city council news stories on Newser

Drunk Wasilla Pol Trashed Hotel, Billed City

Evann Gastaldo — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 14:28:05 CDT

A burned hotel room mattress, ruined bedding, a urine-stained chair, vomit on the carpet … but no, this was not the handiwork of a rock star on tour. Rather, Wasilla City Councilman Steve Menard apparently got a little crazy on a business trip—then slipped the city the bill for...

72-Year-Old Politician Gets in Food Fight at Waffle House

Tue, 24 May 2011 09:22:22 CDT

A city councilman in Georgia lost his cool at a Waffle House yesterday—and ended up covering a city official with food during an argument. John Williams, 72, spilled food, coffee, and water on Tony Robbins—chairman of the downtown development authority—during a fight over parking. Williams told a...

Colorado Springs Becomes Tea Party Paradise

Kevin Spak — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 12:38:00 CDT

Just how conservative is Colorado Springs? So conservative that even the Wall Street Journal says it’s “Taking Small Government to the Extreme.” The town is strapped for cash, but voters have rejected a tax increase, urging the government to slash services instead. Letters to the town council and local newspapers...

DC Legalizes Gay Marriage

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 14:21:17 CST

The Washington, DC, City Council voted today to legalize gay marriage in the nation's capital, handing supporters a victory after recent defeats in Maine, New York, and New Jersey. Mayor Adrian Fenty has promised to sign the bill, which passed 11-2, and gay couples could begin marrying as early as...

Man Pops Question During Gay Marriage Hearing

Kevin Spak — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:15:26 CST

A stuffy DC city council hearing might not be most people’s idea of a romantic place to get engaged, but maybe the chance to be a YouTube celebrity made it all worth it for Andy Hertzberg and Andy Rollman. That, or they were hoping to drum up sympathy for the...

Backyard Chickens Ruffle Neighbors' Feathers

Nick McMaster — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 13:17:59 CDT

Backyard chickens have polarized the city council of Salem, Ore., as residents argue over whether to legalize keeping the birds in home coops, the Wall Street Journal reports. It’s one of several such disputes around the US, with some extolling the virtues of a source of free eggs and fertilizer...

'Stalking' Victim Is Barry's Ex

Harry Kimball — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 13:25:44 CDT

Marion Barry’s lawyer says the woman he was arrested for stalking on Saturday is his ex-girlfriend, and that the two had been together earlier that day, the Washington Post reports. Police say they took Barry into custody after a woman said he was “bothering her”; ex Donna Watts-Brighthaupt says she...

DC Cops Charge Marion Barry With Stalking

Drew Nelles — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 13:18:00 CDT

Washington DC's most-wanted politician, Marion Barry, has again found himself on the wrong side of the law, reports the Washington Post. Police busted the 73-year-old councilmember and former mayor last night after a woman complained he was "bothering her" as the two traveled in separate vehicles in a DC park....

NYC Weighs Ban on Circus Elephants

Harry Kimball — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 15:10:26 CDT

The circus is in town, and in a related development, the New York City Council is considering a ban on the display of "wild or exotic animals" for entertainment, the Times reports. The bill, understood to be aimed at the Ringling Brothers pachyderms, has the support of almost half of...