Meredith Somers
Articles by Meredith Somers
Four-alarm blaze burns popular Capitol Hill hardware store
D.C. firefighters Wednesday evening responded to a beloved Capitol Hill hardware store where a four-alarm fire sent a plume of black smoke streaming over the city. Published June 5, 2013
Giant ‘frankenfish’ caught in Virginia may be biggest ever
It was already a special day for Caleb Newton and Phil Wilcox — the two friends enjoying a bass-fishing bachelor party on the Potomac River. But when the men spotted a long shadow swimming among the reeds, they knew things were only going to get more interesting. Published June 4, 2013
81-year-old woman hit by car, killed in parking lot
An 81-year-old woman died after she was hit by a car in a shopping center parking lot, police said Monday. Published June 3, 2013
Woodbridge teen hit by police car
A Woodbridge teenager was hit by a police car while crossing the street, Prince William County police said Monday. Published June 3, 2013
Washington under construction
Millions of people each year make the trek to the District to see its monuments and museums. But some of the most iconic sites and vistas in the nation's capital currently don't look like they do in photographs and films. Published June 3, 2013
Referendum on new Maryland gun control laws shot down
The last obstacle standing in the way of Maryland's new gun control law was cleared this weekend, leaving gun control advocates relieved but gun rights supporters galvanized for future political action. Published June 2, 2013
N.Y. teen Arvind Mahankali wins the national spelling bee with ‘knaidel’
Maybe it's the fourth time that's the charm, perhaps it's what 13-year-old Arvind Mahankali calls the "German blessing," or it could just be that the eighth-grader just really knows how to spell. But whatever it was, late Thursday night the teen from Bayside Hills, N.Y., was crowned the 2013 Scripps National Spelling Bee champion. Published May 30, 2013
Young speller conquers the word ‘weissnichtwo’ and perfect attendance before bee
Eighth-grader Alicia Gonzalez hadn't missed a day of school since the first grade. So when she won her regional spelling bee earlier this year by correctly spelling "prerogative," she faced a dilemma — compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee or ruin her perfect attendance streak. Published May 27, 2013
6 children, 1 adult injured in boat explosion
Six children and an adult were seriously hurt in a boat explosion Monday, Anne Arundel County officials said. Published May 27, 2013
4 stabbed near D.C. homeless shelter
Four people were stabbed near a D.C. homeless shelter Monday, police said. Published May 27, 2013
Rolling Thunder: Thousands of reasons to ride
Perfect temperatures, a bright sun and blue sky commanded Sunday's forecast, but it was the sound of thunder that stood out for the D.C. area, as more than a half-million motorcycles rumbled through the city for the 26th annual Rolling Thunder. Published May 26, 2013
What it’s like to go on the Ride of the Patriots during D.C.’s Rolling Thunder
For 15 years, Patriot Harley-Davidson in Fairfax has hosted a motorcycle ride before the annual Rolling Thunder event. This year, the organizers of the Ride of the Patriots invited a reporter from The Washington Times to ride along. Published May 26, 2013
Hundreds of thousands of bikers rumble into D.C. for Rolling Thunder
Perfect temperatures, a bright sun and blue sky commanded Sunday's forecast, but it was the sound of thunder that stood out for the D.C. area, as more than a half-million motorcycles rumbled through the city for the 26th annual Rolling Thunder. Published May 26, 2013
Rolling Thunder riders roar through Northern Virginia
Three lanes of Interstate 66 empty of traffic except for two columns of motorcycles is a strange sight. But then you hear the cheers, see the shadowy silhouettes lined along a distant overpass with hands waving and flags flying, and you remember that while closing off 20 miles of major highway might be remarkable, it's also the way Northern Virginia shows respect. Published May 26, 2013
Patriots ride again in Fairfax, taking community along with them
It started more than a decade ago, a few hundred motorcycle riders looking for an informal group to join for a 20-mile trip through Northern Virginia to the Pentagon, where nearly a half-million fellow bikers idled before the national Rolling Thunder event. Published May 23, 2013
AAA: Sequestration to put the squeeze on holiday travel
Memorial Day travelers will have slightly less company on the roads this year because of the effects of sequestration, travel officials said Tuesday. Published May 21, 2013
Virginia woman charged in connection with domestic homicide
A Sterling woman was arrested this weekend on charges related to a shooting death of her husband, a police officer, the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office said. Published May 19, 2013
O’Malley signs Maryland gun-control measure into law
Gun control advocates in Maryland were bracing for an inevitable challenge to a law giving the state some of the strictest weapons prohibitions in the nation, even as they gathered Thursday to applaud Gov. Martin O'Malley for signing the bill he shepherded through the General Assembly. Published May 16, 2013
Metro officials rule out track conditions as cause of fire
Metro officials on Wednesday said they had ruled out track conditions as a potential cause for a fire under a train at the Silver Spring station and were turning their focus to the train car itself. Published May 15, 2013
Scaffolding completed around Washington Monument
Crews have finished wrapping the Washington Monument in scaffolding, meaning repairs to the earthquake-damaged landmark can begin. Published May 15, 2013