Guns and bullet Department of Forensic Sciences crime lab
Guns and a bullet at the Department of Forensic Sciences in 2017. Credit: Darrow Montgomery

Good afternoon, D.C. While viewers around the world turned their attention to Northwest D.C. for scenes from the White House wedding this weekend, City Paper’s staff focused on more significant matters that actually affect D.C. residents.

Remembering Kelvin Blowe

Kelvin Blowe, a policy and advocacy associate at the nonprofit DC Justice Lab, was shot and killed last week on Southern Avenue SE. Blowe began working with the Justice Lab after returning from a 66-month incarceration and testified before the D.C. Council late last year in support of changes to the criminal code. The Council passed those changes he and his colleagues advocated for hours after he died.

Those who want to remember Blowe can make a donation to the Residential Services for Seniors & Veterans program Blowe began at Alpha & Omega Community Services.

Safer Streets for All

The family of Sarah Langenkamp, a U.S. diplomat who was struck and killed while riding her bike in Bethesda, organized a memorial ride to Capitol Hill last weekend. The ride, from Wood Acres Elementary School to the Capitol, attracted hundreds of riders and plenty of media attention: NPR and CNN covered the story on their national platforms. Riders aimed to draw attention to the rising number of pedestrian and cyclist deaths in the U.S. and asked Congress to fund the Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment Act, which will allocate $200 million that communities can request to improve safe cycling infrastructure. 

On Sunday, the date formally recognized as World Remembrance Day for Road Traffic Victims, Alexandria residents memorialized Miguel Angel Rivera, a 16-year-old who was struck and killed while riding a scooter in late August. Safe streets advocates installed a white ghost scooter at the intersection of Sanger Avenue and North Beauregard Street and called for redesigned road features, including raised crosswalks, that will keep non-motorists safe.

Deaths of cyclists age 20 and over have increased considerably in the past decades, from 212 in 1975 to 817 in 2021, according to statistics compiled by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. 

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

  • To see today’s COVID-19 data, visit our coronavirus tracker.
  • D.C. police arrested a 15-year-old boy who is accused of shooting and wounding Antoine Junior Manning, 14. Manning was shot and killed on the same block of Birney Place SE weeks later on Halloween. The 15-year-old charged with assault with a dangerous weapon has not been identified because he is a juvenile. Police would not say whether they suspect that the 15-year-old was also involved in the later, fatal shooting. [Post]
  • The suspected Potomac River Rapist was found dead in his cell at the DC Jail over the weekend. Giles Warrick is the eighth jail resident to die in DOC’s custody this year. [DCist]
  • D.C. hospitals didn’t do well on a recent ranking that evaluates patient safety and the avoidance of preventable illness. Howard University Hospital received an F and no other hospital in the District received higher than a B. [WTOP, Leapfrog]

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

  • The hotly debated overhaul of D.C.’s criminal code decriminalizes street vending by 2025, but many vendors and activists are urging lawmakers to pass stand-alone legislation on the subject to speed up that timeline. They note that the vast majority of arrests of people selling goods without licenses involve Black, brown, and Indigenous residents. [DCist]
  • D.C.’s marijuana gifting shops, also known as “I-71” stores, could soon have a path to joining the city’s regulated weed market. The shops have thus far successfully resisted efforts from Chairman Phil Mendelson and others to scrutinize and regulate these businesses more closely, but not everyone is happy with this proposed solution. [Outlaw Report]
  • The Council could soon centralize planning and oversight efforts for the city’s waterways within a new office housed in the Department of Energy and Environment. [GGWash]

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

  • Italian restaurant and market Osteria Mozza will open in the old Dean & DeLuca space in Georgetown. Stephen Starr (Le Diplomate, St. Anselm) is partnering with Los Angeles-based chef Nancy Silverton. [DCist]
  • Cafe Milano celebrated its 30-year anniversary earlier this month. Check out photos from the huge birthday bash and featured a surprise performance from Doug E. Fresh. [Washingtonian]
  • German, Peruvian, Italian, and Chinese are among the cuisines in Post critic Tom Sietsema’s seven favorite places to eat in the D.C. area right now. [Post]

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

Credit: Daniel Rader

In a Not So Far Off Kingdom, Into the Woods Delights Despite Some Missed Opportunities

What happens after happily ever after? That is a question that keeps audiences coming back […]

  • As WCP’s resident queer reporter, it seems impossible not to mention that yesterday was the 2022 Transgender Day of Remembrance. There was a local vigil to commemorate the day, but it was more somber than expected following Saturday’s shooting at a gay club in Colorado Springs that left several community members dead. [Blade]
  • What’s happening at local art galleries? Find out here. [Post]
  • I’m not sure I consider West Virginia the DMV, but Prince Snowflake, a Mountain State resident and cat, is basically a local celebrity. [Washingtonian]
  • The Commanders improved to 6-5 on the season with a win Sunday over the Houston Texans. They’re still in the hunt for the playoffs and are slight favorites against the 5-6 Atlanta Falcons at FedEx Field this week. Head coach Ron Rivera said Taylor Heinicke will be the starting QB going forward. [Post, Hogs Haven]
  • The Wizards beat the Hornets to complete a 5-1 six-game homestand. But don’t get too excited just yet. The Wizards, and their opponents, have been missing key players to injuries. [Bullets Forever, Post]
  • Five of the seven players the Nationals dumped last week were starting pitchers. So who’s going fill the gaps? [Post]
  • The U.S. plays Wales in the World Cup group stage today at 2 p.m. [WTOP]

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

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