The following stories have been hand-selected by the Assignment Desk at News4:
District Braces for Road Chaos
Road-closing plans for Tuesday's inaugural ceremony could extend to Interstate 95 and other major highways, going well beyond the unprecedented measures already announced with the prospect for traffic headaches beyond anything ever experienced, officials say. From a security viewpoint, the presidential inauguration of Barack Obama will be "the largest event ever in the world," FBI official Joseph Persichini Jr. told a group of security professionals at a briefing last week. (Washington Times)
Layoffs Mount at Hertz, AMD, Pfizer; Circuit City Liquidates
Homelessness Creeps Back Up
Homelessness across the country and in Virginia fell from 2005 to 2007, according to the latest national figures. However, the tanking economy and the foreclosure crisis that has invaded neighborhoods across the country have likely contributed to an uptick in homelessness in many areas, including Prince William County, said Phyllis Gilberti Chamberlain, the executive director of the Virginia Coalition to End Homelessness. (InsideNova.com)
Tough Economy Means More Unsafe Vehicles on Roads
A customer left Steven Duckson’s Clearview Car Care shop Wednesday with a severely cracked drive belt and two days earlier, another customer left the shop with steel sticking out of her tire, Duckson said. These customers had one thing in common: an inability to pay for the repairs, Caballero and Duckson said. (Frederick News Post)
Walking a Line Between Business and Pleasure
“You got your lace, your fishnet and your mesh,” said Patrick, the general manager of King Street’s newest shop. He was describing a small fraction of the product line for sale at Le Tache, a sexual accessory store that opened last Tuesday in Old Town’s high-traffic waterfront district. City officials say their inboxes have been flooded with emails from residents offended at the store’s prime location in the historic district known for its high-end restaurants, boutiques and art galleries, not for slinging videos like Nailin Palin, a pornographic film with a character that spoofs Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. (Alexandria Times)
