The following stories have been hand-selected by the Assignment Desk at News4:
TREES BY THE BAY BULKING UP
Forests by the Chesapeake Bay are growing two to four times faster than expected these days, researchers have found - a signal that rising carbon dioxide in our atmosphere might be triggering noticeable changes in ecosystems in the Mid-Atlantic.
And though scientists warn it's no panacea, the accelerated growth in stands of hardwoods monitored for the past 22 years is an indication that forests might dampen or delay the impact of climate change at least for a while, by soaking up some of the greenhouse gases that most scientists believe are warming the planet. (Baltimore Sun)
CLASS ACTION SUIT IN SPEED CAMS
Almost everyone who has received a ticket from a speed camera in Montgomery County is now part of a class-action lawsuit intended to change the way the county operates its speed camera program. Attorneys say ticketed drivers will receive notice of the suit and will be able to opt out if they choose. (Gazette)
SERIAL BANK ROBBER STRIKES AGAIN!
Police say a serial robber struck again Tuesday afternoon. A man matching the description of the culprit in four other bank robberies held up the United Bank at 9872 Liberia Ave. about 12:15 p.m. It was the second time in two months the branch has been robbed.(Insidenova.com)
FED SHARPSHOOTERS HUNTING BAMBI
Government sharpshooters are taking aim at hundreds of white-tailed deer in the national park surrounding the Camp David presidential retreat in western Maryland.The move to reduce the deer population comes after nearly three decades of research and opposition from animal-rights advocates. (ap/ The Capital)
CAN YOU HEAR ME?
Owners of iPhones can now talk and simultaneously search the Web when they visit the homes of the Hope Diamond and Dorothy’s ruby slippers. On Wednesday, AT&T Inc. officially activated its in-building 3G wireless broadband network systems in nine of the Smithsonian Institution’s most visited museums in D.C. (Washington Business Journal)
70 MPH!
The Virginia House and Senate moved Tuesday to raise the maximum interstate speed limit from 65 to 70 miles per hour, passing a measure backed by Gov. Bob McDonnell to speed traffic on wide-open stretches of highway. (Examiner)
