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A morning roundup of news, opinion, and links from Washington City Paper and around the District. Send tips and ideas to citydesk@washingtoncitypaper.com.

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The federal and District government have closed for St. Patrick’s Day, though not because of the holiday. There’s between 5 to 10 inches of snow on the ground in the D.C. area, which, of course, means another snow day. Here’s a list of all the closings in the area.

LEADING THE MORNING NEWS:

  • Early voting will still start today in the District; 10 a.m. at One Judiciary Square. [DCBOEE]
  • The Post editorial board endorses Brianne Nadeau over Councilmember Jim Graham for the Ward 1 D.C. Council seat, and give its endorsement to Charles Allen for the Ward 6 seat. For at-large, the board endorses Nathan Bennett-Fleming over incumbent Anita Bonds. [Post]
  • The man who is a person of interest in the murder of regional transportation leader Ron Kirby and two other high-profile murders in Alexandria is scheduled to appear in West Virginia court today for authorities to determine whether he should be sent back to Virginia to answer a gun charge that is unrelated to the string of murders. [WJLA]
  • Councilmember Michael Brown‘s ex-campaign treasurer, Hakim Sutton, turned himself in to authorities after he was accused of stealing more than $100,000 from Brown’s 2012 campaign account. [Post]

RECENT CITY PAPER STORIES TO HELP YOU MAKE SENSE OF YOUR DAY:

No Place Like Home: D.C. has 827 homeless families, including 1,591 children, living in motels and shelters this week. This winter, the city’s homeless population doubled, and the District government wasn’t prepared for the surge. Our latest cover story tells the stories of some of these homeless families—-and examines why the city wasn’t ready.

Bowser Time:In this post-Uncle Earl world, Muriel Bowser tops the latest mayoral power rankings.

No Art for You: Here’s a roundup of today’s snow-related art closures in the D.C. area.

LOOSE LIPS LINKS, by Will Sommer. (tips? wsommer@washingtoncitypaper.com)

  • Early voting starts today at Judiciary Square. [Post]
  • Washington Post editorial board endorses Brianne Nadeau in Ward 1, Charles Allen in Ward 6, Nate Bennett-Fleming for at-large. [Post]
  • Hakim Sutton, former Michael Brown treasurer accused of massive campaign theft, turns himself in. [Post]
  • Muriel Bowser leads the latest Mayoral Power Rankings. [LL]
  • Gray takes on his foes in NewsChannel 8 debate. [LL]
  • Jack Evans: Fears of gentrification pushing out residents are “a perception, not necessarily a reality.” [Post]
  • Sixteenth Street NW bus lane would help buses move faster. But would it help the rest of the traffic? [Post]
  • Post ed board stumps for Bowser. [Post]
  • Police chief Cathy Lanier says marijuana decriminalization won’t have a “huge impact” for crime levels. [WAMU]
  • $600 drug deal still means lengthy prison sentence. [Times]

HOUSING COMPLEX, by Aaron Wiener. (tips awiener@washingtoncitypaper.com)

  • Train delay means no elephant walk this year. [DCist]
  • Planned demolition of Chevy Chase house draws neighbors’ ire. [Post]
  • The key to improving middle schools is attracting middle-class families to all of them. [GGE]
  • Metro and bus fare hikes, in charts. [DCist]
  • With development booming, times are good for design firms. [Post]
  • Jack Evans weighs in on the Dupont Underground proposal. [SALM]
  • Today on the market: 1BR at The Whitman on M Street NW—$560,000

ARTS LINKS, by Jonathan L. Fischer. (tips? jfischer@washingtoncitypaper.com)

  • So long, “Black Family Reunion” mural. [PoPVille]
  • At-Large Councilmember Vincent Orange wants to lure House of Cards from Maryland. [Baltimore Business Journal]
  • A 12th Street NW home that was featured in the movie Syriana recently sold for $1.2 million. [Where We Live]
  • Will the making of the Camp David Accords make for good drama? [Post]
  • The latest historical novel by D.C. author Louis Bayard—Roosevelt’s Beast—reviewed [Post]

FOOD LINKS, by Jessica Sidman. (tips? jsidman@washingtoncitypaper.com)

  • Here are 20 places to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day [Eater]
  • What to drink to keep it classy on St. Patrick’s Day. [Washingtonian]
  • Eight places with great wings in D.C. [Zagat]
  • Rethinking the five second rule [NPR]
  • A guide to four spring beer festivals [Post]
  • &pizza aims to open on Barracks Row. [Capitol Hill Corner]
  • Where to find vegan menus [Express]
  • Taste test of The Gibson‘s spring cocktail menu [BYT]