The victim, an adult male, was transferred to a local hospital, he was conscious and breathing. He is currently in surgery at a local hospital, Lieutenant Adam Sotelo of the Sixth District told 最新蜜桃影像 at the scene.听

Sotelo said units were alerted by witnesses who saw someone being assaulted at around 1.15pm. Upon arrival at the scene, they realized the man had been stabbed to his body. Makhetha Watson, from the MPD鈥檚 Office of Communications, told 最新蜜桃影像 via email that the victim had multiple stab wounds.听

鈥淲e are looking for an African-American male, of around 50 years of age, wearing a black jacket with some fur lining on the hood, blue jeans and some black and white sneakers,鈥� said Sotelo.听

MPD posted a picture of the suspect on X, and asked for anyone with information to call 202-727-9099 or text 50411.

Investigators in MPD鈥檚 Real Time Crime Center located images of a suspect in this stabbing investigation, pictured below.

Have info? Call 202-727-9099 or text 50411.

鈥� DC Police Department (@DCPoliceDept)

At 3pm both MPD and the Metro Transit Police Department were still on scene, and police tape surrounded the bus stop at the intersection of R St SE, 18th St SE, and Minnesota Ave.听

The post MPD look for suspect as man stabbed on Minnesota Avenue SE first appeared on 最新蜜桃影像.

Carla Brannum described poll workers at Fort Stanton Recreation Center as 鈥渄ependable鈥� and said she was just happy to 鈥渧ote without nonsense, no paper fires, no once scratching each other.鈥� 

Carla was referring to reports of ballot boxes that were set on fire in Oregon last week. 

Many voters we spoke to were concerned with national elections, but voters still turned out to vote for local down-ballot issues. Ward 8 voters chose to stick with embattled councilmember Tryaon White. With over 17,000 votes, about 75% of Ward 8 voters, Councilmember White clenched a victory by the end of the night for his re-election bid. 

Residents we spoke to shared mixed reactions to Trayon White鈥檚 re-election. 

Edward Ford, a longtime supporter of White and volunteer for the campaign, said, 鈥淐ouncilmember White is walking in the shadow of Mayor Marion Barry,鈥� something we鈥檝e heard before from Ward 8 residents and one that has a basis in history.

Edward said Trayon White is advocating for the people. 鈥淭he FBI came against Marion Barry because he was an advocate for his people.鈥� 

The civil rights movement From which Marion Barry came is littered with figures the government effectively targeted. 

Ermias Woldu, a D.C. resident of nine years and first-time voter, said that even though our city is divided up by wards, we are still one city. Ward 8 residents should be supported by the rest of the city as the case surrounding White unfolds. 

That’s why he voted for Initiative 83, saying that having more voting options might bring greater accountability among elected officials,  鈥渄own the road with Initiative 83, with people having more options, people might not do corruption.鈥� 

But in a part of the district that often doesn鈥檛 receive the attention and care it deserves, having a city leader like a council member who remains as present in that community as White garners substantial support shouldn鈥檛 be a surprise. 

鈥淗is record remains strong of how he shows up in the ward and how everyone knows him because he always shows up. He supports people, he makes people feel seen and heard, and that is probably the powerful thing a candidate can do, especially outside of election season,鈥� said Sandy Patel, who works in Ward 8. 

Despite facing a federal bribery charge, DC Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White has easily won reelection. I spoke to White earlier tonight, he says this should send a message to the DC Council that it should not vote to expel him.

鈥� Tom Roussey (@tomroussey7news)

The D.C. council ad hoc committee leading an independent investigation of White could restrict White鈥檚 power and political influence or remove him from his seat, effectively rejecting the voters’ election day. Their decision is expected to be announced next month. 

Voters in Ward 8 echoed sentiments heard across the country. The issues that guided the voters we talked to were reproductive rights, the economy, and ending the tensions and violence that seem to have animated politics and everyday life in this country over the last 8 years. 

鈥淚 hope that we can reach some sort of unity as a country. I hope that we can accept the outcome of the elections without violence,鈥� said Magean Hayes, who we spoke to at Arthur Capper Recreation Center

According to the D.C. Board of Elections, about 26% of Ward 8 residents attended the polls. In a ranked ballot, Councilmember White would not have necessarily won a re-election bid, and voters in Ward 8 would theoretically have more options in candidates to vote for, meaning Candidates would have to work harder for D.C. residents鈥� votes. 

The post Mixed reactions to Trayon White鈥檚 re-election in Ward 8 as DC investigates potential ethics violations first appeared on 最新蜜桃影像.

Events DC is in charge of the renewed development of the area. They own many of the district鈥檚 prominent event spaces like the Walter E. Washington Convention Center and Nationals Park.听

The demolition of RFK Stadium was initially scheduled for 2019, but according to Events DC, it was postponed first because of the COVID-19 pandemic and then because of a lack of funding to hire proper contractors for the job.

However, when contacted by 最新蜜桃影像, a spokesperson declined to provide a clear timeline for demolition. The spokesperson said 鈥淓vents DC is not the owner of the stadium or the land it sits on. This is a DC Council issue.鈥�

To tourists and residents alike, it continues to be an unpleasant eyesore in the Southeast. Some say they would prefer it gone, but others say they don鈥檛 mind the landmark, as long as it doesn鈥檛 cause them any harm.听

Deja Williams, 22, is from Hagerstown, Maryland and visits the district to spend time with her boyfriend. She says she doesn鈥檛 love the view and she worries about the threats the aging stadium poses to the area鈥檚 residents.听

听鈥淚 don鈥檛 really care for it too much. I think that they’re probably gonna eventually pull it down because if they don鈥檛 it鈥檚 gonna end up falling apart anyways and create a hazard,鈥� she said.听

However, her biggest issue with the surviving stadium is that it takes away from the beauty of the new parks built in 2019.听

The Fields at RFK are just the first part in Events DC鈥檚 five-part plan to rehabilitate the surrounding area. The park includes three turf fields for sports like soccer, baseball and kickball, a pavilion for public events and a playground.

On any given day, anyone can hear children playing and dogs strolling听through the brand-new Fields park.听

But there鈥檚 a stark contrast just across the street with unsavory views of weeds growing in abandoned parking lots and paint chipping in the distance.听

The asbestos-riddled behemoth of unused metal that represents a former vibrant D.C. casts a shadow over new development, preventing a neighborhood stuck in the past from moving forward.听

Nick Sanchez, 45, moved to the Southeast area six years ago. He said he wishes they would build a new stadium so he could see the Commanders play so close to home, but he also likes how the Fields have transformed the neighborhood.听

鈥淭his has been great here. The Fields are in use every day. The playground is always busy, there鈥檚 always people working out and there鈥檚 games,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really livened up the area here so I really dig the Fields.鈥澨�

But residents are conflicted about what should replace the old home of Washington football. Some like Williams say they want to see stores and restaurants to replace a distinct lack of businesses in the mostly residential neighborhood, but others like Sanchez say they would like to see football return to the district.听

In March, Mayor Muriel Bowser said part of the area would be turned into an indoor recreational facility according to , but she wants to leave options open for a potential new stadium.听

The issue of land ownership is another hurdle Events DC faces in the demolition process. A representative from the organization said that technically, the federal government owns the land that houses the structure. Events DC is only in charge of the demolition.听

Mayor Bowser and Representative Eleanor Holmes Norton to give the DC Council ownership of the 190 acres so they can get work done faster, but the process involves legislation that has not yet passed. Efforts to line up interviews with Rep. Norton didn’t come to fruition before publishing this article.听

Currently, the District pays $3.5 million in maintenance costs every year to keep the 60-year-old stadium standing, but the home of feral raccoons and cats will soon be a distant memory.听

Earlier this year, two fires broke out in the stadium鈥檚 basement level, caused by flammable 鈥渢rash,鈥� according to D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services.听

After news of the fire, Events D.C. said preliminary removal of hazardous materials has begun. They posted a saying demolition of major structural components will be completed by the end of 2023.鈥澨�

The stadium will not have a controlled implosion, according to the Demolition Services Agreement obtained by . Instead, Smoot Construction has begun slowly removing hazardous materials like asbestos, which they expect will be finished in the coming months.听

The post RFK Stadium is still an eyesore after five years first appeared on 最新蜜桃影像.

Last month, Mayor Muriel Bowser and GW University leaders announced a partnership to bring comprehensive medical care to residents in Wards 7 and 8 at the new St. Elizabeth鈥檚 East hospital.

United Health Services, GW Hospital鈥檚 administrator, will operate the 136-bed academic hospital under a 75-year lease. At the same time, physicians from the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences and GW Medical Faculty will serve as staff for the hospital, said hospital spokesperson Susan Griffiths.

Resident Travis Swanson described the current state of healthcare services in Ward 7 as 鈥渁 tragedy.鈥� There is no urgent care, and the closest hospital is Washington Medical Center, so it can be difficult for residents to access basic medical care, he said.

The new St. Elizabeth鈥檚 hospital will include maternity and pediatric services, a trauma center, primary care services, specialty services like cancer, diabetes, cardiac and general surgery, and specialty care based on community needs, among other services, Griffiths said.

Hospital construction breaks ground in 2022, with a planned opening in 2024.听 Griffiths told 最新蜜桃影像 hospital planners will take steps to improve medical access before then. Two urgent cares are scheduled to open in 2022 (one each in Wards 7 and 8) to supplement essential health services.

Although the hospital will increase resources and access to medical care, some residents say they are skeptical the community will use them.

An urgent care would be 鈥渁 win,鈥� at this point, said Tiffany Brown, a Ward 7 resident, but providers must consider if residents are willing to go to the doctors.

Similarly, Salim Adofo, the 8C Advisory Neighborhood Commission chairperson representing part of the neighborhood, said he has encountered the 鈥渆ntire spectrum鈥� of feelings towards using health services in Ward 8. Some people want a top-tier hospital, while others don鈥檛 go to the hospital when they鈥檙e sick or for regular checkups, he said.

Healthcare disparities have persisted over time, said Dr. Jonathan Respress, M.B.A., a director in medical affairs. There鈥檚 more access but maybe people aren鈥檛 doing it, so 鈥渨e have to take a step back and look at reasons for these disparities 鈥� management specifically.”

There are provider-related factors that contribute to this, Respress said. Providers have bias and clinical ideas about treating patients based on background and ethnicity and may have their own beliefs about the behavioral health of minority patients.

“Patient prep鈥� is also a factor, he added. This includes why patients are using treatment, what their care is like, whether they understand the disease, what needs to be done to address it, and their perception of others getting treated.

Brown said one of the things she sees residents struggle with is being heard. 鈥淭hey are talked at, instead of to,鈥� she said.

Adofo said that the culture of healthcare east of the river must be considered. 鈥淗istorically, for many Black people, their relationship to the healthcare system is not a good one. Look at the Tuskegee study and how people felt about that.”

鈥淗ere we are in 2021, and folks are looking at healthcare as something that is friendly to Black people,鈥� he said, 鈥淪o any plan to address healthcare must include a plan for how to build the trust of a community that has been done wrong for so many years.鈥�

Anne Banner, the School of Medicine and Health Sciences spokesperson, said there is already a community advisory board being formed to discuss community education and outreach initiatives.

As academic physician faculty, GW believes patient-centered care will optimize healthcare services, Banner explained. 鈥淎 key element of patient-centered care is focus on continuity and community.鈥�

With United Health Services鈥� support, GW will launch a family medicine residency program at St. Elizabeth鈥檚 to develop and train a group of physicians on that campus that are fully aware of the needs of residents in Wards 7 and 8.

As part of this undertaking, Respress said it is important for United Health Services to work with grassroots initiatives.听听鈥淲ork with local community organizations that are really willing to take part and drive to mitigate issues that are going on in their community 鈥� because they know what those specific issues are.”

The last health disparity concern Respress noted is the healthcare system itself, namely the geography and availability of healthcare institutions. 鈥淲hen you look at GW or Johns Hopkins versus your area, of course, people are going to have access to different levels of care,鈥� he said.

United Medical Center is the only hospital east of the Anacostia River residents have access to, and Poya Carmichael, VP and Public Relations and Corporate Secretary, said 鈥渢he reputation of the hospital has not been the best鈥� in recent years.

Adofo said there鈥檚 a 鈥渢errible stigma鈥� surrounding United Medical Center in the community, and it’s decreasing services 鈥� there鈥檚 no trauma center or prenatal care.

鈥淚f I needed to go to the hospital, I would go someplace other than the community,鈥漢e said.

Dorothea Barnes, a school teacher who lives across from the hospital, said, 鈥淚t鈥檚 really not a good hospital. I had some bad experiences here.鈥�

Carmichael said United Medical Center鈥檚 turnover in leadership and management is reflected in the quality of care the hospital provides.

United Medical Center decided to close its maternity Ward permanently three years ago after a Health Services inspection found faults in the quality of care.

鈥淵ou can鈥檛 have a baby east of the river,鈥� said Brown.

She remembers her 13-year-old daughter watching the closure announcement on the news and saying, 鈥淒oes this mean you can鈥檛 have a baby over here?鈥� Brown said seeing her daughter make that connection at such a young age showed her that healthcare access听“definitely is an issue.”

Both the District and United Health Services will invest significant resources in the construction and operation of St. Elizabeth鈥檚 hospital. The district will fund the in construction, and United Health Services will invest $75 million in healthcare in Wards 7 and 8.

The post GW partners to improve healthcare access in Southeast DC first appeared on 最新蜜桃影像.

According to the 2020 Census, the Capitol Riverfront saw one of the largest in the region, and developers are jumping at the opportunity to try their hand in the market.听

But Southwest D.C. native Colletta Paylor said the plethora of new development had squashed green space throughout the neighborhood, and it鈥檚 become a pattern.听

鈥淲hen I was growing up, we had a lot of playgrounds that were surrounded by parks and stuff. Every four blocks is literally a condo now, 鈥� she said.听听

D.C.-based developer is one company looking to add to those rows of concrete towers. They have been negotiating with the ANC 6D for months over their designs for a new residential high rise on 850 South Capitol St. SE.听

The proposed design is a that extends under the Interstate 695 freeway.听

But the design is centered in a unique location. The land is in the , which means it is exempt from regulations. In other words, WC Smith does not have to include any retail or affordable housing options for the neighborhood.

Commissioner Rhonda Hamilton vocalized her concerns about the lack of affordable housing following WC Smith鈥檚 presentation during the October ANC meeting.

鈥淚 don’t think it’s fair that you bring a project with no real benefits to the community…and then you want us to embrace it,鈥� she said.听

Commissioner Jared Weiss said with affordable housing is an issue developers shouldn鈥檛 ignore, even if they鈥檙e not required to take action.听

鈥淚 believe I speak for a lot of my neighbors in saying that we have no interest living in an area that is totally exclusionary to certain types of people. We want to live in a neighborhood where everyone is welcome,鈥� he said.听

In response to the attack on the plan’s lack of affordable housing during the October ANC meeting, WC Smith Attorney Leila Batties of Holland & Knight said city leaders need to look at WC Smith’s track record in Washington, D.C.听

鈥淸WC Smith] has for more than 50 years been a leader in providing housing opportunities and amenities throughout the city for some of the city’s most deserving communities and families,鈥� she said.

Former ANC 6D Chair Gail Fast told 最新蜜桃影像 that legally, developers don鈥檛 have to seek approval from the ANC for their final plans, but they do go through a design review process with the commissioners. During that review, the ANC can make suggestions and ask for changes.

鈥淎NC鈥檚 have what’s known as great weight,鈥� Fast said.听

So while the ANC can鈥檛 change the fact that the building won鈥檛 include any units for lower-income individuals and families in the Capitol Riverfront neighborhood, Commissioner Jared Weiss said, the ANC asked WC Smith to add something else that would benefit the community.听

鈥淲e feel it is our responsibility to get the benefit for the community we can. But a developer such as this one is only legally required to do very little. So it becomes a negotiation,鈥� he said.听

WC Smith responded, and came back with a design for a dog park and run. The park will be placed underneath the 695 freeway in a space that would have otherwise gone un-utilized.听

Commissioner Andy Litsky said this was a decent addition, but ultimately he told WC Smith to be more ambitious.听

鈥淭his was one of only a couple of options. It was the easy one, and that’s what you went with. So I’d like to see more under the Expressway,鈥� he said.听

Locals agreed. Paylor said while the addition of a dog park might look good on paper, in her experience, accommodations added by developers only benefit a small population.

鈥淭hey don’t benefit the actual community that is from there; it’s more so for the people who can afford to live there,鈥� she said.听

最新蜜桃影像 reached out to WC Smith for a comment on their design negotiations with the ANC on South Capitol Street, but did not hear back in time.

Fast said there are many ways developers can benefit the community, they just need to get creative.听

鈥淚t could be a park, it could be a playground, the community benefit could even be contributions to the schools,鈥� she said.听

Another way the commissioners get developers to accommodate the neighborhood is through what Litsky called 鈥渃ommunity serving retail.鈥�

鈥淐ommunity serving retail would be like a tailor, barbershop, a cleaners, something with service, versus just bars and restaurants,鈥� he said.听

An example is a project green-lighted in September by the same ANC. It is expected to bring , where a grocery store didn鈥檛 previously exist.听

WC Smith is scheduled to bring their final designs for 850 South Capitol St. SE to the Zoning Commission for approval on November 8th.听

The post Southeast city leaders negotiate a dog park out of developer WC Smith amid controversial design review first appeared on 最新蜜桃影像.

A by the narrows in on the Navy Yard neighborhood at the confluence of the Potomac and Anacostia rivers, naming it the fastest growing neighborhood in Washington D.C. over the past five years.

From baseball and soccer fans heading to Nationals Stadium and the newly renovated Audi Field to workers zipping to their nine to five jobs on electric scooters, planners say the current road conditions don鈥檛 best support that growth.

Ted Jutras, the Vice President of Planning and Development for the Capitol Riverfront BID said fixing those transportation corridors is at the center of his work.

鈥淲e鈥檙e building almost an entire new downtown along the waterfront south of the freeway,鈥� he said. 鈥淪o, the traditional auto-oriented infrastructure that exists right now isn鈥檛 going to work anymore.鈥�

The Capitol Riverfront Mobility Project aims to fix exactly that. It focuses on expanding accessibility along M Street SE: a mile and a half stretch in Southeast and a major corridor connecting the Navy Yard neighborhood and District Wharf.

Jutras said his team is working on two potential re-designs for M Street.

Both Capitol Riverfront BID designs repurpose the outside lanes of M Street into either one or two protected bike and bus lanes during rush hour while allowing them to be used for general traffic or parking outside of that time.

The designs are centered around the idea of 鈥渕icromobility.鈥� The goal is to provide all residents and visitors to the Navy Yard neighborhood with safe and reliable modes of transportation that don鈥檛 include driving a car.

Zack Baldwin, the Associate Director of Mobility, Data and Research at Southwest BID, said they hope by providing those accessible forms of micromobility, people will 鈥渃hoose bikes or scooters to pick up groceries or go to the doctor, instead of using a car.鈥�

These designs are being considered at the same time widespread development is happening all around M Street.

From new high rises just down the street at to the under construction, D.C. residents like Conor Shaw tell 最新蜜桃影像,听 鈥渋t鈥檚 easier to put in bus and bike lanes when everything else is changing too.鈥�

Jutras placed getting ahead of the immense growth in the Navy Yard neighborhood and implementing a final design for M Street as a top priority.

鈥淲e want to make sure we’re being proactive about planning for the future, not just waiting for all these things to arrive, and then massive congestion and then trying to work backwards to solve the problem鈥� said Jutras.

Dr. Karthik Balasubramanian, who lives near M Street, thinks this project is long overdue.

鈥淚 think it’s great鈥nd it should have been done like 10 years ago,鈥� Balasubramanian said.

Dr. Balasubramanian is looking at the project from an equity standpoint. He stressed that increasing micromobility is crucial to achieving accessibility for everyone, and as it stands now, M Street does not support everyone鈥檚 needs.

鈥淵ou have to have a certain amount of money to have a car and if you don’t have a car, this whole thing is not useful to you,鈥� he said.

Zack Baldwin said applying those designs on M Street will be a challenge, and dedicated enforcement will be important.

Jutras agreed and said a plan is still in the works, stating,

鈥淎ll it takes is one or two UPS trucks or Uber鈥檚, Lyfts鈥� causing people to not be able to see pedestrians crossing, and then all of a sudden, all those good intentions go out the window pretty quickly.鈥�

Once his team submits the final designs, Jutras said it is up to the and the to enforce proper lane use.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not a fully sufficient plan for mobility for all the growth that鈥檚 coming…we’re taking a small bite out of the apple,鈥� he said.

Celeste Newman, who lives on the Wharf, is hopeful that this project will set a standard of equitable accessibility across D.C.

鈥淚 just hope that as this continues, the city continues to focus on all the residents and having accessibility for everyone who lived here and will live here,鈥� she said.

Conor Shaw agreed and said M Street should be the first step to creating a whole system of accessible roadways.

Shaw said, 鈥淭hese are the fights we’re gonna have to win if we want to create a real network that allows people to get everywhere, not just down one corridor.鈥�

But the mobility study doesn鈥檛 just stop on M Street.

The under the study focuses on increasing connectivity to and from the area of Buzzard Point along the Southwest waterfront.

The two designs include micromobilty options like bikes and scooters, with the other option focusing on creating a direct metrorail line to Union Station.

Planning for both initiatives began two years ago, with the partners named as Capitol Riverfront Mobility BID, , DDOT and design consultant .

鈥淓veryone is better off when you choose a bike, or when you choose a scooter when you choose to walk,鈥� Dr. Balasubramanian said.

Project coordinators are hoping to get more during outreach events in the coming weeks.

Developers will wrap up the second phase in the next few months, with formal design recommendations submitted to DDOT by the end of this year.

The post Proposed redesign of M Street SE seeks to increase safety, mobility first appeared on 最新蜜桃影像.

鈥淪ometimes I feel like my kids have lost the love and the joy for learning,鈥� Mills said.

Distance learning has magnified the educational crisis, Mills said. Citing Montgomery County public schools鈥� grim rates for the first term, Mills said she鈥檚 worried Capitol Hill鈥檚 Black students will fall farther and farther behind.

鈥淭he pandemic has uncovered and exacerbated existing challenges and traumas for families living with few resources,鈥� Parent-Teacher Association President Elsa Falkenburger told the Wash. 鈥淭he silver lining is that people are starting to see the challenges that families live with.鈥�

Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in March, low-income Black students have struggled to meet the demands of distance learning. In Capitol Hill and Southwest Washington, community leaders are teaming up to help them.

It takes a village鈥�

When Brotha鈥檚 Huddle reached out to Capitol Hill鈥檚 Tyler Elementary School with plans to support younger students struggling with distance learning, Brother Abdul Kareem Muhammad told the Wash that the school鈥檚 principal was very receptive.

鈥淲e voiced our concern, and [Principal Jasmine Brann] voiced her concern,鈥� Muhammad, co-founder and CEO of the community-based organization that supports children at Potomac Gardens and Hopkins Apartments, said. 鈥淭he concern is one in the same.鈥�

Brotha鈥檚 Huddle and Tyler Elementary School will work in tandem to close the educational gap exacerbated by the pandemic.

鈥淲e wanna make sure that our children, and particularly our residents of Potomac and Hopkins, aren鈥檛 getting left behind, especially on DCHA property,鈥� Muhammad said.

鈥淲e see that there鈥檚 a gap and this gap is widening. We wanna make sure that we can assist Tyler to close that gap.鈥�

Steve Park, executive director of Little Lights, a faith-based nonprofit organization, said the pandemic has given impetus for community organizations to band together to fight off inequity.

鈥淚 think when you go through these kinds of major crises, you realize just how much you need to try to help each other,鈥� Park said.

Potomac Gardens Resident Council President Aquarius Vann-Ghasri said the challenge has been providing technological resources like laptops, reliable internet and space. Vann-Ghasri noted that on one occasion, a Potomac Gardens parent used their rent money to buy their child a laptop.

鈥淔or underserved youth, remote learning just doesn鈥檛 compare to in-person learning,鈥� Park said. 鈥淚t was already a challenge to do in-person learning, but remote learning is definitely not adequate.鈥�

To solve this problem, Little Lights created a Learning Hub where students have access to computers and reliable internet, and receive academic support. The learning hub, which serves approximately 120 students in Potomac Gardens, Hopkins Apartments and Benning Terrace in Southeast Washington, runs five days a week from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Mills, who鈥檚 noticed students struggling to focus in class, said the program has been helpful.

鈥淭he people that are at Little Lights鈥攖he workers鈥攖hey are there focused solely on helping the kids and getting their assignments in,鈥� Mills said.

Little Lights has raised $30,000 to provide free tablets and laptops to students. Similarly, Brotha鈥檚 Huddle partnered with Ward 6 Mutual Aid to distribute laptops to students in need.

鈥o raise a child

In Southwest Washington, a community-based organization partnered with D.C. Housing Authority to help public housing students struggling with distance learning.

Executive Director and Co-founder of GOODProjects Darius Baxter said that when he found out D.C. public schools would remain virtual for the 2020-21 academic year, his organization committed its time, resources and effort to ensure that children at Greenleaf Gardens would not be left behind.

鈥淚n Southwest Washington, D.C., you have hundreds of families that at times have found themselves left out,鈥� Baxter said. 鈥淭he Learning Hub, when it opened up, was our effort to ensure that the same level of care that a child growing up in upper Northwest is receiving, is being provided to students growing up in Southwest Washington, D.C.鈥�

Baxter said the GOODLearning Hub serves 22 students in a supportive environment where they can learn and be successful.

Each student receives a laptop, hot spot and individualized attention from experienced educators every day.

鈥淥ur commitment and our love and our resources are dedicated to the Southwest housing community,鈥� Baxter said.

, and the are currently welcoming donations.

Reaching across

In the same way that Little Lights supports her children, Mills plans on supporting others through the creation of the Great Expectations Kids Club. The 8-week program, run out of Potomac Gardens, focuses on dreams and goals, self-confidence, responsibility, respect, bullying and choices, education, homework and finance.

The program starts this Thursday and already has eight students.

There鈥檚 excellence in Potomac Gardens, it just needs to be supported, Mills said.

The post Capitol Hill, SW organizations fight to close pandemic鈥檚 education gap first appeared on 最新蜜桃影像.

听鈥淭hank you for voting,鈥� said Richard Etienne Jr., Smith鈥檚 campaign manager, who is Black, as voters left the center Tuesday. 鈥淒id we get your vote today?鈥�

听鈥淎bsolutely not,鈥� one woman wearing a purple sweater responded as she exited the church and entered the nearby parking lot.

听Opponents said Smith shouldn鈥檛 have run and didn’t know the history of the community.

听鈥淗e has used a person of color to be his front person and cause arguments, while he sat silently and just watched on the sidelines,鈥� said Aiyi鈥檔ah Ford, an eighth generation Washingtonian, who also ran in the race and came in second place, winning 21% of the vote.

听Smith mostly stood by silently as Etienne Jr. defended his campaign.

鈥淚 just have one frustration because there’s been media involved in this race, and there鈥檚 been more media about me, my party affiliation, and everything else than there was about the 16-year-old boy who got shot on my block a couple of nights ago,鈥� Smith said, referring to Kareem Palmer, who early Sunday morning.

But opponents said he should talk to the mothers who lost children to gun violence. They said they hadn’t seen him at candlelight vigils for those lost to gun violence and was noticeably uncomfortable speaking to residents, noting how much his campaign manager spoke Tuesday.

听鈥淏elieve me, I believe in change through all people and if you made a change, I鈥檓 proud of you finding out the truth,鈥� said Patrice LeSane, 45, the sister of Robin McKinney who won the race. 鈥淏ut if you really want to make a change, stand behind the candidates: Aiyi鈥檔ah, Robin McKinney. Stand behind one of those ladies and show that you real. That’s how you show us that you’re real, you can’t come up here and just try to take over.鈥�

LeSane described her sister as a success story. McKinney was homeless with seven children at one point in her life, and is now a homeowner. LeSane said her sister intimately knows the struggles of living in Ward 8. McKinney ultimately won the race with 50% of the vote.

Smith worked in 2016 and 2017 with Jason Kessler to preserve the Robert E. Lee monument, which Charlottesville Vice Mayor Wes Bellamy called to be removed due to its ties to the Confederacy. Kessler went on to organize the Unite the Right white-nationalist rally which resulted in one woman dying and nineteen others getting injured.听

Smith Kessler once Kessler began making plans for the rally. 鈥淗e鈥檚 affiliated himself with people who are, to put it mildly, ideologically distasteful,鈥� Smith told Charlottesville鈥檚 Daily Progress in June 2017. 鈥淚 want nothing to do with that.鈥�

Despite his distancing, Black Lives Matter D.C. voiced concern by Smith鈥檚 campaign in Ward 8. April Goggans, an organizer for the group, recently that Smith has 鈥渁 nefarious agenda鈥� and is 鈥渋ntentionally misleading folks about his identity and political plans.鈥�

Local activists were unsure whether residents actually knew about Smith鈥檚 background. If they knew, they would not vote for him, Ward 8 Area Neighborhood Commissioner Charles Wilson told DCist.

Smith鈥檚 campaign was a sign that Ward 8 is rapidly gentrifying, local activists said. D.C. used to be known as 鈥淐hocolate City鈥� but most Black residents have been pushed to the outskirts of the city in Wards 5, 7 and 8 as housing has gotten more expensive. Officials are concerned that Black residents will soon be pushed out of those wards too. Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White that would prevent further displacement.

听鈥淭he harm that displacement and gentrification is having on our city is too great to be ignored,鈥� White said. 鈥淧eople are being forced out of their communities and their neighborhoods.鈥澨�

White, a D.C. Native won reelection, with 78% of the vote in Ward 8.

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Construction on the grocery store was supposed to begin in January 2019, but didn鈥檛 begin until March 2020. Federal immigration policy drove up labor costs and steel tariffs are mostly to blame, according to Philip Sambol, the executive director of Oasis Community Partners, which runs Good Food Markets.

Ward 8, which is predominantly Black, had . And the area has been of the city during the coronavirus pandemic. The ward has the highest number of deaths in the District and the third-highest number of positive cases. Many residents have lost their jobs and struggle to afford basic necessities such as housing and food.

Bread for the City, which offers free food and has a location in Ward 8鈥檚 Anacostia, has seen demand double during the coronavirus pandemic. The has forced residents to rely on corner stores, said Kenrick Thomas, a spokesman for Bread for the City. 鈥淎nd what that leads to is unhealthy food, and what that leads to is an unhealthy diet, and then that causes health issues.鈥�

The construction delays on the Ward 8 location in Bellevue drove up the costs to over $500,000, Sambol said. The market has received additional funding from the Bainum Family Foundation and the D.C. Department of Insurance Securities and Banking, which recently awarded the organization $500,000 to help complete construction on the Ward 8 store.

鈥淚 am excited that we were able to provide funding to Good Food Markets to help finalize construction on a much-needed new grocery store in Ward 8, increasing access to healthy food options east of the river and creating jobs for local residents,鈥� D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser.

The grocery store will share a building with 190 housing units and area neighborhood commissioner offices, Sambol said.

Good Food has one market up and running in D.C., in Northeast Washington. That location has been running since 2015 and is primarily staffed by local residents.

鈥淕rocery stores are some of the most well-funded, data-driven businesses in the entire world,鈥� Sambol said. 鈥淎nd they鈥檙e not wrong that their model won鈥檛 work in say Bellevue, Ward 8, or Langdon, Ward 5, but that doesn鈥檛 mean nothing will work.鈥�

The organization hopes to bring a market to Prince George鈥檚 County too. Prince George鈥檚 County is the most affluent majority-African American jurisdiction in the country, but has struggled to attract large grocery stores in certain areas of the county.

The Good Food in Prince George鈥檚 at the end of 2018 after a Safeway in the Seat Pleasant area closed in 2016, but that opening has been delayed as well. The project has been dormant because funding partners and public sector partners were unable to come to an agreement.听

The challenges Good Food has faced bringing stores to low-income areas highlights the difficulty of addressing, areas where people do not live close to supermarkets. Access to capital, training and entrepreneurship, vendors, and hardware are some of the factors that determine whether an organization can compete in the grocery sector, Sambol said. Poverty experts also of communities of color, especially East of the Anacostia River.

鈥淚 think nothing that we’ve encountered is novel, nothing is insurmountable but it does speak to why there are not more of these,鈥� Sambol said.

And while a new grocery store is important, Lisa Fitzpatrick, a doctor who lives in Ward 8, said the city should use more of its resources to 鈥渋mprove food and nutrition literacy to help people feel confident in making healthy food selections.鈥�

鈥淎 lot of advice is not tailored to people鈥檚 reality,鈥� said Fitzpatrick, who is also the founder of , an organization that strives to help people understand the health-care system.

In the end, advocates hope that Ward 8 will receive more than just a grocery store. Hanna Baker is an area neighborhood commissioner in the Ward. She said economic development is on the minds of residents, and many want affordable homeownership opportunities.

鈥淐ommunity serving retail is a vast gap in need in the community,鈥� Baker said.

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The ten 鈥渇amily success鈥� centers are part of a created by Bowser in 2019, and will exist as dedicated rooms in churches, libraries, and schools and as entire units in mixed-use buildings. They will serve as a place for families to connect with a myriad of programs the government offers, such as food and employment services.

鈥淭hese centers represent the District’s commitment to making each neighborhood a place where families can thrive and where everyone in our great city gets a fair shot at success,鈥� said Kim Ford, the president of Martha鈥檚 Table, during an Oct. 7 launch event. Martha鈥檚 Table is one of that will run the centers.

The areas where the centers are located violence prevention priority areas, reports on child abuse and neglect and social determinants of health data. The D.C. Child Family Services Agency is spearheading the initiative. Nearly 75% of the families the agency serves live in Ward 7 and Ward 8.

The centers were always supposed to open in October, but leaders had no way of knowing they鈥檇 have to launch during a global pandemic. More than in the District have died from COVID-19, and Ward 7 and Ward 8 have been among the hardest-hit areas of the city. More than 75% of COVID-19 deaths in the city have been Black residents.

But Smart from the Start, which operates the Woodland Family Success Center, felt well-equipped to follow through on its launch.

鈥淲e’ve been kind of in the trenches with our families since pandemic first hit,鈥� said Cherie Craft, the director of Smart from the Start. During the pandemic, the organization has delivered groceries to families, provided tele tutoring, helped people with rent and bill pay and provided other services on Zoom such as counseling, Craft said.

鈥淲e were already well versed in safety protocols and what the directives from the Department of Health were,鈥� Craft said.

The Woodland Family Success Center opted for a virtual launch event and a socially distanced celebration to follow a few days later.

Both events were well-attended. The outdoor event, called a 鈥淧arty n Parade,鈥� was located outside in a parking lot. Thirty tables were spaced 10 feet apart, and just two families were allowed to be at a table at one time.

Families had the opportunity to do arts and craft and trivia activities, sign up for programs and take home brand-new books, water bottles and T-shirts. And health groups provided health screenings.

The group decided to include an in-person event because the community had been waiting with 鈥渂ated breath鈥� for the center to launch, Craft said.

鈥淕iven the fact that the community was so invested and so excited about the launch of the center, we figured that we would have to provide some access to the center and some opportunity for folks to celebrate this new set of programs and services to the community,鈥� Craft said.

Community members helped put together the program plan and even helped interview and hire staff for the center. Craft said the community breathed life into the project and gave the center authenticity.

The goal of the centers is not only to help people with their current needs but also with their future needs, Mayor Bowser said during the launch event.

鈥淲e’re going to help people deal with their needs for right now but everybody has an aspiration and a hope and a goal, and that’s what we also want to focus on,鈥� Bowser said.

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