The following stories have been hand-selected by the Assignment Desk at News4:
TEA PARTY MEMBERS GEARING UP
Do Not Retreat. That was the twice-repeated message of Del. Scott Lingamfelter, R-31st, to a packed house of lobbyists-in-training at Chinn Park Regional Library on Saturday at 11 a.m. "The trouble with this country today is we have fewer and fewer people who are worthy of self-governance," Lingamfelter said, in prelude to the 'how-to-lobby' seminar that was sponsored by the Prince William Tea Party, led by Yale and Nancy Schiffman. "The most important job in the U.S. today is to be a citizen." (Insidenova.com)
OMG, TEXTING BAN BRINGS FINES
Del. Frank S. Turner feels vindicated. Many skeptics had a field day when he sponsored a bill in the House of Delegates to ban texting while driving, he acknowledges. Logistically, it seemed like it would be a challenge to nab offenders in the act. "There were a lot of people who said you can't catch any people texting while driving," said Turner (D-Dist. 13) of Columbia. Turns out police across Maryland have issued 60 citations to motorists for texting while driving either to send messages, update their Facebook page or post on Twitter since the law banning the act took effect Oct. 1. (Gazette)
GAS PRICES CREEPING UP
Gasoline prices continued their push toward $3 per gallon. The only question now is when? Prices have been jumping on the back of a strong oil market where the cost for a barrel has spiked 20 percent in the past month on the New York Mercantile Exchange. (AP/Frederick News Post)
CONDO SALES UP
New condominium sales in the Washington area jumped by more than 30 percent from 2008 to 2009, as federal tax credits and rock-bottom interest rates helped buoy the market. (Examiner)
