Tom Howell Jr.

Law aims to put more D.C. residents in jobs

Mayor Vincent C. Gray signed a bill on Wednesday intended to ensure that city residents are hired to work on D.C.-funded projects as part of an "increasingly large arsenal" in the city's fight against high unemployment.

December 21, 2011

Gray to sign D.C. ethics reform bill

D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray said Wednesday he is set to sign the comprehensive ethics bill approved by the council as an effort to close legal loopholes and set a new tone at city hall.

December 21, 2011

D.C. Council passes ethics reform bill

The D.C. Council passed a sweeping ethics-reform bill Tuesday, an attempt to restore faith in city hall after a series of problems that ranged from shaky hiring practices to deeds by elected officials that have lead to criminal probes.

December 20, 2011

Low enrollment forces River Terrace closing

The D.C. public schools system is implementing a plan to close a Northeast elementary school with the lowest enrollment in the District and move its students to another school about a half-mile away.

December 18, 2011

Gray asks feds for $1.6M to cover Occupy D.C. expenses

D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray sent a letter to the National Park Service on Friday demanding "full and complete reimbursement" of the $1.6 million incurred by hosting protest camps on federal land at Freedom Plaza and McPherson Square.

December 16, 2011

D.C. Council candidate accused of soliciting a prostitute

Kevin B. Chavous, a key challenger for the Ward 7 D.C. Council seat in next year's elections, was arrested early Friday on accusations he offered money to an undercover officer "for sexual favors," the Metropolitan Police Department said.

December 16, 2011

Gray to ask U.S. for cash to help cover Occupy costs

D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray says he will ask the federal government to reimburse the District for police costs associated with the Occupy movement.

December 15, 2011

Barry: New tax lien a result of poor communication

D.C. Council member Marion Barry says poor communication between "my representatives and the different IRS divisions" is to blame for a tax lien the federal government recently filed against one of his properties, adding to his well documented tax woes.

December 15, 2011

Gray prepared to act quickly when snow falls

D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray pledged to make "swift, well-informed decisions" when snowstorms hit the District this winter, leveraging new trucks, early notification systems and asking city employees to "shelter in place" to avoid the traffic nightmares that followed a massive storm in January.

December 14, 2011

Tattoo regulation welcome, artists say

Tattoo artists told a D.C. Council committee Wednesday they support legislation to regulate their industry for the first time as long as the associated fees and rules do not overburden them.

December 14, 2011

D.C. Council members push boundaries for campaign cash

Maryland and Virginia towns inside the Capital Beltway are suddenly part of "DC," subsidiary companies and their owners are each donating to campaigns despite tough talk on "bundling," and a pair of D.C. Council incumbents did not disclose who employs any of their financial backers, according to the latest reports filed with the D.C. Office of Campaign Finance.

December 13, 2011

D.C. jobs program enters ‘major expansion’ in reaching out

D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray says his signature jobs program is entering a new phase that will focus on job seekers who have not taken advantage of city services that link their skills with suitable employers.

December 12, 2011

Wells pressing three proposals for D.C. ethics bill

D.C. Council member Tommy Wells is pushing three proposals to "reduce the influence of pay-to-play" before his colleagues put their final stamp on ethics legislation meant to stem the trickle of scandal out of city hall.

December 12, 2011

D.C. man convicted in honor-student’s killing

A 20-year-old District man has been convicted of first-degree murder for the shooting death of a 17-year-old honor roll student who was walking back to his Northeast home with a friend last year after a brief jaunt for cigarettes, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

December 9, 2011

Donald returns to D.C. child-family post

D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray has picked a former director of the city's Child and Family Services Agency to again run the department, which is responsible for the welfare of children in the District.

December 8, 2011

D.C. ethics reforms set for more negotiations

D.C. Council member Muriel Bowser has scheduled a "working group" session to make good on her promise to hear out her fellow legislators' concerns ahead of a final vote on sweeping ethics legislation before the end of the year.

December 8, 2011

D.C. Lottery exploring online gambling systems

The D.C. Lottery's planned online gambling program will not be hosted on the city's secure DC-NET Internet system as originally planned, information technology officials said Wednesday.

December 7, 2011

Council member’s bill would ease D.C. gun restrictions

A D.C. Council member has proposed legislation that eases the way for prospective D.C. gun owners to complete a required safety course and cuts red tape in the registration process.

December 6, 2011

D.C. Council passes ethics-reform bill

Four days after a federal raid on his Northeast home, D.C. Council member Harry Thomas Jr. took part in the unanimous approval of a sweeping ethics bill that could see final passage before the end of the year.