Washington’s Top News – Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2014

Here’s a look at some of the day’s top stories from WTOP:

Gaza cease-fire in effect

Israel and Hamas are to hold indirect peace talks in Egypt while a three-day cease-fire is in effect in the Gaza Strip. Nearly a month of fighting has killed close to 1,900 Palestinians, 64 Israeli soldiers and three civilians in Israel.

NYC hospital testing patient for possible Ebola

A New York City hospital says it’s performing Ebola tests on a patient who recently traveled to West Africa.

Mount Sinai Medical Center in Manhattan says a male patient with a high fever and gastrointestinal symptoms came in Monday. The hospital says it placed him in strict isolation and he’s undergoing medical screenings.

The Ebola virus causes a hemorrhagic fever that has sickened more than 1,600 people, killing nearly 900 mostly in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone. It’s spread through direct contact with bodily fluids.

Sheriff: Focus on dad as shooter in murder-suicide

The county sheriff says investigators are focusing on the father as the likely shooter in the death of a family of five in Culpeper, Virginia.

Culpeper County Sheriff Scott Jenkins said Monday that Clarence Washington, 35; wife Shauna Washington, 35; and daughters Onesha, 13, Onya, 6, and Olivia, 4, died in what officials believe was a murder-suicide at their home just outside Culpeper, a town of about 15,000 70 miles southwest of Washington.

Jenkins says that as early as Saturday afternoon, there was a domestic issue at the house, but police weren’t called. Authorities say a relative found the bodies Sunday night.

D.C. police operating speed camera in Maryland

The D.C. police are operating a speed camera just over the border with Prince George’s County, Maryland. They claim it follow D.C. law because it’s focused over the road into the District; two lawyers, and WTOP’s Ari Ashe, disagree.

Read about the whole situation, find out where the camera is, and learn what some stones from 1792 have to do with it.

Tainted Ohio water coming under increased scrutiny

The drinking ban in Toledo was lifted after more than two days on Monday, but the scrutiny of what happened is just beginning. Ohio Gov. John Kasich (KAY’-sik) says there will be an extensive review of how the water supply became tainted with a toxin suspected to be from algae in Lake Erie.

A high-ranking state lawmaker is planning hearings on the algae fouling the lake and says he wants to hear from scientists who can say what’s behind the algae. Ohio Sen. Rob Portman says more research is needed to understand how to control the blooms.

The zoo of the future?

If the plans come to fruition, a zoo in Denmark will look like no other – visitors will be able to walk among the animals, interacting freely. It’s a long way off, and some people think it’s a pipe dream, but it sure would be cool to see. See the plans, as well as a an overview of new zoo layouts, on our Entertainment page.

Nauti, but nice: D.C.’s floating food truck

Plenty of food trucks roam the District’s streets, but until now boaters on the Potomac had nowhere to go when a craving struck. Now, however, Nauti Foods caters to the seafaring set, even if some of their customers can’t believe their eyes when they see the food boat. WTOP’s Rachel Nania talks with the owners about the idea, the unique challenges they face and their plans for the future, on our Living page.

Redskins observe the Patriot Way firsthand

WTOP’s Noah Frank says the idea that a team has their own superior way of doing things is often just hype. But watching the Redskins and Patriots practice together in Richmond on Monday, he saw it was for real. He details how the differences show up in the big things – and the little things – on our Sports page.

Te, da, gi, po: Music to a Scrabbler’s ears

A new edition of “The Official Scrabble Players Dictionary,” the first in a decade, has 5,000 new words, including bromance, hashtag, dubstep and selfie. But the four new two-letter words are really going to change the game, expert players say. On our Tech page, read about some of the new words and what the new book means for hardcore Scrabblers – and find out what a qajaq is!

Married nearly 62 years, couple dies 4 hours apart

After nearly 62 years of marriage, little separated Don and Maxine Simpson — not even death. The California couple died just four hours apart in July, spending their last moments side by side. He was 90 and she was 87.

Granddaughter Melissa Sloan tells The Bakersfield Californian that her grandmother died first, and when her body was taken away, Don Simpson’s soul left with her.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. Follow @WTOP on Twitter and WTOP on Facebook.

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