DCentric

Good morning, DCentric readers! Is your Wednesday feeling wacky? Escape the madness with these fresh links:

Juvenile Stabbed On Metro Bus In Southeast DC Group of riders rushed off bus before victim alerted driver: “Police are investigating a late-night stabbing of a juvenile on a Metro bus in Southeast DC…the bus driver immediately called police, and the victim was taken to George Washington Hospital where he is considered to be stable.” (WUSA Washington, DC)

Guardian Angels To Increase Patrols After Spike in Attacks at Metro Stations “John Ayala says what’s happening on D.C.’s transit system has happened before in New York City in the early 1980s. “They had bankruptcy in New York and the city was running out of money and they pulled police off the transit system and …the kids went buck wild,” said Ayala. The past seven months has seen an uptick in violent assaults on Metro trains.” (myfoxdc.com)

Georgia Ave. redevelopment tries to mix old with new Old-timers are wary: “They feel that, if you bring all this stuff in, this is going to knock out the carryouts, the beauty parlors, the barbershops and the longtime establishments that stayed there even after the riots of ’68,” he said. The redevelopment of Columbia Heights brought Target, Panda Express and Bed Bath & Beyond — but swept away many local shops, he said.” (Washington Examiner )

Southeast man convicted of luring man to death through chat line “Men who call into the anonymous chat lines, Holcomb told the detectives, were working professionals who wouldn’t report robberies for fear of disclosing their lifestyles. “You come up with a lot of money on there,” (the convicted murderer) told the detectives.” (The Washington Post)

D.C. bill to allow weddings by notary seen aiding gays Already permitted in FL, ME, SC: “Proponents say the new law builds on the law allowing same-sex unions, in part on the theory that gay couples who might not want to have a religious service or go to the courthouse would have another, more private choice.” (Washington Times)

D.C. budget projections get big boost It’s something: “The District’s budget gap for the next fiscal year, once predicted to be more than a half-billion dollars, has shrunk to $322 million thanks largely to expected growth in the city’s commercial real estate market, city officials said.” (Washington Examiner )

UDC president’s expenses questioned Pres needs leg room, flexibility to change ticket at last minute: “Sessoms’s expenses include several airfares well above market rates…”This characterization that he’s traipsing the globe with caviar and champagne is silly,” said Alan Etter, a university spokesman. “It’s false, and it’s silly.” (The Washington Post)