The following stories have been hand-selected by the Assignment Desk at News4:
ECONOMY AND CABS
The phones at the dispatch office of Union Cab Company don’t ring as much as they used to. With the slumping economy, taxi drivers say people are not calling for cabs as much as they did when times were flush. That means that taxicab drivers are having a hard time meeting the city’s requirement that they respond to two dispatch calls each day — part of a series of city regulations created in 2005. As his charcoal-gray taxi idles on Mount Vernon Avenue outside Union’s dispatch office, Union driver Chaudhry Ahmed says he fears the worst. (Alexandria Gazette Packet)
DC #2 LITERATE CITY
D.C. ranks No. 2 among the nation’s 75 most-literate major cities, according to a national survey by Central Connecticut State University. The report scored cities with 250,000 or more residents on several indicators, including education level, Internet use, newspaper circulation, number of booksellers, library services and local publications. (Washington Business Journal)
HOME ASSESSMENTS FALL
Nearly all Maryland homeowners due to receive new property assessment notices being mailed today will see a lower assessed value on their houses, reflecting what officials say is the largest decline in the state assessment office's history. On average, residential property values dropped 19.7 percent over three years, according to C. John Sullivan, director of the state Department of Assessments and Taxation. (Baltimore Sun)
MEMORIAL STOLEN
The butterfly that adorned Silvia Simmons' front lawn may not have seemed like much more than a pretty decoration. But the lighted figure that changed colors had great significance to the Severn woman: It was in remembrance of her sister, Claudia Simmerlein, who was only 17 years old when she died of a brain tumor nearly 30 years ago on Christmas Day. (The Capital)
DC PARKING CHANGES
Watch for mid-January changes in how much to pay and when to pay while parking on D.C. streets. (Washington Post)
CHRISTMAS SALES BETTER
Retailers have thin inventories after coming out of Christmas with slightly better-than-expected sales. Some retailers kept inventory so low they've had to bring in merchandise to restock shelves, a rare move this soon after Christmas.
(Richmond Times Dispatch)
