Wone Lawsuit Reaches Settlement; BWI Sets Passenger Records: Morning Links

Must-reads from around Washington

Written by Kay Steiger | Published on August 4, 2011

Wone Lawsuit Reaches Settlement: The widow of Robert Wone, a man who was murdered in Dupont Circle in 2006, settled a wrongful death lawsuit yesterday. Katherine Wone had filed a suit for $20 million against three men the men she suspected of being connected to her husband's death. Details of the settlement haven't yet been released.* Read our feature by Harry Jaffe on the Wone case, and an interview with Wone's attorney here.

BWI Sets Passenger Record: In the first six months of this year, the Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport set a record for the most passengers in its history. More than 9 million people passed through the airport in the first half of the year, up 5.3 percent from last year, Amy Myers reports at the Washington Examiner. The airport is on track to have a total of 22.5 travelers pass through it this year.

Opposition Rises Against Columbia Pike Trolly: Plans for Arlington's Columbia Pike to add a streetcar project is increasingly being met with opposition. Some say the $140 million project is wasteful spending and will get in the way of other traffic on the road, Liz Essley reports for the Examiner.

Study Analyzes Transit and Housing Costs: A new study released by the Office of Planning and the Center for Neighborhood Technology found that living farther out from the city's core, where housing is cheaper, may not actually be affordable when you also calculate transportation costs. The study calculated affordability by estimating housing costs at 30 percent of the area's median income and transit costs at 15 percent. They found that locations where housing was below the 30 percent threshold often had transit costs that, when combined with housing costs, exceeded that 45 percent threshold, Greater Greater Washington says.

Latinos Targeted for Muggings: According to DCentric, DC Assistant Police Chief Diane Groomes says Latinos in Columbia Heights may be getting targeted for muggings, which have been on the rise in the neighborhood. Groomes says she believes it may be muggers suspect Latinos are likely to be carrying cash and be less likely to report the incident to the police. The mayor's Office of Latino Affairs is encouraging Latinos in the neighborhood to open bank accounts and avoid carrying large amounts of cash.

New Speed Camera on I-270: Dr. Gridlock has the skinny on a new speed camera on Maryland's I-270 highway. The camera has been installed in a work zone at Route 80, about 25 miles from where the highway meets the Beltway. Violators of the 55 mph speed limit will receive warnings rather than citations until August 22. After that, violations will result in a $40 fine for exceeding the speed limit by at least 12 mph.

Meanwhile, Los Angeles has done away with mandatory fines for red-light cameras.

Briefly Noted: Apparently Crystal City might gain the distinction of housing one of America's best bathrooms. . . . The city's Office of Campaign Finance cleared DC Ward 7 Councilmember Yvette Alexander of most charges of misusing funds. . . . Four Metro employees were charged with theft yesterday afternoon.

*Correction: This post originally said the Wone suit settled for $20 million. Since the exact details haven't yet been released, it's unclear how much the suit has settled for.

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