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Anti-war rally on National Mall Next Week

On Saturday, Sept. 24, the United for Peace organizations in collaboration with other organizations will convene a “March on Washington to End the War on Iraq”. A “Peace and Justice” festival pegins at 10 a.m. on the grounds of the Washington Monument. The rally begins at 11:30 a.m. at the Ellipse; the march begins at 12:30; and a concert, featuring Cindy Sheehan, will begin at 3 p.m.

More than two years after the illegal and immoral U.S. invasion of Iraq, the nightmare continues. More than 1600 U.S. soldiers have died, at least another 15,000 have been wounded.

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How to Help

Donations are not to be taken to the DC Armory. Citizens are asked not to donate new or used clothes for use by the victims of Hurricane Katrina who are stationed at the District government sponsored shelter to be located at the DC National Guard Armory.  The American Red Cross will manage the shelter for the District government, but does not accept or solicit small, individual donations or collections of items for emergency relief purposes. Small items such as collections of food, used clothing, and shoes often must be cleaned, sorted, repackaged and, sometimes, stored which ties up the valuable resources of money, time and personnel that are needed for other aspects of the relief effort. 

The city is soliciting large, bulk donations. Persons or corporations that wish to make large, bulk donations should first call (202) 727-1000. Donors of these items must be able to package the items in bulk, palletize them and deliver them directly to the designated site. 

Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson last week announced that HUD has established a single toll-free housing hotline, 1-888-297-8685, to assist the victims of Hurricane Katrina. The number operates from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

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Juvenile Facility to be Rehabilitated

At a press conference last week at the Oak Hill Youth Center in Laurel, Md., D.C. Mayor Anthony A. Williams announced the future plans for the Youth Center, which is the District’s juvenile justice facility. Plans include designing and constructing a new smaller and more rehabilitative facility that will house 36 beds (three 12-bed units). Plans also call for renovating another facility that will house 24 beds (two 12-bed units). The new capacity for sentenced youth will be 60 beds. Currently there are 78 sentenced youth at the Oak Hill Youth Center. The remaining youths will be placed into a model continuum of care that the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS) is currently developing and procuring.

The facility that replaces Oak Hill will be more home-like and less institutional -- a design that is consistent with The Missouri Model one of the nation’s leaders in juvenile justice reform. One aspect of The Missouri Model is placing youth in smaller settings where staff can cultivate positive behavior. Studies have shown placing large numbers of youth in large locked facilities produce the most violent, negative and hostile youth.

“Not only are we building a new facility, but we plan on operating these facilities in a radically new fashion.” said Vincent Schiraldi, DYRS director. “The facility that replaces Oak Hill will avoid some of the harsher aspects of large prison-like facilities like Oak Hill and will allow for the kind of individualized programming that is the key to success.”

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Gas Break Considered

D.C. Councilmember Vincent B. Orange, Sr. (D-Ward 5), in correspondence dated September 7, 2005, called on Council Chairman Linda W. Cropp to modify the agenda of the Tuesday, September 20 to include a legislative session on an emergency measure that would exempt District of Columbia consumers from motor vehicle fuel taxes. The proposed moratorium would be in effect through September 30, 2005 and would provide a much-needed tax break to District residents.

“Residents of the District of Columbia , who are among the highest taxed consumers in the nation, deserve this much-needed tax break to offset the escalating cost of fuel. In recent months we have witnessed an incremental shift in gasoline prices and an abrupt surge in prices, immediately following Hurricane Katrina,” Orange said.

An initial analysis has revealed that the District of Columbia government will have a surplus, in revenues, at the end of the fiscal year, in 2005, thus the temporary motor fuel tax exemption will not result in a negative fiscal impact on the District’s budget as the city approaches the end of the fiscal year.

  On Friday, September 2, 2005 , Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue suspended the Georgia gasoline tax to relieve some of the financial burden placed on consumers of motor fuel.

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Prince George’s County Cracking Down on Crime

Prince George's County State’s Attorney Glenn F. Ivey announced last week that Abere Karibi-Ikiriko, 28, of Capitol Heights, MD was sentenced today to 30 years in prison for felony charges and second degree murder in the death of her roommate Okechukwu William Ohiri . Both were medical students at Howard University during the time of the incident.

Prince George's County Circuit Court Judge Richard Sothoron, III, presided over the case.

Karibi-Ikiriko on January 15, 2005, fired one shot into the chest of Ohiri, fatally wounding him. She then called 911, which recorded her statement saying, “I shot him” and then started that she shot the victim because he was trying to force sex. However, when Karibi-Ikiriko testified in court, she stated that the victim shot himself.

The jury deliberated this case for four hours before returning a verdict. Assistant State’s Attorney’s Leslie D. Andrews Booker and I. DeAndrei Drummond prosecuted the case.

Ms. Booker recommended the defendant serve a 30-year sentence on the second-degree murder. However the judge suspended 15 years, which means Karibi-Ikiriko will serve 15 years in prison and upon release she will be placed on supervised probation for five years, which is the maximum amount of probation that a Maryland state judge can impose.