The following stories have been hand-selected by the Assignment Desk at News4:
Loudoun Schools Won't Air Obama
Loudoun County school officials have decided not to air President Obama's back-to-school speech, scheduled for next Tuesday, and other area school systems are still uncertain how they will handle the address, which some parents are calling an inappropriate political intrusion into the school day. (Washington Post)
Sticky Issues Complicate Porn Policy
The battles that began when a conservative state senator threatened to cut the university’s funding if the Hoff Theater screened the pornographic movie, Pirates II: Stagnetti’s Revenge, look as if they’ll rage for a few more months. n Tuesday, the university system missed an initial state-mandated deadline to create a policy outling when pornographic films can be shown on campus. University System Chancellor Brit Kirwan said the Sept. 1 deadline has been pushed back as the system struggles to create a coherent policy amid the sticky issues of academic independence, freedom of speech and democratic intent. (Diamondback Online)
Hands-Free Cells for DC cops
Police in the District will no longer be allowed to talk on their cell phones while driving unless they use a hands-free device or pull over to the side of the road. D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier issued the new policy in response to the growing number of complaints from residents who regularly see officers talking on their cell phones while driving. (WTOP)
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Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia local news, events and information
Community College Soars in Popularity
A convergence of economic factors has caused a surge in the student population of Northern Virginia Community College over the past few semesters. “Enrollment has been increasing since last fall,” said Robert Templin, president of the community college.
NVCC now has about 72,000 students enrolled at its six campuses and two educational centers, which is at least a 10 percent increase from fall 2008, when enrollment had already grown by 4 percent since fall 2007. (Fairfax Times)
Va. Colleges Treating Clusters of Flulike Illnesses
A few of Virginia's colleges and universities are reporting clusters of influenzalike illnesses as they await the availability of the vaccine for the swine flu later this fall. Many schools have been working with public health officials on influenza strategies and have set up H1N1 information pages on their Web sites with prevention, treatment and recovery guidelines. (Washington Times)
Skins Second Most Valuable franchise
The Washington Redskins -- valued at $1.5 billion -- are still the second most valuable franchise in the NFL, according to Forbes magazine’s 2009 valuations of NFL franchises.In terms of operating income, the Redskins lead the 32-team professional football league. (Washington Business Journal)
