City State: Morning Roundup

THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA’S ONLY LICENSED GUN DEALER appears poised to set up shop in police headquarters, now that the city’s zoning commission has approved an emergency proposal, Mayor Vincent C. Gray said Wednesday. The lone dealer had closed shop, which resulted in the city having a de facto ban on handguns, then attempting to make the unusual, short-term fix, according to The Washington Times.

THE METROPOLITAN WASHINGTON AIRPORTS AUTHORITY on Wednesday reversed its controversial decision to build an underground Metrorail station at Washington Dulles International Airport after months of political pressure from state and local officials who supported a less-expensive approach, according to The Washington Times.

FORMER PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY EXECUTIVE JACK JOHNSON has been collecting benefits, despite pleading guilty to felony charges. Johnson began receiving payments for his $49,552.32-a-year pension in January, despite admitting to accepting up to $1 million in gifts for steering taxpayer dollars to crooked developers while serving as county executive for eight years. He is allowed to collect the money because of a loophole in Maryland’s pension law that state officials are trying to close, according to the Washington Examiner.

Though Johnson committed his crimes and was arrested while in office, he entered his guilty plea to two federal felony charges of extortion and tampering with witnesses and evidence in May, well after he resigned on Dec. 6. Public officials in Maryland are denied benefits only if they’re convicted of a crime while in office.

THE TRIPLE-DIGIT TEMPERATURES that broiled the Midwest hit the D.C. region today and are expected to remain through Saturday. Officials have implemented emergency-ready plans while residents scramble for air conditioning and outdoor workers move to survival mode. The temperature is expected to hit 100 degrees today. And with the extremely high humidity, the heat index could reach 115 degrees, according to The Washington Times.

VIRGINIA GOP GOV. BOB MCDONNELL is being criticized by two Republican state Senate candidates for saying that party members in Congress should “compromise” on federal debt talks in Washington. The candidates are conservatives Tito Munzo, who is running in the 36th Senate District, and Claudia Tucker, in the newly created 22nd Senate District. Such a compromise would likely include tax increases, according to The Washington Post. Mr. McDonnell sent the plea to compromise to President Obama and to the congressional delegation. He said he is concerned about the country’s economic stability, including Virginia’s, considering its AAA bond rating now under review.

WASHINGTON’S FAMED WATERGATE COMPLEX caught fire late Wednesday night, according to WJLA-TV. Fire officials say flames were confined to a 10th-floor apartment, but smoke filled part of the building. Non-life-threatening injuries were reported. The complex is composed of five buildings that house apartments, offices and a hotel.

THE DEADLINE TO BUILD A SLOTS CASINO IN BALTIMORE was extended Wednesday by Maryland officials, further delaying a project already hampered by minimal developer interest and ongoing lawsuits. Maryland legalized slots in a 2008 referendum, and state officials initially sought to approve slots parlors at five locations. However, they have struggled to find companies willing to build at two of the sites — Baltimore and Rocky Gap Lodge and Golf Resort in Allegany County, according to The Washington Times. The state has two active casinos in Cecil and Worcester counties, with another set to open next year in Anne Arundel County.