Thanks to Brian for sending: “spotted this van in front of the Washington Plaza Hotel. What caught my eye was that front and back license plates were from mainland China which isn’t something we see in DC. (more…)
DC Government
From the DC Office of the Attorney General:
“Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb today issued a Supplemental Business Advisory on restaurants’ legal obligation to adequately disclose all fees – including service fees – to customers. Given the recent increase in consumer confusion over restaurants’ fees, the advisory builds on the Office of the Attorney General’s (OAG) previous consumer alerts by including examples of compliant and non-compliant service fee disclosures, as well as illustrative menu disclosures. As with previous guidance, the Advisory is designed to help restaurants comply with the District’s Consumer Protection Procedures Act (CPPA) and help consumers understand their rights. (more…)
From DPR:
“The DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) has released the outdoor aquatic facilities’ closures schedule for the 2023 summer season. Outdoor pools will close in waves beginning on Sunday, August 6, 2023 and ending on Monday, September 4, 2023. Pools will close for the season at 6 p.m. on their respective day.
All spray parks will close for the season at 8 p.m. on Monday, September 4, 2023.
Below is the comprehensive closure schedule for outdoor pools listed by closure dates. (more…)
From the office of the DC Attorney General:
“Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb today issued the below consumer alert warning DC renters about rental scams and offering tips on what to look out for to avoid being scammed:
Are you a new renter looking online for a place to live in DC? The District is a great place to live and work, but finding housing can be difficult. Recently, there has been an increase in rental scams targeting out-of-town renters, short-term renters, and students. If you are looking for a new place to live, or know someone who is, you need to be alert.
Here’s how these scams work: (more…)
“Dear PoPville,
I’ve noticed that most DC residents are not aware that the city will plant trees for free if you request them on the 311 app which is also free. It takes about 5 minutes to request. I’ve marked up some screenshots of the steps on the 311 app to make it easier to know what to do. It’s a simple step in helping our city fight the heat. Hopefully, more residents are aware of this and utilize this service.” (more…)
photo by Eric P.
“Dear PoPville,
Just wanted to share a PSA to anyone with Hyundai vehicles that could be targeted by the TIkTok USB thieves (a whole bunch of Hyundai models pre-2022 that use a regular key to start the vehicle instead of a push start). There is a clinic at Lot 8 at RFK 8a – 7p through Monday (notice here!) where people can get a free software upgrade on their car. (more…)
“Dear PoPville,
Someone stole my identity and made a fraudulent unemployment claim in my name. Luckily I found out about it fairly soon due to paying for ID Theft monitoring services. But then when I tried to report it to the DC Office of Unemployment, (more…)
“Dear PoPville,
I am trying to file a new unemployment claim and the website is a tangle of nonsense. When you go to the does.dcnetworks.org website it says you cannot file for a new claim over the internet (see photo below) and when you call the phone number is says they no longer accept claims over the phone (see phone guidance on the unemployment.dc.gov website below). Has anyone recently found a way around these loopholes, I really don’t want to have to go to the office in Deadwood. Any help would be appreciated.”
via WMATA
From WMATA:
“The future is looking clearer for Metrobus, as Metro and the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) announce the start of the 45-day minimum warning period for the Clear Lanes program. The goal is to improve bus speeds and reliability. Parked cars and vehicles illegally using dedicated bus lanes and bus stop zones slow buses down and impedes customer safety.
Under the program, cameras mounted on Metrobuses will capture video and photos of vehicles illegally operating, parking, standing, or stopping in dedicated bus lanes and bus zones. All enforcement will be handled by DDOT. Metro will not have any role in ticketing and enforcement. (more…)
via MPD
From the Mayor’s Office:
“Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced that she has named Pamela A. Smith as the next Chief of Police at the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Smith has over 25 years of law enforcement experience, including serving as the Chief of Police for the United States Park Police in Washington, DC. During her service at the U.S. Park Police, Smith served in major city field offices across the United States, including San Francisco, New York, Atlanta, and Washington, DC. After retiring from the U.S. Park Police, Smith joined MPD in May 2022 as the department’s first Chief Equity Officer, assigned to the Executive Office of the Chief of Police. She made a significant impact in a brief time span and in April 2023, was promoted to the Assistant Chief of Police, Homeland Security Bureau where she leads the operational and administrative functions of the Special Operations Division, Joint Strategic & Tactical Analysis Command Center, and the Office of Intelligence. (more…)