The Night Note: 1/8/10

News you need to know.

The following stories are brought to you by the fine folks on the News4 assignment desk.

GOOD NEWS! EXCEPT FOR US
Vacancy rates for apartments have reached their highest level in 30 years, according to a report issued this week by real estate research firm Reis, Inc. For the final quarter of 2009, the national vacancy rate stood at 8 percent. Compare that to 5.5 percent in the third quarter of 2006, when vacancy rates bottomed. That’s a 45 percent spike in just over three years.

While the record vacancy rate is bad for landlords and a dismal commentary on the state of the economy, the silver lining is the opportunity it spells for renters. Landlords are lowering rents and offering incentives to entice prospective tenants. See our article D.C. Apartments Roll Out the Move-in Incentives for examples of the deals currently being offered in the D.C. area. (NBC Washington)

WORST. NAME. EVER.
That, DCist reports this afternoon, is now the name of Nissan Pavilion, the performance amphitheater in Bristow, Va., that opened in 1995.

Jiffy Lube Live is pretty cringe-worthy—it’s  just about the most unpalatable name that immediately comes to mind. After the jump, my nominations for five venues and sports arenas that could be worse[...] (Washington City Paper)


GRANNY FALSELY ARRESTED FOR PROSTITUTION

Talk about a case of mistaken identity. A Brooklyn grandmother was falsely arrested for prostitution by an officer with a rep for getting sued – and now the city has to pay for his error, according to a published report.

Monica Gonzalez, 41, has been married for more than a decade and never been charged with a crime in her life, according to the Daily News. But one fateful evening, walking to the hospital after suffering an asthma attack in the middle of the night, she was accused of trying to solicit men in Sunset Park and was arrested, the paper reports. (NBC New York)

BOOKS RECALLED OVER BAD DO-IT-YOURSELF ADVICE
Oxmoor House on Friday recalled nearly 1 million home improvement books because of errors that could lead do-it-yourselfers to make risky mistakes while installing or repairing their electrical wiring.

The errors in technical diagrams and wiring instructions could cause people to be shocked or create a fire hazard. (MSNBC)
 

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