WEEK IN REVIEW
Feb. 4-10
Sunday, February 11, 2007; Page C04
Boiler Problems Plague SchoolsCold Temperatures Force Student Relocations
The February cold snap sent a chill through D.C. public schools.
Almost 1,800 students from four schools were reassigned to other facilities because of heating problems in their buildings. More than 30 other schools had boiler malfunctions that left rooms or entire sections cold.
  Recovering Her Balance Ambika, a 59-year-old Asian elephant at the National Zoo, was found to have a blood clot, not life- threatening, in her reproductive system. (By Ricky Carioti -- The Washington Post) |
School system leaders accused the city of not providing sufficient funds to maintain aging buildings. And as the D.C. Council weighs whether to give Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) control over the school system, parents said they were furious.
School Superintendent Clifford B. Janey announced a $900,000 "emergency blitz" at 40 schools to repair boilers.
Council Asked to License NightspotsBill Is Aimed at Clubs With Young Patrons
Council member Jim Graham (D-Ward 1) introduced a bill to regulate D.C. nightspots that admit youths, pushing the legislation in the wake of the killing of a 17-year-old girl at a club last month.
The bill would require any tavern, nightclub or restaurant that provides entertainment and serves alcohol to obtain a special license to admit anyone younger than 21 after 11 p.m. Businesses also would have to create a written security plan before obtaining the license, which would cost $375 a year.
The bill includes an exemption for underage youths out with parents or guardians.
Barry's Probation Status Is QuestionedProsecutors Want Sentence Reconsidered
Federal prosecutors want to revoke D.C. Council member Marion Barry's probation on misdemeanor tax charges because, they say, he has failed to pay old tax debts and also did not file returns for 2005.
Barry (D-Ward 8) was given three years' probation in March. He admitted in federal court that he had failed to file federal and D.C. tax returns from 1999 through 2004, and he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor tax charges. As part of his plea agreement, he was to follow the law and arrange payments.
The former mayor faced up to 18 months in prison under federal sentencing guidelines, and prosecutors want the judge to revisit the issue at a hearing soon.
Purchase of Cameras Is Fast-TrackedDevices Will Be Placed in High-Crime Areas
The D.C. Council took emergency action to speed the purchase of 24 surveillance cameras for high-crime neighborhoods.
During a crime emergency last year, the council approved use of the cameras across the city, and 48 have been installed. Although the council authorized spending $1.7 million to purchase an additional 24 cameras in October, the purchase has not been made because of a cumbersome procurement process, officials said.
The council's action would allow the police department to bypass procurement laws to purchase cameras within 90 days after the measure is approved by Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D).
Murder Charge Carries Death PenaltyMan Is Accused in Killings for 'M Street Crew'
An accused drug dealer who allegedly killed five people went on trial in federal court on charges that could bring the death penalty.
From the late 1990s until he was jailed in 2003, Larry Gooch, now 27, was one of about two dozen young men in the heavily armed "M Street crew," which controlled the drug trade along 18th and M streets NE, prosecutors said.
In a city where public sentiment runs against capital punishment, the U.S. attorney's office is trying for the third time in recent years to obtain a death sentence in the District under federal law. The earlier cases ended with defendants getting life prison terms.
Ramsey Takes Capitol Hill PostFormer Chief to Work on Anti-Terrorism
Former D.C. police chief Charles H. Ramsey has a new job: He'll be studying ways to make the U.S. Capitol more secure against a potential terrorist attack.
Ramsey, who stepped down in December after nearly nine years, got the part-time job through Terrance W. Gainer, the U.S. Senate's sergeant-at-arms.
Gainer is a former Capitol Police chief and once was Ramsey's second-in-command at the police department.
