the iowa caucuses. the latest on the final push is coming up. >> in new traffic pattern is coming to downtown baltimore. >> skies are clearing after tuesday's rainstorm. [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. >> good morning. i am sarah caldwell. >> i am stan stovall. thank you for joining us this morning. >> we had some rain overnight and things are clearing. >> we're looking at a pretty dry pattern. it feels on more like winter today appeared the rain was pretty chilly yesterday. 42 at the airport. that doesn't sound that bad. we have a strong wind coming from the west. the gusts will be up to full

miles per hour this afternoon. it looks like it could feel like it is in the 30's today. we warm up in the seven-day forecast. >> we do have some problems. if you're heading out in the next few minutes, a tractor- trailer fire eastbound 50 just past ritchie highway. two left lanes are getting by. an accident in parkville. drive, we have a crash. another crash and the fallston region. roberts street is closed at madison avenue because of fire activity. this is 50 at ritchie highway. you can see activity in the right lane. no delays to report in that area. good news on 295 in the northbound direction. we had an accident involving an

overturned vehicle and that is not clear. >> today marks one year since the disappearance of 16-year-old phylicia barnes. >> police are still searching for killer. kim dacey is live in the city downtown at city police headquarters. policeryland state recently said they are making progress in the phylicia barnes murder investigation but aren't saying if there will soon be any arrests. barnes was last seen on december 28 of last year in the area of reisterstown plaza in baltimore. she disappeared while visiting her sister in baltimore over the holidays. when her body turned up in the susquehanna river in april, investigators classified her death as a murder, but little else is known about the case. just last week, her family and friends held a unique vigil for her in anticipation of the one- year anniversary of her disappearance. her sisters say the outpouring of support means a lot to their family on this difficult day.

>> just a good feeling to know that people have not forgotten necessarily and kind of like it can be that one tip that leads back to something. even though it's been a whole year, it could still be that one person knows something out there and they obviously have not forgotten about the situation. >> there is another vigil being held tonight at 7:00 at brown's memorial baptist church in northwest baltimore. if you know anything about the investigation, police are asking you to call metro crime stoppers at 1-866-7-lockup. kim dacey, wbal-tv 11 news. >> thank you. police are searching for a suspect who allegedly robbed a woman during a carjacking. we're told the woman got into her car to go to work when a man popped up from the backseat. the suspect ordered the woman to drive across the street and then he drove off with her purse. people are being asked to use extra caution at night.

>> keep your cell phone handy if you see anything suspicious in nature. secured the windows and doors of your vehicle. >> the victim said she locked her doors the night of the incident. four medics responded to a crash of a bus in anne arundel county on tuesday night. the bus struck a curb. no word on the current conditions. engineers are working to prevent serious accidents in downtown baltimore. plans are underway to divert the intersection of light street and key highway into a round about. the new traffic circle will make it safer for drivers and pedestrians. drivers will be more easy to identify which lane they need to be in. >> we have some late lane

changes that occur when people don't understand there in the wrong in a section, especially southbound light street. they have to slow down even if there are no other vehicles in the roadway. >> it serves about 8000 vehicles per day at that intersection. the project is expected to cost around $7 million. >> almost all of the republican presidential contenders are on the ground in iowa today. with no clear front runner, candidates are trekking across the state, trying to sell their message. tara mergener joins us live with more. >> there are just six days left until the iowa caucuses. the race is on to grab those undecided voters. >> that's why i will ask you to be with me.

>> gop hopefuls fan out across iowa to woo potential caucus- goers. >> we've been to every county in the state so far. this marks my 350th town hall meeting. >> a reported 12% of iowans still have not made up their mind. >> we're within a week of the caucus, and i've not gotten to that point where my head and my heart come together. >> but today, all but one major candidate will be crisscrossing the highways, showing up in local diners while their tv ads take up the airwaves. >> if washington's the problem, why trust a congressman to fix it? >> still, the last week has brought little change in the standings, with ron paul and mitt romney in the top two -- >> i'm tired of a president who wakes up every day, looks across the country, and is proud to announce it could be worse. >> and newt gingrich continuing to slide. >> gingrich has not fared so well under the limelight, and i think caucus-goers who were excited about him are having second thoughts. >> with the clock ticking, all are hoping going the extra mile

in iowa will pay off on the long road to the white house. rick perry is running fourth in most iowa polls, followed by michelle bachmann and rick santorum. it will be a crazy week. >> we expect in the iowa caucuses to help narrow the gop field? >> analysts are saying if michele bachmann or rick santorum have a better performance, they will probably drop out. rick santorum says it becomes an dead last, he will be out of the race. >> we will be watching. tara mergener, thank you. >> 42 degrees on tv hill. missed alves may have spot on a popular toy. the toy that could prove deadly for your child. >> we know about those annoying

automated messages you get during dinner. you could be getting more of them. >> we are on the backside of board latest storm. it feels even colder. >> a few problems on the road including this one on 50 at ritchie highway.

>> welcome back to 11 news today. 6:10. 44 degrees downtown.

it doesn't feel too bad right now. the wind is relatively calm. 22 miles per hour wind gust at the airport. the strongest of the wind is out to the west. 18 in frostburg. the wind will continue to build than behind the latest storm. right now we're starting off a mild, 15 above normal. the wind will factor in the temperatures and that will prevent them from warming up. we will have sunshine. that makes things better. the rainstorm is out of our hair. maybe a couple of inches of total accumulation by early this morning out to the west. mostly cloudy in the mountains. the rest of the state will see sunshine.

watch out for a breezy conditions. it will be a much cooler night with temperatures into the mid 20's. starting off with a few clouds out to the west. thin clouds in nature. the storm moving up to the north east. with the high pressure, we have a strong pressure gradient right now and that is increasing the wind. not to bad of a forecast into the new year. we start that on sunday morning. we will have mostly dry conditions by the end of the week. a week storm moves in by friday night and we could see a wintry mix. i'm not expecting a lot of accumulation. there may be a new storm by monday. looking pretty good for new year's eve. 30's into the night. that is the latest on the

forecast. >> thank you. let's give you up to date. not seeing the volume we normally see. eastbound 50, we had a tractor- trailer fire just past ritchie highway. two left lanes are getting by. joppa road, an accident in parkville. another one at vail road. a problem in the city. roberts street is closed at madison avenue because of fire activity. 11 minutes to get you over towards the harrisburg expressway. 11 minutes on the west side outer loop. this is the accident on eastbound 50 past ritchie highway. this is traffic of old court were the west side continues to run smoothly. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> thank you. police say a man they took into

custody has admitted to the slaying of a 9-year-old from fort wayne. man said he killed the girl with a blow to the head with a brick and then dismembered her body, placing the parts in freezer bags. her body was found on monday and he was a family friend who watched the girl from time to time and is charged in her murder. investigators of a suburb of dallas said a man is responsible for seven shooting deaths on christmas day. he killed his ex-wife, children, and three other relatives before turning the gun on himself. police say the family had been opening presents just before the men burst in dressed as santa claus and opened fire. thousands of nursing moms will

be taking up the cost today after a woman said she was harassed for breast-feeding her song inside -- breast-feeding her son inside a target store. target has apologized to that mother and the store employees will feel proud to support nursing mothers who show up at today's protests. that brings us to our water cooler question of the day. do you feel that a mother nursing in public is socially acceptable? you can share your response at wbaltv.com and on our facebook page, or send us an e-mail to watercooler@wbaltv.com. some bad news for those who hate receiving this automated phone calls at home. a new bill could make it legal for businesses to make robocalls to yourself all. we have more on the debate. >> this is a recording from -- >> gear ready to get robocalls

on your cell phone if a new bill passes in congress. >> it is an efficiency tool. >> will groups support this. the bill would allow companies to place important informational calls to a mass of consumers all of the same time on their cell phones. >> everything from fraud alerts to product recalls to flight change notifications. >> they would be able to do it without your prior consent. the florida attorney general issued a statement saying the bill violates a person's telephone privacy. >> people who pay by the minute could pay more if this bill goes into affect. >> all the more reason to hang up on this bill.

it is a concern for this woman whose husband uses a prepaid phone. consumers would have a chance to opt out of these calls, but that might not be enough for some. >> i think it is ridiculous. >> the popular bill -- build a bear workshop is recalling bears saying they may be unsafe for kids. the eyes could come loose and pose a possible choking hazard. orders can we tu return the bears. as many as 120 sears and kmart

stores will close. the closings will generate around $170 million in inventory sales. the company has more than 4000 stores throughout the united states and canada. no word if any stores in the baltimore area and will be affected. the mortgage bankers association releases its weekly publication survey. the report last week showed a nearly 3% drop in mortgage applications from the week before. new developments in the bp oil spill. jane king has the bloomberg business report. >> good morning. the top-ranking executive of bp has been called to testify to determine who is responsible for the biggest ever oil spill in history.

lawsuits are claiming damages for the more than a quarter million barrels of oil in 2009. things are picking up for google plus. you can organize friends into circles. this may help push facebook to go public as soon as possible so it can generate new funds for its expansion. a mixed close yesterday. u.s. home prices still on the decline. a bit of a gain for the the bloomberg maryland index. there is a new app for krispy kreme that tells you when the doughnuts are fresh. it is available for iphone and droid phones. i am at jane king reporting for

wbal-tv 11 news. >> thank you. 42 degrees on tv hill. the ravens dominate the pro bowl lineup. >> don't forget to e-mail us your response to our water cooler question of the day. do you feel that a mother nursing in public is socially acceptable? you can share your response at wbaltv.com and on our facebook page, or send us an e-mail to watercooler@wbaltv.com. >> here is a look at last night's winning maryland lottery numbers. luck.good

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>> now traffic pulse 11 and insta-weather plus together. >> a few things to watch for. let's get you up to date. a problem spot on eastbound 50 just past ritchie highway. the right lane is still blocked. this one looks like it is clear, at joppa road at harford road. we are tracking some closures in fallston. avoid that intersection if you can peer roberts street remains closed in the city and madison avenue. 50 at ritchie highway, we still have activity. the left lane is getting by. they have blocked a light so perhaps they are in the process of trying to wrap that up.

this is old court road on the west side. no delays on the entire beltway this morning. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. thank you appeared dusty wi. light snow showers through the morning. we expect a high around 43 in baltimore. we will have clearing skies. watch out for the winds. they will be strong this around lunchtime. we will check the seven-day forecast when we come back in a few minutes. now let's go to sports. >> probably no real surprise -- the ravens burn some major pro ball love this morning. most of those going to why it play on the defensive side. >> all seven ravens players hope not to play.

that would meet the ever reach the super bowl. we will talk about the honor. ray lewis makes the pro bowl roster for a 13th time. he leads the ravens in tackles. he may look little slower than we once knew but he remains the emotional leader of the team. >> ray rice will be started at tailback. he gets the start over foster. leads the league in yards from scrimmage. he will become the second back with multiple seasons of 1,000 yards rushing and 700 yards receiving. >> here's a list of ravens on the roster. ray lewis. ed reed. terrell suggs makes the roster

for the fifth time with 13 sacks. haloti ngata, also a starter. ray rice as two troubles on his resume. >> vonta leach will start as a fallback. marshal yanda makes the pro bowl team for the first time. those stars have duchamp the brightest on sunday in cincinnati. andy dalton leads the bengals to nine wins and a shot of the playoffs. he threw for 370 yards the last time he played the ravens. >> they are hoping for more rookie mistakes. dalton did not have a.j. green last month. dalton has settled with salt statistics. john harbaugh is happy to have

more tape on dalton since their last meeting but it does not sound like he loves what he sees. >> i think the more you see a guy, the better off you're going to be. it help to have more tape on any player. we have more tape on all their young guys. we have more tape on the quarterback is a big plus for us. it's a good tape and he is a good player. they have weapons. everybody has seen that clip of simpson. that was pretty impressive. they have some talented young players on offense. they have playmakers that we have to deal with. >> hmm. >> that was quite a play. i have seen you do that. >> i have to give myself palmumped up. a baltimore favorite is back in town.

>> one year ago today, phylicia barnes disappeared. i have more on how the investigation is going right now because the baltimore landmark closing up its stores. the tasty treat you will not be able tl

>> live, local, late-breaking, this is wbal-tv 11 news today. >> good morning. welcome back to 11 news today. i am stan stovall. >> i am sarah call. thank you for joining us this morning. it sounds like it will feel more like winter produce soon. >> temperatures in the low 40's. it may feel colder at times because of the wind. of 22 milesusts per hour at the airport. the windshields may be in the upper 30's this afternoon. -- the wind chills. >> 16-year-old phylicia barnes disappeared while visiting her

sister was year-ago today. >> her body was later found in the susquehanna river. kim dacey joins us live in pikesville with details on this anniversary. >> just last week, police said they are making headway in the investigation into the disappearance and murder of phylicia barnes but they are not saying if an arrest is expected anytime soon. her family says they just want justice. phylicia barnes was last seen in the area of the reisterstown plaza in baltimore on december 28 last year. it is where her family and friends gathered recently. >> i just want justice for my sister. that is what i want -- that's what i want for my christmas gift this year. i don't want anything else. >> phylicia disappeared while visiting relatives over christmas break last year. a high school honors student from north carolina, her body was discovered in the susquehanna river in april. officials have since classified her death as a murder, but little else is known about the case.

>> it is so important to keep phylicia's story out in the media because so many times victims of violence, specifically minority victims of violence, are forgotten about. we don't want to forget about that. >> that's why the guardian angels were back where phylicia was last seen for a unique vigil last week, encouraging drivers to honk in her honor. phylicia's sisters say the outpouring of support means a lot to their family on this difficult anniversary. >> come forward and tell the truth so we can finally just be done -- we can get justice and it can be over. we just -- if anybody knows anything, please just come forward, just say something. >> there is another vigil scheduled tonight at 7:00 at brown's baptist church in northwest baltimore. anyone with information on the investigation is asked to call metro crime stoppers 1-866-7- lockup. kim dacey, wbal-tv 11 news. >> a teenager held at attempted

murder case is denied his release from bail. he is charged after allegedly trying to shoot an 18-year-old. the judge ordered marshall to remain in jail on bond. a request for a lower bail was denied. a couple from anne arundel county looking for a new home after a fire ripped through their house. the man and woman were treated for smoke inhalation. one firefighter was treated for minor injuries. no word on what caused the fire. >> police in ocean city have filed additional charges for a man that left a toddler critically injured. a man is charged with dui. police say they found pcp and marijuana in his truck and his home.

the 18-month-old girl remains in critical condition. the man is being held without bond. and most wonderful time of year for ravens fans. a t-shirt is now available. this is the 11th year the company has made the popular schurick. this short features torrey smith, anquan boldin, terrell suggs, haloti ngata -- there we are. and joe flacco and ray rice. you confine the shirts at greetings and readings and six other locations across the city. told they are going faster. after 43 years of serving hot dogs, polock johnny's is closing its doors at the lexington market location. diane wilkins has owned the

shop for the past 15 years. >> we would have loved to of kept polock johnny's here because polock johnny's is lexington market. i was put in a position where i did not have a choice. >> the final day it will be this coming saturday. after that, diane be working at the security mall location and she hopes her loyal customers will follow her there. >> now traffic pulse 11 and insta-weather plus together. >> time to take a look your morning commute. there are some problems that we are tracking. eastbound 50 just past ritchie highway. a tractor-trailer fire. two right lanes are closed. the left lane is getting by. joppa road at harford road, an

accident is now gone. in the city, roberts street is shot down and madison avenue because of fire department activity. 50 just past -- how we, two right lanes closed. a bit of a delight as volume picks up. the left lane getting by eastbound 50. this is 97 to the glen burnie area. north and southbound traffic looks pretty good. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. ava has a check on the forecast. >> good morning. not a bad start to the day. the wind is starting to pick up from the west. clearing skies. the temperature could feel like it is in the 30's with the wind. the wind will diminished tonight. we will drop down into the 20's. that will make for a chilly

start for tomorrow. 48 by friday. a week storm possible friday night. nothing major. precipitation may commit as a wintry mix -- may come in as the wintry mix saturday morning. mostly dry for everybody heading out on the town. >> 6:37. 42 degrees on tv hill. a total loss. how police believe flames how police believe flames

>> investigators say the fire that killed three girls and their grandparents appears accidental. fireplace embers thrown away indoors and lightly sparked the fire. children's mother and a friend were able to get out safely. fire is responsible for destroying the home of two u.s. soldiers in new mexico. they managed to escape the burning house on tuesday morning but were forced to leave everything behind, including their dog. the return from a tour of duty

overseas. they are clueless about how the fire broke out. >> we have no idea. we just look up and just in time. >> 1 purpleheart medal was the only thing to survive the fire. the propane heater may have sparked the blaze. just ahead, a look and some of the stories you need to know about before starting your day. >> we are tracking several accidents, including one along 50. >> grip those steering wheels today. powerful winds moving in. the sun just starting to move all. 44 at the inner harbor.

>> welcome back to 11 news today. 6:44. workers in times square are making their final preparations for the new year's eve ball. it is covered in almost 3000 triangles of crystal. is year's theme -- this year's theme is let the be french edship. the funeral for kim jong il was broadcast today. it showed large crowds standing at attention. the new leader walked next to the car at helping to carry his father's coffin. thousands of nursing moms will take a stand after a mother in texas says she was harassed in

target while nursing her stor \ son. a company spokesman said he apologized to the mother and store employees will feel proud to encourage nursing mothers who shot today. this morning we asked -- do you feel that a mother nursing in public is socially acceptable? >> keep sending us your answers.

we will post more of your answers on the front page of wbaltv.com. >> some controversy over a prank that was carried out in boston because he decided to change the message to a holiday message. his bosses are not sharing the holiday spirit. >> riders know goes informational signs at stops and they are familiar with the computerized announcer. on christmas night, the voice and standard sign age began to look and sound like christmas. the equipment was reprogrammed. got a big kick out of it. >> it was light-hearted. >> a local college student got

on his cell phone and started to record it and then it went viral. it was all in good fun. >> i did not think he should get in trouble. he did not hurt anyone. he just made people laugh. >> i think people are getting sensitive with christmas and what should be involved. anything that brings up something different, a small, is something i'm for. >> the prank was addressed. >> i said -- >> the rules will be explain to the dispatcher. he does not expect a serious punishment. >> i didn't see the punishment being a stiff penalty -- i do

not see the punishment being a stiff penalty. >> now traffic pulse 11 and insta-weather plus together. >> let's check your morning commute. we are tracking some problems. we start on eastbound 50. there is an accident involving a tractor-trailer fire. an accident coming in at in parkville. another problem in fallston along water thvale road. roberts street is closed at madison avenue because of fire department activity. this is 50 at ritchie highway. the left lane is getting by eastbound. 97 at 100 in good shape. north and southbound traffic looks just fine. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> thank you. good morning. it is drying out today. we are feeling the winds.

the wind is picking up. 22 at the airport. 13-mile park wind gust at the inner harbor. the wind is ushering in colder weather and they will affect our temperatures today. as warm as it is right now is basically as warm as it will be this afternoon. we may drop another degree into sunrise. we will be basically staying into the low 40's. the wind will factor in with the wind chill. it could feel like it is in the upper 30's because of the wind out of the west's. ifts ntire storm system le north and east. there could be some light snow showers in the mountains in

garrett county and western pennsylvania. the strong wind is coming from the strong high pressure cells. a strong pressure gradient means a drop in pressure as you head to the north which is increasing the wind. grip the steering wheel today. 43 for the high today. 30's in the mountains. snow showers in the mountains and they should taper off into the afternoon. the wind will diminish tonight. a much colder start to tomorrow morning. 45 into the afternoon with increasing sunshine. increasing clouds by friday air to go. if we see anything, maybe a wintry mix. we are expecting dry weather for new year's eve night.

>> a somber day as a mark the one-year anniversary of the disappearance of phylicia barnes. kim dacey has more details. >> maryland state police recently said they are making progress in the phylicia barnes murder investigation but aren't saying if there will soon be any arrests. barnes was last seen on december 28 of last year in the area of reisterstown plaza in baltimore. she disappeared while visiting her sister in baltimore over the holidays. when her body turned up in the susquehanna river in april, investigators classified her death as a murder, but little else is known about the case. just last week, her family and friends held a unique vigil for her in anticipation of the one- year anniversary of her disappearance. her sisters say the outpouring of support means a lot to their family on this difficult day. there is another vigil being held tonight at 7:00 at brown's memorial baptist church in

northwest baltimore. if you know anything about the investigation, police are asking you to call metro crime stoppers at 1-866-7-lockup. kim dacey, wbal-tv 11 news. >> thank you. here is matt lauer with a look at what is coming up next on the "today" show. >> good morning. the funeral of kim jong il held overnight including a procession through the crowded streets of p'yongyang. we will have a live report. the gop presidential candidates the sand on iowa -- descend on iowa. the deaths of three children related to a tennessee pastor's advocacy of spanking? inspiration if you're looking to lose weight. three people that have lost half their body weight without

gimmicks or surgery as we get started on it wednesday morning. >> 6:52. 42 degrees on tv hill. >> we will come back and check the weather and traffic together before you head out to start

>> still not busy delay-wise, but we are seeing some accidents. eastbound 50 on the ramp to ritchie highway, we had a tractor-trailer fire. the left lane is getting by. perring parkway in parkville, we have an accident.

not a lot in the way of delays. you may find that in the city along robert street at madison avenue because of fire activity. 50 at ritchie highway, there is the ramp. one lane is getting by. we switch over to 97 at 100. north and southbound traffic, no problems. that is good news. the rest of the major roadways not good. >> we had some heavy rain yesterday. >> i got stuck yesterday. it is feeling colder. breezy throughout the day, especially through the noon hour. it will feel as if it is in the upper 30's. we will bounce back by the end of the week. maybe a storm systems by friday night. a minimal chance for precipitation.

maybe a wintry mix. he received looking at dry for the night. >> thank you. looking for more weather and traffic together? be sure to join us this morning for 11 news at 7:00 a.m. on wbal plus. >> you'll find more local news as well as up-to-date traffic and weather information. you can find it all on comcast channel 208, verizon fios 460, and 11-2. >> thanks for joining us for 11 news today. >> we will be back with a live update at 7:25. >> have a great day. >> follow breaking news and weather any time at wbaltv.com, and stay connected with us on facebook and twitter.