Thousands of visitors to Washington D.C.'s cherry blossoms faced hours of standstill traffic around Southwest D.C., the Tidal Basin, the Wharf, Hains Point, and the National Mall. The closure of Buckeye Drive and congested roads contributed to the bottleneck. U.S. Park Police warned of dense traffic, and WTOP traffic reporters provided updates and suggestions for alternative transportation methods.

The Virginia Department of Health is alerting travelers who were at Dulles Airport on January 3 and Reagan National Airport on January 4 to monitor for measles symptoms if unvaccinated, due to a confirmed case in those locations. The VDH is contacting passengers from the affected flights and advising healthcare providers to be vigilant for measles, which is highly contagious and reportable. Most Virginians are vaccinated, but infants under 12 months cannot receive the vaccine.

As winter approaches, DC gyms and fitness studios are adapting to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Cut Seven, owned by Chris and Alex Perrin, has moved classes outside and is searching for a new studio. Reggie Smith of BOOMBOX has taken workouts to outdoor venues and hopes clients will return indoors with safety measures. Candice Geller's Election Cycle has introduced individual workout pods for indoor spinning classes. However, Betsy Poos and Alyson Shade's Realignment Studio will close due to the pandemic's restrictions. While some studios are optimistic about surviving the winter, others are concerned about the impact of the pandemic and the reluctance of landlords to make rent concessions.

Three inmates in Montgomery County died last week in separate incidents, with two passing away at Holy Cross Hospital and one at the county correctional facility in Clarksburg. The county has stated that the deaths are unrelated and are under investigation by the medical examiner and police. The county highlighted the increasing number of individuals with serious medical conditions entering the criminal justice system.

Joseph Anthony Ritz III, a former town commissioner for Emmitsburg, Maryland, was arrested on charges of first and second-degree assault for allegedly abusing his 13-year-old son. The Frederick County Sheriff’s Office reported that deputies responded to a domestic violence call and found visible marks on the child, leading to Ritz's arrest. Ritz, who served as a commissioner from 2014 until earlier this year, chose not to run for reelection in 2023.

An 18-year-old man, Shane Williams, was fatally shot in Southeast Washington, D.C. on Friday night. The incident occurred around 10:15 p.m. in the 4000 block of Wahler Court. Despite life-saving efforts, Williams succumbed to his injuries at the hospital. The D.C. Police Department is seeking information from the public regarding the shooting.

Baltimore County Police fatally shot a man in Parkville, Maryland, after responding to a domestic disturbance. The Maryland Attorney General's office, led by Anthony Brown, is investigating the incident. Officers heard gunfire and a woman screaming upon arrival. The man fired at the officers, who returned fire, killing him. The woman was found dead inside the home. The names of those involved will be released within two days, and body camera footage is under review.

Polls closed in the special election to replace Patrick Wojahn as mayor of College Park, Maryland, following his resignation and arrest on charges of child pornography. The election, mandated by the city's charter to occur within 65 days, featured candidates Bryan Haddad, S.M. Fazlul Kabir, Catherine Hope Kennedy, and Denise C. Mitchell, three of whom have experience on the College Park City Council.

The District of Columbia saw an 11% increase in homelessness over the past year, with a 10.2% rise among single individuals and a 12.1% rise among families. Despite this, the Department of Human Services (DHS) highlighted improvements since pre-COVID times, including a 23% drop in total homelessness and a 50% decrease in homeless families since 2020. DHS Director Laura Green Zeilinger emphasized ongoing investments in outreach, prevention, and housing assistance. The Community Partnership for the Prevention of Homelessness conducted the count, which is required for federal funding, and the results will be presented to the Metropolitan Washington Council of Government’s board on May 10.

Baltimore County legislators Kathy Szeliga and Ryan Nawrocki oppose a proposal to accept tainted water from East Palestine, Ohio, following a train derailment. They argue that no amount of money can justify processing the toxic waste at the Back River Wastewater Treatment plant, citing its history of failures. Other states have also resisted accepting such shipments, leading to federal intervention by the EPA. Baltimore officials, however, have received assurances from the EPA and state that the plant can handle the water.