WEEK IN REVIEW

Oct. 14-20

Big Dogs for a Day Puppies play during Animal Planet's Puppy Bowl in Silver Spring on Tuesday. Puppy Bowl IV will premiere on the network Feb. 3. (By Stephen J. Boitano -- Associated Press)

Schools Address Staph ConcernsStudent's Death and Media Attention Fuel Fears

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At least 31 students in the Washington area, including 14 from Montgomery County, two from Howard County and one from Anne Arundel County, have been affected by an antibiotic-resistant strain of staph. School officials sought to allay fears, saying the germ that has concerned football coaches and health officials in recent years is more visible now because of a student death in southern Virginia's Bedford County and a wave of news coverage. Health officers and educators said they don't know how to interpret the flurry of cases involving methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus.

The virulent strain of staph can turn a cut into a swollen, inflamed wound. At first, such an infection might resemble a pimple, boil or spider bite. If it becomes invasive and potentially serious, symptoms can include fever, chills and shortness of breath. Health officials said such simple precautions as hand-washing and wearing bandages on cuts can significantly reduce the risk of infection.

Expansion Project Could Choke TrafficMore Money Needed to Fix Issues, Officials Say

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The planned expansion of the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda will result in "nightmare" congestion near the hospital without increases in money for road projects, according to state and local officials. Montgomery County officials said they hope the state will undertake millions of dollars in road improvements, including widening Wisconsin Avenue. But the state faces a $40 billion shortfall in transportation needs over the next 20 years, and state officials said they need more money to add projects.

Across the RegionImmigrant Vote; Taxi Meters; Metro; Saudi School

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¿ The Prince William Board of County Supervisors voted 8 to 0 to proceed with a crackdown on services for illegal immigrants. The vote came after almost 400 speakers lined up to address the board during a 12-hour public hearing. More than 1,200 people showed up at the county government complex in Woodbridge for the vote, most of them Hispanic residents opposed to the measures.

Police will begin checking the immigration status of anyone who breaks the law, whether for speeding or shoplifting, if they think the person is in the country illegally. The supervisors also cut off certain services to illegal immigrants who are homeless, elderly or addicted to drugs.

¿ D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) announced that he will require time-and-distance meters in the city's 6,000 taxicabs, abandoning a rare zone system. No timetable has been set for the switch, and it is uncertain whether drivers or passengers will benefit most. A study showed that the meter system tends to favor customers on shorter trips and drivers on longer ones. Drivers reacted to the news with outrage and threatened to strike within two weeks.

¿ Metro officials are undertaking an effort to communicate with train riders during delays and breakdowns. Officials are considering buying hand-held radios that would allow station managers to receive updates directly from the agency's operations control center and wireless microphones that would allow them to broadcast over a station's public-address system.

¿ A federal panel urged the State Department to shut down a Saudi government-supported private school in Fairfax County unless it can prove it is not teaching religious intolerance. Representatives of the Saudi government and the school denied that they are teaching radical Islam and said the commission never asked to see any materials or speak to school staff members.