Skip to main content

Neighbors to lend a hand and a shovel when the snow hits in DC

A snowstorm is likely heading our way, forecast to bring several inches of snow to the District. If the snow hits hard, volunteers in D.C. are planning to help out their neighbors.

To prepare, volunteers at the Columbia Heights Community Center in D.C. picked up plenty of hand warmers, gloves, sidewalk salt and snow shovels.

“I was looking for ways I could be helpful in the community that would fit my schedule with kids,” Peter Muller told reporters after he picked up equipment.

In all eight wards, these “Snow Heroes” operate within a roughly three block radius of where they live. They shovel the driveways and sidewalks in front of their neighbors’ homes — those who are in need of help, including seniors and people with disabilities or other needs.

Volunteers are deployed when there are four or more inches of snow on the ground. They are expected to complete the shoveling and salting ni their area within a day or two.

“I like being able to get around and kind of helping the neighbor out who can’t get their own shovel, their own sidewalk taken care of,” Muller said. “It’s a nice way to be a neighborly.”

Dominique A. Scott, director of Serve DC, told WTOP: “The city is well equipped and prepared to handle weather events, and we’re working hard in collaboration with other district agencies to make sure that residents are taken care of and we’re operating at peak efficiency.”

She also urged interested community members to sign up as a “Snow Hero” on Serve DC’s website or via the city’s 311 app and website.

Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.

© 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

Judge lacked power to overturn ex-soldier Bowe Bergdahl’s military conviction, appeals court rules

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge had no authority to overturn former U.S. Army soldier Bowe Bergdahl's military conviction for deserting his post in Afghanistan before Taliban-allied forces abducted him and held him captive for nearly five years, an appeals court has ruled. A three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on Tuesday ordered the dismissal of Bergdahl's claims in district court. The panel said District Judge Reggie Walton in Washington lacked the jurisdiction to vacate Bergdahl’s court-martial conviction and sentence in 2023. Bergdahl had sued in 2021, arguing that the punishment violated his Fifth Amendment due-process rights. Walton ruled that military judge Jeffrey Nance created a potential conflict of interest by failing to disclose his application for a position as an immigration judge in the Justice Department. But the appeals court concluded that only military tribunals have the authority to vacate a court-martial judgment.
Read Next Story