REGIONAL BRIEFING

Monday, August 13, 2007

SOUTHEAST WASHINGTON

Man Dead After Shooting, Fall

A 30-year-old Southeast Washington man was found dead of apparent gunshot wounds early yesterday, D.C. police said.

Officers found Jameel Bilal on the ground behind his apartment building in the 2500 block of Pomeroy Road about 12:40 a.m., shortly after responding to a call about the incident.

Bilal appeared to have been shot inside his third-floor apartment and then either fell or was pushed out a window, said Sgt. Joe Gentile, a police spokesman.

Police are investigating and urged anyone with information to call 202-727-9099.

-- N.C. Aizenman

ARLINGTON COUNTY

Webb Opens Office on Lee Hwy.

U.S. Sen. James Webb (D-Va.) has opened an office in Arlington County with a full-time staff member available to help residents of Northern Virginia.

The office, open from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays, is one of five Webb has in the state; other offices are in Norton, Richmond, Roanoke and Virginia Beach. The Arlington office is in Suite 130 of the Air Force Association Building, 1501 Lee Hwy.

Webb has hired Gwen Sigda to help constituents with questions and requests about government benefits and passport issues. The office's phone number is 703-807-0581.

BOLLING

Air Base Honors Jimmy Stewart

A technology center at Bolling Air Force Base in Washington will be named today in honor of actor Jimmy Stewart, according to an Air Force news release.

Stewart, who died in 1997, enlisted in the Army in 1941 and flew 20 combat missions over Germany during World War II. He was twice awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. He subsequently served in the Air Force Reserve and retired from the Air Force in 1968 after 27 years of military service.

The center will be dedicated as the Brig. Gen. James Stewart Theater in honor of the actor's service and his efforts "to promote Air Force heritage and morale programs to benefit future generations of Airmen," the release said.

-- Steve Vogel

VIRGINIA BEACH

Regent U. Wants More Students

Regent University in Virginia Beach plans to more than double its undergraduate enrollment this year as a first step toward balancing its budget.

The university, founded by the Rev. Pat Robertson, is aiming for 2,500 undergraduates, up from 1,046 last year and 236 in 2004-05. The goal is 10,000 undergraduates within five years, said Tracy Stewart, the university's undergraduate program director.

Regent was faulted in 2006 by credit rating agencies Moody's Corp. and Standard & Poor's for years of deficit spending and heavy withdrawals from its endowment. S&P reported that Regent planned to regain financial stability "primarily by growing revenues associated with the recently established undergraduate program."

Dean Wooten, Regent's vice president for finance, called the credit reports factual but said the analysts were "being conservative." He said the school expects to balance its budget by 2010.

-- Associated Press