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Articles by Meredith Somers

Seventh-graders settle in for class at Greenbelt Middle School, in Greenbelt, Prince George’s County. The county school system allows the use of iPads and cellphones for instructional purposes as do other school systems in the D.C. area. Below, an iPhone. (Andrew Harnik/The Washington Times)

Gadgets more likely to be on than off in D.C.-area schools

D.C.-area students are swapping their bathing suits for books as they head back to school. But unlike some toys and games left at home after helping to pass the lazy days, a growing number of electronic gadgets are being allowed in the classroom.

August 26, 2012
The Rev. Francis H. Wade, interim dean of the Washington National Cathedral, blesses newly carved stone set to be placed Thursday on the central tower as (from left) acting Director of Worship the Rev. Gina Campbell and stone masons Joe Alonso and Andy Uhl look on. It is estimated the cathedral needs $20 million in repairs. (Barbara L. Salisbury/The Washington Times)

D.C. area still recovering from last year’s quake

The most powerful earthquake in Virginia recorded history rattled the area one year ago, but geology analysts and emergency officials Thursday warned that the city still is far from being fully restored or ready for a future disaster.

August 23, 2012
Restoration masons Justin Rivenburgh (left) and Tim Winther work in Mineral, Va., to repair the historic Cuckoo house, which was damaged by the 5.8-magnitude earthquake that shook the region last August. (Andrew Harnik/The Washington Times)

A year after earthquake, the shocks linger in Virginia town

For every resident, there's been an aftershock. A year after a 5.8-magnitude earthquake shook the ground from North Carolina to New Jersey, the 471-person town of Mineral at the quake's epicenter continues to tremble.

August 22, 2012
FBI and Metropolitan Police Department officials surround the Family Research Council building at 8th and G streets N.W. in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2012, following the shooting of a security guard at the conservative Christian lobbying group. The security guard was evidently shot in the arm before he wrestled the gunman to the ground. The suspect has now been taken into custody. (Barbara L. Salisbury/The Washington Times)

Gunman shoots guard inside Family Research Council’s D.C. offices

A man with a gun walked into the D.C. offices of the Family Research Council on Wednesday morning and fired on a security guard who confronted him in what is being investigated as a possible hate crime or act of domestic terrorism, authorities said.

August 15, 2012
Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett would be banned from another term under a ballot initiative approved Tuesday, but he already has said he is not seeking re-election. (Associated Press)

Maryland governor backs farmland over soccer

Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley has sided with citizens' groups against a Montgomery County project to transform a 20-acre organic farm in a Potomac neighborhood into soccer fields, but county officials say they plan to go forward with the project anyway.

August 14, 2012

Metro door problem delays trains

A door problem on a Red Line train caused minor delays during the Tuesday morning rush hour, Metro officials said.

August 14, 2012
(Associated Press)

$320M Powerball jackpot sparks return of lottery fever

A $320 million Powerball jackpot is scheduled for Wednesday night, and officials are hoping the multimillion-dollar mania that seized the area earlier this year could turn the drawing into a record-breaking win.

August 14, 2012
An escalator in the L’Enfant Plaza Metro station was shut down Tuesday morning after part of the metal sheathing along the side tore away, injuring five people. “There’s always something broken,” commuter Tiffany Curry of Anacostia said. (Ryan M.L. Young/The Washington Times)

Five injured by broken Metro escalator

A broken piece of Metro escalator injured five people Tuesday, sending several commuters to the hospital and setting off conflicting stories between transit officials and witnesses about what caused the early morning mayhem.

August 7, 2012
Brothers Riccardo (left), 16, and Ruggero Amaduzzi, 19, wait their turn to control a large panoramic interactive digital map of the surface of Mars at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., on Monday during a NASA press conference streamed live on the landing of Curiosity. (Andrew Harnik/The Washington Times)

Curious follow Curiosity at the Smithsonian

The rover Curiosity's safe landing on Martian soil sparked a wave of interest Monday from space enthusiasts and casual observers who stopped for project updates at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.

August 6, 2012
Derek Brown of Fort Washington, a member of the U.S. handball team at the 1996 Olympics, says he enjoys watching the games, but he’s interested in the competition, not the reporting glitz. (Ryan M.L. Young/The Washington Times)

Former Olympians look back with pride

Tom Dolan inspired young athletes to dream in gold. Cara Heads pushed herself to look beyond a medal. Derek Brown wondered what was next.

August 6, 2012