College Park braces for influx of students as pandemic continues

There won’t be many students walking into classrooms at the University of Maryland College Park this fall, but that doesn’t mean students who already finalized leases for off-campus housing won’t be moving in over the coming weeks either. With the arrival of students, there’s a concern about house parties and gatherings that violate the Prince…

COLORS Podcast: Biracial Sgt. Maj. of the Army discusses struggles and victories

On the latest edition of COLORS — A Dialogue on Race in America, with Chris Core and J.J. Green: Michael Grinston, the Sgt. Maj. of the Army, who is biracial — Black and white — discusses his personal struggle with racial identity. Grinston, the most senior enlisted person in the service also discusses his role…

Virginia high school drops Confederate nickname ‘Rebels’

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia school officials have announced that a high school will no longer use a Confederate-related nickname. News outlets report that Douglas S. Freeman High School in Henrico County will drop the name Rebels based on the results of a community poll and a recommendation from a committee that supported the change.…

More rain expected Friday night; flash flood watch issued

A flash flood watch is in effect from noon until late Friday night for the WTOP listening area. “We’ve had so much rain this week that any locally heavy rain could cause some flash flooding issues, so be extra careful if you’re driving after the sun goes down tonight for any high or fast moving…

Company explains ‘major error’ that led to half-million erroneous ballot applications in Virginia

The company that printed a half-million incorrect absentee ballot applications for people in Virginia apologized for its “major error,” saying the mistake was made because someone “incorrectly aligned a spreadsheet” that matched voters with their local registrar’s offices. “We are keenly aware of the seriousness of this mistake,” said Jonathan Shapiro, CEO of Smith-Edwards-Dunlap Co.…

2020 sales tax holiday in Md., Va. amid pandemic

The D.C. region’s annual sales tax holiday is here, and this year, there is a focus on helping small businesses struggling during the coronavirus pandemic. “This has been a challenging spring and summer for local retailers struggling to recover from the economic shutdown and a great time to support them as they do come back,”…

Virginia parks are seeing a rise in popularity – and damage

RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia’s state parks have experienced a surge in visitors during the coronavirus pandemic. But their popularity has led to an increase in littering and alcohol use as well as environmental damage and people taking dangerous risks to post photos on social media. The Richmond-Times Dispatch reported Thursday that state parks saw 120,000…

Nationals cancel Winterfest 2021

The Washington Nationals will not hold the annual Winterfest event in January 2021, the team announced Thursday. “Due to the continued uncertainty surrounding COVID-19, we have made the difficult decision to cancel Winterfest 2021, which was scheduled to be held in January. We know how important this event is to our fans. That said, we…

Unsolicited absentee applications cause confusion in Virginia

Absentee voting is more popular than ever this year as the coronavirus pandemic discourages voters from heading to the polls, but some people in Virginia were mailed absentee ballot applications that they did not ask for. It happened in several jurisdictions across the state, including Arlington, Fairfax and Roanoke, according to the League of Women…

Fairfax Co. schools release new details on schedules, tech for virtual learning

This story is part of “Parenting in a Pandemic,” WTOP’s continuing coverage of how parents are dealing with childcare, schooling and more through the coronavirus pandemic. Fairfax County school officials are providing parents with specific information on how class schedules, technology and special education will operate as the district heads for an unprecedented start to…

Revised Montgomery County order allows tattoo parlors, tanning salons to reopen

The Montgomery County Council voted in favor of revisions to an executive order that allows for businesses that offer personal services in the Maryland county, such as tanning salons and tattoo parlors, to reopen as of Wednesday at noon. The council voted on changes to the order from County Executive Marc Elrich that was issued…

Virginia’s new handgun law leads to more than 1,000 denials

RICHMOND, Va. — More than 1,000 people have been denied the purchase of a firearm under a new law in Virginia that limits purchases to one handgun a month. The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported Tuesday that 1,102 people were denied under the law in July. The high number is partly attributed to confusion about how the…

How does Isaias compare to other storms to hit the DC region?

Tropical Storm Isaias barreled up the coast Tuesday, bringing damaging winds and buckets of rain that flooded some D.C.-area roadways. But how does Isaias stack up to other tropical disturbances that have hit the D.C. region? For one thing, Isaias is far from the worst storm to impact the region, but it does share something…

Virginia Route 28 bypass loses key support

This article was written by WTOP’s news partner InsideNoVa.com and republished with permission. Sign up for InsideNoVa.com’s free email subscription today. If a $300 million project creating a bypass to busy Virginia Route 28 moves forward this week, it’ll be without the support of the area’s representative on the Prince William Board of County Supervisors.…

How does Isaias compare to other storms to hit the DC region?

Tropical Storm Isaias barreled up the coast Tuesday, bringing damaging winds and buckets of rain that flooded some D.C.-area roadways. But how does Isaias stack up to other tropical disturbances that have hit the D.C. region? For one thing, Isaias is far from the worst storm to impact the region, but it does share something…

County pledges probe into health worker’s coronavirus death

Officials in a Maryland county say they “will spare no time or expense” investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a veteran public health worker who died of COVID-19 after relatives and coworkers believe she contracted the virus on the job. The probe follows a story by Kaiser Health News and The Associated Press two…

Virginia Route 28 bypass loses key support

This article was written by WTOP’s news partner InsideNoVa.com and republished with permission. Sign up for InsideNoVa.com’s free email subscription today. If a $300 million project creating a bypass to busy Virginia Route 28 moves forward this week, it’ll be without the support of the area’s representative on the Prince William Board of County Supervisors.…

County pledges probe into health worker’s coronavirus death

Officials in a Maryland county say they “will spare no time or expense” investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a veteran public health worker who died of COVID-19 after relatives and coworkers believe she contracted the virus on the job. The probe follows a story by Kaiser Health News and The Associated Press two…

County pledges probe into health worker’s coronavirus death

Officials in a Maryland county say they “will spare no time or expense” investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a veteran public health worker who died of COVID-19 after relatives and coworkers believe she contracted the virus on the job. The probe follows a story by Kaiser Health News and The Associated Press two…

Virginia motor march calls for virtual start to school year

RICHMOND, Va. — A group of public school teachers, parents and students have participated in a motor march in Virginia calling for a virtual start to the school year. The Richmond-Times Dispatch reports demonstrators convened at a middle school in Richmond on Monday before driving down to the Capitol as part of the march. The…

How does Isaias compare to other storms to hit the DC region?

Tropical Storm Isaias barreled up the coast Tuesday, bringing damaging winds and buckets of rain that flooded some D.C.-area roadways. But how does Isaias stack up to other tropical disturbances that have hit the D.C. region? For one thing, Isaias is far from the worst storm to impact the region, but it does share something…

3 bodies pulled from Anacostia, Potomac rivers

Three bodies have been found in D.C.-area waterways over the past 24 hours, D.C. police said. One body was found in the Potomac River near Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling on Monday afternoon. A second body was located in the Potomac near the Alexandria waterfront early Tuesday morning. The third body was recovered shortly after noon in…

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