Employees Fired After Officer Turned Away; Suspect Released in Chandra Levy Murder; Pokémon Go on the Mall: News Nearby

Patch has 32 sites in communities in Va. and D.C. Here are some of the top posts from the past 24 hours.

• Noodles & Co. Fires Employees Who Refused Service to Alexandria Police Officer
• Chandra Levy Murder: Charges Dropped for Man Awaiting Retrial
• Murder-Suicide Suspected in House Fire; Two Dead, Toddler and Adult Male

Eww, What's That Smell? Corpse Flower to Bloom at the Botanic Garden This Weekend
It's perhaps one of the most disgusting smells on the planet, and people will be lining up to get a whiff this weekend as the aptly named "corpse flower" is expected to bloom.

Amorphophallus titanum is a beautiful tropical plant with a not-so-beautiful smell. The plant has a long life cycle that results in a bloom that happens just once ever four to five years, and you'll be able to catch a glimpse at the U.S. Botanic Garden in Washington, D.C., when it is expected to bloom by July 31, according to Smithsonian.com. Or, if you'd rather avoid the smell, you can watch the webcam instead. >>> Read more.

Thousands Sign Up for Massive Pokémon Go Walk on National Mall

It's going to be quite the sight: more than 4,000 people — and perhaps many more than that — all walking around the National Mall in D.C. while playing the new hit mobile game Pokémon Go.

The pokémon trainers will descend on the Jefferson Memorial at 1 p.m. on Saturday, July 30, and walk around the National Mall, grabbing as many elusive pokémon as they can. >>> Read more.

• $1M Powerball Ticket Purchased in Arlington; Check Your Numbers, Again
• New Uber Driver Assaulted After Picking Up Passenger in Stafford
• Taft Mansion in Georgetown Goes on Sale for Whopping $14 Million
• Rixeyville Man Pleads Guilty to Aggravated Sexual Battery Against Minor: Report

Share your local news, events and pics by clicking "+" at the top of any page.

• Vienna Woman Wins $150,000 with Lucky Lottery Ticket
• Redskins Superfan Chief Zee Laid to Rest in Upper Marlboro
• Whoopie Pie Truck Coming to Ballston Thursday and Friday
• '30 Rock' Star Tracy Morgan Performing at Arlington Cinema & Drafthouse This Weekend