Two died at Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring, Maryland, while the third died at the county correctional facility (MCCF) in Clarksburg.

Montgomery County provided details about the deaths on Friday, but did not reveal the jailed individuals’ names or causes of death.

The county is calling all three deaths “unrelated,” and offered condolences to the families of the deceased in its news release.

In the first case, an inmate in Clarksburg was found unresponsive on Jan. 9. The person was transferred to the hospital after receiving medical care on site. The next day, the hospital told the county the person had a serious medical event and could die. That afternoon, the person died.

The cause of death will be determined by the county medical examiner.

That evening, another person incarcerated at the county’s Department of Correction and Rehabilitation died while receiving care at Holy Cross. The person had been there for one week. The county said the person had “significant medical diagnoses” and that an autopsy will be conducted.

On Jan. 11, a third person at the Clarksburg correctional facility died shortly after 5 p.m. The Montgomery County police homicide unit and medical examiner’s office responded. The county’s release said the police investigation, so far, has not shown “foul play” but cause of death has not yet been determined.

In its release, the county noted that more people with serious medical problems are finding themselves in the criminal justice system. “A preliminary review of the above-described deaths appears that they are medical situations.” The report continued: “it is the worst imaginable event that can occur within our organization.”

Source

A traveler with a of the highly contagious illness passed through the international arrivals area of Dulles between 4 and 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 3. The person then was in Terminal A at National between 2:30 and 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 4.

The VDH is working to contact all passengers who were on the flights with the sick person.

The illness spreads easily through the air when a sick person breathes, coughs or sneezes. The symptoms include a fever of 101 degrees or higher, along with a runny nose, watery eyes and a cough that begins 7 to 14 days after exposure. After symptoms begin, a rash can appear on the face and spread to the rest of the body within 3 to 5 days.

The department asks anyone who has not had a measles or MMR vaccine to watch for symptoms until January 25. If people become sick, they should isolate and contact a doctor right away.

The VDH says most people in the state are vaccinated, as 95% of kindergartners have the vaccine. However, infants under 12 months are too young to receive a vaccine.

The department advises healthcare providers to be alert for reports of illness that could be measles. Doctors are reminded that measles is an “immediately reportable disease.”

Source

Maryland’s Attorney General is investigating the officer-involved shooting.

Early reports from the Independent Investigations Division within Attorney General Anthony Brown’s office said police heard gunfire and a woman screaming as they arrived at 11:33 p.m.

As they approached the home, a man opened the door and fired at the officers.

Three officers returned fire and killed the man. When the officers entered the home, the woman was found dead.

The attorney general’s office will generally release the names of the officers and people involved in the incident within two days.

Officers on the scene were wearing body cameras and the video is currently being reviewed. The investigations division normally releases the footage within 20 days.

The shooting happened at a home on the 2700 block of Maple Avenue just inside the Baltimore beltway.

A map of the location is below.

Source

In a, police say around 10:15 p.m. Friday night, they received report of a shooting in the 4000 block of Wahler Court. While on the way to the scene, officers received word “that a man suffering from gunshot wounds was taken to a hospital by car.”

According to police, after life saving efforts, a victim identified as 18-year-old Shane Williams of Southeast died of his injuries.

D.C. police ask anyone with information on this incident to contact the department at 202-727-9099, or send an anonymous tip to 50411.

Approximate area of Friday night’s shooting in Southeast.

Source

In an , police say deputies responded to a domestic violence call on Friday at the home of 47-year-old Joseph Anthony Ritz III on North Seton Ave.

Police say that during investigation they observed visible marks on Ritz’s 13-year-old son and found “probable cause” that Ritz had committed assault in the first degree.

Emergency medical personnel were called in to examine the child. However, his mother declined to have him transported to the hospital, deputies said.

Ritz was taken into custody and charged with first and second-degree assault on Nov. 17.

Ritz served as one of Emmitsburg’s commissioners from 2014 until earlier this year. He chose not to run for reelection ahead of the town’s vote in 2023.

Emmitsburg is about 30 minutes north of Frederick, close to the state’s border with Pennsylvania.

Source

According to the city’s charter, the special election had to take place within 65 days.

Voting ended at 6 p.m. at city hall, 7401 Baltimore Ave.

The are Bryan Haddad, S.M. Fazlul Kabir, Catherine Hope Kennedy and Denise C. Mitchell. Three of the four have experience on the College Park City Council.

The election came after Wojahn resigned as mayor in March. He was arrested and charged with dozens of counts of possession and distribution of child pornography. He had been the city’s mayor since 2015.

Wojahn is married to an employee of Hubbard Radio Washington, D.C., which owns WTOP.

Source

The Point in Time count taken in January showed a 10.2% increase in homelessness among single people and 12.1% increase among families compared to the 2022,聽according to a Friday press release .

However, the department said that the numbers are an improvement from where the District was prior to the count taken just before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

For example, DHS noted that total number of people experiencing homeless has dropped by 23% since 2020, and the number of families without shelter has decreased by 50% since then as well.

Agency director Laura Green Zeilinger said that the District’s most recent count may indicate some positive trends, but “our analysis leads to a clear call to action.”

“We are making investments in outreach, prevention and diversion services, shelter renovations and supportive services, while maintaining investments in the housing assistance people need to exit homelessness,鈥� Zeilinger said.

DHS pointed out that this year’s count also may include some people and families who were undercounted in past years.

The Community Partnership for the Prevention of Homelessness conducted the count for D.C. on Jan. 25.

The count came just weeks before the clearing of a homeless encampment in McPherson Square. The clearing of about 70 people, just blocks from the White House, prompted protests and criticism that the District was putting people behind the appearance of the city.

The census is a requirement for all cities receiving federal funding to manage homelessness. The Metropolitan Washington Council of Government’s Homeless Services Planning and Coordinating Committee will present the numbers to its board of directors on May 10.

Source

As thousands of visitors descended on the District this weekend to see the world-famous cherry blossoms in peak bloom, some drivers went from admiring the pink and white blossoms to seeing red.

Drivers trying to make their way around Southwest D.C., the Tidal Basin, the Wharf, Hains Point and the National Mall wrote emails, called the WTOP traffic center and tweeted all about their frustrations on Saturday evening as they faced standstill traffic for hours.

• More Local 太子探花
• PHOTOS: Cherry Blossoms 2023
• More DC 太子探花

Drivers reported an over two-hourlong standstill on the roads near the East Potomac Tennis Center on the edge of Hains Point.

WTOP’s Dave Dildine said he spoke with drivers who were standing outside their vehicles because they had been desperately stuck for so long. Dildine noted the closure of Buckeye Drive, which cuts through the park, as one reason for the bottleneck. In addition, Maine Avenue and other roads on the opposite side of the Washington Channel were difficult to navigate.

Just before 6 p.m., U.S. Park Police tweeted an advisory to drivers warning of “dense” traffic.

Traffic Alert: East and West Potomac Parks are seeing dense traffic due to high visitation. Parking around the Tidal Basin is limited. transportation is a great alternative to get to the .

鈥� USPPNEWS (@usparkpolicepio)

Multiple WTOP listeners sent us emails, one writing that they had been stuck on the side of Hains Point across from National Airport for nearly three hours, starting at 4:30 p.m.

WTOP traffic reporter Joe Conway put it this way around 6:30 p.m.: “A lot of cars jammed their way in, now they’re trying to find a way to get them out as quickly as possible, but not quite as quickly as you might like.”

Others, however, wondered why people would even drive to the Tidal Basin during peak bloom.

traffic jam! Cars at stopped, people outside their cars on Ohio Drive south. Avoid tidal basin.

鈥� Jennifer Delgado (@JenDelgadoFOX)

Just before 9 p.m., WTOP’s Steve Dresner reported the traffic was easing around the area. With weather improving Sunday, he suggested people “need to look outside the box if they plan on visiting the cherry blossoms.”

He said those wanting to see the blossoms should consider taking the train or even parking in other parts of the District and walking down.

Do. Not. Drive. To. The. Tidal. Basin. To. See. The. Cherry. Blossoms.

鈥� WTOP Traffic (@WTOPtraffic)

Based on calls to the WTOP traffic center on Saturday, Dresner noted “some were taken by surprise about how difficult it was getting around the Tidal Basin and Potomac Park.”

The scene close to the Tidal Basin, however, was certainly different from the one during peak bloom around this time three years ago, in the early days of the pandemic 鈥� when the National Park Service closed some roads and paths as a way to promote social distancing.

Source

Police arrived at the Safeway on Georgetown Pike after reports that a man and woman had stolen items from the store and

• More Virginia 太子探花
• More Local 太子探花

Police saw the pair flee in their car while in the parking lot and attempted to stop it. The driver did not stop and officers eventually pulled over the car near Lewinsville Road and the Capital Beltway.

The driver, later identified as Marquse Lucas, 24, and his passenger, Benea Smith, 32, were taken into custody. After stopping the car, officers found a child in the backseat. The child is now with caregivers. A gun was not found in the vehicle.

Lucas is charged with robbery with a firearm, use of a firearm in a felony, disregarding a police signal to stop, felony child endangerment, reckless driving and driving without a license. He also had a warrant from Prince William County for robbery, use of a firearm in commission of a felony and carrying a concealed weapon.

Lucas is being held in the Fairfax County Detention Center without bond.

Smith was charged with robbery with a firearm and child endangerment. She also had a warrant for robbery from Prince William County. Smith is also being held without bond.

Officers are asking anyone with information about the robbery to contact Fairfax County Police major crimes at 703-246-7800.

See the location of the Safeway below:

Source

On Friday, Baltimore County executive John Olszewski and Mayor Brandon Scott said they are considering accepting hundreds of thousands of gallons of water from the site of the fiery Norfolk Southern Railroad train derailment on Feb. 3.

• More Maryland 太子探花
• More Local 太子探花

In a news release on Saturday, delegates Kathy Szeliga and Ryan Nawrocki of District 7A said they disagree with the plan.

“There is no amount of money that could possibly pay to process the toxic cleanup waste from the chemical disaster in Ohio,” Szeliga said.

If the plan goes through, the water would be sent to the Back River Wastewater Treatment plant in Dundalk.

Nawrocki noted “sewage overflows” and “continual failures” at the facility in his statement. “They certainly should not be trusted to process toxic waste into Maryland’s greatest natural resource,” Nawrocki said.

Other state leaders in the U.S. have also pushed back against plans to receive toxic shipments from Ohio. Shipments have been sent to other areas in Ohio, along with Michigan, Texas and Indiana. But when Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt said he would not accept any material from the disaster site, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency stepped in.

EPA administrator Michael Regan said last week that it was “impermissible and 鈥� unacceptable” to block shipments, and doing so could be a violation of both federal law and the U.S. Constitution.

Szeliga and Nawrocki said they will start work next week with their legislative colleagues to prohibit Maryland from taking on the waste.

On Saturday, Scott’s office said the city’s public works department has contracted with Norfolk Southern to receive the wastewater from the derailment site. He said city and Baltimore County officials have received assurances from both the EPA and the state that the Dundalk plant is .

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Source

Ward 3 Councilmember Mary Cheh introduced the bill after two previous unsuccessful attempts to end the practice, according to a .

• More Local 太子探花
• More D.C. 太子探花

This time, the bill would also end the D.C. jail’s use of so-called “safe cells,” which are designed to prevent self-harm.

It is known as the ERASE Solitary Confinement Act of 2022. ERASE stands for Eliminating Restrictive and Segregated Enclosures.

The bill includes a proposal to ban any segregation of transgender inmates.

The council will reconvene in September, and would have to pass it before the bill expires at the start of next year.

If the bill passes, Cheh said it will “prohibit this dangerous practice in all but the rare instances where it is necessary for an incarcerated person鈥檚 well-being.”

Cheh said the bill would put D.C. at the top tier of prison reform and hopes the change, if it passes, will set an example for other cities.

The ERASE Act was informed by research done by the D.C. Justice Lab and national movement known as Unlock the Box. The D.C. Justice Lab is a team of researchers looking into ways to reform criminal justice in the District. The two organizations sent the news release about the council’s proposal.

According to the United Nations, prolonged solitary confinement is considered torture. The definition of the status includes 23 hours of confinement for 15 days.

In the years leading up to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Federal Bureau of Prisons noted that D.C. used solitary confinement three times more often than the national average.

At a recent hearing, prison leaders noted the practice continues at the same rate. During the height of the pandemic, according to the advocacy groups, D.C. prison lockdowns were among the longest in the U.S.

WTOP’s Carrie Shokraei contributed to this report.

Source

The local health agency sent an orthopox sample to the for further testing. Monkeypox is a virus in the orthopox family.

• More Health 太子探花

The sample comes from a District resident who reported recent European travel.

The patient is isolating and does not pose a risk to District residents, the agency noted . No additional possible cases have been identified.

If the sample tests back positive, it will add to the list of 25 confirmed cases of monkeypox in the U.S.

The virus is typically contained to West African nations, but the current outbreak is centered in Europe.

Starting in May, the United Kingdom began reporting monkeypox cases, as did a number of nations in Western Europe. By the end of May, there were over 200 cases reported in countries that are not normally associated with the virus according to the World Health Organization.

D.C. first issued a health notice for care providers outlining the symptoms and treatment protocols for the virus on May 26.

Virginia reported its first presumed case of monkeypox in May. So far, , according to the CDC. As of June 3, there were 25 confirmed cases in the U.S.

Symptoms include headache, muscle aches, flu-like symptoms or fever and a rash or lesions.

Monkeypox is known to spread when there is close physical contact with an infected person, their clothing or bedsheets.

The World Health Organization鈥檚 top monkeypox expert last week said she doesn鈥檛 expect the hundreds of cases reported to date to turn into another pandemic.

WHO鈥檚 Dr. Rosamund Lewis said the vast majority of cases being seen in dozens of countries globally are in gay, bisexual or men who have sex with men, so that scientists can further study the issue. She urged those at risk to be careful.

Lewis said it鈥檚 unknown whether monkeypox is being transmitted by sex or just the close contact between people engaging in sexual activity and described the threat to the general population as 鈥渓ow.鈥�

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Source

The officer was part of a search group looking for the animal, after reports on Saturday that a coyote had bitten three people and two dogs.

While on the search Sunday, Fairfax County police said one of its officers was bitten by the coyote and shot the animal to end the attack. The coyote was found dead nearby.

Lt. Daniel Spital of the county’s public affairs bureau provided more information to WTOP on Sunday afternoon. Spital said police received calls from residents who saw the animal biting car tires on Sunday morning near Carrleigh Parkway in Springfield.

The officer was bitten from behind on the leg, turned to face the coyote and fired multiple shots.

In all, four people and two dogs were bitten over the weekend. All are expected to recover.

The coyote will be tested for rabies, which requires removing the animal’s head. Results are due back Monday or Tuesday.

The search for the coyote started after calls about the aggressive animal on Saturday morning around 8. But foot patrols and a helicopter search could not find it and the operation was called off when the sun went down.

Because authorities suspected the animal had rabies, the park was closed Saturday and Sunday. It reopened on Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m.

Spital said he believed it was the first rabid coyote attack in Fairfax County. He described the animal as a younger male.

On Sunday afternoon, Fairfax County police confirmed the coyote’s location in the area of Carrleigh Parkway in Springfield, heading into Lake Accotink Park. Shortly after, the police sent out an update noting the animal had been killed.

UPDATE: While searching the woods near the 7900 blk of Carrleigh Parkway, an officer was bit by the coyote. The officer discharged his firearm to end attack. The coyote was found dead nearby. The officer was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

鈥� Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD)

WTOP’s Valerie Bonk contributed to this story.

Source

Stafford County’s Sheriff’s office said that Ronald Green, 31, was charged with robbery and possession of a stolen vehicle. Green was also served a warrant of extradition for Maryland, where he is wanted for robbery and theft in Baltimore County.

• More Stafford County 太子探花
• More Crime 太子探花

Around 3 p.m. on Friday, authorities said that Green jumped the pharmacy’s counter and grabbed oxycodone and OxyContin from the Giant at 550 Celebrate Virginia Parkway before he ran to a white Enterprise Rental van and drove onto toward Sanford Drive.

One of the deputies began pursuing the van while other members of the sheriff’s office worked to shut down Sanford Drive closer to Warrenton Road.

Surrounding roads were closed off to other vehicles and authorities cars were put in place in case the suspect decided to get away.

Eventually, Green was stopped and taken into custody without incident. He was driving what turned out to be stolen van from Pennsylvania.

Green is being held without bond at the Rappahannock Regional Jail in Stafford.

Below is the area where the robbery took place:

Source

The Women’s March and Planned Parenthood, together with several other women’s rights and progressive advocacy groups, including UltraViolet and MoveOn, led marchers from the Washington Monument to the Supreme Court. Saturday’s march marked the latest in a wave of street protests sparked almost immediately after Politico that would overrule Roe v. Wade and limit abortion access in more than half the states.

Marchers chanted “Abortion is healthcare” and held signs that said “My body, my choice,” “Bans off our bodies,” “Support bodily autonomy,” and more, as an all-female drum corp played amongst the demonstrators.

Gigantic banner reading 鈥渙ur bodies, our futures, our abortions鈥� being unfurled across the National Mall in advance of an abortion rights march on the Supreme Court planned this afternoon.

鈥� Alejandro Alvarez (@aletweetsnews)

The march may prove to be the largest yet: According to a permit from the National Park Service, organizers expected around 17,000 attendees for the flagship event of what the Women’s March calls a nationwide “bans off our bodies” day of action, with concurrent sister rallies .

March for abortion rights moving through downtown Washington. Turnout easily well into the thousands, can鈥檛 see the back from here at the National Archives. Front line went by me chanting 鈥渂ans off our bodies鈥� and 鈥渨e won鈥檛 go back.鈥�

鈥� Alejandro Alvarez (@aletweetsnews)

One person, who gave her name as Gigi, from Tennessee, said she came to D.C. on Saturday for the march due to her dissatisfaction with the shape of the Supreme Court.

“We can’t stand back any longer, this is vital to the future of our country,” she said.

Another woman, Catherine, from Texas, said she came to the source of power in the U.S. because those in her state will not support women’s rights. She said she felt “horror and dismay” when she saw the news of the draft opinion two weeks ago. She noted she is an active protester in Dallas.

Demonstrators gathering for a noon rally for abortion rights on the Washington Monument grounds to be followed by a March to the Supreme Court

鈥� Dick Uliano (@DickUliano)

• Senate bid to save Roe v. Wade falls to GOP-led filibuster
• Virginia high school students walk out in support of abortion access
• Miyares adds voice in call to enforce federal law to protect justices

Spontaneous protests spanning from hundreds to several thousand erupted the night of the leak and continued last weekend. This week saw smaller protests outside the homes of conservative Supreme Court justices in the suburbs of Maryland and Northern Virginia.

The National Mall, where thousands of abortion rights supporters are rallying before a march down Constitution Avenue and onto Capitol Hill. A Women鈥檚 March organizer calls it 鈥渄ay one of a summer of rage,鈥� leading the crowd in chants of 鈥渦ngovernable.鈥�

鈥� Alejandro Alvarez (@aletweetsnews)

“Losing the right to abortion has consequences. Women will pay the price.” Women’s March executive director Rachel O’Leary Carmona said in a news release previewing Saturday’s event. “We can stop this tragedy, and the time is now. We will get up and fight, like women have throughout history 鈥� for the most basic right. The right to be treated as human. And we won’t let anyone stop us. All of our rights and all of our futures are at stake.”

Events throughout the nation

More than 380 events were set from Maine to Hawaii, with the largest gatherings expected in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York and other big cities, organizers said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Source