Good news for the Obamas: Next time they want to have a date in Alexandria, they can just hop on bikes from the private, secret Capital BikeShare station behind White House gates and roll on down to Old Town. The Post reports that the city has agreed to join the Capital BikeShare system, adding six stations [...]

Legalize, Or At Least Discount, It: The District's medicinal marijuana program is moving along, albeit not as quickly as some might like. But what about those of us who don't qualify under the strict regulations? Turns out we're overpaying for pot. A study by Floating Sheep published in Wired this month found D.C. pays, on average, [...]

Games Without Frontiers: In the mid-1990s, Pokémon video games, anime cartoons, and merchandise were wildly popular, despite the fact that the TV show caused occasional seizures. Now comes news on two related fronts: Pokémon still exists, and the D.C. area is home to one of its champions. McLean resident Wolfe Glick, 15, won the Masters [...]

The District didn’t always resemble a piece of squareish bread with a huge bite-size chunk missing. Once upon a time—more than 160 years ago—Arlington County and part of the city of Alexandria fell within the District's limits, completing a full diamond that spanned the Potomac River.
Or at least it did until 1847, when the federal [...]

© 2011 Michael W. Hicks

On May 24, 1861, Elmer E. Ellsworth, a 24-year-old Army colonel and close friend of President Abraham Lincoln, became the first Union officer killed during the Civil War. According to the 2003 spring/summer edition of Washington History magazine, Ellsworth, of the New York Zouaves Regiment, was shot and killed when he removed a Confederate flag [...]

On April 20, 1983, a magpie that had escaped from the National Zoo a week earlier was finally recaptured, after traveling through both Arlington and Alexandria in its attempt for freedom.

The magpie, which had lived at the zoo since being donated in 1973, escaped through wires "knocked awry by the constant walking of parakeets with [...]

Now That It's Raining More Than Ever: First, we need to preface this item by saying we do know there's nothing more annoying than breathless news reports telling you what the weather's doing. You know what the weather's like! You have windows! That said... Have you noticed it's been raining? The District, predictably, fell to [...]

Alexandria, VA.

Safeway, Alexandria, VA 12/18.

I heard again last night from Stephette Hogette. He's the guy who stands accused of being a bogus Hogette.
He sent along a photograph, shown above, which he says was taken years ago at a Redskins game and, he says, proves that Stephette Hogette used to be accepted by the same folks who are now calling [...]

Good Morning, City Desk readers!  While City Paper is busy commemorating Sexist Day here at the office, all sorts of newsy events are happening all over the city, so here it is.

Alexandria Police Chief David P. Baker announced his retirement yesterday afternoon, ending a 40-year career in law enforcement.  This comes in the aftermath of [...]

The Washington Post published today a great little story about a parking meter repairman who may be the petty criminal of the year. William J. Fell, 61, a Stafford County resident, is accused of stealing $170,000 in coins from busted Alexandria meters.
"He'd take a little bit each time," Alexandria police spokesman Jody Donaldson told the [...]