city. We have to continue to fight for expansion of home rule … not diminishing home rule.”
Bowser said, “Those things are important to where we are.”
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A new D.C.-based anti-Trump group is plastering the District with flyers, urging federal agents to take off their masks.
Mock billboard signs of posters being displayed around the District by Home of the Brave, a new D.C.-based, anti-Trump group. (Courtesy Home of the Brave)
Mock billboard signs of posters being displayed around the District by Home of the Brave, a new D.C.-based, anti-Trump group. (Courtesy Home of the Brave)
A new D.C.-based group is plastering the District with flyers that call on federal agents to take off their masks.
Masked law enforcement officials have been at the center of growing debate as critics cite a lack of accountability and use of increasing fear tactics in the D.C. region. In fact, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has been among those critical of arrests in which Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have been masked during immigration-related arrests.
The group, which calls itself the “Home of the Brave,” started a 10-day campaign on Friday, driving mobile billboards and posting street posters across D.C.
The message boards include sayings such as “Take off your masks” and “Why are you hiding your face? Public servants should face the public.”
Former D.C. police officer Michael Fanone, who was attacked and injured during the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, is a member of the group’s advisory board.
He spoke to NBC 4, saying, “The biggest component for me, as a former law enforcement officer, is making sure that none of this behavior becomes normalized.”
The group’s website features nearly 100 testimonials of those who said they’ve been harmed by efforts from President Donald Trump’s administration and encourages leaders to speak out against it.
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An 18-year-old man is dead and two suspects are facing charges after a shootout inside a Maryland laundromat Sunday evening, Prince George’s County police said.
An 18-year-old man is dead and two people — including a teen — are facing charges after a shootout inside a Maryland laundromat Sunday evening, Prince George’s County police said.
Two suspects are being charged in a triple shooting that happened inside a laundromat in Prince George’s County, on Sept. 8, 2024. (WTOP/Nick Iannelli)
Two suspects are being charged in a triple shooting that happened inside a laundromat in Prince George’s County, on Sept. 8, 2024. (WTOP/Nick Iannelli)
He was at the laundromat with his girlfriend, who was also wounded, according to the woman’s sister, Kenia Garcia.
One of the suspects was also shot, police said.
Two people are charged with first-degree murder in Suazo’s killing. They are Alex Delgado, 20, of Silver Spring, and a 17-year-old boy from New Carrollton, police said.
Prince George’s County police said officers responded to a shooting in the 4700 block of Kenilworth Avenue in Edmonston around 6 p.m. on Sunday.
Police said Delgado and the teen targeted Suazo and came into the laundromat and physically assaulted him.
“During the assault, Delgado shot both victims. Suazo returned fire,” police said in a news release. Suazo was declared dead at the scene.
Delgado was wounded, as well as a woman inside the laundromat. Both were taken to the hospital with injuries that are not considered life-threatening, police said.
The 17-year-old suspect left the scene in a car. Police tracked him with the help of a helicopter, and he was arrested and taken to the department of corrections.
Wounded woman’s sister in ‘complete shock’
Garcia told WTOP her sister was wounded during the shooting. She said the man who was fatally shot was in a relationship with her sister.
“The person that died here was actually my sister’s boyfriend,” Garcia said.
WTOP’s Nick Iannelli hears from the shooting victim’s sister in Prince George’s County.
While at the laundromat to retrieve her sister’s laundry left behind after the shooting, Garcia told WTOP her sister is in stable condition and is expected to undergo surgery.
“We’re pulling through. It’s definitely not easy,” Garcia said.
One of her sister’s friends called Garcia to tell her about the shooting.
“It was just complete shock because my sister is very reserved,” Garcia said. “Bad timing, wrong place, I don’t — I don’t know.”
Investigation into shooting continues
Suazo and the suspects knew each other. Edmonston Police Chief Eric Beale told WTOP the shooting appeared to be an “isolated incident.”
Police found two weapons at the scene, and they’re investigating the motive for the shooting.
Police are asking anyone with information to contact detectives at 301-516-2512.
A map of the area where the deadly shooting happened is below.
Map of shooting scene in Edmonston, Maryland. (Courtesy Google Maps)
WTOP’s Nick Iannelli reported from Edmonston.
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Three commercial-to-residential conversion projects have been conditionally awarded tax abatements, as D.C. pushes for new residential development and residents downtown.
Three commercial-to-residential conversion projects have been conditionally awarded tax abatements, as D.C. pushes for new residential development and residents downtown.
Through the District’s Housing in Downtown program the conditional tax abatements will go to conversion projects at 1625 Massachusetts Ave. NW, 1825 and 1875 Connecticut Ave. NW, and 615 H St. NW, Mayor Muriel Bowser said Thursday.
The 114,000-square-foot building project at 1625 Massachusetts Ave. promises to deliver 157 residential units, with at least 15 described as “affordable.” The 1.08 million-square-foot two-building project at 1825 and 1875 Connecticut Ave. will deliver 525 units, with at least 69 described as “affordable.” And the commercial row home and surface parking lot at 615 H St. will be redeveloped into 72 units, with at least eight described as “affordable.”
Conversion projects, such as these “are transforming old spaces into new uses — in this case, housing — that will bring more people and new vibrancy to our Downtown,” Bowser said.
Calling downtown “beautiful,” Bowser praised it as “a place that people like to visit, it is walkable and accessible by public transportation, and we’re excited about what it will mean for our entire city when we have more housing and more people living Downtown.”
The District’s Housing in Downtown program, which is capped at $41 million, is offering commercial-to-residential conversions a 20-year tax abatement, according to Bowser’s office.
Her office said it estimates the investment “can help deliver 6.7 million square feet of new residential use, or 8,400 new housing units, which will support the DC Comeback Plan’s overall goal of adding 15,000 new residents Downtown.”
Projects participating in the program are required to “make at least 10% of units affordable at 60% of the Median Family Income (MFI), or 18% of units affordable at 80% MFI,” her office said.
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Naresh Bhatt, charged last week with a felony count of prohibition against concealment of a dead body after his wife went missing, will be held without bond.
His wife, Mamta Kafle Bhatt, 28, went missing on July 31.
The judge in the case found probable cause that Bhatt is a flight risk and a danger to the community, during a bond hearing Monday morning.
During Friday’s arraignment, Prince William County Senior Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Sarah Sami revealed new details about the case against Naresh Bhatt, including evidence of blood found in the main bedroom and shower of the Manassas Park home the couple shared.
On Saturday, community members gathered to honor the missing mother and UVA Health Prince William Medical Center nurse at Signal Hill Park.
WTOP’s Teddy Gelman contributed to this report.
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The first bells of the 2024-2025 school year rung for hundreds of thousands of students across Northern Virginia Monday morning.
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.
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As students return to school, teachers, parents discuss new phone policy in Prince William County
The first bells of the 2024-2025 school year rung for hundreds of thousands of students across Northern Virginia on Monday morning.
Public schools in Alexandria, Fairfax City, Fairfax County, Falls Church City, Manassas Park City and Prince William County welcomed students back, some attending for the first time.
Fairfax County
“I am thrilled to welcome our students, our staff and our families back to another fantastic year of learning,” Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Michelle Reid told WTOP, standing outside James Madison High School in Vienna.
Fairfax County Public Schools is Virginia’s largest school district, with 180,970 students enrolled last year.
Reid said the new school year is an “opportunity to really focus on teaching and learning,” with a “distraction-free” classroom pilot program at seven middle schools and eight high schools across the county.
Students at those schools will place their cellphones in either a hanging pouch or storage locker during class time. They will still be allowed to use them during lunch and between classes.
“It’s really important that during class time we really stay focused on the teaching and learning task at hand,” Reid said. “We need to think about how we can use cellphones and technology in general as a tool to support, rather than distract.”
The school system has seven early-release Mondays scheduled for this school year. Reid said that allows an opportunity for teachers and other staffers to ensure they have the early-literacy training required by the Virginia Department of Education, plus “enabling them to have planning time to support quality instruction.”
In neighboring Prince William County, students at Gainesville High School were greeted by excited teachers and other school employees.
“The energy that you have on the first day of school is hard to match,” principal Neil Beech told WTOP.
He said this is the first year all four grade levels at Gainesville High School will be filled.
“I’m excited to see all of the things that we can do as a result of having a full staff and a full student body. The graduating class this year, the class of 2025, is the first class to have gone through all four years at Gainesville High School. That’s a big deal for our school and our community,” Beech said.
Gainesville senior Maddy Lis could feel the excitement of the first day and filed in to the school before 6 a.m. for back-to-school festivities.
“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. It’s our senior year. We thought we might as well continue to get involved and just make a good memory out of this,” she said.
Prince William County Public Schools expanded its restrictions on cellphone usage to all middle and high schools this year. But Beech said he doesn’t believe it will become a huge issue.
“Last year, we asked our students to put their cellphones away during each of our class periods … the students were responsive to that,” Beech said. “And again, I think the students understand why it’s a good idea. It’s just to reduce distractions in our classrooms.”
Babur Lateef, chairman at-large of the Prince William County School Board, told WTOP the first day of school is “the most optimistic day of the year.”
Lateef said the school system hit a graduation rate of 94.3% back in June, and he’s hopeful that rate will reach 95% this school year.
WTOP’s Neal Augenstein and Luke Lukert contributed to this report.
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Virginia is holding a three-day sales tax holiday and Maryland is holding a similar one for a week, as local shoppers load their carts with back-to-school items.
The state’s Department of Taxation said shoppers can buy “qualifying school supplies, clothing, footwear, hurricane and emergency preparedness items, and Energy Star™ and WaterSense™ products without paying sales tax.”
Qualified school supplies priced “$20 or less per item” and qualified clothing and footwear priced “$100 or less per item” are eligible for the savings.
Hurricane and emergency preparedness products, including portable generators priced at “$1,000 or less per item,” gas-powered chain saws priced at “$350 or less per item,” chain saw accessories priced at “$60 or less per item” and “other specified hurricane preparedness items” for sale at “$60 or less per item,” are also included.
As are “qualifying Energy Star™ or WaterSense™ products,” according to Virginia officials, as long as the products purchased are for “noncommercial home or personal use” and are priced at “$2,500 or less per item.”
Virginia’s sales tax rate for most areas is 5.3%, but in Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax City, Fairfax County, Falls Church, Loudoun, Manassas, Manassas Park and Prince William, it is 6%.
Maryland
Maryland holds its “Tax-Free Week” between Aug. 11 and Aug. 17.
Only “designated clothing, footwear and backpacks/bookbags” are eligible, according to the state’s Office of the Comptroller.
It said “certain clothing, footwear and accessories are eligible,” citing footwear, sweaters, shirts, slacks, jeans, dresses, robes, underwear, belts, shoes and boots “priced at $100 or less.” It also said “the first $40 of a backpack/bookbag purchase is tax-exempt.”
The District
D.C. had sales tax holidays similar to Virginia and Maryland, before they were repealed in 2009.
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