The following stories have been hand-selected by the Assignment Desk at News4:
PAY UP
Washington Examiner: "The District says it is owed more than $300 million in unpaid parking and driving tickets, and the Department of Motor Vehicles might run an amnesty program to get some of those dollars into the city's cash-strapped coffers. The amnesty would allow drivers to pay only the original fine with all penalties waived on delinquent tickets. Officials estimate that it would raise $6 million at a time when the District is facing a nearly $500 million budget gap in the next fiscal year. The amnesty program is part of the agency's annual performance plan, which was approved by the city administrator in October and will be used to assess the achievements of the agency."
BEES IN HOWARD COUNTY
Baltimore Sun: "Howard County Council votes on new zoning rules for beekeepers and vital design standards and sign rules for Columbia's downtown redevelopment were postponed until February, though most members seemed likely to support the bee-friendly legislation. "Clearly something has to be done," said councilwoman Jen Terrasa, a Democrat and potential majority third vote for the beekeeper's bill on the five-member council. She, like other members, said details on the bill to relax rules for keeping bees need to be worked out at a work session."
HISTORY TEXT ERRORS
Sun Gazette: "Arlington’s School Board chairman is taking the news that some state-approved history textbooks contain factual inaccuracies with, well, some historical perspective. “There have been mistakes in the past - this is not the first time,” Libby Garvey said, saying the errors could be used as teachable moments. “We want to make as much lemonade out of lemons as we can.” A series of articles in The Washington Post and a subsequent review by the Virginia Department of Education have turned up factual errors in a number of history textbooks, as well as contentious statements about the still-touchy subject of Virginia’s participation in the Civil War."
METEOR FOUND IN FREDERICK
Frederick News Post: "A man who witnessed a falling meteor last week said he has found parts of it. Al LaBrush, of Frederick, was walking out of Danielle's restaurant in Frederick on Tuesday night when he heard a crackling, popping sound. He looked up and saw a white, sparkling meteor about 1,500 to 3,000 feet away, going from the south to the east/northeast, he said."
