Meredith Somers
Articles by Meredith Somers
Paperwork under review to put Maryland’s new gun law on the ballot
The Maryland State Board of Elections confirmed Tuesday that it is reviewing paperwork for a petition to put sweeping firearms legislation on the 2014 ballot, a day before a Maryland state delegate plans to announce progress in an effort to challenge the recently passed gun laws. Published April 16, 2013
D.C. parking enforcement ‘booters’ average 61 cars daily
The seven D.C. employees responsible for "booting" cars with delinquent tickets immobilized more than 15,000 vehicles last year — a rate of 61 per day, according to figures compiled by AAA Mid-Atlantic. Published April 15, 2013
Getting guns in Maryland while they can
Supporters of Maryland's recently passed gun control law champion its stricter requirements and broader bans on assault weapons, but at a weekend gun and knife show in Annapolis, gun rights advocates said they are worried the new legislation is going to make gun possession more difficult for them than for criminals. Published April 14, 2013
Lawyers seek tape of 911 call from Chandra Levy’s apartment building
Defense attorneys for the man convicted of killing Chandra Levy in 2001 asked a judge on Thursday to compel prosecutors to turn over an audio tape of a 911 call previously not made available to them about a "blood-curdling scream" in the former federal intern's apartment building the morning she disappeared. Published April 11, 2013
Witnesses testify in shooting of Alexandria officer
A grand jury will consider evidence next month in the case of a taxicab driver charged with shooting an Alexandria police officer in the head, after nearly a dozen witnesses testified in an Alexandria courtroom Wednesday, weaving together the narrative of the violent encounter and the ensuing high-speed chase. Published April 10, 2013
Maryland gun rights supporters bracing for referendum showdown
Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley has yet to sign his gun control bill, but gun rights supporters are already gearing up for a referendum that would let voters decide whether they want to keep the sweeping legislation. Published April 9, 2013
Cherry blossoms’ delayed debut doesn’t dim enthusiasm
The sun was warm and the sky a bright blue, but three weeks into spring and the cherry blossoms — the District's unofficial herald for the end of winter — had yet to fully show their true colors. Published April 7, 2013
Daredevil takes high-flying act to National Harbor hotel
On Thursday, 43-year-old BASE jump and sky-dive veteran Miles Daisher hurled himself from the rafters of the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, with only 230 feet between him and the polished floor. It only took 13 seconds, but the 19-story fall was enough time to experience just about every emotion — and to briefly reassess his career. Published April 4, 2013
Maryland House approves stricter gun regulations
Maryland's House of Delegates on Wednesday passed a package of gun restrictions making its laws among the toughest in the country and reinforcing what analysts say is a trend toward states with strict gun regulations passing laws making them stricter. Published April 3, 2013
Maryland House passes gun-control package
The Maryland House of Delegates gave final approval Wednesday to a package of gun control legislation that will give the state among the most restrictive laws in the country. Published April 3, 2013
Marion Barry recovering after overnight hospital stay
Former D.C. Mayor Marion Barry was recovering Wednesday from an overnight stay at the hospital prompted by low blood sugar. Published April 3, 2013
Cherry blossom buds about ready to put on their show
Old Man Winter's final attempt to wreak havoc in the D.C. area wrinkled a few schedules, but not the plans of Mother Nature. Published April 1, 2013
Video shows man sought in groping incidents
Fairfax County police Monday released a surveillance video of a man possibly connected to a series of groping assaults in Springfield. Published April 1, 2013
Cardinal Wuerl delivers Easter message of Pope Francis
A standing-room-only crowd joined Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl, archbishop of Washington, in celebrating Easter Mass, where he explained how Pope Francis had the honor of leading the 2,000-year-old tradition for 1.2 billion Catholics around the world. Published March 31, 2013
D.C. collected $92M from parking tickets in ‘12
D.C. parking enforcement officers stuck 1.9 million tickets on car windshields in fiscal 2012 — a rate of one ticket every eight seconds — raking in $92.6 million in revenue for the city, according to figures from the D.C. Department of Motor Vehicles. Published March 11, 2013
Hundreds turn out to raise funds for wounded Va. officer
Relatives, friends, and a few hundred unofficial family members turned out in Old Town Alexandria on Sunday to support a police officer critically injured in the line of duty. Published March 10, 2013
High-speed crash on Key Bridge kills driver
Arlington police on Sunday were investigating a crash that killed a 21-year-old driver who lost control of his car while driving up to 90 miles per hour across the Key Bridge. Published March 10, 2013
Chefs for ambassadors will compete on Embassy Row
Along a roughly two-mile stretch of Massachusetts Avenue exists a secret world, one with high-profile names, ritzy locations, and extravagant experiences that many can only dream about: the kitchens of Embassy Row. Published March 7, 2013
Snow fail: Predictions almost all wrong this time around
A storm that promised the first significant snowfall accumulation in two years was mostly a bust, dropping a sloppy wet slush inside the Capital Beltway on Wednesday but delivering more significant snow in the Washington area's outer suburbs. Published March 6, 2013
Snowstorm closing on D.C. after battering Midwest
A late-season snow storm is bearing down on the D.C. area, after burying the Midwest under more than a foot of snow. Published March 5, 2013