The following stories have been hand-selected by the Assignment Desk at News4:
REDSKINS LAST GAME
Friday morning, near the beginning of what was almost certainly his last practice as coach of the Washington Redskins, Jim Zorn walked across a snowplowed field at Redskins Park wearing a burgundy ski hat, burgundy sweatpants and a burgundy sweatshirt. He strode directly toward Bruce Allen, the Redskins' new general manager. As the club's special teams units went through their final preparations for Sunday's game at San Diego -- a game that will have no impact on either team's playoff prospects because the Chargers are in and the Redskins out -- Zorn chatted at length with Allen.
(WASHINGTON POST)
ARENAS WILL TALK TO POLICE ON MONDAY
Gilbert Arenas said Saturday he used "bad judgment" in bringing guns into the Washington Wizards locker room. He also denied that he gambles and said there are misconceptions in the various stories about a dispute between himself and teammate Javaris Crittenton. As for the rest, he said he'll tell it to authorities on Monday. Arenas spoke following the Wizards' 97-86 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday night. His remarks came after two days of reports about the investigation into the guns he kept at the Verizon Center _ and about an hour after the family of late Wizards owner Abe Pollin said it was "extremely poor judgment" that the guns were there in the first place.
(WTOP)
COLD AND WINDY
In case you haven't left your house since New Year's, there's a wind advisory in effect until 6 p.m. for the Washington, DC and Baltimore area. It's a freezing, feel-it-in-your bones kind of wind, with gusts in excess of 45 miles per hour expected. NBC4 meteorologist Chuck Bell recommends dressing in warm layers if you decide to venture out, and remember that alcohol and caffeine (put down that Starbucks now!) cause your body to loose heat. In other words, you're probably better off with a nice, hot cup of cocoa. Preferrably with mini-marshmallows and whipped cream on top. (Mmmmm...) Meanwhile, if you think you're safe in your car, it depends on the kind of car you have. The National Weather Service warns that winds this strong can make driving difficult, especially for high-profile vehicles like SUVs, vans and pickup trucks
(NBCWASHINGTON.COM)
D.C. VOTED BEST CITY TO FIND WORK
Echoing the results of similar rankings all year long, D.C. was named the best city in the country to find a job by Juju.com. The job-search engine divided the number of unemployed workers in each metro area, as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, by the number of jobs in Juju’s index of online jobs in the U.S. The top five list was rounded out by San Jose, Baltimore, Boston and New York. In D.C., there are just under two unemployed people for every job posting. Detroit was last on the list, with nearly 21 unemployed people for every job ad. Juju’s index is compiled and updated from thousands of employer career portals, recruiter Web sites, and job boards all over the web.
(WASHINGTON BUSINESS JOURNAL)
POTHOLE SEASON BEGINS
Just as the season for presents ends, Mother Nature's gift-giving begins with potholes. These road nuisances are primarily a winter issue, said Donnie Crum, Frederick County Highway Operations assistant superintendent. Many factors can lead to potholes, but Crum said it usually involves water seeping into a crack in the road surface, and freezing and thawing cycles. "Water, salt and ice are enemies of concrete and asphalt," said Kellie Boulware, Maryland State Highway Administration spokeswoman. When water freezes below the road, the expansion and contraction disturbs structural integrity, leading to cracks on the surface. With more traffic over time, cracks can gradually become potholes, Boulware said. In the winter, when crews can't use hot blacktop, the county and state use a Cold Patch. The solution lasts only about a month before breaking down.
(FREDERICK NEWS POST)
