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Best local photos of 2018

Will Vitka | will.vitka@wtop.com

December 27, 2018, 5:15 AM

WASHINGTON — As the year draws to a close, here’s a look at some of the best photos WTOP has shared with readers and listeners from January 2018 to December. 

Walk back through 2018 below.

Spider lightning streaks across the sky above the White House on Sept. 7, 2018. The drenching storms unloaded 2.89 inches of rain on the District in just a few hours, making that Friday one of the wettest days of the what would eventually become wettest year ever. (WTOP/Dave Dildine)
Spider lightning streaks across the sky above the White House on Sept. 7, 2018. The drenching storms unloaded 2.89 inches of rain on the District in just a few hours, making that Friday one of the wettest days of the what would eventually become wettest year ever. (WTOP/Dave Dildine)
WTOP/Dave Dildine
Parents and staff believe events like this can remind kids how special they are. (WTOP/Mike Murillo)
The Washington Capitals make a trip to Georgetown University Hospital to visit some of their biggest fans Dec. 17, 2018. Read more: WATCH: Caps take a break from ice to bring smiles to sick children (WTOP/Mike Murillo)
WTOP/Mike Murillo
People lay tributes and wreaths at the Arlington National Cemetery. (WTOP/Kristi King)
People lay tributes and wreaths at the Arlington National Cemetery. Volunteers took time to lay wreaths at Arlington Cemetery on Dec. 15, 2018. Read more: Despite foul weather, tens of thousands volunteer lay wreaths at Arlington National Cemetery (WTOP/Kristi King)
WTOP/Kristi King
Washington says goodbye to George H.W. Bush at the National Cathedral. (WTOP/Mitchell Miller)
Washington says goodbye to former President George H.W. Bush at the National Cathedral on Dec. 5, 2018. Read more: PHOTOS: George HW Bush’s National Cathedral funeral (WTOP/Mitchell Miller)
WTOP/Mitchell Miller
Friedrich gets into anchor-mode and delivers a breaking-news ready report. (WTOP/Teta Alim)
WTOP Junior Reporter winner Brendan Friedrich gets into anchor-mode and delivers a breaking news ready report Nov. 19, 2018. Read more: Junior Reporter Contest winners bring talents to the newsroom (WTOP/Teta Alim)
WTOP/Teta Alim
Crews removing WTOP's call letters from its Idaho Avenue location. (WTOP/Ginger Whitaker)
Crews remove WTOP’s famous call letters from its Idaho Avenue location Nov. 16, 2018. Read more: End of an era: Ahead of move, WTOP’s call letters removed from DC building (WTOP/Ginger Whitaker)
WTOP/Ginger Whitaker
Washington gets its first taste of winter as snow collects on Capitol Hill Nov. 15, 2018. (WTOP/Mitchell Miller)
Washington gets a taste of winter as snow collects on Capitol Hill Nov. 15, 2018. Read more: PHOTOS: 1st snow of the season hits DC region (WTOP/Mitchell Miller)
WTOP/Mitchell Miller
Ben Jealous and Susie Turnbull, his running mate, prepare to address supporters in Baltimore. (WTOP/ Kate Ryan)
Ben Jealous looks out over the crowd before addressing supporters in Baltimore, Maryland, after losing the election to Gov. Larry Hogan on Nov. 6, 2018. Read more: Dem voters propel Md. Gov. Hogan over Dem challenger (WTOP/ Kate Ryan)
WTOP/ Kate Ryan
DC voting
Pouring rain didn’t keep a record number of people from heading to the polls in D.C. for the Midterm elections Nov. 6, 2018. See more: PHOTOS: Election Day (WTOP/Alejandro Alvarez)
WTOP/Alejandro Alvarez
The outer rim of the Tidal Basin is lined with patches of bright yellow and oranges. (WTOP/Dave Dildine)
The outer rim of the Tidal Basin is lined with patches of bright yellow and oranges Nov. 2, 2018. Read more: No blossoms, peak color coming to the Tidal Basin (WTOP/Dave Dildine)
WTOP/Dave Dildine
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam on WTOP Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2018. (WTOP/Ginger Whitaker)
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam on WTOP Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2018. Read more: Va. Gov. Northam on WTOP: Medicaid expansion, rural broadband and more (WTOP/Ginger Whitaker)
WTOP/Ginger Whitaker
Abandoned, three-arch bridge
An abandoned, three-arch bridge towers over the Monocacy River on Oct. 23 in Maryland between Frederick and Linganore. The bridge was constructed in 1942 and was closed in 1985. Read more: Ghost Roads V: ‘Not all who wander are lost’ on outskirts of Frederick (WTOP/Dave Dildine)
WTOP/Dave Dildine
A security guard shot a man inside FOX 5's offices just after 3 p.m. Monday. (WTOP/Dave Dildine)
A security guard shot a man near FOX 5’s offices just after 3 p.m. on Oct. 22. Read more: Man shot by security guard during FOX 5 break-in charged with burglary (WTOP/Dave Dildine)
WTOP/Dave Dildine
A full-size 747 replica of the famous Air Force One is now on display at National Harbor. (WTOP/Alejandro Alvarez)
A full-size 747 replica of Air Force One on display at National Harbor Oct. 1, 2018. Read more: ‘Air Force One Experience’ at National Harbor gives glimpse into presidential travel (WTOP/Alejandro Alvarez)
WTOP/Alejandro Alvarez
A crowd gathers in D.C.'s Logan Circle on Thursday, Sept. 20, 2018, during a vigil for Wendy Martinez, 35, who was stabbed to death while out for a run (WTOP/Michelle Basch)
A crowd gathers in D.C.’s Logan Circle on Thursday, Sept. 20, 2018, during a vigil for Wendy Martinez, 35, who was stabbed to death while out for a run. Read more: DC runner killed 1 week after getting engaged to be buried in wedding dress, mother says (WTOP/Michelle Basch)
WTOP/Michelle Basch
Firefighters battle a fire at the Arthur Capper Senior Public Housing building at 900 5th Street SE in D.C. (WTOP/Dick Uliano)
Firefighters battle a fire at the Arthur Capper Senior Public Housing building at 900 5th Street SE in D.C., Sept. 19, 2018. Read more: Flames, thick smoke burst from senior housing building in Southeast DC (WTOP/Dick Uliano)
WTOP/Dick Uliano
Cosplayers came out to CureFest to bring smiles to the faces of participants. (WTOP/Liz Anderson)
Cosplayers came out to CureFest to bring smiles to the faces of participants Sept. 15, 2018. Read more: DC’s CureFest advocates for cancer’s youngest warriors (WTOP/Liz Anderson)
WTOP/Liz Anderson
A group of boys surprised themselves, bobbing their faces into the water, popping up for air and bursting into smiles and laughter as they mastered their new skill. (WTOP/Kate Ryan)
A group of boys surprised themselves, bobbing their faces into the water, popping up for air and bursting into smiles and laughter as they mastered their new skill on Aug. 22, 2018. Read more: Before summer ends, water safety camp in Md. teaches kids lifesaving skill (WTOP/Kate Ryan)
WTOP/Kate Ryan
John Ferree inspects a screen from the hives he cultivates at the Mount Vernon Estate in Virginia on Aug. 13, 2018.. (WTOP/Dan Friedell)
John Ferree inspects a screen from the hives he cultivates at the Mount Vernon Estate in Virginia on Aug. 13, 2018. Read more: High above DC, unseen urban beekeepers boost sustainable local agriculture (WTOP/Dan Friedell)
WTOP/Dan Friedell
Outside the Foggy Bottom Metro station, a large group of media, counterprotesters and police greet Unite The Right 2 rally participants. (WTOP/ Max Smith)
Outside the Foggy Bottom Metro Station, a large group of media, counterprotesters and police greet Unite The Right 2 rally participants Aug. 12, 2018. Read more: Small group of white nationalists outnumbered by sea of counterprotesters in DC (WTOP/ Max Smith)
WTOP/ Max Smith
A guard stands at the rotunda in the University of Virginia in Charlottesville on Friday, Aug. 10, 2018. The area has been fenced off in the wake of the first year since white nationalists circled protesters on campus. (WTOP/Max Smith)
A guard stands at the rotunda in the University of Virginia in Charlottesville the night of Aug. 10, 2018. The area was fenced off in the wake of the first year since white nationalists circled protesters on campus. Read more: Charlottesville prepares for white nationalist rally anniversary (WTOP/Max Smith)
WTOP/Max Smith
A fire gutted 11 apartments in the Franklin Park complex in Greenbelt. Nine adults and five children were displaced. July 27, 2018. (WTOP/Kristi King)
A fire gutted 11 apartments in the Franklin Park complex in Greenbelt. Nine adults and five children were displaced July 27, 2018. Read more: Large fire tears through Prince George’s Co. apartment building (WTOP/Kristi King)
WTOP/Kristi King
WTOP's Dave Dildine reports: "This is Broad Branch Road in Rock Creek Park. Dangerous situation. Flash Flood Warning." (WTOP/Dave Dildine)
Broad Branch Road in Rock Creek Park floods on July 25, 2018. Read more: Rainfall gives way to flooded roads, bloated waterways around DC area (WTOP/Dave Dildine)
WTOP/Dave Dildine
D.C. Fire Engine 16 tapped a fire hydrant at 16th and H Street Northwest, dispensing a spray of water over the intersection to provide demonstrators some relief from the heat. (WTOP/Dick Uliano)
D.C. Fire Engine 16 tapped a fire hydrant at 16th and H Street Northwest, dispensing a spray of water over the intersection to provide demonstrators some relief from the heat on June 30, 2018. Read more: Thousands join ‘Families Belong Together’ march, rally in sweltering DC (WTOP/Dick Uliano)
WTOP/Dick Uliano
The front page of the Capital Gazette the morning after the shooting at the newsroom. (WTOP/John Domen)
The front page of the Capital Gazette the morning after the shooting at the newsroom on June 29, 2018. Read more: They put out the ‘damn paper’ — The Capital Gazette goes on (WTOP/John Domen)
WTOP/John Domen
The crowd reacts to the appearance of star Alex Ovechkin on stage. Ovechkin was the Final MVP. (WTOP/Dave Dildine)
The crowd reacts on June 12, 2018, to the appearance of Capitals star Alex Ovechkin on stage. Ovechkin was the Final MVP. Read more: C-A-P-S! Thousands of fans celebrate Stanley Cup champs in DC See Photos: A look back at the Capitals’ historic season (WTOP/Dave Dildine)
WTOP/Dave Dildine
Fans gather outside in Northwest D.C. on Saturday, June 2, 2018, to watch Game 3 of the Stanley Cup final between the Washington Capitals and the Vegas Golden Knights. (WTOP/Dick Uliano)
Fans gather outside in D.C. on Saturday, June 2, 2018, to watch Game 3 of the Stanley Cup final between the Washington Capitals and the Vegas Golden Knights. Read more: Outside the arena, Caps fans revel in Stanley Cup mania (WTOP/Dick Uliano)
WTOP/Dick Uliano
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan declared a state of emergency following the flooding. (WTOP/Dave Dildine)
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan declared a state of emergency following the flooding in Ellicott City May 27, 2018. Read more: Massive floods strike Ellicott City; State of Emergency declared (WTOP/Dave Dildine)
WTOP/Dave Dildine
Lightning breaks over Columbia Heights in the District. (WTOP/Will Vitka)
Lightning breaks over Columbia Heights in the District on May 16, 2018. Read more: Entire DC area under flood watch through Saturday morning (WTOP/Will Vitka)
WTOP/Will Vitka
Lightning strikes near the U.S. Capitol on May 12, 2018. (WTOP/Dave Dildine)
Lightning strikes near the U.S. Capitol on May 12, 2018. Read more: Clean up underway after thunderstorms batter DC region (WTOP/Dave Dildine)
WTOP/Dave Dildine
Evidence of 2017's Congressional Baseball shooting is still evident in the fence near the third base dugout at Simpson Stadium in Alexandria on April 25, 2018. (WTOP/Neal Augenstein)
Evidence of 2017’s Congressional Baseball shooting is still plain to see in the fence near the third base dugout at Simpson Stadium in Alexandria on April 25, 2018. Read more: GOP hits the field at 1st congressional ball game practice since 2017 shooting (WTOP/Neal Augenstein)
WTOP/Neal Augenstein
The beach at Trunk Bay, St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. (WTOP/Jeff Clabaugh)
The beach at Trunk Bay, St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands on April 9, 2018. Read more: Va., Md. travelers favor the Caribbean (WTOP/Jeff Clabaugh)
WTOP/Jeff Clabaugh
Cherry blossoms bloom near the Jefferson Memorial at the Tidal Basin. (WTOP/John Domen)
Cherry blossoms bloom near the Jefferson Memorial at the Tidal Basin on April 6, 2018. Read more: Fireworks for Cherry Blossom Festival, low temperatures threaten blooms (WTOP/John Domen)
WTOP/John Domen
Kids and their parents protesting at Saturday's March For Our Lives. (WTOP/Dick Uliano)
Kids and their parents protest during March For Our Lives on March 24, 2018. See more: Photos: March for Our Lives (WTOP/Dick Uliano)
WTOP/Dick Uliano
"Toby or Not Toby - A Snowball Battle" takes place on the National Mall on Wednesday, March 21, 2018. The gathering was organized through Facebook and was named after the winter storm. (WTOP/Dick Uliano)
“Toby or Not Toby — A Snowball Battle” takes place on the National Mall on March 21, 2018. The gathering was organized through Facebook and was named after the winter storm. Read more: Revelers gather for a spring day snowball fight at the National Mall (WTOP/Dick Uliano)
WTOP/Dick Uliano
The first Boundary Stone, South, sits under Jones Point Lighthouse in Virginia. (WTOP/William Vitka)
The first historic Boundary Stone, called South, sits under Jones Point Lighthouse in Virginia, March 19, 2018. Read more: Boundary Stones: The quest to save DC’s 1st federal monuments (WTOP/William Vitka)
WTOP/William Vitka
Students sit silently in protest in front of the White House. (WTOP/Nick Iannelli)
Students sit silently in protest in front of the White House on March 14, 2018. Read more: Photos: Students take part in National School Walkout (WTOP/Nick Iannelli)
WTOP/Nick Iannelli
Dense fog covered the Washington area early in the morning Feb. 24, 2018. (*WTOP/Will Vitka)
Dense fog covers the Washington area early in the morning Feb. 24, 2018. Read more: DC region covered in blanket of fog (WTOP/Will Vitka)
WTOP/Will Vitka
Prince George's County officers pay respects to fallen Cpl. Mujahid Ramzziddin. (WTOP/Kate Ryan)
Prince George’s County officers pay respects to fallen Cpl. Mujahid Ramzziddin on Feb. 23, 2018. Read more: Mourners honor slain ‘hero’ Pr. George’s Co. officer at funeral (WTOP/Kate Ryan)
WTOP/Kate Ryan
Snowy owl in flight
Snowy owls visit the National Mall on Feb. 9, 2018. Read more: Snowy owls swap the Arctic for the National Mall (WTOP/Kate Ryan)
WTOP/Kate Ryan
Brent Mount hugs his daughter Katie after surprising her during a school assembly Monday morning at Park Ridge Elementary in Stafford County. Mount has spent the last six months deployed to Afghanistan. (WTOP/Kathy Stewart)
Brent Mount hugs his daughter Katie after surprising her during a school assembly Jan. 29, 2018, at Park Ridge Elementary in Stafford County, Virginia. Mount has spent the last six months deployed to Afghanistan. Read more: Tearful homecoming: Deployed Army dad surprises daughter at Va. school (WTOP/Kathy Stewart)
WTOP/Kathy Stewart
The federal government remains shut on Saturday, Jan. 20, 2018, as the Senate failed to approve a temporary funding bill Friday. (WTOP/Dave Dildine)
The federal government was shuttered on Jan. 20, 2018, after the U.S. Senate failed to approve a temporary funding bill. Read more: Answers to your questions about the government shutdown (WTOP/Dave Dildine)
WTOP/Dave Dildine
D.C. firefighters, specially trained by the U.S. Coast Guard, work to break up large ice sheets Jan. 9, 2018, that formed in frigid temperatures blocking access on the waterway in an emergency. Read more: Ice breaker: How this fire crew is cracking DC’s icy waterways (WTOP/Megan Cloherty)
WTOP/Megan Cloherty
Snow coats a police cruiser in Northwest D.C. Thursday morning. (WTOP/William Vitka)
Snow coats a police cruiser in Northwest D.C. the morning of Jan. 4, 2018. Read more: Photos: DC region hit with snowy Saturday (WTOP/Will Vitka)
WTOP/Will Vitka
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Spider lightning streaks across the sky above the White House on Sept. 7, 2018. The drenching storms unloaded 2.89 inches of rain on the District in just a few hours, making that Friday one of the wettest days of the what would eventually become wettest year ever. (WTOP/Dave Dildine)
Parents and staff believe events like this can remind kids how special they are. (WTOP/Mike Murillo)
People lay tributes and wreaths at the Arlington National Cemetery. (WTOP/Kristi King)
Washington says goodbye to George H.W. Bush at the National Cathedral. (WTOP/Mitchell Miller)
Friedrich gets into anchor-mode and delivers a breaking-news ready report. (WTOP/Teta Alim)
Crews removing WTOP's call letters from its Idaho Avenue location. (WTOP/Ginger Whitaker)
Washington gets its first taste of winter as snow collects on Capitol Hill Nov. 15, 2018. (WTOP/Mitchell Miller)
Ben Jealous and Susie Turnbull, his running mate, prepare to address supporters in Baltimore. (WTOP/ Kate Ryan)
DC voting
The outer rim of the Tidal Basin is lined with patches of bright yellow and oranges. (WTOP/Dave Dildine)
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam on WTOP Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2018. (WTOP/Ginger Whitaker)
Abandoned, three-arch bridge
A security guard shot a man inside FOX 5's offices just after 3 p.m. Monday. (WTOP/Dave Dildine)
A full-size 747 replica of the famous Air Force One is now on display at National Harbor. (WTOP/Alejandro Alvarez)
A crowd gathers in D.C.'s Logan Circle on Thursday, Sept. 20, 2018, during a vigil for Wendy Martinez, 35, who was stabbed to death while out for a run (WTOP/Michelle Basch)
Firefighters battle a fire at the Arthur Capper Senior Public Housing building at 900 5th Street SE in D.C. (WTOP/Dick Uliano)
Cosplayers came out to CureFest to bring smiles to the faces of participants. (WTOP/Liz Anderson)
A group of boys surprised themselves, bobbing their faces into the water, popping up for air and bursting into smiles and laughter as they mastered their new skill. (WTOP/Kate Ryan)
John Ferree inspects a screen from the hives he cultivates at the Mount Vernon Estate in Virginia on Aug. 13, 2018.. (WTOP/Dan Friedell)
Outside the Foggy Bottom Metro station, a large group of media, counterprotesters and police greet Unite The Right 2 rally participants. (WTOP/ Max Smith)
A guard stands at the rotunda in the University of Virginia in Charlottesville on Friday, Aug. 10, 2018. The area has been fenced off in the wake of the first year since white nationalists circled protesters on campus. (WTOP/Max Smith)
A fire gutted 11 apartments in the Franklin Park complex in Greenbelt. Nine adults and five children were displaced. July 27, 2018. (WTOP/Kristi King)
WTOP's Dave Dildine reports: "This is Broad Branch Road in Rock Creek Park. Dangerous situation. Flash Flood Warning." (WTOP/Dave Dildine)
D.C. Fire Engine 16 tapped a fire hydrant at 16th and H Street Northwest, dispensing a spray of water over the intersection to provide demonstrators some relief from the heat. (WTOP/Dick Uliano)
The front page of the Capital Gazette the morning after the shooting at the newsroom. (WTOP/John Domen)
The crowd reacts to the appearance of star Alex Ovechkin on stage. Ovechkin was the Final MVP. (WTOP/Dave Dildine)
Fans gather outside in Northwest D.C. on Saturday, June 2, 2018, to watch Game 3 of the Stanley Cup final between the Washington Capitals and the Vegas Golden Knights. (WTOP/Dick Uliano)
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan declared a state of emergency following the flooding. (WTOP/Dave Dildine)
Lightning breaks over Columbia Heights in the District. (WTOP/Will Vitka)
Lightning strikes near the U.S. Capitol on May 12, 2018. (WTOP/Dave Dildine)
Evidence of 2017's Congressional Baseball shooting is still evident in the fence near the third base dugout at Simpson Stadium in Alexandria on April 25, 2018. (WTOP/Neal Augenstein)
The beach at Trunk Bay, St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. (WTOP/Jeff Clabaugh)
Cherry blossoms bloom near the Jefferson Memorial at the Tidal Basin. (WTOP/John Domen)
Kids and their parents protesting at Saturday's March For Our Lives. (WTOP/Dick Uliano)
"Toby or Not Toby - A Snowball Battle" takes place on the National Mall on Wednesday, March 21, 2018. The gathering was organized through Facebook and was named after the winter storm. (WTOP/Dick Uliano)
The first Boundary Stone, South, sits under Jones Point Lighthouse in Virginia. (WTOP/William Vitka)
Students sit silently in protest in front of the White House. (WTOP/Nick Iannelli)
Dense fog covered the Washington area early in the morning Feb. 24, 2018. (*WTOP/Will Vitka)
Prince George's County officers pay respects to fallen Cpl. Mujahid Ramzziddin. (WTOP/Kate Ryan)
Snowy owl in flight
Brent Mount hugs his daughter Katie after surprising her during a school assembly Monday morning at Park Ridge Elementary in Stafford County. Mount has spent the last six months deployed to Afghanistan. (WTOP/Kathy Stewart)
The federal government remains shut on Saturday, Jan. 20, 2018, as the Senate failed to approve a temporary funding bill Friday. (WTOP/Dave Dildine)
Snow coats a police cruiser in Northwest D.C. Thursday morning. (WTOP/William Vitka)

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Will Vitka

William Vitka is a Digital Writer/Editor for WTOP.com. He's been in the news industry for over a decade. Before joining WTOP, he worked for CBS News, Stuff Magazine, The New York Post and wrote a variety of books—about a dozen of them, with more to come.

will.vitka@wtop.com

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Tragedy and triumph: 2018’s most notable local news stories

A leadership crisis at the University of Maryland and within D.C.’s Catholic Archdiocese. Record rain and another 1,000-year-flood that devastated a community. A 10-year-old’s senseless slaying, and a D.C. sports team’s triumph on the ice. Take a look back at some of the local news stories that dominated the headlines in 2018.
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