“The dogs were just walking by, and the concierge is like, ‘Hey, they’re yelping and they’re screaming as they come through the door.’”

Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Edward Daniels described the incidents constituents brought to his attention back in 2021.

He said Pepco was asked to investigate after people reported their dogs received electric shocks as they walked into or near an apartment building in the 300 block of Tingey Street Southeast.

Daniels said a Pepco investigation discovered no wiring or other problems.

What to his best guess may have been strong static shocks appeared to go away after the building put down rubber mats in the entryway.

When he saw News4’s story about two dogs fatally electrocuted in front of 1140 19th St. Northwest in separate incidents Monday, Daniels remembered what the weather was like when dogs were getting shocked in Navy Yard.

“It was always winter time, always winter time right around the snowfall and around the same conditions that we have on the ground now.”

Pepco had a large and active presence in the 1100 block of 19th Street Northwest Tuesday as crews tried to figure out what caused the apparent electrocution deaths of two dogs hours apart.

One was King, a boxer.

He was a beloved pet and support dog for 20-year-old Neko Williams, who told News4 what he felt when he kneeled down to try and help the dog he called his “baby brother.”

“I felt electricity on the ground and throughout his body,” he said.

In an updated statement, Pepco said, “Crews conducted an inspection of the 1100 block of 19th St. NW and have confirmed that there is no stray voltage in the area and the area is safe.

Pepco is conducting a thorough investigation of this incident to understand what took place and what may have caused this issue.

This investigation will include industry peers and third-party experts.

We expect the full investigation to take approximately 60 days (about 2 months.)”

Daniels said he’d like to see some sort of task force to look into incidents like this and get to the bottom of what’s happening.

The Washington Commanders’ week is off to a promising start as they prepare for their Sunday night playoff matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

On Wednesday’s injury report, nearly every key player was a full go.

Most notable is the status of quarterback Jayden Daniels, who was pulled from the second half of Week 18 against the Dallas Cowboys due to leg soreness. It seems as if this injury is minor enough that Daniels would have played through it had the Commanders not already locked up their playoff berth, so this shouldn’t come a surprise. Nonetheless, it is reassuring.

Marshon Lattimore was also a full participant, which is more surprising given that he missed the regular season’s final two games — as well as four previous ones — with a hamstring injury. Lattimore will be one of Washington’s most important players against Tampa Bay, an opponent he’s well familiar with, and he’ll need to shake off the rust after only appearing in two regular-season contests for the Commanders following his trade from the New Orleans Saints.

Additionally, it has to be a sigh of relief for Commanders fans to see Frankie Luvu as a full go. He went down in Week 18 with a shoulder injury but later returned to the game, and it seems he is none the worse for wear. Luvu has been one of Washington’s most consistent playmakers on the defensive side of the ball this season, accounting for 99 tackles, eight sacks, two fumble recoveries and an interception.

A few Commanders were held out of the session, including WR Terry McLaurin and TE Zach Ertz, though both are listed with non-injury-related “rest” distinctions. A bit more concerningly, among those limited in practice were offensive linemen Tyler Biadasz and Brandon Coleman, as well as safety Jeremy Chinn.

Washington will need to hope for as many available bodies as possible for Sunday, when the Commanders seek their first playoff victory in 19 years. The team they beat back on Jan. 7, 2006? The Buccaneers.

NBC Washington reporter Derrick Ward, who has delivered local news in the D.C. area for decades, died Tuesday. He was 62.

The local news outlet reported Wednesday Ward died following complications from a cardiac arrest.

As a general assignment reporter, Ward was known for his coverage of tragedies and triumphs in the D.C. area. The D.C. native reported on a swath of historic local events including the 9/11 attacks on the Pentagon and the D.C. sniper shootings, according to his biography on NBC Washington’s website.

Before Ward began reporting for the local NBC affiliate in 2006, he worked in radio at WTOP, WAMU and WPFW.

Joel Oxley, the president of WTOP News and Federal News Network, shared memories of Ward.

“Derrick Ward was truly an outstanding journalist. His passion and dedication shown through every day. But what set him apart was what a great person he was. His warmth and caring were evident at every turn. Everybody liked Derrick. I saw why right away. He’ll be missed tremendously.”

In a statement to WTOP, Ward’s family said:

It is with profound sadness and heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved Derrick Ward, Sr., on Tuesday, January 7, 2025, following complications from a recent cardiac arrest. Derrick has been an inspiration and cherished member of our family and his hometown community, as a longtime reporter at News4 Washington, and previously WTOP Radio. 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.

We ask for your thoughts and prayers during this time, and we extend our gratitude to everyone for the outpouring of love and support. Details regarding his memorial service will be shared in the coming days.

-The Ward, Rampersad, and Sermons Families

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Ward grew up in D.C. and graduated from H.D. Woodson High School in Northeast and the University of Maryland.

Ward is survived by his three children.

See NBC Washington’s announcement of Ward’s death below.

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