Two 9-Year-Old Girls Missing FOUND; Last Seen in NE

WTOP is reporting that Brittany and Deasia have been found by PG County police.

From NBC4:

The Metropolitan Police Department asked for the public's help in locating two missing 9-year-olds on Wednesday night.

Deasia Tashay Wooten and Brittany Bennett went missing from Rudolph Elementary School in D.C. around 3:17 p.m.

They were last seen at a McDonald's restaurant on South Dakota Avenue and Delafield Street.

Wooten is black with black hair in cornrows and brown eyes. Family said she is about 4 feet 7 inches or 4 feet 8 inches tall and was wearing a white shirt and blue jumper.

Bennett is black with a medium complexion. She is about 75 pounds with brown eyes and black hair. She is 4 feet 5 inches and was wearing a white jacket with blue pants.

Police said anyone who locates the children should immediately call 911.

NE DC Historical Society Meeting: Community History & DDOT Archives - Sunday, September 9th

What: Join the NE DC Historical Society as they continue to explore the history of our Northeast Washington communities - past, present, and in years to come. This month's meeting will take place in the Michigan Park community. Bill Rice, Washington community historian, will share photos and other materials from the District of Columbia's Department of Transportation (DDOT) archives.

When: Sunday, September 9th, 2007, 1-3pm (please note earlier time!)

Where: HSC Pediatric Center (formerly known as the Hospital for Sick Children), 1731 Bunker Hill Rd NE

Etc.: For those unable to attend this meeting, don't miss next month's meeting to be held from 1-3pm on Sunday, October 14, 2007. NE DC Historical Society will be exploring the climatic history of DC and its water resources. The meeting will take place at the Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens, 1550 Anacostia Avenue, NE. (Please note earlier meeting time.)

NE DC Historical Society meetings take place the second Sunday of every month. Contact queenstowndc@yahoo.com for further information.

First Annual Community Open House at Bunker Hill Elementary - Saturday, August 25th

From Bunker Hill ES Principal Amanda Alexander:

What: Come and tour our stunning schoolhouse, meet our outstanding teachers and staff, and enjoy free barbecue! If you haven't been in a DC public school in a while and are just a concerned citizen, please come see this wonderful neighborhood asset. If you're still deciding where to send your child to school, or if you have already enrolled your child in an area charter school, you owe it to your child to see what we have to offer. Invited guests include Chancellor Michelle Rhee, School Board Member Lisa Raymond, and Councilman Harry Thomas!

When: Saturday, August 25th, 2007, 3-5pm

Where: Bunker Hill Elementary School, 1401 Michigan Avenue, NE

Etc.: Please RSVP at amanda.alexander@k12.dc.us

NE DC Historical Society Meeting: Rhode Island Avenue Corridor - Sunday, August 12th

What: Join the NE DC Historical Society as they continue to explore the history of our Northeast Washington communities - past, present, and in years to come. This month meeting will take place in the Brentwood neighborhood where will continue our study of the Rhode Island Avenue Corridor. Dr. Jean Pablo, the president of the Tenleytown Historical Society, will share with us how to do an analysis of the historical and architectural significance of the Rhode Island Avenue Corridor.

When: Sunday, August 12th, 2007, 2-4pm

Where: Premier Community Development Corporation, 1309 Rhode Island Avenue, NE, Suite B (in the Brentwood Village Shopping Plaza)

Etc.: For those unable to attend this meeting, don't miss next month's meeting to be held from 1-3pm on Sunday, September 9th, 2007. Bill Rice, community historian, will share with us many interesting photos and other materials from the District of Columbia's Department of Transportation (DDOT) archives. The meeting will take place in Michigan Park at the HSC Pediatric Center, at 1731 Bunker Hill Road, NE. (Please note earlier meeting time.)

Our meetings take place the second Sunday of every month. Contact queenstowndc@yahoo.com for further information.

Help Find Luca!

**UPDATE** Luca was found at the Washington Humane Society yesterday evening after being hit by a car. His owner told me he's got a cast and should recover completely. Thanks to everyone who was on the lookout!

If you've seen Luca, a 10-month-old American Bulldog, please contact his family at 202.276.8039 or 202.903.4316.

Armed Carjackings this Afternoon in the 4800 Block of 8th Street NE

From MPD-4D Commander, Hilton Burton:

This afternoon, within the last hour [message was sent at 5:36pm], there were two carjackings involving a dark green or black Jeep. Both carjackings took place in the 4800 block of 8th street NE. The current lookout we have is for 2 black males armed with a shotgun and a hand gun driving a black or dark green Jeep. Anyone with information about these suspects should call 911.

Missing Brookland Man's Body Pulled from the Anacostia

From MPD (though I never saw an initial missing persons' report):

Earlier today, a news release was issued misidentifying the body of an adult male recovered from the Anacostia River at approximately 3 pm yesterday, April 10, 2007 as a person reported missing on March 23, 2007. It has now been determined that this missing person was located and returned home.

The individual recovered yesterday from the Anacostia River is now identified as 49-year-old Rodney Lindsey of the 1000 block of Michigan Avenue, NE. Mr. Lindsey had been reported missing on April 7, 2007. The cause and manner of death will be determined by the Office of the DC. Medical Examiner.

South Dakota Avenue Transportation & Streetscape Study - Wednesday, January 31st

What: Nearly a year after the first public meeting, residents are invited to attend a community forum to discuss transportation and streetscape issues along South Dakota Avenue.

When: Wednesday, January 31st, 2007, 6-8 pm

Where: Taft Special Education Center Auditorium, 1800 Perry Street, NE

Agenda: The meeting format will be an open house review of maps indicating preliminary recommendations for the first 30 minutes (6-6:30 pm), followed by a presentation at 6:30pm of the study process and findings. There will be a question and answer period after the presentation and time to review maps and complete comment forms prior to the 8pm closing.

Etc.: If you have any questions about this meeting, please contact Emanuel Briggs at 202.478.1470 or at emanual.briggs@dc.gov. Visit the project website for additional information, including an online survey, study documents, and comments (pdf) from last year's meeting.

Students at Bunker Hill Elementary Among Those Who Broke World Record

Now this is a wonderful way to get students excited about reading, from WTOP:

About 80 fourth, fifth and sixth graders at Bunker Hill Elementary in Northeast made history Wednesday, as they broke a world record for reading.

The Bunker Hill schoolchildren were among the 547,826 students from 28 countries worldwide who broke the Guinness World Record for the "Most People Reading Aloud Simultaneously in Multiple Locations."

Their book of choice? The students all read from the same chapter of E.B. White's Charlotte's Web.

At 12 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, the reading began. When the chapter was over, cheers erupted from the halls of Bunker Hill.

Incoming D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier and Howard University Assistant Vice President Raymond Archer were among the official witnesses.

The previous record was from 2004, when 155,528 students from 737 schools throughout the United Kingdom read William Wordsworth's poem "Daffodils," according to Guinness World Record.

Homicide in the 3100 Block of 10th Street NE

Just a few hours after MPD Chief Ramsey led a march for peace, 28-year-old Eddie Watkins was shot and killed in front of 3124 10th Street, NE. From MPD:

At approximately 11:30 pm, on Tuesday, October 10, 2006, Metropolitan Police were called to the front of a building located in the 3100 block of 10th Street, NE, to investigate the report of a shooting. Upon arrival, officers located 28-year-old Eddie Watkins, of the 3100 block of 10th Street, NE, suffering from apparent multiple gunshot wounds to the head and body. DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services personnel responded to the scene, but found no signs consistent with life. He was taken to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for the District of Columbia and pronounced dead.

The case is under investigation by members of the MPDC's Violent Crimes Branch. Anyone with information about this case is asked to call police at (202) 727-9099.

The department currently offers a reward of up to $25,000 to anyone who provides information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for any homicide committed in the District of Columbia.

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Another senseless teenage death in NE on Tuesday, this time due to reckless driving:

On Tuesday, October 10, 2006, at approximately 4:25 pm, at the intersection of 8th Street and South Dakota Avenue, NE, 20-year-old Jonas Lee Underwood, of the 4900 block of 7th Street, NE, was the driver of a 1997 Chevy Monte Carlo making a left turn from westbound South Dakota Avenue NE, onto southbound 8th Street. As Mr. Underwood was making his turn, his vehicle was struck by a 2004 Chevy Avalanche being driven by 35-year-old Brian Omar Johnson, of the 1200 block of Delafield Place NE.

The impact caused massive intrusion into the right passenger’s side of the Monte Carlo. Consequently, the right rear passenger of the Monte Carlo, identified as 16-year-old David Duarte, of the 5000 block of 54th Place in Hyattsville, Maryland, was transported to the Washington Hospital Center’s MedSTAR Unit, where he was pronounced dead 5:10 pm.

Jonas Underwood was treated at the Washington Hospital Center for facial lacerations. The front seat passenger was treated at Howard University Hospital for head pain and facial cuts, and then released. The third passenger of the Monte Carlo was not physically injured.

Brian Johnson and his two passengers in the Chevy Avalanche did not sustain any physical injuries.

The case is under investigation by members of the MPDC's Major Crash Investigations Unit. Investigators have established that the intersection where the crash occurred is controlled by a stop sign for both northbound and southbound traffic. Therefore, the contributing factor in the crash is the failure to yield the right of way on the part of the operator of the Chevy Monte Carlo.

While the accident may certainly have been caused by Jonas Lee Underwood's failure to yield, I've no doubt that the oncoming traffic was travelling much faster than the posted speed limit. My guess is that may have contributed to the intensity of the crash.

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Finally, my apologies for not keeping up with all the happenings in the community lately. I've been under some serious time constraints that don't appear to be ending any time soon. While I'd like to go back and touch upon everything I've missed, I know that will only put me even further behind. So forward we go - with a few bumps in the road ahead....

Seriously - Don't Drink the Water...

Again. And the affected area is exactly the same as last time. Okay, okay - for good measure, here's the September 29th press release from WASA (though it didn't hit the news until today, and yes, the emphases are mine):

The District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority (WASA) has detected high nitrite levels in the drinking water at six properties served by a privately owned 8” water main along 8th Street NE that is not maintained by WASA. As a matter of caution, after consulting with the Department of Health, WASA is advising the occupants of these buildings near the intersection of 8th and Varnum streets N.E. not to drink the tap water [boiling will not help]. The affected properties include 4401 through 4415 8th Street NE and 831 and 832 Varnum Street NE. No other customers are impacted.

WASA issued a similar notice on August 15, 2006 when high nitrite levels were found at some of these addresses during routine water quality monitoring. Nitrites are usually found in stagnant water and generated by the decomposition of organic material. The large size of the private water main and its low use are believed to be major factors in the high nitrite levels that were detected from the pipe. Elevated nitrite levels in tap water are a particular health concern for infants below the age of six months.

WASA is arranging a meeting with District agencies and the impacted customers to determine the best course of action to resolve the problem. Meanwhile, as a precaution, WASA continues to regularly flush the line.

Don't Drink the Water!

4401 through 4415 8th Street, NE and 831 and 832 Varnum Street, NE have been warned not to drink their water because of elevated levels of nitrates. Not good. Stunning, late-breaking images of water being flushed out on Fox5.

Drug Bust in NE and a Great New Google Mashup Crime Map

Thanks to Frozen Tropics and Kathryn Sinzinger, Editor and Publisher of The Common Denominator, for early updates about Sunday crime happenings in NE, including a First District carjacking that ended at 17th and Jackson in Brookland with the apprehension of the suspects and a handgun. Ms. Sinzinger posted to the Brookland listserv on the drug bust:

This news tidbit should be of interest to everyone who has been concerned about the continuing drug problem around Turkey Thicket. Officers from the Fourth Police District executed a search warrant around 1 p.m. yesterday at 1017 Taussig Place NE and arrested a 24-year-old resident of that address, identified by police as Derek Nathaniel Blandon. Blandon is supposed to be arraigned in D.C. Superior Court today on charges that include possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession with intent to distribute marijuana and carrying a pistol without a license. Police seized crack cocaine, marijuana, cash, a handgun and drug paraphernalia during the raid.

A PSA 405 officer tells me that this incident resulted from chance, not an investigation. Police who accompanied a probation officer to the home on Sunday smelled marijuana and "locked everybody down" while the search warrant was obtained.

I have been unable, so far, to ascertain whether 4D and 5D officers are communicating about this search and arrest, since the police district line is at Taylor Street and 5D has been trying to deal with the Turkey Thicket problem.

MPD's press release on the incident here.

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CrimeinDC.org is a sparkly new Google Map mashup that not only incorporates the latest from Crimereports.com, but also breaks down the crimes into statistical data by type, ZIP, street, date, and day of the week. RSS, neighborhood radius searches, and e-mail alerts are forthcoming.

Also of note: The DCStat program intends to make "Crime Incidents" and arrests and charges available through RSS (hopefully) before the end of the year.

Finally, continue to stay alert and safe - it looks like we can't afford otherwise.

National Night Out - Tuesday, August 1st (and the weekend NE crime round-up)

In an effort to get to sleep at a semi-decent hour, I'm cramming quite a bit of information into one post....

· The District's 21st homicide of 2006 came early yesterday morning when 25-year-old John Stapleton, III was stabbed from behind in the heart at the Benning Court Apartments in the 1700 block of Benning Road, NE around 1:20am July 30th, 2006. NBC4 has more here; MPD here.

· The February 17, 2006 death of 84-year-old Annette Oxley was ruled a homicide last week. Ms. Oxley was found unconscious in her residence on the 1500 block of Otis Street, NE. The Medical Examiner's Office determined that the cause of death in this case was murder by Acute and Chronic Cocaine Intoxication.

· Tuesday, August 1st, 2006 DC celebrates "National Night Out," sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch. Some police districts start their festivities as early as 4pm; you can find the link to yours here.

· Finally, check out the MakeDCSafe.com site and petition for more foot patrols in DC, and consider adopting your own neighborhood version of "Know Five in Frederick." The name may not be as catchy for your immediate area ("Know a Bunch in Brookland," "Know Who's Your Neighbor in Woodridge," "Know Many in Michigan Park," "Know 'Em All in Edgewood or Eckington," "Know Ten in Trinidad," etc.), but the effect could far outshine the snazzy alliteration.

Two Transportation Meetings Saturday (and Some Interesting Links)

There's no minute like the last minute. See this post at Rebuilding Place in the Urban Space for information on two public meetings taking place tomorrow (Saturday, February 25th, 2006). Since I live just steps away from the intersection of my street and South Dakota Avenue, I'm very interested in the first meeting. From a quick check on the internet, it looks like you should be able to e-mail your input (whether or not you are able to attend) to the Ward 5 Transportation Planner, Sharlene Reed. Though I hate to think I need to say it, I've seen what neighbors can do on the listservs in the heat of the moment: Please remember to be courteous.

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While poking around the web for this information, I stumbled across a few interesting links:

• The picture above is a still taken this evening from the traffic camera located at Rhode Island Ave. & South Dakota Ave., NE. You can view the live feed from all the Distict's traffic cams here. (Warning: I imagine the upload time is brutal with a dial-up connection.)
  
• A link to DDOT's "Brookland Transportation and Streetscape Study," as well as the website dedicated to the study, hosted by one of the project's consultants, Michael Baker Corporation.
  
• A link to DDOT's "South Dakota Avenue and Streetscape Study" and the Wilbur Smith Associates website dedicated to the study. (this info added to the post after the meeting)
  
• A list of recent/current DC transportation studies.