Maryland's "GreenPrint" Initiative
Stephanie Kaye

December 02, 2008 - Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley plans to make several land preservation announcements this week.

Stephanie Kaye has more...

Housing Officials in Maryland Credit New Law For Drop in Foreclosures

December 02, 2008 - In Maryland, state housing officials say a new law may have contributed to a 16 percent drop in foreclosures over the summer. The law gives delinquent homeowners more time before their homes can be sold and helps financially troubled homeowners.

Still, officials say that the drop in foreclosures from more than 9,400 in the second quarter to fewer than 8,000 in the third quarter is likely just temporary. Lenders have filed 40,000 notices of intent to foreclose since April.

Meymo Lyons reports...

Maryland's Port Authority Moves to ID Card Policy for Workers and Visitors

December 02, 2008 - The Maryland Port Administration is making things a bit easier in the transition to a new federally mandated worker identification program. As of Monday, workers and visitors at port terminals will have to use the ID card called a Transportation Worker Identification Credential. But those who have not received the new ID will only need to present a receipt that proves they have applied for one. The cards are required under a 2002 law, but a recent problem with the system that activates them has slowed the process. The cards are designed to be used with a scanner device that is yet to be fully installed at the nation's ports.

Bill Redlin reports...

Virginia Considers Higher Accident Threshold For Reports

December 02, 2008 - Current law in Virginia requires police to complete a form for the state Department of Motor Vehicles whenever a traffic accident results in damage above $1,000, but a bill being considered in Richmond would increase that threshold.

Anne Marie Morgan reports...

Virginia's Fire Season Far More Devastating In 2008
Kavitha Cardoza

December 02, 2008 - Virginia's fire season was far more devastating this year compared to last year.

Kavitha Cardoza reports...

Power Breakfast for December 2, 2008

December 02, 2008 - This week marks 75 years since the repeal of Prohibition. Todd Zwillich reports on the significance of the anniversary for the Capitol...

Memorial Planned for Father and Daughter Killed in Terrorist Attack
Kavitha Cardoza

December 02, 2008 - The bodies of a man and his teenage daughter who were killed while on a pilgrimage to India are being returned from Mumbai.

Kavitha Cardoza reports...

Bodies of Man and Teenage Daughter Killed On Pilgrimage to India Returning to V

December 01, 2008 - The bodies of a man and his teenage daughter who were killed while on a pilgrimage to India are being returned to Virginia from Mumbai. The Synchronicity Foundation says a memorial is being planned for Alan Scherr and 13-year-old Naomi. They were among 25 people affiliated with the meditation center who went on the pilgrimage with Master Charles Cannon, the founder of the sanctuary in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains,Southwest of Charlottesville. Meymo Lyons has more...

Police Warn of Nightclub-Related Crime After Fatal Shooting

December 01, 2008 - Police in Maryland's Prince George's County are asking for help monitoring late-night activities near nightclubs -- after a 21-year-old was shot after leaving a club in Waldorf Saturday.

Prince George's County police are investigating the fatal shooting of Kordero Howard of southeast Washington.

Howard had visited the Icon Nightclub with a group. As they reached Branch Avenue and Coventry Way in Clinton on their way home, an unknown suspect pulled up and fired a single shot at the car, hitting Howard. He died later at a hospital, police say.

Acting Chief Roberto Hylton says violence related to nightclubs is a problem for several jurisdictions in the Washington area.

Rebecca Blatt reports...

Interim Superintendent Takes Over Prince George's County Schools

December 01, 2008 - The new interim schools superintendent in Maryland's Prince George's County starts work today. William Hite is looking to build on the accomplishments of his predecessor, John Deasy, who left to join the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. But one school board member says Hite will not have the enormous fund balance Deasy enjoyed during his two years at the helm and will probably have to oversee sharp budget cuts. The school board is searching for a permanent superintendent and expects to announce a choice by the end of the school year.

Erin Stamper reports...

MD To Pay Unemployment Benefits With Debit Cards

December 01, 2008 - Maryland is looking to save money by paying unemployment insurance benefits with debit cards. Only new applicants will receive the prepaid debit cards. People already receiving unemployment benefits will continue to get checks. By making the change, the state expects to save about $400,000 a year in postage, paper, and processing costs. Officials also say the cards will help people who rely on check-cashing services to avoid paying costly fees. Unemployment in Maryland has been up sharply in recent months. A spokeswoman for the department of Labor, Licensing , and Regulation tells the Baltimore Sun about 52,000 people in the state are receiving unemployment benefits.

Matt McCleskey has more...

Aids Activists Rally for Affordable Housing

December 01, 2008 - Using World Aids Day as a peg for their protest, local activists rallied outside HUD to demand more affordable housing for AIDS patients.

Protesters pitched four camping tents near K and 1st streets during the lunch hour. George Kerr,heads up DC Fights Back. He says the symbolism is clear. "We're outside the regional offices of HUD to demand that they get 278 people off the waiting list. Housing is a life or death situation for people living with HIV."

Sheena Sood, with the Student Global Aids Campaign, says housing and health are linked. "People who have stability in housing are much more likely to adhere to their medications." Roneto Wilkins is living with aids. "It was shock to me, to find out way back in 1984, that I was HIV positive. But now, there are so many people that are HIV positive that need housing. There's not enough landlords that are willing to subsidize their housing," Wilkins said.

The HIV rate in the district is 1 in 20-the same as the overall rate in sub-Saharan Africa. David Klatt reports...

Outdoors Are Safer than Shelters for Some District Homeless
Jessica Forres

December 01, 2008 - Even though the hypothermia season has, begun and despite the District reporting plenty of empty beds, some homeless people continue to avoid the city's shelters.

D.C. councilman Tommy Wells has been making daily checks on shelter vacancies since the end of September when the Fenty Administration closed the Franklin shelter in Northwest. He is trying to take a hands on approach to finding out why some homeless people prefer sleeping outdoors.

One homeless man, Tyrone Murray, has plenty of reasons why he avoids shelters.

Jessica Forres has more...

Christmas Price Index Increase Blamed on Turtle Doves, Swans and the Partridge
Kavitha Cardoza

December 01, 2008 - It's the most expensive Christmas ever, according to a tongue-in-cheek study by PNC Bank. It calculates the current state of the economy based on the cost of items in the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas."

Kavitha Cardoza reports...

Report on Virginia's Future is Mixed
Kavitha Cardoza

December 01, 2008 - Virginia has improved in many areas this year over the year but has suffered setbacks in others. Kavitha Cardoza reports on the findings of a report produced by Council on Virginia's Future....

Power Breakfast for December 1, 2008

December 01, 2008 - Todd Zwillich talks with incoming Virginia Senator Mark Warner about expectations and ambitions during his first term.

Demand for Eco-Friendly Homes Rises

December 01, 2008 - As energy costs continue to fluctuate, the popularity of environmentally friendly homes is growing.

David Schultz has more...

Church Celebrates 100 Years of Worship, Growth and Service

December 01, 2008 - A church in Arlington is celebrating its 100th anniversary as the neighborhood around it changes.

David Schultz has more...

Officials Plan to Protect Ridgelines in Shenandoah National Park

November 30, 2008 - Shenandoah National Park in Virginia is famous for its ridgelines with rocky outcroppings, but the area's popularity is putting stresses on some of the formations. Park officials say from Old Rag Mountain to Stony Man Summit, the large number of outdoor enthusiasts using the park is causing the loss of plant life, soil, and even some rare insects. Officials are working on a plan to preserve the formations. Scientists spent three years visiting 50 of Shenandoah's most popular rock outcroppings to get a better sense of the damage. Botanist Wendy Cass tells the Richmond Times Dispatch newspaper officials want to balance recreational use with the preservation of natural resources. One of the plan's primary goals is to educate park visitors about their impact, but it's possible access to some trails could be limited as well.

Matt McCleskey has more...

Manassas Post Office Loses Long Time Employee
Stephanie Kaye

November 29, 2008 - Longtime Manassas residents say the Old Town post office will never be the same.

Stephanie Kaye has more...

Rhee Featured in National Magazine
Stephanie Kaye

November 29, 2008 - D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee is being featured on the cover of Time magazine for her approach to reforming urban school systems.

Stephanie Kaye has more...