Washington, D.C

Preparations underway in DMV for snowstorm

Published

1 year ago

January 19, 2025

Preparations underway in DMV for snowstorm

Local and state snow crews are preparing to treat secondary and neighborhood streets throughout D.C., Maryland and Virginia.

“It’s me and three other fellas, so it’s fairly small,” said Jason Swain with the Department of Public Works in Kensington Maryland.

He says his team may be small, but they’re mighty and ready.

“We get the plows ready, make sure everything’s working,” Swain said. “We have salt, which has been kindly given to us by the state, ready to put into the spreaders.”

He says the biggest hurdle when plowing snow, oftentimes, is cars.

“Some people don’t have driveways, but if they’re going to park on the street, try not to park directly across from each other because when we come through, you literally got inches between the edge of our plow and the cars,” Swain said.

In the District, plenty of people decided to step out before snow crews put plow to pavement for a potential all day snow event.

“Mayor Bowser activated the snow team, and they’ll begin their operations tonight, treating and then plowing roads throughout the day tomorrow,” said Clint Osborn with the District’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency.

D.C.’s smaller plows will be on back roads and alleys, while heavy trucks will focus on primary streets.

“We’ll have a full deployment out throughout all day tomorrow into Monday as we support the inaugural activities in the District,” Osborn said.

Icy conditions in Prince George’s County during the region’s last snowstorm led to different strategies this go round.

In a statement, the county’s Department of Public Works and Transportation says, “We have implemented adjustments to strengthen our response, and these improvements have prepared us for this round of winter weather.”

The biggest piece of advice for tomorrow:

“Tomorrow would be a good day, since it’s a Sunday, to stay home,” Swain said. “Read a book, have some hot chocolate, relax. Can come out after we finish.”

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Washington, D.C

D.C.’s speed cameras are catching super violators. Most have Va. and Md. tags.

Published

3 hours ago

April 9, 2026

Press Room

D.C.’s speed cameras are catching super violators. Most have Va. and Md. tags.

Rachel Weiner, John D. Harden, Dylan Moriarty
| The Washington Post

An Audi with Maryland tags and 891 tickets in D.C. amounting to $259,214 in unpaid fines remains on the streets, with 18 speeding violations in the nation’s capital just this month. A Hyundai registered in Virginia racked up 689 tickets in the city.

Even as the District’s traffic cameras have multiplied and inspired copycats in other cities, city officials have struggled to get repeat offenders who were caught by that system off the street, particularly those whose vehicles are registered outside the nation’s capital. That may change, though, after high-level conversations among local officials prompted legislation in Virginia and Maryland that would allow cross-border cooperation on the issue.

A data analysis by The Washington Post shows what’s at stake – millions of dollars and the increased public safety that comes with an ability to punish drivers going over 100 mph on residential streets.

Most people who get a speeding ticket in the District never get one again, officials say, and speeds go down in areas where cameras have been placed. But city records show hundreds of people speed again and again in the same locations with little consequence, with the camera installed to prevent such behavior documenting each new violation.

One vehicle with a Maryland license plate got 182 tickets in a single year on an eight-block stretch of Alabama Avenue in Southeast Washington. In the northeastern part of the city, another vehicle with Maryland tags was issued 109 tickets in a year, just where a camera was located at 1400 Bladensburg Rd. A car with Virginia plates got 556 tickets in 12 months, more than any other vehicle in that time frame; it was towed when the fines owed reached $292,780 late last year.

Data analyzed by The Post shows that from 2018 through 2025, more than 80 percent of tickets were issued to people who exceeded the posted speed limit by 11 to 15 mph. The worst offenders – those who exceed the speed limit by at least 30 mph – make up less than 1 percent.

But the more excessive speeders contributed to about 30 percent of all fatal crashes since 2019, D.C. data shows.

The biggest obstacle to better enforcement in the city is that most violators live in Maryland or Virginia. Of the 103 vehicles with the most tickets in fiscal 2025, 67 have Virginia plates, 25 have Maryland plates, and 3 have D.C. plates. Of the 100 top speeds registered by cameras in the past two years, 37 of the vehicles involved had Virginia plates, 35 carried Maryland plates, and 13 featured D.C. plates.

Neither of those states penalize their residents for citations issued by cameras in another jurisdiction. That could change soon. D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) spoke recently to the governors of Maryland and Virginia about enforcement across state lines. Both states’ legislatures are working on bills to make it possible.

It’s a “new step forward,” a spokesman for Bowser said.

The District has also begun suing drivers from across the border over unpaid tickets, a power that Attorney General Brian Schwalb (D) got last year from legislation written by D.C. Council member Charles Allen (D-Ward 6). Schwalb’s office has won judgments or settlements against 15 drivers from Maryland and Virginia that total $608,292, though the vast majority of that money has yet to be claimed.

One of the lawsuits is against the owner of a Honda CRV caught going 151 mph off Interstate 695 onto South Capitol Street on Feb. 16, 2024, according to city data. The vehicle’s owner, Kylie Ann Sullivan of Fredericksburg, Virginia, has failed to pay 197 citations, according to Schwalb’s office. She said in a letter to the court that her ex-boyfriend was “the one behind the wheel for more than 98 percent of these offenses” and that she has not driven since he totaled the SUV three months after that high-speed drive. “I would also like to stress that no one was ever injured or harmed as a result of any of these incidents,” she added. Her case is pending.

Four of the 100 vehicles that accrued the most D.C. speeding tickets in the 2024 fiscal year belong to people sued by the city over unpaid fines. All of the owners either declined to comment or could not be reached. One owner, Chanel Laguna of Falls Church, Virginia, accrued 168 tickets that year through one of the six license plates the city identified as being registered to her; altogether she has been issued 345 citations. Laguna wrote in a court filing that she was not responsible for all of the tickets because she shared two vehicles with other people, including an Uber driver. She said both those vehicles have since been taken to an impound lot.

Clark Mercer, who was chief of staff to former Virginia governor Ralph Northam, said he was alerted to the problem of cross-border ticket enforcement only when leaving that office in 2022.

“I said, ‘We can’t effectuate anything; we’re literally packing up. I wish I had known about this earlier,’” Mercer recalled. He is now in charge of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, a regional planning group, and has been pushing for action.

Mercer said he learned that one way drivers evaded responsibility for camera tickets was by getting tags from Virginia, which allows non residents to register vehicles there: About 14,000 D.C. drivers have Virginia tags. More than half of the drivers being sued by Schwalb’s office have a collection of both Maryland and Virginia license plates.

Out-of-state tags also are an issue in Baltimore. An analysis found that six of the 10 vehicles with the most tickets for speeding in school zones had Virginia tags. About 100,000 Maryland drivers have Virginia tags, data reviewed by The Post shows. Along with ticket enforcement legislation, Maryland lawmakers are working to make it easier to flag and penalize residents with out-of-state tags.

Both Maryland and Virginia have an incentive to cooperate with D.C. as they expand their own camera enforcement programs.

“The stars are starting to align to get this done,” Mercer said. “We’re moving in a very positive direction.”

Cars can also be stolen or the tags forged. Tanyeka Brown of Temple Hills, Maryland, said her Nissan Maxima was caught repeatedly on traffic cameras on Bladensburg Road. The vehicle was stolen from outside her house in December, she said, and after that “I was getting tickets every day, at least 10 of them.” Brown said her car was found in a tow lot last March, “damaged to the point that I couldn’t even drive it.”

The District now has a law automatically dismissing tickets when someone reports a vehicle as stolen so that they don’t have to challenge each ticket in court, but it applies only to D.C. residents. Non-D. C. residents must still contest those violations before a judge.

For now, D.C. can seize out-of-state vehicles only if they are parked on the street in the city. That doesn’t always happen. The Maryland Audi got a parking ticket in February in Northeast Washington but wasn’t towed.

The Department of Public Works has said that 2,000 vehicles were impounded last year, including 556 vehicles with more than $2,000 owed, but that to tow more requires more staff and equipment. Advocates say the real problem is a lack of urgency.

“A 4,000-pound machine driven repeatedly at reckless speed by someone who has shown that they will not stop is absolutely no different from someone with an AK-47,” Karthik Balasubramanian of the group D.C. Families for Safe Streets said at a recent public hearing. “If there was such a person who was roaming the District with an AK-47 randomly shooting … we would mobilize all available resources to separate that person from their weapon and let them get the help that they need. Why are we not doing the same with the dangerous drivers who are abusing their own weapons?”

The District still has by far the most automated enforcement in the region: About 3.3 million camera tickets were issued in 2025, according to city data.

The number of tickets issued each year has steadily climbed, after dropping at the start of the covid pandemic. Starting in 2023, more than $150 million in speeding tickets have been issued each year, with 2025 hitting more than $257 million, the most since before the pandemic.

Studies have found that traffic cameras can reduce crashes significantly. But “the cameras only go so far for the most egregious drivers,” said Sharon Kershbaum, director of the D.C. Department of Transportation Director. “And those are the same ones who are going to be causing the fatal crash.”

After rising for years, traffic fatalities fell dramatically last year, from 52 in 2024 to 25, according to data from D.C. police. But they remain about as high as they were a decade ago, when Bowser made a commitment to end traffic deaths by 2025. There have been 12 deaths on city roads so far this year.

Meanwhile, some House Republicans have threatened to eliminate D.C.’s speed-camera program, arguing it is unfair to drivers. The White House has indicated it might support such a GOP proposal.

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Washington, D.C

3 former employees of DC psychiatric hospital indicted in death of patient – WTOP News

Published

15 hours ago

April 9, 2026

Press Room

3 former employees of DC psychiatric hospital indicted in death of patient – WTOP News

U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro announced Wednesday indictments against three employees of the Psychiatric Institute of Washington for their roles in the death of a patient.

Three employees of the Psychiatric Institute of Washington have been indicted on charges related to the death of a patient, U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro said Wednesday.

At a news conference Wednesday afternoon, Pirro said the three employees — Nelson Kuma, 37, Richard Hounnou, 45, and Norma Munoz-Bent, 68, all residents of Maryland — are charged with one count of criminally negligent homicide and face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

Kuma and Hounnou work as psychiatric counselors and Munoz-Bent is a registered nurse.

All three employees pleaded not guilty and were released Tuesday pending trial, according to a news release from Pirro’s office. Pirro said her office will be filing a notice of appeal regarding their release.

In April 2020, the patient, referred to as “GW,” was a 58-year-old man who had been admitted to the Tenleytown facility for two days. He had previously had an “emergency event,” Pirro said, and had to be resuscitated.

Because of his health status, GW was meant to receive one-to-one care, where a health care professional was supposed to check on him every 15 minutes and enter information into a record.

According to video taken inside the hospital, the man can be seen lying nude on a mattress on the floor and having labored breathing.

Pirro said a psych tech enters the room, takes note of the man’s labored breathing but does nothing to help “for four minutes. He walks around, does nothing. A second tech enters the room, they fist bump each other, and for seven minutes, they have a very animated conversation.”

Then, a nurse enters the room, “stares at him” but does nothing to help. She returns with a blood pressure cuff but puts it on his forearm, not above his elbow.

“Here’s the bottom line, this trio did nothing to help this patient,” Pirro said. “They finally turned the man over at 12:56, and they gave him a chest compression, 21 minutes later.”

By the time they attempted the life-saving measures, he’d died.

Pirro said the health care employees “violated the most basic standard of medical care.”

“I also want to be clear this was not a close call. This was not a difficult medical judgment. This was basic, entry-level incompetence. This was completely abandoning the health of a human being. They had a legal and an ethical duty to act, and they chose not to,” she said.

The three employees will return to court May 29.

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Washington, D.C

Need April plans in the DMV? Here are 40 things to do

Published

1 day ago

April 8, 2026

Press Room

Need April plans in the DMV? Here are 40 things to do

April in the DMV is busy! Close out cherry blossom season, get out to a game or explore spring festivals throughout D.C., Maryland and Northern Virginia.

Make sure to sign up for The Weekend Scene newsletter to get new events every week. It’s free!

Cherry blossoms

The National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade will bring marching bands, guest entertainers and cultural performances down Constitution Avenue. Get a ticket if you want special seating. Otherwise, it’s free. Here’s Metro info. April 11, Constitution Avenue NW between 7th & 17th St NW

Billed as the largest celebration of Japanese culture in the U.S., the 64th Sakura Matsuri festival is set to feature Japanese cultural performances, food, vendors and more. April 11-12, Pennsylvania Ave. from 3^rd to 7^th Street NW, $20-$30 early bird pricing through April 10

Cherry blossom afternoon tea is being served at ArTea in McLean, the Fairmont in Georgetown, The St. Regis, and the Willard InterContinental, where you’ll also find a cherry blossom sushi pop-up. The tea at Kramers bookstore starts at just $29!

Hi-Lawn at Union Market’s Dome is teaming up with ARTECHOUSE for the Peak Bloom: Dome Experience, where you can sip and dine while watching cherry blossom-themed art projections move across the ceiling. It’s family-friendly during the day, and 21+ after 7 p.m. Through April 26, $12-$25

Concerts and theater

Felicia Curry honors Nina Simone in a cabaret featuring Simone’s originals and famous covers in Arena Stage’s “I Put a Spell on You: Nina Simone.” Popular dates are selling out! Through April 19, Arlington, $53+

“The Wiz” follows the yellow brick road to D.C.’s National Theatre for a new tour that’s “direct from Broadway.” April 7-12, $59+

Cardi B turns up the heat at Capital One Arena for her “Little Miss Drama” tour. April 8, $300+

Demi Lovato’s “It’s Not That Deep Tour” comes to Capital One Arena with opener ADÉLA. April 16, $69+

Project Glow is teaming up with house music star Chris Lake to throw an electronic music block party on Pennsylvania Avenue. April 18, 4-9 p.m., $65+

ODDISEE teams up with the Georgetown University Orchestra to headline District Sounds 2026, a festival highlighting students from local public schools and world‑class performers. April 18, 3 p.m., District Pier at The Wharf, $6 to $12

Patti LaBelle headlines the Daughters of the American Revolution’s concert celebrating America 250 and saluting women veterans. April 18, DAR Constitution Hall, $115+

Florence + The Machine will belt out fans’ favorites at Capital One Arena. April 18, $152+

Lily Allen performs her highly personal, tell-all divorce album “West End Girl” at Warner Theatre. April 19, $350+

Every new presidential administration puts a stamp on D.C. life, and “44: The Musical” looks back at the Barack Obama era with humor and music. April 18 to May 10, $44+

Indoor activities for rainy days

No one reps their Metro system like the DMV! WMATA’s spring pop-up shop is open near L’Enfant Plaza, and now boasts weekend hours. Take a look at the hottest merch. Through April 12, 300 7th Street SW, free entry

Fifteen tons of sound, lights and haze: Fluffy Cloud was born for Burning Man, but this overhead 360° sound system and art installation is now a spot for community gathering inside Bertha nightclub. Choose your own adventure: a next-level sound bath; the intense, all-ages Cloudfall; concerts, DJ sets and a Psychotic Jukebox Lounge (21+). Through April 12, Northeast D.C., prices vary

Imagine a Bluetooth speaker, then make it big, fluffy, iridescent and 15 tons. Now place it three-stories high in the middle of a nightclub. News4’s Tommy McFly visits Berhta to experience its new UFO-like art installation.

Photography, prints and drawings explore the American experience over the past 250 years at the National Gallery of Art’s “Dear America” exhibit. April 11 to Sept. 20, free

Filmfest DC, the city’s largest and longest-running international cinema showcase, will open with a screening of French rom-com “Colours of Time” hosted by News4’s Eun Yang. You can see two DC4Reel films for free or catch docs, thrillers and more. April 16-26, most screenings at Regal Gallery Place, $15

The first gallery space of the National Museum of the American Latino, which is within the Smithsonian’s Museum of American History, explores the musical journey of salsa in the “¡Puro Ritmo!” exhibit. Opens April 18, free

The 2026 Smithsonian Craft Show theme is American Artistry in honor of the country’s 250th anniversary. Shop fine contemporary craft and design while supporting the Smithsonian Institution. April 22 to 26, National Building Museum, $25+

Sample wines from dozens of producers at DC Winefest. Choose between two sessions, and spring for VIP if you want extra time to taste. Ticket prices will increase as the event gets closer. April 25, Dock 5 at Union Market, $49.33+

The 9th DC Chocolate Festival lets you try, eat and learn about chocolate. It’s free for kids 10 and under. April 24-25, La Maison Française at the Embassy of France, $0 – $30.23

Sports

Baseball is back and the Nationals have plenty of home games in April with promotions including Pups in the Park (April 7), heritage days and a “Star Wars” Grogu bobblehead giveaway. Don’t forget to check for deals like $5 Tuesdays.

Spring is for football for DC Defenders fans! The reigning champion UFL team has several home games coming up at Audi Field, including a Championship Celebration featuring Wale at halftime on April 11. Here’s the schedule.

The Washington Spirit have two more home games this month, and the one on April 24 is Throwback Night.

More in the District

Enjoy D.C. from a new angle –on the water! Kayak rentals from Adventures Unbound (formerly Boating in DC) are available at The Wharf on weekends, and will open in mid-April for boathouses at Fletcher’s Cove, Thompson Boat Center and Key Bridge.

AdMo is turning into an open-air art gallery as the AdMo Art Walk opens Friday. April 3-30, free

This month’s after-hours party at the National Gallery is United We Create. This National Gallery Nights ticket lottery has closed, but a few passes will be available at the door on a first-come, first-served basis starting at 5:30 p.m. April 9, free

The U.S. Botanic Garden planted official flowers from all U.S. states are territories in its America’s State Flowers exhibit, celebrating 250 years since the country’s founding. April 10 to Oct. 12, free

Grab some free cupcakes and write with a quill for Shakespeare’s Birthday Celebration hosted by the Folger. Aspiring bards can try on costumes, write a sonnet and see an old-school printing press at work. April 18, 11 a.m., Folger Shakespeare Library, free

D.C. is marking 21 years of celebrating its own Emancipation Day with a festival, parade and concert open to the whole family. April 19, Franklin Park, free

The Georgetown French Market returns for its 23rd year so you can walk Wisconsin Avenue from O Street to Reservoir Road, browsing sidewalk sales and specials from over 40 boutiques, galleries and shops. You’ll also find restaurant specials, plus entertainment including live music, a mime and face painting. April 24-26, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., free entry

More in Maryland

Spring is in full swing at Butler’s Orchard with baby animals, hay rides, egg hunts and tons of active family fun during Bunnyland. April 6, 11 and 12, Germantown, $13.50-$16.50 online

The Savor Bowie Spring Food, Wine, & Music Festival has something for the whole family, including multiple stages with entertainment. April 18-19, Bowie Town Center, free entry

Celebrate the Thai new year at Wat Tummaprateip’s Songkran Festival, featuring entertainment, food and the water spraying that makes the holiday famous. April 18-19, Accokeek, free

The Annual Montpelier Festival of Herbs, Tea, and the Arts at the Montpelier Arts Center is a spring festival for the whole family. Live music, shopping, gardening talks, crafts and museum tours are in bloom. Make it a date with a $20 picnic food tea box. April 25, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Laurel, free entry

Maryland Day is the annual open house at the University of Maryland where you can partake in demonstrations, performances and workshops in a wide array of disciplines. April 25, College Park, free parking and admission

The Butterfly Experience has returned to Brookside Gardens. Step into the conservatory to get up close and personal with insects from around the world. Doors open today, and it’s $15.99 for ages 13+, $10.99 for kids 3 to 12 and free for kids under 3. Through Sept. 7, Wheaton

More in Virginia

Pink Beats at Water Park in Arlington puts a cherry blossom spin on happy hour, with local DJs, spring food and drink specials and whimsical visuals from the Hoop Fairy and dancers. Thursdays through April 9, 5-8 p.m.

Relish the moment at the Pickle & International Food Festival hosted by Crooked Run Fermentation. It’s a two-day celebration with pickle-inspired food, craft beer, live entertainment and family-friendly activities. April 18-19, Sterling, Virginia, $5-$25

Celebrate spring at the Leesburg Flower & Garden Festival, turning the historic downtown into a showcase of flowers, plants and landscaping. You’ll find live music, a rooftop beer garden, plus family-friendly entertainment and activities. April 18-19, free

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