The following stories have been hand-selected by the Assignment Desk at News4:
WOODBRIDGE MURDER / HEARING
A 17-year-old charged in the murders of two Dale City residents will appear in court this morning for the first time. Xavier Pinckney faces two counts of first-degree murder in the shooting deaths of Jean Smith, 39, and her son Jim Smith, 19. Police said he killed the two inside their home on Dec. 19 in an botched robbery attempt. (Potomac News and Messenger)
INAUGURATION JOBS
Some inauguration-related jobs are still available, but time to apply is running out quickly. A search for "inauguration" in the jobs section of Craigslist's Washington site turn up several ads posted since New Year's Day, mostly for companies looking to pay people commissions for selling Barack Obama-themed merchandise to inauguration goers. A few other companies posted ads on the site seeking chauffeurs. One company is seeking wait staff for inauguration week events at $25 an hour, and one company is looking for retail salespeople. (Frederick News Post)
MARYLAND TRANSIT CHANGES
Changes to the Maryland Transit Administration’s MARC train and commuter bus service are now in effect.
Today is the first day of service reductions and other money-saving changes that were finalized after public hearings last fall. (Frederick News Post)
MONTGOMERY TRUCK PARKING BAN
The Montgomery County Council is set to vote Tuesday morning on whether to bar "heavy commercial vehicles," buses, trailers and RVs from parking on county roads for more than 24 hours, unless it is along a road where both sides abut property zoned for commercial or industrial use. (Gazette)
FREDERICK AFFORDABLE HOUSING
Instead of building from the ground up, two of Frederick County's affordable housing agencies could make good use of an unfortunate increase in foreclosed homes. The rehabilitation and sale of foreclosed properties is one component of a $3.5 million Neighborhood Conservation Initiative that Frederick County officials hope to start this spring. (Frederick News Post)
MARYLAND CELL PHONE BAN IN CARS?
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Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia local news, events and information
"Hang up and drive" Just say “hang up and drive,” but don’t say it too loudly in the halls of the legislature in Annapolis, Maryland. Last session (2008; thank goodness they have only one short one per year) they narrowly defeated a ban on talking on cell phones while driving. (Washington Examiner)
BATTLEFIELD WAL-MART A GO?
It can only be called unintended consequences. Reacting strongly, and negatively, to pressure from groups of historians and preservationists, a majority of Orange County supervisors have thrown their support behind a Wal-Mart supercenter in the northeastern corner of the county. At a weekend retreat supervisors Mark Johnson, Zack Burkett and Teel Goodwin declared their backing for the 138,000-square-foot store planned for a 19.5-acre site a quarter mile north of State Route 3. (Free-Lance Star)
COLD WEATHER ON INAUGRATION DAY?
January 20 has been hailed as an historic day because of the Inauguration of Barack Obama, but some forecasters are wondering if the weather this year will be historically cold? Long range forecasts are predicting record cold for the days leading up to the 56th Presidential Inaugural and the possibility of a winter storm forming in the southeast, and then moving up the coast. (Potomac News and Messenger)
CHARLIE "MR. INAUGURATION" BROTMAN DOES IT AGAIN!
On Jan. 20, Charlie Brotman will ascend to a prime viewing spot high above Pennsylvania Avenue to watch the Inaugural Parade. Again. It will mark Brotman's 14th consecutive Inaugural Parade as an announcer, a role he has performed for 52 years, starting with President Dwight Eisenhower's second inauguration in 1957. (USAToday)
