Women Lose World Cup; DC Transportation Sees Sudden Turnover: Morning Links

Must-reads from around Washington

Written by Kay Steiger | Published on July 18, 2011

Women's USA Team Loses World Cup: Hopefully you're not too depressed after the US women's soccer team lost to Japan yesterday in a tense final World Cup game. Washington, you may want to think carefully about eating sushi or teriyaki this week.

DC Transportation Personnel Turnover: After Council Chair Kwame "Fully Loaded" Brown removed Ward Six Councilman Tommy Wells from the transportation committee for what Greater Greater Washington calls "transparently political reasons," it seems there's more personnel turnover in DC transportation management. Lydia DePillis at the Washington City Paper reports that Scott Kubly, who has been spearheading not only DC's streetcar program but also its Circulator bus program and Capital Bikeshare expansion, has resigned. Still, DePillis notes that Mayor Vince Gray and Brown have shown commitment to funding the streetcar and bikeshare programs in the city's budget, but the moves make those who worry about where transportation falls as a city priority.

African American Civil War Museum Reopens: The African American Civil War Museum, which had been located on 11th and U Streets in a tiny storefront space, plans to officially reopen today in a larger, 5,000-square-foot space at 1925 Vermont Avenue, Northwest. DCist notes this new location is directly across the street from the African American Civil War Monument and held a number of Civil War-related lectures and events to hallmark the move.

Murder Suspect Escapes Courthouse: In a switcheroo perhaps worthy of a heist movie, murder suspect James "Sticky" Brewer swapped places with another man in the DC Superior Court on Friday. The other man, Bradley Allen, was released after facing a misdemeanor drug charge, but it was Brewer who wandered the streets free for 23 hours before getting taken back into custody by DC police. The real Allen was later released after he faced his arraignment himself, J. Freedom du Lac and Victor Zapana report for the Washington Post.

Rhode Island Avenue Bike Trail Crime Spikes: Community members are worried over a number of criminal incidents occurring on the Rhode Island Avenue bike trail in Northeast DC. A college intern was recently robbed at gunpoint in daylight and caught by a surveillance video. The bike trail opened last summer, WUSA9 reports.

Pedicabs Conflict With Tourmobile: The city's pedicabs have been running into trouble with the National Mall's US Park Police, Kytja Weir reports for the Washington Examiner. Some pedicab cyclists have been given tickets or "shooed away" for delivering passengers to the Mall. Bill Line, a spokesperson for the National Park Service, says pedicabs are violating the law because commercial transactions aren't allowed on or near the Mall. Tourmobile has an exclusive year-to-year contract to provide transportation services to and from the Mall.

Briefly Noted: A regional development firm hopes to lure stimulus dollars to the area. . . . PG County hopes to move a Beltsville porn shop. . . . Beloved Capitol Hill neighborhood bar Tune Inn held a fundraiser after a kitchen fire damaged it last month.

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