The following stories have been hand-selected by the Assignment Desk at News4:
SNOW MELT COULD HURT MARINE LIFE
To nature, snow is potential. It is rainwater, waiting for a cue. So for now, scientists can guess at the environmental effects of historic back-to-back blizzards: Snowed-in cars don't pollute, snow-drooped trees could temporarily change the architecture of local forests. But the full impact of this two-act Snowmageddon won't be clear until the stuff melts. If those 30-plus inches of snow turn to water too fast, the water could pour unfiltered into the Potomac and Anacostia rivers, and eventually into the Chesapeake Bay. This week, environmental groups worried that such fast-moving water might carry road salt and other ice-melting chemicals, which can upset ecosystems and harm fish.
(WASHINGTON POST)
OPM DIRECTOR STANDS BY DECISION
Some called it "the commute from hell" -- and the Director of the Office of Personnel Management tells Federal News Radio he's sorry people had such a difficult morning. "I'm sorry. In many ways, I don't think I necessarily caused it. I don't necessarily apologize every day when there's a horrible commute -- and there are many in this region. The decision is based on safety. I was assured by all of the professionals that [the morning commute] could be done with the reduced load that we created by allowing for unscheduled leave, so that was how the call was made. I'm sorry the pressures from the region and this storm are putting on folks today. I wish I could have made it otherwise, but we've got to keep two goals in mind: safety first, government operations to the maximum extent possible second." Berry also stressed that he was under no political pressure whatsoever from the Obama administration to open the federal government.
(FEDERAL NEWS RADIO.COM)
VALENTINE'S DAY SCRAMBLE
Floral shop owners have their fingers crossed, hoping the week's big snow dump will not wilt their Valentine's Day business.
The latest storm forced Zimmerman's Florist in Frederick to close Wednesday and Thursday. Make-up day is Sunday. "We hadn't planned to open Sunday. I don't believe in working Sunday but we missed both Wednesday and Thursday, so we'll be open," co-owner Cathy Karl said. Michelle Blank, owner of Flowers by Jim in Frederick , hopes to do a lot of business. "But it's up in the air, I guess, depending on the weather," she said. "It's a mess downtown." Blank has some orders but she expects a lot more closer to Sunday. "I'm anticipating more calls today and tomorrow and lots of walk-ins," she said Friday. Getting bouquets to their recipients could be a challenge.
(FREDERICK NEWS POST)
DOG RESCUED FROM ICY POND
A yellow Labrador Retriever in Potomac Falls got more than he bargained for when he ventured out towards a frigid pond Friday. Tully slipped on the snow and toppled into the icy water. Maybe it was the shock on his muscles from the cold—but Tully soon found he couldn’t make his way out on his own. Frantic neighbors called 911. Minutes later, Montgomery County Fire and Rescue and Cabin John volunteer crews were out on the scene. Tully dog-paddled around the pond, his head barely visible at times. Reaching Tully wasn’t easy. Firefighters had to cut through two fences just to get to the pond’s shore. Firefighter Rashad Surrat walked into the water with a rope and harness, eventually getting a grip on the slippery Lab.
(NBCWASHINGTON.COM)
WINTER OLYMPICS KICK OFF
For about an hour, a parade of athletes poured into B.C. Place for the opening ceremony of the Vancouver Olympics on Friday, but only two nations received a full standing ovation. One was Canada, which was celebrating the beginning of its first Winter Games in 22 years. The other was the Republic of Georgia, which was mourning the death of one of its athletes here Friday. The opening ceremony turned out to be a party, featuring hundreds of aboriginal dancers dressed in their native costumes, Canadian singers like Sarah McLachlan and K. D. Lang and a crowd of 60,600 raucous spectators. To end the night, the Olympic flame was to be lit by four Canadian sports greats: the hockey player Wayne Gretzky, the skier Nancy Greene, the speedskater Catriona LeMay Doan and the basketball All-Star Steve Nash. When one of the support beams for the caldron failed to move into place, LeMay Doan was unable to participate. The crowd did not seem to notice the glitch and erupted in cheers.
(NEW YORK TIMES)
