Local Leads: 1/21/09

News you need to know

The following stories have been hand-selected by the Assignment Desk at News4:

NW FATAL HOUSE FIRE
A woman has died and a teenager has been critically injured in a rowhouse fire in Northwest Washington, authorities say.
D.C. fire department spokesman Alan Etter says firefighters were called to the blaze in the 2200 block of North Capitol Street about 7:20 a.m. Wednesday. Etter says a woman was found dead in the back of the house. (NBCWashington.com)

MARYLAND BUDGET CUTS
At least 700 state workers would be laid off under Gov. Martin O'Malley's proposed budget to be unveiled later today, according to Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller, who has been briefed on the plan. O'Malley, a Democrat, plans to unveil his spending plan this afternoon for the fiscal year that begins in July, and some details are emerging as General Assembly leaders are getting an overview from the governor's office. The governor plans to announce a series of cutbacks to close a $1.9 billion budget shortfall for fiscal 2010, while at the same time revealing how he plans to close a roughly $400 million shortfall in the current fiscal year. (Baltimore Sun

MARYLAND SALMONELLA CASES
Maryland health officials say eight people statewide were sickened last fall by salmonella contamination linked to peanut butter products. (The Capital)

THE MALL GETS CLEANED...
Tuesday's inauguration crowds were historic, and now street cleaners are working to clear the trash left behind.
The debris consists mostly of paper and plastic water bottles, newspapers, food wrappers and even American flags on the grounds of the National Mall.  (WTOP.com)

WATER MAIN BREAKS... CONTINUE
Freezing temperatures caused dozens of water main breaks in the D.C. area, even as a boil-water order was lifted for some 90,000 customers in Prince George's County after several pipes ruptured.
In D.C., crews will wait until Wednesday morning to repair a 12-inch pipe that broke under the Archives-Navy Memorial Metro station. (AP/The Capital)

FREDERICK SWIMMERS ANGRY
When Frederick County Board of Education members enter the Church Street headquarters this afternoon to attend a special planning session, they will be greeted by high school swimmers protesting the potential closure of three pools. (Frederick News Post)

AUTISM INSURANCE
Cassandra Oldham, a Leesburg resident and mother of three, has two sons diagnosed with regressive autism. Because she cannot afford therapy for both, she said, she finds herself having to choose which one to provide for. "Do I help the one that needs it the most, or do I help the one that will go the furthest?" Oldham said, addressing a crowd gathered at Capitol Square in Richmond Jan. 15. "These are questions no parent should ask themselves - not in Virginia." In Virginia now, health insurance companies are not required to provide coverage for autism and other behavioral disabilities. A bill sponsored by Del. Bob Marshall (R-south-central Loudoun) aims to change that, giving more than 7,000 children in Virginia access to medically necessary, evidence-based autism services up to age 21 with an annual cap of $36,000. (Loudoun Times)

FILENE'S BASEMENT CLOSES STORES
Filene’s Basement will close its Tysons Corner store by the end of next month, part of an 11-store shuttering of the chain’s 36 locations. Three locations in the Baltimore area will also close. (Washington Business Journal)

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