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  • Tips from a pro on getting a jump on spring cleaning – WTOP News

    Tips from a pro on getting a jump on spring cleaning – WTOP News

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    This Friday will mark the beginning of spring and while the season can come with many enjoyable activities, there is one thing most of us do every year that is far from a beloved past time: spring cleaning.

    Lexi Grant, operations manager of Well-Paid Maids in D.C., cleans a desk.(WTOP/Mike Murillo)

    This Friday will mark the beginning of spring and while the season can come with many enjoyable activities, there is one thing most of us do every year that is far from a beloved past time: spring cleaning.

    “It’s really crucial, especially with a new season. Starting fresh is incredibly important,” said Lexi Grant, operations manager of Well-Paid Maids in D.C.

    So where do you begin? Grant said start with decluttering. This could be ditching the gifts that you received over the holidays that you know you’ll never use or finding a new home for those toys and books your kids no longer use.

    “We like to start by just getting rid of the things we don’t use, the things that don’t serve us anymore,” Grant said.

    Then, once you decide which items get to stay, tidy up by organizing the stuff that you deemed worthy of a place inside your home and finding spots for all the new things you have acquired.

    Now it’s time to get after the dust that may have built up over time. Grant said to start with those high-touch surface areas, such as the refrigerator, dishwasher, microwave and counters.

    She said not to forget the tech, too. Safely wipe down tablets and other electronics with a microfiber towel or anti-bacterial wipe.

    Next, it’s time to tackle those other areas where, when the sun comes in, the dust is apparent.

    “You can see if a window is dirty and you can see if there are handprints on those kinds of things,” she said.

    Grant said one forgotten area in many homes is the bedroom. Since the bed and nightstands don’t move often, dust can easily build on them. She said often when people switch the fan directions from clockwise for winter to counterclockwise for spring and summer, the dust can get kicked up.

    “Then all of the dust that we missed underneath our bed, near our nightstands, anywhere where we’re lying our head down at night gets caught into our airways,” she said.

    Grant offered tips to more efficiently remove dust from your home. First, use a wet rag on dusty surfaces, then use a dry rag on those areas.

    “I give it a minute to let the dust dry and then run a vacuum overtop of it just to get any excess dust that may have settled after I was finished,” Grant said.

    Finally, to hit the most dusty areas, you may need to bring music into the equation. Grant said she likes to do a little dance, moving back and forth, so she can see all the areas that need her attention.

    “Some of my clients are like, ‘Are you OK?’ I’m like ‘I’m just doing the cleaning dance,’” she said with a laugh.

    She said professionals are ready to help, and that if you do hire a cleaning service, don’t feel like you need to pre-clean before they arrive.

    “Honestly, we are here to be the pros,” she said.

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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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  • PHOTOS: DC Emancipation Day celebration – WTOP News

    PHOTOS: DC Emancipation Day celebration – WTOP News

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    WTOP’s Mike Murillo reports from Freedom Plaza during the D.C. Emancipation Day celebration.

    Tuesday will mark 162 years since the D.C. Compensated Emancipation Act of 1862 freed thousands of enslaved people in the District. The city commemorated the milestone Sunday with a parade, music and other events.

    Mayor Muriel Bowser and other members of D.C. government took part in the Emancipation Day celebration.

    “This is a day to observe the history, but also challenge ourselves until we are fully emancipated and are the 51st state” Bowser told WTOP.

    The act, which was the first of its kind in the country, was signed into law months before the Emancipation Proclamation was signed by Abraham Lincoln on Jan. 1, 1963.

    Some of the highlights of the events this year in D.C. included performances by Grammy-nominated R&B artists Ginuwine and Kelly Price. Several local musical acts also took to the stage, including go-go bands Black Alley and EU featuring Sugar Bear. Choirmaster Ricky Dillard & New Generation, jazz musician Marcus Johnson, singer J’Ta and the East of the River Steelband, a youth group, also performed.

    The festivities close with a fireworks display at 8:30 p.m.

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  • A phone lifeline for families in need in DC receives support from Doris Duke Foundation – WTOP News

    A phone lifeline for families in need in DC receives support from Doris Duke Foundation – WTOP News

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    A national foundation is bringing funding into D.C. to help struggling families to connect with basic needs and in turn help children at risk of child abuse.

    JooYeun Chang, program director for child well-being at the Doris Duke Foundation, with two other panelists at Martha’s Table in Southeast D.C.
    (WTOP/Mike Murillo)

    A national foundation is bringing funding into D.C. to help struggling families connect with basic needs and, in turn, help children at risk of child abuse and child neglect.

    It’s part of the Doris Duke Foundation’s Opportunities for Prevention and Transformation initiative, also known as Opt-in for Families.

    “What it provides is an opportunity for D.C. to look at how we can better support families, for those families not to come to the attention of what we call Child Protective Services,” said Robert L. Matthews, director of the D.C. Child and Family Services Agency.

    D.C. was chosen by the foundation as one of four locations that will be given money to support new ways of helping families connect with resources, such as financial or mental health help. The other locations chosen by the foundation include the states of Kentucky, Oregon and South Carolina.

    The foundation is funding the program with $33 million, which will be split among the jurisdictions over three years. D.C. will use its almost $9 million to fund its 211 warmline, which connects families with social services. The system was launched in October of last year, according to Matthews, and has already fielded 2,000 calls and connected over 800 families with services.

    Among those who have already received help by calling the warmline is D.C. resident Dana Ebiasah. The single mother came down with COVID-19 earlier this year and couldn’t afford her rent. When she asked for help, she was connected to CFSA’s Kinship Care program, which offered temporary financial support.

    “They did not separate me from my child. But what they did was offer that support,” Ebiasah said. “Less than a month, I had a check in my hand for $2,700 and I was able to pay my rent.”

    Matthews said many reports of possible child neglect or abuse are investigated and found not to meet the requirements of a child protective services investigation, but he said it doesn’t mean the family doesn’t need help.

    “What it shows is that those families do have risk and they have needs, we want to make sure that those needs don’t turn into safety concerns for a child,” Matthews said.

    He said there is an intersection seen between child neglect and poverty, and he said the line would have the ability to connect those who ask for help with clothing, housing, transportation and more.

    JooYeun Chang, program director for child well-being at the Doris Duke Foundation, said the foundation will help the locations come up with strategies for implementing their plans to connect residents with support.

    “It’s not just technical assistance from a business process redesign aspect, but we are also putting resources into a grant that will actually pay for the concrete needs of D.C. residents,” Chang said.

    Chang also said she believes initiatives like this will help bring communities and local governments closer.

    “My greatest hope is that we stop having a cynical belief about both families and systems. I think that there’s been a lot of reason to not trust that we can actually do things differently. But the fact of the matter is, I have a lot of faith in both families and communities, I think, they do have the answers, and they can unlock and teach us what a good system looks like,” she said.

    The announcement of the program was made at Martha’s Table in Southeast D.C., a nonprofit that already helps to connect families with resources.

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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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  • Dozens of downtown DC business leaders call on lawmakers to curb violent crime – WTOP News

    Dozens of downtown DC business leaders call on lawmakers to curb violent crime – WTOP News

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    A group of 70 businesses have come together to pen a letter in which they urge D.C. lawmakers to do more to curb crime in the city’s downtown.

    A group of 70 businesses have come together to pen a letter in which they urge D.C. lawmakers to do more to curb crime in the city’s downtown.

    “I think we found that there was a growing level of frustration by many of us that government leaders needed to do more to protect the communities across the city,” said Drew Maloney, president and CEO of the American Investment Council.

    The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Broadcasters are among the organizations that signed onto the letter.

    Maloney, whose office is in the Gallery Place neighborhood, spearheaded the effort. It comes after a spike over the last couple years of violent crimes in the downtown region, including the death of former D.C. Board of Elections member Mike Gill during an attempted carjacking.

    Maloney said not only was Gill his close friend but he was also well liked in the downtown business community.

    “So, it was a very easy task to get everybody to come together around this issue,” he said.

    The letter sent to Mayor Muriel Bowser and all the members of city council called on city leaders to bring an end to the “horrifying acts of violence” being seen in the city.

    In 2023, D.C. saw a record-setting 39% spike in violent crime, with 274 homicides during the year. As of Feb. 29, violent crime is down in the city by 11% compared to this time last year.

    Despite the slight decline, Maloney said employees of the organizations remain “fearful” to venture out of their offices.

    “Many of the employees look around and they’re becoming more scared about what they’re going to encounter when they either come to work, leave work, go out for lunch,” he said.

    The letter calls for more to be done to target “the small group of organized and repeat criminals” that city leaders have said are behind a majority of crimes.

    Maloney, a longtime resident of D.C., said it’s been hard to see the “rather safe and prosperous” city lose that edge.

    “I think now is the time to try to get that back and make sure people feel safe and comfortable coming downtown to go to work, concerts [or] dinner,” he said.

    Maloney said crime also has business leaders considering if they should keep their offices in downtown D.C.

    “There’s a lot of interest in trying to relocate and find places where everybody’s employees feel safe,” Maloney said.

    He also expected Maryland and Virginia to try and lure businesses and trade associations out of the nation’s capital.

    “This is the alarm bell for the city leaders to step up and do as much as they can to remind the citizens in every ward across the city, that safety and security is a number one issue,” he said.

    WTOP has reached out to the mayor’s office for comment.

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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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  • Patients are ‘really excited’ about drug to protect food allergy sufferers, Md. doc says – WTOP News

    Patients are ‘really excited’ about drug to protect food allergy sufferers, Md. doc says – WTOP News

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    For close to two decades the drug Xolair or omalizumab has been FDA approved to help people with Asthma or chronic hives. Now, the FDA has added to the list of potential uses for the drug: protecting people with severe food allergies.

    For close to two decades the drug Xolair or omalizumab has been FDA approved to help people with Asthma or chronic hives. Now, the FDA has added to the list of potential uses for the drug: protecting people with severe food allergies.

    “Essentially, we’re sort of repurposing the drug, the use of the drug, for prevention of food allergy reactions to a small amount of accidental exposure,” said Dr. Rachel Schreiber with Schreiber Allergy in Rockville.

    The drug can now be prescribed to boost a person’s tolerance just a little, in case of accidental exposure to small amounts of the foods that normally can cause anaphylaxis, Schreiber said.

    “Let’s say it would take someone half a peanut to react, maybe this drug raises that threshold to like three peanuts,” she said.

    But she cautions it is not a cure, and people who know they have food allergies still need to always have an EpiPen with them.

    It was well known in the medical community, before the FDA decision, that the drug can help food allergy sufferers. The problem, with off-label use, insurance coverage for the expensive drug was rare. The cost for Xolair treatment can go for nearly $35,000, according to Schreiber.

    “It could have been used in that way in the past, but now it has (FDA) approval and so we will be able to get our patients covered,” she said.

    It’s administered as an injection every two to four weeks, according to Schreiber. While a version that could be taken at home could be available in the future, she said right now it must be administered in a doctor’s office. Even with an at-home version, patients would still need to take the medicine in a doctor’s office for the few doses, due to one reported side effect.

    “There is a black box warning on this drug for ironically anaphylaxis,” Schreiber said.

    Also, not everyone with food allergies will benefit from the drug. Getting it prescribed will require bloodwork to see if a patient’s body responds to allergic reaction by producing antibodies called Immunoglobulin E or IgE.

    Schreiber cautions that even though approval has been granted to use the drug in this way, there will be a delay in getting it covered as insurance companies update their systems to allow it to be covered.

    Schreiber said patients have been calling her office since the FDA announcement and “are really excited” about the new potential protection against the foods to which they are allergic.

    “I think it really is a big step forward in the treatment of food allergy,” said Schreiber.

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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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  • Red Rabbit plans to bring ‘culturally relevant’ meals to DC Wards 7 and 8 – WTOP News

    Red Rabbit plans to bring ‘culturally relevant’ meals to DC Wards 7 and 8 – WTOP News

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    New York-based social justice organization, Red Rabbit, is looking to expand to D.C. Wards 7 and 8’s school cafeterias.

    New York-based social justice organization, Red Rabbit, is looking to expand to D.C. Wards 7 and 8’s school cafeterias.
    (Courtesy Red Rabbit)

    Courtesy Red Rabbit

    A member of Red Rabbit’s kitchen staff practices making rice and chicken that they will serve in D.C.’s schools next year.
    (Courtesy Red Rabbit)

    Courtesy Red Rabbit

    Red Rabbit kitchen staff practice making the meals that will serve D.C.’s southern schools next year.
    (Courtesy Red Rabbit)

    Courtesy Red Rabbit

    Some of the meals that Red Rabbit will prepare in D.C. schools next year.
    (Photo By Erica Price for Red Rabbit)

    Photo By Erica Price for Red Rabbit

    A New York-based organization which works to bring “culturally relevant” meals to school cafeterias is looking to expand into D.C.’s Wards 7 and 8. Red Rabbit currently serves meals at schools in the Big Apple, New Jersey and in Philadelphia.

    “We try to provide them, to the best of our ability, with nutritious, culturally relevant, scratch made and soul-affirming foods so that they feel their best and are able to perform their best both inside the classroom and outside,” said Nausher Khan, vice president of partner relations for Red Rabbit — which calls itself a social justice organization.

    The organization started providing meals in 2005 and is now studying the areas east of the Anacostia River, Khan said. The two wards were identified as having the most need, according to Khan, by examining socioeconomic indicators such as food insecurity levels, education attainment, literacy and even graduation rates.

    While the exact meal needs are still being determined, Khan said by the start of the next school year, the organization hopes to begin providing meals to K-12 students.

    He said the area they look to serve in D.C. appears to be similar to Philadelphia demographically. This includes a large percentage of African American and Latino students in need.

    “We are still in the process of that fact-finding, of really getting to understand the cultures at a granular level in Wards 7 and 8, but at a larger bird’s eye view, this is what we have identified so far,” he said.

    Khan said he could see meals they are serving elsewhere fitting in well in the two wards.

    “Ropa vieja is a Cuban beef stew that is sort of ubiquitously appreciated by a lot of the cultures of the Caribbean. Similarly, pollo con arroz, which is chicken with rice, is again another sort of really popular menu with students from the Caribbean, or from Latin countries,” he said.

    When cafeterias have space, Khan said they can open up a kitchen at a school, otherwise they can cook the daily meals elsewhere, and bring them into the cafeterias they support. They still don’t know which method would work best in the District.

    From those who work with students, to organizations that already provide food assistance in areas that are considered food deserts, Khan said they are examining the area and hope to have more concrete plans over the next six months. Some of the conversations taking place include talks with possible partner organizations such as D.C. Hunger Solutions and DC Central Kitchen.

    The plan is to grow the program and potentially reach out to areas of Maryland and Virginia down the road, he said.

    “The aim is, with each successive year, we get to learn a little bit more and we get to expand our offering to make sure it is tailored to the needs of that community,” Khan said.

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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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    Mike Murillo

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  • A call for an investigation into Washington Gas over aging pipe replacement project – WTOP News

    A call for an investigation into Washington Gas over aging pipe replacement project – WTOP News

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    Since 2014, Washington Gas has been working to replace the city’s aging gas pipelines in a project called PROJECTpipes. Ten years later, claims of more reported gas leaks has an independent city agency that represents utility customers pushing for the project to be paused and an investigation into it launched.

    Since 2014, Washington Gas Light Company has been working to replace the D.C.’s aging gas pipelines in a project called PROJECTpipes. Ten years later, claims of more reported gas leaks has an independent city agency that represents utility customers pushing for the project to be paused and an investigation into it be launched.

    “Over the past 10 years, that project has not done well … at all. It has been mismanaged,” said Laurence Daniels, director of litigation for the Office of the People’s Council (OPC) of Washington D.C.

    The call for a probe into Washington Gas is being made in a petition to the D.C. Public Service Commission. OPC said that since the replacement project started, the city has seen an increase in Grade 1 gas leaks, which are the most severe.

    “In 2014, the number of Grade 1 leaks was 689. In the two most recent reports — years 2021, the number of Grade 1 leaks was 1,019 and in 2022, the number was 969,” the petition stated.

    Daniels said, in addition to more gas leaks, the number of pipes that have been replaced are below projections and budgets have not been in line with what was proposed initially.

    This petition also comes as WGL proposes spending $671.8 million over the next five years for the next phase of the project, according to Daniels. The spending, if approved, would be paid for by hikes in bills for gas users.

    Also sent as support for an investigation was a Feb. 7 letter from 10 members of D.C.’s Council, which raised concerns about the replacement project.

    “PROJECTpipes does not align with the new, fossil-free future that the Council has charted,” the council members’ letter stated.

    Daniels said the future charted by the council would require infrastructure improvements that support more electric use as residents opt for fewer gas appliances and vehicles and instead convert to more electric options.

    “The council is very concerned that putting all this new pipe into the ground is very expensive. And it’s also going to be for a network that is going to be phased out in favor of an electrified network,” Daniels said.

    In its letter, the city council also questioned whether repairs would be a more cost-effective option to address concerns with old gas pipes.

    Daniels said the People’s Council agrees with the city council that a discussion needs to happen to make sure the continued work aligns with the city’s future energy goals, since ratepayers are paying for the work.

    “Safety is paramount, but we had to make sure that we do this in a way that is cost efficient to ratepayers,” Daniels said.

    The commission has turned down two previous similar petitions, but Daniels believes this one, especially with the support from the city council, will come with a different result.

    In a statement to WTOP, Washington Gas said it takes its continuing obligation to provide safe and reliable service to all who use the service seriously.

    “We are reviewing and will respond to OPC’s petition as warranted,” spokesperson Andre Francis wrote in an email.

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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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  • After Wizards and Caps announce move, Washington Convention Center is assessing how it uses its space – WTOP News

    After Wizards and Caps announce move, Washington Convention Center is assessing how it uses its space – WTOP News

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    The Washington Convention Center is taking a close look at how it is using its 2.3 million square feet of space. The goal of this assessment is to bring in more revenue and to lure more people to downtown D.C.

    The Walter E. Washington Convention Center. (Courtesy Events DC)

    The Washington Convention Center is taking a close look at how it is using its 2.3 million square feet of space. The goal of this assessment is to bring in more revenue and to lure more people to downtown D.C.

    “We have to look at our square footage, making sure that we’re utilizing it to the best of our ability, identifying if there are ancillary spaces that can be converted into other opportunities,” said Angie Gates, president and CEO of Events DC, which oversees the meeting space.

    This deep dive into what could be done comes at an important time, when the downtown area stands to lose a lot of foot traffic if Monumental Sports and Entertainment follows through with plans to move the Washington Wizards and Capitals to Alexandria, Virginia.

    According to Gates, this assessment has been in the works and is “routine,” and recently has led to new additions such as two new dining areas which were created not only for convention traffic, but also residents and workers in the downtown area.

    One anchor at the recently added “Downtown Dining District” is another location of the iconic D.C. restaurant: Ben’s Chili Bowl.

    “When you add in a Ben’s Chili Bowl, everyone wants a half smoke,” Gates said, referencing the restaurant’s signature version of a hot dog.

    She also said a previous assessment resulted in the addition of a FedEx Office Print and Ship Center location which was opened in unused space at the convention center.

    Assessments typically take about six months to complete.

    Conventions continue to be a big part of what they do, with the center seeing more than 700,000 attendees enter its doors last year — that’s up more than 300,000 from 2022. The economic impact of those events, according to the organization, was almost $356 million.

    Winning a convention in downtown D.C. comes with its challenges. Just over 2 million square feet may seem like a lot, but Las Vegas’ convention center is a million square feet bigger, and the Orange County Convention Center outside of Orlando, Florida, boasts 7 million.

    Gates said winning over organizers of conventions sometimes involves working with neighbors such as the Marriot Marquis hotel with which the Convention Center is connected. Even the Carnegie Library can be used.

    “Sometimes, they’re looking at other larger venues, and it gives me an opportunity to highlight venues along all eight wards as well. … [It] could be anywhere from the Wharf up to the Palisades,” she said.

    Gates said they are also seeing success with other events, such as the Washington Auto Show which brought in thousands of people in January. Thousands more are expected for the 2024 Capitol Hill Volleyball Classic, which will take place Feb. 17 through Feb. 19.

    After the announcement by Monumental Sports, Mayor Muriel Bowser started the Gallery Place/Chinatown Task Force which is tasked with looking at possible future uses for the area around Capital One Arena if the two teams leave.

    Gates is a member of that task force and said the Convention Center is a key player in bringing people into the downtown region.

    “I’m looking at other opportunities where receptions can be held, where seminars can be held, especially when it comes to breakout spaces,” Gates said.

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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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