The following stories are brought to you by the fine folks the News4 assignment desk.
HICCUPS HAMPER NEW RAILCARS, COULD DELAY SILVER LINE
Metro needs new railcars soon, but efforts to order new cars have hit a few bumps. MWAA, which is managing the Silver Line project, is objecting to costs, and Maryland's cuts to capital spending could imperil the needed commissioning facility at Greenbelt. If Metro can't buy and commission new cars, the Silver Line might not be able to open in 2013.
On Thursday, the Washington Post reported on objections about railcar costs by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, which is building the Silver Line. (Greater Greater Washington)
MCDONNELL SAYS AZ IMMIGRATION LAW 'NOT HELPFUL TO DEMOCRACY'
Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell says while Arizona's tough new immigration law might go too far, the federal government's own enforcement needs to be bolstered.
Speaking on WTOP's Ask The Governor program, McDonnell says he's concerned about the idea of people having to carry legal immigration documents with them in case they're their stopped and questioned about citizenship status.
"It brings up of some other regimes that are not particularly helpful to democracy or civil rights," McDonnell says. (WTOP)
ALEXANDRIA'S VIDEO VAULT CLOSES FRIDAY
Video Vault, the beloved Alexandria store that for 25 years has been the Valhalla of D.C.’s weirdo cinephiles, is closing Friday. Last month, when owner Jim McCabe announced his store’s imminent demise, I reported a little bit on the Vault’s history and why it closed: McCabe, a psychologist who was a political appointee early on in the Reagan administration, opened the store in 1985 with his wife Jane, and they eventually acquired a collection of 65,000 titles. The store shuffled through several Old Town Alexandria locations—and briefly expanded to a second Georgetown location—before landing in its current spot, a basement space on S. Columbus Street. (Washington City Paper)
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Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia local news, events and information
TAKOMA PARK RESIDENTS SUE CITY OVER DERELICT HOUSE
A group of Takoma Park residents sued the city in Montgomery County Circuit Court last week, citing what they called the city's failure to make repairs to an abandoned and severely fire-damaged property for more than a year.
The property at 7402 Hancock Ave. was severely damaged in a fire on May 26, 2009, prompting Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service officials to declare the house unsafe. After months without apparent action by the city housing department, three residents — including Michael Graul, whose house on Grant Avenue abuts the property — filed a civil suit against the city Friday afternoon that seeks to force the city to address the property's various code violations. (Gazette.net)
