>> that big fire on baltimore's block -- officials say somebody said it, but they are not calling it arson. we'll explain. >> is the strategy in afghanistan working? the white house releases a yearlong review of the war the >> wishes are being heard this holiday season. michael vick says he wants a doctorate what you finback >> -- what do you think? >> the forecast as we continue right now. [captioning made possible by constellation energy group] captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org-- >> live, local, late-breaking, this is wbal-tv 11 news today in hd. >> good morning. i'm mindy basara. >> and i am sarah caldwell. thank you for joining us this morning. >> but check on the forecast. >> 1 to 3 inches. probably an inch for baltimore.

more like three or heavier amounts to the south of us and down at the lower eastern shore kirk it will start around 11:00 p.m. or noon. it will persist throughout the afternoon and into the evening hours. the air it is pretty dry. it should not be a big snow- maker for us. an area of low pressure is at the center around north carolina and the virginia border. snow already in virginia and north -- and west virginia. snowshoe start around midmorning. a winter storm adviser is in effect until 9:00 p.m. and tied for most of our area. temperatures are freezing out there. the real feel temperatures are in the teens right now. if oil slick 7 in parkton. -- it feels like 7 in parkton. winter has not officially begun yet.

let's let the traffic. >> it is scary is not officially winter. we have been in a deep freeze for weeks. we're seeing some weather- related problems. wind warnings on the key bridge prick it water main break. highland is closed. take clinton to avoid that. number street, another water main to watch. -- north street, another water main to watch. live drive times looking good so far. up to speed on the major roadways. at the topside of the beltway, the inner and outer loops are moving just fine. this is 50 gets centerpoint. there is some icing conditions on the bay bridge. dy this is 50 at centerpoisanc

point. >> fire officials are narrowing in on a cause. george lettis is live downtown to explain. good morning. >> more than a week after the fire ripped through several buildings, the atf is not providing some answers as to the cause of the fire. tests on the debris indicate the fire was set by someone. agents say that does not meet somebody intentionally set the fire. there is some kind of human involvement. either way, those who work on the block or owned businesses what some closure on this soon. >> it could be anything from a homeless person moving up there or somebody getting up where it was closed off. if it was arson, i hope they punish them to the full extent because there is dozens if not 50 families right now because of the fire who have nothing around the holidays.

>> investigators estimate the damage will top $3 million. investigators are passing out fliers open some but it will come forward with some information. there is a 05 thousand dollar reward for anyone who is information that helps solve this case -- there is a $5,000 reward. >> a homeless man is recovering at a hospital after being badly burned. witnesses say this was -- a man was spotted with his clothes on fire progressed a man's burning body and shivering. people in safeway -- my sister saw this. people at say for it were bring bottles of water out here and dumping on him. the fire department watch his body with water and put him in an ambulance. >> it is unclear how the fire started.

>> no word on the fire and shot in east baltimore last night. the unidentified man was shot in the chest in what may have been a home invasion. investigators are still sorting out the details. no word on a suspect. >> baltimore county authorities are looking for answers. this female pit bull was found near evergreen drive in parkville tuesday night. she was not nursed and covered in scars and bytes with her from two legs cut to the bone. she went through several surgeries. >> puncture wounds, scars. very sweet, very sweet. she let us work on your. >> words cannot describe the pain you feel for seeing these animals in these kinds of conditions. >> despite the severity of her wounds, doctors say they are optimistic about her recovery

chances. >> good news. the house has voted to repeal the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. the democratic-led house approved abolishing the controversial policy. the legislation will once again be taken up in the senate where it has failed to pass the procedural vote once before. the white house refreeze -- releases its review on the war strategy in afghanistan. kate amara has the story. >> this assessment of the war will address the fight against al qaeda and the success of the troop surge. the obama administration releases its latest report card on the war in afghanistan today. according to the white house, the year-long review will show the u.s. and nato allies are making progress, halting the

momentum of the taliban. >> we have seen through counterterrorism success and degrading senior al qaeda leaders. >> the report comes a little more than a year after president obama authorized the deployment of more troops to afghanistan. >> it is in our vital national interest to send an additional 30,000 u.s. troops to afghanistan. >> will troops still begin to come home next july as promised? it's a concern for members of the president's own party. >> mr. president, the american people deserve to know -- is july, 2011, still a realistic timeframe? >> accordring to the white house, the war review will not change plans to begin a troop withdrawal next july. but the document will identify challenges that remain, namely insurgent safe havens inside pakistan that pakistan has done little to address and that pose a major threat to security. >> the only way you're going to get a stable solution that will

not just collapse the minute we remove our security forces is if we can reform governance and create an alternative to the taliban. >> the u.s. is expecting heavier fighting this winter as more taliban fighters stay in afghanistan instead of slipping into pakistan. kate amara, wbal-tv 11 news. >> thank you. an army doctor who refused to deploy to afghanistan has been convicted in -- and court martial. lieutenant-colonel terrence lakin was found guilty of disobeying orders. he did not believe the president was born in the u.s. he could receive up to three and half years in prison and dismissal from the army. >> michael vick has rehabilitated his image in the eyes of many football fans. his latest comments are raising some eyebrows.

in an interview with nbc, he said he would like to own a dog as part of his rehabilitation. >> i would love to have a dog. i think it would be a big step for me in the rehabilitation process. i miss having a dog right now. i wish i could. my daughters wish they could. >> part of his sentence was that he would never be allowed to own a dog again. that brings us to our water cooler question of the day. what do you think about michael vick's statement that he would like to have a dog as part of his rehabilitation? you can share your response at wbaltv.com, and on our facebook page, or send us an e-mail to watercooler@wbaltv.com. >> it is 22 degrees on tv hill. coming up, the morning's financial news in the bloomberg business report. >> it has been a popular style of crib for years.

parents may soon see the end to those drop-side cribs. we will tell you why. >> bp goes to court over the massive oil spill. >> we are tracking the first snow. details of what you can expect. >> no delays on the major roadways just yet.

>> welcome back. 22 degrees downtown. snow in west virginia and virginia. it is entering western maryland.

it will be around baltimore around noontime. there is incoming snow. in area of low pressure it to our south. that system will move all of the border of north carolina and virginia. already snow down to the south of baltimore. we expect about an inch in the city. maybe 3 inches down to the eastern shore. 2 to 4 inches around ocean city are possible. it winter weather advisory is up until 9:00 p.m. tonight. temperatures are cold enough for snow. it is 19 at the airport, 22 downtown. very dry out there. we need moisture to get snow. we'll see some. there is strength to this system. it should be just a light dusting. it is good that is not more

moist outside. it feels like 16 downtown. the bitter extreme cold continues. 20 degrees in the mountains of western maryland. three to 5 inches of there. about one to 3 inches in the city. it will be a cloudy, snowy, winter like days. heavier amounts to our south. the normal high is 46 degrees. we're off the market. mostly cloudy and still some lingering smell. we will remain in the low 20s for an overnight low. this is a quick-mover. it will not sit there and spiral and snow. it will get out of here pretty quick. a light dusting. visible accumulations. by 1:00 p.m., bands of snow all wrong baltimore and moving on through.

lighter snow at 6:00 p.m. then it will start to taper off later tonight. we will see a nice clearing trend on friday. upper 30's on friday. by the weekend, a slight chance of maybe some more snow late saturday evening into early sunday. temperatures in the mid 30's. this storm will not affect us with visible showers until about noon. that is it for now. >> things not looking too terrible on the roads. a few problem spots. water main breaks in the city. one on south highland street. north avenue, another one block in the center lane, north and southbound pit bull what one lane of traffic gets by. there are some wind warnings on the key bridge. overall, we're looking pretty good. outer loop west side check begin at 12 minutes.

895 south between 95 on the north side and harbor tunnel, seven minutes. this is a live look outside of the topside of the beltway at harford road. picking up just a tad in volume. this is 50 and some icy conditions. they are assaulting. use extra caution. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> thank you. the federal government has announced the first civil lawsuits against companies involved in the gulf oil spill. bp is being sued and eight other companies involved in the gulf oil disaster. violations -- safety regulations were violated. more than 20 million gallons of oil were leaked into the gulf of mexico. the metrodome has sprung another leak.

this shot looks to the new hole. a fourth panel tore open and don't even more snow -- and dumped even more snow onto the field. a college student revolutionize the way we communicate on the internet. "time" magazine has named mark there person of the year. one person in 10 has a facebook account. he is the youngest person to win this award since charles lindbergh beckham 1927. >> they have been popular as parents for years. now the government has slammed the door shut on the sale of drop-side cribs. they were designed to help

parents easily move babies out of cribs. they are a dangerous and deadly. they have been banned. 32 babies and toddlers have died after being caught in a gap between the rail and mattress. a directive from walmart to its managers to raise prices. a glimmer of light for the for closure picture. jane king has those stories and more in the bloomberg business report. >> the latest numbers on home foreclosures are out. filings points to a two-year low in november because of the fallout from the pro bowl citing controversy which forced lenders to hit the pause button in the state of maryland. the market snapped a winning streak with the s&p fallen from its two-year high. losses for under armour weighed on the baltimore maryland index.

more deals on toys and apparel. if you get a sony playstation, they will throw went 8100 pulte walmart gift card. they have raised prices on hundreds of toys this month. walmart managers received instructions to mark up thousands of toys per store. store managers say the markup would help better enable your company to have a successful financial month. that is business at the new york stock exchange. i'm jane king for wbal-tv 11 news. >> it is 18 degrees on tv hill. another check on weather and traffic is straight ahead. >> baltimore county educators throw their doors open to the men and women who will be passing laws that affect their school system. >> here is a look at last night's winning maryland lottery numbers. good luck. [ female announcer ] pillsbury holiday cookies. in just three ingredients.

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>> now traffic pulse 11 and insta-weather plus together. >> good morning. kim dacey checking on your morning commute. those wind warnings on the key bridge have been lifted. we still have some water main breaks in the city. one is on south highland. alltel that will be clinton street. another look at north avenue is blocking the center lanes in

both directions. only one lane and getting by in both directions. we're looking pretty good as far as live to drive times are concerned. 95 north of the south side, four minutes. 60 minutes on 95 southbound. looking very nice on the major roadways. this is harford road. things are moving in just fine. this is 50. that looks like the statehouse. some i shouldng point sandy point. use extra caution on all of the roadways. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> evening rush hour will be challenging. allows some extra time. we're expecting about an inch of snow. there are some heavier bands that could come through. have your bans at the lower eastern shore around annapolis. snowe has already started to

our south and west. there is a flurry activity around frederick right now. we will probably see the first of the light snow bans hitting us by noon or so today appeared to visit winter storm adviser in effect for most of our area until this evening. that is when the snow will start to taper off. it feels like 12 degrees outside. the actual temperature is more like 20. seven up of the state line is the wind chill. 27 to 30 today. not even hitting the freezing threshold. snow continues until 9:00 p.m. tonight. then we will see a clear forecast as we head into tomorrow. getting into the 20's tonight. to mark, mostly sunny. 34 to 37 -- tomorrow, mostly sunny. back to you. >> thank you.

charles county schools are closed today. lawmakers will head back to annapolis for a new session of the general assembly. the will make one stop along the way. >> tim tooten shows us school officials are giving their delegation to crash course on the ins and outs of public education. >> the road to annapolis starts in baltimore county. for some, just a big high school, home of the new virtual classroom, which is focused on math and science. >> we would love to have this in every sector of the county. i know this is a gem here at chesapeake high school. >> the fight for funding goes beyond technology. >> there are needs we have. we talked about the air conditioning and renovations and new construction. that is all in front of us. we know what we have to do when we get to annapolis.

>> the delegation got a crash course from the school superintendent. >> this is a chance for all of us to deliver the same message in support of public education in baltimore county. >> a message that is sure to cross county lines. >> sometimes we don't always see every facet of what we have to deal with and the money concerns to accomplish haven't us have the good schools that we do have in baltimore county. >> officials say they are at the mercy of the lawmakers who are set to return to annapolis. >> people to not realize the school board does not control the budget. it is important to get those stakeholders in the box with you. >> that explains what lobbying is not just limited to the state house. tim tooten, wbal-tv 11 news. >> some members are part of the

school board. >> 18 chilly degrees on tv hill. much more to come this point in the next half-hour. >> investigators are getting close to finding out what caused the big fire on baltimore's blocke. >> we will see more and more carbon monoxide poisoning cases as the temperature gets colder. fatah how to keep you and your family safe. >> -- find out how you can keep you in from the safe. >> the snow is on the way. when it will hit baltimore and how much we are expecting

>> live, local, late-breaking, this is wbal-tv 11 news today in hd. >> good morning once again. welcome back. i am sarah caldwell. >> and i'm mindy basara. thank you for joining us this morning. sandra shaw has a quick look at the forecast. >> we will see snow running

through the baltimore area covered everything is to our south and west. there are floors around frederick. we are seeing laid to midmorning to about noon will start seeing the first of the system. we're expecting about an inch around the metro area. one to three positions south. there is a winter storm advising for much of the state. that will run through the early evening hours of tonight. when chills are still in the teens. -- when the chills are still in the teens. >> new details in the investigation into the fire alarm that devastated parts of the baltimore blocked. >> firefighters are zeroing in on a possible cause. george lettis has more. >> the atf has announced that someone set the fire. at this point, they are not calling it arson.

more than a week after fire ripped through several buildings on east baltimore street, the atf is providing answers about the five-alarm blaze that lit up the block. agents announced that tests on debris indicate the fire was set by someone. >> it does not necessarily mean that we're dealing with the crime of arson. the classification of incendiary means that there was human involvement that played a part in this fire that may or may not have been with intent. >> people who work in baltimore's adult entertainment zone want answers about what here, especially mike holland. he co-owns the corner building that was gutted by fire. >> it could be anything from a homeless person moving up there or somebody getting up where it was closed off. if it was arson, i hope they punish them to the full extent because there is dozens if not 50 families right now because of the fire who have nothing around the holidays. >> holland says he spent $500,000 to bring a popeye's franchise to the block.

that project is now on hold while city inspectors determine the building's fate. meanwhile the business where the fire started, gayety show world, remains shuttered, along with two neighboring clubs. investigators estimate the damage will top $3 million. atf agents are passing these flyers out in hopes of triggering tips. investigators are offering a $5,000 reward to anyone who can help solve the case. as for the clubs, some men and open for several weeks or months. last week, clubs and the other side of east baltimore street reopened. live downtown, george lettis, wbal-tv 11 news. >> police have identified the man who died of carbon monoxide poisoning this week. enael lemus and nelvy salguero were found sunday morning in a basement bedroom.

eight other people were sickened by carbon monoxide, as were three police officers. a malfunctioning furnace released high levels of the gas. cases like this are more common this time of year as the weather turns colder. rob roblin shows us making saved a party can mean the difference between life and death. >> when you have a cold weather like this, people are trying to stay warm. how you stay warm could be dangerous. this morning in baltimore county, firefighters responded to a call about carbon monoxide in this house. the family had working carbon monoxide detectors. >> we went in and found high levels. we have the occupants checked out by our units. there were fine. since then, we have limited the source of co. >> tragically, two people died

because of carbon monoxide in this home. >> and found levels close to 400 parts per million. the threshold we're concerned with is dormant 10 parts per million. >> you can clean inside the chimney. >> carl smith is now in the heating business. he sure does one of the main causes of carbon monoxide -- problems in the home, the chimney. >> this is a cracked chimneys lining. unless a technician comes and services your furnace, they have to take the pipe out from the chimney so they can see whether the chimney is open so carbon monoxide one-off back into the house. every home owner needs to have their furnace and shimmy checked by a certified technician. >> carbon monoxide is a silent killer. because -- it causes headaches.

>> now traffic pulse 11 and insta-weather plus together. >> good morning. kim dacey checking on your morning commute. we still have that pair of water main breaks in the city causing some problems. the first is on south highland. the ultimate will be clinton. another on north avenue. that is blocking one lane on each direction getting by. we have picked up an accident in columbia. that has been moved off to the shoulder. there are some icy conditions at the bay bridge. watch out for the area roadways. this is the harrisburg expressway at york road. north and southbound moving freely. this is a live view at the west side at liberty road. no official delays reported. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> we are tracking snow this morning. it is basically to the south and west, the heavier the bands.

by noontime, it will be in full force. we will say about an inch around the city of baltimore and areas north. we could get anywhere from 1 to 3 inches locally. the center of the storm system will skirt along the virginia- north carolina border. that is where they are seeing the heavier snow. this storm is a fast-mover. one to 3 inches of snow of visible accumulation for us. let's look to the seven-day forecast. the temperature is only up to 29 degrees. snow showers tipper off tonight and we will see a return -- the snow showers taper off tonight and we will see a return to clear skies. that is it for now. >> is 18 degrees on tv hill.

this is not the ice queen's counsel minority. you can find it in the midwest. >> we are still taking your answers to our water cooler question of the day. what do you think about michael vick's statement that he would like to have a dog as part of his rehabilitation? you can share your response at wbaltv.com, and on our facebook page, or send us an e-mail to page, or send us an e-mail to watercooler@wbaltv.com.

>> the cold weather in the midwest has made for some interesting sights. this giant ice sculpture is a

lighthouse on the shores of lake erie. or spray was blown on to the lighthouse at the mouth of a river, encasing them in ice. it has a mystical appearance. it is incredible. everybody thinks it is beautiful, except for the lighthouse keeper. >> a man and his dog are looking to take their bond of friendship into the record books. a man said his stock to be the oldest dog in the world. they have been together for 18 years. they were reunited at a foster shelter. that makes her 25, or 175 in dog years. he did not own her for the first seven years. he says he does not know how much longer issue will be around. she will always be part of him.

she is moving very well. >> it is 18 degrees on tv hill. >> we are expecting snow today. it would distort advisory is in effect for most of the state through this evening. right now, it is 19 degrees at the airport. the airport. 22

>> welcome back. in the headlines, no word the sporting on the condition of the man shot in east baltimore last night. the unidentified man was shot in the chest. police say it may have been a home invasion. investigators are still sorting out the investigation.

the house has voted to repeal the military's ""don't ask, don't tell"policy. the house approved abolishing the controversial policy. the legislation will once again be taken up in the senate, where failed to pass a procedural vote once before. after serving a 23-month prison sentence, eagles quarterback michael vick has rehabilitated his image in the eyes of many football fans. his latest comments are raising some comments. he said he would like to own a dog as part of his rehabilitation. part of this sense was that he would never be allowed to own a dog again. >> that brings us to our water cooler question of the day. >> this morning we asked -- what do you think about michael vick's statement that he would like to have a dog as part of his rehabilitation?

>> we will post more of your answers on the front page of wbaltv.com. there are more signs that the economy is slowly rebounding. tax and other revenues are down, but not as much as expected.

david collins has this report. >> an uptick in cash flow, coupled with job growth is encouraging. maryland's economy remains sluggish. revenue projections essentially remain unchanged since the last report back in september. >> i am pleased with today's report. i continue to be concerned about the lingering effects of the recession. it is a long road to full recovery. >> increased revenues from corporate taxes is said to be a stabilizing factor. the unemployment rate is holding steady. state officials believe that any height-paying jobs will help. >> our economy is accelerating. employment is increasing. we can expect to see revenue growth for the first time in three years. >> revenue growth is trending at 2.7%.

>> in terms of the state budget, revenue, there are still at least two years pressed governor o'malley warns the budget will be difficult to accept that the general assembly is likely to step in with their own ideas of. >> i think their reaction will be, there will be another way. >> the governor would not say he will sign those bills if they landed on his desk. >> these are going to be tough days. we're going to see the size of our government being reduced. you are going to say cuts to a lot of priorities that in past years we have been able to hold harmless. >> david collins, wbal-tv 11 news. >> officials say there is growing interest in the governor's buyout proposal. the web page has received 15,000 hits and the office has received

12,000 calls. >> now traffic pulse 11 and insta-weather plus together. >> good morning. kim dacey checking on your morning commute. there is a water main break on south highland. the other is on north avenue blocking one lane in each direction. in joppa, we have picked up an accident at pulaski how would involve a three cars. another crash in colombia, eastbound 175. that has been moved to the shoulder. these down 50 at the toll plaza, one lane is being blocked. this is a live look outside of the harrisburg expressway at york road. very light for this time of morning. this is liberty road on the west side. we're starting to see some delays on the outer loop down to edmundson avenue. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> let it snow, let it snow.

some floor activity around frostburg and western maryland. the center of this fast-moving storm is down there tennessee and it will be drifting around virginia-north carolina line and moving quickly. the heavier snow bands will be kind of skirting by our area. by noon, we will be dealing with snow showers throughout. at least an inch around baltimore. 3 inches locally and to to 4 inches down at the local sure. the winter storm adviser is in effect until 7:00 p.m. tonight. the snow was not taper off after that point. we'll see our first visible snowfall across the area. the temperatures are a little better than the last couple of days. 22 downtown. the wind is still a factor.

it makes it feel that were spurred the wind chill is 12 at the airport. 21 generally around easton. bitter cold continuing. the normal high is 46. we're getting snow into the next statewide to separate three to 5 inches in the mountains. only about 20. 29 is the high today. one to 3 inches generally around the city. at the lower eastern shore, to to 4 inches. 33 is the high around ocean city. -- two to four inchese. still some light snow around tonight. mostly cloudy skies. it is all about this period of low pressure. it is a fast-mover. it will not hang out and continue to dump snow over

baltimore accurate that is a good thing. it will not be the long evening and we saw last year. 2:00 p.m., still dealing with some snow. more along the eastern shore. we should see light snow around baltimore. it should stick around until 7:00 p.m. and then cleared out tonight. we will see a nice day on saturday with clear skies. upper 30's, as mild as we have been for quite awhile. then another shot of snow into early sunday, high of 35. >> thank you. fire investigators are narrowing in on a cause for the nascent five alarm fire this month on east baltimore street. george lettis has more. >> the atf has announced that the five alarm blaze was set by someone. agents say that does not mean

that it was intentionally set. all they would say is that there is some human involvement. they are not calling it arson. investigators have been passing out fliers, hoping somebody knows something about this. there is a $5,000 reward for information that leads to closure of this case. the damage will top $3 million. as for the clubs, it could take several weeks or months before some of these clubs are able to reopen. some reopened last week. east baltimore street between commerce and gay has finally opened to traffic. >> thank you. here is meredith vieira for a look at what is coming up next on the "today" show. >> good morning. coming up, we have new details on the gunmen who took his own

life after opening fire at the school board meeting in florida. we will hear from his wife. one woman falsely claimed she was attacked in central park. the government bans drop-side cribs. we have important information for parents. who gets a holiday gift and how much should they get? we will talk about that as we get started on it thursday morning right here on the "today" show. >> it is 18 degrees on tv hill. >> we will come back and check the weather and traffic together before you head out to start

>> we have some issues because of the weather. >> we have a water main breaks. it could freeze up with those temperatures. one is on south highland. the other is on north avenue. it is blocking one lane in each direction. we have a petraeus car accident in joppa -- we have a three-car accident in joppa. this is the liberty road on the west side. >> ok. we will see snow in baltimore around 11:00 a.m. and brown noontime. have your bands are overt virginia and west virginia. one to 3 inches is a safe bet. clear tomorrow. another shot of more snow this weekend. tune to am 1090 to hear traffic and weather together on the fives. >> have a great day.

>> have a great day. >> just this past week, eight people lost their lives. others have more have been injured by carbon monoxide and fire. these stories are heartbreaking. three generations of one family living under one roof. we're reminded of how important carbon monoxide and smoke detectors are, how they save lives. each spring and fall, we're reminded to change batteries in these detectors. fire chiefs, to viet to urge

people to make sure there detectors work. this remains of the party list for renters and homeowners. this time of year, we're quick to buy toys that may be left under the trees. when you're standing in line to make those purchases, take a moment to grab a few batteries for yourself and a few for the people you love. people you love.