''The Current Newspapers'' consisted of four print and online weekly community newspapers in Washington, D.C., with editions targeted to affluent communities in
Georgetown,
Dupont Circle,
Foggy Bottom, and Northwest DC.
The publications group provided readers with the latest news from the District of Columbia government, local government including
Advisory Neighborhood Commissions (ANC), citizens organizations, and other community news, sports, events, and entertainment for areas served since 1967.
The company previously owned a newspaper on
Capitol Hill
Capitol Hill, in addition to being a metonym for the United States Congress, is the largest historic residential neighborhood in Washington, D.C., stretching easterly in front of the United States Capitol along wide avenues. It is one of the ...
– ''
Voice of the Hill'' – but ceased publication on May 5, 2010, citing declines in advertising revenue. This announcement came around 9 months after the death of the paper's co-founder, Bruce Robey, who was found dead due to an apparent
heart attack in September, 2009. The company ceased all publications on May 10, 2019.
History
''Northwest Current''
The first issue of the ''Northwest Current'' was released on October 20, 1977, succeeding the ''Potomac Current'', which ran biweekly from 1968–1977.
''Georgetown Current''
The ''Georgetown Current'' began publication in 1991, and covers news concerning the communities of
Burleith
Burleith is a neighborhood in Washington, D.C., United States. It is bordered by 35th Street NW to the east, Reservoir Road NW and the historic Georgetown district to the south, Whitehaven Park to the north, and Glover Archbold Park to the west ...
,
Foxhall,
Georgetown,
Glover Park, and the lower Palisades.
Financial issues and closure
On September 8, 2017, one of ''The Current'' former printers,
Gannett Company
Gannett Co., Inc. () is an American mass media holding company headquartered in McLean, Virginia, in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.[DC Superior Court
The Superior Court of the District of Columbia, commonly referred to as DC Superior Court, is the trial court for the District of Columbia, in the United States. It hears cases involving criminal and civil law, as well as family court, landlor ...]
for $180,000 worth of unpaid printing bills.
In early January 2018, ''The Current'' filed for bankruptcy, having owed its creditors more than $1.25 million, with the free newspaper not having the money to pay its workers, distributors, or printers. ''The Current'' filed a petition for
Chapter 11 protection
Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code (Title 11 of the United States Code) permits reorganization under the bankruptcy laws of the United States. Such reorganization, known as Chapter 11 bankruptcy, is available to every business, wheth ...
on January 3 through the
U.S. Bankruptcy Court
United States bankruptcy courts are courts created under Article I of the United States Constitution. The current system of bankruptcy courts was created by the United States Congress in 1978, effective April 1, 1984. United States bankruptcy c ...
for the District of Columbia, in which it reported less than $50,000 in assets and over $1.2 million in liabilities.
Many of these liabilities come from former printers such as the previously mentioned Gannett Company, to which it owed over $180,000, Bartash Printing Inc for $105,000,
APG of Chesapeake for $60,000, and former writers and photographers who are owed around $26,000.
On May 10, 2019, The Current Newspapers' editorial director, Kate Michael, emailed employees that ''The Current'' would stop publishing immediately.
[ The email said, "I'm sorry for the abrupt shock of this message. It is a difficult one for me send. I wish I had more specific information to share with you, but I was just told this afternoon that due to a Bankruptcy filing change from the former Publisher, The Current will cease editorial operations. I am not sure if we will be able to resume in the future under any circumstances, but will be in touch with you should that be possible."][
]
Coverage
Sections
ANC News
"ANC" stands for Advisory Neighborhood Commissions, and each version of ''The Current'' covered its own neighborhood's news in this section.
District Digest
This section covered D.C. news that would be relevant to readers of all four versions of ''The Current'', providing more broad, city-wide news in contrast to the community news provided by the ANC News section.
School Dispatch
In this section, students at local (usually independent) schools submitted their own articles that were featured in the paper. (Many of these schools are part of AISGW)
Marketplace
''The Current'' almost always covered local real estate, with special reports on unique and lavish houses on the market appearing weekly. Additionally, the local newspaper reviewed cars and discussed up and coming shops and restaurants gaining a buzz in the community.
Sports
Most, but not all, issues of ''The Current'' covered local sports, including news on recently traded players, local athletes signing to professional or collegiate teams, the scores of local high school sports games, and other local-infused sports news.
Events
Each issue of ''The Current'' typically ended with a list of events occurring throughout the city in the coming week, providing readers with possible activities to participate in around town.
Miscellaneous
In addition to the aforementioned sections, ''The Current'' published Letters to the Editor, Police Reports, Staff Editorials, and a section called "Pet of the Week", which covered rescue animals that are up for adoption.
Notable stories
One of ''The Current'' most notable stories was its coverage of World War I-era chemicals buried in Spring Valley: a neighborhood bordering American University
The American University (AU or American) is a private federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C. Its main campus spans 90 acres (36 ha) on Ward Circle, mostly in the Spring Valley neighborhood of Northwest D.C. AU was charte ...
in Northwest DC
The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each se ...
. Unbeknownst to the affluent neighborhood's residents, the area was used as a testing ground for munitions and lethal chemicals in 1918, and the chemical residue seemed to be the causes of the unexplainable illnesses residents were suffering some 80 years later.George H.W. Bush
George Herbert Walker BushSince around 2000, he has been usually called George H. W. Bush, Bush Senior, Bush 41 or Bush the Elder to distinguish him from his eldest son, George W. Bush, who served as the 43rd president from 2001 to 2009; p ...
and his wife Barbara
Barbara may refer to:
People
* Barbara (given name)
* Barbara (painter) (1915–2002), pseudonym of Olga Biglieri, Italian futurist painter
* Barbara (singer) (1930–1997), French singer
* Barbara Popović (born 2000), also known mononymously as ...
both suffered from Grave's Disease and lived a few blocks from Spring Valley, where they could have been exposed to the toxic soil. This story went on to win a National Newspaper Association award for environmental reporting, making it one of ''The Current'' most notable stories.
Awards
See also
* Camp Leach
* Spring Valley (Washington, D.C.)
Spring Valley is a largely residential neighborhood in Ward 3, Northwest Washington, D.C. As of July 2021, it was the most expensive neighborhood in the District, with homes selling at a median price of $1.465 million.
Residents
Spring Valley's ...
* Superior Court of the District of Columbia
* Community Newspapers
References
External links
The Current Newspapers
{{DEFAULTSORT:Current Newspapers
1967 establishments in Washington, D.C.
Defunct newspapers published in Washington, D.C.
Publications disestablished in 2019
Newspapers established in 1967
2019 disestablishments in Washington, D.C.