The following stories have been hand-selected by the Assignment Desk at News4:
REAL ESTATE RECOVERY?
When many in the residential real estate industry lobbied last fall for an extension of the $8,000 first-time homebuyers federal tax credit until April 30, there was a good reason beyond just wanting to see the buying incentive continue. May historically is among the industry's top-selling months, and agents and others knew they would need any advantage they could get to deal with the decline in buyer interest after the credit expired.(Gazette)
MYSTERIOUS BOOMS
Cheverly officials hope the prospect of a couple extra zeros in residents' bank account will encourage them to identify the source of mysterious sound booms that have woken and shaken up residents for a decade. The Cheverly Town Council voted during its June 24 work session to give a $2,500 reward to the person who identifies the source of the loud booms that continue to shake up home foundations. The individual with the answer would need to verify data with town administrator David Warrington, public works director Juan Torres and police chief Buddy Robshaw. (Gazette)
ELVIS "WAS STOLEN" FROM THE BUILDING
Elvis has left the building. More specifically, a 7-foot-tall statue of the king appears to have been stolen from atop the Happy Day Diner in Rosedale, where he'd stood for nearly a decade. Customers alerted owners Maria and Dimitrios Pigiaditis to the missing statue Sunday morning, and they filed a report with the Baltimore County Police. Elvis was bolted to the roof, and the thieves apparently broke him off, leaving behind part of his feet. (Baltimore Sun)
LOCAL RAPPER: KANYE, IT'S MY SONG..
These rhymes are mine; they belong to me. Steal them for you, and I’ll see you court. That you can believe. Though hardly a hit-maker, the above lyrics do ring true for one local rapper. Vincent Peters, a rap artist with a connection to Leesburg who goes by the stage name Vince P., is suing hip hop superstar Kanye West for doing just that: stealing his work. According to court documents filed on June 25 with the U.S. District Court in northern Illinois, Peters claims he wrote and recorded a song in 2006 called “Stronger” that ended up in the hands of long-time West business manager John Monopoly. Seven months later, West released his own song called “Stronger” that the suit says “copies significant and important” portions of Peters’ song. (Loudoun Independent)
