A regular summary of irregular news and notes from neighborhood blogs and email lists around the District.

Tall Teens: A member of the New Hill East email list wonders if anyone else heard the gunshots she heard. “Did anybody hear 3 or 4 gunshots Sunday night/Monday morning about 12:30 a.m. near the corner of East Capitol St. and 14th Street SE? I was upstairs in a room at the front of my house on 14th Street and heard 3 or 4 gunshots. By the time I got to the window to look out, I saw two guys running south on 14th Street. They were running full-speed and wore hooded sweatshirts so I only saw their backs and couldn’t identify much except that they seemed to be male, and based on their speed and height, probably late teens.”

Auld Lang Syne: On the MPD 5D list, a community member writes an emotional letter to the MPD thanking officers for all of their hard work: “There is little that one can really say as we begin to close out this year, and gingerly look forward to a fresh start with a new calendar year that quickly approaches. Little more than a heartfelt thank you! For a job well done! I choke with pride in being able to simply say that I know each of you and have the ultimate admiration for each of you personally.”

Thomas Trouble: Frozen Tropics notes that Ward 5 Councilmember Harry Thomas, Jr. just missed his first payment back to the city for funds that he spent but has not admitted to being guilty of spending. If you can follow that, it gets more complicated: “If Thomas doesn’t appease the District, we get to go after his privately held company. If it doesn’t have the money, we get to use liens and other fun tool to try to recover the funds. These recovery efforts will, of course, also cost more money. Oh, and the vacancy when Harry Thomas Jr. resigns triggers a mandatory special election within 114 days.  Remember that time we had like 15 people running for that seat? Yep. I think we can all look forward to a bit of craziness there.”

DCFEMS? While Fire Chief Keith Ellerbe wants to change the logo on branded gear from DCFD to FEMS, others want to keep the old logo, as it’s been around since 1925. The Anacostia Diaries isn’t that impressed by the struggle, writing: “In the wake of the controversy, Ellerbe put the changes on hold for 120 days to discuss them with the public and union officials, [Pete] Piringer said. [D.C. Firefighters Association President Ed] Smith said he has proposed a compromise solution to the chief: Keep the DCFD logo, but incorporate ‘Fire Emergency’ above the letters and ‘Medical Services’ below. You know what, I don’t care what patch they wear, or what you call them, as long as they show up quickly when I call 911.”