Sam Ford
7News DC
Washington, DC, United States
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Past articles by Sam:
DC residents speak out after H Street Walmart announces closing
After a Northwest D.C. Walmart announced that it will close on March, 31., residents in the area have begun to voice their concerns over the news. → Read More
After 2 building collapses in 4 days, residents question how DCRA is doing its job
Twice in the past week, row houses in DC have partially collapsed and residents are raising questions how well DC’s Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs—DCRA—is doing its job. “I asked them to inspect this in December, “ said ANC Commissioner Denise Rucker Krepp, as she pointed at a row house a few doors away from her own. Krepp said an inspector was on her block for another matter in… → Read More
As more employees go full remote, NW DC office building being converted to apartments
What was a multi-story office building in northwest D. C. is now under reconstruction, being converted into a multi-story apartment building. Deputy Mayor of Planning and Economic Development John Falcicchio has cited the project, owned by Lincoln Property Company, as an example of something D. C. should support, particularly during the pandemic, when more office space sits empty as more… → Read More
DC church squares off with Attorney General over affordable housing
It’s a controversy that pits the D. C. Attorney General against a 120 year old Black church in Shaw, who’s third pastor, the Reverend Walter Fauntroy was a civil rights leader, D. C. ’s delegate to Congress and the pastor of New Bethel Baptist Church when it build the 8 story apartment building at 801 Rhode Island Avenue NW, in 1971. Fifty years later, the building’s in need of renovation, and… → Read More
DC clears another homeless encampment, councilmember calls move 'inhumane'
With heavy equipment beeping and workers in hazmat suits pulling tents apart, the DC Government Thursday took down yet another one of the tent city encampments that had sprung up in the last year or so, this one in a park at New Jersey and O, NW. → Read More
'One of the best days for our business': Small vendors prepare for Small Business Saturday
When Black Friday deals came to places like Tyson’s Corner Center this year it brought back memories. Traffic was jammed outside and in the parking garages. Inside customers packed the corridors sometimes standing in lines waiting to get into the shops like GameStop. “It feels good to see it back to normal,” said Kyle McGuiness who said he was in line to buy a game for his brother that was 20%… → Read More
'Nobody should live like this': Residents say rodents plague DC apartment complex
WARNING: There are images ofrodents in this story that some may find disturbing. Southern Hills Apartments in Southeast Washington is where 32-year-old Rayneese Webb lives with her three-year-old daughter, Blessing. Webb also says she lives with a lot of rodents and that she cannot get seem to get rid of them. “It’s just bad I don’t think nobody should live like this, at all,” said Webb in an… → Read More
'Jobs not Guns' DC job fair gives opportunities to all, regardless of criminal background
At D. C. ’s Entertainment and Sports Arena in Southeast, they came today. Potential employers and jobseekers. But a slightly different twist, the job fair was called, “Jobs not Guns,” and employers not only accepted people with criminal records, but expected them. “When people who have challenges in their background, going to a job fair can be intimidating,” said Linda Harley Harper, D. C. ’s… → Read More
DC's Downtown Holiday Market gears up to open for the 2021 season
Can you believe it? The holiday season is almost here and with F Street closed between 7th and 9th, a platoon of workers showed up Friday to put together downtown DC’s annual erector set, the Holiday Market. And how important is it to local artists? “Well, it’s huge! “ said Michael Berman of Diverse Markets Management, that with the Downtown Business Improvement puts this event on annually. → Read More
Government signs agreement with US Marshalls to improve conditions at DC jail
The D. C. government announced it has signed an MOU, or Memorandum of Understanding, with the U. S. Marshal Service about making improvements at the D. C. Jail. This comes after the Marshal Service said it was pulling its 400 inmates out of the jail’s Central Detention Facility and moving them to the federal prison in Lewisburg, Pa. , because of a list of poor conditions at the jail. → Read More
Captain White's Seafood may move to Maryland, will operate at Wharf until Thanksgiving
Just four days after Captain White's Seafood City barge was pulled away from the DC Wharf, business was slow at the southwest Seafood Market Monday -- slower than a normal Monday, employees of Captain White’s said. “The news came and saw the barge leaving and thought the whole wharf had shut down," said Brian Long, one of the workers at Captain White’s Seafood, “But Captain White's will be here… → Read More
After nearly 50 years, Captain White's Seafood restaurant leaving The Wharf
Just days ago, Captain White's Seafood was at the center of severe flooding in The Wharf. Now, it's high and dry without a place to call home. Owner Penny White confirmed to 7News Thursday morning that Captain White's is indeed leaving the DC Wharf. She said the takeout restaurant has been at The Wharf since 1972 and will try to relocate. Owner Penny White confirmed to 7News Thursday that… → Read More
'That is troubling': DC officials concerned after 400 inmates moved from city jail
“I’m sure you can imagine that is troubling to me,” said Mayor Muriel Bowser at a news event Wednesday morning, after learning that the US Marshal Service is moving 400 of its federal prisoners out of the DC jail because of the conditions. The Marshal Service says it launched an unannounced inspection of the jail between Oct. 18 and Oct. → Read More
'We already have enough here!' Lawsuit filed to stop DC from moving school bus terminal
Just about everybody who’s anybody in DC’s Ward 5 is against a plan by the city’s Office of the State Superintendent of Education(OSSE) to move a school bus terminal from New York Avenue NE where it’s been for years if not decades, to a lot the city owns on W Street NE. DC Attorney Johnny Barnes filed a lawsuit against Mayor Bowser and the city Tuesday on behalf of the residents of W and Empower… → Read More
DC teen Jalil Hackett who boxed on Mayweather undercard set to make local fight debut
At Boom Box boxing gym near Nats Park, enthusiasts crowded in to see the hometown boy turned pro spar with his cousin. Jalil Hackett, age 18, was back for his first hometown appearance since he left for Las Vegas and Floyd Mayweather Productions in May and boxed on Mayweather’s undercard for a fight in June. Now, he’s scheduled to make his hometown pro debut on October 29 at the Entertainment… → Read More
Report: 49 out of 50 DC COVID deaths since June have been Black residents
While D. C. ’s COVID numbers have shown roughly three out of four overall deaths in the city have been Black residents, a new analysis shows that 49 out of 50 COVID deaths in the city since June were Black people. They also learned that eight of the 50 were fully vaccinated. The city insists it has put forth much effort to make vaccination available. “Door-to-door campaign, phone call… → Read More
Tent city cleanups in DC: Where are residents without homes being relocated?
As the National Park Service removed its second homeless encampment from the federal property at 3rd and Massachusetts NE overnight, the city has launched a pilot program for tent cities on its space offering them better places to stay. DC's Deputy Mayor for Human Services, Wayne Turnage, says they've launched a pilot program for encampments in NE DC's NOMA neighborhood. They approached some 45… → Read More
20 months into pandemic, drastic decline in DC's daytime population hurting business
Walk the sidewalks of downtown Washington, D. C. and you will be struck by all the signs announcing storefronts for lease, or the artwork covering windows where there were once thriving businesses. Leona Agouridis, executive director of the Golden Triangle Business Improvement District (BID), said there 122 businesses permanently closed in Golden Triangle alone. The reason why? Fewer people are… → Read More
'At least 15 people have hit that thing!' New safety measure for DC pedestrians backfires
Four years ago, residents of a senior citizens building at Fendall and Good Hope Road, SE asked the city to put in a traffic light so they could get safely across the busy intersection. Finally, last month D. C. ’s Department of Transportation, DDOT, installed a concrete median, which they called a “pedestrian refuge island,” that’s set the neighborhood on edge. Six weeks later it's chipped up… → Read More
DC tent city toilet servicer says poo is piling up because city hasn't paid him
"Some of 'em, you open it up, and, aw, nah, you ain’t going in there," says Vernon Russell. Russell is one of the hundreds of tent dwellers in D. C. , and he spoke to 7News Monday about some of the portable toilets available on the street. The main provider of toilets to D. C. 's tent cities announced that, as of Tuesday of last week, he stopped servicing about 40 of the 60 tent city toilets… → Read More