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Washington DC reporter Derrick Ward dies at 62: An ‘inspiration’ who ‘touched countless lives’

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Washington DC reporter Derrick Ward dies at 62: An ‘inspiration’ who ‘touched countless lives’


Community members and family members are mourning the loss of a veteran journalist from Washington, D.C. who died Tuesday.

Derrick Ward Sr., a reporter at NBC4 Washington (WRC-TV) and formerly of radio stations WPFW, WAMU and WTOP, died Tuesday from complications after a recent cardiac arrest.

“Derrick has been an inspiration and cherished member of our family and his hometown community,” the 62-year-old’s family said in a statement shared publicly by WRC-TV. 

“As a distinguished journalist, Derrick’s storytelling, prolific writing, warmth, and humor touched countless lives. Our children and our entire family will miss him dearly,” his family wrote.

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WRC-TV also issued a statement about his passing, calling him the station’s “resident DC historian and poet.”

Ward just celebrated his 62nd birthday last month, according to his Facebook page.

‘He shined when he had a pen, a microphone, or guitar in his hands’

Ward grew up in the southeast Washington, D.C. neighborhood of Marshall Heights, WRC-TV reported. 

Ward went to H.D. Woodson High School and the University of Maryland, then worked for local radio stations such as WTOP. He eventually crossed over to television news, starting at WKBW-TV in Buffalo and then making his way back to D.C. in 2006 to report for WRC-TV.

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According to the station, Ward was able to touch those around him through words and music.

“He shined when he had a pen, a microphone, or guitar in his hands,” the station wrote.

Ward lived through multiple moments in D.C. history, including the 1968 riots after Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination. He covered events such as the Iran-Contra hearings, the September 11 attacks and the Washington sniper shootings, according to his online biography.

Although his X account has been inactive since 2023, his last post gave social media users a glimpse into the work he did.

“Descendants of enslaved and enslavers join hands at Arlington House, Lee Family Plantation house,” Ward wrote on April 22, 2023.

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His Facebook page also speaks to the journalist’s love for music as he shared clips of famed musicians performing. Up and down Ward’s timeline are clips of Caribbean band Byron Lee and the Dragonaires, soul band Geno Washington & the Ram Jam Band and Cameroonian musician Manu Dibango.

And when he wasn’t jamming and reporting, Ward loved playing golf and also spent lots of time with his three children, Derrick Jr., Ian, and Marisa, according to WRC-TV.

His family plans to share memorial information in the coming days, they wrote in their statement.

Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY’s NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia the 757. Follow her on Twitter at @SaleenMartin or email her at sdmartin@usatoday.com.

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Thousands turn out – again – as third 'No Kings' rallies take over Maryland streets

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Thousands turn out – again – as third 'No Kings' rallies take over Maryland streets


Thousands turned out at the dozens of No Kings rallies scattered across Maryland, part of the millions expected across the country for the third such event. In Maryland, turnout was particularly heavy in Hagerstown, near a proposed ICE detention facility.



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WATCH LIVE: No Kings march and rally in DC

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WATCH LIVE: No Kings march and rally in DC


Thousands are expected gather in Washington, D.C. for a “No Kings” march and rally. 

Here’s everything you need to know:

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What is the No Kings protest?

What we know:

Organized locally by area chapters of Indivisible and allied grassroots groups, the event aims to draw protesters to downtown Washington and surrounding counties to oppose policies of the Trump administration and to voice broader concerns about civil rights and democratic norms.

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No Kings protest details

Timeline:

The march will kick off at 10 a.m., with participants gathering at Memorial Circle near Arlington Cemetery, with additional access from the Blue Line or nearby parking at the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City, according to the event organizers. There is no public parking in the immediate area, but participants can be dropped off at the circle.

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From there, the procession will head across the Memorial Bridge into Washington, D.C., passing the Lincoln Memorial and continuing on to the Washington Monument.

At the conclusion of the march, participants can walk to a downtown rally, from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Other ‘No Kings’ rallies in the DMV

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Dig deeper:

In addition to the main rally in downtown D.C., several other demonstrations tied to “No Kings 3” are scheduled around the DMV this Saturday.

In Arlington, Virginia, activists are organizing a march across the Memorial Bridge beginning at 10 a.m., with protesters expected to continue into West Potomac Park before joining larger crowds in the District proper, for example. 

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There are hundreds of “No Kings” events scheduled to take place this Saturday throughout the DMV. You can click here to find a list of all of them. 

How to watch No Kings march and rally in DC

What you can do:

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FOX 5 DC will be covering No Kings in D.C. all day on FOX LOCAL and in the liveplayer at the top of this story. 

FOX 5 DC is available to watch for free on Roku, Amazon FireTV, Apple TV, Google Android TV and Vizio with the FOX LOCAL app. Here’s how to download FOX LOCAL on your mobile phone. 

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‘Strong smell’ shuts down flights at major DC-area airports for the second time this month

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‘Strong smell’ shuts down flights at major DC-area airports for the second time this month


A reported “strong smell” at a key air traffic control center disrupted flights Friday evening at major airports across the Washington, D.C., region for the second time in two weeks.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) temporarily halted flights at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI), Charlottesville–Albemarle Airport (CHO) and Richmond International Airport (RIC), the agency told FOX Business in an email.

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The FAA said the disruptions were due to a “strong smell” at the Potomac Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) center, which manages airspace in the region.

GROUND STOP LIFTED AT MAJOR DC-AREA AIRPORTS AFTER CHEMICAL ODOR DISRUPTS AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL

An FAA air traffic control tower at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Va. (Samuel Corum/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)

It was not immediately clear what caused the smell.

Ground stops at Dulles, Reagan National and BWI remained in effect until around 8 p.m. ET before being lifted, according to the FAA’s website.

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NEWARK AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS LOST RADAR, RADIO COMMUNICATIONS WITH PLANES FOR OVER A MINUTE, SPARKING CHAOS

The FAA said the disruption was due to a “strong smell” at the Potomac Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) center. (Flightradar24)

As of 8:30 p.m., Reagan National was experiencing ground delays, while BWI continued to see departure delays.

Earlier this month, a ground stop was similarly issued at several airports in the Washington, D.C., region after a chemical odor was detected at the TRACON center.

FATAL LAGUARDIA COLLISION RENEWS FOCUS ON RUNWAY INCURSION RISKS ACROSS US

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Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy speaks at a news conference at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. (Heather Diehl/Getty Images / Getty Images)

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The temporary ground stop March 13 similarly affected DCA, IAD, BWI and RIC, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said at the time.

Duffy said the smell came from an overheated circuit board, which has since been replaced.



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