Local Rescue Takes in Hurricane Sandy Pets

The animals have been living in temporary shelter in New York City.

The Washington Animal Rescue League is doing its part to help pets displaced in October's Hurricane Sandy, according to an NBC Washington report. The WARL will be taking in eight dogs and five cats. The animals previously had been living in a temporary shelter in New York City and arrived in Washington on Monday, according to the report. The animals were all strays, abandoned by their owners or surrendered.

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Weird, Wild Washington Area Weather in 2012

The new year looks like it will kick off chilly and dry.

  Twenty-twelve was a wild year for weather in the Washington metropolitan region. On June 29, the derecho terrorized the area, forcing President Obama to declare Montgomery County a disaster area. In the fall, while we were spared the major brunt, Hurricane Sandy caused widespread flooding, downed trees, food and supply shortages at local stores and numerous school, government and activity cancellations and postponements.   Those two weather events may have been the most memorable, but according to WJLA's website, a number of weather records were set in 2012: How does the forecast for the start of 2013 look? Look for New Year's Eve temperatures in the mid-30s, with only a 20 percent chance of precipitation overnight. New Year's Day should…

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12-12-12 Concert to Benefit Hurricane Sandy Victims

Some of the biggest names in music will play at a benefit concert on Wednesday. All proceeds will go to Hurricane Sandy victims, via the Robin Hood Foundation.

  Huge names in music are lending their talents to Hurricane Sandy relief efforts at the “12-12-12” concert on Wednesday, Dec. 12. Every penny sold from ticket sales will go directly to Sandy victims through the Robin Hood Relief Fund, which provides material, money and aid to local organizations that are serving families and individuals in the regions hardest hit by the storm, including over 200 Patch towns in New Jersey, Connecticut and Long Island. The all-star lineup includes Bon Jovi, Eric Clapton, Dave Grohl, Billy Joel, Alicia Keys, Chris Martin, Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, Eddie Vedder, Roger Waters, Kanye West, The Who and Paul McCartney, with other artists to be announced. According to the 12-12-12 concert’s website, “…

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Local Boy Seeks to Collects Coats, Warm Hearts

Cameron D. Sweeney, 12, hopes to warm hearts with warm coats this holiday season.

Tis the season of giving and 12-year-old Cameron D. Sweeney wants to do more than give—he wants to give back. For the second year in a row, the Samuel Ogle Middle School seventh grader is sponsoring the Warming Hearts Coat Drive to collect coats for those in need this winter. Sweeney got the idea for the coat drive last year when he saw a student at his school who did not have a jacket. “I asked him why he didn’t have one, and he told me his parents couldn’t afford one. He said they didn have enough money for it,” Sweeney said. This conversation made a big impact on Sweeney, who is also the CEO of his own clothing label, Children Deserve Success (CDS). He decided that he wanted to help people like his classmate who couldn’t afford coats to…

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Tips for Disaster Recovery for Small Business Owners

Hurricane Sandy has caused severe damage to many local businesses. if you're a small business owner, here's some helpful advice for how to recover.

  1) File insurance claims as soon as possible, if you haven't already done so. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners offers important advice and tips for filing your claim. The National Flood Insurance Program also provides information on filing a flood insurance claim. 2) The SBA offers several low-interest, long-term disaster loans to small businesses in declared disaster areas, including business physical disaster loans and economic injury disaster loans. You can apply for loans up to $2 million for both uninsured and underinsured damages. You can apply directly online. Once submitted, the SBA will send an inspector to estimate the cost of damage. 3) Apply for tax relief if needed, which will allow for expedited returns …

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Disaster Planning for Your Pets

Superstorm Sandy underscored the importance of making a disaster plan that includes family pets.

Prince George's Fire Department Helps Hurricane Victims

Learn how you can help.

Over a week after Hurricane Sandy hit the east coast, some families are still struggling to rebuild and reclaim their lives. Some of those people are firefighters and EMS workers who have had to help out others even though they were impacted. Prince George's County Fire Department is targeting their efforts to help those firefighters and EMS workers in New Jersey and New York. PGFD is seeking the donation of usable uniforms that can be worn by emergency personnel as they go about their job of helping others in the devastated areas. The Bunker Hill Volunteer Fire Department, PGFD Station #855, is coordinating a relief effort to collect items that will be sent directly to firefighters in one of the devastated communities. Additional …

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LETTER: 'Heros for the Homeland' Seeks Supplies for Sandy Relief

This Bowie-based nonprofit is soliciting donations for Hurricane Sandy Relief efforts in New York and New Jersey.

Dear Sir or Madam, I am writing on behalf of Heroes for the Homeland to request your support in assisting those in New York and New Jersey who have been hit hard by Hurricane Sandy. We plan to deploy distribute supplies this coming Friday morning. We are looking for donations of cleanup supplies (chainsaws, hand tools, leaf blowers, power tools, plywood, tarps, trash bags, wheel barrows, yard tools, etc.), survival supplies (blankets, nonperishable foods, water, batteries, flashlights, etc.) and/or gift cards that we will distribute to the police department and their surrounding community. We will be accepting these donations starting tomorrow afternoon, Tuesday November 6 at the FOP 89 lodge 2905 Old Largo Road, Upper Marlboro, MD 20772…

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Maryland Unlikely To See Large Impact From Nor'easter

A National Weather Service forecaster said Maryland is unlikely to get much of a hit from the nor'easter developing to the southeast, one that could hit areas still recovering from Superstorm Sandy.

Here we go again? Just a week after Superstorm Sandy rumbled up the eastern seaboard, a powerful nor'easter appears set to do the same, with the outside chance to dump a wintry mix on parts of Maryland. In an advisory Monday, the National Weather Service said the storm is expected to develop off the Carolina coast on Tuesday before moving north. Ken Widelski, a forecaster with the NWS in Sterling, VA, said in a phone interview that how much precipitiation the Baltimore area gets—if any—depends on how far west the storm forms. "The exact track of the system is very uncertain right now," Widelski said. "There is a chance for some precipitation that would be generally Wednesday afternoon into Wednesday night. If that were the case, it could …

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