Downtowner DC August 2024

Joe Bowser, Mayor’s Father, Dies at 88
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser is mourning the loss of her father, Joe Bowser, 88, who died on Aug. 2. In a statement, Bowser said she owes her career in public service to her dad. “He was the first person to take me to a community meeting. The first person to teach me that if something needs to be fixed, then step up and fix it — and finish any job you start.”  

AG Schwalb to StubHub: See You in Court!
D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb has filed a lawsuit in D.C. Superior Court against ticket resale site StubHub. Schwalb is claiming that StubHub violated the District’s Consumer Protection Procedures Act, using misleading pricing to con D.C. residents out of $118 million over almost a decade. More information on the suit is available at oag.dc.gov.  

D.C. Woman Repeats World’s Toughest Footrace
Kelaine Conochan, a 41-year-old D.C. resident, recently completed the Badwater 135, considered the world’s toughest footrace, for the second time. The 135-mile “ultramarathon” in California goes from Death Valley to Mt. Whitney, with a 48-hour time limit. Conochan’s first race was in 2021. After a period of recovery and training, she went back to complete the race again last month.   

Union Market Revs Up for Immersive Racing
Just the fourth of its kind, a new arcade is coming to D.C.’s Union Market area in mid-October. F1 Arcade will be a place for racing enthusiasts, complete with virtual racing, themed cocktails and Grand Prix watch parties. In the immersive experience, racing simulators allow “drivers” to feel the vibration of their “cars.” Other locations are in London, Birmingham (the one in England) and Boston.  

D.C. Board of Elections Puts Initiative on Nov. Ballot  
Initiative 83, a two-part Board of Elections proposal regarding District voting procedures, will be on the November ballot. If passed, part one will allow primary elections to be opened to voters registered as Independents. Part two will implement ranked-choice, which lets voters rank up to five candidates in order of preference, helping ensure that the winner gets at least 50 percent of the votes. 
 
Quadruple Shooting Is Part of a Violent Weekend in D.C.
A quadruple shooting along M Street NE early Saturday morning, Aug. 3, left two dead: Antonio Williams, 33, and Terrell Osbourne Jr., 18. Two others survived gunshot wounds. Neighbors at first thought the shots were fireworks. As of press time, police are searching for a 2019 Honda Accord as part of an ongoing investigation. The shooting was one of five such incidents that took place over a violent weekend in the District.