Archive: Nikita Stewart
Nickles sees nothing wrong with developer's fixes for Gray
Attorney General Peter J. Nickles said he sees no wrongdoing in the repairs completed at the home of D.C. Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray (D) -- a story first reported in the Washington Times on Wednesday. "I don't think I read a serious allegation there. I call it like I...
By Gene Fynes | November 19, 2009; 12:50 PM ET | Comments (3)
No more police escort on bike rides, Fenty says
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) said Thursday he will no longer use a police officer to escort him and fellow cyclists on his bike rides -- a routine captured on video by WTOP investigative reporter Mark Segraves over a three-month period. The video showed a motorcycle officer clearing traffic for...
By Gene Fynes | November 12, 2009; 11:25 AM ET | Comments (16)
Big crowd joins Gray for birthday fundraiser (for mayor's race?)
Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray celebrated his birthday Tuesday night to raise money for his constituent services fund, but judging from the crowd, it looked like a pre-mayoral campaign kickoff. Former Mayor Sharon Pratt, former Council chairwoman Linda W. Cropp, and even Virginia Williams, mother of former Mayor Anthony A....
By Christopher Dean Hopkins | November 11, 2009; 08:51 AM ET | Comments (12)
Fenty, council members meet on Hartsock
A delegation of five council members met with Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) Monday evening as planned to discuss the mayor's controversial re-appointment of Ximena Hartsock as interim director of the Department of Parks and Recreation. Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray (D) requested the meeting after a tense period of...
By Anne Bartlett | November 10, 2009; 02:51 PM ET | Comments (17)
A mayor on the go, uh-oh!!!
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) won't let a police detail drive him, but he has apparently been using officers as he trains with cycling team D.C. Velo, according to a report by WTOP investigative reporter Mark Segraves. Segraves told D.C. Wire that he trailed Fenty, a triathlete, a dozen times...
By Tim Craig | November 10, 2009; 12:03 PM ET | Comments (6)
Thomas issues subpoena for Hartsock
Council member Harry Thomas Jr. is issuing a subpoena for interim parks and recreation director Ximena Hartsock to testify Nov. 16 on the controversial construction contracts. In dramatic fashion, Thomas called Hartsock's name several times. She was on the witness list for Thursday's hearing on the matter. He said "for...
By Anne Bartlett | November 5, 2009; 01:28 PM ET | Comments (3)
Judge again orders records turned over to Nichols
City Auditor Deborah K. Nichols said Monday that she is looking forward to receiving records from Anacostia Waterfront Corporation and the National Capital Revitalization Corporation, two now-defunct agencies that once served as the city's development arms. "We've won round two," she said. Superior Court Judge Eugene Hamilton once again ordered...
By Anne Bartlett | November 2, 2009; 01:21 PM ET | Comments (10)
Thomas bills would set new limits on Fenty administration
The Office of the Chief Financial Officer would be prohibited from transferring any funds to the D.C. Housing Authority and its subsidiaries for 90 days, under emergency legislation that Council member Harry Thomas Jr. (D-Ward 5) plans to introduce Tuesday. The Department of Parks and Recreation would also have to...
By Anne Bartlett | November 2, 2009; 01:00 PM ET | Comments (6)
Gray: More questions about contract awards
Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray (D) said Monday that the council's questions about contracts have expanded beyond those awarded by the D.C. Housing Authority. The council is now looking at whether the administration of Mayor Adrian M. Fenty has bypassed the legislative body in other ways -- from awarding option...
By Anne Bartlett | November 2, 2009; 12:23 PM ET | Comments (4)
Nickles: Recreation contracts broke the law
Attorney General Peter J. Nickles said the D.C. Housing Authority broke the law when it recently awarded millions of contracts for recreation projects to firms that had ties to Mayor Adrian M. Fenty without seeking approval of the D.C. Council. Nickles advised housing authority officials to submit the contracts to...
By Vanessa Williams | October 23, 2009; 06:23 PM ET | Comments (4)
A year ahead of election, Fenty stumps in Ward 7
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D), who is up for re-election in less than a year, hit Ward 7 Monday evening. Fenty, who made a name for himself by knocking on doors and literally wearing a hole in his shoe in his first mayoral bid in 2006, is again going door-to-door....
By Christopher Dean Hopkins | October 19, 2009; 07:05 PM ET | Comments (43)
Nickles: City will investigate waste in AIDS funding
Attorney General Peter J. Nickles said the city will investigate organizations and individuals that may have wasted HIV, AIDS dollars, spurred by a report by The Washington Post. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty was flanked by Nickles and other city officials a t news conference in response to the Post's 10-month...
By Christopher Dean Hopkins | October 19, 2009; 04:35 PM ET | Comments (5)
City Switches to Greek Firm for Lottery
And the winner is ... Greek lottery giant Intralot. The Office of the Chief Financial Officer announced Friday that Intralot would be recommended to take over the city's lottery system for what could be the next 10 years, depending on contract renewals. The selection had been highly controversial as international...
By Christopher Dean Hopkins | October 16, 2009; 11:19 AM ET | Comments (0)
Nickles Wins Round in Dispute with Auditor
The Nickles vs. Nichols saga continues. On Thursday, the District Court of Appeals granted the administration of Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) a stay of a Superior Court judge's order to hand over documents to City Auditor Deborah K. Nichols. Nichols took her fight to court when Attorney General Peter...
By Anne Bartlett | October 15, 2009; 04:05 PM ET | Comments (1)
Sivak Named D.C.'s Chief Technology Officer
Bryan Sivak, a 34-year-old who has spent the past four years expanding a technology company in London, was named the District's new chief technology officer by Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) Tuesday. Sivak, who must be confirmed by the D.C. Council, said in an interview that he heard about the...
By Anne Bartlett | October 13, 2009; 12:24 PM ET | Comments (2)
Hartsock Unsure of Plans Following Council Rejection
Ximena Hartsock, who was rejected as the new parks and recreation director Tuesday by the D.C. Council, says that she doesn't know what she is going to do next and that Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) told her he was "devastated" by the council's vote. Hartsock gave her first interviews...
By Anne Bartlett | October 7, 2009; 06:04 PM ET | Comments (17)
Judge Orders City to Provide Records to Auditor
Superior Court Senior Judge Eugene Hamilton ordered the city Wednesday to give D.C. Auditor Deborah K. Nichols "direct, unrestricted access to all documents" involving former quasi-government agencies that were independent but had city-appointed leadership. They were disbanded more than two years ago, and the Office of the Deputy Mayor for...
By Anne Bartlett | October 7, 2009; 05:29 PM ET | Comments (5)
Former Hawk One Security Guards Seek City Help
Security guards of the now-defunct Hawk One security company, which used to protect the city's government buildings and schools, are asking Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) and the D.C. Council to help them get their last paychecks. Many of the guards have been transferred to other security companies, which now...
By Anne Bartlett | October 7, 2009; 01:23 PM ET | Comments (0)
Barry Still in ICU at Howard University Hospital
Council member Marion Barry (D-Ward 8) remains in the intensive care unit at Howard University Hospital after being moved there Tuesday night, according to Natalie Williams, his spokeswoman. Barry, who underwent a kidney transplant in February, was admitted to the hospital early Tuesday to be treated for dehydration. Williams had...
By Gene Fynes | October 7, 2009; 11:40 AM ET | Comments (4)
Barry Hospitalized, Will Miss Council Meeting
Council member Marion Barry (D-Ward 8) has been hospitalized for dehydration, Bernadette Tolson, his chief of staff, confirmed. He went to Howard University Hospital at about 3 a.m. Tuesday and will not be at today's council meeting, where Council member David A. Catania (I-At Large) will introduce gay marriage legislation....
By Christopher Dean Hopkins | October 6, 2009; 10:34 AM ET | Comments (0)
Cora Masters Barry, City Reach Deal on Recreation Center
Former D.C. first lady Cora Masters Barry will get to stay in the recreation center that she was instrumental in building a decade ago after negotiations with the city. City officials released a brief statement Thursday, the same day supporters are expected to appear at a 4 p.m. hearing on...
By Gene Fynes | October 1, 2009; 02:52 PM ET | Comments (2)
Michael Kelly Moving on to Bigger Things
Michael Kelly, who recently announced his resignation from the D.C. Housing Authority after nearly a decade, has landed on his feet in a big way: general manager of the New York City Housing Authority. "Seldom do you find someone as qualified as Mike Kelly to assume a position as important...
By Gene Fynes | October 1, 2009; 11:23 AM ET | Comments (1)
Hawk One: City's Delay Caused Payment Problems
Hawk One Security, which had trouble this week paying guards who protect the city's public schools, owes the Internal Revenue Service $4.25 million in taxes and penalties for matters dating from 1998 to 2003, according to an IRS document sent to D.C. Public Schools in September. Hawk One representatives sent...
By Anne Bartlett | September 30, 2009; 05:31 PM ET | Comments (0)
Gay Games Won't Be Held in the District
Despite traveling to Cologne, Germany, District government officials failed to persuade the Federation of Gay Games to hold its Gay Olympics in the District in 2014. D.C. Council member David A. Catania (I-At Large) and Valerie Santos, deputy mayor for planning and economic development, were among the D.C. contingent in...
By Gene Fynes | September 29, 2009; 02:32 PM ET | Comments (3)
Youths Protest D.C. Funding Cuts
Peaceoholics co-founder Ron Moten led hundreds of youths in a protest in front of the John A. Wilson Building Wednesday afternoon to bring attention to the D.C. Council's cuts in funding to nonprofits. The council eliminated earmarks when re-working the budget. Moten wore overalls and bandages covered with fake blood....
By Anne Bartlett | September 23, 2009; 05:03 PM ET | Comments (13)
District Delays Carefirst Decision
The District Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking will delay making a decision on whether Carefirst BlueCross BlueShield, the region's largest health care insurer, has to give a portion of its $687 million surplus to the city. Gennet Purcell, acting DISB commissioner, had announced that the agency would issue a...
By Anne Bartlett | September 23, 2009; 04:09 PM ET | Comments (0)
Compromise Hammered Out on School Board Hires
The State Board of Education will have the authority to hire three staffers selected from a list given to members by the superintendent under a compromise hammered out by D.C. Council members Monday. The education board, stripped of most of its power after the mayoral takeover in 2007, would have...
By Gene Fynes | September 21, 2009; 06:27 PM ET | Comments (8)
Fenty Gears Up for Fight With Gray Over School Board Funding
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty said he and schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee are lobbying D.C. Council members to prevent council Chairman Vincent C. Gray's effort to override his veto of funding to the State Board of Education. The council approved $950,000 in the fiscal 2010 budget -- a move that...
By Gene Fynes | September 18, 2009; 03:30 PM ET | Comments (11)
Fenty Takes Steps against Masonic Lodge in Northeast
As expected, Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) Thursday announced steps the city is taking to shut down activities at the Masonic lodge in Ward 5 that residents and city officials say are leading to violence and other disturbances in the Woodridge neighborhood. Fenty postponed his announcement to Thursday after a...
By Anne Bartlett | September 17, 2009; 02:03 PM ET | Comments (5)
Cuts Mean Fewer Library Hours, No Bookmobile
The bookmobile will be parked and hours at all D.C. libraries will be reduced starting in October because of budget cuts. The fiscal 2010 budget slashed the library budget by $4.8 million, and residents will feel the impact next month. All libraries will continue to be open every day but...
By Gene Fynes | September 17, 2009; 11:22 AM ET | Comments (3)
Closed School Site to Be Reborn as Apartments, Shops
Hine Junior High School, shuttered last year by Mayor Adrian M. Fenty's school closure plan, will be transformed into 150 apartments, restaurants, shops and office space for the Shakespeare Theatre Company. Fenty (D) announced Tuesday that the city has picked Stanton-Eastbanc, a District-based team of architects and developers, to redevelop...
By Gene Fynes | September 15, 2009; 11:41 AM ET | Comments (9)
Former TV Reporter Switches to Politics
Leo Alexander, a former television reporter-turned-insurance sales executive, kicked off his uphill campaign for D.C. mayor Monday night. Though the venue was small -- Pier 7 restaurant in Southwest -- the room filled with friends, old acquaintances and community activists anxious to see whether Alexander could be an alternative to...
By Gene Fynes | September 15, 2009; 11:37 AM ET | Comments (14)
D.C. Council Talking Ethics Today
D.C. Council members are discussing what could become its ethics policy in a 3 1/2-hour meeting Tuesday. The work session began at 9:30 a.m., although council member Marion Barry (D-Ward 8), whose hiring of a girlfriend and issues surrounding earmarks prompted a new focus on council ethics, was not there...
By Gene Fynes | September 15, 2009; 11:27 AM ET | Comments (3)
Cora Barry Taking Her Case to Court
Former D.C. first lady Cora Masters Barry will take her case to court Tuesday when she asks a judge to prohibit the city from evicting her Recreation Wish List Committee from the Southeast Tennis and Learning Center. But young people who use the Ward 8 tennis center took her case...
By Gene Fynes | September 14, 2009; 05:47 PM ET | Comments (0)
D.C. Housing Authority Director Resigns
Michael Kelly, executive director of the D.C. Housing Authority, is resigning his post at the end of the month, the Board of Commissioners announced Monday. Bill Slover, board chairman, credited Kelly with transforming the agency into a "national model." "His legacy is the creation of a strong, innovative, and skilled...
By Gene Fynes | September 14, 2009; 02:35 PM ET | Comments (2)
Barry, Wish List Seek Court Protection from Tennis Center Eviction
Former First Lady Cora Masters Barry and the Recreation Wish List Committee are asking a judge to prohibit the city from kicking them out of the Southeast Tennis and Learning Center. Sunday marks the last of the 30 days that the Office of Property Management gave the group to vacate...
By Anne Bartlett | September 11, 2009; 01:46 PM ET | Comments (3)
D.C. Warns of Bat Risk
Halloween is more than a month away, but the District has apparently gone batty. Seriously, the city's Department of Health is warning residents that the bats are posing a health risk to the public. Prince George's County recently released a similar warning. "In recent weeks, the District has found that...
By Anne Bartlett | September 10, 2009; 03:33 PM ET | Comments (0)
D.C. Calls Off Tax Sale Following Legal Challenge
The District Office of Tax and Revenue called off its annual three-day sale of delinquent property taxes Wednesday after Chicago-based Aeon Financial LLC sued because the office only intended to auction off properties with tax bills greater than $1,200. A judge granted the company an injunction Tuesday, but the tax...
By Anne Bartlett | September 9, 2009; 07:00 PM ET | Comments (0)
D.C. Attorney General Fires Back at Opponents
Attorney General Peter Nickles was fighting back Wednesday, releasing oppositions he filed this week in two different cases. The embattled Nickles has found himself up against just about everybody, including D.C. Auditor Deborah K. Nichols, who has asked a judge to intervene and enforce a subpoena that would give her...
By Gene Fynes | September 9, 2009; 11:19 AM ET | Comments (2)
Fenty Team Wants Your Green Space
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty needs your address. The Fenty camp, known as the "green team," is dialing up supporters to place green and white campaign signs in their yards. It appears to be a quiet, year-out kickoff of Fenty's reelection campaign. The 38-year-old mayor has built up a war chest....
By Gene Fynes | September 8, 2009; 05:46 PM ET | Comments (13)
Tipping the Scales in D.C. Council Race
Former recreation director Clark E. Ray is calling in a big favor from his past in his race to unseat D.C. Council member Phil Mendelson (D-At Large). Tipper Gore, his former boss, will attend his first fundraiser Oct. 13, his camp announced. Ray, who began his campaign for the council...
By Gene Fynes | September 8, 2009; 11:24 AM ET | Comments (3)
City Will Rebuild NE Apartments as Affordable Housing
The Washington Interfaith Network continues to hold Mayor Adrian M. Fenty to his promise to build affordable housing as members of the powerful group join the mayor to announce the development of 56 affordable units in Ward 7. On Tuesday morning, Fenty (D) and group are expected to announce that...
By Christopher Dean Hopkins | September 8, 2009; 10:10 AM ET | Comments (3)
Ex-Council Member to Lead Protest of D.C. School Voucher Cuts
School choice advocates, already trying to pressure the White House to reverse an end to school vouchers in the District, are planning to block the entrance of the U.S. Department of Education headquarters starting at 9:30 a.m. this morning. Former Council member Kevin P. Chavous is leading the effort to...
By Christopher Dean Hopkins | September 8, 2009; 08:16 AM ET | Comments (8)
Pfizer Settlement Nets District $430,372
The District will get a $430,372 chunk of a $33 million settlement that 42 states reached with Pfizer, which also agreed to a record $2.3 billion settlement for improperly marketing drugs. The city's agreement involves Geodon, an antipsychotic drug that the city and other jurisdictions said was marketed for pediatric...
By Christopher Dean Hopkins | September 3, 2009; 11:09 AM ET | Comments (2)
Peaceoholics's Moten Testifies for Counselor at Sex Assault Trial
Peaceoholics co-founder Ron Moten took the stand Tuesday to defend Barry Harrison, a Peaceoholics counselor accused of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old student. He's also defending former board member Linda K. Harllee-Harper who now works at the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services. Peaceoholics has been criticized for getting no-bid contracts, particularly...
By Christopher Dean Hopkins | September 2, 2009; 10:08 AM ET | Comments (10)
Hearing Set on CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Finances, Giving
D.C. Appleseed Center for Law and Justice says insurance giant CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield has a current surplus of well over $300.million, according to a report filed Monday with the city Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking. CareFirst's finances and its obligation to the city will be the subject of a...
By Gene Fynes | August 31, 2009; 06:23 PM ET | Comments (1)
Maya Angelou, Dorothy Height Can't Get Meeting With Fenty
Heavy-hitters Maya Angelou and Dorothy Height are trying to weigh in on the eviction of the Recreation Wish List Committee from the Southeast Tennis and Learning Center. The famous poet and civil and women's rights icon are concerned about the city giving the boot to the organization headed by Cora...
By Christopher Dean Hopkins | August 31, 2009; 03:25 PM ET | Comments (2)
Mayor Fenty Makes Appointments, Declines Policy Questions
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty announced his nominations for three new agency directors today, following his pattern of appointing friends, fellow athletes and people in his age range. Gennet Purcell, 35, who is a friend of first lady Michelle Fenty, will be commissioner of the Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking....
By Anne Bartlett | August 28, 2009; 01:12 PM ET | Comments (8)
Fenty: Don't Ask Me About My Kids!
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty told reporters again that he will not answer any questions about twins Andrew and Matthew attending Lafayette Elementary. The Northwest school is not within the boundaries of his Crestwood neighborhood. Their in-boundary school is West Education Center. School sources say the boys skipped the city's lottery...
By Anne Bartlett | August 27, 2009; 01:12 PM ET | Comments (14)
Ward 5 Commissioner Pushes for Gay Marriage Ballot Initiative
A Ward 5 advisory neighborhood commissioner is trying to rally the public in an effort to compel the D.C. Council to place an initiative on gay marriage on the ballot in November 2010. Last month, a law went into effect that allows the city to recognize gay marriages performed legally...
By Anne Bartlett | August 12, 2009; 01:10 PM ET | Comments (10)
City Requests Rehearing On Checkpoints Ruling
The District is asking a federal court to rehear its ruling that the controversial checkpoints in the Trinidad neighborhood were unconstitutional. Attorney General Peter J. Nickles is leading city lawyers in asking the court to reconsider the ruling, calling it "overbroad." Here's what Nickles said in the request: "The panel...
By Nikita R Stewart | August 10, 2009; 02:36 PM ET | Comments (6)
WASA, City Still Pointing Fingers Behind the Scenes
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) is scheduled to release a preliminary report Friday on the July 29 blaze that destroyed the home of arts patron Peggy Cooper Cafritz. But behind the scenes, the fire once again is pitting the District Fire and Emergency Medical Services against the Water and Sewer...
By Nikita R Stewart | August 6, 2009; 07:35 PM ET | Comments (13)
Protesters Crash Party for Fenty's Fraternity
About 50 protesters picketed Mayor Adrian M. Fenty Wednesday night outside the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, where Fenty's fraternity is holding an international meeting. A coalition of labor unions, tenants advocates and community organizers wanted to bring attention to the recent layoffs of government workers, the sale of public property...
By Washington Post Editors | August 6, 2009; 08:39 AM ET | Comments (27)
Fenty Will Send Sons to Public School in Fall
D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) told WRC-TV (Channel 4) Thursday morning that his 9-year-old twins will attend public school this fall, fulfilling a campaign promise he made when running for mayor in 2006. Sons Andrew and Matthew, who are entering the fourth grade, had attended a private school that...
By Washington Post Editors | August 6, 2009; 08:30 AM ET | Comments (19)
E-mails Shed New Light On Barry Contract With Ex
Newly released e-mails show that D.C. Council member Marion Barry (D-Ward 8) and his staff criticized work performed by his then-girlfriend, Donna Watts-Brighthaupt, earlier this year, and that her ex-husband accused Barry of falsifying contract documents in an angry message earlier this year. Barry's complaints included Watts-Brighthaupt's spelling, grammar, tendency...
By Nikita R Stewart | August 5, 2009; 12:00 PM ET | Comments (0)
Fenty Lays Out The Crimson Carpet
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) presents a proclamation to Dwayne Murray (left), grand polemarch of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity, and Richard Lee Snow (right), the fraternity's executive director and chief operating officer. Update: The city spent $37,000 on the event. Afterward, city attorney general Peter J. Nickles said that...
By Nikita R Stewart | August 4, 2009; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (13)
Fenty Says He Is Dedicated to School Funding
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) indicated in an interview this morning that he will oppose the council's proposed $45 million cut in funding for public education. Fenty proposed $250 million in cuts himself to help the city in one of the toughest budget crunches since the 1990s. But the council...
By Nikita R Stewart | July 30, 2009; 02:00 PM ET | Comments (2)
Barry Defends Self On CNN
D.C. Council member Marion Barry (D-Ward 8) went national this morning, appearing on CNN's American Morning to defend giving a contract to then-girlfriend Donna Watts-Brighthaupt last year.
By Lori Aratani | July 16, 2009; 08:24 AM ET | Comments (11)
Excerpts: Post Reporters on Barry
Post reporters Tim Craig and Nikita Stewart were online earlier today to discuss D.C. city councilman Marion Barry and his weekend arrest. Here are some excerpts from the discussion: Arlington, Va.: This is Barry's third run in with the Park Police since 2002 (suspected drug use in his car, driving...
By Christopher Dean Hopkins | July 6, 2009; 02:49 PM ET | Comments (0)
Tax Office Misdirecting Refund Checks, Catania Says
While a jail term handed down yesterday addressed one big problem at the District's tax and revenue office, other problems may remain, according to Council member David A. Catania (I-At Large). Catania's partner received an income tax refund for $10. Not much, but Brian Kearney actually owed money. And a...
By Christopher Dean Hopkins | July 1, 2009; 10:36 AM ET | Comments (4)
Council Approves Crime Bill In 10-3 Vote
The D.C. Council approved the latest version of a crime bill today in a 10 to 3 vote after continued debate about an amendment that would allow police to arrest and detain suspected gang members. Earlier this month, Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) proposed emergency crime legislation that included the...
By Nikita R Stewart | June 30, 2009; 03:25 PM ET | Comments (4)
Fenty Picks Santos for Deputy Mayor
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty named Valerie Santos deputy mayor today. Santos replaces Neil O. Albert, who officially took his post as city administrator this past weekend. Santos, 36 and a native of San Francisco, was Albert's chief operating officer. She called Albert her "mentor" at a news conference about her...
By Washington Post Editors | June 3, 2009; 10:25 AM ET | Comments (5)
Fenty: 'Bad Decision' Using Friend as Chauffeur
D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) said he used poor judgment when he allowed his friend to drive a city-owned Lincoln Navigator. "I'm not going to do that anymore," he told reporters this morning. "No more letting anyone else drive." "I made a bad decision," he said. Fenty said officials...
By Vanessa Williams | May 26, 2009; 11:12 AM ET | Comments (58)
Peace at Last in Baseball Tickets Battle
The baseball ticket standoff between Mayor Adrian M. Fenty and the D.C. Council ended quietly Saturday when a young woman from the office of deputy mayor Neil O. Albert handed them over. Starting with Wednesday's game against Pittsburgh, the council members will have access to the 19 seats in Suite...
By William C Miller | May 17, 2009; 11:52 AM ET | Comments (6)
Obama 2, Fenty -2
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty announced today that he is losing city administrator Dan Tangherlini to the Obama administration. Tangherlini is going to the U.S. Treasury Department as Assistant secretary for management, chief financial officer and chief performance officer. He's the second member of Fenty's cabinet to join the president's team....
By Vanessa Williams | May 15, 2009; 05:43 PM ET | Comments (8)
Will Singer leaving
Will Singer, the mayor's fiscal whiz kid, is leaving the administration to attend law school at Northwestern University in the fall. As soon as D.C. Wire talks to him, you can read his comments here. But Singer, the chief of budget execution, will be added to an increasingly long...
By Vanessa Williams | May 15, 2009; 10:01 AM ET | Comments (1)
Nickles Says He's All Moved In
Attorney General Peter J. Nickles, whose residency has been a controversial issue, said he has lived in the city for a week now. D.C. Council members and critics frequently asked about the attorney general's continued residence in his longtime Great Falls home despite a city law requiring mayoral appointees to...
By Nikita R Stewart | May 13, 2009; 05:58 PM ET | Comments (5)
Fenty's new paparazzo
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty has a new photographer to replace the recently fired Lateef Mangum, a longtime City Hall fixture who had documented the careers of Fenty's predecessors. Ronald W. Thomas, a former Washington Post photographer, will now be shadowing the mayor. "For now," he said. Thomas, who was shooting...
By Vanessa Williams | May 13, 2009; 11:01 AM ET | Comments (7)
Losing Bidder Appeals Crime Lab Contract Pick
Did D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) jump the gun earlier this week in announcing that the city was awarding a Baltimore-based construction company a $133 million contract to build a forensics laboratory? Yes, says a rival company that has filed a protest with the city's Contract Appeals Board. An...
By Christopher Dean Hopkins | May 8, 2009; 10:45 AM ET | Comments (4)
Wrapping Up This Week's Debates
D.C. Wire attended political debates this week for the Sept. 9 primary. There were debates for the races in Ward 7 and Ward 2, and today is the upcoming Republican rumble between longtime incumbent Carol Schwartz and newcomer Patrick Mara --- promising to lead to something interesting. (That debate, set...
By Nikita R Stewart | August 21, 2008; 09:36 AM ET | Comments (0)
Cary Silverman: Defender Of Big Tobacco?
Cary Silverman, who is forging a David vs. Goliath race against Ward 2 Council member Jack Evans, was called "a gun industry lobbyist" in a news release last week by Evans's campaign. The release attacked lawyer Silverman's comments at a debate between he and Evans, held at the Phillips Collection...
By Nikita R Stewart | August 14, 2008; 12:55 PM ET | Comments (6)
Kwame Brown Picks Up SEIU Endorsement
D.C. Council member Kwame R. Brown (D-At Large), who worked last year as a security guard to understand the plight of the profession, became the latest council incumbent to get the endorsement of the State Council of the Service Employees International Union. The labor group issued a media release, pointing...
By Nikita R Stewart | August 13, 2008; 12:00 PM ET | Comments (3)
Schwartz and Mara in a Tight Money Race, Too
Competing media releases have gone out in the money contest between Council member Carol Schwartz (R-At Large) and Patrick Mara, her challenger in the GOP primary on Sept. 9. Schwartz, a longtime incumbent, has raised nearly $110,000, including a personal loan of $40,356, according to campaign finance reports available online....
By Marcia Davis | August 11, 2008; 07:11 PM ET | Comments (8)
Nats' New Fan?
Nikita Stewart filed this in today's D.C. Political Notebook in the Extra section... Could the biggest critic of public financing of the Washington Nationals' baseball stadium be having a change of heart? No, we're not talking about Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D), who was probably the second-leading critic when he...
By David A Nakamura | April 3, 2008; 01:13 PM ET | Comments (0)
Happy Birthday! Again and Again and Again...
Marion Barry's cake was kelly-green and white (By Nikita Stewart). Marion Barry turned 72. Again. A who's who of development, lobbying and politics showed up Thursday night for a party at The Park, local club mogul Marc Barnes' latest creation. "I'm kind of confused because I think I've been...
By Marcia Davis | March 25, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (15)
Blast from the Past
Every once in a while someone pops up out of context, seemingly out of place. Last Monday, as Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray (D) visited Appletree Early Learning Public Charter School in Columbia Heights, in walked Vince Morris. Vince Morris pops up at Appletree. (By Nikita Stewart) He used to...
By Nikita R Stewart | March 24, 2008; 12:00 PM ET | Comments (0)
Ask a Simple Question, Get a Simple Answer
Jaiya meets Mr. Gray. (By Nikita Stewart) Morris wasn't the only one pushing the pre-K legislation. Five-year-old Jaiya Smith, an Appletree student, greeted Gray in a hallway. He asked her how old she was. She said, "Five," raising her right hand with fingers outspread as proof. "When did you...
By Nikita R Stewart | March 24, 2008; 12:00 PM ET | Comments (2)
