Georgetown vs. China: Goodwill Game Turns To Bad Brawl | Sports

(Via HuffingtonPost.com)

BEIJING — A bench-clearing brawl at an exhibition game between American and Chinese basketball teams Thursday marred the orchestrated harmony of U.S. Vice President Joe Biden’s visit to China.

The fight between the Georgetown University men’s basketball team and the Bayi Rockets on Thursday night in Beijing forced the game to end early. Biden did not attend the game. However, on Wednesday he watched the Georgetown team beat the Shanxi Zhongyu Brave Dragons 98-81.

Georgetown Hoyas head coach John Thompson III said in an emailed statement that the team regretted the incident.

“Tonight, two great teams played a very competitive game that unfortunately ended after heated exchanges with both teams,” he said. “We sincerely regret that this situation occurred.”

The brawl Thursday was the latest instance of on-court fighting by China, whose players have been fined tens of thousands of dollars by the world and Asian federations for scrapping with opponents.

Photos from the game circulating on China’s popular microblog Sina Weibo show players from both teams pushing one another.

The Washington Post said the melee broke out in the fourth quarter as members of both teams tackled and threw punches at one another. Chairs and water bottles were also thrown as the Georgetown players left the court with about nine-and-a-half minutes remaining.

The Georgetown Hoyas are in China on a 10-day goodwill trip which has been cited by the U.S. State Department as an example of sports diplomacy that strengthens ties between the two countries’ peoples. The team was briefed by the State Department ahead of its departure on what to expect during its trip to Beijing and Shanghai, according to news releases on the university’s website.

“We remain grateful for the opportunity our student-athletes are having to engage in a sport they love here in China, while strengthening their understanding of a nation we respect and admire at Georgetown University,” Thompson III said.

A U.S. Embassy official called it an “unfortunate” incident.

“We look to these types of exchanges to promote good sportsmanship and strengthen our people-to-people contact with China,” the official said.

Earlier in the day, some friction also arose as reporters covering Biden’s visit encountered some restrictions. During Biden’s meeting with Chinese officials, White House press handlers believed they had an agreement that reporters would be permitted to remain in the room until Biden had completed his opening remarks.

However, Chinese security officers began telling reporters to leave while Biden was speaking, leading to whispered objections and some reporters being led from the room.

Flash Mob Robbery in Germantown | News

Vodpod videos no longer available.

(Via TBD.com)

Recently, it seems that flash mobs are more commonly employed for petty crimes, like panty raids, rather than awkward protests and copycat marketing. This video shows a large group of teens swarming a Germantown 7-Eleven and stealing candy, chips, ice cream, and soda — basically anything that will, over time, render them morbidly obese. So who gets the last laugh?

According to the store owner, police didn’t want a copy of the surveillance tape because they thought it would be hard to capture the teens based on the footage, which, to our eyes, seems clear enough. Nonetheless, a Montgomery County officers tells NBC Washington, “We’re going to take this very seriously.” Right. (The owner also didn’t want to reveal the location of his store; there are six in Germantown, so it shouldn’t be hard to figure out if you live there.)

It’s come to the point where, when we see a large group of people, we expect that we will be robbed, not treated to a live rendition of “Born This Way.” We almost miss the days when flash mobs were simply annoying, rather than a societal menace.

Did you see what happened at the 0:50 mark? A boy knocks a bag onto the ground, and a girl behind him picks it up and puts it back on the rack. They may be shoplifting en masse, but hey, at least they’re keeping organized what don’t steal!

DC’s Own Tony Lewis, Jr. Wins “Best Community Leader” Award at Steve Harvey Hoodie Awards | Community

Photo courtesy of Ruthless Kay Photography

For those that don’t know Tony Lewis, Jr.’s story (peep the article The Washington Post wrote on him last year), one word to describe him is inspiring. He’s a positive man trying to make a positive change in his community. From leading peace marches up and down North Capitol Street to helping and mentoring children with incarcerated parents, Tony Lewis, Jr is an advocate for the people.

Yesterday, Steve Harvey recognized Tony Lewis as the “Best Community Leader” at the 2011 Ford Hoodie Awards.

Photo courtesy of Tony Lewis, Jr.

We would like to send out a major congratulations to Tony Lewis, Jr.

We knew he could do it, and he brought it home to the DMV.

#DCorNothing

Follow @MrTonyLewisJr on Twitter!

 

 

17 Charged in Drug Ring in Shaw Neighborhood | News

Vodpod videos no longer available.

(Via WUSA9)

WASHINGTON, DC (WUSA) — Early morning raids Tuesday in DC, and in several Maryland towns, capped an investigation of a long-established drug ring that was active in DC’s Shaw neighborhood, according to law enforcement officials involved in the case.

“This was a multi-year investigation. Obviously drugs are pervasive in our city and with today’s operation it was really a blow, I think, we struck against a significant criminal enterprise,” US Attorney Ronald Machen, Jr. told 9News Now.

Seventeen persons have been indicted; 15 of them arrested in this three-year investigation.

READ: The Indictment (PDF)

“That is pretty large. In DC, we normally see smaller crews so this was a large organization for DC that was distributing narcotics in the 7th and O area of Northwest Washington, DC,” Machen said.

“At the time of the arrests, law enforcement officers seized illegal narcotics, six firearms, four vehicles, and more than $600,000 in cash. The arrests follow the return of a federal indictment charging 17 individuals with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine, crack cocaine, and marijuana,” a federal press release claimed.

The seventeen defendants charged include Espey Brown, Jr., 37, of Washington, D.C.; Keith Gregory Gaston, 39, of Silver Spring, MD; Angela Denise Peoples, 40, of Washington, D.C.; Eugene Edward Gadson, 38, of Washington, D.C.; Derrick Anthony Harris, 37, of Washington, D.C.; Laura Ann Cooper, 51, of Washington, D.C.; Gregory Tuckson, 55, of Washington, D.C.; Harry Terrell, Jr., 68, of Washington, D.C.; Thomas Kearney, Jr., 53, of Washington, D.C.; Gregory Martin, 55, of Washington, D.C.; David Emanuel Kyle, 41, of Camp Springs, MD; Tyrone Marcel Smith, 42, of Accokeek, MD; Joseph Garvin Young, 35, of Lanham, MD; Anthony Andre Carter, 32, of Fort Washington, MD; Walter Lybrant Hayman, 47, of Glenn Dale, MD; Marcus Alfred Gurley, 31, of Glenn Dale, MD; and Eric Michael Woods, 40, of Washington, D.C.

We Need Jobs! Who’s hiring in DC? | News

(Via WUSA9)

The Jobs report for July had a lot of good news.

The economy added more jobs than expected.

So who is hiring in our area?
Mike Steinitz from staffing firm Robert Half joins 9NEWS NOW’S Jessica Doyle with some insight on how you can get hired.

Two People Shot Near MD Nightclub | News

Two people were shot near the former Le Pearl Ballroom, now known as MSG Nightclub

(Via WUSA9)

CAPITOL HEIGHTS, Md. (WUSA) — Prince George’s County Police are investigating a double shooting near a Capitol Heights nightclub that has sent two people to the hospital.

Officials tell 9 NEWS NOW police responded to the 7900 block of Central Avenue around 2:44 Monday morning for a report of a shooting. Police arriving on scene found two victims suffering from apparent gun shot wounds near the MSG nightclub.

Police say a 20-year-old female victim, who is from District Heights, was taken to a local hospital in serious condition. She is currently in critical condition.

The second male victim was transported with non-life-threatening injuries.

Right now there is no information available on possible suspects or motive in the shooting. The investigation is ongoing.

Awkward Much? President Obama’s Awkward Pause During Speech. | News

http://videos.mediaite.com/embed/player/?layout=&playlist_cid=&media_type=video&content=KX9M0L2LY3PLN8MT&read_more=1&widget_type_cid=svp

Click on the above link to see when President Barack Obama had an awkward moment on TV. He was misinformed on the count off to begin his speech. In the background, you can hear someone yelling loud and clear, “AWKWARD!”

Maryland & Virginia School Tax Holidays | News

Many schools start in almost one month. To help parents and guardians save money, Maryland and Virginia will have a tax-free holiday.

In Maryland, the 6% sales tax on clothes and shoes costing $100 or less between August 14th and August 20th. In Virginia, the tax-free holiday runs from August 5th through August 6th.

DC hasn’t had a tax-free holiday since 2009.

Marijuana Cultivation Centers Application Process Opens in DC | News

(via DCist.com)

Today, the D.C. Department of Health announced that it was opening a month-long application process for the 10 cultivation centers that will be part of the city’s slowly evolving medical marijuana program.

Between April and June, over 50 hopefuls filed letters of intent with the District outlining their plans to apply for a license to run one or multiple cultivation centers throughout the city. Those that met basic criteria are now allowed to file full applications, which come with a steep $5,000 application fee, only $2,500 of which is refundable.

Once the full applications are received — the closing date is September 16 — a five-member committee will choose the lucky winners based on a number of factors, including security plans and input from ANCs where they plan on locating. (Ward 5 seems to be go-to spot for cultivation centers, but we’ve heard of possible locations everywhere from Capitol Hill to Tenleytown.) Each cultivation center will be limited to 95 plants, and city officials expect the program to be fully operational by May 2012.

Of course, like much of the program’s development to date, there are still uncertainties and unanswered questions that are likely to upset impatient advocates. Notably: while applications for cultivation centers are now available, the same application for the five dispensaries that will actually get the marijuana to qualifying patients is not. (Cultivation centers are not allowed to service patients directly.)

Additionally, the Department of Health gave additional notice today that a new set of rules governing the program are forthcoming on August 12; once out, these will be the fourth version of the program’s rules rolled out since last year. In today’s notice, the Department of Health warns that “some of the application requirements have changed,” but applicants won’t know until next week which ones have changed. Finally, though the notice says that the application will be available electronically on the Department of Health website, it hasn’t yet been posted as of this story.

We’ve reached out to the Department of Health for answers, but haven’t heard back yet. Once we do, we’ll update.

Student ID, Library Card, Bus Pass, & Metro Card All-in-One | News

Click the above links to get yours now!

(via WTOP.)

WASHINGTON – The days of students juggling a student ID, library card, bus pass and Metro card will soon be over with the introduction of the DC One Card with SmarTrip capabilities.

The DC One Card is a credential that will allow students in grades 6-12 to access government buildings and recreation centers, check out library books and ride the Metro all with a single card.

The ID card is currently in the pockets of all D.C. Public Schools secondary students, but the added SmarTrip capabilities will increase the card’s utility.

The hope is for the program to reduce costs and identity fraud while allowing students more convenient access to the facilities and services that they need to be successful.

Before the enhanced DC One Card, the D.C. Department of Transportation’s School Transit Subsidy Program provided reduced fares for students taking public transportation to school, but the process was cumbersome. Students were required to take an application to a School Transit Subsidy office and then complete the process at a Metro office each month.

Now, students can renew their reduced fare passes by using the DC One Card at Metrorail station vending machines.

Combining so many features into one card seems like a disaster waiting to happen if a student were to lose his or her DC One Card. Students can recover the unused amount on a lost and stolen card by calling the DC One Card Helpline at (202) 671-CARD.

Students then can obtain a new card and receive a prorated refund for the number of days left on the pass. In the past, lost or stolen cards could not be reimbursed for unused fares.

Camille Lynch, a sophomore at the School Without Walls in Northwest D.C., has tested out the DC One Card on her public transportation routes and says she’s already noticed its convenience and savings.

“I really love the DC One card because it’s really economical and it saves us a lot of money,” Camille says. “It’s only $30 a month, instead of having to pay for every fare that you use.”

DDOT officials aim to have all DCPS high schools and middle schools using the new DC One Card program by October. By January, DDOT hopes to have all K-5 schools and educational campuses using the cards, and officials hope to introduce the program to public charter, private and parochial schools by next summer.

Students at certain schools can enroll in the new program Aug. 16. To see the rollout schedule for when schools are eligible to enroll, click here.