Congratulations, D.C., you’ve made it to another Monday. After a weekend of seasonable and sunny weather, it can be hard to get back into the swing of things, but we here at City Paper have got the news you may have missed while waiting in line for a tour of the White House Gardens.

Pacing in the Streets

Good news: The D.C. government released its schedule of 2023 Open Streets events late last week.

Bad news: Due to budget limitations, only two events will be held this year, down from the six that were held in 2022. 

The first event is scheduled to take place on Sunday, June 4, when 12th Street NE in Brookland will close between Franklin Street and Michigan Avenue NE. The second event will take place on Georgia Avenue NW on Saturday, Oct. 7. 

The decrease in the number of events is due to budget constraints—executing them can cost nearly $700,000, according to budget notes from the District Department of Transportation—but constituents are pushing back on the budget cuts and suggesting alternative, less costly methods to mark streets as closed. Also pushing back against the cuts is Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen, who chairs the Council’s transportation committee and tells DCist he’ll “make some recommendations for change.”

The Windy City

Chicago lent D.C. its nickname this weekend as residents across the DMV dealt with gusts of up to 70 miles per hour on Saturday and subsequent damage and power outages. Roughly 25,000 people lost power in Arlington and Fairfax counties and another 5,000 people lost power in Prince George’s and Anne Arundel counties, according to Dominion Energy and Pepco estimates. Most of the power issues were caused by trees crashing into power lines and poles. 

In this season of wild weather, residents should also be aware of potential tornadoes. More than 400 tornadoes have been recorded in the D.C. metro area since 1950 and some areas fare worse than others. La Plata and portions of Charles County in Maryland, as well as portions of Loudoun County near Leesburg in Virginia, are hot spots for tornadic activity. According to GIS data, our region is more likely to experience tornadoes in June, so there’s no immediate need to panic or seek shelter. 

Falcicchio Fallout

The D.C. government continues to deal with the consequences of John Falcicchio’s actions after a second employee accused Mayor Muriel Bowser’s former chief of staff of unwanted sexual advances and harassment. A representative for attorney Debra Katz, who is representing the women who’ve accused Falcicchio, told the Post late last week that “there was a clear pattern of sexually exploitative behavior preying on women who were less powerful than he was.”

Bowser has vowed that the city will follow all policies and procedures related to the ongoing investigation, but otherwise has said very little in the two weeks since Falcicchio resigned. Anyone who has additional information or was impacted is encouraged to contact the Mayor’s Office of Legal Counsel.

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

• To see today’s COVID-19 data, visit our coronavirus tracker.
• The Pacific Legal Foundation, a conservative nonprofit, is threatening to sue the District over the Black Homeownership Strike Force, an initiative that seeks to increase the number of Black homeowners by 2030. PLF representatives say that race-specific benefits “run afoul” of the Constitution. [FOX5]
• Red Line service is temporarily suspended between Gallery Place and NoMa-Gallaudet U stations while Metro Transit Police investigate an incident involving a person who may have made contact with the electrified third rail. [Twitter, Post]
• Mini-grants of up to $5,000, distributed through D.C.’s Building Blocks violence reduction program, are helping Washingtonians make a difference in the lives of young people and those who have been or are currently incarcerated. [DCist]
• Four men were injured in a shooting on MLK Avenue SE on Sunday afternoon. Officials are looking for a black car that was seen driving away from the scene and say an AR-15 may have been used. [NBC Washington]

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