Author Archives: Valencia Mohammed

Marion “Christopher” Barry, 31, son of Councilman Marion S. Barry, former mayor of the District, was arrested on May 28 allegedly for the possession and intent to distribute PCP. Barry’s next court date is July 27. According to court documents, around 10:44pm on May 28, a citizen who claimed she heard fighting and screaming inside […]

This year’s D.C. tax sale inventory is a substantial and varied one, with properties owned by developers, banks and large non-profits totaling millions owed. High-priced condos also lead the list of delinquent taxes. The annual tax sale, scheduled for July 18, has property liens ranging from less than $200 to more than $300,000. The Office […]

D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray’s economic plan for Ward 8, which he announced on June 27, struck a sour note with some of his campaigns supporters. Activists claim Gray quickly abandoned campaign promises to include leaders from the area in key positions to oversee all projects and programs and to be part of the decision-making. […]

To bring attention to the lack of job opportunities for some District residents, a newly-founded coalition of community groups is taking its campaign door-to-door. Founded in April, OurDC, a coalition of community groups, neighborhood associations, faith organizations and labor unions, plans to advocate against what it says is blatant discrimination against D.C. residents when it […]

Strained with the same economic burdens as the rest of the country, the D.C. Caribbean Carnival will be a shorter affair this year. Still, that has not dampened the excitement that surrounds the annual festival. “Be very careful with those wings,” warned Jeanette Callender, vice president of Roots and Culture, in a strong Trinidadian accent, […]

A recent report raises questions about the conduct of the District’s city administrator Allen Y. Lew during the time when he directed the DCPS facilities modernization plan. Results from the audit, conducted by city auditor Deborah K. Nichols, is turning out to be an eye-opener, as it questions some of the management practices of the […]

In an effort to spearhead a change in the way construction companies do business in the District, Mayor Vincent C. Gray has launched an ambitious pilot project. This new initiative, called the Workforce Incentive Program (WIP), attempts to directly link more D.C. residents with jobs in the local construction industry. WIP, slated to begin on […]

They’ll be singing, dancing, twirling, rhyming and struttin’ their stuff. Not the kids, but mature women from across the District who will be competing in the Ms. Senior DC Pageant later this month. The annual pageant, organizers say and past participants say, helps to dispel myths about aging in the community.  “One of the reasons […]

Once again, as in every redistricting process using Census data collected every decade, neighborhoods are split, feelings are hurt and political deals are made. But what if the redistricting creates an area most Black political leaders normally dread? DC Councilman Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6) warned other members of the city council that the proposed ward […]