Kathy Stewart – 草莓传媒 草莓传媒 Washington's Top 草莓传媒 Mon, 18 Nov 2019 23:53:06 +0000 en-US hourly 1 /wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Wtop草莓传媒Logo_500x500-150x150.png Kathy Stewart – 草莓传媒 草莓传媒 32 32 Police: Autistic teen from Clarksburg area found /montgomery-county/2018/06/police-autistic-teen-from-clarksburg-area-missing/ /montgomery-county/2018/06/police-autistic-teen-from-clarksburg-area-missing/#respond Mon, 11 Jun 2018 00:00:39 +0000 /?p=18405349 WASHINGTON 鈥 Police have found the autistic teenager who wandered away from his Clarksburg, Maryland, neighborhood Saturday after having a disagreement with his family.

Josh Cubert was located by police in Black Hills Park at 7 p.m. on Sunday. Police say he will be reunited with his family after being evaluated by medical personnel.

Police and family have thanked the public and media for their assistance.

Capt. Paul Starks with Montgomery County police had described 19-year-old Josh Cubert as about 6 feet tall, 145 pounds with brown eyes and hair. Starks said he could have been wearing a dark-green T-shirt and black jeans.

Josh Cubert, 19, is about 6 feet tall, 145 pounds with brown eyes and brown hair. He could be wearing a dark-green T-shirt and black jeans.

“His family says he is high-functioning and very intelligent. They’re very worried about him. He hasn’t disappeared like this overnight before,” said Starks.

The teen’s family said that he does not take public transportation and gets around on foot.

On Sunday, police and volunteers were searching for the teen in his Clarksburg neighborhood. They were knocking on doors and handing out informational flyers, hoping to find the teen safe and able to return back to his family.

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Rain cuts first cleanup day short in Ellicott City /howard-county/2018/06/rain-cuts-first-cleanup-day-short-ellicott-city/ /howard-county/2018/06/rain-cuts-first-cleanup-day-short-ellicott-city/#respond Sun, 03 Jun 2018 22:20:39 +0000 /?p=18380352 Ellicott City, Md. 鈥斅燨ne week after the Ellicott City flooding, the city’s cleanup progress is being hampered by rain that just won鈥檛 go away.

Earlier on the city’s first official cleanup day Sunday, officials announced they were scaling back access to Main Street due to rain being in the forecast. Anyone granted access was asked to keep volunteers down to 10 people maximum.

Last Sunday floodwaters swallowed up Main Street, leaving behind a wave of destruction and one person dead, just two years after a similar flooding in the historic city.

Very preliminary damage estimates for the recent Main Street flooding are at $10 million 鈥 which would be reserved just for infrastructure and not businesses, said Mark Miller, a Howard County spokesman.

Main Street residents and business owners were supposed to have the entire day Sunday in the restricted damage areas to begin the cleanup process but rainstorms cut the day short.

鈥淲e鈥檙e doing everything we can to give the people as much time as we can allow them down on Main Street, but we have to ensure their safety first,鈥 said Miller.

He said they were not concerned about flash flooding with Sunday鈥檚 storms, but they were concerned about lightening and about possible areal flooding.

The rainstorms kept business owners like Kay and Jon Sandler, who own a title company聽 called Lawyers Advantage Title Group, from getting back on their feet.

Kay Sandler said their future in unknown at this point.

鈥淲e through it was a great investment when we bought [the building] five years ago. It鈥檚 a beautiful building,鈥 she said. 鈥淏ut this can鈥檛 keep from happening. We thought they had fixed the problem. So we had no idea that this could happen again.鈥

She said before this latest flood everything was nice again and the businesses owners were doing well after rebuilding from the July 2016 floods.

鈥淚t鈥檚 really sad and the street really had just really come back,” she said.

Many business owners she talked to seem to say they are not going to rebuild. Her husband Jon Sandler added, 鈥淭here鈥檚 an emotional toll. It鈥檚 very hard to describe.鈥

Rob Denzer helped with the clean up on Sunday. He was in his third floor apartment on Main Street when the flood hit.

鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 believe it was happening again. Nothing was going to stop it,鈥 Denzer said.

Although he did not lose anything in the flood, it is still emotional since this is such a close community.

鈥淭he whole lower Main Street is like one big family,鈥 Denzer said.

Denzer has only lived on Main Street for three years, but he has been through both floods. He is leaving Main Street since he is getting married in July and moving into a house.

He knows some of the business owners will not be rebuilding and said he doesn鈥檛 fault them for that.

鈥淚t鈥檚 hard after losing everything the first time and expecting it to never happen again, it鈥檚 unimaginable,” he said.

The owner of Bean Hollow, a coffee shop on Main Street, that the store will not be rebuilding again on Main Street.

鈥淚鈥檇 never forgive myself if anything happened to one of my staff as a result of a flood,” Owner Gretchen Shuey said.

Ever since the 2016 flood, Shuey has lived in constant fear and anxiety triggered by every rainfall and every radar image of a storm, she said. Several of her young employees were trapped in the coffee shop by the floodwaters in 2016. They all made it out safely, but she said will never get over that.

鈥淭he Bean Hollow 911 call from the flood of 2016 was described by the 911 operator as the worst of all the calls she took that night,” she said.

Bean Hollow might open up at a location in Catonsville.

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One Journey Festival aims to change negative narrative of refugees /dc/2018/06/one-journey-festival-aims-change-negative-narrative-refugees/ /dc/2018/06/one-journey-festival-aims-change-negative-narrative-refugees/#respond Sat, 02 Jun 2018 23:42:34 +0000 /?p=18377849 WASHINGTON 鈥 The One Journey Festival held Saturday at the National Cathedral celebrated the talents and contributions of refugees.

“We hope that this festival will remind everyone that we are on one journey of humanity together,” said festival co-founder Wendy Chan.

Over 3,000 people were expected to turn out for the event focused connecting cultures through food, fashion, music and dance.

One Journey also boasted food trucks in order to give visitors a literal taste of other cultures. In the kid’s corner, children were able to create welcome cards for refugees. Event-goers were able to talk to refugees around the world. And various music and dance groups performed throughout the day.

Chan said Americans know about the refugee crisis in the world by statistics and numbers, “but what will really move people into action are when they hear the personal stories, when they can put a face to the refugee crisis.”

She said the festival was about providing a very visible platform for refugees, to really showcase who they are and to tell their stories.

Abraham Mwinda flew in from California to perform his Afro-pop music at the One Journey Festival in D.C.

He said he liked the theme of the festival which was about changing the negative narrative about refugees.

“It means so much to me that I’ve made my whole music around it,” he said.

Mwinda is a former war refugee from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Pihcitntu Multicultural Choir was also a performer. The group is an all-girls chorus, made up of refugees from around the world. Many of the girls are from war-torn countries.

Chan is hoping this grass roots effort becomes a movement.

“We hope this will develop into an enduring national event, where ever year, we can put up this event at major cities in the U.S., even potentially overseas,” she said.

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Prince William Co. supervisor pushes to fix I-95 bottleneck /prince-william-county/2018/05/prince-william-co-supervisor-pushes-fix-95-bottleneck/ /prince-william-county/2018/05/prince-william-co-supervisor-pushes-fix-95-bottleneck/#respond Mon, 28 May 2018 09:55:27 +0000 /?p=18358499 WASHINGTON 鈥 A proposal is in the works to fix one of the D.C. region’s biggest bottlenecks, where traffic is squeezed from four lanes down to three lanes on Interstate 95 south after the bridge and over the Occoquan River by the Route 123 interchange.

Prince William County Supervisor Ruth Anderson (Occoquan District) proposed to reinforce the shoulder lane that already exists on I-95 South and open it up as an additional lane to help with the traffic flow.

Anderson said the length of the project is about 1.5 miles. A preliminary design is available but no cost estimates have been done yet.

“This particular area of I-95 is a real problem when you consider that it’s the main corridor all up and down the east coast,” said Anderson. “After they created the express lanes, it created that bottleneck.”

Anderson made it clear that her proposal would not widen I-95, but make use of the existing shoulder lane.

“My project simply helps the southbound lanes because if we create too big of a project, it becomes what Transurban calls a ‘compensation event,'” said Anderson.

Virginia may end up paying Transurban if the state causes a decrease in the amount of traffic in the express lanes, explained Anderson.

She does not believe the proposed project will be considered a compensation event. Two years ago, Anderson added, a proposal to widen I-95 had to be dropped because it might have impacted the express lanes.

Transurban, which owns the express lanes, is expected to respond to the proposal by July and determine whether or not the project would impact the amount of traffic on the express lanes.

If Transurban accepts the proposal, the project would then be submitted to Smart Scale, which selects transportation projects to fund, on Aug. 1.

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National Memorial Day Concert honors military heroes /memorial-day/2018/05/remember-the-fallen-at-the-national-memorial-day-concert/ /memorial-day/2018/05/remember-the-fallen-at-the-national-memorial-day-concert/#respond Mon, 28 May 2018 03:59:40 +0000 /?p=18354301

WASHINGTON 鈥 Memorial Day would not be complete without D.C.’s annual National Concert.

The聽took place Sunday at 8 p.m. on the west lawn of the U.S. Capitol.

The star-studded event honors the nation’s military heroes.

Celebrity hosts were Joe Mantegna, an actor on the popular show 鈥淐riminal Minds,鈥 and Emmy Award-winning actor Gary Sinise. Mantegna has emceed the concert since 2002. Find out how he recruited Sinise to be his frequent co-host.

Other celebrities who joined the event are Allison Janney, John Corbett, Leona Lewis and more. Below is the complete list:

  • Joe Mantegna
  • Gary Sinise
  • Allison Janney
  • Gen. Colin Powell
  • Charles Esten
  • Spensha Baker
  • Graham Greene
  • Mary McCormack
  • The Lt. Dan Band
  • John Corbett
  • Leona Lewiss
  • Brian Tee
  • Megan Hilty
  • Alfie Boe
  • Cynthia Erivo
  • Jack Everly
  • National Symphony Orchestra
  • Military District of Washington
  • U.S. Army Herald Trumpets
  • U.S. Army Chorus and Army Voices
  • U.S. Navy Band Sea Chanters
  • U.S. Air Force Singing Sergeants
  • Soldier’s Chorus

Local actor and singer Charles Esten, of Alexandria, Virginia, also be performed this year.

Executive Producer Michael Colbert said the national night of remembrance takes us back to the real meaning of Memorial Day.

鈥淚 hope that (concertgoers]) stop and think about those who 鈥 everyday is Memorial Day for them, the families of those who lost someone,” Colbert said.

Colbert has been part of the annual concert since its start 29 years ago.

He said he is still humbled by being able to honor all of our military and 鈥渢o come together here at the Capitol and honor those who are serving, who have served 鈥 to remember our wounded, to remember all of their families and to really stop and say ‘thank you’ and ‘we love you.'”

The mission of the concert is to come together as a nation and to remember, Colbert said.

The 29th annual concert will mark the 150th anniversary of Memorial Day. Memorial Day had been first known at 鈥淒ecoration Day鈥 and was commemorated at Arlington National Cemetery.

Actor and singer Charles Esten who grew up in Alexandria, VA will be performing at this year’s concert which takes place Sunday 8 p.m. (草莓传媒/Kathy Stewart)
Memorial Day would not be complete without D.C.'s annual National Concert and Saturday marked rehearsals for the anticipated event. (草莓传媒/Kathy Stewart)
Memorial Day would not be complete without D.C.’s annual National Concert and Saturday marked rehearsals for the anticipated event. (草莓传媒/Kathy Stewart)
The 29th annual National Memorial Day Concert is set to take place Sunday at 8 p.m. on the west lawn of the U.S. Capitol. (草莓传媒/Kathy Stewart)
The 29th annual National Memorial Day Concert is set to take place Sunday at 8 p.m. on the west lawn of the U.S. Capitol. (草莓传媒/Kathy Stewart)
Celebrity hosts include Joe Mantegna, an actor on the popular show "Criminal Minds," and Emmy Award-winning actor Gary Sinise. Other celebrities set to join the event are Allison Janney, John Corbett, Leona Lewis and more. (草莓传媒)
Celebrity hosts include Joe Mantegna, an actor on the popular show “Criminal Minds,” and Emmy Award-winning actor Gary Sinise. Other celebrities set to join the event are Allison Janney, John Corbett, Leona Lewis and more. (草莓传媒/Kathy Stewart)
Executive Producer Michael Colbert said the national night of remembrance takes us back to the real meaning of Memorial Day. (草莓传媒/Kathy Stewart)
Executive Producer Michael Colbert said the national night of remembrance takes us back to the real meaning of Memorial Day.   (草莓传媒/Kathy Stewart)
The mission of the concert is to come together as a nation and to remember, Colbert said. (草莓传媒/Kathy Stewart)
The mission of the concert is to come together as a nation and to remember, Colbert said. (草莓传媒/Kathy Stewart)
The 29th annual concert will mark the 150th anniversary of Memorial Day. Memorial Day had been first known at 鈥淒ecoration Day鈥 and was commemorated at Arlington National Cemetery. (草莓传媒/Kathy Stewart)
The 29th annual concert will mark the 150th anniversary of Memorial Day. Memorial Day had been first known at 鈥淒ecoration Day鈥 and was commemorated at Arlington National Cemetery. (草莓传媒/Kathy Stewart)
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Memorial Day would not be complete without D.C.'s annual National Concert and Saturday marked rehearsals for the anticipated event. (草莓传媒/Kathy Stewart)
The 29th annual National Memorial Day Concert is set to take place Sunday at 8 p.m. on the west lawn of the U.S. Capitol. (草莓传媒/Kathy Stewart)
Celebrity hosts include Joe Mantegna, an actor on the popular show "Criminal Minds," and Emmy Award-winning actor Gary Sinise. Other celebrities set to join the event are Allison Janney, John Corbett, Leona Lewis and more. (草莓传媒)
Executive Producer Michael Colbert said the national night of remembrance takes us back to the real meaning of Memorial Day. (草莓传媒/Kathy Stewart)
The mission of the concert is to come together as a nation and to remember, Colbert said. (草莓传媒/Kathy Stewart)
The 29th annual concert will mark the 150th anniversary of Memorial Day. Memorial Day had been first known at 鈥淒ecoration Day鈥 and was commemorated at Arlington National Cemetery. (草莓传媒/Kathy Stewart)

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Mourning on Memorial Day: Military families of the fallen connect in DC /memorial-day/2018/05/mourning-on-memorial-day-military-families-of-the-fallen-connect-in-dc/ /memorial-day/2018/05/mourning-on-memorial-day-military-families-of-the-fallen-connect-in-dc/#respond Sun, 27 May 2018 14:45:52 +0000 /?p=18354799 WASHINGTON 鈥斅燤emorial Day is honored by many, but the (TAPS) will honor by mourning together: Over 2,000 participants are taking part in a National Military Seminar this weekend in the D.C.-area.

TAPS is a national organization for all those grieving the聽death of a military loved one, no matter how that loved one died, including suicide. The program’s 24th annual seminar spans over the holiday weekend. It started on Thursday, May 24 and will finish on Monday, May 28, and services are free to surviving families and loved ones.

“We have invited the families of America’s fallen heroes to gather in Washington, D.C. to honor their loved one and to grieve together as a community,” Bonnie Carroll, president and founder of TAPS, said. “Families find connection and hope and healing. They find resources and support.”

The five-day seminar includes the “Good Grief” camp for the children of the fallen. During the holiday weekend, over 500聽kids聽will learn coping skills and will meet other children who have also lost a parent.

Carroll said the kids聽are paired up with their own TAPS-trained military mentor in a聽one-on-one relationship.

The聽volunteers are from different branches of the military who have stepped up to be a support to a grieving聽military child.

“We聽have some of our military mentors that have flown in from deployments from Afghanistan, and Iraq, and Korea to be with the kids they have mentored over these years,” Carroll said.

Adult survivors are learning聽skills to聽cope聽with traumatic grief over the weekend, as well.

After losing her military husband in a plane crash聽and finding herself alone in her grief, Carroll founded TAPS in 1994. She said, at the time, there were no resources to help her through her grief.

The seminar wraps up聽on Memorial Day with ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.

TAPS National Military Survivor Helpline can be reached at 1-800-959-TAPS (8277).

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National Law Enforcement Museum in DC to open in the fall (Photos) /dc/2018/05/national-law-enforcement-museum-in-dc-to-open-in-the-fall-photos/ /dc/2018/05/national-law-enforcement-museum-in-dc-to-open-in-the-fall-photos/#respond Mon, 21 May 2018 08:05:14 +0000 /?p=18332139 WASHINGTON 鈥斅營t has taken 18 years, but the National Law Enforcement Museum is set to open to the public with a celebration on Saturday, Oct. 13, 2018, with a聽聽held a few days earlier on Oct. 11.

The museum will be located directly across the street from the National Law Enforcement Memorial on 4th and E streets in Northwest.

The 57,000-square-foot museum, with three stories underground, has more than 21,000 artifacts from every era of American Law enforcement.

“We start off with a ‘walk in the shoes experience,'” said David Brant, executive director for the museum, who聽has more than 30 years of law enforcement experience.

Visitors go through immersive and interactive exhibits to experience what it would be like to be a real law enforcement officer.

“Visitors will be able to learn some fascinating elements of when law enforcement first was recognized as a critical factor for our country,” Brant said.

A major mission of the museum is dedicated to strengthening and enriching the relationship between law enforcement and the public. He said the museum offers a robust line up of community and educational programs for visitors of all ages.

The programs are designed to educate, inform and to invite dialogue. He said one of the primary objectives is to bring citizens together in a forum where they can learn through the artifacts, interactive exhibits and programs, which then will allow for constructive dialogue.

The exhibits also emphasis the role citizens play in the public safety partnership.

Brant said the National Law Enforcement Museum is really one of two elements of the , which was established in 1991 and contains the names of over 21,000 fallen officers.

As the memorial was being established, Brant said the idea for the museum started to form. But the idea for the museum really started to take hold in the 2000s, when the land for the museum was donated.

Brant believes the museum is greatly needed, since the story about American law enforcement really has gone untold, in terms of “what law enforcement has meant and means to our country and how we can strengthen that capability across the country for all of our citizens going forward.”

Brant’s career began as a police officer in Miami after graduating college. He spend nearly 30 years with the United States Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS). He was the director of NCIS from 1997 to 2005.

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645,000 red poppy flowers to fill new Memorial Day display /dc/2018/05/645000-red-poppy-flowers-fill-new-memorial-day-display/ /dc/2018/05/645000-red-poppy-flowers-fill-new-memorial-day-display/#respond Sat, 19 May 2018 21:23:14 +0000 /?p=18329115 WASHINGTON 鈥 Although Memorial Day is the unofficial kickoff to summer, the real reason behind the holiday is much more solemn than that.

“Freedom is not free. And since World War I, 645,000 Americans have sacrificed their lives for that,” said retired Vice Adm. John Bird with USAA. He hopes a temporary Memorial Day display that is coming to the National Mall will illustrate that point.

The “Poppy Memorial” will be on display to the public for the first time. It will be on the southwestern side of the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. May 25 through May 27.

A transparent wall that’s 133 feet long and 8 1/2 feet tall will be filled with 645,000 red, synthetic poppy flowers. Each flower represents and honors a fallen service member. Visitors to the new installation will be able to dedicate a digital poppy through on-site kiosks and those unable to see the display in person are able to聽

Bird said the Poppy Memorial is a somber and powerful display to remind people what Memorial Day is really about.

“To not forget. To recall and remember those who have sacrificed,” said Bird. “That is the significance and the purpose of Memorial Day.”

The red poppy flower came to symbolize the bloodshed on the battlefield after who was serving on the front lines of World War I. The flower is a widely recognized symbol in remembrance of these servicemen and women.

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Not taking any chances, Georgetown waterfront raises floodgates /dc/2018/05/not-taking-any-chances-georgetown-waterfront-raises-floodgates/ /dc/2018/05/not-taking-any-chances-georgetown-waterfront-raises-floodgates/#respond Sat, 19 May 2018 15:10:11 +0000 /?p=18328571 WASHINGTON 鈥 The endless rain brings the constant threat of flooding and this time, Georgetown isn’t waiting 鈥 the floodgates along the waterfront are already up as of Saturday morning.

The National Weather Service issued a coastal flood warning for the District that is in effect until 6 p.m. Sunday.

While major flooding is not expected, the weather service said there could be minor flooding with the possibility of moderate flooding near high tide.

Georgetown isn’t taking any chances after similar events led to flooding in 2011.

On April 18, 2011, the weather service issued a similar coastal flooding warning, but the floodgates along the Washington Harbour at Georgetown didn’t go up until it was too late.

The so called “Great Georgetown Flooding of 2011” caused catastrophic damage on the Georgetown waterfront complex.

The deluge left bars, restaurants and other businesses underwater including the lower levels of the parking garage and caused millions of dollars in damages and lost revenue.

It took more than a year for some of the businesses to reopen.

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Shrinking Arlington Co. police department forced to restructure /arlington/2018/05/shrinking-arlington-co-police-department-forced-to-restructure/ /arlington/2018/05/shrinking-arlington-co-police-department-forced-to-restructure/#respond Mon, 14 May 2018 07:48:25 +0000 /?p=18307570 WASHINGTON 鈥 The Arlington County Police Department is temporarily restructuring itself to deal with challenges brought on by being short-staffed.

The department in Northern Virginia is down by 50 police officers, said Arlington Police Chief Jay Farr.

Farr said the shortage of officers is due to funding, retention, retirement and having trouble filling vacancies.

“If you watch news at all, this job is not getting any easier,” Farr said. “It’s becoming more and more of a challenge and getting people in the workplace is part of that problem.”

He said the department had to reorganize in order to make the best of existing resources to meet the minimum needs. The temporary restructuring strategy took effect on Sunday and will last until normal staffing levels return.

The department’s focus right now is on prioritizing core services such as responding to emergency calls and investigating serious crimes.

School resource officers will remain in place but will have limited involvement in after-school activities.

The restructuring also means there will be a reduction in traffic enforcement, community outreach and some misdemeanor crimes.

The chief said lesser crimes and petty crimes such as hit and runs will not get the attention they would have gotten previously.

The gap in staffing is partly because of 23 vacancies in the department and others who are currently training to become officers who are not currently working on the streets, said Farr.聽

“We have a lot of people in training and in different classes in school,” Farr said.

The police department is actively recruiting.

In fact, this summer’s Arlington County police academy is expected to be two times the size of previous classes.

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How to keep minor car accidents from escalating into deadly crashes /montgomery-county/2018/05/keep-minor-car-accidents-escalating-deadly-crashes/ /montgomery-county/2018/05/keep-minor-car-accidents-escalating-deadly-crashes/#respond Sun, 13 May 2018 18:57:14 +0000 /?p=18306658 WASHINGTON 鈥 Following a minor collision last weekend that led to a greater聽fatal crash on Columbia Pike in Silver Spring, Maryland, Montgomery County police want to help save lives by offering tips to keep drivers safe following a crash.

Last Sunday, two SUVs were stopped on the roadway following a minor collision. Another car hit one of the SUVs and one of the drivers who had gotten out of the vehicle. The driver who was struck was killed.

Capt. Paul Starks with Montgomery County police said if you are involved in a minor collision where it appears no one is seriously hurt and the cars are drivable, the first thing to do is to move your vehicle off the roadway, at least onto the shoulder.

鈥淚t鈥檚 better to get out of the intersection or get out of a traffic lane and possibly go to a nearby parking lot,” said Starks.

The idea is to get out of the way of danger and not cause a secondary crash.

“Anytime you’re stopped in a roadway where it’s unexpected, where traffic is usually flowing in that part of the roadway, there is a potential for danger,” said Starks.

He recommended to talk with the other driver and agree to pull over to a safer place in order to exchange information.

Under Maryland law, drivers involved in an accident are not allowed to leave the scene without providing aid or providing necessary information, but Starks said moving to another location to exchange information is not considered leaving the scene.

Starks said it’s best to stay put if you are by yourself, if it is dark out and if you are uncomfortable moving to another area that is not as public as a roadway. In that instance, Starks said, “then by all means call the police, remain on the scene and wait for police to arrive.”

With different accidents, there are different circumstances, and drivers will have to make a judgment call, said Starks.

Police in different jurisdictions will provide guidance about their protocol and what they want you to do.

“I’m going to tell you to call police whenever you’re not sure,” said Starks. “It just depends on the circumstances.”

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Photos: Royal couple to receive well wishes from DC-area residents /dc/2018/05/photos-royal-couple-receive-well-wishes-d-c-area-residents/ /dc/2018/05/photos-royal-couple-receive-well-wishes-d-c-area-residents/#respond Sat, 12 May 2018 22:07:58 +0000 /?p=18304454 WASHINGTON 鈥 The excitement is continuing to grow for the British Royal Wedding set for next Saturday. Prince Harry will marry American actress Meghan Markle and the couple will be getting some special well wishes from residents in the D.C. area.

The British Embassy in D.C. hosted its annual EU Open House Day on Saturday–the one day a year the embassy is open to the public.

Visitors got the chance to write notes of congratulations to the royal couple.

Sir Kim Darroch, British Ambassador to the U.S. said the notes will be delivered to Kensington Palace at the end of the day.

The line to get into the embassy for the open house was much longer than in years past.

鈥滻鈥檝e never seen lines quite like this,鈥 said Darroch, who said it was his third year in attendance.

Darroch said that before he came to the U.S., people would tell him how enthusiastic Americans were about the British Royal family. 鈥淵ou have to be here to quite feel the level of enthusiasm,鈥 he said.

Norma Valentini from Germantown, Maryland, said she has always wanted to see the British Embassy, but she made sure to make it to the open house this year in light of the upcoming wedding.

Besides enjoying the beautiful gardens and the stately mansion, she said she “wanted to congratulate Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.鈥

Theresa Rodriguez from Northwest D.C. also came to the embassy because of the upcoming wedding.

“They make an awesome couple,鈥 said Rodriguez. 鈥淚 know it would be an awesome day because there鈥檚 a wedding.鈥

When asked why she thinks royal weddings make people happy, she answered that it makes people think that there鈥檚 really a fairy tale, that 鈥渢here鈥檚 forever.鈥

With British royalty marrying an American this year, Darroch said millions of people will be tuning in to the wedding on TV.

So where does a royal couple go for their honeymoon?

鈥淭hink this is kept fairly secret,” Darroch said. “But I鈥檓 sure they will have the opportunity to enjoy themselves together.鈥

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Loudoun Co. to study, develop family leave options for county employees /loudoun-county/2018/05/loudoun-co-study-develop-family-leave-options-county-employees/ /loudoun-county/2018/05/loudoun-co-study-develop-family-leave-options-county-employees/#respond Mon, 07 May 2018 07:49:22 +0000 /?p=18283097 WASHINGTON 鈥 Loudoun County, Virginia, is looking into potentially offering its employees paid family leave.

Supervisor Ron Meyer, who represents the Broad Run district, introduced an initiative on Tuesday which the county board of supervisors passed unanimously 9-0.

It directs the county to study and develop family leave options and to research their costs.

“It’s a matter of what type of options we want to look at,” Meyer said. “Do we want family leave or do we just want maternity leave at first? Those are the options we’re studying.”

Meyer said that depending on the options, the family leave policy might not cost the county very much at all.

The supervisors said they begin working on the county’s new budget in January.

By that time they should have a good idea of the fiscal impact of the family leave policy, Meyer said.

Meyer said not only is it the right thing to do to offer employees paid family leave but it could also make the county more competitive when it comes to attracting and keeping top-notch employees.

“It costs us a ton of money to train people,” he said. “So if we can do anything to help retain employees without actually having to cost us more, it could be a huge benefit to us.”

The county does not currently have a family leave policy. County workers can take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave under the federal Family Medical Leave Act.

“After talking to a lot of moms who work for the county, it became apparent that we needed a family leave policy and we haven’t had one,” Meyer said.

Meyer believes this is a big step forward and feels that paid family leave will become policy in a matter of time.

The county is also doing a broader study looking at other jurisdictions and how much they pay their employees. He said the study became necessary since Loudoun County has been losing employees to neighboring counties because the other counties pay a lot more.

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Chihuahua race raises money to save dogs from high kill shelters /animals-pets/2018/05/chihuahua-race-raises-money-save-dogs-high-kill-shelters/ /animals-pets/2018/05/chihuahua-race-raises-money-save-dogs-high-kill-shelters/#respond Sun, 06 May 2018 01:39:43 +0000 /?p=18280618 WASHINGTON 鈥 The Kentucky Derby wasn鈥檛 the only big race taking place this weekend. During Saturday’s seventh annual Running of the Chihuahuas at the District Wharf in Southwest D.C., 126 chihuahuas raced for the title of top dog all while raising money for less fortunate pups.

There were 16 heats with groups of eight dogs. George, a 10-year-old white and tan rescue with big ears, won his heat.

George’s owner Dean Kern said they were at the event last year and loved everything about it, especially that it brings attention to rescue dogs.

The event raises money to save the lives of dogs from high kill shelters mainly in North Carolina and Southern Virginia. The proceeds from this event go to which is dedicated to saving the lives of high-risk dogs.

Kim Hawkins, director and found of Rural Dog Rescue, said they rescue the 鈥渦nderdogs鈥 from economically challenged high-kill shelters.

Hawkins said some of the dogs that other rescue groups and adopters overlook are hounds, black dogs, older dogs, handicapped dogs and dogs that are sick when they come into the shelter.

Hawkins said this year’s running of the chihuahuas was the biggest ever, drawing in the biggest crowds.

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Gift card donations to benefit seniors displaced by Centreville fire /fairfax-county/2018/05/gift-card-donations-benefit-senior-citizens-displaced-centreville-fire/ /fairfax-county/2018/05/gift-card-donations-benefit-senior-citizens-displaced-centreville-fire/#respond Sat, 05 May 2018 19:16:05 +0000 /?p=18279983 WASHINGTON 鈥 After a fire ripped through a senior housing complex in Centreville, Virginia, Wednesday and displaced approximately 125 residents, a Fairfax County nonprofit is accepting donations of gift cards to help those who lost everything.

Volunteer Center of Fairfax is accepting gift cards at their office located at 10530 Page Ave. Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Donors can also drop off gift cards next week Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the office or mail them to 10530 Page Ave., Fairfax, Virginia, 22030.

The gift cards will help the displaced senior citizens buy food, clothing, household items and other necessities.

A Red Cross spokesman said the displaced residents of Forest Glen Senior Apartments will not be returning to their homes anytime soon. Paul Carden with the American Red Cross National Capital Region said the situation will require long-term planning strategies for the residents.

According to the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, no one died during the fire that caused over $10,000,000 in damages. The fire was caused by the improper disposal of smoking materials, said the department.

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