Tom Howell Jr.

Slain D.C. teen was DYRS ward

A D.C. teen fatally stabbed Saturday was a ward of the District's Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services who had fled the agency's custody, The Washington Times has learned.

October 11, 2011

Medical marijuana applicants facing D.C. deadline

Applicants hoping to dispense medical marijuana in the District have until Halloween to submit their plans to city officials, pushing the long-awaited program forward even as federal prosecutors put a scare into the cannabis industry's prospects in California and other states.

October 10, 2011

D.C. officials revisit contract regs after lawn mowing deal

District officials agreed Friday to take another look at city regulations on awarding contracts, following a dispute about a company awarded a landscaping job with the lowest bid but no D.C. residents as employees.

October 7, 2011

Bill combating D.C. school residency fraud gains traction

When Gina Arlotto's children meet classmates at D.C. public schools, they sometimes get invited to pool parties at their new friends' homes out in Maryland.

October 6, 2011

Redskins, celebrities get behind D.C. rights

A trio of Washington Redskins players and actress Della Reese of "Touched by an Angel" TV fame are among the celebrities who taped pro-D.C. rights segments as part of Mayor Vincent C. Gray's push this month for city autonomy.

October 6, 2011

Why are Maryland, Virginia students in D.C. schools?

D.C. Council Chairman Kwame R. Brown wants to find out why students from Maryland and Virginia are attending the District's public schools illegally, forcing city taxpayers to subsidize their education and potentially robbing students of a "quality seat" in their own schools.

October 5, 2011

Orange’s ethics reform effort defeated; Bowser to offer bill

D.C. Council member Muriel Bowser on Tuesday promised to deliver a comprehensive ethics reform bill by the end of the year, positioning herself as a sobering voice on a hot-button issue that at times has descended into political theater.

October 4, 2011

D.C. lawn-mowing contracts come under scrutiny

D.C. Council member Mary M. Cheh wants to "clear the air" concerning a pair of city lawn-mowing contracts that raise questions about political influence and what it means to be a District-based business.

October 4, 2011

Graham requests new audit on Peaceoholics

D.C. Council member Jim Graham requested a supplemental audit Monday on the nonprofit Peaceoholics, reigniting political controversy around the group as its co-founders prepare to run for office.

October 3, 2011

Gray finds money to keep D.C.’s MLK Library open on Sundays

Mayor Vincent C. Gray says he has found $316,000 in the city's budget to keep the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library open on Sundays.

September 30, 2011

Lincoln Theatre seeks cash infusion

The historic Lincoln Theatre, the 1920s-era stage often described as the heart of the District's "Black Broadway," will close before the end of the year if it does not get a cash infusion from the city, its board members said Thursday.

September 29, 2011

Evans: Arrest of D.C. employee in $400,000 theft shows reforms are working

A D.C. Council member with oversight of the city's finances says the arrest of a government employee accused of bilking more than $400,000 from the Office of Tax and Revenue shows security reforms are having an effect.

September 29, 2011

Gray lauds language in plan for D.C. spending

Mayor Vincent C. Gray on Wednesday praised the insertion of language into a short-term federal spending plan that allows the District to use local funds for the fiscal year that begins on Saturday while Congress continues to debate its financial plan for 2012.

September 28, 2011

Chancellor sees major emotional problems in D.C. schools

Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson says 10 percent of the city's eighth-graders have attempted suicide.

September 27, 2011

D.C. officials to meet on police funding

D.C. officials will meet Tuesday to make sure spending pressures do not trip up plans to keep at least 3,800 Metropolitan Police Department officers on the street — a goal that was established during budget talks for the fiscal year that begins Saturday.

September 26, 2011

D.C. tax hike on top earners took tortuous route to passage

A contentious and unexpected vote to raise taxes on the District's highest-income earners took shape largely behind the scenes, as council members revived an old proposal, wrangled votes and found common ground with reluctant colleagues.

September 25, 2011

Mayor strengthens nominee process to avoid surprises

D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray says his administration will alter its policy for reviewing nominees for city oversight bodies by sending them through the city's Office of the Attorney General before they are announced to the public.

September 25, 2011

Gray withdraws Mallett nomination

D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray has withdrawn the nomination of Robert L. Mallett to be chairman of the Board of Elections and Ethics because he does not meet a residency requirement — an embarrassing conclusion to an incident that mirrored a string of missteps by the administration.

September 23, 2011

Bill to repeal D.C. online gambling shelved until public comments

The D.C. Council will not consider a bill that would repeal first-in-the-nation efforts to implement online gambling in the District until the completion of community meetings on the controversial program.

September 22, 2011

D.C. freezes fire, EMS Twitter account

The D.C. government has temporarily halted use of one of its most popular Twitter accounts in order to get a tighter handle on information disseminated about emergency operations.

September 21, 2011