The following stories have been hand-selected by the Assignment Desk at News4:
NEW YEAR'S BABY
WTOP
"The first baby born in 2011 at Shady Grove Adventist Hospital arrived at 12:01 a.m. New Year's Day. She's a healthy girl weighing 9 lbs. 5 oz. Both mom and baby are resting and doing well, the hospital says. "We are pleased to welcome this first baby of 2011 at Shady Grove Adventist Hospital's Birth Center," said Terry Francis, director of perinatal services at Shady Grove Adventist, in a news release. "Our expert physicians and staff recognize that each birth is an intimate and special experience for a family." The nurses in Shady Grove's labor and delivery unit gave the New Year's baby and her parents a special gift of items that include handmade towels, blankets, hats, booties and other baby essentials."
NEW YEAR, NEW TOLL
WASHINGTON POST
"Drivers on the Dulles Toll Road will pay 25 cents more per trip starting Saturday, an increase designed to help pay for the multibillion-dollar Metrorail extension into Loudoun County. Toll rates at the road's main plaza increase on New Year's Day from $1 to $1.25 for two-axle vehicles. It is the second such increase in toll rates in the past two years; a third hike will go into effect in 2012. "People can actually see the results with the construction of the new Metro line now," said Tara Hamilton, a spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, which oversees the toll road. "The tolls have a very tangible use and will continue to benefit those who use it." This year's toll increase is expected to raise revenue by 11 percent, for a total of about $97 million in 2011, according to the airports authority. The new Metro line will extend service from East Falls Church to Dulles International Airport and Ashburn in eastern Loudoun County."
YEAR'S TOP LIBRARY BOOKS
WHEATON PATCH
"As we look back on 2010, we here at Patch thought it would be fun to take a look at some of the popular books from the year. We've already looked at snow and rain totals for the year for Montgomery County and top ridership days for the Metro, but we wanted to look to the written word with this installment of our "looking back" impromptu series. But instead of looking at a national list, we wanted to stick closer to home. So we turned to Paula Lewis, collection development specialist with Montgomery County Public Libraries, to see what the hottest books were locally this year."
AOL'S BEST IN DC LIST
WASHINGTON BUSINESS JOURNAL
"AOL Inc. has released readers' top picks for dozens of categories in 25 cities. Its 2010 City's Best lists cover food, entertainment and lifestyle, and the Washington list includes the predictable (Best Beer Selection: Brickskeller, Best Burger: Five Guys) and the unusual (Best Place to Break Up: Lincoln Memorial.) Nominees were picked by AOL editors, and the winners in each category were picked by readers who voted from Oct. 13 to Nov. 30."
