DC Mayor, MD Governor Races Heat Up

With primary elections only five months away, races at every level are beginning to heat up, DC and Maryland included.

In DC, Mayor Adrian Fenty's reelection bid appears to dace a formidable challenge in DC Council Chairman Vincent Gray. Gray, who officially announced his candidacy to be the Democratic nominee for Mayor on Tuesday, appears poised to mount a campaign challenging Fenty's sway over African American voters, a group with which Fenty has recently struggled.

Due to DC being an overwhelmingly Democratic city, the Democratic party's primary is widely considered the true competitive race for mayor. Despite this sentiment, Rob Noel, GW college Republicans communications director refused to rule out the possibility of a strong Republican candidate.

"The citizens of DC are beginning to warm to many republican positions, perhaps most notably the school choice program that republicans advocate," Noel said in an email to WRGW, "Parents are tired of sending their children to DCs (sic) failing public schools and would greatly benefit from the ability to send their children to thriving private schools. A Republican mayor would likely work hard to give them that opportunity."

Michael Garber, Noel's counterpart in the College Republicans, denied to throw support behind a particular candidate in the primary, vowing to support whoever wins that election during the general contest.

In a more traditional partisan race, Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley, a Democrat, appears to most likely face Republican Robert Ehrlich in a rematch of the 2006 contest. The Washington Post reported Tuesday that Ehrlich plans to ride a wave of "anti-incumbent, anti-spending" sentiment among voters to the statehouse.

Despite these sentiments, polls show Ehrlich behind O'Malley by 6.5 points, a margin similar to his loss in the 2006 election.

The College Republicans described Ehrlich as "a strong candidate...[with] a strong platform to run on," specifically noting his previous stint as governor of Maryland. They demurred when asked to explicitly support him, however, electing to await the result of the state's Republican primary.

The College Democrats expressed support for O'Malleys candidacy, and are "looking forward to the challenge" posed by his reelection campaign.

Record Number of Snow Days for GWU

The worst snowstorm in DC since 1922 is causing disarray at The George Washington University; affecting 23,000 students and all aspects of campus life.

Classes have been cancelled for three consecutive days. Student Health Services is closed. 4-RIDE, the campus escort van service modified its services to walking safety escorts. Dining options for students are limited, with many restaurants and stores closed. And the much-anticipated Meghan McCain speech and Rupert Murdoch's appearance on Kalb Report were cancelled due to the inclement weather.

The status of public transportation in DC and the surrounding areas is a key factor for university administrators who make the decision to cancel classes due to inclement weather. This is a record for the university for most consecutive 'snow days' and it currently seems as if it might extend to four executive days. GW is urging students to avoid walking on streets and to be cautious of tree limbs breaking off due to the heavy weight of accumulated snow.

DC snow crews have been working around the clock in 12-hour shifts since last Friday to remove the snow and fallen trees. "Considering the incredible feat they have been able to accomplish in a city that averages 15 inches a year and with little rest, I'd say our snow team is one of the strongest and most dedicated in the region," said Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, who distributed hot drinks and donuts to snow plow crews.

On Tuesday evening Steven Knapp, the university president, sent out a thank you to those assisting in the impact of the storm. "You have cleared sidewalks, served meals, staffed the libraries, kept The Vern Express running, organized student activities, and made sure that our campuses remained safe and sound," wrote Knapp.

Keep checking WRGW News for updates on the storm and cancellations.

D.C. Council proposes legalization of medical marijuana

D.C. City Council member David Catania proposed a bill to legalize medical marijuana in D.C. on Tuesday January 19^th. The bill was co-sponsored by nine out of the thirteen other council members.

The drug will be given only to chronically ill patients or registered caregivers in order to ease the symptoms of serious illness. The proposal allows the Department of Health to regulate how the policy would be implemented; including the conditions for which the drug can be prescribed.

The legislation also declares that medical cannabis would only be available from five dispensaries in Washington, each located at least 1,000 feet away from schools.

Medical cannabis is currently legal in fourteen states. One of the biggest challenges for D.C. is where to grow the drug because it is illegal to ship across Virginia or Maryland’s borders.

At Least 7 Dead in "Worst Crash in Metro History"

UPDATE 12:03pm: The number dead again stands at 9. See the above story by clicking HERE for the most recent information.

UPDATE: The number of dead has been revised to 7. Initial reports had the number as high as 9. This post has been updated to reflect the change. WRGW will keep you updated as details emerge.

_______________

"It looks to be the worst Metro accident in D.C. history," D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty told reporters after a rush hour Red line collision leaves at least seven dead and dozens more injured.

The crash took place at 5:02pm between the Fort Totten and Takoma Park Metro stations, in a suburban area near the Maryland border.

Photographs show the cars of one train on top of another train, the floor of the top train missing and fire department ladders leading to the highest points. Passengers describe the above-ground collision as a "bomb going off," and remember plumes of smoke, dust, and debris.


The district's fire chief Dennis Rubin reports that some 70 people were brought to area hospitals, including a handful to George Washington University Hospital. Others were bused to the hospital for treatment and are being released as the night continues.


The investigation is ongoing but Metro General Manager Joe Catoe told reporters that the train may have been waiting to leave the station when it was struck behind by another train. The operator of one of those trains is among those reported dead.

Initially outlets were reporting no injuries.


"First and foremost, our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the victims. I want to thank our GW hospital staff and volunteers for their hard work in treating the injured GW President Steven Knapp said in a statement released to the GW community. "We know that a number of our staff, students and faculty members use the Red Line to get to our campus and will be affected by today's collision."

The Red line will remain closed between the Silver Spring and Rhode Island stations for a large part of tomorrow and Metro is advising riders to avoid the line all together.

President Knapp said those faculty members who have difficulty commuting to work will be granted a "liberal leave" and "appropriate accommodations." Colonial Inauguration will continue as planned.

This is the first Metro accident since the January 1982 involving casualties and the first train-to-train crash since 2004 when trains collided at the Woodley Park/Adams-Morgan station, also on the Red line. The 1982 derailment between the Federal Triangle and Smithsonian resulted in three dead.

The crash is more bad news for Metro, which saw a gang-related shooting outside its Columbia Heights Metro station.

Meanwhile GW Hospital remains in the headlines having just been the backdrop for the Holocaust Memorial Museum shooting that left one dead and the shooter in critical condition at the facility.

You may post your reactions below.


- Jesse Regis