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  • A week after the snowstorm, neighbors help neighbors in DC – WTOP News

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    It’s been a week since snow and ice pummeled D.C. While many residents spent days shoveling paths back to a normal life, others also looked after their neighbors.

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    A week after the snowstorm, neighbors help neighbors in DC

    There were many in the D.C.’s Brookland neighborhood who not only lent a helping hand to their neighbors, they also brought tools.

    Mike Chaney, a native of Cleveland, said he’s no stranger to snow.

    “This has been the worst. It’s just the thickness, the hardness,” Chaney said. “We got to band together sometimes, grab a shovel to break up the ice.”

    Chaney has spent more than 12 hours over the past few days breaking up snow and clearing crosswalks in his neighborhood. He told WTOP all the effort has been causing him to sleep soundly afterward.

    Across the street clearing another crosswalk was Chian Gavin, who has lived in D.C. for nearly 40 years. She told WTOP that she has never seen a snowstorm like this.

    Not only does she want to help make walking in her neighborhood safe for her and her neighbors, Gavin said she has plans she refuses to miss.

    “I have Zumba on Monday. I’m getting to Zumba on Monday,” Gavin said with a laugh.

    A few blocks down clearing a sidewalk was Tatiana Marquez. She is part of D.C.’s Volunteer Snow Program, the Snow Team Heroes.

    “This is just one of two that I signed up for,” Marquez told WTOP. “So this one looks like it would be a good hour.”

    Marquez said had checked with the person who lived at the house she was standing in front of and said learned her help was needed getting the sidewalk cleared.

    On a side street were Stacy Strong and Bryan McDermott. They were breaking apart chunks of ice that appeared as if they could have been from an iceberg.

    Strong told WTOP it took her three days to get her car free of the snow and ice and now she was helping McDermott.

    “It’s a good workout. It’s hard to get to the gym. There’s no place to park, so it’s actually a good way to get out there and get some exercise,” McDermott told WTOP.

    Close by on Michigan Ave. in Northeast vehicles were lined up around the block in front of Turkey Thicket Recreation Center, which was one of five pop-up ice distribution centers set up by the mayor’s office.

    “Mayor Bowser, she has galvanized volunteers and workers from just about every agency in the city,” Kera Tyler, chief of external affairs for D.C. Public Schools told WTOP. “They’re thanking us for digging in these salt piles and filling up their trunks, and we’re happy to do it.”

    One of those in line was Arturo Alford. He drove his Chevrolet Tahoe to pick up salt for not only himself but also his parents.

    While he believes that D.C. could have done a better job with snow removal, he said the salt giveaway helps, and he told WTOP he was impressed with how organized the event was at the distribution center.

    “I only had to wait 20 minutes, not bad,” said Alford.

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    © 2026 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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    Jimmy Alexander

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  • Matt About Town: DC’s latest ‘alpacadorable’ trend combines happy hour with the best furry friends – WTOP News

    Matt About Town: DC’s latest ‘alpacadorable’ trend combines happy hour with the best furry friends – WTOP News

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    Alpaca happy hours bring a slice of Peru to evenings in the District

    The secret to finding the best happy hour in D.C. has nothing to do with food and drinks at all.

    In today’s episode of “Matt About Town,” WTOP’s Matt Kaufax went to the Union Market District in Northeast D.C. to enjoy a cocktail with some new furry friends.

    It’s all thanks to DMV restaurant staple chain Peruvian Brothers, who have been bringing Peruvian cuisine flavors to the D.C. area for the past 11 years.

    The restaurant’s co-owner, Giuseppe Lanzone, said they decided to integrate alpacas into happy hours at several of their locations this summer to share a slice of their culture alongside their food.

    Lanzone, a Peruvian immigrant, started alongside his brother Mario with just one food truck in the D.C. area. Now, they have four food trucks and two brick-and-mortar locations. Guests at the Alpaca Happy Hour told Matt it’s a testament to how popular the chain has become in the community.

    As Matt found out, Peruvian Brothers’ partnership with My Pet Alpaca attracts visitors from far and wide, and really rakes in the hay!

    Come along with Matt to try some food, and meet two of the friendliest fuzz balls in the DMV: Teddy and Truffle!

    Alpaca Happy Hours return Tuesday, June 18, at Peruvian Brothers’ La Cosecha location in D.C.’s Union Market area. Lanzone said they will also be back in July — so stay tuned for more dates.

    “Matt About Town” airs every Tuesday and Thursday on WTOP at 7:45 a.m. and runs throughout the rest of the day on 103.5 FM. His video pieces are always posted on wtop.com.

    You can also find Matt’s videos on Instagram (@wtopnews and @mkaufax) and TikTok (@wtopnews and @mattabouttown_).

    If you’ve got an idea for a feature story Matt should cover, reach out via the WTOP “contact us” page to submit your idea.

    You can also contact Matt directly. His contact information is listed below. 

    Check out more of “Matt About Town” on WTOP.

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  • DC Attorney General: Vacant property owner owes $1.8M for tax evasion – WTOP News

    DC Attorney General: Vacant property owner owes $1.8M for tax evasion – WTOP News

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    For years, people who live near a vacant Northeast D.C. property have complained about the impact it’s having on the neighborhood. Now, the owner of the house is being ordered to pay $1.8 million for tax evasion.

    The owner of the abandoned property, George Papageorge and his entity, 10th & C Streets Associates, LLC, are being ordered to pay $1.8 million for tax evasion.(Courtesy DC OAG )

    For years, people who live near a vacant Northeast D.C. property have complained about the impact it’s having on the neighborhood.

    Sometimes, the building has been boarded up, and the roof and brickwork aren’t in good shape, according to Jason Jones, an assistant attorney general with D.C.’s Office of the Attorney General’s public advocacy division.

    The property, located at 1000 C Street NE, sits on a corner, so many people walk and drive by it. Dogs often use the lawn to go to the bathroom and it then “collects up,” Jones said. Neighbors regularly say it weighs down the neighborhood.

    Now, the owner of the property, George Papageorge and his entity, 10th & C Streets Associates, LLC, are being ordered to pay $1.8 million for tax evasion. It’s the result of a lawsuit that alleged Papageorge lied about the property’s occupancy status to avoid paying higher taxes.

    Property owners have to pay higher tax rates on vacant and blighted homes.

    “People in the local community knew that not only was this property vacant, but that the owner of the property was not paying his proper taxes,” Jones said. “That’s very frustrating, when you are paying your taxes, to know that someone is escaping the law.”

    It’s been under the same ownership since the late 80s, Jones said, but during that whole period, “no one has ever occupied this property.” Nobody’s leased it and the owners never lived there, he said.

    When neighbors complain, the Department of Buildings inspects properties and takes note if they’re vacant. But, Jones said, Papageorge filed response forms claiming the property was occupied and “attached utility records that showed very minimal usage as proof that the property was occupied.”

    Papageorge would go before the Real Property Tax Appeals Commission and argue he was using the property, Jones said.

    In 2021, the D.C. Council amended the city’s False Claims Act, so the attorney general could bring cases under the statute “to try to help with this problem of all the vacant properties that we have in the city,” Jones said. It provides a new way for the city to seek relief for such tax evasion.

    The Papageorge case, Jones said, is the first that the OAG has brought since the change was made.

    Papageorge has been ordered to pay $1.8 million, which includes taxes owed as far back as 2008, and almost $390,000 in unpaid vacant property taxes accumulated over 15 years.

    The Department of Buildings is still primarily responsible for addressing vacant property disputes. OAG “is really only getting involved in situations that are really outrageous,” Jones said.

    Cases involving violations of the False Claims Act are difficult to prove, Jones said. In this case, “the owner is just making these false representations over and over again. It’s a long-term pattern of abuse.”

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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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    Scott Gelman

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  • NoMa BID offers micro grants for neighborhood businesses – WTOP News

    NoMa BID offers micro grants for neighborhood businesses – WTOP News

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    The NoMa Business Improvement District has launched a Retail Opportunity Fund with a total of $70,000 in grant money for businesses who apply and qualify. Individual grants will range between $5,000 and $25,000.

    The Business Improvement District (BID) for the NoMa neighborhood in D.C. has launched a Retail Opportunity Fund with a total of $70,000 in grant money for businesses who apply and qualify.

    Individual grants will range between $5,000 and $25,000.

    Both existing NoMa businesses and those planning to open a business in the neighborhood are eligible to apply.

    Grant recipients can use the money to cover up to 50% of eligible project costs, including storefront improvements, signage, outdoor dining enclosures, lighting, landscaping and other improvements. The grants are not intended for soft costs, such as payroll, rent and recurring business costs.

    Businesses must also be locally owned to qualify.

    “We encourage local entrepreneurs and small businesses to take advantage of this impactful opportunity designed to continue to make NoMa magnetic,” said Maura Brophy, president and CEO of the NoMa BID.

    The 35-square-block of the NoMa neighborhood has about 60 restaurants and retailers, and six hotels. Hotels also contribute to the BID’s assessments on a per-room basis.

    The NoMa BID, as with other business improvement districts, uses funding from business assessments for neighborhood upkeep and beautification, public safety, marketing and events, and outreach programs for homeless individuals.

    NoMa is a booming part of Northeast D.C., especially for residential growth. NoMa has led the U.S. in new apartment construction by ZIP code for five years, with nearly 7,400 new apartments delivered. The Union Market area has seen a 72% increase in new apartment construction since 2017. There are nearly 30 apartment and condo buildings in NoMa.

    Eligibility requirements, and grant applications are online. The deadline to apply is March 17.

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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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    Jeff Clabaugh

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  • 3 people found dead in Northeast DC apartment – WTOP News

    3 people found dead in Northeast DC apartment – WTOP News

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    Two women and a man were found dead in an apartment in Northeast D.C. Wednesday night, according to authorities.

    Two women and a man were found dead in an apartment in Northeast D.C. Wednesday night, according to authorities.

    Ramey Kyle, assistant chief of D.C. police, outlined at a press conference that night how police had found the three people during a “wellness check.”

    Officers responded to a call asking them to check in on people living in an apartment on the 5000 block of Jay Street in Northeast just before 8 p.m.

    “When they arrived at the residence they found the entrance door to be slightly ajar, inside three deceased adults,” Kyle said.

    Police told WTOP Thursday morning that all three of the people found had gunshot wounds. Officials also confirmed that two of them were women and one was a man.

    Police have not released any more information about the three people or confirmed how they died. This is still an active investigation.

    Below is a map where the people were found dead:

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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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    Kyle Cooper

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  • 3 men injured, 1 dead in Northeast DC shooting – WTOP News

    3 men injured, 1 dead in Northeast DC shooting – WTOP News

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    Three men were injured and one died Friday evening in a shooting in the Trinidad neighborhood of Northeast D.C.

    Fifth District Commander Sylvan Altieri at a press conference Friday evening after a shooting in Northeast DC.(Credit DC Police on X )

    Three men were injured and another man died in a shooting Friday evening in the Trinidad neighborhood of Northeast D.C.

    D.C. police said the call for the shooting came in around 10 p.m.

    It happened inside a building near the 1200 block of Raum Street NE. One man was found inside the building, another outside. Two of the three injured men later transported themselves to local hospitals.

    The three men currently have non-life-threatening injuries.

    In a press conference, Fifth District Commander Sylvan Altieri confirmed a fourth man died after succumbing to his injuries from the shooting.

    “This is very preliminary. I will say this: the people who did this have no respect for human life,” he said. “The violence that’s being committed by people — for nothing — it’s got to stop.”

    Below is a map of the area where the shooting happened.

    This investigation is ongoing. Stay with WTOP for the latest.

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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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    Ciara Wells

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