(Updated at 8:25 a.m.) Thieves wearing turtle and skeleton costumes attacked and robbed a woman in LeDroit Park over the weekend, police said.
The violent robbery happened on the 300 block of U Street NW about 8:30 p.m. Sunday.
The victim was getting out of an Uber about a block south of the Park at LeDroit when she came into contact with two men and a woman, according to authorities. One of them bumped the victim and another one punched her in the head.
The trio then grabbed the victim’s purse and fled.
Police said they’re looking for:
B/F, 20-25 years of age, 120lbs., dark complexion, cornrows, wearing a black and white skeleton costume, B/M, 20-25 years of age, 5’8″, dark complexion, wearing a green and yellow turtle costume, and B/M, 20-25 years of age, 5’10”, 150lbs., wearing a black and white skeleton costume.
Elm St working fire in walls of home result of electric line struck by workers. Fire contained. No injuries. pic.twitter.com/OrKFiCb3ZX
— DC Fire and EMS (@dcfireems) September 8, 2016
(Updated at 12:36 p.m.) A two-story building in LeDroit Park caught fire after someone driving a construction vehicle made contact with a power line earlier today.
The fire started inside the walls of a home on the 200 block of Elm St. NW after someone driving an excavator struck an underground power line just before noon today, according to D.C. Fire and EMS spokesman Doug Buchanan. Nobody was injured during the incident, Buchanan said.
Pepco workers shut down power to the lines around the home around 12:30 p.m.
Elm St NW fire contained to walls Bsmnt & 1st Flr. Pepco cut power to affected area. No injuries. Rehabbing crews pic.twitter.com/KLs2S4xIXE
— DC Fire and EMS (@dcfireems) September 8, 2016
Photos and video courtesy D.C. Fire and EMS
Thieves made the shotgun their weapon of choice in three separate robberies within a couple blocks of Florida Avenue NW over the weekend, according to authorities.
The armed robberies happened on the 1600 block of 4th Street NW, 100 block of S Street NW and 400 block of Q Street NW. Authorities haven’t reached the conclusion that the crimes are related, police spokeswoman Alice Kim said today.
On S Street, three men robbed a man and a woman of their iPhones and other belongings about 12:05 a.m. Saturday.
Locals will be able to partake in some “hot and messy fun” this weekend during a gathering for tomato lovers at an urban farm in the LeDroit Park neighborhood.
The first-ever “Tomatopalooza” will kick off at Common Good City Farm (V St. NW between 2nd and 4th streets NW) this Sunday at 11 a.m., according to the event’s organizers.
During the event, attendees will gather around 100 pounds of organic tomatoes for a crash course in canning the acidic red fruit. The event will include expert instruction from Washington Post food columnist Cathy Barrow on how to preserve tomatoes, what you can make with them and which tomato varieties are the best for canning.
“It’s so easy and fun,” said Lisa Zechiel, owner of Washington’s Green Grocer, the local business helping to organize the event. “It gets people using local produce and doing things themselves. They can make thing themselves out of basic ingredients.”
And here’s a bonus: everyone who attends Tomatopalooza goes home with two pints of canned tomatoes, she said.
After the canning demonstration, attendees will sit down for a lunch of tomato sandwiches with or without bacon, salads, watermelon, drinks and Barrow’s popular slab pie, Zechiel said.
Tickets are $25. All proceeds go toward funding Good City Common Farm.
Photo courtesy Washington’s Green Grocer
A man with a gun robbed a corner store in LeDroit Park last night, police said.
The armed robber hit Cookie’s Corner at 1970 2nd St. NW about 9 p.m. Thursday. The shop is about two blocks east of Howard University’s campus.
The man entered the store with a gun and ordered a Cookie’s employee to give him money from a cash register, according to authorities. He then grabbed all the paper money from the register, as well as the worker’s cellphone, before fleeing.
Police are on the lookout for a man suspected of attempting to sexually assault and kidnap a woman in LeDroit Park on Wednesday evening.
Authorities say a woman was walking on the 200 block of Elm Street NW on Wednesday around 9:30 p.m. when she was forced into an alleyway by a man. The man then tried to sexually assault her, said police.
Police described the attacker as a “black male, approximately six feet tall, 200 pounds, 25-35 years old, dark complexion, [and] wearing all black clothing and a black ski mask.”
Anyone who has information regarding this case should call police at 202-727-9099. Additionally, information may be submitted to the TEXT TIP LINE by text messaging 50411.
DC Crime Solvers currently offers a reward of up to $1,000 to anyone who provides information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for an assault committed in the District of Columbia.
A Heritage Trail commemorating the onetime center of “Washington’s black intelligentsia” will be officially unveiled in LeDroit Park and Bloomingdale this weekend.
Though the signs along the trail were installed over the summer, the trail will officially open with an unveiling 11 a.m. Saturday in the Park at LeDroit (3rd and Elm streets NW).
The ceremony will include performances from the Dunbar High School Color Guard, the Howard University Gospel Choir and poet E. Ethelbert Miller.
The trail, a series of historical signs and markers throughout the neighborhoods, focuses on the area’s historic role in promoting desegregation and African-American civil rights in Washington.
Eric Fidler, president of the LeDroit Park Civic Association, explained that the neighborhood was once a focal point for notable African-American politicians, activists, artists and scientists. Famous former residents include D.C.’s first elected mayor and convention center namesake Walter Washington, influential suffrage and civil rights advocate Mary Church Terrell and Edward Brooke, the first African-American Senator.
The trail is a project that is more than six years in the making and is made of signs identical to those in other neighborhood heritage trails across the city. Researchers and historians from Cultural Tourism DC, a nonprofit that creates the heritage trails around the District, spent years digging up the history of the neighborhood and interviewing longtime residents.
Fidler said that the trail is an opportunity to collect the stories and memories of those residents and preserve them for the future.
“A lot of neighborhood history exists in people’s heads and in stories and family photographs,” Fidler said. “The problem is if you don’t have a program to put it all together, a lot of it could be lost forever.”
After performances and speeches by community member, attendees can participate in three guided “mini-tours” that will cover portions of the trail. The unveiling event is free and open to the public.
Photo via LeDroit Park Civic Association
DC Water is currently distributing sandbags to residents who live in LeDroit Park and Bloomingdale ahead of possible flooding, the city agency announced today in a press release.
DC Water personnel are currently distributing the sandbags at First Street and Rhode Island Avenue NW.
Only customers who live in the flood-prone neighborhoods of Bloomingdale, LeDroit Park and on the 900 block of P Street NW can receive a sandbag. Further, people who live in those neighborhoods may be asked to show proof of residency when picking up sandbags. Though proof of residency includes a driver’s license, anything with an address on it would suffice, said John Lisle, DC Water’s chief of external affairs.
The press release continues:
“As with any weather emergency, our crews will brave the elements to ensure that we continue to deliver our essential service,” said DC Water CEO and General Manager George S. Hawkins. “While we cannot control Mother Nature, we will do our best to keep our customers informed and respond to emergencies.”
The District’s drinking water treatment facilities — operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Washington Aqueduct — and the Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant are built to withstand the impact of a severe storm. Loss of electricity at an individual home or multi-unit building does not have an impact on the delivery of drinking water. If any service disruptions should occur, customers will be notified immediately through DC Water’s Alert System, local news media and social media platforms, including Twitter (@dcwater), Facebook (facebook.com/mydcwater) and Instagram (@myDCWater).
DC Water Emergency Preparedness Tips:
– Sign up for text or email alerts at dcwater.com/workzones
– Report clogged storm drains by calling the 24/7 Command Center at (202) 612-3400.
– Check gutters and downspouts to make sure they are clear of debris.
– Prepare an emergency supply kit that includes a 3-day supply of food and water.
– For more information on preparing for a hurricane, please visit dcwater.com/education/preparedness.cfm.
Cropped photo via https://www.flickr.com/photos/telekon/
LeDroit Park residents can learn about their neighborhood during a free walking tour next weekend.
LeDroit Park Civic Association President Eric Fidler will lead a free walking tour as part of WalkingTown DC on Sept. 27 at 1 p.m.
The tour, which begins at the intersection of 6th Street and Florida Avenue NW and spans .8 miles, will educate residents on local architecture and the people who transformed the neighborhood.
Attendees will hear stories about notable neighborhood figures as Dr. Anna J. Cooper, Mayor Walter Washington, Duke Ellington, Rev. Jesse Jackson, and others. The tour will also cover the 12 different architectural styles seen on buildings throughout the neighborhood.
Though the tour is free, residents must RSVP in order to attend.
Photo via Twitter.com/DCculture
A man was robbed at gunpoint in LeDroit Park early this morning, say D.C. Police.
Police say two men approached another man on the 300 block of V Street NW around 1:44 a.m this morning and demanded his property. One of the suspects allegedly flashed a black handgun, then the pair robbed the man.
The two were last seen heading westbound on the 300 block of V Street NW, say police.
Alert:robbery at 0147 hrs in the 300 block of V street NW Lookout for 2 B/M WEARING ALL BLACK ARMED WITH A HANDGUN// 8841
— DC Police Department (@DCPoliceDept) September 3, 2015
No arrests have been made in connection with the robbery and the case remains under investigation, say police.
A LeDroit Park-based nonprofit farm is holding a free lunch for community members tomorrow.
Common Good City Farm (V Street NW between 2nd & 4th Streets) volunteers will use ingredients culled from the organization’s urban fields to cook healthy lunches for residents at noon.
The volunteers, who are teenagers from farm’s summer youth program, will prepare the meal with help from local chef Josephine Chu.
Common Good City Farm Executive Director Rachael Callahan said the teenagers are looking forward to showing off skills they learned in the program.
“The community lunches are a lot of fun”, Callahan said. “We really get to showcase the work that the kids in the summer youth program are doing and we get to share that with everybody in the community.”
Common Good City Farm was founded in 2007 to provide the community with access to fresh local produce.
Photo via Facebook/CommonGoodCityFarm
The Royal, a much-anticipated cafe in LeDroit Park, is now open for business.
From this morning until 1 p.m., patrons can visit the eatery, located at 501 Florida Avenue NW, for “limited coffee service,” which includes light food and free samples of its cold brew coffee.
Additionally, the cafe’s bar will open at 5 p.m. today.
As reported in the Washington Post, The Royal will serve Colombian fare such as arepas, empanadas, blood sausage and plantains in addition to South American wines and shaved ice cocktails from the bar.
Photo via Twitter.com/TheRoyalDC
Howard Theatre at 620 T Street NW. (Luis Gomez Photos)
From Tom Hay
Over in LeDroit Park Shaw, plans to rehabilitate the long abandoned Howard Theatre at 620 T Street NW appear to be moving forward. Just in time for its 100th anniversary, the theatre will be undergoing an extensive restoration. According to their web site, it will take an estimated $28 million to fully renovate and endow The Howard Theatre. The District of Columbia has already contributed $8 million.
The developer of the project is Ellis Development Group. The developer envisions the renovated Howard to be a mixed-use entertainment venue. The centerpiece of which will be a 600- person hall used primarily for live music events. In their development plan Ellis says, the restored theatre will be “Symbiotic but not competitive with the other stars in the constellation of Washington theatres, venues such as its sister stage, The Lincoln Theatre” (at 1215 U Street NW). Ellis will also be developing the adjacent United Negro College Fund project at 7th and S, above the Shaw-Howard University Metro station.
Of course everyone is wondering how the Howard will fare. It seems like the Lincoln has not found much momentum lately and the Howard could face competition from other popular live music venues such as the 9:30 Club at 815 V Street NW and the U Street Music Hall at 1115 U Street NW.
Among the notable performers at the historic Howard at the height of its popularity were Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald and Pearl Bailey. The Theatre closed after the riots in April 1968 and efforts to revive it in the 1970s were short-lived.
