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Articles by Meredith Somers

Truncated King quote removed from memorial

The controversial "drum major" quote has been removed from the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, and the new, finished product should be ready days before events to mark the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington on Aug. 28.

August 1, 2013

Test score increases in D.C. are ‘very good news’

Standardized test scores for D.C. public and charter schools are the highest they have been in six years, an accomplishment officials on Tuesday said should be applauded but also serve as motivation to continue to raise the bar.

July 30, 2013

D.C. judge orders gun activist seen loading shotgun in video held without bail

A D.C. judge on Monday ordered a conservative Internet talk show host held without bond after he was seen in a video loading a shotgun in the District's Freedom Plaza, a demonstration the defense called an example of political speech but one that the judge said made the host "a very dangerous man."

July 29, 2013
A ramp is being built from the Fairfax County Parkway to carry traffic into the new I-95 lanes in Newington. (Andrew Harnik/The Washington Times)

Years of pain intend to be Virginia commuters’ gain on I-95

Twelve months into a massive three-year project to establish, expand and improve high-occupancy toll lanes between Alexandria and Stafford County, Virginia transportation officials are standing by their predictions of smoother commutes in the near future — even though the current reality is construction-related gridlock and delay.

July 28, 2013
World War II bomber pilot veteran Millard "Lefty" Palmer has received a Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor from Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), Fairfax, Va., Tuesday, July 23, 2013. (Andrew Harnik/The Washington Times)

Virginia man honored for heroics in WWII

Sixty-eight years after an act of bravery over the skies of Japan during World War II, Millard "Lefty" Palmer last weekend was presented with the Distinguished Flying Cross.

July 23, 2013
Earlene Purches of Flint, Mich., takes a photograph of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial on Monday. Work to remove a paraphrased quote from the memorial has begun and is expected to last three to four weeks. (Andrew Harnik/The Washington Times)

Work underway to remove quote from Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial

A chain-link fence and yellow caution tape marked the start Monday of a major change planned for the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial as officials prepare to remove the controversial "drum major" inscription from the side of the monument. The project is expected to last for three to four weeks and wrap up before events to mark the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington on Aug. 28.

July 22, 2013
Architect Frank Gehry and others look over his design for the Eisenhower Memorial on the eastern end of the Mall at the National Building Museum on Thursday. (Andrew Harnik/The Washington Times)

Eisenhower memorial passes another test

The commission charged with overseeing the planning and design of monuments in the District approved the general concept of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial on Thursday, but not before offering some suggestions for designers to consider as they work toward final approval.

July 18, 2013
Olivia, 8, of Olathe, Kan., cools off in a waterfall at the Washington Navy Yard on Monday. Temperatures in the high 90s are expected to linger through Friday. (Andrew Harnik/The Washington Times)

P.G. water main repair poses health risks as scorching temperatures arrive

National Weather Service officials said temperatures would continue to feel like the low 100s for the next several days. The high heat poses risks in parts of Prince George's County, where a water main repair is expected to completely cut off service for thousands of residents for several days.

July 15, 2013
**FILE** A worker pushes shopping carts in front of a Wal-Mart store in La Habra, Calif., on May 9, 2013. (Associated Press)

D.C. Council approves bill imposing ‘living wage’ requirement on Wal-Mart

The D.C. Council on Wednesday gave final approval to a bill that would raise by 50 percent the minimum wage that certain large retailers would be required to pay, setting up a showdown with Wal-Mart officials who have threatened to alter their plans for six stores in the District if the measure passed.

July 10, 2013
Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli stands for a portrait his office, in Richmond, Va., Tuesday, April 5, 2011. (Drew Angerer/The Washington Times)

ACLU braced to challenge Va. gay marriage ban

The ACLU of Virginia on Tuesday announced it will file a federal lawsuit challenging a Virginia constitutional amendment barring same-sex marriage — part of a nationwide effort to revisit marriage rights in states where the issue has seemingly been settled.

July 9, 2013
** FILE ** Gay rights advocate Vin Testa waves a rainbow flag at dawn in front of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington on Wednesday, June 26, 2013. In two separate and significant victories for gay rights, the high court struck down a provision of the Defense of Marriage Act denying federal benefits to married gay couples and cleared the way for the resumption of same-sex marriage in California. (Associated Press)

Virginia’s ban on same-sex marriage targeted by ACLU

The ACLU of Virginia on Tuesday announced it will file a federal lawsuit challenging a Virginia constitutional amendment barring same-sex marriage — part of a nationwide effort to revisit marriage rights in states where the issue has seemingly been settled.

July 9, 2013
Actors Kevin Spacey and Kate Mara take instruction from director David Fincher at a D.C. Metro station during production of the Netflix series "House of Cards." The show, which is mostly filmed in Maryland, is taking advantage of a tax credit for film productions that more than tripled in the fiscal year that began July 1. (Netflix via Associated Press)

Maryland gambles on film incentives with ‘House of Cards’

The use of tax credits to lure production of the Netflix series "House of Cards" to Maryland has renewed a nationwide debate among lawmakers over the benefits of offering high-dollar incentives to encourage Hollywood to come to them.

July 8, 2013

Demand for fireworks a booming business year-round

The head of Dominion Fireworks will oversee 68 workers putting on nearly 20 shows across the area on Thursday — with more powerful explosives, more illustrative displays and more sophisticated triggers than he had back in the day.

July 3, 2013