some places will receive an inch and a half before the morning is over. most of this rain should be ending before sunrise. if you lived in the western edge of baltimore, it will dry out the first. partly cloudy skies into the afternoon. high temperatures into the mid to upper 50's. big changes coming up this weekend. >> good morning. we're noticing speeds are a bit slower because of the rain. we have an accident at park avenue. fire activity at york road in the moncton region. the harrisburg expressway looks great down to the beltway. the roads are a little slick. a little slower on the west side

outer loop as you make your way down towards baltimore national pike. this is at sandy point. no problems to report. fog warnings are in effect. you can see it is wet at liberty. no delays to report at the moment. we will keep you up to date. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> for the fourth year, maryland's public schools have been ranked number 1 in the nation. >> the state received high marks for student performance and graduation rates. tim tooten has reaction this morning from the interim superintendent. >> it was like my greatest fear that we would not be number one. i cannot think of a better

number to have. >> how to become number one again? >> i think it says a lot about the quality of our classroom teachers and the leadership of our superintendent. it is indicative of the kind of financial support that we have received from governor o'malley and the legislature in general. we have a lot to do. we want to be the first in the country to solve the achievement gap and to implement teacher evaluation systems. we have a lot of work to do. >> what does it mean to be able to hand the next person a number-one ranking. >> i don't know if i want to give that away. i think it will be a thoughtful

process and the selection will be about a person that will be a leader for the next step in education. >> tim tooten, wbal-tv 11 news. >> maryland beat out massachusetts and virginia to get that number one ranking. a man was shot in northwest baltimore on liberty heights avenue around 10:00 p.m. last night. there is no word on his condition or why he was shot. criminal charges have been filed against a man and a teenager after they gave a woman quite a scare. somebody's leaned out of a car and pointed out what appeared to be an assault rifle at her arm. the woman called state police who pulled the car over.

23-year-old todd gori and a teenager or charged with assault and reckless endangerment. medicare has been defrauded. larry bernard pleaded guilty for using nursing home patients and billing the government for work he never performed. >> new controversy surrounding the baltimore grand prix. the mayor has apparently lost the support of jack young. kim dacey joins us live with the details. opinion letter starts out admitting that he supported the grand prix when it was first proposed, but now he argues the city should not pursue the race in the future and to direct its resources elsewhere.

[no audio] president young did not return our calls for comment about the letter. kim dacey, wbal-tv 11 news. >> a man is recovering this morning after becoming trapped under a subway train. he was waiting in his wheelchair on the platform as the train pulled into lexington station. we're told he was conscious and alert and he is expected to be ok. >> we have to pull over 150 feet from beneath the train to the

platform level to get him out. he did suffer some abrasions and contusions and some other injuries as a result of being run over by the train. >> mta officials are investigating whether his wheelchair malfunctioned. a college student says he was robbed at gunpoint in bolton hill. this happened on park avenue, not far from the maryland institute college of art. suspects approached him. >> one guy had a gun and one guy was behind me and he grabbed all my stuff. >> the suspect fled on foot but only madoff with $3 that was in his wallet. >> lawmakers kicked off the

first day of the general assembly. martin o'malley is offering an alternative to the proposed increase in the state's gas tax. he brought the idea of raising the sales tax. he said revenue from the increase could plug the budget deficit and help replenish transportation funding. >> if we were to raise the sales tax by another penny, it would be broad based thing to do and it would enable us to do a lot of the things that have to get done in the course of this session. >> that proposal would not be included in the budget submitted to lawmakers. mike miller doubts a sales increase would pass the senate. >> 50 degrees on tv hill.

facing a much stronger weather down south. >> echoes of abu grubaib. we will tie it was been uncovered. --

>> welcome back to 11 news today. 5:10. 52 degrees downtown. we have rain falling over the baltimore metro area and the eastern half of the state. let's look at where we're heading into the morning hours.

upper 40's and we are expected to get into the mid 50's this afternoon. the rain showers should end by 7:00 a.m. and it will turn out to be a beautiful day. big changes in the seven-day forecast. >> u.s. marine corps is investigating some video that could spark a global scandal. you see what appears to be four marines urinating on the bodies of the dead. it is believed the marines are based at camp lejeune. if the marines are identified, they could face prosecution. 8 judge has blocked the release of inmates that were released by governor haley barbour. some of those pardoned include

five who work at the governor's mansion. hood believes haley barbour may have violated the state constitution. heavy wind in western north carolina. strong winds damaged several buildings. a trained weather spotters reported a possible tornado on the ground. at least 10 people were injured. 5:12. 50 degrees on tv hill. you may be able to find where your money goes when you buy an airline ticket. >> the promise that ford suv's are experiencing -- the problems that ford suv's our experience and. >> we have some fire activity in >> we have some fire activity in monkton

>> now traffic pulse 11 and insta-weather plus together. >> good morning. sarah caldwell checking on your morning commute. we're looking at a pretty smooth ride aside from the fact that the roads are wet. there is an accident at north avenue and park avenue. some closures along york road in monkton because of some fire activity. you might want to consider the harrisburg expressway. so far so good on the j.f.x. reduced speeds and visibility as

you plan for your morning ride. five minutes on southbound 95 down to the fort mchenry. eight minutes to travel south down towards the harbor tunnel tolls. 11 minutes on 95 south from the beltway to 32. no delays at the bay bridge toll plaza. you can see everything is running smoothly despite the fact the roads are wet. we will detail any delays. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. now let's get the latest on the buses and the trains. for that we go to kurt kronke of the mta system. good morning. >> we have a few bus delays. the 52 and 64 bosses are operating with delays. a diversion at northern parkway. a delay on the light rail. metro subway on schedule. no delays on the penn, camden, and brunswick lines. i'm kurt kronke. now back to ava marie.

>> thank you. good morning. we have a storm system over the area and that will bring some heavy rain showers to the next hour or so. right now the halfies of the rate is 4 anne arundel county and into baltimore county and lifting up towards cecil county -- right now the heaviest of the rain is in anne arundel county. the rain is tapering off from west to east as this moisture lives up to the east. showers will be ending early this morning. it will be a beautiful day. we're in the upper 40's right now. temperatures will be into the mid 50's. it looks like the last mile day we will see for quite some time. -- the last mild day.

there is a front to our west. this cold front has brought the first significant snow to parts of the midwest. chicago has hardly seen any snow. very odd for this late in the season. some heavy gusty winds. the cold front will push in. 40's and 50's in the mid atlantic. that front passes by tonight. friday morning could be a bit slippery. temperatures fall into the weekend. light snow showers could be a possibility. >> ford motor company is recalling two of its vehicle line. the ford three-star and mercury monterey.

sudden loss of power with no warning and increasing the risk of a crash. ford is also recalling the ford escape. brake fluid could leak and possibly cause a fire. airlines have to be more up front with prices. advertised fares will now have to show all government fees that are currently hidden. knowing the full price will give you the chance to compare prices between airlines. airlines must give customers 24 hours to change a reservation ooking fee. rebuting f >> fresh data on home foreclosures. we have the bloomberg business

report. >> good morning. about one and 69 u.s. households received some kind of foreclosure a filing in 2011. foreclosure filings have been on the decline. there would have been about 400,000 additional homes repossessed last year. home repossessions are likely to increase 25% this year. president obama proposing new tax incentives to reward companies that bring back jobs to the u.s. one company is based in columbia, maryland and they provide infrastructure for wireless products. adm is cutting 1000 jobs.

it is all batch jobs on wall street today. we will get the latest weekly jobless claims number. we're heading for higher open. markets ended mixed on listless trading yesterday. the s and p a man is to rise for a third straight day -- the s and p managed to rise for a third straight day. figure out the taste to sullom items. -- to sell them items. that is business news. back to you. >> i understand the could be some job losses at microsoft. >> microsoft is looking to restructure some of its operations. some workers may be getting the boot.

there are some companies looking to hire. home depot and the casino industry looking for workers. more details in the next hour. >> thank you. at some point we of all tried -- maybe we have not. a reason to come to work late. some people come up with some real doozies. here are the three standouts. my cat had hiccups. i thought i won the lottery but i did not. i got distracted watching the "today" show. i was late because i had to take a personal call from the governor. that one turned out to be true.

that brings us to our water cooler question of the day. what's the most outrageous excuse you've heard, or given, for coming in to work late? you can share your response at wbaltv.com and on our facebook page, or send us an e-mail to watercooler@wbaltv.com. >> 5:22. 50 degrees and reigning on tv hill -- raining. >> the need talent this dog >> the need talent this dog brings to the golf course --

>> you are about to meet a dog with a remarkable talent. >> this one-year-old dog knows exactly what he is looking for. his backyard is a golf course.

>> the ball goes into the bushes that are behind our building. >> when golfers miss, he becomes a winner. he collect dozens of lost balls a week. he collected eight golf balls. his new pastime has piled up hundreds of balls in the garage. some are old and somewhat brand- new. >> he always kind of hides them. >> he is happy to return them to their rightful owner. >> just mark your ball. >> he found a ball mark with a t on it. >> a great talent. 5:26.

50 degrees on tv hill. another candidate tries to unseat dutch ruppersberger. >> the city council president is talking about the future of the baltimore grand prix. >> some good news it will began is in a case of animal cruelty. how this dog is doing this morning. >> the rain is still falling over the metro area but it should be stopping soon. >> rain translates into problems on the road. we will check on an accident in the

>> live, local, late-breaking, this is wbal-tv 11 news today. >> good morning, everybody. welcome back to 11 news today.

i'm stan stovall. >> and i'm mindy basara. thank you for joining us this morning. we have some rain overnight. >> still raining out there. we have seen at least an inch in the metro area. raining right now at the airport. it is a mild start to the day. the rain should stop before 7:00 a.m. the temperatures will be mild . mid50's this afternoon -- 50's this afternoon. >> reports of an accident on the west side near 795. we're searching for delays. speed sensor not picking up much. 51 miles per hour. we will keep you posted. in the city, north avenue and park avenue, we have an

accident. the j.f.x. is running smoothly into town. monkton.ivity in pu west side, you cannot see the accident. it would be just beyond the ramp from southbound 795. we will be monitoring this shot to see if anything happens in terms of delays. 83 at warren wrote is southbound traffic running a little slower -- warren road. it will be slow because of the rain. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> the primary in south carolina is next on the agenda for the republican candidates. >> mitt romney is looking to go three for three. tara mergener joins us live this

morning. good morning. >> good morning. the battle heading into south carolina's primary is very intense and may determine anyone can stop mitt romney's marched to the nomination. >> thank you. >> < 10 days ahead of south carolina's primary, gop hopefuls are campaigning with a vengeance. >> i want to restore america. >> mitt romney is one step closer to sealing the deal for the nomination. he does not want to be overconfident. ron paul also headed south with momentum following his second place showing. >> i think south carolina is next on the list. >> candidates who did not share as well do not show any signs of slowing down. >> i want your vote. >> newt gingrich launched a

fresh attack on mitt romney. >> he cannot be trusted. >> rick santorum believes the race is wide open. rick perry will press on. >> i cannot think of anything that would cause me to drop out of the race. >> president obama scooped up contributions in his hometown of chicago. >> we will finish which started in 2008. >> as the gop candidate's campaign in south carolina, mitt romney makes a stop in florida which holds its primary at the end of the month. >> the first seven primary could pose challenges. >> south carolina could be a challenge for mitt romney because it is different from iowa and new hampshire.

it has a more conservative base. iowa and new hampshire have unemployment rates that are about half of south carolina. the candidates will have to push jobs and the economy. >> a maryland delegate is entering a crowded field of delegates for the 2nd congressional seats. he represented harford and baltimore county. he will enter a race for the republican nomination, a race that includes nancy jacobs and . each are hoping to unseat dutch ruppersberger. >> it looks like jack young wants but plans for the return of the baltimore grand prix on idle. kim dacey has more.

>> jack young's opinion letter in the baltimore letter starts off with him admitting that he supported the grand prix race when the idea was first proposed. but now he argues that the city should not pursue the race in the future and should direct its resources elsewhere. in his letter, jack young says city resources should go not to the grand prix but to things like recreation centers and city pools. he criticized the plan to hanover operations to private entities saying what does it say about our priorities that we will move heaven and earth to continue a street race but will turn our backs on our most vulnerable citizens. the first race sped through downtown and generating $47 million for the city. the mayor's office is trying to find a new organizer for the

race after severing its contract with the baltimore racing development, more than $12 million in debt and owes $1.5 million to the city of baltimore. this picture of a jacket on sitting in a race car. a spokesman issued a statement -- council president young publicly supported the grand prix and voted to support the race, he is entitled to change his position now. he is entitled to change his political position again, depending on what is popular at the moment. jack young the not returned any of our phone calls for comment about his letter. kim dacey, wbal-tv 11 news. >> veterinarians say this adorable dog which was thrown 50

feet off of about it has been released after being treated for head and spinal injuries. he was thrown off the balcony. >> i'm an animal lover. it is a horrible thing. it is terrible. >> gary wallace is accused of pitching the dog off of the balcony. the dog is now recovering. no word as to if or when he will be put up for adoption. >> what is your excuse when you arrived late for work? here are a couple of standouts. my cat had hiccups. i have to take a personal call from the governor.

that one turned out to be true. that brings us to our water cooler question of the day. what's the most outrageous excuse you've heard, or given, for coming in to work late? you can share your response at wbaltv.com and on our facebook page, or send us an e-mail to watercooler@wbaltv.com. >> i like the lottery one. >> a fractured my hip last fight on the ice. i actually did. >> are you ok? >> i am now. whether or not long distance running can do more harm to your heart then good. >> we have wet roads.

>> welcome back to 11 news today. 52 degrees downtown. here's a live shot of the beltway. you can see the roads are wet and we will see some slowing conditions for the next hour or so. most of the reign will end -- most of the rain will end within the hour. could be chilly temperatures in the plains. that cold weather is heading our way -- look at the chilly temperatures in the plains. >> we often hear about marathon runners suffering a heart attack, but the risk is rare.

a database was created. of the 11 million people who registered for races, 59 had a heart attack. a majority were man and had pre- existing conditions. a british study seems to indicate a casual link between under armour products and breast cancer. breast tissue samples were studied and found chemicals found in those under armour products. the compound was found in all women, even those who did not use under armour products. the study raises more questions. 5:42. 52 degrees and rating on tv hill.-- 52 and raining.

>> i'm jennifer franciotti. this little guy is a monopoly. we will tell you how you can adopt monopoly. how you can get in on winning some ravens prizes.

>> now traffic pulse 11 and insta-weather plus together. >> good morning. sarah caldwell checking on your morning commute. the roads are slick this morning. we have an accident southbound 95 approaching route 24 in harford county. watch for delays. we're looking for a reported accident on the outer loop of 795. we're not seeing any delays. in the city, watch for an accident at the alameda and

another at north avenue and park avenue. no major problems on the harrisburg expressway. take york road as an alternate. york road, we have some closures because of fire department activity. this is reisterstown road. that is where we would probably see a delay if there was an accident at 795. 95 at 24, southbound traffic. no delays. a southbound accident reported on 24. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. now let's get the latest on the buses and the trains. for that we go to kurt kronke of the mta system. how was the rain impacting things? >> we have a few bus delays. the 64 bus operating with delays. a diversion on the 27 and 58 buses at northern parkway. the 36 bus not stopping at washington boulevard and monroe because of construction.

metro subway is on schedule. on time service on the penn, camden, and brunswick lines. i'm kurt kronke. now back to ava marie. >> good morning. you're walking up to those wet roads. it is starting to taper off over the baltimore metro area. 95 northeast still but the rain. still a couple a showers on the backside into carroll county. we cannot rule out a couple of showers north and east of the city. this should be ended within the next two hours. 48 at the airport. 41 in frederick. much colder as you look west. 35 it frostburg. we will have colder conditions after today. we will see clearance after the showers end.

your last chance of some mild air before the cold air pushes in. this cold front breading and heavy snow in two parts of the midwest -- this cold front bringing heavy snow. there could be a changeover of snow north and west of the city. you may have half an inch of snow on the ground. not a big deal. you will have slick roads. this is mostly a rain event. do not forget about the changeover north and west of the city. temperatures will be falling tomorrow. terry cold conditions into the weekend. that will kick off snow showers -- very cold conditions. >> as the ravens get ready, you

may be seeing more of quarterback joe flacco. he is on several billboards to raise money for the baltimore humane society. jennifer franciotti joins us from reisterstown to explain. >> we are at the barcs store in pikesville, helping animals find a good home, like monopoly. we will talk about this guy in just a second. tell us about monopoly. >> he is seven months old. he came here when he was a capkitten. he is looking for a home. he is very lovable and a lot of fun. >> he is looking at joe flacco

and i don't blame him. tell us out number five is helping out. >> you may notice a few billboards with joe say he is teaming up with us and to support us. >> you have a big facebook challenge. you want people to show their and their purple pride, supporting their ravens. and people are doing that. >> some of the pictures are terrific. >> send in your pictures with a chance of winning some prizes. >> if you come onto our facebook page, you can enter to win six different prices that are autographed by joe.

some of them are pet dishes and pat et shirts. >> you could win if you go into the shelter and wendy will talk more about that in our next half-hour. you can adopt monopoly and other pets. back to you. >> thank you. 5:51. up next, we will get one of your answers to our water cooler question of the day. >> here is a look at last night's winning maryland lottery numbers.

clinically proven unisom helps you fall asleep faster and stay asleep so you wake rested. unisom. fall asleep faster. sleep longer. >> time to get to one of your answers to our watercooler question of the day. >> an interesting one this morning. what's the most outrageous excuse you've heard, or given, for coming in to work late? >> mark said he heard this excuse.

[laughter] i love that. keeps setting as those excuses. we will read more of your responses in the next hour and post all of them on the front page of our website, wbaltv.com. .> i didn't hear that my ears were hurting. we begin with college basketball. first acc win for maryland. held on at the comcast center as a new coach mark turgeon gets his first ace cc win. off the glass -- gets his first acc win. wake forest makes it a game. great feat to ty walker -- great feed to ty walker for the dunk.

maryland wins. first acc win. the ravens also played on sunday. they are healthy. no one missed practice yesterday as they get ready for the texans. houston had lost three straight to end the regular season before beating cincinnati. this touchdown pass against the bengals. he will have to take got a couple of guys that he used to watch on tv, ed reed and ray lewis. he knows the ravens defense will try to rattle him early and often. >> it is a defect where you have to know were certain guys are at all times.

u.s. to know where -- you have to know where reed is, ray lewis. you have to watch as much film as possible. try to get as ready as possible for them. >> -- quarterbacks have never had a lot success against the ravens -- rookie quarterbacks. >> if you like starbucks and free stuff, and today is your lucky day. >> more problems on the way for the alaskan town that is already buried in more than 18 feet of snow. >> we have a chance for some snow in the seven-day forecast. i will have details when we come back. >> we have rain and that is impacting your morning rush and

impacting major roads.