treatable and actually similar to strep throat. the most important thing is parents get their kids treated as soon as possible. >> i was a little shock hearing the words scarlet fever. >> this principle says it is not something you expect to hear. thursday a parent called her saying her child had tested positive for scarlet fever. she moved into action in forming the city health department who told her what to do. >> we put the children and another class. we sanitize all of the restaurants the children use. just make sure it is clean and orderly. >> friday there is a total of three cases with one more suspected case. there is no reason for alarm or panic as the disease is actually a manifestation of strep throat and is easily treated with antibiotics. >> i think the perception is this is a widespread epidemic.

it is only a few cases. if your child is treated after 28-48 hours with antibiotics, it is set for them to come back to school. >> officials explained about scarlet fever to ease in terms as it is most commonly spread among school aid to children appeared >> because of the behavior as we see, the share things and it touch things without washing their hands. >> parents we spoke with seemed pleased by the quick actions the school took and felt comfortable leaving their children in class. >> i think if you are informed about it, then you feel much better about it. there are antibiotics that will treat the disease. i am not concerned about it. i already have my child -- she is perfectly fine. >> as far as the symptoms, the most easily recognized one is a red rash, a sore throat, tender and swollen neck glance and

sometimes accompanied with nausea and vomiting. if your child has any of these symptoms get them to their pediatrician as soon as possible for treatment. >> again, the word from health officials is there is no reason to panic. the same officials tell us the sentence set and with one-five days after exposure and the sooner you get treatment the sooner you will feel better. easily 48 hours after the treatment. we are alive, i am lowell mesler. >> a guilty plea from the woman accused of orchestrating her husband's murder at a bar last year. today jacqueline martin pled guilty to first-degree murder for the role in her husband's death. she enlisted the help of her brother and two other acquaintances to carry out the murder. no word on when she will be sentenced. a rude awakening for brooklyn

park residents. somebody slashed tires on more than 20 vehicles overnight. all of the damaged cars were parked along taney ave and ballman avenue. the victims are understandably angry. >> i am upset. in this economy we are all struggling. who wants to wake up to that kind of cost. i want to ever did it cost. >> police believe the slashings are random. anybody with information is asked to call the northern district police department. 410-222-6135. >> high winds battered the state for most of the day. those winds are starting to die down. right now let's check in with tom tasselmyer. he is live with a first look at the forecast. >> the winds are the big story

today. a few snow showers early last night and this morning. temperatures have been holding steady if not falling. 12 degrees out and garrett county. 23 degrees in frost bird. not a whole lot more as you had to the eastern shore, upper 30's there. winds still gusting at 20 and 30 miles per hour across the region. it is feeling like the upper teens to low 20's. single-digit wind chills and western maryland. there are a few showers. some heavy snow showers and western maryland. we are going to be in for a cold weekend it including a kickoff on sunday. more details coming up in a few minutes. >> we celebrated many fridays, but none of them quite like today. flags are flying. you can feel the excitement in

the air for this weekend's home playoff game against the houston texans. rob roblin is hanging out with baltimore ravens fans and anee arundel county but we are going to begin with pete gilbert. >> i tell you, after having a by tweet you have two which of built up coming into this game. everybody is excited. only two quest -- players are questionable. the to doubt -- the two linebackers, i still believe they will play, but that is it for the ravens. everything else is in their favor. the experience, home field, the fact the belt -- the fact that they beat the texas earlier this year. flacco as your quarterback verse is a fifth round of third stringer for houston. there is no reason for the baltimore ravens to lose except

that it is the nfl and anything can happen. >> congratulations on getting the home game, but we have a game to play. it will be a huge challenge. we are playing a very good football we are going to need our fans. we are going to need them in the stadium and at home. we will need them everywhere. we have something we need to accomplish this weekend. >> a note of recognition for the ravens in center. he is honored as the band of the year. it is an award recognizing excellence in work on the field and in the community. there will be one overall winner announced that super bowl at halftime let's head down to rob roblin who is live. >> how are you doing?

look at these fans. are you ready for some football? people are fired up. i am telling you what. they are fired up. look right here. we have a guy ready to go in w there gohoop them. are you ready? >> i am ready it is purple all over town. >> they started early this morning. baltimore ravens cheerleaders, fans, and everyone toward the area sporting purple friday. >> we are going to take down houston on sunday. the super bowl all the way. >> 365 days a hearing this baltimore ravens a nation is on fire. i dug the baltimore ribbons are not going to come home empty-

handed. there are bringing the lombardi trophy back to baltimore. >> everywhere they went to there were fans waiting period of fans eager and confident for a victory this sunday. >> we are ready. we are going to what some of pot. >> what are we going to do? tickets bought and take names. >> a, it is a home game. we have to win. >> this is my first year and it is the greatest thing ever. there are so many of some fans who have been out to see us. >> it is rare when people come out and get excited about the game. -- is a great when people come out and get excited about the game. >> and other purple friday and maryland and there is nothing like it. >> we started at 6:00 in the morning and the energy is

building. we have had in houston tv stations the following us and they are in amazement at what baltimore is doing. i said, wait until he sees on sunday.ita >> this is a grievance country. are you ready --this is ravens country. are you ready? the players are as ready as the fans, we will win. back to you guys. >> as you, you guys are not the only ones having fun today. the baltimore executive has led a pep rally this afternoon. the originality award went to the central printing office, the

state's attorney office 1 best team spirit. the overall award went to the budget financing department. all of the winners received so- called signed by the raven's head coach. -- received footballs signed by the baltimore ravens head coach. at least for today there was a purple friday consensus. delegates and workers donned the jerseys of their favorite baltimore ravens. >> a very special thank you for our local fans. she shows us her family. over and parks will, they are celebrating purple friday. richard is doing the tebow but it is over a baltimore ravens a standstill. -- stencil.

>> now it is time to bring out your crystal ball. now it is time for the baltimore ravens text question. what is your prediction for the game? text the letter a if you predict a blowout, text b if you expect a tight game, and c if you are expecting an upset. standard messaging resupply and we will reveal the results tonight at 6:00. >> we hope you will join us tomorrow night at 7:00 for our" road to indianapolis"special. there is an exclusive interview exclusivejoe flacco as he prepares for his home playoff game. >> it has been a very big year for him. i have a feeling about it. >> they are very businesslike.

they are focused and i am really excited about sunday's game. >> he was once a presidential hopeful and now he is embroiled in a scandal. is john edward to l to stand trial? >> wait until you hear white bed bath and beyond is pulling this product from stores. >> if you are facebook friends with me even know i am constantly using my iphone to post pictures. is that fun adding stress to my life? i do not know. what the experts say in a medical alert. ♪

[ gasp ] [ mom ] my husband -- he thinks it's a 3-sheeter. i say 1-sheeter. bounty can clean the mess with less. [ female announcer ] in this lab demo, 1 sheet of bounty leaves this surface as clean as 2 sheets of the bargain brand. ♪ dance cooking? bring it. super durable. super absorbent. super clean. bounty the 1-sheet clean picker-upper. and try bounty napkins.

>> john edwards will undergo surgery next month to treat what his cardiologists is calling a life-threatening condition. he was scheduled to go on trial for campaign finance violations. his attorneys asked to give him time to recover. the trial will now begin on march 26.

>> internet's medical a lawyer, my producer tells me this next -- and at tonight's medical alert, my producer tells me i am of obsessed with my smartphone. new research says the more you use a smartphone de boer your stress. checking it to keep up with your social life does lead to couples of that phone use. living in a sunny climate may reduce the risk of developing inflammatory bowel -- -- disease. women and sunny climates were 52% less likely to be diagnosed with chronic disease by the age of 30. summer was also associated -- researchers think that vitamin d could be the link for many other

differences and pollution or infections. something to keep in mind as you are prepping for your tail gate. a 20-year study finds men and women who frequently eat red meat and increase their risk of stroke. it was a 19% increase for women compared to those eating one serving a day. people who ate the most chicken and turkey decrease their risk by 13%. fish consumption appeared to make no difference in the study. if you are using herbal medication to treat osteoarthritis, scientists say you can quit wasting your money. there is no evidence that any commonly used herbs actually relieved painful joint conditions. in fact, they say it can sometimes interfere with other medications and may worsen the conditions -- sent tons of

other conditions. >> big temperature changes across the region today. the almanac will not quite reflect the real feel of the day. as soon as we turned into the 13th day of january, temperatures were still in the 50's. for most of the state temperatures have been slowly falling from the 50's arkansas robin knight into the 30's right now. a couple hundred seven into precipitation dusting of snow. 7.8 inches back in 1964. snow showers continue north and west of us. moister coming off of the great lakes with strong winds blowing into the mountains. the rain showers change to snow caused much of new england. a couple of flowers on these brisk northwest winds. the emphasis is the cold temperature coming back. it is 14 in clever now.

watch the way the cold sweeps on and. 20's up to new york city. 20 degrees with snow blowing and around the cleveland. these temperatures are eccentric rated were really exaggerated by the winds coming in. within the past hour or a dust of 31 degrees at the airport. when gusting around 20 in the mountains. that pushes the wind chills close to zero and a direct county. the cold will spread all the way to the coast as the night wears on. they will have not only the bitterly cold air but also strong. gusty winds topping 40 miles per hour. when advisories' remain in effect. -- when advisory's remain in effect.

there is some fresh snow that will continue into the weekend. we will see clearing skies here and a cold temperatures. another couple of inches of snow in garrett county. they have had several inches already. they will get some more through the weekend. timing is perfect to lighten up the ski slopes. clear to partly cloudy. los north dakota 20's. with gusts of 25 miles per hour, the wind chill drops into the single digits. it partly cloudy skies tomorrow. west -- winds gusting tomorrow and highs just 38 degrees. 24 degrees on sunday and a another couple inches of snow. eastern shore will be breezy and cold. you will get sunshine both days. upper 30's on sunday. all of this will be sticking

with us because the storm tracking new england is dragging in some arctic air from the lakes. right into monday it will stay chile across the region. 37 degrees tomorrow and mid 30's on sunday. kickoff on sunday. about 35 degrees but it will feel like the upper 20's within nw when at 10 miles per hour. martin luther king day, clouds increasing about 40. brains of arriving on tuesday. >> police on the eastern shore made national headlines when they arrested a man dressed as frosty the snowman. >> white this frosty can return to being a jolly soul at least for now. >> a local celebration of the life of martin luther king, jr. that story straight ahead.

a baby? but we were gonna see the northern lights in alaska. and go spelunking with the guys. yeah, i said it-- spelunking. [ whirring ] and i still haven't built one of those fighting robots. come on. it's pretty awesome. okay. just a few things we need to do first. [ laughs ] [ announcer ] before you make your leap, make a list. then get going in the completely redesigned cr-v.

all new, from honda. ♪ [ male announcer ] combine a pnc cashbuilder visa credit card with a pnc performance select checking account and get up to 1.75% cash back for just about every purchase. learn more and apply today at pnc.com/cashbuilder. pnc bank. for the achiever in you. >> help restore the environment,

reduce energy use and improvements to visitors. they are part of the commitment to making their 66 state park's spring. it will compare state parks. but a group of baltimore county students honored martin luther king, to new. local citizens were recognized for their efforts to display character. tim tooten as live in the newsroom. i know how dr. king default about character. >> it was really at the top of his list. how in recent years baltimore county has used those words as a basis for a yearly award ceremony. >> the academy concert chorale

set the stage for a celebration. there were comments from the county executive and school superintendent. it was two baltimore county high school students who were honored for modeling character appeared >> i believe it meets imf role model for martin luther king and i am very honored to get this award. >> i have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by their skin but by the content of their character. >> it means so much to me and everything i have done. i am trying to help out the world basically accurate >> it is held in the sanctuary of local churches. >> the fact that we are having our children understand what was and what still can be is an ongoing effort. >> i still have a dream.

it is a drama rooted in the american dream. >> the county's first african american superintendent says the memories are still fresh from the civil rights movement. >> i lived through that as a student. i understand all too clear what he was trying to accomplish. >> i bring up the fact that i used to ride the two buses into work. i bring up examples of myself that are supported by textual stores that we read that is how i view that. >> the nation will celebrate his birthday on monday. you can see local event celebrating dr. king on our web site wbaltv.com.

>> that was a really nice story. government offices, courts, and post offices will be closed on monday to mark the holiday. baltimore county says trash and recyclables will be collected according to their normal schedule. >> ahead we will update our top stories including a scarlet fever scared. >> this is the good stuff. it does not get any better than this. details are next.

>>live,local, late breaking, you

are watching wbal tv 11 news in hd. >> new tonight at 5:30, behind closed doors. the debate over same-sex marriage returned to annapolis. gov. o'malley joins those in support of legalizing same-sex marriage. >> what are the chances this year's bill will make it to the desk of the governor? david collins is following the debate in annapolis. >> of the marriage equality bill does not have an official in them, but aid to the governor say it is slightly different from last year. >> we want to say all of maryland at families and all children deserve to be in a home when we hit medical decisions,

and of live decision making, all the things that happened when life throws you a curve ball, those are the protection and responsibilities of marriage and it should extend to every family. >> the maryland marriage alliance includes a broad coalition. one of the most spoken opponents accuse is the governor of using the issue as a distraction. >> i think the proponents are going to be furious if this bill fails and we find out that he rarely used it as a smokescreen to hide it the other issues that are much more critical. >> the political landscape has changed since last year. new york state has joined five other states in legalizing same- sex marriage. martin o'malley declared he would put the force of his office behind the passage of this year. outside declaring his support, some criticized the governor for not doing enough.

>> there is no check list. these are men and women who have been elected independently to come to the general assembly trying to do the right thing. boating with principal and also a boating as the honest representatives of the people they are elected to serve. it is an ongoing conversation. >> same-sex opponents expect this chamber to take up the issue early in the session. >> the house is said to be five votes shy of passage. nobody wants to reveal the target list, but a baltimore democrat is leaning in favor. >> i want to make sure we are clear that religious organizations are completely extent should we move forward on the issue. >> proponents will not even begin to organize a petition drive to put it before voters unless the bill passes. >> this issue draws plenty of

debate on our facebook page . facebookwrites -- samantha writes -- >> tonight in an effort to make government better, president obama laid out a plan to consolidate overlapping federal agencies. he needs the approval of congress. >> it is a mess. >> president obama said too many federal agencies overlap. "he said, regulate food from the farm to the table. ocean salmon are regulated by the commerce department but when they swim into fresh water it is the interior department. >> the government we have is not the government we need. >> he wants to merge commerce

and five related agencies into one. then he would cut more agencies, reducing the government work force through attrition. >> let me be clear. i will only use this authority for reforms that result and more efficiency, better service, and a leaner government. >> he is sounding like the republicans trying to take his job. >> this is a way of saying if romney is the nominee, we can be the efficient ones, too. >> if you give the president more power to reorganize government, you are giving president more power. >> that is what today's congress seems sure to be wary pierre >> most republican leaders first reaction to the plan is positive. from capitol hill, i am steve handlesman.

>> here is a look at some of our other top stores. three students at george washington elementary school are being treated for scarlet fever. all three students are classmates. scarlet fever is highly contagious and is spread by a person to person contact including coughing and sneezing. the school remains open but they are undergoing a major scrubdown. a guilty plea from the woman accused of orchestrating her husband's murder last year. jacqueline martin pled guilty to first-degree murder for her role in the shooting death of her husband, lee martin. she enlisted the help -- help from her brother and two other acquaintances. can county prosecutors put charges on hold against kevin walsh of chester town. he was arrested after an alleged scuffle with the police and the

kicking of the police dog. this is while dressed as frosty the snowman. he will undergo a mental health evaluation. >> accused in one the murder of a young woman and sentenced in and other. we are covering the world and next. >> book airline tickets now. air fare costs are going up. >> are men or women better drivers? everybody has an opinion but now there is research that supports the female point of view.

the subway big hot pastrami melt. take a moment to ponder tender cuts of pastrami, piled sky high atop your favorite freshly baked bread with spicy mustard, pickles and melt-a-licious cheese. okay, enough imagining how this fresh toasted number would tantalize your taste buds -- it's time to actually experience the subway big hot pastrami melt, built by the sandwich experts the way you love -- to per-fec-tion. subway. eat fresh.

and these are the ones you'll love on a school night. pillsbury ham and cheese crescents. with just a few ingredients, you have an easy dinner. pillsbury ham and cheese crescents. school night ideas made easy.

here's a better idea... pillsbury grands! flaky layers biscuits. in just 15 minutes, the light delicate layers add a layer of warmth to your next dinner. pillsbury grands! dinner ideas made easy. >> a peruvian court has sentenced him to 28 years in prison for the 2010 murder of a young woman he met had a casino and peru. this comes two is after pleading guilty to killing stephanie floras. his attorney argued his client suffers from psychological trauma from being hounded as the

prime suspect in the natalie holloway case. he was ordered to pay reparations to the floor is family. >> oprah winfrey is to speak on the eve of the first graduation of her academy. it is in a country with our to -- a few schools that are often badly equipped. 72 will graduate tomorrow. all of them are heading to universities in south africa or the united states. a person as it is not $1 of the 40 million she used to open the school has been wasted. >> we are taking a victory lap here for transformation and asset building for these girls. every single girl is going to leave here with something better to offer the world. >> a new class of students will begin at the academy next week. keep your eyes on these guys

this weekend. scientists believe the russian spacecraft will fall into the atlantic ocean next saturday. the probe is as big as a school bus and is expected to land near burt -- what else aires. it is unlikely to pose a serious risk to human life. >> you would expect it to be radioactive, but what about your bathroom? >> they could be if you bought the product from bed bath and beyond. that story behind this radioactive recall is today had. >> a live report .

>> denied a developing story. the baltimore housing authority tries to prevent its assets from being seized. baltimore ravens fever is heating up throughout the city. we search for the most passionate fans in baltimore. we take you live to training camp where it is all about business on sunday. business on sunday. [ thunder crashes ] [ snoring ] [ thunder crashes ] [ snoring ] [ male announcer ] vicks nyquil cold and flu. the nighttime, sniffling, sneezing, coughing, aching, fever, best sleep you ever got with a cold... medicine. ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] vicks dayquil. defeats 5 cold & flu symptoms. ♪

>> the work day baby over, that is if you work days. the purple friday celebration is just getting started.

celebrating may have started a long time ago. >> i kind of get the feeling it did. >> how are two guys doing? dec these fans, they are ready. they are rocking and rolling. look at this t-shirt. super bowl champions. it is purple friday in maryland and the fans are ready to go. are we going to win on sunday? are we going to wipe them good? i have been to a lot of purple fridays, but none like this. i will tell you what. these fans are fired up and ready for a game. we even have a guy ready to play

and go and right now. a lot of fun. the fans are ready. let's hope the baltimore ravens are. >> they are geared up down there. how about this? she -- you still remember sandra. she left one year ago for our station in west palm beach. she and four -- she convince the entire morning team to show up in their purple pride. the viewers may have been a little confused. we all appreciate it. >> good for her for getting the folks in florida to dressed in purple. thank you, sandra. >> it is contagious. that is for sure. >> you may turn purple with the call tonight. it is pretty chilly out there.

the blast of wind it delivered in the arctic air all the way down to florida. it will be chilly down there until tomorrow. the cold air picking up moisture off of the lakes and picking up snow showers into the mountains. maybe use the extended martin luther king weekend. you can get up into the mountains and enjoy snow showers on the ski slopes. all the way down to western maryland and west virginia even into north carolina. fresh powder on the slopes. east of the mounds the winds are down slipping. we may catch a flurry on some of the stronger wind gusts coming off of the lake. is basically dry and cold here. 36 degrees in baltimore. new york city has dropped to 29. it will be called all across the mid-atlantic. there are 12 degree temperatures out and have garrett county. strong wind gusts in the mountains.

teams already showing up around baltimore for the wind chill factor. an advisory is in effect for far western maryland. not quite advisory weather around here but:enough. winds gusting over 40 on some of the -- they have one advisory's out west. in the mountains the snow is not over yet. it will pick up a couple more inches in the next few days. it is a dry forecast for us. winds gusting to 25 pushing up windchill into the single digits. how about high temperatures near 17 tomorrow in the

mountains and warming into the 20's on sunday. some welcome snow showers on the slopes. eastern maryland from cambridge, 35 on sunday. ocean city will be a little bit warmer but not by much. 38 degrees on sunday. on the bay is a small craft advisory. a two foot shot on the day. snow showers coming in off the lakes will continue for a few days. high pressure north of the lakes and we will build and around the gulf. we will see some sunshine for the weekend. the forecast for our extent we can, back to 40 on martin luther king day. sunny to partly cloudy skies. highs in the 30's. if you are going downtown on sunday about 35 at kickoff with the wind chills north dakota 30's. our next storm will bring us some rain.

>> please watch and listen closely. do you have this floor lamp? big lots is recalling thousands of them due to a shock hazard. the use of the recommended 40 watt light bulb can overheat and melted the shade over the ball. consumers should stop using the lamps and return them for a full refund. in the meantime, bed bath and beyond has removed a tissue holder over concerns over radiation. they have sold this and stores and online since july. it turns out the box contains a material which emits low levels of radiation. the nuclear regulatory commission says it does not pose a threat and the material cannot be inhaled or contaminate other objects. they have pulled the object and

they are telling consumers to return them for a refund. delta of got things going by adding $20 to round trip long- haul routes this week. south west and air transit matched the fare increase followed by american airlines, united continental. the third largest air carrier could soon be flying under a new name. >> american airlines continues to deal with turbulence today. it has been a bumpy ride since filing for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in november. now there are reports at least two competitors and an equity capital firm are considering bids to take over the parent company. u.s. airways, delta are evaluating the possibility of a merger or buy out. they also point out any move is

not likely to happen until amr is closer to finishing out a restructuring process that could take more than one year to complete. nobody will talk publicly about their intentions although executives have stressed for a long time that they believe american cannot remain as a stand alone carrier. as the confusion continues, passengers on all the carriers could soon get clarity on what it is costing them to fly. the transportation department rule that goes into effect in two which will force airlines to list taxes and fees on tickets, costs that are currently hidden behind * or footnotes. regulations will give them a chance to change or cancel regulations in the first 24 hours for free. it will allow carriers to notify passengers when there are flight cancellations, diversions, or delays of 30 minutes or more.

>> the next story may do nothing to end the debate but here it goes. women are the better drivers. a new study cites statistics showing 80% of all that they are serious car accidents are caused by a male drivers and women are 30% likely to cause an accident. male drivers also outnumber females three-one. a tire slasher strikes a neighborhood more than 30 vehicles were damaged last night long. what police are doing to track down those responsible. >> the baltimore ravens come to westminster to get the little fans fired up

>> that will be hard for some parents to calm westminster elementary students down to that. >> they received a visit from the baltimore ravens purple caravan. >> here it comes, the purple care of and making a stop at french ship violate elementary in westminster. -- did make a stop at westminster elementary school. they were all that out and they're purple finest, some even had purple here. the excitement in the room was electrifying. for the baltimore ravens it is a chance to show the little fans

how much they care. >> we are a young team and building our fans at this age gives them great memories. >> i am really excited. we actually got to come and see the baltimore ravens cheerleaders at all of that. >> it is great to be here and see your team that i really like. >> i in so excited. i cannot believe they are here. >> my grandfather rights for the patriots. we want them to lose a we can have another home game. >> the letters tell the tel. >> letters to the baltimore ravens is a huge success. they have messages taking over the cafeteria at the reagans' training facility. schools are sending and letters by the hundreds. writing letters to the team was a class project for second

grade. >> we got to talk about the encouragement and a different words and what we wanted to say to them. tickets were excited because they love the baltimore ravens so much. >> they want your letters to keep coming. >> one of the young ladies showed me boxes back there. it is exciting. i think for us as a team, we have to keep this going. we know what the city of baltimore expects. >> they are good. check out these kids from full attend elementary school who showed off their private today with fan-staches and even some purple hair. you can share your photos at wbaltv.com and click on ulocal. >> it would nice to have an indoor stadium for little kids. here is a look at what is coming up at 6:00.

>> i m rob roblin and we are alive. these fans are ready for the game. >> it is a little quieter here in an annapolis for closed-door negotiations are under way regarding the same-sex marriage bill. >> attack ads under attack. in washington with more on what has the candidates clashing in the carolinas. >>live, local, late breaking, this is wbal tv 11 enws at 6:00. >> let the games begin, or just bring it down. playoff purple friday is under way throughout the city as ribbons players and coaches take their fervor to an entire day long the traveling caravan. it includes more than 12 hours g