Washington, D.C
DC's leaf collection improves with new 'claw' tool, saving time and manpower | WJLA
WASHINGTON (7News) — The second pass for leaf collection is happening in D.C., but this year there’s a new tool that’s helping to make things a lot more efficient.
“It is called the claw, and what it does is it can pick up an abundance amount of leaves at one time, as opposed to us having to send an entire team to pick up large piles,” explained Warnique West, D.C.’s Department of Public Works’ Associate Administrator. “We can cut down with the personnel and the timing by getting that claw here to pick up those big piles and dispose of them quickly. Where at the end, we just may need a sweeper to come through to pick up the remaining debris.”
Typically, without the claw, a full crew includes someone driving the truck, another person holding the vacuum, and a couple of people raking them into place. With the claw, West says they can cut the time they spend on each street down by about 30 minutes.
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“When you have heavy or large piles, sometimes I mean, I’m five-two,” described West. “It can be as tall as me and as long as a pickup truck. And so when you bring out that claw, you’re able to pick up maybe two scoops or three scoops you can pick up all of the leaves.”
She says picking up large piles in previous seasons is like grating cheese. Now, a faster pickup plus fewer people means the operation is running a lot more efficiently. Plus, wet leaves are a lot harder to rake and vacuum.
The attachment costs $60,000, and the department currently has three. If you live in D.C. and are wondering when you need to have the leaves by the curb, you can check out the city’s website here.
A man is in the hospital with life-threatening injuries after a fire in his Southeast D.C. apartment Sunday afternoon.
(Courtesy D.C. Fire and EMS)
Courtesy D.C. Fire and EMS
(Courtesy D.C. Fire and EMS)
Courtesy D.C. Fire and EMS
(Courtesy D.C. Fire and EMS)
Courtesy D.C. Fire and EMS
(Courtesy D.C. Fire and EMS)
Courtesy D.C. Fire and EMS
A man is in the hospital with life-threatening injuries after a fire in his Southeast D.C. apartment Sunday afternoon.
Just before 2:30 p.m., D.C. Fire and EMS responded to the 1900 block of 23rd Street SE, where they found a second-floor unit on fire and a man in the apartment.
“Our firefighters gained entry to the building apartment, began to fight the fire,” D.C. Fire and EMS spokesman Vito Maggiolo said. “The victim was quickly removed to the outside where we started advanced life-support measures.”
He added that the man was taken to a local hospital “with critical life-threatening injuries.”
Fire officials said the fire was contained to the one unit, but they’re still investigating whether any other residents will need to move out.
A cause for the fire is still to be determined.
Below is a map of where the apartment fire took place:
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© 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
On Thursday, May 29, 2025, Spring Hill Assistant City Administrator Dan Allen, accompanied by Mayor Matt Fitterer, traveled to Washington D.C. to take part in a congressional briefing regarding water reclamation.
The panel was composed of five experts in the field, including Allen. He was flanked by representatives from Pepsi and Amazon, among others. Allen specifically focused on the impact of water resources on recruiting for economic development purposes.
“Spring Hill is expanding rapidly, and our industries — especially automotive manufacturing — rely on large volumes of high-quality water to operate,” Assistant City Administrator Dan Allen told congressional staffers. “By reusing water, we can reduce strain on the Duck River, ensure reliable supply for new and existing businesses, and protect our environment. It’s a smart
investment that balances economic expansion with environmental stewardship.”
While in Washington D.C., Allen and Fitterer also met with Senator Blackburn and Senator Hagerty’s offices, stressing the importance of water reclamation for Spring Hill.
“Spring Hill’s water reclamation pilot project will position us as the leader in water reclamation in Tennessee. We are committed to leading from the front and helping push forward this important initiative for all of Tennessee,” said Mayor Matt Fitterer. “Staff’s efforts have brought positive national attention to Spring Hill. Spring Hill residents deserve high quality and sustainable utilities. The Board of Mayor and Aldermen and City staff are committed to delivering for them.”
The City of Spring Hill is currently moving forward with plans for an Advanced Purification Pilot Project. The Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation gave clearance to the pilot in August of last year.
The overall Advanced Purification Project plan outlines how the City of Spring Hill will maximize its fair share of water from the Duck River through extensive treatment processes at an expanded Wastewater Treatment Plant and accompanying reservoir.
Construction of the Advanced Purification Pilot Project is scheduled to begin later this year.
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Washington, D.C
Weekend road closures take over DC, Virginia as Amazon Armed Forces Cycling Classic kicks off – WTOP News
This weekend, you might encounter a detour or two in the District or in Arlington, Virginia, as the Amazon Armed Forces Cycling Classic comes underway.
The first race of the day kicks off at 7 a.m. Saturday.
The following areas will be closed to traffic on Saturday from 4 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.:
-
- 12th Street South from South Eads Street to Crystal Drive
- S. Clark Street from 12th Street South to 14th Road South
- 14th Road South from South Clark Street to 15th Street South
- Westbound 15th Street South from Crystal Drive to South Eads Street
- South Eads Street from 12th Street South to Army Navy Drive
- Long Bridge Drive from 10th Street South to 12th Street South
- Richmond Highway from 20th Street South to Interstate 395
- Virginia Route 110 from Richmond Highway to Wilson Boulevard/Interstate 66
- Army Navy Drive from South Eads Street to 12th Street South
Crystal Drive from 12th Street South to 15th Street South will be open to local traffic only.
Additionally, all vehicles departing via Memorial Avenue will be unable to turn left onto Route 110 South from 5 a.m. to 12 p.m. Inbound traffic will be able to access Memorial Avenue via the George Washington Parkway and Memorial Circle from 5 a.m. to 12 p.m.
The following areas will be closed to traffic on Sunday for the Armed Forces Cycling Classic Clarendon Cup from 5:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.:
- Wilson Boulevard from North Edgewood Street to North Highland Street
- Wilson Boulevard from 10th Street North to Washington Boulevard
- North Fillmore Street from Clarendon Boulevard to Wilson Boulevard
- Clarendon Boulevard from Washington Boulevard to North Edgewood Street
- Washington Boulevard from Kirkwood Road to North Garfield Street
- Washington Boulevard from North Garfield Street to 10th Street North (westbound only)
- North Highland Street from Washington Boulevard to 13th Street North
- North Garfield Street from Clarendon Boulevard to Wilson Boulevard
Wilson Boulevard from North Highland Street to Washington Boulevard, will close earlier, starting at 3 a.m.
There will be no access to Clarendon Boulevard from North Fillmore Street. On North Highland Street, access to the public parking garage in the 1300 block of N. Highland Street will be available to the public.
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© 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
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