American University's campus. Photo by Darrow Montgomery.

Labor Day might be a week away, but this past weekend marked the theoretical end of summer for thousands of area students: Classes begin at DC Public Schools, in multiple Maryland and Virginia jurisdictions, and at several local universities today. And a few significant changes took place over the weekend in advance of the return to the classroom.

Extended Timeline

Last week, City Paper reported on the push to get public school students vaccinated. In addition to now-standard vaccines against illnesses like polio, measles, mumps, and rubella, DCPS students over the age of 12 will also have to be vaccinated against COVID-19. At first, DCPS said all vaccine records needed to be submitted 20 days after the first day of school. On Friday afternoon, DCPS officials sent a letter extending the deadline and enforcement of the mandate into October. 

Elementary students will have until Oct. 3 to be fully vaccinated; after that date, they will not be allowed to come to school if they are not fully vaccinated. Middle and high school students will receive non-compliance notes beginning on Oct. 3 but will have until Nov. 4 to complete vaccinations before they’re prevented from attending school. Non-compliance notices for the COVID-19 vaccine will be issued beginning Nov. 21 and those who are not in compliance will not be permitted to return to school after winter break on Jan. 3.

The Union Makes Them Strong

After a week on strike, members of the American University Staff Union reached a tentative agreement with the university on Friday afternoon. Specific terms of the deal have not been disclosed, but at the university’s convocation before the bargaining session, students walked out of the event and chanted, “Pay your staff.” 

“After 468 days at the bargaining table, we’ve made history because WE HAVE A CONTRACT! Thank you to our supporters—colleagues, faculty, comrades, and especially our students—we couldn’t have done this without you,” the union tweeted on Friday. 

In a statement announcing the tentative agreement, AU President Sylvia Burwell also announced that the university reached a tentative agreement with the union unit representing adjunct faculty members.

—Caroline Jones (tips? cjones@washingtoncitypaper.com)

  • To see today’s COVID-19 data, visit our coronavirus tracker.
  • Ardent Putin critic Dan Rapoport was found dead earlier this month after he fell from a luxury apartment building in D.C. MPD has said they do not suspect foul play, but others close to Rapoport say his suspicious death needs more investigation. [Politico]
  • Treyvon Littles is the third person to die while incarcerated in the D.C. Jail this year. His mother says the Department of Corrections won’t talk to her and continues to seek answers. [DCist]
  • Lawsuits seeking to improve conditions in the D.C. Jail have little lasting effect, as the people incarcerated there and in other D.C.-area jails suffer. [Post]
  • D.C. sniper Lee Boyd Malvo will receive a new sentence in Maryland, the state court of appeals ruled, due to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on life sentences for juveniles. Malvo was 17 when he and John Allen Muhammad shot and killed several people from a car throughout the DMV. It is unlikely the resentencing will result in Malvo’s release because the now-37-year-old is also serving a separate sentence in Virginia. [WJLA]
  • A person was struck by a Metro train at the Foggy Bottom station Sunday morning. The person suffered minor injuries and was taken to the hospital. Another person ran into the train tunnel after allegedly stealing something, according to Metro GM Randy Clarke. [Post, Twitter]

By City Paper staff (tips? editor@washingtoncitypaper.com)

  • D.C. business owners are raising some familiar complaints about the strain imposed on them by new regulations. How will that impact the Council’s at-large race? And could the restaurant industry soon bring aboard ex-Councilmember David Catania as a lobbyist? [Post]
  • The Office of Campaign Finance will investigate At-Large Councilmember Elissa Silverman’s move to poll the Ward 3 Council race, following a complaint from one of her rivals, Karim Marshall. Silverman says he is “using a smoke machine telling people there’s fire when there’s nothing there.” [DCist]
  • Delays in the D.C. Public Schools enrollment process could mean that several migrant children from Texas and Arizona won’t start class at the same time as their peers. [WJLA]

By Alex Koma (tips? akoma@washingtoncitypaper.com)

  • Brew at the Zoo returns on Sept. 8, featuring demonstrations with reptiles, small mammals, and donkeys, as well as food trucks and offerings from more than 40 breweries. [WUSA9, National Zoo]
  • To support Reverie as it recovers from a fire, fans of the Michelin-starred New American restaurant are creating and selling NFTs. [Washingtonian]
  • D.C. area residents can taste dishes from acclaimed New York chefs at Le Fantome, a new food hall in Riverdale. [DCist]

By City Paper staff (tips? editor@washingtoncitypaper.com)

  • “Open to the public, accessible and inclusive, museums foster diversity and sustainability.” The International Council of Museums has updated its definition of “museums,” but does it go far enough and will it have an impact on local institutions and the country’s many privately owned museums? [Post]
  • Eireann Dolan and her husband, Nationals pitcher Sean Doolittle, along with Pie Shop owner Sandra Basanti, and Chris “Cardi” Clayton of CHRiS CARDi House of Design come together tonight to host the official launch of “Art Drives Statehood” with Art Enables, a project of DC Vote to intentionally include messages of equality into the city’s the arts and culture. [DC Vote]
  • Back and better than ever—this year’s DC Jazz Festival makes Labor Day Weekend its new date, the Wharf its new home, and condenses the fun into five days of shows, competitions, panels, and more. [Washington Informer]

By Sarah Marloff (tips? smarloff@washingtoncitypaper.com)

  • Commanders’ running back Brian Johnson was shot in the leg during an attempted carjacking incident in Northeast. D.C. police are looking for two teenage suspects in connection with the incident that took place around 5:30 p.m. Sunday near Ben’s Chili Bowl on H Street NE. Robinson was taken to the hospital and is in stable condition. [NBC Sports, WJLA]
  • MLB Players’ Association took initial steps to unionize Minor League Baseball players, who are considered seasonal workers who can be paid below minimum wage. There are about 5,000 minor leaguers; 30 percent of them would need to sign union authorization cards before MLBPA can represent them in collective bargaining. [ESPN]
  • Nationals starting pitchers hadn’t notched a win in 43 games. Patrick Corbin, perhaps the most unlikely Nats hurler to reverse the trend, had the honor of breaking the 43-game losing streak with a victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday. [Post]

By City Paper staff (tips? editor@washingtoncitypaper.com)

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