The following stories have been hand-selected by the Assignment Desk at News4:
PUTTING METRO BACK ON TRACK
For months, the Washington Metro system, once one of the most admired transit systems in the country, has seemed to be at the lowest point in its history - forced to make painful budget choices, facing a hole in top management and struggling to recover from a series of fatal accidents that called its safety into question. The deaths of two track maintenance employees last week has only made matters worse, prompting the National Transportation Safety Board, a frequent critic of Metro's safety performance in the past, to launch yet another investigation of the troubled transit agency. (Baltimore Sun)
MISS AMERICA FROM FREDERICKSBURG
CARESSA CAMERON WASN'T LOOKING TO BE A BEAUTY QUEEN when she entered the Junior Miss Fredericksburg Pageant at the age of 14. What she wanted was a soapbox. After losing her Uncle Robert to AIDS when she was 8, Cameron had spent time volunteering with organizations dedicated to educating the public about the disease. (Fredericksburg.com)
BRING POOCH TO THE RESTAURANT
Dog lovers may soon be able to dine with their pooch on the patios of Frederick County restaurants. Sen. Alexander X. Mooney (R-Dist. 3) of Urbana proposed legislation this week that would give county commissioners the authority to permit Frederick County restaurants to allow people to dine with dogs on patios. (Gazette)
PLATES TO DISPLAY MEDICAL CONDITIONS
At the suggestion of a Colonial Heights woman, the General Assembly is considering a bill to provide special license plates for people with certain medical conditions. Delegate M. Kirkland Cox, R-Colonial Heights, is sponsoring House Bill 420. It “authorizes issuance of special license plates to applicants with asthma, diabetes, epilepsy, heart disease, and paralysis. These plates would be subject to a one-time fee of $15.” (Gainesville Times)
