Deputies said the baby was found in the area of Coriander Lane and Embrey Mill Road, near Embrey Mill Park.

A sheriff’s office spokesperson said an “alert citizen” found the baby and called authorities.

“We can confirm the baby is safe and is currently receiving care and support from medical professionals,” said Jackson Arnold, public information officer for the sheriff’s office. “It’s still an ongoing investigation, but we are concerned for the child’s mother and/or father.”

The Stafford County Sheriff’s Office about a large police presence nearby the Embrey Mill Park at around 5 p.m. and asked the public avoid the area as deputies investigated.

Deputies don’t know how the baby got there, and the sheriff’s office is not releasing any more identifying information about the child.

“We’re working to just reunite a family and ensure everyone involved receives the support they need,” Arnold said.

The baby is in good health, according to authorities, who are asking anyone with information to come forward to assist in their investigation.

“Any residents or businesses in the area are asked to review any available security or doorbell camera footage from May 12, 2026, between 12 p.m. and 3:10 p.m.,” Arnold said.

Tips can be called in to the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office at 540-658-4400.

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The rankings were developed in partnership with and are based on a March survey of 357 pharmacists and 129 dermatologists. Participants were randomly assigned product categories and asked to identify the brands they would be most likely to recommend to consumers.

In total, 128 categories were evaluated, including supplements, allergy treatments and skincare products. Eleven new categories were added this year.

“These are the experts who are day-in, day-out, recommending these products and brands to their patients. So, they know best,” said Shanley Chien, senior editor of health at U.S. 草莓传媒 & World Report.

“Navigating our health and our wellness, whether it’s for ourselves or for our loved ones, can be incredibly overwhelming,” Chien said. “This offers consumers a starting point for when they’re trying to navigate their health and wellness journey.”

The brands with the most products ranked number one in this report were Nature Made with 12, CeraVe with six and La Roche-Posay with four. The companies with the most products rated No. 1 were Haleon, followed by Pharmavite, Kenvue, L’Oreal and Prestige Consumer Healthcare.

U.S. 草莓传媒 said only brands that met its statistical performance standards based on survey results received a “Best OTC Medicine & Health Products” designation.

Among products ranked highest by pharmacists were Flonase for allergy nasal sprays, Children鈥檚 Delsym for children鈥檚 cough medicine, Pedialyte for electrolyte powders and Zyrtec for oral allergy medications. Dermatologists most frequently recommended Differin for acne, CeraVe for multiple skincare categories and La Roche-Posay for sunscreens and vitamin C serums.

U.S. 草莓传媒 noted the rankings are intended to help consumers compare options and are not a substitute for medical advice. Health officials recommend speaking with a healthcare provider before starting new medications or supplements.

The full list of rankings and categories is available at .

Popular product category winners evaluated by pharmacists include:

• Allergy Nasal Sprays: Flonase
• Bug Repellent Sprays: Off!
• Children鈥檚 Cough Medicines: Children’s Delsym
• Children鈥檚 Multivitamins: Flintstones
• Collagen Peptides: Vital Proteins
• Creatine: Optimum Nutrition
• Digestive Enzymes: Nature’s Bounty
• Electrolyte Powders: Pedialyte
• Magnesium Supplements: Mag-Ox
• Menopause Supplements: Estroven E
• Multivitamins for Men: Centrum
• Multivitamins for Women: One A Day
• Natural Sleep Aids: Unisom
• Oral Allergy Medicines (Antihistamines): Zyrtec
• Probiotic Supplements: Culturelle

Popular product category winners evaluated by dermatologists include:

• Acne Treatments: Differin
• Anti-Dandruff Shampoos: Head & Shoulders
• Eczema Treatments: CeraVe
• Face Moisturizers: CeraVe
• Face Washes and Cleansers for Sensitive Skin: CeraVe
• Hair Growth Serums and Oils: Nutrafol
• Hair Regrowth Treatments (Medicated): Rogaine
• Lip Balms: Aquaphor
• Moisturizers with SPF: CeraVe
• Retinol Creams and Serums: La Roche-Posay
• Scar Creams and Treatments: Mederma
• Sunscreen for Body: Neutrogena
• Sunscreen for Face: La Roche-Posay
• Vitamin C Serums: La Roche-Posay
• Wrinkle Creams: La Roche-Posay

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Now, the Fairfax County Police Department is starting a pilot program that will add 40 defibrillators to patrol cars across the department.

The devices will be divided among the eight county police stations, giving each five AEDs for each shift.

“We’ve been trying to push an AED program for quite some time,” said officer Eric Acevedo, who also serves as the lead special operations paramedic for the department. “It’s not super common in the Northern Virginia area.”

The goal, Acevedo said, is to provide an AED to someone having a cardiac event as quickly as possible. Because patrol cars are out in the community already, they can generally arrive faster than Fire and EMS personnel.

In a , Fairfax County police said all officers who work with the devices will receive special training on their use and have already received detailed training in Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) as a requirement for graduation from the training academy.

Acevedo said other programs in the police department, where emergency medical equipment has been provided to police, have been successful and he is optimistic about the AED program.

“Where we started with having tactical emergency casualty care and giving officers tourniquets and chest-seals and having them respond to accidents or incidents where trauma care was provided, we saw great success in those programs and improving survivability,” he said.

An AED is essential in reviving someone having a cardiac emergency.

“Your survivability rate post-10 minutes going into sudden cardiac arrest without the arrival of CPR and an AED is less than 10% for the most part,” Acevedo said. “With an AED and an officer arriving within three minutes of someone in cardiac arrest, we’re talking about a survivability potential within 70-80%.”

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The announcement clears a major hurdle for President Donald Trump and his administration’s planned renovations to East Potomac Golf Links, while establishing a long-term agreement to allow the National Links Trust to continue managing Langston and Rock Creek Park golf courses.

The news was a welcome surprise for golfers at East Potomac Park on Saturday afternoon.

“The guy in the pro shop told me that this morning when I came in,” said Connor, who lives in Arlington and uses the East Potomac course frequently when the weather is nice. “I’m happy to see that. It’s definitely good to get a better plan and see what’s going on for the next year, if there are renovations to happen, being able to keep it open and available to everyone.”

In a

“We are pleased that Washington, DC’s municipal golf courses 鈥� East Potomac Golf Links, Langston Golf Course, and Rock Creek Park Golf 鈥� will now remain open, accessible, and affordable for the residents and communities that depend on them. National Links Trust will continue operating all three courses, and we are committed to building on the progress we have made over the past five years. We are grateful that our talented and dedicated employees can now look forward with certainty about the future.”

“East Potomac is a wonderful place for the public,” said Owen, a D.C. resident and East Potomac Golf Links regular. “Accessible golf is important and fun.”

In December, the National Park Service abruptly terminated the National Links Trust’s contract to operate the golf courses. One week ago, a federal judge denied a request to halt work on the East Potomac golf complex, but warned that nothing should be done to the course that can’t be undone 鈥� including a closure.

The D.C. Preservation League and two city residents had sued to block the work, which would renovate the historic golf course.

Under the new agreement, National Links Trust will also continue managing East Potomac Golf Links until a future time when the renovations will start. That time has not yet been specified by the National Park Service.

Trump, who owns dozens of golf courses around the world, has talked about transforming East Potomac Golf Links, situated near Hains Point, into a championship-style course that could lure major professional tournaments.

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“In Virginia, this is very uncommon,” said Dr. Laurie Forlano, state epidemiologist at the Virginia Department of Health.

Hantavirus is a group of viruses primarily spread through contact with infected rodents. People can become infected by inhaling microscopic particles from rodent urine, droppings or saliva, especially when contaminated dust is stirred into the air.

“These viruses are harbored by rodents, and different types of the virus are present or endemic in different parts of the world,” she said, adding that in the United States, the virus is mostly seen in rural areas of the Southwest, where people may be in closer contact to animals carrying the virus.

This particular strain of hantavirus, known as Andes, can be spread through contact with a person who is infected.

One Virginian is among the 17 Americans who were aboard the cruise ship “MV Hondius,” where the outbreak was first reported. That person is said to be at home being monitored for symptoms, which can mirror the flu.

And yet, Dr. Forlano said that person is not sick. She added that the last confirmed case of hantavirus in Virginia was in 2021. The one before that was confirmed in 1993.

Although infections are uncommon, the illness can be severe, even deadly. The virus attacks the lungs and can cause respiratory failure. Three people have died after being exposed on the cruise ship.

鈥淯nfortunately, this particular virus, Andes virus, is known to transmit from person to person, and that’s what’s suspected to have happened on this ship,” Forlano said. “Although this is very uncommon, and I do want to emphasize that it’s extremely unusual; it is a serious pathogen. And that’s why public health is involved because we want to make sure that it remains contained.”

Health officials stress that the everyday risk of contracting the virus in the U.S. remains low, but simple precautions can significantly reduce the chance of exposure.

Forlano and the the following:

• Avoid sweeping or vacuuming rodent droppings, which can release virus particles into the air
• Ventilate enclosed spaces like cabins, sheds, or attics before cleaning
• Use gloves and disinfectants when handling areas with signs of rodent activity
• Seal holes and remove food sources to prevent rodent infestations

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The quadruple amputee and professional cornhole player accused of murder in Charles County, Maryland, fatally shot his friend in self-defense, his attorneys argued Wednesday.

A judge denied the request for bond from Dayton Webber, 27, of La Plata, during his first appearance in Charles County District Court. Webber will remain in jail until his next court appearance for a preliminary hearing on May 6.

He’s charged with first- and second-degree murder in the March 22 shooting death of 27-year-old Bradrick Michael Wells. Webber was driving a white Tesla with Wells and two others when he fatally shot Wells, the front-seat passenger, during an argument.

After the shooting, authorities said, Webber asked the two other passengers to help remove Wells from the car, but they refused and left the scene. According to deputies, Webber then drove Wells’ body to Charlotte Hall, Maryland, about 12 miles away, and dumped his body.

Police in Charlottesville, Virginia, later arrested Webber.

Both of the other passengers in the Tesla told deputies they witnessed the argument and saw Webber shoot Wells, according to charging documents, with one telling authorities Webber shot Wells twice in the head.

In court, Webber’s attorneys argued there was a long-running feud between the two and that Webber accused Wells of stealing a gun from him. The attorneys said Webber killed Wells in self-defense.

“He was 100% justified in defending his life from an immediate lethal threat,” defense attorney Andrew Jezic said. “Dayton was terrified of being killed. Dayton knew that he had to shoot or be killed. Dayton has overcome a ton of adversity in his life, and he will do so again in this case by focusing on the truth. The truth here is he would have been a murder victim had he not acted immediately in defense of his life.”

Deputy State’s Attorney Karen Piper Mitchell would not speak to the self-defense claim directly, but said the prosecution felt strongly that Webber should be kept in jail, since he initially fled to Charlottesville after the shooting.

The shooting has drawn national attention and raised questions about how Webber, who lost both arms and legs as an infant due to a bacterial infection, could carry out such an attack. Videos posted to show him loading and firing a gun.

 

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Webber was previously known for his success as a professional cornhole player. He won the Maryland State Championship in cornhole, competed in the American Cornhole League and had nationally televised matches on ESPN. The network even profiled Webber in an

Audiences have been captivated by his story since he was a child, when he .

In a 2023聽, Webber said doctors amputated his arms and legs when he was 10 months old to save his life after he contracted a serious streptococcus pneumonia blood infection. His medical team gave him a 3% chance of surviving, he wrote.

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D.C.’s “” program has distributed more than 450,000 access cards since its inception, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced Monday alongside transportation and education officials.

鈥淭hirteen years ago, when I was on the council, I made a commitment to students and families to ensure transportation would never stand in the way of a child鈥檚 success. We created Kids Ride Free, we later expanded it to the trains, and because of the success of this program, families are saving hundreds of dollars per child every year and we鈥檙e keeping D.C. affordable for more families,鈥� Bowser said

The distribution of the 450,000 cards roughly translates into 60 million trips taken and an estimated savings of $810 per year, per student, according to the mayor. Since its inception in 2013, Kids Ride Free has provided more than 650,000 students free transportation to help them get to school, afterschool programs and other productive activities in all eight wards of the nation’s capital.

Eligible students between ages 5 and 21 who are enrolled in D.C. schools can ride Metrobus and Metrorail at no cost within the District using a SmarTrip card or Apple Wallet SmarTrip card. Cards are issued free of charge through school ID administrators.

鈥淚n a district where many of our students rely on public transportation, the Kids Ride Free program plays a critical role in helping them arrive at school safe and ready to learn,鈥� D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Lewis Ferebee said in a news release.

鈥淚 am deeply thankful to our partners at DDOT and Metro for ensuring our young people are connected not only to their classrooms, but also to afterschool programs, dual enrollment opportunities, internships, and jobs that set them on a path to success beyond graduation,” Ferebee added.

Bowser and District leaders also announced the winner of the 2026-27 Kids Ride Free card design contest: NaTaya Bond, an 11th grade student at Coolidge Senior High School. Her winning design, inspired by D.C.鈥檚 iconic cherry blossoms, will appear on Kids Ride Free cards starting Sept. 30.

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A Southwest D.C. woman who nearly lost her life in a bicycle crash is now planning a 2,000鈥憁ile ride to raise awareness and money for organizations that support disabled veterans.

Jodie Knox was riding her bike along South Capitol Street in 2022 when she was struck by a car. The crash left her with multiple broken bones and a traumatic brain injury.

She spent the next six months at Walter Reed Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, recovering from her injuries. While there, Knox said she was inspired by other patients and decided she wanted to find a way to support organizations that help disabled veterans.

Knox reached out to the and to ask how she could raise awareness and funds for groups that serve injured veterans. That outreach led to the creation of , a 2,000-mile solo cycling journey that will take her from Key West, Florida, north to Kittery, Maine.

“This trip, for me, is about turning ‘I can’t’ into ‘I can try.’ I’ve never done anything like this,” said Knox, 44, who is retired from the U.S. Coast Guard.

Knox told 草莓传媒 she expects the ride to take between 42 and 50 days, depending weather conditions. Along the route, she plans to stop at American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars posts, both of which are providing some funding for her trip.

“I plan to ride about 60 to 80 miles a day on my bicycle by myself,” Knox said. “But I do have a support driver, Kathy Ellingsworth, who’s one of my neighbors.”

Ellingsworth will carry supplies and help coordinate nightly hotel stays during the journey.

More information about Wheels of Grit and how to support the effort is available on the organization鈥檚 .

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Friday marks 50 years since the first Metrorail trip in the D.C. region. The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority threw a birthday party at Metro Center station to celebrate the milestone.

General Manager Randy Clarke joined dozens of fellow employees at the top of the stairs of the rail station at 12th & F streets NW, greeting passengers, thanking them for riding Metro and handing out specially designed pennants on Friday morning.

The gathering featured music with a DJ, balloons and several posters depicting the history of the transit agency.

“Hey, happy birthday,” Clarke exclaimed shaking one customer’s hand and handing them a pennant.

The first leg of the Metrorail system was the Red Line, running 4.6 miles between the Rhode Island Avenue and Farragut North stations, and it reshaped mobility across the region. The first trip along that line happened .

In the decades that followed, Metro evolved into the backbone of the D.C. area鈥檚 transportation network, serving generations of riders.

Since opening, customers have taken more than 7 billion trips on Metrorail and over 15 billion trips across Metrorail, Metrobus and MetroAccess combined.

The system spans six lines and 130 miles, connecting 98 stations. In 2025 alone, Metrorail provided 147 million trips.

“There’s a lot of be proud of here at Metro, leading transit and just connecting people to have better lives in America,” Clarke said.

Clarke acknowledged while the transit agency is celebrating, there is a lot to do.

“The big thing that we have to constantly work on with our jurisdictions, all three states, is really funding,” he said. “To make sure it’s sustainable so we can make sure people can invest and live their lives knowing that Metro is there for them,” he said.

Metro is rolling out specially designed bus wraps and SmartTrip cards to celebrate the anniversary. Metro has also created a website for those who want to take a look back on the agency’s golden anniversary: .

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Co-sponsor and At-Large member Kyle McDaniel said it’s about time the county got creative in addressing the school system’s $400 million maintenance backlog.

“This is a low-risk, high-yield, low-cost move that asks the superintendent and her team to go back, take that policy and look at how we could potentially monetize our athletic facilities, and we already do that,” McDaniel said.

“We’re basically saying, ‘OK, to the people who would pay money to put a sign on a fence of a football field, would you pay more money to put a bigger sign on the fence of a football field?’ That is it,” he said.

McDaniel said the proposal could potentially net the school system millions of dollars.

“These are all part of natural economic relationships that exist in almost every other state,” said Mount Vernon District Representative Mateo Dunne, who is also a co-sponsor of the proposal. “Fairfax County seems to be the exception rather than the norm.”

“We need to bring in more revenue sources, especially that don’t involve raising property taxes,” Dunne said.

Although the board voted to move forward with the proposal, at least one board member had concerns about how the revenue would be distributed.

“The only thing that I’d like to ask for the consideration of this plan 鈥� because we have disparities and inequities in a lot of other places 鈥� whatever this ends up being, this is going to be a collective pot, not some individual school pot,” said board member Ricardy Anderson. “That’s what I would envision.”

Fairfax County explored the idea of selling naming rights back in 2009 but ultimately chose not to move forward.

Under the plan, Reid will develop a detailed proposal outlining how naming rights could be put into practice.

The board has requested that proposal by July, when members are expected to review it and potentially take a vote.

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The U.S. Mint unveiled a commemorative coin Monday, featuring the likeness of George Washington in celebration of the nation’s 250th anniversary.

Officials gathered at George Washington’s Mount Vernon for the announcement.

“Mount Vernon is George Washington’s autobiography,” said Mount Vernon President and CEO Doug Bradburn. “It’s a place he designed; it’s a place he cared about. His joys, his passion, his profession all ran through here. He liked to describe himself as a farmer more than anything else. So it is that you can come to get to the heart of who he was.”

The commemorative quarter looks just like any other quarter, with Washington’s traditional portrait on the front. On the back, Washington is portrayed as a soldier, an image he much preferred to president.

“We wouldn’t have this great country without his leadership,” said U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach about Washington.

“As we look ahead to the 250th anniversary, we do so with optimism and purpose,” Beach said, pointing out a host of events and activities scheduled for later this year to mark the occasion. Events include an IndyCar race in Washington, a UFC match on the grounds of the White House and a grand parade on Independence Day.

Monday’s unveiling featured a George Washington impersonator, who welcomed guests and toasted the new coin.

There was also a display of the, the only gold coin ever made in that unique pattern by Jacob Perkins, one of about 20 surviving pattern coins that include Washington’s first presidential portrait.

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The burly bronze bison busts are a gift to commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary and are being displayed ahead of major bison exhibits set to debut later this year.

“These sculptures refer to animals the Smithsonian collected in 1886 in Montana, just as the bison were about to go extinct,” the museum’s Sant Director Kirk Johnson said. “They were just slaughtered across the nation as we expanded. And they got as low as less than a thousand animals in the entire continent.”

The statues were placed after a weeklong trek that started at a foundry in Colorado, where artist Gary Staab created them over the course of the last year.

Named the national mammal in 2016, the bison will be a major focus of the Smithsonian this year. An exhibit called “” will highlight the species from the point it nearly went extinct in the late 1800s to its resurgence through significant conservation efforts led, in part, by the Smithsonian Institution.

“As far as I’m concerned, they are a symbol of the strength of our country,” Naoma Tate, who serves on the Smithsonian National Board, said of bison.

Tate, a renowned Western art collector and philanthropist from Cody, Wyoming, and her family gifted the bison to the Smithsonian.

“We see these magnificent animals all the time,” she said. “There are about 5,000 there.”

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The animals depicted in the statues represent actual bison that the Smithsonian preserved as the population began to decrease in the U.S.

“The little calf next to the cow here was on the (National) Mall in 1886 as a live animal,” Johnson said. “It was brought back as an orphaned calf. That animal’s name is ‘Sandy,’ the little baby bison.”

“Sandy” became the face of the movement to protect the American bison through conservation efforts.

The species has recovered from the brink of extinction and now exists in all 50 states with a population of approximately 500,000 animals. It is currently listed as “near threatened” by the .

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They accused Alexandria Sheriff Sean Casey of continuing to cooperate with ICE, though a bill that aims to end local and state law enforcement cooperation with ICE passed by the Virginia House last week.

“We need the city council to step up,” said Oliver Merino, with the activist group ICE Out of Alexandria.

He and about 30 others at the meeting called on the city council to cut the Sheriff’s Office budget and investigate whether the sheriff is helping ICE deport members of the Alexandria community.

“For years, (Casey) has been working with ICE to transfer people from the Alexandria jail to ICE custody,” Merino said.

said the office does not collaborate with ICE, adding, “Our involvement with ICE is strictly limited to what is required by law, and we take care to ensure that our actions remain compliant with all applicable legal mandates.”

But Merino and others said that’s not the case. They accuse the sheriff of holding detainees longer than required so ICE can respond and arrest them, calling ICE when an undocumented person is detained, and transferring people to ICE custody under administrative warrants instead of judicial warrants, as required.

“We want them (city council) to take a very concrete action of cutting his funding if he continues to collaborate with ICE,” Merino said.

“I ask the council to use this budget process and its rightful role of oversight to put pressure on the sheriff to end this voluntary practice of abetting ICE,” Alexandria resident David Ballinger said at the meeting.

In a and members of the city council, the city said it remains committed to a diverse environment and that everyone, “regardless of immigration status,” deserves equal rights and treatment under the law.

“The community is very clear,” he added. “Instead of investing in a sheriff’s department that collaborates with ICE, we want them to invest in things like affordable housing.”

In a statement provided to 草莓传媒 on Tuesday, Casey said:

“The Sheriff鈥檚 Office does not 鈥渃ollaborate鈥� or 鈥渃ooperate鈥� with ICE; we follow the law and following the law is not 鈥渧oluntary.鈥� Calling for cuts to the Sheriff鈥檚 Office budget because we follow the law is misguided and irresponsible. The proper venue to address concerns with the law is through the legislative process, not through the City鈥檚 budget process.”

The council will consider the sheriff’s budget Wednesday.

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It’s the first show the opera company has produced since announcing in January that it would be leaving the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Washington National Opera General Director Timothy O’Leary told 草莓传媒 when he and Artistic Director Francesca Zambello took the stage to welcome the audience, they were met by a more than two-minute-long standing ovation.

“It’s been a really exciting, inspiring kind of groundswell of support,” O’Leary said of the overwhelming responses the opera has received since making the decision to leave the Kennedy Center.

He added the opera has maintained a “constructive discussion” with the Kennedy Center, and he would not rule out a return to the facility, where Washington National Opera spent 55 years of its residency in D.C.

The opera was founded at the Lisner Auditorium in 1956. O’Leary called the return to Lisner a homecoming.

“As soon as we announced that we were producing the rest of our season at new venues, we heard overwhelmingly, not only from our audience, people saying, ‘I wasn’t coming but now I’m coming, absolutely. I’m coming twice.’ We also heard from people who wrote in and said, ‘I don’t even like opera, but I’ll come and attend any performance you give anywhere,'” O’Leary said.

In a the opera said, 鈥淭oday, the Washington National Opera announced its decision to seek an amicable early termination of its affiliation agreement with the Kennedy Center and resume operations as a fully independent nonprofit entity.鈥�

The company said it was leaving the Kennedy Center because of what it called a “financially challenging relationship” and a new business model.

In a O’Leary thanked the audience for its support.

“Thank you for believing in the idea of American civil society, whereby institutions that are mission-based like this are created and nurtured by we the people,” O’Leary said. “We’ve been feeling this incredible surge of enthusiasm and support from not only our usual but people from around the country.”

The last performance of “Treemonisha” is March 15. “The Crucible” runs from March 21 through March 29.

O’Leary said the opera plans to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary with of “West Side Story” at two venues: The Lyric in Baltimore and Strathmore in North Bethesda.

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Officials said the long-term restoration will address every area touched by the wastewater.

鈥淭he restoration plan will focus on the immediate collapse site area, the creek beds, the surface areas where that wastewater impacted the shoreline along the Potomac River in this immediate area, and as well as, of course, the C&O Canal,鈥� said Sherri Lewis with D.C. Water.

Cleanup work can only begin after the bypass pumping system is shut down. Lewis said some steps may occur beforehand, but full restoration cannot begin until a formal plan is approved.

While there is an opportunity to mitigate some issues now, Lewis said, 鈥渢his is not the start of the full environmental restoration.鈥�

The restoration plan is being developed with the Environmental Protection Agency, which will serve as the lead federal agency for cleanup, along with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Maryland Department of the Environment and the D.C. Department of Energy and Environment.

To help prepare for the cleanup, the Army Corps鈥� Baltimore District is evaluating engineering solutions to limit further contamination and ease the transition into restoration

Col. Francis Pera said one option under review is a series of check dams that could capture water before it enters the Potomac River and allow it to be pumped back into the Interceptor.

鈥淲e hope to have a solution here pretty soon,鈥� he said.

Pera and Corps teams have already installed a pumping system to keep stormwater from nearby roads from entering the repair site.

The combined cost of repairs and cleanup is now estimated at about $20 million.

Negotiations over how to cover the costs continue under D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s federal emergency declaration. In the emergency declaration, the federal government has agreed to pay 75% of the bill for the repair and restoration, but Mayor Muriel Bowser had asked federal agencies to cover 100%.

Concern about warming weather

As repairs continue, some experts are worried about what warmer temperatures in the coming weeks and months could bring.

Dr. Cherie Schultz, the director of Cooperative Water Supply Operations at the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin, spoke during a regional virtual meeting coordinated by the Washington Metropolitan Council of Governments on Monday.

While she is confident drinking water has not and should not be affected by the spill, she has other concerns.

鈥淚n future months, maybe this summer, maybe for a number of years 鈥� the nutrients, nitrogen and phosphorus from the sewage may increase the growth of algae downstream and may increase the likelihood this summer of harmful algal blooms,鈥� Schultz said.

Excessive algae consumes dissolved oxygen in the water, depriving fish and other animals of what they need. It also blocks sunlight needed for aquatic plants.

鈥淪olid sewage material on the river bed may increase biological oxygen demand this summer in the sediments and (increase) the likelihood of fish kills,鈥� Schultz said.

She has been monitoring bacteria readings since the Jan. 19 pipeline failure. While some levels have been elevated, Schultz said they are expected to fall in the coming weeks.

鈥淲e expect them to fall to near background levels due to die off of bacteria and flushing by river-flow,鈥� she said.

When will the river be safe again?

There is no set date for lifting the recreational water advisory. D.C. Health and the Department of Energy and Environment will decide based on the results from water quality testing.

Lewis noted river conditions can change quickly after storms and snowmelt, and agencies will rely on sampling to determine when it is safe for the public to return.

鈥淭hey will be evaluating that as we continue through this process,鈥� she said.

A firm timeline for full restoration will not be determined until repairs are complete and the final restoration plan is approved.

D.C. Water said it will hold public meetings this week:

• Wednesday at 7 p.m. at D.C. Water Headquarters in Navy Yard in the District, and
• Thursday at 7 p.m. at Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda, Maryland

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