Week in Review: Bin Laden and Bags and the Environment

Well, it was a busy week, to say the least. From the hyperlocal to the international, there was a lot to report on.

, you probably heard, but Osama bin Laden was captured. 

Osama bin Laden was killed Sunday in a firefight in Pakistan, President Barack Obama said in a White House release.

Obama called Bin Laden, "the leader of al Qaeda, and a terrorist who’s responsible for the murder of thousands of innocent men, women, and children."

Developments in the search for Bin Laden took off last August, Obama said. 

"It was far from certain, and it took many months to run this thread to ground.  I met repeatedly with my national security team as we developed more information about the possibility that we had located bin Laden hiding within a compound deep inside of Pakistan.  And finally, last week, I determined that we had enough intelligence to take action, and authorized an operation to get Osama bin Laden and bring him to justice," Obama said.

Then Sunday, Obama directed a targeted operation against the compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. After a firefight, U.S. forces killed Bin Laden and took custody of his body, Obama said. No Americans were harmed, he said.

, Takoma Park City Council voted to add a sustainability coordinator to the budget. 

The council voted unanimously to fund the coordinator, but there were a few sticking points. The council ended up deciding to spend $150,000 on the position. Councilman Josh Wright (Ward 1) wanted to allot $185,000 and Councilwoman Colleen Clay (Ward 2) was at the lower end, suggesting $50,000 to $100,000.

The other question was whether the position would be contracted out as a consulting job or be made a staff position. Most council members thought a contract position was the safest way to go as the city tries to figure out exactly what the sustainability coordinator would do, but Councilman Dan Robinson (Ward 3) said a staff position would be cheaper and more efficient.

The council also voted to keep funding for sidewalks in Ward 6.

, the choice of paper or plastic will soon carry a price for local shoppers. The Montgomery County Council passed a five-cent tax on bags at all retail establishments on Tuesday.

The bill, which will go into effect starting Jan. 1, 2012, is similar to a tax enacted in D.C. a year ago. The county council passed the bill by an 8-1 vote. Councilmember Nancy Floreen cast the single opposing vote.

County Executive Ike Leggett proposed the legislation in early March to encourage residents to use reusable bags and to keep plastic bags from littering the environment.