$180 Million Earmarked To Widen Route 1 at Fort Belvoir

Relief is on the way for thousands of people who get stuck in traffic while commuting to and from Fort Belvoir in northern Virginia.

The U.S. Department of Defense is giving Virginia $180 million in grants to widen a 3.5-mile stretch of Route 1 near the military base.

Route 1 will be expanded to six lanes between Telegraph Road and Mount Vernon Highway. New pedestrian and bicycle lanes also will be added.

The widened road is expected to improve access to Fort Belvoir and accommodate the increased traffic generated by the Base Realignment and Closure project.

“Widening Route 1 is critical to ensuring a viable transportation network in the Fort Belvoir area,” Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell said in a written press release. “Our nation’s wounded warriors, veterans and their families deserve to have reliable and safe access to Fort Belvoir’s new Community Hospital. Moreover, every day, commuters are stuck in long traffic queues on Route 1… this widening will improve the quality of life for thousands of commuters and visitors.”

Construction could begin in 2013 and take up to three years to complete.

Police Impersonation, Sex Assault Suspect Targeted Latinas

Herndon, Va., released new details about a sexual assault suspect.

Thomas Kim, 31, of Herndon, is charged with posing as a police officer and forcing women into his vehicle, then assaulting them. Two victims told police Kim carried a gun and showed them a badge.

Police said they believe Kim targeted Latina illegal immigrants. They said he would confront women in public areas and demand information.

If they couldn't provide it, he would force them into his vehicle and sexually assault them.

Herndon police picked Kim up after following him and watching him approach women. When one of the women got in the car with him, officers moved in and made the arrest, police said.

Kim is a suspect in several other assault cases, police said.

St. Mary's Students Cleared to Board Floating Dorm

After a few delays, about 240 students at St. Mary's College of Maryland started moving aboard their new floating dorm Tuesday afternoon.

The freshmen and sophomores were displaced last month, after black mold was found inside their dorms.

Since then, the school has been putting the students up in nearby hotels. But some students said even with the help of shuttle buses, it was difficult getting to and from classes and campus dining, with one of the hotels as far as 20 miles away.

Move-in was scheduled for Monday, but it was delayed after the ship failed a Coast Guard inspection. School officials said the ship needed to be moved out to deeper water.

After an overnight maneuver, the ship passed inspection late Tuesday morning. Students were allowed to start moving in as of 2 p.m., depending on their class schedules.

The 300-foot vessel named the "Sea Voyager" will be home for the students for the remainder of the fall semester. According to school officials, the cost of keeping them on the ship was comparable to hotels; and being docked in the bay, the students will be right next to campus.

Autistic Boy Who Disappeared Faces Another Challenge

An 8-year-old autistic boy who got lost in the Virginia wilderness for almost a week may be in the hospital longer than expected.

Robert Wood Jr. is being treated for a hole in his esophagus. His grandmother, Norma Jean Williams, told the Free-Lance-Star of Fredericksburg she believes the tear was caused by something the boy ate while he was lost in the woods in Hanover County.

The boy got lost Oct. 23 and was found Friday. He is recovering at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Medical Center and doctors say he is in good condition.

Robert was with his father in the North Anna Battlefield Park, just north of Richmond, when the two got separated.

The

Richmond Times-Dispatch

published a statement from the boy's father saying he believes he’s been seen in a negative light following his son’s disappearance.

Thousands of people volunteered to search for the child, who does not speak.

He was found lying in the fetal position near a rock quarry close to the park.

Robert's grandmother said she was preparing herself for the news her grandson was dead when she got word he was found alive. The volunteer who found Robert told police he wishes to remain

anonymous.

Md. Students Show Improvements in Reading

Maryland's fourth- and eighth-graders each showed improvements in reading, compared to results from when they took tests two years ago.

Maryland's fourth-grade students improved in math, but eighth-grade students scored the same, according to data released by the U.S. Department of Education Tuesday.

In 2009, 37 percent of fourth-graders scored at or above reading proficiency levels. That improved to 43 percent in 2011. In math, 44 percent of fourth-graders made the grade. That jumped to 48 percent this year. Nationally, 32 percent of fourth-graders met the levels in reading and 40 percent in math.

For Maryland eighth-graders, 36 percent met reading standards in 2009. In 2011, that increased to 40 percent. That compares to 32 percent nationally.

For both 2009 and 2011, 40 percent of eighth-graders met the math standards.

9-Foot Ronald Reagan Statue Unveiled at National Airport

More than a decade after it was officially renamed, a nine-foot statue honoring Ronald Reagan has been unveiled at the airport that now bears his name.

The airport just outside the nation's capital has borne Reagan's name since 1998, following the passage of Congressional legislation that was opposed by some who were not enamored of Reagan's legacy.

The bronze statue cost about $900,000 and was paid for with money raised from private donors by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Library. The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority also spent about $80,000 on site preparations.

Under the Reagan administration, control of the airport was transferred from the federal government to a regional board.

Judge Allowing Lululemon Slaying Victim’s Mother to Testify

A judge ruled Tuesday that Lululemon slaying victim Jayna Murray’s mother will be allowed to testify for the prosecution in the trial of Brittany Norwood.

Norwood’s lawyer objected to allowing Phyllis Murray to testify about her daughter, saying it would be extremely prejudicial. Judge Robert Greenberg said the testimony is relevant.

The defense also objected to the prosecution playing a 3-hour-long police interview with Norwood, but Greenberg allowed that, too, saying prosecutors have to show her thinking that the murder was premeditated and deliberate.

"Premeditation is some type of deliberation,” legal analyst Barry Helfand said. “It can be brief. When I say brief, I mean very, very, very brief. A second, and that's deliberation."

Montgomery County police Officer David McGill testified Tuesday about bloody footprints that were tracked through the Bethesda Row Lululemon Athletica store made by two pairs of sneakers: a woman’s size 7-and-a-half New Balance and a man’s size 14 Reebok. The footprints were not made at the same time McGill concluded. The New Balance footprints made first and followed by the Reeboks suggested overlapping bloody shoe impressions.

Prosecutors contend Norwood used shoes kept in the store for alterations to make the tracks to support her story that there had been two masked assailants the night of March 11.

McGill also demonstrated how Norwood could tie herself up with a white plastic zip tie, which he tightened with his teeth.

Lead Detective James Drewery said he interviewed Norwood March 14 thinking she was a victim. She said the assailants took mail that had her address, so she feared for her life.

Days later he followed up with a long recorded interview. Her story started falling apart, he said, and she became a suspect in his mind.

Virginia Elementary School Students Struggle in Reading Assessment

Virginia's fourth- and eighth-graders perform better in reading and mathematics than their peers nationwide, but less than two-fifths have a solid grasp of reading and less than half have a solid grasp of math.

According to National Assessment of Educational Progress results released Tuesday, 36 percent of public school eighth-graders achieved at least ``proficient'' reading scores in 2011, compared to 32 percent in 2009. Among fourth-graders, 39 percent achieved proficient scores on the federal standardized tests, compared to 38 percent in 2009.

In math, 40 percent of Virginia eighth-graders achieved proficient scores in 2011, up from 36 percent in 2009, according to the report. Forty-six percent of fourth-graders performed at the proficient level, compared to 43 percent in 2009.

Nationally, 32 percent of eighth-graders and 32 percent of fourth-graders demonstrated proficiency in reading, and 37 percent of eighth-graders and 39 percent of fourth-graders demonstrated proficiency in math.

Proficiency is defined as solid academic performance at grade level, including subject-matter knowledge, application of such knowledge to real-world situations, and analytical skills appropriate to the subject matter.

The tests, also known as ``the nation's report card,'' are considered the best gauge of public schools' student performance in core subjects.

A lack of significant improvement in Virginia's eighth-grade NAEP reading scores over the last couple testing cycles as well as on state achievement tests has informed state efforts to pursue more rigorous standards in the subject, Department of Education spokesman Charles Pyle said. The new reading standards will take effect in 2012-13.

      

Acknowledging that more than half of Virginia's public school students still lack a solid understanding of math and reading, Pyle said: ``We want those percentages to be higher.''

NAEP's definition of proficiency, he said, is ``much different than on a state accountability test'' such as Virginia's Standards of Learning. ``It's more of an aspirational standard, where we want our students to be.''

But Virginia's public school students have improved their performance since the state implemented its SOL system in the late 1990s, Pyle said, and their NAEP results ``compare very well with students in other states and nationwide.''

Sterling Dentist Paying Kids to Hand Over Halloween Candy

Did your kids strike the motherlode Monday night while out trick-or-treating? 

A lot of children around the area did.  If you don't want them eating all of that candy and putting themselves in a sugar coma, you might be able to convince them to get rid of it, and make a little money in the process. 

Cascades Center for Dental Health in Sterling, Virginia is collecting all that junk food.  For every pound of sweets kids bring in, the dental center will give them a dollar. 

Kids will also get a goody bag that includes a flashing firefly toothbrush, and they are entered in a contest to win a new iPod. 

You don't have to worry about wasting that candy either.  The dental office is donating it all to our troops overseas, as part of Operation Gratitude.  The Cascades Center says it's a win-win situation, since they are rewarding kids for laying off the sweets, while giving back to the community. 

Last year, they sent over 600 pounds of candy to our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.  This year, they hope to send even more.  If you or your kids want to take part, just drop off your candy at 46302 McClellan Way, in Sterling, today. 

They will be accepting donations between 3 and 7 pm.  If you have any questions, you can give them a call at 703-444-5095, or go to cascadesdental.com.

Hillary Clinton's Mother Dies at Age 92

The Clinton family says Dorothy Rodham, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton's mother and former President Bill Clinton's mother-in-law, has died at age 92.

A statement from the family says Rodham died shortly after midnight on Tuesday in Washington, surrounded by her family.

Secretary Clinton cancelled a planned trip to London and Istanbul to be at her mother's side.

The Clinton family plans a private memorial service for Rodham. Clinton has often credited her mother with inspiring her, saying Rodham overcame adversity and abandonment in her own early life.

 

National Zoo Employee Found Guilty of Attempted Animal Cruelty

A National Zoo employee charged with trying to poison stray cats in her northwest Washington neighborhood has been found guilty of attempted cruelty to animals.

A D.C. Superior Court judge found Nico Dauphine guilty of the misdemeanor on Monday. Dauphine faces a maximum of 180 days in jail and a $1,000 fine when she is sentenced on Nov. 21.

Near Malcolm X Park in Columbia Heights, some residents have been leaving food out for a pack of feral cats that roams the neighborhood.

Some residents believed someone was spiking that food, and asked the Washington Humane Society to investigate.  The Humane Society told News4 that after an investigation, they found antifreeze and rat poison in the food.

Dauphine's lawyer argued during a trial that although security cameras captured Dauphine hovering over a bowl of cat food in March, his client was removing the food to keep the cats from congregating.

Prosecutors, however, said a second video showed Dauphine reaching into a plastic bag and dumping poison onto the food.

Dauphine repeatedly denied throwing rat poison on the food.  Her lawyer declined to comment after the trial.

Dauphine, a Ph.D specializing in bird conservation, has written and lectured on the destructive impact of cats on bird population, including an online presentation titled "Apocalypse Meow."

House Bill Requires Background Checks For D.C. Appointees

After the hiring scandals earlier this year at D.C. city hall, a member of Congress is calling for mandatory background checks for high-level District government employees.

Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), who chairs the House committee that oversees District affairs, says until city leaders "stop apologizing for outrageous abuses in government," congressional action is need to protect against "cronyism."

Issa’s measure would require criminal background checks for top-level political appointees, as well as mandated strict hiring standards for all D.C. government employees, including checks for drug and alcohol abuse.

City leaders immediately blasted Issa’s proposal. Council member Mary Cheh says Congress is injecting itself where it's not needed and notes D.C. has already passed the reforms Issa is calling for.

The proposed legislation comes on the heels of a report by Issa’s committee on one of the most infamous hiring scandals in D.C. -- the one involving former mayoral candidate Sulaimon Brown.

In that case, committee investigators could not find "direct evidence" Brown was promised a job by Mayor Vincent Gray's campaign for help during last year’s race, according to the report. It also found that Brown has significant credibility issues. Federal investigators are still looking into the possibility of wrongdoing in the case, however. 

Two People Killed In Accident in Upper Marlboro

Prince George’s County police are investigating a crash in Upper Marlboro that killed two people Monday night.

The crash happened around 10:00 p.m. Investigators say three cars collided at the intersection of Woodyard and Perrywood Roads.

Authorities said there was one person in each car involved in the accident. Rescuers took the third person to the hospital in critical condition.

Prince George’s County police spent hours at the scene overnight into Tuesday morning reconstructing the accident.

 

George Allen Getting Corey Stewart's Endorsement

Corey Stewart will endorse George Allen for Virginia's Senate seat, News4's Julie Carey has learned.

Months ago, the Prince William County chairman considered jumping into the race himself, firing some pointed criticism at the former governor.

“He was a very good governor of Virginia,” Stewart told News4 this January. “But I think when he got to the U.S. Senate, I think that Washington changed him more than he changed Washington.”

Since then, Stewart and Allen seem to have found a way to get along.  They will appear together in Prince William County for the formal announcement on Tuesday at 11 a.m.

Reagan Statue Unveiling Tuesday

Travelers who use Reagan National Airport will now have a likeness of its namesake to greet them when they arrive for their flights. Tuesday, the airport is unveiling a statue of former President Ronald Reagan.

The nine-foot-tall, 900 pound statue was funded by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and stands in front of the entrance to Terminal A. Transportation secretary Ray LaHood and Elizabeth Dole, the transportation secretary under Reagan, will be on hand for the unveiling.

There will be some lane closures in front of the terminals for the ceremony, so be prepared for delays if you are headed to the airport Tuesday morning. Four lanes that typically carry traffic to departure and arrival pick-up areas will be narrowed down to just one lane between 11:00 a.m. and noon.

The airport suggests taking metro, a taxi or dropping off or picking up passengers at the hourly garages.

The airport was named after President Reagan 13 years ago during President Clinton’s administration. Reagan National is still owned by the federal government, but President Reagan shifted the operation of the airport to the Washington Airports Authority during his administration.

 

Six Shot in D.C. Halloween Violence

Authorities say at least six people were injured in shootings across Washington on Halloween, including a juvenile who was shot in the head in Georgetown.

D.C. police say the boy was shot amid celebrations in the 2800 block of M Street about 11 p.m. Monday. He was hospitalized in grave condition.  Police are preserving the scene for further investigation in the daylight.

Police say a juvenile also was shot on M Street in northeast about 8:30 p.m.

Shortly afterward, officers responded to the intersection of Georgia Avenue and Decatur Street in northwest for a double shooting. Police say a boy was shot in the knee and a woman was shot in the thigh.

Later, a woman was shot in the ankle on Crittenden Street in northwest. A man also was shot in the foot on Southern Avenue in southeast.

D.C. Man Delinquent $17.8M in Income Taxes

The taxman has come calling for a D.C. man.

The District government decided enough is enough and caught up with a man the city says owes more than $17 million in back taxes.

“In this day and age, it’s very hard to stay hidden,” said Stephen Cordi, of DC’s Office of Tax and Revenue. 

It started after the News 4 I-Team asked for a list of the top tax delinquents from the District and Maryland. Virginia said it does not keep a list of delinquent taxpayers, but as of June 2011, taxpayers and businesses owed $1.9 billion, according to the Virginia Department of Taxation.

Maryland and the District provided a list of their biggest offenders. In D.C., most on the list owe between $200,000 to more than $850,000.

“You don’t end up on this list until we’ve made a claim, you had an opportunity to contest it, the contest is over and we have sent you a series of notices,” Cordi said.

The people on the list either ignored those notices or lost all of their appeals, he said.

Cordi said he has about 40 investigators who track down debtors and can place liens on property, garnish wages and intercept other payments.

D.C. Councilman Jack Evans (D-Ward 2), who chairs D.C.’s Committee on Finance and Revenue, said the District has started to work closely with the Internal Revenue Service to find delinquents.

“Our tax rates are quite high,” Evans said. “Certainly much higher than in Virginia or Maryland and other jurisdictions.  I think a lot of people try to avoid them, and our job is to make sure they don’t.”

One business on the list blames a bad accountant for its $337,000 debt.

A couple from Southeast told News4 they can’t pay the $725,000 because of medical problems.

All could lose their homes if the city takes the rare step of seizing their property.

The pressure is on in D.C. to collect. The city loses any money it fails to collect within a 10-year statute of limitations.

“People are in financial trouble,” Cordi said. “They owe more on their home than its worth. Seizing it guarantees nothing. So we’re better off waiting until they decide to sell on their terms in a good market and we get paid at the settlement table.”

But less than a half hour after interviewing Cordi, the News 4 I-Team got a tip.

Police and tax investigators rolled up to a house on Military Road in Northwest and seized it from Barry Morewitz, D.C.’s No. 1 one tax cheater, according to the city.

Multiple neighbors, including Mark Parr, said Morewitz is a stock broker and former attorney for the Securities and Exchange Commission.

“I know one thing,” Parr said, “I pay my taxes, and I tell you what, everybody is hurting right now.”

The city said it recently discovered Morewitz hasn’t paid his taxes in at least five years and owes more than $17.8 million in taxes and penalties.

“17.8 million dollars is a lot of money,” says Evans.  “When you put it into perspective you could probably hire another 100 or 200 police officers."

The District government isn’t allowed by law to disclose how Morewitz managed to tally up a $17.8 million bill.

News4 made multiple attempts to get his side of the story in the days before he lost the house, but as he told the police, he doesn’t want to talk.

Floating Dorm Delayed at Least Another Day

A big move at St. Mary's College in southern Maryland hit a snag Monday, leaving dozens of students in limbo.

They were supposed to move on to a cruise ship after officials found black mold in their dorms, but they’ll have to wait at least another day or two.

Sea Voyager, the 300-foot cruise ship that will serve as a floating dorm, has to moved further from shore because the water where it docked was too shallow.

Students have been living in far-away hotel rooms and taking a bus to and from campus.

Some say the uncertainty makes it hard to concentrate and is affecting their studies.

Costumed Men Rob Patients at Northwest D.C. Dentist’s Office

Two men donned Halloween costumes to rob a dentist’s office in northwest Washington Monday morning.

About 11 a.m., a gunman wearing a Frankenstein mask and a man wielding a knife with an Afro wig and bandana hiding his face entered the office in the 800 block of Butternut Street NW and ordered everyone to the ground, News4’s Pat Collins reported. They systematically robbed the dentist, the staff and the patients, including a woman in her 80s.

Among the stuff they stole was gold jewelry and about $1,300 in cash, Collins reported.

An ambulance was called to the scene to treat one person.

Parents Charged in Virginia Girl's Hotel Drowning

The parents of a 1-year-girl who drowned in a Westin Hotel room in Virginia last month turned themselves in to police Monday afternoon.

Wafy Abdullah Almutiri, 27, and his wife, 21-year-old Maryam Masaad Almutiri, are charged with felony neglect.

Their daughter, Wreef Wafy Almutiri, died at the Reston hotel Sept. 18.

Her parents are being held at the Fairfax Detention Center.