Caitlin Franz • March 26, 2015

The local parents accused of leaving their two young children in a car while they attended a wine tasting on a January night have accepted a plea deal. Christophe Lucas, 41, and Jennie Chang, 45, pleaded guilty to attempted second-degree cruelty to children in D.C. Superior Court on March 19. The couple admitted to leaving their children, who are both under the age of three, in the car while they attended a wine tasting at the Ris restaurant in January. Temperatures hovered in the low 30s that night. Prosecutors said the children were wearing coats but not hats or gloves. One child was also not wearing socks or shoes.

The plea deal allows for the charges to be dismissed in nine months if the couple maintains good behavior and attends a parenting class. Lucas and Chang have already completed the court-mandated parenting course.

The children, who were in the custody of Child Protective Services following the incident, have been released back into the custody of the parents.

Lucas and Chang were originally charged with two counts each of second-degree cruelty to children. These charges could have put the parents in jail for up to six months.

The couple did not make a statement in court. Their lawyer Danny Onorato did release a statement to WTOP. It is included in full below.

“Jennie Chang and Christophe Lucas are caring, dedicated parents who had an unfortunate lapse of judgment a month ago. Ms. Chang and Mr. Lucas were monitoring and watching their children from about 50 feet away, and the parents are adamant that the children were not in any danger. They realize that their actions were wrong and they are eager to place this matter behind them. They’re pleased that the matter is now resolved and they can focus on raising their children. As you know, this case will be dismissed in December.”

Caitlin Franz • March 11, 2015

The former West End Public Library has been completely demolished to make way for a new EastBanc project. Piles of rubble and large construction equipment cover the lot. Yet it’s clear that progress is being made on the library and condominium combination development.

Architect Enrique Norten, of Ten Arquitectos, is the designer of the new 21,000-square-foot library, which will span two levels. Eight stories of residential housing will be built above it.

The new library will hold designated spaces for children, teens and adults. It will also have one large meeting area, two conference rooms and multiple study rooms. There are additional plans for a cafe and underground parking.

Throughout the construction process, library services will be provided at 2522 Virginia Ave. NW. The temporary location features separate spaces for children, teens and adults, 20 computers and a meeting room for up to 40 people. The West End Public Library will lease this space at the Watergate complex for at least three years.

Caitlin Franz • February 9, 2015

The congregation of Kesher Israel synagogue told fired Rabbi Barry Freundel that he needs to vacate the house on O Street provided to him as part of his employment by Jan. 1.

Over a month later, he still has not done so.

Kesner Israeil’s housing was considered part of Freundel’s pay when the synagogue employed him for 26 years. However, he was fired in October after he was charged with six counts of voyeurism.

Freundel’s attorney Jeffrey Harris claims that the synagogue would revoke Freundel’s back wages and his pension of $100,000 if Freundel chooses to stay in the home until March, according to ABC7 news. Lawyers for Kesher Israel argue that this will give the former rabbi plenty of time to move out.
The Georgetown home Freundel inhabits is valued at $1.5 million.

The Rabbinical Council of America has gotten involved in regard to this case. The RCA established a committee to review the conversion process and protect converts. Recomendations from the committee were reported to the RCA Jan. 31. They will be released to the public at an unknown time.

It is alleged that Freundel filmed women while they undressed and cleansed themselves in the ritual bath at the National Capital Mikvah, including a Georgetown student. He acted as professor for one of her classes.

In mid-December, two more women added their names to the class action lawsuit being brought against the man. The civil lawsuit was filed with the D.C. Superior Court. The women claim to have been sexually exploited, but it is not clear if they were also videotaped in the ritual baths.

Caitlin Franz • February 5, 2015

When it was discovered that an old cannonball was in a neighbor’s shed, D.C. Fire and Metropolitan Police were called to Cambridge Place Jan. 21 and a bit of historical hysteria ensued.

Streets were blocked and residents concerned over the possibility of live ammunition as the cannonball appeared to have gunpowder in it.

The Georgetown family, the Norregaards, found the cannonball from the 19th century in their fireplace in December after renovations to the chimney. Rula Norregaard did not know just how volatile the family’s new show-and-tell piece could be, according to her interview with the Washington Post.

Some homes in the 3000 block of Cambridge Place NW – where the Norregaards live — were evacuated.

Most people would think that the only place for a cannonball is in a battle long ago or in a museum display case.

The Cambridge Place house is only a few blocks away from the Oak Hill Cemetery, where famous figures from the 1800s are buried — perhaps, even those responsible for that mysterious cannon ball in the Victorian home, built in the 1890s.

Fearing the potential explosion of the cannon ball’s contents, the Metropolitan Police Department’s bomb squad arrived and then contacted the Army for assistance.

The cannonball was sent to Fort Belvoir in Virginia to be analyzed. Those called to the scene were unable to X-ray it in the Norregaards’ home.

Norregaard told the Washington Post that she would like to have the cannonball back after the testing is complete.

Caitlin Franz •

Kate Spade & Co. is closing all Kate Spade Saturday and Jack Spade store locations. These brands feature lower prices than their counterparts.

The Kate Spade Saturday Georgetown location — at 3034 M St. NW — opened recently on Aug. 16. The store, along the with Jack Spade location at 1250 Wisconsin Ave. NW, is expected to the close in mid-2015.

The Jack Spade brand sales will continue online and through other retailers, according to a company statement.

Kate Spade & Co. has four other Washington area stores. Kate Spade New York will remain open in Georgetown, Pentagon City, D.C. City Center and Tysons Galleria.

Caitlin Franz •

A local couple was arrested and charged with first-degree child cruelty after leaving their children alone in an unheated car while they went to a wine tasting Jan. 31.

The children are both under the age of two.

Parents Jennie Chang, 45, and Christophe Lucas, 41, went to a wine tasting at Ris, a restaurant at 2275 L St. NW in the West End neighborhood, where they were arrested.

The toddlers were alone in the car parked at the corner of 23rd and L Streets NW for about an hour in the 28-degree weather. According to the Metropolitan Police Department, a call was placed to MPD around 5:40 p.m. by a person who saw the children in the car.

The children are now in the custody of Child Protective Services.

A first-degree cruelty to children conviction can lead to ten years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine.

Caitlin Franz • February 2, 2015

The Committee for Investments and Social Responsibility at Georgetown University rejected a proposal by the student-run campaign, G.U. Fossil Free, to divest the university’s endowment from all holdings in fossil fuel companies. Meanwhile, the university’s board of directors will consider any divestment issues during its February meeting.

After the student group submitted a final plan to CISR last August, the two groups met for further and continuing discussions.

An advisory group of faculty, students and administrators, which is charged with judging university proposals “on issues related to socially responsible investment,” CISR made its opinion known this week in support of more targeted alternative divestment plans.

The committee’s chairman Jim Feinerman issued a statement, which read in part:
” . . . There are many levels to this complex issue. After four months of discussion and consideration, the CISR voted against the adoption of GUFF’s final proposal to divest completely from fossil fuel companies. The committee does, however, offer an alternative recommendation as to how Georgetown can continue to engage on issues raised by GUFF and related to sustainability more broadly. The members of CISR believe there are opportunities for Georgetown to embrace a range of strategies, including targeted divestment from fossil fuel companies with the worst environmental records and most objectionable practices; shareholder engagement with energy companies to reduce their environmental impact and change harmful practices; and thoughtful collaboration with other universities and non-profit organizations not only to vote proxies consistent with these principles but also to sustain public pressure to reduce environmental harm and to develop alternative sources of energy.”

The adjusted divestment by CISR would exempt oil and gas companies, focusing only on the top 100 companies that facilitate damage to the environment as a result of coal mining. The CISR has said that it hopes to encourage companies to reduce their harmful impacts on the environment by creating partnerships with the university.

G.U. Fossil Free was not satisfied with these proposals. The organization would like to see a widespread divestment, which would include companies from all sectors.

Its reaction to the decision stated: “Partial divestment is a positive first step, and while we are encouraged by the CISR’s receptiveness to divestment as a tactic, their alterations to our proposal rely on false moral distinctions between different fossil fuel companies and greatly weaken the statement that full divestment would make. Partial divestment is an insufficient tactic, and, in light of the challenges at hand, is ideologically inconsistent with the CISR’s mandate to align Georgetown’s investments with its ethical standards . . .”

“We hope that members of [Georgetown University’s] board of directors will favor a more decisive commitment to moral leadership and opt for comprehensive divestment from the top 200 fossil fuel companies across all sectors.”

A university spokesperson said: “We are grateful to the Committee on Investments and Social Responsibility for its work and to G.U. Fossil Free for the important contributions it made to the question of how we make and meet our sustainability goals, as it relates to our endowment and investments. . . . CISR will now forward its proposal to the Finance Committee of the Board of Directors. We expect that, at the February board meeting, the finance committee will direct a working group to engage this proposal in the coming months.”

Caitlin Franz • January 29, 2015

Washington, D.C. is notoriously under-prepared for snow. As the northeast prepare for the storm – named Juno – here’s an update on what to expect weather-wise in the area.

It’s currently 34 degrees, but it feels more like 25. There’s a 90 percent chance for snow but it won’t stick around for very long. We’re expected to see less than an inch on the ground by the end of today, according to the Weather Channel.

Tonight’s low is 30 degrees with a 60 percent chance of snow. There’s a potential to see 1 to 3 inches on the ground by morning commute time.

Winds throughout the day and night are expected to reach between 10 and 13 miles per hour.

Snow showers are possible Tuesday with a high of 38 degrees.

All government offices are currently open. In addition, Schools are also currently open and no delays are expected at this time. There are no hospital closures and no transportation delays have been reported.

Follow this link for updates on closures due to weather conditions.

Click here for updates on closings of local organizations and businesses.

Caitlin Franz •

A drone about 2 feet in diameter caused a two-hour lockdown at the White House early Monday morning.

The frenzy it created was much larger than the drone itself.

It has come to light that the drone was being operated by an off-duty staff member of a National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency He was reportedly intoxicated at the time of the incident and lost control of the drone.

Several emergency vehicles were called to the scene. Secret service officials searched the grounds with flashlights, looking for more flying objects that might have landed on the White House lawn.

The drone was not dangerous—but it’s raising questions about future security problems.

It’s the last thing the White House security staff needs. The storm has finally died down from the fence-hopping intruder, who might as well have waltzed through the front door.

Drones, which can be purchased as glorified toys, are easily equipped with cameras for aerial photography or surveillance.

Photos taken at the White House could pose a privacy threat to the Obama family.

The President and his wife missed the commotion. They are traveling in India. However, his daughters may have been at home. Their location has not been released by White House staff.

Updated Jan. 27 5:35 p.m.