Walt Whitman students remember Navid Sepehri
Walt Whitman High School students set up a memorial to classmate Navid Sepehri, 17, who was found dead Sunday. Candles and flowers were left near the wooded area where he was found. Police say foul play does not appear to be involved. Detectives are investigating what happened to him Saturday night, including whether he died of exposure on the way back from a party. [WJLA]
Officials debate how to fund Metro
Metro needs about $500 million more in predictable funding every year, but regional officials can’t agree on how to raise that money. Washington, D.C., officials propose a regional tax, but Maryland and Virginia officials want each jurisdiction to decide for itself how to fund the transit system. The Metro Strategy Group, made up of 11 elected leaders from the region, is expected to fall short of coming to an agreement before the start of the Maryland and Virginia legislative sessions. [WAMU]
Former massage therapist to plead guilty to sexual assault
Habtamu Gebreslassie, a former massage therapist from Silver Spring, is expected to plead guilty to sexually assaulting two Massage Envy customers in Washington, D.C. Two other women have accused Gebreslassie of misconduct in Maryland and Washington, but he has not been charged in those cases. [WTOP]
What the county budget’s $120 million shortfall could mean
On the Seventh State blog, Adam Pagnucco writes that declining income tax revenue from the wealthy and other economic weaknesses could be to blame for the county’s $120 million shortfall. He suggests a mid-year budget savings plan is not uncommon, though the shortfall could point to larger economic problems in the county, such as funding ongoing spending with one-time revenue sources. Taxes from the very wealthy also account for a large percent of revenue, and the returns are down significantly this year. [Seventh State]
Springbrook football coach leaves school to head Rockville High School’s team
Coach Jason Lomax announced on Twitter that he would be leaving his post as head varsity coach at Springbrook High School in Silver Spring to take a job as head coach at Rockville High School. He said he will aid recruiting efforts at Springbrook for the 2018 class until they are complete and help the next coach during the transition. [Twitter]
Chance of rain or snow in the late afternoon
There’s a slight chance of rain and snow showers after 4 p.m. today, according to the National Weather Service. The precipitation could turn to snow showers after 7 p.m., but there’s only about a 20 percent chance of that happening. The rest of the day should be mostly cloudy with some heavy wind gusts.
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