The following stories have been hand-selected by the Assignment Desk at News4:
COLD WEATHER
Cold weather in the region today, some snow in the outlying areas. (NBCWashington.com)
OBAMA SCHOOL SEARCH
The Obama school search is heating up: Malia, Sasha and their mom, Michelle, spent two hours yesterday morning with their mom touring Georgetown Day School, and are expected to visit the Sidwell Friends campus today. The family look-sees follow Michelle Obama's trips to the schools last week, which sparked intense debate about D.C.'s public and private education. Looks more and more like the first daughters will attend a private school; no word if the family will drop by Maret -- reportedly still in the running -- later in the week. (Washington Post)
TARGET SALES DROP
Target reported yesterday that its third-quarter profit plunged nearly 24 percent as beleaguered shoppers held on to their wallets and its credit card division continued to suffer. (Washington Post)
HOPKINS GUNSHOT SENSORS
The Johns Hopkins University will become one of the first colleges in the country to use a system of sensors around its campus that will enable police to instantly pinpoint the location of shootings. City police were testing the system yesterday in anticipation of a formal unveiling Thursday, with a weapons instructor firing shots into a city dump truck filled with sand at 11 different locations. In a memo notifying students about the shooting exercise, the university said 93 detector boxes have been installed on streetlights and other locations throughout the Homewood and Charles Village communities to "add another layer of protection." (Baltimore Sun)
PETER NICKLES CONFIRMATION
A divided D.C. Council is scheduled to vote today on the confirmation of Acting Attorney General Peter J. Nickles, one day after the body's judicial panel voted against confirming him on the grounds that he is too close to Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, that he has yet to move to the District and that he has frustrated many with his aggressive style. (Washington Post)
BAILOUT / LOCAL BANKS
The Treasury Department said yesterday that it has made investments in four banks with a presence in the Washington area, adding to a list of financial firms that are participating in the government's efforts to prop up the U.S. financial system. Among firms with a local presence that received Treasury money were Capital One Financial of McLean, Provident Bankshares of Baltimore, SunTrust Banks of Atlanta and Winston-Salem, N.C.-based BB&T. (Washington Post)
VIENNA SAFEWAY TO CLOSE
Vienna’s Safeway grocery store will close on Dec. 6 and be replaced by a Walgreens, town officials said. The 25,000-square-foot Safeway store, located at 225 Maple Ave., E., has been in operation since 1973. Company officials decided to close the store after weighing its performance versus the benefit of selling it, said Greg Ten Eyck, public-affairs director for Safeway’s eastern division. (Sun Gazette Newspapers)
MAY'S HARDWARE TO CLOSE
A business that has been serving the Frederick area for five decades has become victim to the economy.
Since 1958, if you wanted anything hardware related from bolts and nuts to paint and tools, Mays was the place most locals went. But competition from big box stores and the economic downturn has hit the local store. (Frederick News Post)
WATER RESTRICTIONS LIFTED
Water restrictions that have affected tens of thousands of people in central Prince George's County since Saturday were lifted as of 7:30 this morning, after a second round of tests showed that a break in a water main did not contaminate the water supply, authorities said. (Washington Post)
I-66 TRUCK FIRE
A fiery wreck briefly shut down Interstate 66 eastbound Tuesday during the height of the morning drive to work.
No one was injured in the accident which involved three vehicles, according to Virginia State Police spokeswoman Corinne Geller. The accident occurred before Nutley Street and caused extensive delays. (wtop.com)
LES HALLES CLOSED
Brasserie Les Halles, pioneers of the brasserie concept in the U.S., has served its final meals in Washington, DC, shutting the doors of its Pennsylvania Avenue location following the close of business on Monday, November 17, 2008. According to proprietor Philippe Lajaunie, the restaurant has reached the end of its lease at 1201 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, ending a 15 year run in the nation's capital. "While this is a sad occasion, it is a natural progression, as our lease is over," said Lajaunie. "I don't have the words to express my gratitude to the many friends we have in Washington, from our loyal customers, to the Mayor, the City Council and staffers who have been tremendous neighbors. I hope we will still have the chance to see many of these people in New York City." (NBCWashington.com)
