More than one million early votes have been cast ahead of Tuesday’s special election on the redistricting plan.

Voters will be asked whether the state’s constitution should be amended to authorize the General Assembly to go forward with mid-decade redistricting 鈥� a plan spearheaded by Virginia Democrats to secure more U.S. House seats.

There had been questions over whether the special election would move forward amid lawsuits over the language on the ballot and the legality of the vote.

Virginia’s Supreme Court ruled March 4 that voters can cast ballots as justices review the legal challenges to the amendment and referendum.

A circuit court in Tazewell County ruled to block the redistricting.

If the upper court upholds that ruling, it’s possible the election results may not make a difference in the redistricting battle.

President Donald Trump pushed Texas Republicans to redraw the state’s map in favor of GOP candidates last year, with hopes of maintaining the party’s majority in the House.

That set off redistricting efforts from both parties nationwide, including in Virginia.

The vote on redistricting led Virginia to push back its summer primary to Aug. 4. Usually the primary is held on the third Tuesday in June.

Dates at a glance

• Early in-person voting: March 6 to April 18 (Passed)
• Deadline to register or update voter registration: April 14 (Passed)
• Deadline to聽: April 10 (Passed)
• Election Day: Tuesday, April 21

What’s on the ballot

One question is on the ballot: “Should the Constitution of Virginia be amended to allow the General Assembly to temporarily adopt new congressional districts to restore fairness in the upcoming elections, while ensuring Virginia’s standard redistricting process resumes for all future redistricting after the 2030 census?”

If the amendment is passed, it would allow the state legislature to put a new map into effect, one that aims to help Democrats gain four seats for their party in the U.S. House.

Typically, Virginia only redraws its map once every 10 years. The most recent map is from 2021.

Under the amendment, the committee that draws the maps would go back to business as usual in 2030.

Voting on special election day

Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. for in-person voting on April 21.

To find out where to vote on the day of the special election, visit the .

Voters who are 65 or older, or those with disabilities, have the option of voting curbside.

Voters need to bring along a valid ID. If you leave it behind, you can sign an ID confirmation statement or vote with a provisional ballot.

For a provisional ballot to be counted, you have until April 24 to bring a copy of your ID to the local electoral board or sign a confirmation statement.

础听聽is available online.

Vote by mail

Ballots have to be postmarked by April 21 and received by April 24.

Outside of mailing those absentee ballots, voters can also bring them to a drop-off location. Check in with your local elections office for information about drop boxes and their locations.

The deadline has passed for voters to .

The early voting window has also closed. Polls were open for early voting from March 6 through April 18.

Source

Former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax shot and killed his wife Dr. Cerina Fairfax before turning the gun on himself in their Annandale home as the couple was in the midst of a “messy” divorce, police said Thursday.

Fairfax, 47, and his wife, 49, were found dead inside their home in the 8100 block of Guinevere Drive after their teenage son called 911 shortly after midnight, according to police.

A judge had ordered Justin Fairfax to move out of the family’s home by the end of April.

Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis told reporters at a briefing that Fairfax shot his wife several times in the house’s basement, killing her. He then ran upstairs to the primary bedroom and killed himself with the same firearm.

Both were pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

The couple’s teenage children, a boy and a girl, were in the house when it happened. Police said neither were physically harmed.

Davis said he believes the violent events unfolded rapidly, “It all happened pretty spontaneously.”

Police recovered cartridge casings and a firearm at the house. Autopsy reports from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will confirm the cause and manner of death.

Fairfax had been a 鈥渞ising star鈥� before sexual assault allegations stunted the Democrat鈥檚 political aspirations in 2019. His wife ran a family dentistry practice.

Their deaths shocked local lawmakers, who have shared tributes and condolences.

‘Messy’ divorce before killing

Davis noted that divorce proceedings had been ongoing for some time, calling it a聽“complicated or messy” situation.

Fairfax was apparently served paperwork “associated with an upcoming court proceeding,” which may have led to the shooting, Davis said.

In January, Fairfax alleged that his wife assaulted him, an accusation that Davis said was investigated by police and found to be untrue.

“We responded to that scene. There are several cameras set up inside the house. Apparently, Mrs. Fairfax, at some point during these divorce proceedings, set up a lot of cameras inside the home, we reviewed those cameras, and we corroborated that the alleged assault never occurred,” Davis said.

The couple were separated while living in the house together, but Justin Fairfax had until the end of April to move out, per a judge’s order.

Cerina Fairfax had testified in court that her husband drank daily, and that his living space was littered with empty wine bottles and piles of dirty laundry. He bought a handgun in 2022 with money intended for horseback riding lessons for their children, court records showed.

According to court documents, Justin Fairfax鈥檚 鈥渕ental and emotional health鈥� suffered after two setbacks: his unsuccessful 2013 campaign for the Democratic nomination for attorney general and the 2019 sexual assault scandal that ended his political career. After both, he drank heavily and withdrew from his family, but while it took about a month to recover from the first setback, he never bounced back from the second.

“Half of America probably goes through divorce proceedings at some point in time, and very, very rarely, thankfully, does it ever end up like this,” Davis said.

Sexual assault allegations against former Lt. Gov.

Fairfax served as lieutenant governor from 2018 to 2022.

“It’s high profile in nature,” Davis said of the killing. “It’s tragic in nature, certainly a fall from grace for a relatively high-profile family that seemingly had a lot of things going in their favor.”

During his time in office, he faced accusations of sexual assault from two women in 2019.聽Fairfax denied the allegations and finished his term, despite calls from other lawmakers for him to resign.

Fairfax was not criminally charged in either case and maintained his innocence.

Instead of running for reelection, Fairfax campaigned for governor in 2021 and lost during the Democratic primary. He returned to practicing law after his political career.

Court filings show that Fairfax had financial challenges following the allegations of sexual assault. The IRS filed a lien against the couple for more than $91,000 in unpaid taxes that was resolved in 2021.

Cerina and Justin met while attending Duke University and married in 2006.

Cerina Fairfax earned her doctor of dental surgery degree from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2005. According to her dentistry practice’s website, she was committed to community outreach programs and loved to read, run trails with her dogs and practice Bikram yoga.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

AP Photo/Kevin Morley, File

WTOP/Luke Lukert

AP Photo/Cliff Owen

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Lawmakers are expressing heartbreak and shock after police said Thursday that former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax had killed his wife and then himself overnight.

Police said Fairfax shot his wife, Dr. Cerina Fairfax, inside their Annandale house before turning the gun on himself. Their teenage son called 911 just after midnight to report the shootings.

The couple had been going through a divorce, according to Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis.

Kenyan McDuffie, who stepped down from his at-large seat on the D.C. Council to run for mayor, said he grew up with the Fairfax family and described it as an “unthinkable loss,” in a post on X.

I am heartbroken beyond words.

The Fairfax family and my family have been close for as long as I can remember. Our parents knew one another. We grew up in each other’s lives.

The bond between our families is one I have always carried with me, and today that bond is breaking鈥�

鈥� Kenyan McDuffie (@kenyanmcduffie)

While sharing condolences, Gov. Abigail Spanberger said she would be praying for the Fairfax’s children and called Cerina Fairfax “a devoted mother, beloved dentist in the Fairfax County community, and engaged supporter of her alma mater, Virginia Commonwealth University.”

Cerina Fairfax earned her doctor of dental surgery degree from VCU in 2005.

I am deeply saddened by the tragedy that occurred last night. I am praying for the Fairfax children, and I ask my fellow Virginians to hold them in their hearts and prayers.

The murder of Dr. Cerina Fairfax in an apparent murder-suicide is a horrific tragedy. Dr. Fairfax was a鈥�

鈥� Governor Abigail Spanberger (@GovernorVA)

Spanberger also said there are resources available to those experiencing domestic violence and mental health crises.

“This tragedy reminds us that domestic violence can occur in any family and in any place,” the Democratic governor wrote in the post.

Virginia Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine also expressed their condolences to the couple’s children. Fairfax co-chaired Warner鈥檚 reelection campaign in Virginia back in 2014.

I鈥檓 keeping Cerina and Justin Fairfax鈥檚 children in my prayers as we all process this shocking and horrifying news. To any Virginian impacted by domestic violence, help is available at 1-800-799-7233.

鈥� Mark Warner (@MarkWarner)

Virginia Lt. Gov. Ghazala Hashmi called the deaths “devastating” in a .

鈥淢y thoughts are with their children, loved ones, and numerous friends,鈥� Hashmi, a Democrat, said in a statement. 鈥淎long with so many in the Commonwealth, I am filled with sorrow; I await further insights from our law enforcement officials.鈥�

Jason Miyares, a Republican who served as Virginia’s attorney general from 2022 to January 2026, shared condolences online.

My heart goes out to the Fairfax family today, particularly the children. For anyone struggling with this kind of darkness, the most courageous thing you can do is ask for help. There is more help and friendship out there than we realize.

鈥淪o do not fear, for I am with you; do鈥�

鈥� Jason Miyares (@JasonMiyaresVA)

Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, who represents Virginia’s 10th Congressional District, described Cerina Fairfax as a “kind, wonderful woman who was beloved by those who knew her,” in a post on X.

Cerina Fairfax was a kind, wonderful woman who was beloved by those who knew her. Like everyone else, I am shocked by this horrible act of violence. My heart goes out to their children, their family, and loved ones during this extremely difficult time.

Domestic violence is far鈥�

鈥� Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10) (@RepSuhas)

Source

Until Saturday, early voting in Northern Virginia was largely muted compared to sizable turnout in parts of the state currently represented in Congress by Republicans.

More polling locations opened for early voting in Northern Virginia last weekend during a “Super Saturday” campaign from Democrats.

Experts say that appears to have boosted early voting numbers. Roughly 40,000 votes were cast Saturday in Northern Virginia counties, according to data collected by the .

“It is really difficult in places like Fairfax County, for example, to actually physically get to the county registrar’s office in order to cast a ballot,” said Karen Hult, a professor of political science at Virginia Tech.

In Fairfax County alone, 17,000 ballots were cast at early voting locations Saturday.

Just one question is on the ballot in the April 21 special election. The proposed amendment would allow Democrats to temporarily redraw Virginia’s congressional maps to benefit their party 鈥� a strategy they argue is a response to Republican-led redistricting efforts in other states.

Even if voters approve the amendment, the Virginia State Supreme Court will have the final say on whether mid-decade redistricting is legal.

“I think things are up in the air,” said Marty Cohen, a professor of political science at James Madison University. “The route of this can be changed. The momentum can be shifted.”

A recent聽 found narrow support for the measure from voters who had already cast their ballots or planned to vote.

If passed, the redrawn map could shift enough seats to cancel out Republican gains from redistricting in other states and secure Democrats a majority in the U.S. House.

Turnout on track to meet Virginia’s 2025 general election

Typically, special elections have lower turnout than primaries and general elections.聽But even with that precedent, Hult said early voting estimates “are pretty well picking up and tracking what they’ve been since the last statewide election.”

Experts who spoke with WTOP believe more voters have turned their attention to the referendum as the special election day approaches.

“It may be that some people just have not been motivated to go quite yet, and maybe they need a little bit more of a push in an election where nobody, no individual person, is on the ballot,” Cohen said.

Roughly a million votes have already been cast, according to the Virginia Public Access Project.

Campaigns on both sides of the referendum have expressed optimism in their outlook.

A group on the “yes” side of the redistricting debate, Virginians for Fair Elections, is encouraged by turnout during early voting.

“We’re very excited to see the energy that was on the ground this past Saturday,” said Keren Charles Dongo, the campaign manager for Virginians for Fair Elections. “We had canvass kickoff events throughout the commonwealth. Great turnout. People are tuning in.”

Meanwhile, Republicans have also said there’s momentum in their push against gerrymandering.

In an interview with WTOP, former Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin pointed to recent polling that showed a drop in Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s approval rating as evidence of Virginians’ dissatisfaction.

Youngkin said Spanberger spoke out against redistricting while on the campaign trail. She has since urged Virginians to support the amendment.

A challenge for Democrats

Spanberger’s previous stance on the amendment highlights a challenge Virginia Democrats have faced in their efforts to redraw the map: convincing other members of their party to approve the amendment despite past pushback to gerrymandering.

“There’s a cognitive dissonance among many progressive Democrats that for years have railed against partisan gerrymandering, and now are ready to go and do that in Virginia,” Cohen said.

In 2020, Virginians voted to pass a constitutional amendment that allows for a bipartisan commission to draw congressional maps.

The proposed amendment would allow Democrats to temporarily redraw maps ahead of the 2026 midterms. The maps would then stay in effect through the 2028 and 2030 elections before returning the powers to the bipartisan commission.

Virginia is currently represented in the U.S. House by six Democrats and five Republicans. The new map is designed to give Democrats a 10-1 advantage.

Democrats have tried to make the case that redistricting is a temporary tool to combat President Donald Trump and maintain fairness in the U.S. House as some GOP-led legislatures redraw their maps to favor Republicans in the midterms.

Republicans have said the redistricting would unfairly impact members of their party by combining their districts with areas led by Democratic representatives. For example, the revised map could include parts of Fairfax County in five separate districts.

Hult said the redistricting battle highlights a perceived disconnect between voters and politicians.

“Elected officials seeming to run everything and not paying as much attention to what people care about, which is terms of gas prices and food prices and access to housing and day care and things like that,” she said of frustrations from Republicans and some independents.

“What we’re seeing some of the Democrats do, arguably, is confirming the caricature of Democrats in the national stage.”

At this point, Hult said it’s no longer about trying to convince Virginians to vote “yes” or “no.”

“The most important thing is you get closer to an election is to mobilize the people you think are going to vote on your side,” she said. “That is either vote no or yes, and to try to demobilize those that may not turn out to vote at all.”

Source

Early Monday, detectives spotted 21-year-old Sedrick Walker on camera and, with the help of drones, followed him back to his home, Fairfax County police said.

“As we stood by and he was taken into custody, that community was literally lined up the side of the road, cheering and clapping,” Maj. Jim Curry said during a news conference. “I’ve never seen anything like it, where there were audible cheers and shouting for him being taken into custody.”

Police believe Walker is behind a series of burglaries and attempted break-ins in the London Towne neighborhood over four days in March and on April 1. On the three occasions where the suspect successfully broke into homes, he didn’t steal anything.

Working off a sketch, then a photo and eventually a video, police had been trying to track down the man, who wore only sneakers and a face covering.

For his capture, “we literally used cameras that the department owns, and we deployed them in public spaces because we just knew he would be back,” Police Chief Kevin Davis said.

Curry said police deployed drones after an officer saw a naked man on a camera around 4:45 a.m. Monday.

“They were able to get up in the air very quickly, less than 30 seconds, and saw exactly what our detective saw on camera, and that was our naked suspect,” Curry said.

Walker reportedly ran off when confronted by police and was chased by a veteran officer who’s served 20 years on the force. Drone footage showed him circling a group of townhouses before hopping a fence and darting inside the back door of his own house.

Curry said police have been monitoring the neighborhood since the most recent attempted break-in April 1 in the 14800 block of Palmerston Square.

“These operations have been going on since April 1 every single morning, although you may not have seen us. From 3 o’clock, 6 o’clock in the morning, detectives have been out of their cars, out in the cold, hiding in bushes, waiting for this exact moment,” Curry said. “And it paid off right here.”

Detectives got a search warrant for Walker’s house, and officers went inside to talk the 21-year-old into coming downstairs to be taken into custody.

Walker was charged with burglary, two counts of breaking and entering to commit a misdemeanor, four counts of indecent exposure, two counts of trespassing, wearing a mask in public and obstruction of justice. He’s being held without bond at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center.

He doesn’t have a criminal history and wasn’t previously on the radar of Fairfax police.

When asked about his possible mental state, Curry said, “The actions that we saw today were someone that was fully aware of our officers: challenged police, ‘stop, don’t move,’ knew what he was doing, running so far as to have the wherewithal to run around a group of town houses, to elude our officers’ capture and then jump in through the back of a door and hide inside his home.”

It’s unclear whether Walker had any motive in targeting his neighbors’ homes, police said. But officers were concerned about the possibility the naked burglar’s behavior would escalate.

“Thank God he has never personally, physically harmed anyone and you can imagine what those crimes would look like and what they were building up, in my opinion, to be,” Davis said. “It was only a matter of time.”

Police have asked anyone with information about the case to contact the department at 866-411-8477.

Source

Montgomery County police have asked neighbors who live in the area to check their surveillance cameras for footage of anything unusual from Thursday morning. Specifically, police are looking for video of a black Toyota Highlander or a potential suspect getting in or out of the SUV.

In a Friday , police said 32-year-old Christopher Gove was suffering from gunshot wounds inside his house in the 12500 block of Carrington Hill Drive when fire and rescue personnel arrived around 6 a.m.

Gove was hospitalized and pronounced dead.

A short time after first responders arrived at Gove’s house, officers also responded to a single-vehicle collision about 5 miles down the road, near West Montgomery Avenue and Darnestown Road.

No one was inside Gove’s crashed SUV, according to police.

Police said they’re investigating what happened. They’ve asked anyone with information to call the department at 1-866-411-8477.

Source

Kennsington Adams, 18, of Dumfries, was arrested Wednesday and charged with second-degree murder, according to Prince William County police.

Over the past month, police have arrested four young men and teens in connection to the shooting death of 18-year-old Louis Boone, a Dumfries resident who attended Norfolk State University.

Four others were wounded in the shooting, including a 17-year-old who police identified as one of the suspects.

Several people had been playing basketball in the 1800 block of Potomac Shores Parkway when police said another group came up and a confrontation unfolded on March 9.

All the men arrested in the shooting have been charged with second-degree murder. The 17-year-old has been charged with felony homicide.

Adams was arrested at his home in Dumfries by county police, who received help from the U.S. Marshal鈥檚 Task Force. He is being held without bond.

One of the suspects wasn’t located right off the bat. A few days after the shooting, police asked the public for help in locating J鈥橲haun Williams, of Gainesville, who was wanted on a second-degree murder charge.

Two weeks later, Williams was taken into custody in Richmond.

Ryan Butler, of Triangle, was arrested March 13 and charged with second-degree murder and firearms-related charges.

The 17-year-old was charged after being released from the hospital for treatment of his wounds.

Police have said they are continuing to investigate the shooting.

The other people who were shot include a 20-year-old man from Woodbridge, a 16-year-old boy from Dumfries and another 17-year-old boy from Woodbridge.

Source

A Virginia State Police Trooper is recovering after being struck by a passing vehicle while following a 57-year-old man who crashed his vehicle and ran across all lanes of Interstate 495, .

Gregory Newton, of Springfield, is facing charges associated with the incident, including assault on a police officer after struggling with Metro Transit Police during his arrest.聽

It started just after 9 p.m., when a Virginia State Police trooper tried to pull over a black Chrysler 300 with expired tags on I-495 southbound at the mixing bowl.

Several police cruisers began following the car as the driver, later identified as Newton, continued onto the eastbound lanes of the Capital Beltway.

Police said Newton rear-ended a tractor-trailer east of Telegraph Road.

The driver got out of the car and crossed the interstate into the City of Alexandria.

While chasing after the man, the same trooper who initially tried to pull over the Chrysler was hit by another vehicle. The injured officer was taken to a nearby hospital.

Police said Newton got on a train at the Eisenhower Avenue Metro station, without paying. Metro’s cameras helped officers find the man at L鈥橢nfant Plaza station in D.C.

According to police, there was a struggle as officers arrested Newton.

He’s facing charges of assault on a police officer, eluding, hit-and-run, possession of a controlled substance and driving while suspended.

Source

More than 40 kilograms of cocaine were seized and a dozen arrests made in Maryland at the culmination of a multiagency investigation into a drug trafficking ring, officials said Tuesday.

Wicomico County Sheriff Michael Lewis said $4 million worth of cocaine was seized, in addition to 11 guns, $23,000 in cash and various other narcotics, including fentanyl pills, heroin, psilocybin mushrooms and MDMA.

The drugs were being supplied by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, which is based in Mexico, according to law enforcement.

“Imagine how much poison was removed from our streets by the hard working men and women who made this case happen,” Lewis said.

A 15-month investigation involved tapping 19 phone lines, using drones and tracking devices, and making arrests during traffic stops.

“When you’re manning a wiretap 24 hours a day, it takes manpower,” Lewis said. “It takes a lot of people to make this happen.”

Deputies in Worcester and Wicomico counties teamed up with federal, state and local law enforcement to probe into the ring’s distribution on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and Virginia, as well as in Baltimore and parts of Delaware.

Lewis praised Lt. Col. Kenny Brown with Maryland State Police.

“I saw firsthand the tremendous talent he had, identifying and picking out drug smugglers during routine traffic stops while working Interstate 95,” Lewis said.

A total of 13 different agencies coordinated on the investigation.

“It took 80 plus search warrants, it took surveillance operations, undercover work, people putting their lives at risk, sustained effort that lasted months,” Gov. Wes Moore said.

Law enforcement started working on the case in late 2024 and linked Desmond Roberts Jr. to a large scale drug trafficking organization. He’s been arrested and charged with intent to distribute narcotics and released on a $10,000 unsecured bond.

Investigators have said they expect to file additional charges in this case. They’re searching for La鈥橯uan Alexander Townsend.

Other suspects who have been arrested through the investigation include Shakoor Yusin Stevenson, Ricky Ernest Johnson Jr., Reinaldo Soto Ramos, Junior Calderon, Charnita Emil Stephens, Dorge Lee Conway Jr., Marcus Shaquille Cropper, Dewayne Ellsworth Cane, Tirrell Termaine Sample, Kavon Randy Conquest and Deangela Renee Morton.

Some of the people facing charges have posted bail. About half are being held without bond.

“As the sheriff mentioned, not just one of the largest cocaine seizures in the history of Wicomico, but one of the most important seizures that we’ve seen throughout the state of Maryland,” Moore said.

Source

The National Weather Service has issued a freeze warning for the D.C. region as temperatures are expected to drop as low as 27. The warning is in effect overnight and ends at 9 a.m. Wednesday.

That frosty chill could ruin crops, sensitive vegetation and damage unprotected outdoor plumbing, according to the agency.

If your plant can’t be brought inside, some experts recommend covering them with an old pillowcase or an empty pot to keep frost off.

A Freeze Warning is in effect for much of the area tonight due to forecast lows in the mid 20s to lower 30s. Southern Maryland will remain above freezing, while the growing season is yet to start in the mountains.

Protect any plants which are sensitive to the cold weather.

鈥� NWS Baltimore-Washington (@NWS_BaltWash)

Temperatures are expected to fall below freezing again Wednesday night.

• Listen to WTOP online聽and on the radio at 103.5 FM or 107.7 FM.
• Current traffic conditions
• Weather forecast
• Closings and Delays: DC-area schools make decisions for Monday instruction
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• Get custom alerts with the WTOP app for聽听补苍诲听听辫丑辞苍别蝉

FORECAST

FREEZE WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 9AM

TODAY:
Mostly sunny
Highs: 55-58
Winds: Southeast 5-10 mph
Cold sunshine kicks-off the morning with temperatures starting off in the 30s! Afternoon highs will generally top out in the 50s, which is a good 10 degrees below normal for early April. The wind will be lighter than yesterday, which will help a bit, but overall it stays on the chilly side from start to finish.

TONIGHT:
Clear to partly cloudy
Freeze Watch West
Lows: 32-36
Winds: Southeast 5 mph
Freeze Watches are in effect for counties west of D.C. from midnight until 9 a.m.

THURSDAY:
Mostly to partly cloudy
Highs: 63-36
Winds: Southeast 5-10 mph
Thursday stays dry, and we鈥檒l begin to turn the corner temperature-wise. Highs should make it into the 60s as winds start to come in from the southeast. After a couple of colder-than-normal days, this will be the beginning of a much more noticeable warming trend heading toward the end of the week.

FRIDAY:
Mostly sunny
Highs: 75-80
Winds: South5-10 mph
By Friday, that warming trend really gets going. Dry weather continues, and afternoon temperatures are expected to reach the 70s with a south wind developing. After the cold start to the week, Friday will feel much more like spring has finally settled back in.

SATURDAY:
Partly cloudy
Highs: 73-78
Winds: North 5-10 mph
Dry and warm April weather is in store to kick-off the weekend. The weather looks great for the annual National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade down Constitution Ave. starting at 11 a.m. Afternoon high temperatures will climb into the 70s with a refreshing breeze and low humidity. Nearly perfect parade weather!

Source

The Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington announced finalists for its upcoming Rammy Awards on Monday.

The winners will be announced during an awards ceremony June 29.

Fans can weigh in on a few categories, including best bar, best brunch and hottest sandwich. There’s a new category this year, “Content Creator of the Year,” that recognizes the way influencers fit into the local restaurant scene. Voting opens April 20 and ends May 17.

Here’s a look at this year’s finalists.

The 鈥淣ew Restaurant of the Year鈥� finalists:

The “Chef of the Year” finalists:

• Matt Adler, and
• Rub茅n Garc铆a,
• Amy Brandwein, and
• Matt Conroy and Isabel Coss, and
• Jeremiah Langhorne,

The “Restaurateur of the Year” finalists:

• David Deshaies,
• Fernando Gonzalez,
• Enrique Limardo and Ezequiel Vazquez-Ger,
• Michael Rafidi, , ,
• Stephen Starr,

The 鈥淔ormal Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year鈥� finalists:

The “Best Bar” finalists, which include a fan vote:

The “Best Brunch” finalists, which include a fan vote:

A full list of finalists in every category is posted to .

Source

Firefighters pulled Karen Elsa Carstens, 55, from the house in Chevy Chase early Friday morning. But she later died of her injuries at a nearby hospital, Montgomery County police said in a .

A man who lived in the house and a firefighter suffered injuries that are not considered life-threatening.

A neighbor told WTOP a brother and sister lived in the house, located in the 4700 block of Merivale Road, just off Western Avenue.

There were two cats inside when the fire broke out in the basement around 5:45 a.m., according to Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Spokesman Pete Piringer.

One cat died and another was found later in the day Friday.

Firefighters were originally told no one was inside the house. Carstens had apparently evacuated with her brother, but went back inside to get her cat.

Piringer said the 55-year-old woman was unconscious when she was found by firefighters.

Police are investigating her death but said no foul play is suspected. Piringer said the fire is believed to be accidental and the house did not have working smoke alarms.

Source

Ayanna Bennett, the director of D.C. Health, said the hormonal medication is part of a three-pronged approach that also involves two forms of poison, bait and tracking powder, to lower the number of rats in the city.

“The fertility control is only going to be for those who survive the other two methods,” Bennett told WTOP’s Kate Ryan.

This week, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced an to combat rats with “an innovative fertility suppressant,” among other methods.

The birth control strategy has been effective in other places, Bennett said, including in major cities, such as New York.

But a local wildlife expert said its ability to stomp out populations is unclear.

“Some people have success, and other people don’t have success,” said Dr. Sarah Sirica, the clinic director at City Wildlife, a rescue and rehabilitation facility in D.C. “It’s never going to be as effective as all of the preventative measures that we could use to stop the rats.”

Those preventative measures include cutting off access to food, water and shelter. That’s done by keeping trash cans secure and alleyways clear, while blocking off entry points into buildings.

“If they don’t have access to the food, they literally breed less,” said Sirica, who’s part of a in D.C. “It’s not exciting to repair trash cans. That’s not an exciting city initiative, but that is something that would make a difference.”

D.C. Council member Christina Henderson recently introduced the , which would replace open-top public trash cans with ones that are harder for rodents to access.

Bennett agreed that it’s necessary to secure trash to control populations.

“Our main concern is garbage that’s out of the cans,” Bennett said. “People who put bags next to cans, people who overflow the can in a way that the lid doesn’t actually prevent rats from getting to the food.”

She said the city will assess whether the birth control initiative is working as intended in three weeks.

“I just worry that we might get the public too invested in a solution that we’re not sure actually works and something that we’re not sure if we should be putting it out in the environment,” Sirica said.

Outside of its efficacy, Sirica has questions about the use of hormonal medication.

“It’s something that changes hormones in rodents. And do we want that to be out in the world? I’m not quite sure,” Sirica said.

She also said general strategies to target rats have adverse effects on other animals. Products called “anticoagulant rodenticides” work as a blood thinner and which can cause an animal to die from excessive bleeding.

If another animal comes along and eats the poisoned rat, it can have negative effects.

“We have many patients every year that we treat for these conditions,” Sirica said. “Some of them we are able to save, but unfortunately, many of them pass away from this.”

WTOP’s Kate Ryan contributed to this report.聽

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She had evacuated the house with a man, who survived with injuries that are not considered life-threatening, according to department spokesman Pete Piringer. A firefighter also suffered injuries that are not considered life-threatening.

One cat died as a result of the fire and a second cat was found later in the day on Friday, Piringer told WTOP.

A neighbor told WTOP a brother and sister lived in the home together.

“They’re very nice people, and it’s going to be really tough now for her brother, and I have no idea what it’s going to look like going forward, but I hope they get all the help they can get,” Marvin Ott told WTOP.

Multiple callers contacted 911 early Friday morning after spotting smoke, including a person who was inside the house in the 4700 block of Merivale Road, just off Western Avenue.

When firefighters arrived around 5:45 a.m., Piringer said all floors of the house were in flames 鈥� including the basement 鈥� and they were told no one was inside.

“One occupant indicated that everybody was out, but that was not the case,” Piringer said in a video posted to social media.

The woman was found unconscious inside the house; Piringer said she received medical treatment at the scene but died from her injuries.

Piringer said a man suffering from smoke inhalation was brought to the hospital and is expected to be OK. A firefighter with non-life-threatening injuries was also brought to the hospital to be checked out.

Firefighters put the flames out after hitting hot spots for a couple hours, Piringer said. About 80 firefighters responded to the scene, including members of the hazmat team who dealt with damaged lithium batteries in the garage.

Investigators believe the fire started in the basement but they’re still looking into a few possible sources that ignited the flames. Piringer said the fire is believed to be accidental and there weren’t working smoke alarms inside.

Montgomery County police are investigating the deadly fire. The woman who was killed will be publicly identified after her family is contacted about what happened.

WTOP’s Liz Anderson contributed to this report.

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Scattered thunderstorms and showers swept through parts of the D.C. region Wednesday evening, bringing strong winds and hail.

The storms triggered several severe thunderstorm warnings from the National Weather Service in Northern Virginia and Maryland. The weather serviced warned of 60 mph wind gusts and quarter-sized hail.

The risk for severe weather should wrap up by 8:30 p.m., according to WTOP Meteorologist Mike Stinneford.

The storms followed near record-breaking heat Wednesday, with temperatures forecast in the upper 70s to middle 80s. Record highs of 88 at Reagan National Airport and 85 at Dulles International Airport were set on April 1, 1978.

Temperatures are expected to drop into the 60s Wednesday night.

Looking ahead, the cold front is expected to stall near or over the D.C. area Thursday and a few showers or storms could develop.

“There could be some patchy fog too, with a light east to northeasterly wind in the morning,” 7太子探花 First Alert Meteorologist Veronica Johnson said. “Temperature will be about 54 to 63 degrees, then a wide range of high temperatures for Thursday afternoon.”

Depending on where you live, temperatures could be widely different Thursday afternoon. Johnson said temperatures will be in the 50s in Maryland’s northernmost counties, close to 70 degrees in D.C. and in the lower 80s for areas south of I-66.

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