The following stories have been hand-selected by the Assignment Desk at News4:
ROCKVILLE TEEN FATAL
A Montgomery County high school student was killed and another was critically injured yesterday afternoon when one lost control of the car he was driving on Veirs Mill Road in Rockville. The vehicle flew down a hill near a high-rise apartment complex, hit a tree and split in two, Montgomery County police said. (Washington Post)
MARYLAND SALVAGED CARS
The U.S. Department of Justice says Maryland must soon implement a national computer system that warns buyers if a vehicle was stolen or previously damaged, The Baltimore Examiner reported. Officials say the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System is a big advance in preventing auto theft and fraud. It brings together information from various state titling agencies, automobile recyclers, junk and salvage yards, and insurance carriers. (AP/Baltimore Sun)
MARYLAND SLOTS
As they prepare to open bids for slots licenses today, Maryland officials are casting a wary eye on Kansas, hoping that recent history will not be repeated. In Kansas, two gambling development companies won the rights to build "destination casinos" near Kansas City and in the southeastern part of the state -- projects that the state was relying on for an economic boost. But in the face of the recession, the companies have withdrawn their bids, leaving Kansas officials hanging, and delaying the flow of gambling dollars. (Baltimore Sun)
MARYLAND JOB LOSSES
For the first time since 2001, Maryland lost jobs in a calendar year from the previous year, according to U.S. Department of Labor figures released this week. The state unemployment rate also rose to a seasonally adjusted 5.8 percent in December, its highest level since 1993. (Gazette)
FAITH-BASED SCHOOLS ENROLLMENT
Urban faith-based schooling options have declined by nearly 20 percent in 20 years, according to a recent report by the White House Domestic Policy Council, and officials warn that poor and minority students are most adversely affected. (WTOP.com/ The Examiner)
VIRGINIA FLU CASES
Virginia is the first state in the nation to report a widespread outbreak of the flu, and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the chronic winter illness might spread rapidly after a relatively slow start this season. (Washington Post)
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Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia local news, events and information
PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY STD CASES
The director of the Prince George's County health department last week urged residents to get tested for sexually transmitted diseases after a recent report placed the county among the nation's top jurisdictions for gonorrhea, syphilis and chlamydia cases. "I don't know why it is," said Donald Shell, health officer of the Prince George's County Health Department. "All we can do is try to teach about it at every opportunity." (Gazette)
SALLIE MAE EXTENDS FINANCING
SLM Corp., commonly known as Sallie Mae, said Monday it extended $26 billion in asset-backed commercial paper facilities that fund federally guaranteed and private education loans. The 60-day extension moves the facilities' maturity date from Feb. 27 to April 28. (Washington Business Journal)
NOT ALL BUSINESSES ARE IN TROUBLE
Although the poor economy has some businesses seeing red on their balance sheets, others are finding their businesses have held their own or improved because of the country's fiscal woes. Employees at businesses such as pawnshops and thrift stores say they have seen an increase in the number of people visiting their stores in an effort to soften the blow on their wallets. (Herald-Mail)
