Andrea Noble

D.C. 911 center reports dropped calls, long waits during power outage

Some callers to the District's 911 center were on hold for up to nine minutes Tuesday and 25 people hung up before speaking with call takers as a result of the facility losing power, officials said Wednesday.

July 9, 2014

D.C. 911 system suffers ‘catastrophic communications failure’

The center that handles the District's 911 calls and dispatches police and fire experienced a "catastrophic communications failure" Tuesday when the facility lost power, officials said.

July 8, 2014

Forgotten vial of smallpox found in NIH storage room

A forgotten sample of smallpox dating back to the 1950s was found in a storage room at the Bethesda campus of the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Tuesday.

July 8, 2014

Marijuana legalization activists turn in petition to put measure on D.C. ballot

Advocates seeking to legalize marijuana in the District turned in 57,000 signatures Monday in a bid to put the issue on the November ballot, but a federal lawmaker working to stop the city from easing its drug laws says a measure before Congress would trump any such vote.

July 7, 2014

D.C. megaclub loses liquor license after weekend shooting

A Northwest D.C. megaclub that was the site of a weekend shooting had its liquor license suspended as a result of the violence and has reportedly lost its lease as well.

July 3, 2014

Sharp increase in homicides in D.C. blamed on domestic disputes

Homicides in the District are up by more than half in the first six months of the year. But unlike the days when drive-by shootings and feuds among drug gangs propelled the deadly violence, the current uptick is the result of a spike in domestic killings behind closed doors that have contributed to more female homicide victims already than in all of 2013.

July 1, 2014

D.C. police: Fatal shooting sparked by dispute over a can of beer

A weekend homicide in the District began with an argument over a can of Natural Ice beer, according to witness accounts contained in police reports.

July 1, 2014

D.C. to host outdoor World Cup viewing party

The District will host an outdoor viewing party Tuesday at Freedom Plaza for the World Cup soccer match between the United States and Belgium.

June 30, 2014

D.C. sees violent weekend despite crime-reduction initiative

It was a violent weekend in the District, with two people killed and a nightclub shuttered amid a slew of shootings and stabbings that happened as officers flooded the streets to beef up patrols.

June 29, 2014

Cellphone leads police to $150K stolen from Maryland casino

A Maryland Live Casino employee thought he was pulling a fast one when he stole a stack of $100 bills totaling $150,000 from his employer during a recent shift.

June 27, 2014

3-year-old D.C. boy’s death ruled a homicide

The Metropolitan Police Department announced Thursday that Xavier Lyles died of multiple blunt force injuries.

June 26, 2014

D.C. shuts down Web-based alcohol-delivery service

The kegs have runneth dry for an alcohol-delivery service that opened up shop in the District last month.

June 26, 2014

House committee passes ‘rider’ to halt marijuana decriminalization in D.C.

A Republican-led congressional committee voted Wednesday to block implementation of a local law decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana in the nation’s capital, leaving uncertain the fate of the measure set to take effect next month.

June 25, 2014

Council OKs $10.6B budget with ‘yoga’ tax intact

D.C. lawmakers gave final approval on Tuesday to the city's $10.6 billion spending plan, which includes a package of broad cuts to income and business taxes but expands sales taxes to some new services such as health clubs.

June 24, 2014

Norton: House Republicans may block D.C. marijuana decriminalization

Recently passed legislation that would decriminalize the possession of small amount of marijuana in the District may come under fire by Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill, Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton warned on Tuesday.

June 24, 2014

D.C. Council rejects bid to remove ‘yoga tax’ from budget

An attempt to derail a tax on gyms, yoga studios and fitness centers was defeated 9-4 by the D.C. Council on Tuesday.

June 24, 2014

Interim fire chief to continue ‘soft posting’ firefighters

The man set to take over as the District's interim fire chief next month says he will continue the controversial practice of detailing firefighters to high-crime areas as a means to deter criminal activity.

June 23, 2014

D.C. police union launches website to map crime

The D.C. police union has unveiled an online crime map on their website, meant to provide users with a new resource to monitor crime in city neighborhoods.

June 20, 2014

Police capture black bear that climbed tree at NIH

Police corralled and captured a juvenile black bear Thursday that had climbed a tree on the grounds of the National Institute of Health in Bethesda.

June 19, 2014

Redskins trademark canceled by U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

A panel of judges with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Wednesday canceled what they called "disparaging" trademarks associated with the Washington Redskins for the second time in 15 years amid mounting political pressure on the team to change its name.

June 18, 2014