The following stories have been hand-selected by the Assignment Desk at News4:
Damascus Death Now a Homicide:
Montgomery County Police are continuing to investigate the homicide of a 65-year-old man who was discovered inside his Damascus apartment Monday evening.
At about 6 p.m., officers responded to the 9800 block of Bethesda Church Road after family members were unable to make contact with the victim, Billy Joe Ray, 65, according to Montgomery County police.
Officers found Ray dead in his apartment with trauma to his upper body, Montgomery police stated. (FrederickNewsPost.com)
Holiday Crash Rate Lowest in 5 years:
Despite a man who was killed in Woodbridge over the weekend, traffic deaths across the commonwealth during the Thanksgiving holiday were the lowest in five years.
Nine people died in traffic crashes on the Virginia highways during the state’s statistical Thanksgiving travel period, from Nov. 26 through Nov. 30. This marks the lowest fatality rate since 2002. (InsideNoVA.com)
DC Taxi Fares Could Rise
Six months after District taxis switched from zones to time and distance meters, a task force is recommending an increase for fares.
Task force members said a rate increase is needed to bring District fares up to the same level as those charged in neighboring jurisdictions and similar-sized cities.
The proposed fare structure would leave the current drop rate at $3, already one of the highest in the country. But the per-mile fee would rise by at least a third, from $1.50 a mile to $2 a mile or more. The task force also recommended dropping the $1 fuel surcharge, but that would be largely offset by a hike in the hourly wait charge from $15 to $24. (Washington Post)
