>> live, local, late breaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news and new. >> an update to breaking news use of first on 11 news this morning. a two-alarm fire at the mt. washington tavern. we're live in northwest baltimore with the latest on the investigation. >> at this moment, baltimore city firefighters are still dousing the mt. washington

tavern with water to get any hot spots. those on the scene say it is a total loss. the call came in for this fire at about 4:30 a.m., and after 5:00 a.m., it became a two-alarm blaze. around 9:30 a.m., the fire was brought under control, but not without gutting the entire inside of his baltimore landmark. >> this was the mt. washington tavern. sadly, we understand this building has been a staple in the community for many years. there was heavy fire and smoke conditions. due to the unsafe conditions, it was necessary for us to proceed with these operations. we have not been inside to battle in the fire because of the potential for the wooden structures and the frame that holds this building to another to be unsafe and collapse. >> fire investigators say that

the cause of the fire is still under investigation. we will have more tonight at 5:00 and 6:00. wbal-tv 11 news. >> thank you. we also want to give thanks to ember andy for sending us these pictures. you can see the mass of flames and the smoke billowing out of the building. if you have a photograph to share, log on to our website, wbaltv.com. the man behind bars this afternoon after reportedly acting as the alleged getaway driver for an attempted armed robbery of the perry hall liquor store. the 26-year-old turned himself in to authorities saturday night. he held an armed man to leave the scene after trying to hold up the liquor store on the 9600 block of bellaire road. he has been denied bail and charged with attempted armed robbery and conspiracy. the search continues for the other suspect. baltimore city police are searching for the gunman who

shot a man in the hit on sunday. the 26-year-old victim walked into the hospital around 5:15 a.m. sunday morning claiming he had been shot while walking down south fulton avenue. while most of us are still recovering from the freak snowstorm this weekend, things are much worse for the northern states. the heavy wet snow snapped tree limbs and brought down power lines, leaving millions without power. connecticut was it the hardest with 764,000 customers writing at the freezing temperatures in the dark pit that is greater than the number of people affected by hurricane irene. the companies do not know when power will be restored to everyone. >> fin phillippe we will not be using the snow for a long time in the forecast, and least for us. first, a quick look at traffic. i-83 closed at ruxton road due to an overturned dump truck.

traffic is starting to build up on 83 because of that delay. we will check the forecast, no major concerns with the weather. clouds across the area. 53 at bwi. we will get a couple more degrees warmer than this into the afternoon. then we will keep the temperature is dropping down into the evening hours. for trigger trading, we start off in the '50s and then drop down into the 40's. bundle up. a slight chance of showers late tonight. but i think that holds up until after the fed to it -- after the festivities end. >> the defense has rested in the trial of state senator ulysses currie without calling him to the extent of the prosecution is in the rebuttal phase prosecutors are calling witnesses to support his contention that state senator u.s. is carried accepted money from a different company in the past for exchange for legislative favors. he is charged with accepting bribes in exchange for political favors on behalf of the shoppers food warehouse supermarket chain. jurors are expected to get the case this week. ♪

>> ravens fans had to endure another nail biter sunday as the team played the arizona cardinals. down 24-3 during halftime, it seemed like the ravens were doomed. but the team launched an air assault. a former colonel caught for 141 yards. and a single game record was tied with three touchdowns. then you saw the narrow 30-27 win with a last-second field goal, making it the team's biggest comeback win in history. the ravens will take on the pittsburgh steelers this sunday. that brings us to today's raven's question. how would you describe their season? wrap your cell phone and send a text message to this number. a, if you think this season has been a trick. or b, 50 say a treat. 8509.

standard text messaging rates apply. we will have the results tonight at 5:00 and 6:00. ♪ >> as it the race for the 2012 republican nomination was not heeded enough, herman cain is now fighting off accusations of sexual harassment. he said he was wrongly accused. but now his opponents are scrambling to try and claim his front runners by peter tracie potts at the latest from washington. >> herman cain campaigned here in washington today after denying allegations that he sexually harassed two women while heading the national restaurant association two decades ago a spokesman calls the allegations baseless, inaccurate, and set -- and unsubstantiated. nbc has not confirm the report. herman cain came on top 23% last week in the morning at register poll. >> i believe i am doing so well because i am connecting with the

people. >> mitt romney was just one point behind. sunday, and obama advisers accused romney of flip-floping on issues like gay rights and climate change bwi >> he thought it was good to say the sky was green and the grass is glued to win an election. >> rick perry is down only 7% the polls. he is defending the flat tax plan which economists say would give the rich and big tax cuts and bring in less money at a time when the u.s. needs more. >> there's nothing wrong with lower revenue. i think americans are ready for washington, d.c., to quit spending money. >> michele bachmann placed fourth in the iowa poll. >> what we're focused on are the primary date speed up >> but before that, more debate. seven more before the end of this year. plus, seven more next year after the primaries are under way. in washington, i am tracie potts. back to you. >> thank you. does your sweet tooth mean you are a sweeter person? coming up, why some experts

believe there's a connection. and the been that it's finally here. still ahead, a few tips to keep your little monsters safe as a trick or treat. plus, the earth

>> the world is getting a little

more crowded. sometime today the world's population will reach 7 billion, which means the numbers have grown by 1 billion just in the last 12 years. candy planet sustain such a massive crowd? let's take a closer look. >> sometime on monday, the earth's 7 billionth person will be born into a world facing a decline in natural resources. >> this climate can support 7 billion people, but how do we deal with their resources? what's one alarming statistic, 900 million people have no access to clean water. water tables across the globe are reseeding. 18 countries are over pumping, including china, india, and the united states. saudi arabia will soon have to grow wheat -- stop growing wheat because it has depleted and underground water source and a closely tied to water its food. nearly 1 billion go to bed

hungry. >> probably the biggest hurdle is the fact that tonight at the dinner table, there will be 219,000 people who were not there last night. tomorrow night, there will be another 219,000 people. >> but experts say it is what we make in by peter >> it 7 million people want one pair of blue jeans, we're talking about 14 trillion gallons of water. you see how it adds that peter >> summer, a new little bundle is welcome to the world. the question remains, how to divide earth's give someone 7 billion and counting. francis, nbc news. >> still to come, we will tell you how to stick to your diet in the face of all those halloween treats out there. it is tough. and time to think heat. in consumer alert, which fuel is cheaper when it comes to heating your home. >> a storm system is quickly approaching the area. i will tell you why i think it will stay dry for the trick-or-

treaters. but maybe not late at night. 53 at bwi. 49 at the inner harbor.

>> island records says it will release any wine house -- amy winhouse's last record in her honor. it will include 12 never before heard tracks. a portion of the proceeds from each albums sell will go to a british foundation for underprivileged children. the british singer's death was ruled a result of accidental alcohol poisoning just last week. ♪ in this afternoon's consumer alert, it is getting close to the bewitching hour when the kids will make halloween rounds. authorities are reminding parents to but safety first.

studies show your child is more likely to get injured on halloween night than any night of the year. police said the best way to prevent injuries is to make sure there is an adult with children and put reflectors on costumes so kids are visible at all times. >> make sure it is well-lit and in the well populated area. no back alleys, that kind of stuff. >> before the little ones dive into their candy, you should also make sure your sifting through those bags, inspecting them, and making sure that anything that is suspicious gets thrown out. we have already had snow on the ground this year, and that means it is time to think about how to heat your home for the winter. which will city the most cash, oil or gas? linda takes a look. >> in for decades, tom and his mother have been heeding their home with oil. but this year they got fed up with the maintenance and cost. >> 1 bill was $760 for 20 days. >> they chose to convert to natural gas, even though it meant paying several thousands

of dollars up front. >> it was peace of mind. we wanted a reliable modern system that we could walk away from and what would work. >> they will save about 30% of their annual bill. it is nice savings. >> the u.s. energy department estimates that heating oil prices will be up this winter, averaging 83 cents a gallon more. compare that to the price of gas, which is also a cleaner fuel to burn. >> they are forecasting that it will be 56% lower compared to last year. that is an additional savings. >> but removing the oil tank and replacing the hot water and heating system can be expensive. >> prices can range from anywhere from four thousand dollars to $8,000, depending on the size of the house. >> rebates are available from utility companies to offset some of the costs. you can get as much as $1,500 back. it could take three to five years to recoup that initial cost. so if you're planning to move

morceli home before then, and not be worth your while. this family is glad they made the switch. >> i know my mother will be very happy. >> now, your 11 insta-weather forecast with meteorologist ava marie. >> this halloween has gotten off to a chilly start. even now as we head into the afternoon, it is pretty chilly. depending on where you are, only in the 40's. north of baltimore toward frederick. hagerstown only at 39. much warmer down us out into the eastern shore. 53 in annapolis. 55 in cambridge and ocean city. it all depends on where you are seeing the sun vs the clouds. we have a line cutting across baltimore down towards washington, d.c.. anywhere west of that, it estate cooler because we have been in the clouds longer. much of the eastern and southern half of the state has enjoyed more sunshine. but the clouds are building in from the west. and our storm system approaches

bit of the center of the storm is back into illinois and missouri. ahead of its common shares have moved across ohio, starting to make their way through west virginia. they will be moving to maryland. this batch of moisture down off the southeast coast, these are going to combine. that means most of the moisture with the storm will stay on the coast. so although the storm is coming from the west, the real action happens right in the eastern shore. let's put this futurecast in motion. notice how the moisture starts to build in from the south. rain chances out this evening. it is mostly after the trick-or- treaters are done. we have a better chance that this will first come into areas like street mary's county. eventually later tonight, we will talk about it in baltimore. the bulk of the storm goes along the east coast, while most other areas see the showers. tomorrow, we start to see

sunshine fell to are in in the afternoon. let's plan the halloween forecast. a big forecast for the kids. it will be chilly, cooler than what you might normally expect. low 50s to start off. drop down into the 40's towards the end. enough so that you may want to bundle up the kids. maybe not a full-on winter jacket, but lawyers. they may fight you, but it will be thankful in the long run. increasing clouds tonight. dropping down into the 30's and 40's. not as bad as we were last night. a little bit more mild to start off tomorrow morning. we drive out into the afternoon. we turn milder into the mid week. looking forward to 62 degrees by thursday. then storm chances come in by the end of the weekend into the weekend. ♪ >> in this afternoon's medical alert, are you worried your halloween snacks lead to scary results on the scale? experts from the loyola center for fitness say your diet can stay intact if you wait until

the last minute to buy candy and choose the treaty does not lie. they say eating a healthy meal before it trick-or-treating can curb your snacking. if you need a tree, try to set a limit on how many you will eat. good advice. a new research study shows people with a sweet tooth may also have a sweeter personality. a study published in the journal of personality and social psychology finds people who ate chocolate or more likely to help those in need than people who ate salted crackers or nothing at all. other tests on people with a sweet tooth were more helpful and agreeable. experts said it took measures to control for each participants overall mood, so the findings are not a result of someone feeling happy after eating candy. moments ago, president obama was slated to sign an executive order intended to reduce prescription drug shortages. the president wants the fda to make drug manufacturers flags certain factors that could lead to the shortages. the of the says there has been a

lack of cancer drugs and anesthetics which drive up costs. mr. obama will also announce his support for bipartisan legislation that will aid in the prevention of prescription shortages. with the end of november comes the end of breast cancer awareness month. if you donate it, you're one of millions. but you know where that money goes? in our lead investigative reporter gives us a preview. >> by some estimates, when all is said and done this year, people will have spent about $6 billion donating to the name of the breast cancer cause. but what do you know about how that money is spent? >> this nondescript ranger in aberdeen is some 2 $12 million organization that builds itself as dedicated to finding new treatments for cancer, including breast cancer. why has the caught the eye of the bbb? >> when you take money from the public, you expect to be accountable to the public. >> in towns and, another organization engaged in the breast cancer cross is working

to change its business plan and reputation. >> we have no more telemarketer's at all, zero. >> our story tonight at 11, including one thing you can do to check the organizations you are thinking of supporting. >> you can see the full story tonight at 11:00 right here. next, your maryland lottery midday pick three and picked four numbers, and we will get another check of the insta- weather + forecast. first, a look at

if you've got pain? you need the patch. (announcer) icy hot patches. targeted no-mess relief. icy to dull pain.

hot to relax it away. pain's no match for the icy hot patch. >> tonight at 5, snowmageddon had homeowners dishing out to fix things up, but a scam our team uncovers shows more people were taking in vantage of that. all aboard, st. mary's college are getting ready for ship living. plus, we're closely monitoring the tavern fire for the latest update. now, you're maryland lottery midday pick three and picked four numbers. ♪ the maryland lottery, let yourself play ♪ >> good morning. t's pay plus three. the first number, 7. next number is another 7. we have this one for you. it is 0.

7-7-*0, those are your picked three numbers. one a sky box for the reagans and the 49ers? play raven's cash fantasy. join the official. he is ready to go. he your first order for bit four is 5. next number is 4. the next one is 9. we're wrapping it up with this one, 4. 5-4-9-4. it is the maryland lottery, let yourself play. >> it has been an interesting weather pattern. >> we're done with the snow, but a lot of it is still on the ground. it was a chilly day. it will be chilly for the trick- or-treaters. nunnelee kids that. we have a chance for showers late tonight and tomorrow morning. we dry at midweek. then we were back up. up to 62 on thursday. we talk about the rain chances late in the week.

[captioning made possible by constellation energy group] captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org-- the sun will set about 6:00 or 7:00, so be careful. >> thank you for joining us. >> watch tonight at 5:00. have a great day.