It’s been two months since D.C. Health on the Potomac River, citing weeks of testing where the water stayed in a safe range for recreational use, according to standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Potomac Riverkeeper Dean Naujoks called the improvement 鈥渁 very positive sign,鈥� but said the work isn鈥檛 finished. He said water quality testing needs to continue, and extend beyond surface samples.

A section of the Potomac Interceptor sewer pipe along Clara Barton Parkway, inside the Capital Beltway, collapsed Jan. 19, sending more than 240 million gallons of wastewater into the Potomac River.

Naujoks said the Potomac Riverkeeper Network recently surveyed more than 600 adults.

“Forty percent of the public that responded to our poll says they were willing to come back to the river and use the river,” Naujoks said. “But 99% said they wanted to see ongoing water quality monitoring, not just at the spill site, not just in D.C., but the entire river.”

In March, the EPA took over water quality sampling from D.C.鈥檚 Department of Energy and Environment. But according to the EPA’s website, , that testing was expected to end May 1. 91欧美激情 is seeking verification from the agency that testing has ended.

D.C. Water told 91欧美激情 it will continue posting results from its 5鈥慸ay鈥慳鈥憌eek water quality testing, conducted at locations from Old Angler鈥檚 Inn, upstream of the collapse, to National Harbor in Prince George鈥檚 County, Maryland.

Naujoks said fecal bacteria could still be present in river sediment in areas where people swim and play, even if surface water appears clean.

“Places like Three Sisters (Islands), or National Harbor, or even all the way down at Colonial Beach, where people are literally putting toes in the sand, they want to know if it’s safe 鈥� and that’s why the ongoing monitoring is very, very important,” Naujoks said.

To meet that demand, the Riverkeeper鈥檚 water quality monitoring program is expanding this season from 28 sites to 37, Naujoks said, in direct response to the spill and increased community interest from people living downriver.

The program will test water quality from May 13 through September, Naujoks said.

Naujoks said the Maryland Department of the Environment is committed to ongoing testing, and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and the Virginia Department of Health will also conduct monitoring on the Virginia side of the river.

As summer approaches, with continued drought conditions and low water flow, Naujoks said there’s a risk of algae blooms and fish kills, especially as water temperatures rise in June and July.

For people planning to get on the river, Naujoks pointed to , which provides weekly updates on whether specific locations are safe for recreation and human contact.

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A federal judge will not order work to be stopped on the East Potomac Golf Course amid concerns from preservationists about the future of the historic D.C. golf course, which President Donald Trump hopes to renovate.

The ruling from U.S. District Court Judge Ana Reyes Monday comes after online news outlet the Trump administration had planned to close the golf course as early as Sunday, with plans to begin construction and tree clearing by Monday.

That news prompted the D.C. Preservation League to file an requesting a federal judge to halt any maintenance on the course by the Trump administration, claiming it鈥檚 “irreparably destroying a priceless piece of American history.鈥�

President Donald Trump said in January he wants to make East Potomac Golf Course, 鈥渁 beautiful, world-class, U.S. Open-caliber course.鈥� In a remote court hearing Monday, an attorney representing the D.C. Preservation League pointed to fundraising efforts reportedly showing renderings of a lavish golf club.

Reyes said she wants to learn whether the White House or some third party is driving that fundraising.

The National Park Service’s Superintendent of the National Mall Kevin Griess assured the judge the plans are only to remove dead and dangerous trees, as well as to carry out regular maintenance.

Democracy Forward, the group suing the Interior Department, said the Trump administration made similar claims with the White House ballroom project and the Kennedy Center.

Reyes said she takes Griess at his word that no renovation plans have been finalized. She said she wants to be told if more than 10 trees have to be cut down, or if there are plans to bring heavy machinery in.

“I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt that we’re not going to have a bulldozer knocking down trees,” Reyes told the attorney representing the Interior Department, Michael Robertson.

Reyes said she doesn’t want a situation where she hears that something major has happened that can’t be undone.

“If anything happens, there are going to be serious consequences. Closing one course isn’t maintenance,” she said. East Potomac has three courses.

The Trump administration has maintained that no formal decisions have been made regarding renovations to the course.

The emergency court order was filed as part of brought in February by the D.C. Preservation League and two local golfers.

鈥淚t’s a park that people and communities use and it’s heavily utilized. It is available to all people in the community, not just some people or people that you know can sort of afford to be on an exclusive list,鈥� Skye Perryman told 91欧美激情 before the judge’s ruling. Perryman is the CEO and Founder of Democracy Forward, a legal advocacy nonprofit.

The complaint filed against the Department of the Interior argues that the Trump administration鈥檚 reconstruction of the East Potomac Golf Course, would violate the congressional act that created East Potomac Park in 1897. That act established the park for the 鈥渞ecreation and the pleasure of the people.鈥�

The case continues through the court system.

Issues over lease

With views of the Washington Monument and the Potomac River, a course where generations have learned the game is now facing an uncertain future.

In December 2025, the Department of the Interior ended the lease of National Links Trust, the nonprofit that has been running East Potomac, as well as the Rock Creek and Langston courses.

While ruling against the emergency request to prevent the closure of East Potomac Park for renovations Monday, Reyes said the plaintiff should be given enough time to challenge any potential plans to close. Griess told the judge any closure would require public notice.

“If there are plans to close, plaintiff should have enough time to challenge the closure,” Reyes said. “I do not want a situation where something happened where it’s too late to do anything about it, given some issues around the District recently.”

Robertson told the judge any closure is under consideration.

“It seems un-imminent to me, but pretending to the follow the rules and then asking for forgiveness isn’t going to work for me,” Reyes said.

The termination of NLT鈥檚 lease is a move that has sparked questions about what changes could be ahead.

Mike McCartin, CEO of National Links Trust, said the organization was caught off guard by the lease’s termination.

鈥淪o we received a notice of default in November of 2025, the notice was two sentences long,鈥� McCartin said.

He also said the government claims improvements were taking too long, something he disputes.

鈥淏asically, the reason that they鈥檙e giving to terminate us is that we鈥檙e taking too long, when in fact, the timeline was driven by the Park Service,鈥� he said.

He said the group had already been working to improve conditions at the courses.

鈥淲e鈥檝e spent about $11 million on those improvements, and I think people can see a huge difference,鈥� he said.

Other reporting has suggested the default may also involve unpaid rent. McCartin disputes that, saying investments made under the lease were intended to offset those costs.

He added that the group also paid more than $600,000 in rent for what he described as a total of $11.6 million in payments and offsets.

鈥淭he $11 million spent on improvements can offset rent per our lease,鈥� he said.

NOTUS reviewed documents that showed a proposal tied to America鈥檚 250th anniversary would turn East Potomac into what would be called Washington National Golf Course, backed by at least $50 million in fundraising.

For now, McCartin said the nonprofit is continuing to operate the course with the hope that the government reconsiders the end of the lease.

鈥淲e鈥檙e going to do that until we鈥檙e told that we can鈥檛 do it anymore,鈥� McCartin said.

The Department of the Interior said in a statement to 91欧美激情 that affordability will remain a focus as plans move forward.

鈥淧resident Donald Trump has made affordability a cornerstone of this administration, and this project will be no exception,鈥� it stated.

On the course itself, a large mound of dirt from the White House East Wing excavation now sits in plain view and could factor into future improvements. McCartin said it reflects the broader uncertainty surrounding what the course鈥檚 next chapter will look like.

鈥淚 think it represents the big question mark that鈥檚 hanging over this place about what comes next,” McCartin said.

‘Only place I could golf’

Golfers say they are paying close attention to what happens next.

Justin, who plays regularly at East Potomac, said affordability is what has long made the course stand out.

鈥淚f you raise the prices 50%, a whole bunch of people who could afford this won鈥檛 be able to afford it,” he said.

He said for many players, it remains one of the few accessible places to golf in the region. He recalls the course being the only option when he moved to D.C.

鈥淭his is the only place I could golf,” he said.

Jonathan Davis,of Arlington, said he has been playing there for decades and wants to see improvements, but not at the cost of access.

鈥淭his is where I learned how to play. And I’ve been playing here for 40 years, and I hate to see something happen to it,鈥� Davis said. 鈥淚f he keeps prices the same and improves the course, I’m all for it. If he improves the course, it makes it so people can’t play it, then that’s totally different story.”

Others like Lincoln Lawrence, of Alexandria, said they are willing to wait and see what is planned.

鈥淚鈥檓 open to it only until I understand what the design is,” Lawrence said.

And some golfers argue a major overhaul may not be necessary at all.

鈥淲e don鈥檛 need a new golf course. We just need this one,鈥� said Mark Ellmore, of Alexandria.

Ellmore said the course should remain what it has always been, which is a public space for all and should not be turned into a high-end course.

鈥淒onald Trump is far too smart to blow up a public park and try and turn it into Bethpage,鈥� Ellmore said.

As plans are discussed and legal challenges move forward, what the future holds for East Potomac and what changes may come remains unclear.

91欧美激情’s Jessica Kronzer, Grace Newton and The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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Drivers on or near the 14th Street Potomac River bridge Friday might hear what sound like brief explosions, Virginia’s passenger rail agency said.

Construction of the nearby, which will double the rail capacity across the Potomac River, includes a series of load tests scheduled for late morning Friday and on May 7.

“During the statnamic tests, resident and trail users in the project vicinity may hear loud noises that resemble an explosion,” the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority said . “Each test will last for a few seconds.”

Statnamic testing is used to verify the load-bearing capacity of bridge foundation elements. The testing uses a rapid release of force 鈥� similar to heavy pile drivers 鈥� to simulate the weight and stress the bridge piles will experience once in use.

Cranes and barges supporting the bridge work are in the Potomac near East Potomac Park, and are visible from the 14th Street Bridge and the Metrorail trains crossing the river.

The project involves building a new two-track corridor, to bolster the current 100-year-old two-track bridge that carries both Amtrak and Virginia Railway Express passenger trains, as well as CSX freight trains.

When it’s completed, the new bridge will allow the separation of passenger and freight service on the perpetually congested stretch that serves L’Enfant Plaza and Union Station.

The Long Bridge project, which broke ground in October 2024, is currently expected to be completed in 2030.

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Thousands of people lined up in Front Royal, Virginia, Thursday, with hopes of catching a glimpse of King Charles and Queen Camilla as the British royals briefly joined in the town’s parade celebrating America’s 250th birthday.

Some of the spectators dressed for the occasion, donning fancy hats, crowds and union jacks.

Jodi Shollenberger, a middle school teacher and Front Royal resident, got up early to hold a spot in line for her two sons, so they could sleep in late. She ended up being the first in line.聽

“I wanted them to be able to actually be able to see the king and queen on Main Street and not be behind tall people,” Shollenberger told 91欧美激情 ahead of the parade. “To still be part of the experience would be cool, but to actually see them.”

Those attending the parade went through screenings by security officials, roads near Main Street were closed and schools called off classes.

Another Front Royal resident who attended the parade is Bill Tyree. He said that this was his only chance to see a living monarch.

“The town is very lucky that we have something going on,” Tyree said. “This is good for the town.”

Linda Huff also shared similar sentiments, adding that Front Royal is a great place to live and has a ton of events, including the king and queen’s appearance.

“We followed them all of our lives,” Huff said of the royals. “It’s 鈥� exciting just to have them here.”

King Charles and Queen Camilla were scheduled to go to Shenandoah National Park later on after the parade.

Win McNamee/Pool Photo via AP

Win McNamee/Pool Photo via AP

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Kylie Cooper/Pool Photo via AP

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91欧美激情’s Tadiwos Abedje contributed to this report.

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Allen was charged Monday with attempting to assassinate the president of the United States, transportation of a firearm and ammunition through interstate commerce with intent to commit a felony, and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence.

In its “Government’s Memorandum in Support of Pretrial Detention,” ahead of Thursday’s detention hearing in U.S. District Court, Justice Department attorneys wrote, “Had the defendant achieved his intended outcome, he would have brought about one of the darkest days in American history.”

According to the government, the photo was taken at 8:03 p.m. It shows Allen in a black dress shirt, black slacks and a red necktie tucked into his pants behind his belt.

He was also wearing a small leather bag, a shoulder holster, a sheathed knife “consistent in appearance with one of the knives later recovered from his person,” as well as pliers and wire cutters that he was carrying when he was taken into custody, according to prosecutors.

While he was traveling from Los Angeles to Chicago, before boarding a second train for D.C., Allen used his cellphone to access articles about the upcoming dinner.

Shortly after arriving at Union Station at 1:10 p.m. on Friday, April 24, Allen purchased a Metro Smartcard with a three-day bus rail pass.

“He then traveled by metro train from Union Station to Dupont Circle and checked into the Washington Hilton at approximately 3:15 p.m.,” according to the motion submitted by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro.

In its argument against pretrial release of Allen, prosecutors said he was willing to harm others who got in the way of his intended political targets, including President Donald Trump and other members of his cabinet.

“He ‘would still go through most everyone here to get to the targets if it were absolutely necessary,'” prosecutors wrote, saying anyone at the dinner was a legitimate target because they “chose” to attend the president’s speech.

Allen’s email to his family, which was automatically sent moments before the attack, addressed a number of grievances against the Trump administration and previous court rulings.

“If, in the defendant’s view, he is the ultimate arbiter of political and legal authority, then he is not bound to follow any law, including the criminal laws of the United States or any dictates of this court,” if he were granted pretrial release, prosecutors wrote.

“Put simply, the defendant poses an uncommonly serious danger to the community if released pending trial,” according to prosecutors.

Allen’s public defender has not filed a motion ahead of Thursday’s detention hearing.

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Hoggle, who was found incompetent to stand trial for nearly a decade, is scheduled for trial in October.

Her lawyers, Meghan Ellis Brennan and Tatiana Suren David, want prosecutors to provide details such as the exact location of the deaths, any weapons that may have been used, and the cause and manner of death for Jacob and Sarah Hoggle, who were 2 and 3 years old when they disappeared in September 2014.

The defense is also asking prosecutors to explain what evidence supports the claim that the killings were premeditated.

Catherine Hoggle was reindicted in August 2025. In 2022, a judge dismissed the previous murder charges because Hoggle had been repeatedly found incompetent to stand trial.

Prosecutors said Hoggle was the last person seen with her children before they vanished.

In response to the lawyers’ request last week, Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy said the indictments already meet legal standards and, under Maryland law, they are not required to specify the manner or means of death for murder or manslaughter charges.

It鈥檚 not clear when the judge will decide if prosecutors must provide more information.

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鈥淚 was getting lost when I would go to the grocery store two blocks from my house. I lost my ability to drive. I lost track of my finances. I had my car repossessed,鈥� Gurwitch told 91欧美激情.

Gurwitch is an author and cancer advocate who is challenging what she describes as the common 鈥渃ancer warrior鈥� mindset in her new book, 鈥淭he End of My Life Is Killing Me: The Unexpected Joys of a Cancer Slacker.鈥�

She said the well-meaning encouragement to 鈥渟eize the day鈥� was exhausting.

鈥淲hen you get diagnosed, people will tell you you鈥檙e brave or you鈥檙e a warrior, and I don鈥檛 always feel brave and like a warrior,鈥� Gurwitch said. 鈥淭his lexicon of ‘cancer warrior’ 鈥� was not only limiting to me, but also made me feel some days like a fraud. Like I wasn’t living up to this idea.鈥�

Rather than living each day like it’s your last, she argues that “a better, kinder approach is to live each day like it’s the first day of your life, with curiosity for what is next.”

Gurwitch, who has never smoked and whose comedic observations and writings are ruefully observational and self-aware, said she never could have foreseen a lung cancer diagnosis.

“I was asymptomatic for lung cancer,” Gurwitch said. “I went in for a COVID test. I walked out with Stage 4 lung cancer.”

She said the trauma of receiving an advanced diagnosis hit her hard, comparing her forgetfulness and inability to concentrate to the effects of a brain injury.

It took her time, she said to feel like herself again.

“I slowly was able to, over months 鈥� rebuild my confidence and my trust in my own body.” Gurwitch said.

Despite her initial inner turmoil, Gurwitch said she often looked and felt healthy through her cancer journey. Her treatment is one-pill-a-day targeted therapy.

“Of course, this speaks to the cognitive dissonance that we have in our society of how we look versus how our health actually is,鈥� she said.

With advancements in lung cancer treatments, Gurwitch said more people with late-stage disease are living longer. That progress, she said, also means ongoing treatment and a shift in mindset.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a greater percentage of us living longer now. There鈥檚 a lot of unknowns in the future,鈥� she said.

Gurwitch said she isn’t complaining, or at least not much. “I now pay a lot more attention to everyday quality of living.”

Gurwitch will discuss her book and her experience Thursday night at Politics and Prose on Connecticut Avenue in Northwest D.C. The event is free and open to the public.

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Director of the D.C. Department of Transportation Sharon Kershbaum said the structure of the tunnel and its steel beams are secure.

“There was, however, significant heat, and that meant that all of the tiles on the ceiling and the walls actually fell to the ground,” Kershbaum said “So overnight, we cleared all of the debris, and there are still a number of tiles and elements of concrete that are loose, and we are focused on removing any of the hanging and loose concrete and tile to make sure that when we open it up, we don’t have to worry about things falling on the vehicles.”

Two lanes of the tunnel were supposed to reopen at 5 p.m., DDOT initially said. They were reopened just before 6 p.m.

“When it comes to traffic, seldom does anything happen on schedule and when it comes to a bus fire in a tunnel, there are a multitude of unforeseen problems that can delay the recovery,” 91欧美激情 Traffic reporter Dave Dildine said.

The right lane will remain closed for lighting repairs until further notice. DDOT advised drivers to remain alert.

“There was a large segment where all of the lights were damaged, so for about 150 feet around where the fire occurred, we are currently putting conduit in so we can get the lighting restored,” she said. “The concrete or the asphalt underneath the fire also was damaged. We’ve patched that and we’re putting down temporary striping.”

While the tunnel partially reopened Friday evening, more work will need to be done to get the tunnel completely back to normal.

“Restoring all of the tile face, the lighting, cameras, that can be done over time, so it’s not considered an urgent repair, but it will be somewhat of a lift,” Kershbaum said.

The sounds of construction crews could be heard Friday morning inside the tunnel, just a few hundred feet from where the hybrid diesel bus that caught fire came to rest, under the C St. SW overpass.

The bus caught fire in the tunnel at approximately 7 p.m. The driver was not injured and no one else was riding the bus when the fire started, according to Metro.

Metro General Manager and CEO Randy Clarke said Thursday evening that all 32 of the fleet鈥檚 hybrid diesel buses would be removed from service and inspected.

Stay with 91欧美激情 Traffic for the latest on roadway conditions.聽

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Court records show a Montgomery County, Maryland grand jury indicted James on April 16.

A circuit court judge was originally scheduled to set a trial date for James on Friday morning. But the hearing was postponed to May 8, a spokeswoman for the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office told 91欧美激情.

Prosecutors have said James was a medication technician at the Cogir Potomac Senior Living Facility, and that he planned for up to a month to kill Fuller, who was living with his partner at Cogir.

At this point, prosecutors have not revealed a potential motive in the killing.

Earlier, a District Court judge ruled that James, 22, is competent to stand trial. He has been held without bond.

Investigators have cited several pieces of evidence, including surveillance video they said showed a masked person using a secured side door near the time of the shooting. A witness also told detectives the person鈥檚 unusual gait in the footage matches James鈥�.

Investigators additionally pointed to discarded paper towels and multiple wigs collected during the investigation.

Court documents point to聽another incident after the shooting聽in which investigators said a black napkin and a nearby paper towel were used to try to prop open a side door at the senior living facility. James is accused of being the person who put them there, which he denied when questioned.

Prosecutors also said ballistic testing links the gun to Fuller鈥檚 killing and a second case James faces in Baltimore, where he is accused of shooting at a Maryland State Trooper during a traffic stop, days after Fuller鈥檚 death.

James was indicted in Baltimore on April 8, charged with attempted 1st and 2nd degree murder felony counts, and six gun-related misdemeanors.

James’ attorney Michael Stark has said the defense plans to enter not guilty pleas in both the Montgomery County and Baltimore cases.聽

In March, Fuller’s partner, Linda Buttrick, filed a lawsuit alleging that Cogir failed to intervene when employees reported Maurquise James鈥� concerning behaviors and the facility failed to protect Buttrick after the killing.

91欧美激情’s Mike Murillo and Jessica Kronzer contributed to this report.聽

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Police are asking residents to review doorbell or home security camera footage from evening, overnight or early morning hours, looking for any suspicious people or vehicles and to share the video with investigators.

“Any footage provided will be used solely for investigative purposes by the LPD,” according to a news release from the department.

The National Insurance Crime Bureau estimates about in the U.S., representing losses of more than $50 million annually.

Air bags retail for between $400 and $1,000, but typically resell on the black market for under $250.

• 15000 block of Haynes Road
• 200 block of 11th Street
• 1100 block of Snowden Place
• 6100 block of Prince George Street
• 700 block of Park Avenue
• 900 block of Nichols Drive
• 500 block of 9th Street
• 700 and 300 blocks of Laurel Avenue
• 900 and 1000 blocks of Phillip Powers Drive
• 14200 block of West Side Boulevard

Police are asking anyone with surveillance video potentially related to this case to upload it to the .

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Loudoun County’s Board of Supervisors approved a plan Wednesday to turn the former Westpark Golf Course in Leesburg, Virginia, into a passive park, despite neighbors’ concerns about the inclusion of an 18-hold disc golf course.

The designs for the 134-former golf course, which closed in 2019, with the land being purchased by the county, will include three miles of trails and two pavilions, a restroom, as well as parking areas.

After the board’s finance committee was briefed on the project last month, nearby residents raised concerns about noise from the disc golf course.

During the public comment portion of Wednesday’s meeting, resident Karen Pantas repeatedly demonstrated the sound generated by a plastic disc hitting the basket chains that serve as a hole on a disc golf course.

“I bought a chain basket to see if my worries about noise were overblown,” said Pantas, striking the chains with the disc. “This is worse than I imagined.”

Pantas and other neighbors said Loudoun County has other disc golf courses in other parts of the county, but the proposed course would be located in a quiet, residential area.

“It is surrounded by people’s homes, their lives, their peace,” said Pantas. “I don’t want to have to live with this,” she said, as the chain basket jangled from being struck with the disc.

“This is an activity that is inherently noisy, shatters the quiet that wakes children from their naps, that frightens anxious dogs,” Pantas said. “It will be the ghost of Scrooge on every windy day.”

Leesburg District Supervisor Kristen Umstattd said new changes to the plans will help mitigate the noise, including ensuring that no basket is within 100 feet of a home, and that additional plant buffers will be built to muffle the sound.

Board Chair Phyllis Randall empathized with the neighbors, saying that in considering projects, “Sometimes my final decision is ‘would I want this at my house?’ And the answer is no.”

Despite enthusiasm for the park from board members and developers, “They don’t live there,” said Randall. “I don’t think we had one person living there that said yes.”

Still, Randall added a friendly amendment to the proposal, saying she would support Umstattd’s improvements: “Let’s see if we can get quieter baskets.”

Randall and other supervisors voted 8-0 to approve the project, including the disc golf course.

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The group’s report said children are exposed to air pollution levels that put their developing lungs and long-term health at risk.

While air quality has improved in some ways since last year, the report found that dangerous levels of ozone smog and fine particle pollution are still making kids sick and can lead to chronic conditions. The American Lung Association said children are especially vulnerable because they breathe more air for their body size and spend more time outdoors.

鈥淭he air pollution is causing kids to have asthma attacks, contributing to chronic health conditions, and making people who work outdoors sick,鈥� Aleks Casper, the association鈥檚 advocacy director, said in a news release.

The annual report looked at three key measures from 2022 to 2024: ozone, daily spikes in fine particle pollution and year-round averages of fine particle pollution.

The D.C. region remains among the 50 worst areas in the country for ozone smog, which is produced when pollutants from tailpipes, factories and other sources mix with sunlight.

The area got an F grade and ranked 49th worst for ozone, based on an average of 5.8 鈥渦nhealthy鈥� days each year in Baltimore County, Maryland. That鈥檚 better than last year鈥檚 36th-worst ranking and 7.5 unhealthy days, according to the report.

Fine particle pollution, which comes from things such as wildfires, diesel engines and wood-burning stoves, also dropped slightly. The region got a D grade and ranked 60th worst in the nation for daily spikes, with Frederick County, Virginia, and the District averaging 3.2 unhealthy days per year. Last year, the region had 3.7 such days and an F.

For year-round particle pollution, the worst county in the region 鈥� Berkeley County, West Virginia 鈥� earned a passing grade and met federal standards. The metro area鈥檚 national ranking for this category stayed the same as last year at 66th worst.

Air pollution can trigger asthma attacks and contribute to heart attacks, strokes, preterm births and even cognitive issues later in older adults, the American Lung Association said. Fine particles can also cause lung cancer.

Things parents can do to keep children breathing healthy air

Information from the report and other tools can help parents make decisions to reduce the amount of pollution children breathe.

“We make decisions about, do we open windows that day, or do we keep them closed,” Casper said. “I know there are a lot of families who make decisions about what their children can and can’t do on those days,” when air quality is unhealthy.

Using data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and local partners, the website 聽enables users to enter their city or ZIP code, and access the official U.S. Air Quality Index to communicate whether air is healthy or unhealthy in a given location.

“Then you can make those decisions about if you open windows or play outside today,” Casper said.

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Katelin Akens’ mother dropped her off at the Spotsylvania County home of her former stepfather James Branton on Dec. 5, 2015. Branton had agreed to give Akens, then 19, a ride to catch her flight leaving from Reagan National Airport to her home in Arizona.

Akens’ plane ticket was never used, the Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office said. Her suitcase turned up two days later on the side of River Road with most of the contents missing.

Branton, 46, pleaded not guilty, and was ordered held after a Tuesday bond hearing. He was charged on April 10 with multiple sex offense charges, which allegedly occurred while Akens, her younger sister and her mother lived with Branton from 2006 through 2011.

In describing why the charges were filed now, Spotsylvania County Commonwealth’s Attorney Ryan Mehaffey told the judge that recently-learned evidence demonstrated “the potential motive of Mr. Branton to kill Miss Akens.鈥�

This was the first time prosecutors have verbalized in court and in court filings that they believe that Akens is dead.

鈥滽atelin was afraid of Branton when she was alive,鈥� Mehaffey told Circuit Court Judge Ricardo Rigual.

Sheriff鈥檚 investigators and prosecutors have not revealed any evidence to suggest that Akens is dead. Several times last week, crime scene technicians searched Branton鈥檚 home on a secluded, wooded property on Oak Crest Drive in Partlow, using front loaders and other heavy equipment.

Mehaffey told the judge Tuesday how Akens鈥� sister described the spankings she received from Branton. Mehaffey said at the time, “She didn鈥檛 recognize the behavior as abusive 鈥� she saw it as normal 鈥� from when she was 6 to 11.”

But Mehaffey said, Katelin, who was older, 鈥渃ried out for help鈥� from a neighbor, who reported the incident to Child Protective Services.

No charges were filed against Branton at the time. 鈥淩ecently, he confirmed he was investigated by CPS, and that he pulled down the pants and spanked鈥� the girls, Mehaffey said.

Before Akens disappeared, she confided to her partner that she 鈥渨as molested鈥� by Branton.

In arguing that Branton be held without bond, Mehaffey introduced evidence of notes scrawled on napkins and sticky notes that were found near Branton鈥檚 computer and in the car he used for making deliveries late at night.

鈥淥ne said, 鈥榖ig boobs, and small kids,鈥� another said 鈥�2 small kids, small boobs,鈥欌�� and a third said 鈥渂londe, 2 small kids,鈥欌�� Mehaffey said. 鈥淗e was describing the people he was delivering packages to in the middle of the night.鈥�

Armed with a search warrant, investigators found a lock-picking set, a passport and a gun in Branton鈥檚 home.

鈥橬ot charged with any crime鈥� related to disappearance

Branton鈥檚 defense attorney, John Spencer, told the judge that his client has no felony record and hasn鈥檛 interacted with any witnesses in the case for the past 10 years.

鈥淐PS interviewed all the people involved and cleared my client,鈥� while Akens, her mother and sister continued to live with Branton.

Spencer said that Branton admitted spanking the girls鈥� bare bottoms, but that there was 鈥渘o lascivious intent.鈥�

鈥漀ow the prosecution is trying to bootstrap my client,鈥� Spencer said, adding that it was a stretch to allege that Branton killed Akens. “He was the last person to see her. He鈥檚 not charged with any crime. He鈥檚 been cooperative. There鈥檚 no evidence that he used the firearm in this case.”

While Spencer described the scribbled notes prosecutors introduced as “disturbing and weird,” he suggested that his client be given an ankle bracelet or be placed under house arrest.

“He鈥檒l give up his passport 鈥� he deserves a bond,” Spencer said.

But Rigual, the judge, said Branton 鈥減oses an unreasonable danger to society 鈥� request for bail denied.鈥� Trial is set to begin July 24.

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Spring is good for your brain, according to Benjamin Katz, associate professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Science at Virginia Tech.

Physical activity that gets your heart pumping, including jogging, cycling and swimming, is probably the best activity for brain health at any age, Katz said.

“When springtime comes, you have warmer weather, and we just enjoy that by itself,” Katz said. “But you have more opportunities to get cardiovascular exercise outside, and that can lead to numerous benefits in your brain, and also things like attention are actually impacted by that.”

Katz said there are both direct and indirect ways that spending time in nature can help cognitive functioning.

“There’s research that suggests just spending time around trees and green spaces actually doesn’t just improve mood, but also can improve things like attention and help with cognition,” he said.

Seeing neighbors in their gardens, while you’re working on yours, also provides brain-boosting benefits.

“Gardening, which a lot of people start doing in spring, is both cognitively engaging, and oftentimes is a pretty good workout,” Katz said. “It’s the fresh air, the sunlight 鈥� all of these things that seem to have an affect on mood but also seem to improve things like attention.”

Quieter activities, including birdwatching, can challenge your mind and encourage social interaction, Katz said.

He said there’s evidence that just looking at trees out the window, or in a photo or picture, can be helpful.

“Although, obviously, you don’t have the opportunities for exercise and social interaction the same way,” he said.

Spending a couple hours a week 鈥� a bit less than 20 minutes per day 鈥� can benefit your physical and cognitive health.

“If you can spend some active time outside with friends, or doing cognitively-engaging activities or getting some exercise, that’s even better,” he said.

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The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors is set to vote Tuesday on a major redesign of the intersection, which is an entry point to the South Riding development and adjacent to two shopping centers.

The plan under consideration, , would replace the four-way intersection with a 鈥淪ingle Point Urban Interchange,鈥� or SPUI. In this setup, drivers on Route 50 would travel over a new bridge, while people turning onto or off Route 50 would exit and travel underneath.

The new design is meant to separate high-speed traffic from drivers making turns, according to the agenda staff report.

County inspections have determined “the at-grade intersection of these roadways is operating at a failing level of service during all peak periods,” according to the report.

Plans to deal with the intersection have changed over the years. In 2016, the board endorsed a full cloverleaf design to replace the intersection.

However, changes in nearby development, along with updates to the nearby Dulles International Airport鈥檚 master plan, make the cloverleaf design less practical, county staff wrote. The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority supports the new Single Point Urban Interchange approach, according to the board.

The proposal also calls for a new 10-foot-wide path for pedestrians and bikes on the west side of Loudoun County Parkway between Riding Center Drive and Arcola Mills Drive.

County documents said construction would require some land acquisition, but the new layout should reduce the amount needed compared to earlier designs.

The project budget is about $299 million, which covers planning, design, land and construction costs, according to board documents.

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