Meredith Somers
Articles by Meredith Somers
P.G. officer shoots at burglary suspect
Prince George's County police are investigating a second departmental shooting in this week after an officer fired on a burglary suspect outside a Temple Hills apartment complex early Thursday. Published April 12, 2012
Md. lottery winner prayed for ‘help with paying some bills’
Three Maryland public school employees are the winners of Maryland's share of the record-breaking Mega Millions lottery, officials said Tuesday. Published April 10, 2012
Reopened Howard Theatre offers nostalgia with a new vibe
The scene at the heart of D.C.'s Shaw neighborhood Monday afternoon might well have been taken out of the early 20th century. Published April 9, 2012
Maryland’s Mega Millions winner comes forward
Maryland Lottery officials confirmed on Monday that a person holding one of three winning tickets in the March 30 record-breaking Mega Millions drawing has come forward to claim the prize. Published April 9, 2012
Mega drama unfolds in search of Maryland’s winning ticket
Aside from the bizarre drama unfolding over the ticket to a record-breaking jackpot that may or may not be hidden in a Baltimore McDonald's, lottery officials on Thursday said nothing much has changed in the week since three winners were chosen in a Mega Millions drawing worth a half-billion dollars. Published April 5, 2012
Employers differ on online applicant checks
Sharing personal information on social networking websites has become commonplace. But with more employers considering a person's online presence as part of their resume, the practice is raising questions that recently prompted the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia to take action. Published April 3, 2012
Baltimore County jackpot winner stays in the dark
The millions of jackpot hopefuls who fantasized about the adventurous trips they would take, the luxury cars they would buy, and the family and friends they would help with their Mega Millions winnings have only one thing to imagine now - the faces of the people who will be splitting the $656 million prize, none of whom by Sunday had come forward. Published April 1, 2012
Mega Millions’ $500M lottery payout has players dreaming
What would you do with $500 million? That's a question millions of people across the country are asking themselves as the clock ticks down to Friday's record-breaking Mega Millions lottery drawing. Published March 28, 2012
Autism provides a different view through the camera in Md. program
The InFocus Project, an photography initiative of a Montgomery County-based agency that serves children and adults living with autism, is part of the agency's supportive employment program and began three years ago when several of the adults "expressed an interest in the arts." Published March 25, 2012
Rising gas prices may curb summer trips
High gasoline prices that are expected to continue rising will force motorists to shell out more at the pump and may have many people reconsidering summer travel plans to save money. Published March 22, 2012
Arlington County chief denies quotas for cops
Arlington County Police Chief M. Douglas Scott on Tuesday denied that his officers are encouraged to meet quotas for writing speeding and parking tickets - but only after an embarrassing intradepartmental memo outlining "proactivity expectations" was made public. Published March 20, 2012
Peak cherry blossom-viewing days
Cherry trees nearing full bloom hung heavy on Monday, drawing a steady stream of admirers to the paths around the Tidal Basin on the last official day of winter. Published March 19, 2012
Warm weather causes earlier peak time for cherry blossoms
Record-breaking temperatures in the D.C. area on Thursday had residents flocking outdoors in high spirits ahead of a weekend with the promise of more summery weather. Published March 15, 2012
D.C. cherry blossom peak time moved up
The peak bloom time for the District's cherry blossoms will come a week earlier than expected because of warm nights in the forecast, National Park Service officials said Wednesday. Published March 14, 2012
Doctor: Muth could be faking psychosis
A D.C. Superior Court judge on Wednesday ordered further psychological testing to determine whether a man who says his 91-year-old wife's August death was the result of a "hit by the Iranian Army" is competent to stand trial on a first-degree murder charge. Published March 14, 2012
Priest who denied Communion placed on leave
A Catholic priest who denied a lesbian Communion at her mother's funeral Mass was put on administrative leave for engaging in "intimidating behavior," officials of the Archdiocese of Washington said. Published March 12, 2012
Man shot during argument at D.C. IHOP
A man was shot during an argument at the IHOP restaurant in Columbia Heights, Metropolitan Police Department officials said Sunday. Published March 11, 2012
D.C. set to break parking fines record
The District raked in $31 million in parking ticket fines from October to January, putting the city on track to break its previous annual revenue collection records for at least the second fiscal year in a row, according to a report issued Monday by AAA Mid-Atlantic. Published March 5, 2012
Officials: Riverdale blaze that injured firefighters was arson
The recent fire in Riverdale that injured several Prince George's County firefighters is being investigated as arson, officials said Wednesday. Published February 29, 2012
Michael B. McGrath, 41, Politico vice president, dies
Michael B. McGrath, a trailblazing advertising executive at The Washington Times and doting family man to his wife and two daughters, died Monday after a long fight with lung cancer. He was 41. Published February 28, 2012