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Through Aug. 31, is offering free car washes to all teachers, faculty and administrators across Maryland, Virginia and Delaware.

“We are excited to show our gratitude for the hard work and dedication of our educators and school faculty across our region,” said Mr Wash Car Wash President, Nathan Harris in a news release. “Teachers, Administrators and Faculty can mention their role to any of our team members to receive their Free Express Signature+ Extra Shine Car Wash and their School ID is not required.”

Mr Wash is offering the special to school employees at locations throughout Maryland, Virginia and Delaware, including:

• 4148 S Four Mile Run Dr. Arlington, VA*
• 101 N Glebe Rd. Arlington, VA*
• 3407 Mt. Vernon Ave. Alexandria, VA
• 420 S Van Dorn St. Alexandria, VA
• 5901 Columbia Pke. Baileys Crossroads, VA*
• 13817 Lee Hwy. Centreville, VA*
• 3013 Gallows Rd. Falls Church, VA*
• 7996 Georgia Ave. Silver Spring, MD
• 3817 Dupont Ave. Kensington, MD*
• 19898 Hebron Rd. Rehoboth Beach, DE*

Asterisks indicate free vacuums in addition to free car washes. No ID is required to claim the free wash.

For more information, .

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Stafford High School has forfeited the football game where they were set to take on James Monroe High School after school officials said a group of Stafford students made an inappropriate post on social media that was shared among students.

James Monroe High School alluded that responses to the social media post had “the possibility of being carried out at our football game.”

There are no plans to reschedule the game but disciplinary action may be taken as the school cooperates with law enforcement.

Fredericksburg City Police and the Stafford sheriff’s office are now investigating.

“Law enforcement and area school systems prioritize community safety and take every threat seriously. We feel lucky to have great partners in Fredericksburg City Public Schools and local law enforcement,” Osborn wrote in the statement.

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It’s a mathematical, economics-based way of trying to make those purchases make sense, which includes the feeling of saving money when you buy something on sale or return an item you already invested in.

On social media, women are documenting how this number-crunching game makes a purchase feel more reasonable.

Jadrian Wooten, associate professor of economics at Virginia Tech, says the term could apply to anyone.

“‘Girl math’ is not the best name for it, I think it’s something that we all do internally,” Wooten said.

Wooten said the trend highlights basic behavioral economics, and that despite the unflattering name, it’s a fun way to examine mental biases.

“The trend part of it is we’ve started to say ‘This is how I do it,’ and then other people are like ‘Yeah, I do that too,'” added Wooten.

somehow it makes sense

He calls it a blend of creative rationalizations and financial justifications that turn the table on how some people perceive luxury purchases, while still trying to stay in line with personal finance advice.

“Imagine seeing a new $400 designer handbag in the store. Sure, the price tag might initially make you uncomfortable, but ‘girl math’ steps in and breaks it down into bite-sized pieces,” Wooten explained. “It’s the art of calculating the cost per use. Suddenly, that seemingly outrageous splurge translates into a mere $1.10 per day. That’s a bargain and an example of mental accounting.”

Wooten said on the small side, it’s OK to treat yourself. But when it comes to more costly items, one of the best things you could do is track your spending and figure out where you can make small changes, which goes for everyone.

You can read more on the economics of “girl math” on Wooten’s weekly blog, 

Âé¶ččÙÍű’s Emily Venezky contributed to this report.

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The 26-year-old man, who graduated from Northern Virginia’s Alexandria City High School, earned the title of “World’s Fastest Man” this past weekend, after bringing home the gold in the 100-meter dash during the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, on Sunday.

Now, he’s on the heels of another remarkable accomplishment.

On Friday, Lyles has a shot at becoming the first man to win the 100 and 200 meter races at a world championship since Usain Bolt did it 8 years ago.

Then on Saturday, he’s aiming for another win in the 4X100 relay, which would make him the first American to bring home three gold medals at a single world championship since 2007.

“I try to make all my races look as easy as possible, even if they aren’t,” said Lyles after his most recent win, while speaking with the media.

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Dr. Ashwani Rajput, director at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center in D.C., said some of the most life-changing technology has become widely available thanks to clinical trials.

“We all benefit from them just because of the history of development in medicine,” Rajput said.

Rajput’s specialty is oncology — the study and treatment of tumors. He said that the drugs which have been developed within the field and the progress that has been made involves proving that many drugs work during clinical trials.

Patients should take into consideration what they are aiming for in the trial.

“What are the end points of the trial? 
 Survival? Is it remission?” Rajput said.

He said it is important to speak to your doctor about your condition and consider the options and the risks, while keeping in mind the future impact and possibilities.

“You will have contributed to the medical success for future care of patients, as well,” Rajput said.

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From addiction, to basic needs and more organized panhandling groups, Prince William County Supervisor Jeannine Lawson said during a recent town hall that officials have received more than 500 calls related to panhandling concerns last year, and they expect that number to be even higher by the end of the year.

“We’re certainly enduring a lot of safety concerns as it relates to the panhandlers and the public,” she said.

Fairfax County Supervisor Pat Herrity, also one of the event’s organizers, said that from November 2022 to July of this year, nearly 240 panhandlers were reported to Fairfax County police and 58 of those involved criminal acts by panhandlers.

One resident shared a disturbing incident claiming they were spat on and their vehicle was repeatedly kicked.

Herrity said that while more can be done, they are working to make more resources available, including housing and mental health services, all geared toward finding a more permanent solution.

“The county’s office of public affairs recently launched a public education campaign on panhandling, but no other efforts have moved forward,” he added, pointing out that providing money is not the solution and may have a negative impact.

Lawson said they are working with law enforcement agencies to implement a multi-prong approach, which includes social services, community services and transportation.

Loudoun County officials discussed a current ordinance that stops interference with traffic while still taking into consideration the rights of panhandlers.

Maj. Greg Ahlemann said the ordinance passed in 2013, and was revised in 2018. Law enforcement have made ordinance enforcement the last resort and have instead prioritized education. So far this year, they have not issued any summons.

Supervisors Herrity and Lawson said they would like to see similar solutions in their counties.

“I would really like Prince William to take a strong look at what’s working in Loudoun County,” said Lawson.

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A Hyattsville, Maryland, man who was charged with sexually abusing his stepdaughter earlier this month has been sentenced to life in prison.

Quinton Perry, 63, was sentenced to life plus 25 years in prison on Friday, according to the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office.

Officials say the abuse started when the girl was 8-years-old in 2011 and continued through 2015. The victim reported the abuse at age 14 and was 18-years-old when she testified during the trial.

While handing down the sentence, the judge told Perry that he had not only taken away the victim’s childhood but affected her for the rest of her life.

State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy said the girl’s brothers were also abused by Perry and her family is now seeking counseling.

“The sentence that was handed down really reflected the seriousness of the crime,” said Braveboy. “Because of her courage, Mr. Perry will no longer be in our community for the rest of his life.”

Braveboy said the focus now is on supporting the victim and her family and encouraging others who may have also been victimized to come forward.

She also hopes to remind victims that there is no statute of limitations when it comes to child sexual abuse.

“We’re not afraid of these cases. They are tough but they are necessary,” stressed Braveboy.

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The DC Roller Derby team has officially kicked off its 15th season.

It’s been years since the team strapped up their skates due to the pandemic but the first event earlier this month brought out plenty of hard-core fans.

“The first event back was wildly successful. We’re looking forward to having more of that,” said “Hectic Vector,” one of the newest team members.

Many of the those who have joined are playing sports for the first time. “I really appreciate the way athleticism is encouraged in this community,” said team member “Bunsen Burn Her.” (Teammates use colorful nicknames in competition). She’s been on the team for years and says the team’s now planning their next event.

One of the biggest challenges the team has faced is finding a consistent practice space, something the team hasn’t had since the pandemic hit.

“We’ve made it work but we’re really looking for one centralized practice space,” said Vector.

But they are welcoming new members — whether you know how to skate or not.

The team is now preparing for their winter boot camp, which will give anyone with an interest in the league a chance to join.

“I didn’t know how to roller skate before I started playing. We don’t expect you to come in being a skating superstar just have the desire to learn and we will teach you the rest,” said Bunson.

You can find out more about the DC Roller Derby team .

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“We’re just truly excited about it,” said Thennie Freeman, acting director of the DC Department of Parks and Recreation Services. “We want to create memorable, multigenerational moments for free. We want families to come out together.”

Freeman said the decision to move the event was about safety and space, and it’ll be a real treat for the legend’s family and fans.

“Chuck Brown’s own children have not performed on that stage yet, and so it’s an opportunity for them to participate in something that their father did,” Freeman said.

Some of the artists fans can expect to see include DJ Quicksilva and the Backyard Band. In addition to great music, there will be a kid zone and the Chuck Brown Foundation’s annual Back to School Giveaway will happen at the park.

This will mark the ninth year of the District honoring “The Godfather of Go-Go,” after a large celebration last year to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Brown’s death.

Those who plan to attend are also encouraged to Nonalcoholic, beverages, snacks and blankets are welcome.

“We want to get back to live music that is ours,” Freeman said.

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The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority has spent years working to find solutions to several pain points for Reagan National travelers and detailed how the project would improve signage, build a new public parking lot and realign roads.

The proposal also includes a new multi-use facility for a rental car center that would create more office space and parking, eliminating the need for the current leased space outside of the airport in Crystal City. Ride-hailing services would also have a new staging area nearby.

The proposal would also reroute some roads to help ease the congestion many drivers experience.

“DCA’s current roadway network experiences significant congestion and delays throughout the year. The configuration and layout of the roadway network does not convey traffic in an efficient manner,” the report said.

The airports authority outlined some of those improvements and how they would change airport access while connecting drivers to Route 1 and Crystal City, which includes revamping West Entrance Road to “allow for clear, concise wayfinding that would help reduce the need for drivers to make quick decisions and maneuvers in short periods of time,” according to the report.

The project would also create more space to merge for drivers getting on the George Washington Parkway by widening a ramp for northbound traffic. More access would also be created for pedestrians with the addition of a walkway from the Mount Vernon Trail to the airport, replacing the current tunnel that will be inaccessible during construction.

The plan comes as the airports authority works to address safety concerns brought on by congestion and an increase in travelers in the coming years. More than 16 million passengers are expected to travel through Reagan National by 2035, compared to 11 million in 2019.

If approved, the project would be completed sometime in 2032. Residents are invited to through Aug. 28.

A hard copy of the report can be accessed by visiting the Aurora Hills branch of Arlington Public Library at 735 18th Street S.

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Residents near the parkway shared concerns about aggressive driving and speeding along the busy roadway during a virtual meeting. They were not required to give their names to testify to county leaders.

“It is a problem that continues to point to a larger problem that we need to continue to pursue across our state,” one resident said.

Just last month, a 17-year-old was killed was struck and killed while trying to make a left turn exiting a parking lot onto the parkway. Three others were also injured and Fairfax County Police said the other driver was going nearly double the speed limit. Police are also looking into whether street racing may have led to that deadly crash.

“I appreciate the police being out there and enforcing the speed limit but people are going to forget a couple months down the road,” one community member said.

Supervisor James Walkinshaw said the county is in the process of screening and identifying other areas for spot improvements “and Burke Centre Parkway is absolutely on that list.”

Police said the department has taken several precautions, including working with other law enforcement agencies to issue 15,000 citations with more than 1,700 in the area where the crash occurred.

The Virginia Department of Transportation has also conducted speed limit studies along with other efforts to implement immediate improvements following crashes, according to Steve Welch, who works for VDOT.

“Throughout the last three years, we’ve upgraded the existing crosswalk to a high visibility crosswalk,” Welch said. “At Burke Centre Parkway and Oak Leather drive, we’ve added a ‘left turn yield on green’ sign.”

Virginia officials have also approved a pilot program involving speed cameras in school zones, Walkinshaw said.

“It would be great to have speed cameras to help with that in addition to patrols,” said one community member.

Some residents also asked officials to consider closing off the median to prevent left turns.

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The state’s largest school system Fairfax County Public Schools announced plans to stick with its current transgender policies instead of following those laid out by the Virginia Department of Education. Meanwhile, Spotsylvania County’s school board members voted to conform with the state’s model policies.

In a message to the community, Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Michelle Reid said a detailed legal review was behind the decision to keep current policies protecting transgender students in place.

“Our existing policies still stand,” Reid said. ” 
 We have concluded our detailed legal review and determined that our current Fairfax County Public School policies are consistent with federal and state anti-discrimination laws as required by the new model policies.”

Current Fairfax County schools policies give students the right to choose their pronouns, which facilities they use and which activities to participate in, based on their gender identity. Policies also encourage the right to privacy for students.

The move rebuffs Gov. Glenn Youngkin‘s call for school districts to require parental consent for any of those decisions, as laid out in Virginia’s model policies.

“We believe that supporting our students and working with parents and caregivers are not mutually exclusive; we already do both and will continue to do so. We know that students can only learn effectively when they feel safe and supported,” Reid’s message said.

Spotsylvania Co. school board clashes, conforms to policy

Days before, tensions were high during a school board meeting in Spotsylvania County, where school leaders voted in favor of a new policy involving the treatment of transgender students.

Some school board members made clear their disapproval of , which was based on the Virginia Department of Education’s model policies.

In part, the new guidance said school divisions may not encourage teachers to conceal information about students’ gender from their parents and that students who are minors must be referred to by the names and pronouns in their official records, unless a parent approves the use of something else.

Spotsylvania County’s approved policy will also require students to use “intimate spaces,” such as locker rooms, and get overnight accommodations based on their documented sex. Students in the district won’t be able to participate in sex-specific programs, events or activities that don’t align with the sex indicated in their school records.

During the vote, board member Nicole Cole clashed with Chairwoman Lisa Phelps, adding a vote of “no confidence” for the chair following her refusal to allow members to speak during the vote.

“This is absolutely ridiculous behavior, Ms. Phelps,” she yelled.

Lorita Daniels also expressed strong disapproval of the chair before voting “No” on approval of the policy.

Board member Rabih Abuismail said not involving parents would be overstepping.

“The reason I agree with the governor is parents matter,” Abuismail said.

Board member Kirk Twigg also showed his support. “We should not be keeping secrets from parents,” Twigg said.

Katie Quick, a student at Riverbend High School, disagreed with the policy and pointed to a need for more focus on students’ academic success.

“While this board is worried about the maybe 15 transgender students per school, kids all over the county are falling behind,” Quick said.

Jackson Hunley, a student at Massaponax High School, said the policy targets and disrespects transgender students while “prohibiting SCPS from addressing them by their preferred names and pronouns without parental authorization.”

The motion passed 4-to-2 with board member Dawn Shelley abstaining from voting.

Âé¶ččÙÍű’s Ivy Lyons and The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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The unprecedented suspension provided relief for millions of borrowers faced with the financial fallout of the pandemic. Now, the transition to repayment is highlighting the financial hardships many borrowers face.

showed about 45% of borrowers expect to go delinquent on their student loan payments once forbearance ends. About 53% said they struggle to pay other bills, including mortgages, credit cards and car loans.

When repayment starts, households with incomes under $50,000 report that they will have to choose between student loans and other expenses like groceries and rent. Another 75% of borrowers said they are also responsible for providing for families and will face tough financial choices once payments resume.

For those borrowers who have managed to find financial security since payments were put on hold three years ago, almost half plan to cut back on nonessential spending, while 40% plan to take on additional work. About a quarter will dip into emergency savings or reduce retirement contributions.

“Federal student loan borrowers will face a new normal as payments are set to resume,” Credit Karma Consumer Financial Advocate Courtney Alev said.

So, what should borrowers do now?

“We recommend borrowers review their cash flow over the last few months to see if they have money left over to put toward their payments. If that’s not the case, they should look for areas they might be able to cut back on their spending,” Alev said.

While only 34% plan to apply for an income-driven repayment plan to lower monthly payments, the Biden administration has put a one-year leniency program in place to assist borrowers who miss payments. Loans will not be considered delinquent during this time, but interest will continue to accrue.

Borrowers are also encouraged to visit to learn more about repayment options.

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“It’s about 20% cheaper than it was in July of 2022,” said Katy Nastro, a travel expert with .

Nastro called this price drop “pretty significant,” noting that the last time airfare was this low — outside of the pandemic — was December 2006.

How you can save money when booking

That said, she advises making travel plans well in advance to get the best deals.

“A lot of people are probably saying, ‘Oh my gosh, no it’s not, I’m looking at a flight right now for the end of August,'” Nastro said. “Well, yeah, you know, looking last-minute like that, you’re definitely gonna get higher prices than you typically would have if you looked a little bit earlier.”

Looking ahead even just under a month to Labor Day could make a difference, Nastro said.

“Some great deals that we’ve found for dates throughout September and October: D.C. to London, $473 round-trip. Costa Rica, $382.”

But you don’t have to travel far for the deals, she said.

“You can head over to San Diego for $258,” she said. “All round-trip, all on full-service airlines and from various airports around the D.C. area.”

According to Nastro, snagging a great deal on plane tickets is all about planning ahead. D.C.-area travelers have access to multiple major airports, which is an advantage.

“There’s a lot of routes and a lot of competition,” Nastro said. “That’s good for travelers.”

Nastro wants D.C.-area travelers to walk away with one major tip — something she calls “the Goldilocks window.”

“These are just time periods that you should be looking to book within to just give yourself the best odds at finding a really great deal,” Nastro said.

If you’re looking to travel domestically during an off-peak season outside of the summer or winter holidays — for example, September or October — you should be searching for tickets between one and three months out.

For international trips during this time frame, you should start hunting for tickets two to eight months before you’d like to go.

At peak season, you’ll want to look three to seven months in advance for domestic travel, and four to 10 months in advance to fly internationally.

“You don’t have to only look within those windows, you know — don’t stop searching,” Nastro said. “But these windows are really the best odds at just having a flight deal pop up.”

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The steady job growth has outpaced jurisdictions across the region.

“Even in the face of the economic trials of the pandemic, we’re seeing indications that our local economy is fairing well and doing better than five years ago,” said County Executive Marc Elrich, during a media briefing.

The average rate typically considered full employment sits around 3% to 4%.

“We’ve set some notable marks,” he added.

Bill Tompkins, president and CEO of the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation, said the numbers suggest anyone looking for work is able to find it.

“We think things are going to be pretty good this year, and they’ll be better next year so we’ll just keep on building our momentum,” he added.

The county is home to 33,000 businesses, according to Elrich. He pointed to efforts to attract new businesses while adding an additional 14,000 jobs from March 2022 to March of this year.

The county is also considered the third largest bio-health cluster in the nation. Over the past several years, empty office space has been transformed to more than 1 million new square feet of lab space, Elrich said, with an additional 3 million in development.

Projects, such as the University of Maryland’s Institute for Health Computing in North Bethesda are also contributing to the growth.

When looking at scientific and professional jobs, Tompkins says the county has grown by 9.4% over where the county was before the pandemic.

Despite the record low unemployment, there is still work to be done when considering those not earning livable wages, officials said. The numbers also don’t take into account those who have stopped looking for work. Affordable housing is also a major concern across the county, where there remains a need for more affordable units.

Anthony Featherstone, the executive director of WorkSource Montgomery, works with the business community and jobseekers to help them gain skills and navigate the local economy. He said the group focuses on working with discouraged workers, or those who have searched for work over the last 12 months but have faced barriers entering the job market.

“Older workers, ex-offenders … are typically falling within that category so we’re doing a lot to make sure we’re going out and engaging folks,” he said.

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