IN THE NEWS: It's a Bird, It's a Plane; Regulating D.C. Cops; Virginia's Vanity; Williams COS Charged

... Don't Freak Out, Those Planes Are Supposed to Be There. The military will be flying a Cessna and a Twin Otter over the District and inner suburbs for some sort of exercise. We can only hope that people at the Capitol have been alerted.

From The Washington Post:
The U.S. military said it will begin flying two small aircraft at low altitudes across the region today as part of a radar data collection project. The Cessna 206 and Twin Otter will fly over the District and nearby suburbs in Maryland and Virginia for a few hours during the morning and afternoon this week, a spokeswoman for the Federal Aviation Administration said.

"Low-Level Flyovers by Military Set to Begin" [The Washington Post]

... Controlling the MPD. D.C. City Councilwoman Kathy Patterson, who chairs the council's Judiciary Committee, will introduce a bill that would regulate police activity during large-scale protests and other events. Patterson has been a major critic of how Chief Charles Ramsey handled the infamous Pershing Park round-up in 2002, something the Metropolitan Police has been taken to task on.

From The Washington Post:
The bill would set new standards for when police can disrupt an event and would limit the use of physical restraints for protesters, according to a news release issued by Kathy Patterson (D-Ward 3), who heads the committee.

"Bill Regulating Police at Protests Readied" [The Washington Post]

... Virginia's Vanity Plates. The Washington Times reports on the novelty of Virginia's vanity plates. They certainly go bonkers across the Potomac to drive in "style."

From The Washington Times:
State law forbids any obscene or offensive messages on license plates, which narrows the selection for Jimmy Buffett fans. Several of the specialty "Parrotheads" plates -- JIMMY, PARTY, WASTED and STONED --— have been taken; however, no one is allowed to drive DRUNK.

Please refer to why.i.hate.dc for full coverage of the Virginia vanity plate debate.

"Plates let drivers play politics on the road" [The Washington Times]

... Williams Chief of Staff Charged With Hatch Act Violations. The Washington Post reports that D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams' chief of staff, Kelvin Robinson, has been charged with Hatch Act violations when he urged mayoral staff to work for the mayor's 2002 re-election. Robinson says that he is leaving the Williams administratation for the private sector, but not because of the federal inquiry into his actions.

"Williams's Chief of Staff Charged" [The Washington Post]

... Briefly Noted. In his preparation to move to the capital city, my blogger friend Rob Goodspeed has relaunched his blog, the Goodspeed Update, with a D.C. focus.