Metro

In Brief

THE DISTRICT

Panda Sculpture Swiped From NW Street

A painted panda statue weighing 900 pounds appears to have been stolen over the weekend from its post near the Washington Hilton -- the 19th sculpture preyed upon since the District's PandaMania public art project was launched in May.

"Climbing Pandas" by Zora Janasova was reported missing from Connecticut and Florida avenues NW on Monday evening. The five-foot-tall sculpture features a series of small pandas ascending narrow ladders, atop a vivid background of red, orange and yellow.

"Somebody has to know where it is," said Alexandra J. MacMaster, PandaMania project manager for the D.C. Commission on the Arts.

People with information on the statue's whereabouts can call D.C. police at 202-727-9099 or the Commission on the Arts at 202-724-5613. A $1,000 reward is offered.

MacMaster said the arts commission will consider taking all the pandas off the street if more are stolen. Since the display began, one panda was burned and three were defaced by graffiti. Fourteen have had ears, limbs or other attachments broken off.

The statues are supposed to be on display until Sept. 11, then auctioned Oct. 9 to raise money for arts programs.

Missing 13-Year-Old Girl Sought

Authorities are seeking a 13-year-old girl who vanished Wednesday from her middle school in Southeast Washington, D.C. police said yesterday.

Tianca Lyles was dropped off for class at John Philip Sousa Middle School about 2:30 p.m., police said. When a parent arrived to pick her up, Tianca could not be found.

Tianca has a scar on the left side of her face and is 5 feet 6 inches tall, weighs about 135 pounds, is African American and has black hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a white T-shirt with a photo on the front and a blue skirt. Anyone with information about her whereabouts is urged to call police at 202-727-9099.

THE REGION

Ridge Asked to Issue Airport Security Plan

Sixteen members of the U.S. House of Representatives wrote Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge on Wednesday urging the release of proposed security guidelines that would allow small planes to use Reagan National Airport again.

Congress has directed Ridge to develop and implement a plan to return general aviation to the airport, which handled 60,000 such flights a year before the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The lawmakers said they understood that Ridge is committed to keeping the airport closed to small aircraft through Dec. 31.

"This information will enable [general aviation] operators to move forward in complying with the security plan, so they will be fully prepared," lawmakers wrote. "We see no security threat in educating industry as to what its future responsibilities entail."