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Articles by Meredith Somers

**FILE** A sign depicting an assault rifle is held up at a pro-gun rights rally against a proposal by Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley that would ban assault weapons and require residents to obtain a license before purchasing handguns at Lawyers Park in front of the Maryland State House in Annapolis on Feb. 6, 2013. (Andrew Harnik/The Washington Times)

Housewife-activist wants referendum on Md. gun law

A Montgomery County housewife and political activist has revived a stalled referendum effort against Maryland's recently passed gun-control bill, breaking from a plan favored by the National Rifle Association and leaving her the daunting task of producing thousands of signatures in about two weeks.

May 13, 2013
Jason Bernstein and Courtney Smothers eat their lunches bought from food trucks lining the sidewalks along Farragut Square Park at lunchtime Thursday. (Andrew Harnik/The Washington Times)

Food fight heats up along D.C.’s streets

The long-simmering battle between traditional brick-and-mortar restaurants and the insurgent food truck industry is expected to come to a head Friday during a regulatory hearing before a D.C. Council committee.

May 9, 2013
Hungry passers-by who stopped for lunch saw signs directing them to information on the protest against the city's plans to limit the number of spots they can park in.

D.C. food trucks’ protest leaves folks hungry

Instead of serving meals, the colorful food trucks that usually offer lobster rolls, piping-hot slices of pizza or spicy empanadas were closed on Monday — a demonstration of what the lunch hour could be like under new regulations proposed by city officials.

May 6, 2013
A mother who didn't wish to be identified gets a kiss from her daughter as she relaxes with her friend at the Cinco de Mayo celebration on the Mall on Sunday. (Andrew Harnik/The Washington Times)

Swaying to Hispanic beat on the Mall

Maru Montero left for the United States from her home in Oaxaca, Mexico, with just one pair of dance shoes. It was a sacrifice. But now she has her own dance company and directs the National Cinco de Mayo Festival, which took place on the Mall on Sunday.

May 5, 2013
The former Woodmont Academy in Lisbon, Md., is the proposed site for development by a Muslim group. Although the debate is about zoning, a perception of religious discrimination is never far from discussion. (Andrew Harnik/The Washington Times)

Muslim development plans meet resistance in rural Maryland

A Muslim group's effort to move its campus from College Park to Maryland's rural Howard County is being met with opposition from local residents, who say dense construction plans for the site would spoil the quiet character of the area.

May 5, 2013
Second year grad student Elizabeth Weiner, right, watches as UMD student and volunteer pilot Colin Gore, center, performs a test flight as students with the University of Maryland attempt to win the $250,000 AHS Sikorsky Prize using their human-powered helicopter at the Prince George's County Sports and Learning Complex in Landover, Md., Sunday, April 28, 2013. The helicopter has already set records for flight time and altitude. (Andrew Harnik/The Washington Times)

UMd. students carry dreams of vertical flight

The prize for building a human-powered helicopter that can hover 10 feet in the air for one minute remains unclaimed. But a team of University of Maryland students is resolved that, one day, they'll be the ones to win it.

April 28, 2013
Fairfax County Police Officer Long Dinh Jr. is recovering from injuries suffered during a head-on crash in February (Photo courtesy of Fairfax County Police Department).

Fairfax officer recovering from crash injuries

Friends, family and fellow officers are hosting a fundraiser Sunday to raise money for Fairfax County Police Officer Long Dinh Jr., who is recovering from injuries suffered during a head-on crash in February.

April 26, 2013

Emotional connection to repairs on National Cathedral

Stone carver Andy Uhl has had his hands on some of Washington, D.C.'s most famous buildings — the White House, Lincoln Memorial, Folger Theater, the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception — but he got his start as an apprentice at the Washington National Cathedral.

April 23, 2013
Delegate Neil Parrott , R-Washington Co., speaks during a news conference Thursday, June 30, 2011 in Annapolis, Md. The Republican-led group is trying to repeal the controversial new state law granting new benefits to illegal immigrants and is nearing the signatures required. (AP Photo/Gail Burton)

Maryland gun rights activists drop referendum effort

Recently passed laws in Maryland that restrict the number and type of weapons residents can own and that require people purchasing guns to obtain licenses are unconstitutional and will not survive a court challenge planned for October, the National Rifle Association said Thursday.

April 17, 2013