Downtowner News: WH Cocaine, French Bulldogs, Soccer, Frederick Douglass
By • July 12, 2023 0 1576
Hunting for the Source of Cocaine Found at White House
The White House was evacuated for a short time over the July 4 holiday weekend while President Joe Biden was at Camp David. The incident happened after the U.S. Secret Service found a suspicious powder in a common area of the West Wing. Testing determined that the powder was cocaine. Secret Service agents were doing routine rounds on Sunday when they discovered the substance around 8:45 p.m. Fire and emergency crews were sent in to do testing, and the White House reopened shortly thereafter. The investigation is ongoing.
Now reunited with their owners, two French Bulldogs, Uno and Cartier, were stolen at gunpoint earlier this month. Courtesy Metropolitan Police Department.
Two French Bulldogs Stolen at Gunpoint, Recovered
Two French Bulldogs, 1-year-old Uno and 5-month-old Cartier, were stolen at gunpoint along V St. in SW D.C. Just before the poor pups were snatched, a suspect tried to take another dog but was unsuccessful. Surveillance captured the suspect and vehicle, and police offered a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to an arrest. The suspect was described as in his teens. On July 6, during their investigation, detectives from the Violent Crimes Suppression Division recovered the dogs and reunited Uno and Cartier with their family. The case remains under investigation.
World Cup champions Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe in 2019. Courtesy Women’s International Champions Cup.
D.C. Soccer Fans — Get Ready to Cheer All Night
Bars in the District can stay open 24/7 during the upcoming Women’s World Cup July 20 through August 20. The D.C. Council recently passed “The Women’s World Cup Emergency Amendment Act of 2023,” which allows participating bars to stay open 24 hours during the event. However, keep in mind that while they will be open, the bars can’t sell drinks between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m.
D.C. Home Buyers Program Out of Funds
The District’s launch of a program for first-time home buyers has run out of money. The program, which hoped to help with the frustrations of rising interest rates, housing costs, inflation and more, had its dollars yanked through the end of the budget year. Typically, funds trickle down toward the end of the cycle, but this year it’s much earlier. The D.C. Department of Housing and Community Development said the demand was so much greater this year, given the economy, budget pinch and other factors and called it “the perfect storm,” so they had to pause the program, saying they did “everything they could.”
Cedar Hill, last home of Frederick Douglass. Courtesy National Park Service.
Frederick Douglass Historic Home Reopens
Abolitionist Frederick Douglass’s home, Cedar Hill, has reopened for the first time since 2020. The site, located at 1411 W St. SE, was forced to close due to the pandemic and subsequently underwent extensive renovations. A new HVAC system was installed which necessitated changing humidity levels, which could damage the historic paintings and finish on antique furniture. The new system will help preserve the thousands of items belonging to Douglass. Timed entry tours will be offered Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Advanced tickets are encouraged and can be found at recreation.gov.
