this close to the afc championship game. there was an awful lot of energy. i would sum up the entire atmosphere as fun, but focused. keep in mind, ray lewis is the only member of this current the ravens team who was ever won an a.f.c. championship team. there are a lot of guys going into this territory for the first time. one of them is a veteran who had seen just about everything, but this is the first afc championship game he has played in. he did play on the a.f.c. -- he did play on the ravens when they won in foxboro in the playoffs in 2010. but he does admit that the stakes are so high that it is hard to get out of his mind that this team is one win away from the super bowl. >> i do not know anybody that tough mentally that can take their mind off of saying, you

know, we in this game and were going to the super bowl. you know what is at stake and you know we've got to do. you've just got to get the job done. >> that this sunday at 3:00 p.m. in foxboro. our role jennifer franciotti has made the trip up to foxborough and joins us live from new england >> nice to talk to you. we have been in town for 24 hours and it is so interesting to be any different football town and to see how fans here get fired up for the game. in the last 24 hours, i can count on one hand the number of patriots fans i have seen dressed up in spirit year. and maybe that is because the new england patriots have to represent so many states, and our baltimore ravens are in baltimore and represent maryland. every breath you go at home, people are dressed in purple. but here at foxboro, it is half

between providence, rhode island, and boston, massachusetts. this is a different entity altogether. >> welcome to foxboro, mass., home of jillette stadium, a town of about 17,000 that grows to 100,000 on game day. hope the patriots are a bit confused on sunday. the most common spelling is "oro." but we went to the manager who says, no, it is more traditional. no matter how you spell it, foxborough is unique. home to the patriots, it is home to first responders at the stadium. >> this is what a couple of the guys on the drop came up with.

we got there on a regular basis. >> your a patriots fan. but you have eight to manchu going on. is that some joe flacco action? >> yes, it is. >> fear the fu. >> [laughter] >> the more home games we have, though more when we get. it works to a sellout crowd. >> stephanie rawlings-blake made a bet with the boston town mayors -- town manager, who does not quite understand that. >> we do not quite understand that here in foxboro. is that a stadium in boston? no, it is here. the chesapeake bay crowds are fantastic and famous. >> speaking of famous, a

photographer from the boston globe got a kick out of seeing me back out in raven's gear and he asked me to do the grunt caskey spike. i played along because not much of this on sunday. [laughter] that was kind of fun. he was surprised to see my raven's earrings. i even had purple tennis shoes on. i did some shopping and that is what we will show you at 6:00 p.m. i walked into one store and the lady said, oh, you were the enemy. and i said, yes, but i'm the enemy with money. i was buying something for my daughter. folks have been very nice to us. at 6:00 p.m., listen to a woman who claims she is a patriot and and does not even know who they are playing on sunday. of course, i had to tell her, go ravens. >> they are getting no respect.

meanwhile, our friends in boston are bragging about their city, saying they have the first andway system, matt damon cos tom brady and his apparent model wife giselle. -- his super model wife giselle. you can upload your photos at wbaltv.com, click on ulocal. >> police are investigating a violent case of road race that got out of hand in harper county, ending in gunfire. it started at the white marsh exit. the two drivers involved were cutting each other off for a full mile stretch. that is when one of the drivers allegedly fired shots. lowell melzer has been tracking down the people involved. >> police are basically calling this a situation that luckily did not end in a more serious situation.

the bottom line is, there was a person on interstate 95 that got so enraged aunt -- add another driver that he took a couple of shots at him. >> anybody could have been hit. it could have caused death and injury on the interstate. illegal and completely inappropriate, and very dangerous. >> road rage after a drop of man is allegedly -- is arrested for allegedly firing three shots at another driver. he got into an altercation with another driver near exit 67 on i-95 north. after jockeying back and forth with each other, police say he fired at least three shots. >> this apparently started when one vehicle cut the other off and then they went up interstate 95 cutting each other off and gesturing to each other. it was an aggressive incident that developed into road rage and ultimately assault with a weapon. >> the victim called 911.

police found him at his job, home in the 1600 block -- at his job of home, in the 1600 block of deegan drive. >> there were other weapons in the home. he apparently, collected these weapons. but we know of no other use of these weapons here. >> it was private property, so we're unable to reach him for comment. the victim was also unable for comment. police say this is a prime example of why motorists need to keep cool on the road, no matter how mad you get. >> and state police said he posted a $50,000 bond earlier this morning, and is currently charged with reckless endangerment and first-degree assault. he is facing other charges as well. >> thank you.

a reisterstown man is behind europe -- behind bars after an incident that injured a state trooper over the weekend. matthew wood was behind the wheel of a vehicle that struck first class -- sgt for cos jason james. he is being held on $275,000 bond. >> some clouds in the area and hd doppler shows those clouds are trying to produce a light snow and glories around the region. -- flurries around the region. temperatures have been a lot chillier today. holding in the mid 30's around the baltimore area. frederick running just a little bit above freezing. these snow showers are says he did with a system of fast-moving low pressure.

there is another storm we are keeping a closer eye on. it is the one that slammed into the pacific northwest. it will get here friday night and into saturday morning. wintry precipitation in the mix. details on that in just a bit. >> and then there were four. a busy day on the gop campaign trail finds texas gov. rick perry dropping out and throwing his support behind newt gingrich. gingrich's second wife said he asked her for an open marriage. commitment 2012 update. >> rick perry said the republican mission is to beat barack obama, and to replace him with a true conservative. >> i am suspending my campaign and endorsing newt gingrich for president of the united states. i believe he he is a conservative visionary, who can

transform our country. >> gingrich is surging in south carolina, 10 points behind mitt romney in today's nbc marist poll. ron paul at 16. rick santorum at 14. the ridge trail by just five. mitt romney praised rick perry. >> he has been a great governor and was great in the race. >> but he slammed newt gingrich. >> the speaker was talking about the jaws he created in the reagan years. he had been in congress -- the jobs he created in the reagan years. he had in congress to years when reagan came to office. >> and there is more potentially damaging financial news about mitt romney. he sent some of his millions to the cayman islands. but his aides deny that he sent money there to dodge u.s. taxes.

gingrich got a reminder of his three marriages and infidelity with his second wife on abc. >> he was asking to have an open marriage, and i refused. that is not a marriage. >> campaigning with his current wife, gingrich said turning to 10-year-old family matters is wrong. >> it is shaping up to be a gingrich/romney slugfest. >> the american heart association is releasing encouraging details for anyone who has had a heart attack. >> it turns out sex is not off limits. and what about medication for erectile dysfunction? the answer coming up in the medical alert. >> and the police are stepping up the investigation into the first homicide for the year in baltimore. >> it is one thing to be called a hero, quite another to be

unemployed. what marpl

>> baltimore police are taking their search for a killer back to the neighborhood where it happened. bruce was the first homicide victim of the year. committee members had out fires near the scene of the crime in northwest baltimore, asking if anyone could identify the suspect. police have not identified a motive either. if you know anything, call metro crimestoppers. you could be eligible for a cash reward. meanwhile compound -- meanwhile, memorial services for a beloved high-school administrator, mary hite, found stabbed multiple times in her burn down east baltimore home.

>> in tonight's medical alert, for anyone who suffers a heart attack, your chances for survival discuss better. the fire department received a $1.5 million grant from the u.s. department of homeland security. that money will buy state of the art life-saving equipment for cardiac arrest victims, including cardiograms and if a bill leaders. -- and defibrillators. and heart attack is certainly not a death sentence. many people leak -- living with heart disease feel alive in every way possible, including their love life. the american heart association says sexual activity is a form most heart and stroke patients. >> exercise is part a patient's rehabilitation after suffering a heart attack or stroke.

but there is one form of exercise that gives some patience pause. is it safe to have sex after a heart attack? >> this question comes up fairly regularly. >> this doctor helped to write a signed the statement for the american heart association to help guide cardiologists and their patients. the majority of patients whose heart disease is stabilized, the answer is, yes. sex is quite safe. >> we need to allow patients to live to their -- to return to their normal routine. >> this woman suffered a heart attack just a last week. she has already been converted by friends living with her disease. >> they said they have returned to sexual activity with their spouses and everything is wonderful. >> joe has been living with heart disease for more than seven years. >> it has become an issue.

>> he has addressed the issue with several doctors because he has a lot of living life to do. >> i'm still young. my wife is still young. it is an intimate part of a marriage. >> an intimate part back and beach -- that can be enjoyed in sick man and help. >> and doctors say most cardiac medications are ok to take along with a erectile dysfunction drugs. nitrites -- nitrates can lead to a dangerous drop in blood pressure. >> breaking news into the 11 news from. according to the the the record, maryland court of special appeals has taken the baltimore housing authority off the hook for judgments leading to two lead paint victims. the housing authority has refused to pay the victims.

today, the appellate court ruled that the brother and sister waited too long to make their complaint. we are waiting to see were the case will go from here. >> and now, your 11 insta- weather plus forecast with chief meteorologist tom tasselmyer. >> in the wintertime, these fast-moving areas of low pressure that come out of canada are called clippers. they move along really quickly. they can kick out snow showers even though they have little moisture. this one right now, behind it, some cold air crossing lake superior in michigan, triggering lake-effect snow showers. snow showers or pet -- pressing into pennsylvania. a lightning burst in erie, pennsylvania. we are trying to be on this southern edge of this system passing by tonight.

ofs pretty typical 19th day january with a high of 39 and a low of 21. it is a little behold -- below normal today. on the state in 1961, a healthy 7.7 inches of snow came down. five below zero in 1994. i believe that if the last time the temperature was below zero here officially in baltimore. freezing in hancock. the upper 40's in cambridge and annapolis. temperatures will be dropping this evening for flurries and snow showers to push through. by friday, it will try to clear a little and we will start with a peak of sun. it will not last long. there is the area of low pressure moving north through the lakes to sudden -- southern

canada and into new england. high-pressure delivers another shot of cold. it is that the seattle storm that blasted them without snow and sleet and heavy winds, that will be tracking our way by tomorrow night. that is a much stronger verses that -- storm system that we will have to keep an eye on as it woulmakes its way east. by saturday, rain and sleet and snow pushing into central maryland by late tomorrow night. as you can see, some snow moving into southern new england and foxboro as well. the snow continues up in massachusetts. we will get several inches on

the day before the game. we will hold onto some clouds and maybe even a sprinkle of rain on sunday. winter storm watches are in effect with ice and snow. also in the poconos and in northern new jersey. accumulations could be significant to the north. central pennsylvania could have a healthy 6 inches of snow and some of that could reach to foxborough by saturday afternoon. it will be a much more significant snowfall to our north. then the system pulls out and changes over to rain. north of baltimore of to the pennsylvania line, a 2-3 inch snowfall. and you get into higher amounts in south central pennsylvania. tomorrow, daytime temperatures will be above freezing, but below freezing tomorrow night. rain and snow and ice accumulations friday night into

saturday morning. this in the western mountains. the eastern shore, a snow flurry or snow shower and then a rain mixed with snow on saturday. 40's tomorrow and 50's around ocean city on saturday. it gets a bit messy here tomorrow night into saturday, especially around baltimore. rain into monday and in clearing skies and kathy wins tuesday. >> coming up, the update on the cruise ship. >> we will hear from one of the few who is defending and praising the capt. for saving lives. ♪

♪ [ 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.

>> a young moldavian woman who was on the cruise ship off the coast of italy is one of the few defending the ship's captain. she said he saved thousands of lives.

>> but with some still missing, the captain is facing possible criminal charges. here is the latest. >> much more activity off the coast of consortia with divers able to go back underpin -- of concord yet with the divers able to go back under the ship. they found an area that passengers might have gone to during an emergency. unfortunately, the divers did not find anything. a helicopter brought in more equipment to see if the vessel has moved at all. that will be important in the coming days because of stronger waves coming to the island. >> we do not know how the boat will act but stronger waves. -- with stronger waves.

>> a young moldavian woman who works at board the cruise ship but was on vacation of the time said he did a great thing and it saved 3000 lives. of course, that is not how prosecutors here in italy see it. they say he caused this crash. >> there is nothing like a the wager to make things more interesting for football. >> stephanie rawlings-blake is in d.c. today. we will tell you what is at stake when we come back. plus, a philanthropist gave a generous donation to ensure the washington monument will be there for generations to come. coming up, who is david rubinstein?

>> i think this will be one of the mysteries that has never solved, someone confesses on their deathbed. >> no roses, no cognac. the curtain has officially come down on a decades-old tradition. down on a decades-old tradition. just what th 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.

>> you are watching wbal tv 11 news at 5:00 p.m. in hd with stan stovall, donna hamilton, your insta-weather plus forecast with chief meteorologist tom tasselmyer. 11 news at 5:00 p.m. in hd continues now. >> the largest long-term health care organization launched a program aimed at getting

military veterans a job. the health association of maryland pledged to give military personnel hiring preference for job openings. >> and have urged other companies to step up to the plate and do the same thing. david collins has more. >> you are right, many consider this a great idea and hope it catches on. but the program is not guaranteeing veterans a job, just priority consideration for one. shell shock. returning military veterans are learning that while it is called -- is great to be called a hero, it is terrible to be labeled unemployed. the health facilities association of maryland is leading the charge to do something about that. its 234 companies are signing a pledge to give military veterans hiring priority. the organization employs 36,000 people statewide.

>> from former military medics providing direct care to supply clerks to help manage security, and staff and family. >> veterans have the training, discipline, dedication and passion to serve others. this lieutenant governor -- lt. left the military agrees. >> he will be getting a quality work force. >> their jobs pan average of $41,000 a year. this former soldier did four tours of duty and came home just last month. the higher heroes -- hire heros program has strong support.

>> it is great to have people call you a hero. it is terrible to be labeled unemployed. at least half of my squad was unemployed when they came back. >> you get ready to deploy in april to afghanistan and the national guard, and you hear a lot of them talking about what will happen to their jobs when they come home. >> businesses that hire them get tax credits. >> for us, being ready is just the tip of the iceberg. >> for veterans, finding employment is a huge part of the transition back home. >> we should mention that his male and female veterans. state attorney general doug kinsler has a pretty hefty headstart for the next governor of maryland. he has already raised more than $4 million in the race for 2014. that is more than triple that of other democrats looking to take

over gov. martin o'malley job. others include a howard county executive and the lieutenant governor anthony brown. of the's a look at some other top stories at this hour. even some of the mayors are getting involved in the excitement of the afc championship game. a mayor's wager between baltimore and boston has this game dubbed "the clash of the crustaceans." the datz are on the table. >> -- the bets are on the table. >> i'm in washington d.c. for the afc championship showdown. we caught up with baltimore mayor stephanie rawlings-blake and boston mayor menino.

they have made a wager. >> also tonight, a joppa man is under arrest, accused of firing shots during a road rage incident on i-95. police say he pulled out a hand gun and started firing while he and another driver were cutting each other off starting at the white marsh exit and ending at the mountain off ramp. police traced him to his home where they sit -- where he surrendered. he was released today on $50,000 bond. the maryland court of special appeals has taken baltimore housing authority off the hook for $2.5 million in judgment awarded to two lead paint poisoning victims. today, the appellate court overturned the decision, ruling that the two victims, a brother and sister, had waited too long to make their complaint.

we're still waiting for the attorneys involved to see where the case goes from here. >> if you had a few extra million dollars to share -- to spare, how would you spend it? a philanthropist has made a sizable donation to make repairs after last summer's earthquake. >> the tab for the tall order of repairing the washington monument was picked up today, thanks to a matching gift from philanthropist david rubinstein? -- david rubenstein. >> i am pleased to be able to help in this way and i'm happy that as a citizen of this country i'm able to help in this way. >> his $7.5 million donation is the national park service and the nonprofit trust for the national mall enough funds to begin restoration of this national landmark. >> david rubenstein is demonstrating his love of history, his respect for the

calories of -- pillars of our democracy, and his recognition that it depends on the generosity of all americans. >> it is not the first time david rubinstein used his wealth to preserve history. in 2007, he purchased a copy of the magna carta and loaded to the national archives. the monument its sustained damage last summer at the heart of tourist season during an earthquake. while surveying the damage, engineers rappelled down the monument and found one-inch cracks at the highest point. it has been closed ever since. but with the donation, the park service is hoping to reopen the refers to monument within the year. -- the refurbished monument within the year. >> a new boardwalk is coming to the city. crews are ripping off the deck outside.

-- ripping up the deck outside the grand hotel and spa. it is part a two-year construction project. that project began on the north and in october and will start on the south and this coming fall. you can see our boardwalk camera at wbaltv.com. >> still ahead, they thought it was a doorknob. >> but the curiosity of some michigan teenagers led them to a human skeleton in their new home. >> plus, why is that president in disney world? in disney world?

not yet. i want to buy used but how do you know what you're really getting. check out carmax. all their used cars are guaranteed. that's where henderson found the one for him. way to go, henderson. finding the perfect car is easy at carmax because each car is carefully selected, inspected, thoroughly reconditioned and backed with a five-day money back guarantee so come find the one for you today, at carmax. way to go, neil.

>> covering the nation tonight, a startling discovery 14 vote teenagers in southern michigan. they were exploring the -- a startling discovery for two teenagers in southern michigan. they were exploring a new home their family had moved into the debate found a human thighbone. those bonds are believed to be more than 100 years old.

they are now on the way to michigan state anthropology lab for an elevation. >> the president was at cinderella's castle at walt disney world. he said expanding the global program will make easier and safer for frequent travelers to make it into the u.s. he also issued an executive order to speed up the visa process in china and brazil. >> it is looking like lights out for the city's well-known carrousel. the attractions proprietor has not paid rent in five years. that means he has until the end of march to move the attraction from its current location, where it has been located since 1981. although, i had seen a drop in ridership in recent years.

>> it is the fastest carrousel i have ever been on. >> it is nice. >> we will see how it works out. >> apple has launched an effort to make the ipad a replacement for high school textbooks. we will have a sneak peek coming up. >> insta-weather plus is coming up next.

>> coming up at 6:00 p.m., shots fired during an apparent case of road rage on i-95. who police having custody and what may have sparked the incident. and pushing back on tax code changes to help balance the budget. in session 2012, how lawmakers want to tweak the plan to ben

>> the group -- the brutal pacific northwest winter storm that we have been talking about has claimed the life of two people. the first is a child who was swept down a creek in oregon after leaving a crush restorer. he was swept from the parking lot wednesday evening. a second person was killed when a tree fell on him east of seattle. meanwhile, people continue to deal with icy roads and power outages. >> diving temperatures have prompted an alert for the day. emergency workers will be keeping an eye on seniors and people with medical conditions and those living without heat in their homes. also, emergency shelters will be

on extended hours. it was just tuesday that it got to warn neighbors like shirt sleeve weather. -- short sleeve weather. >> the numbers were actually ride at normal -- right at normal, but it has been such a strange winter that it feels cold. this system is scooting out ahead of the pacific northwest storm. there's a chance we will see a flurry horey snow shower. we will catch the back end of it right here. if you look toward erie, pa., a lightning strike. there's the potential for some unstable snow showers coming in off lake erie, triggering thunderstorms. the more substantial one comes in friday night and saturday morning.

temperatures are running in the mid to upper 30's. 40 degrees in downtown baltimore at this hour. likly beckham also in the low 40's. but everyone else -- will play tampa -- la plata also in the low 40's. but everyone else is colder. 30 downtown. the winds will shift 6-12 miles per hour. this morning, temperatures will it -- were below zero in minneapolis. the first time this winter they have dropped below zero in minneapolis. they have never had a winter where it did not go below zero. that arctic air will be following this clipper, setting the stage for a pacific storm friday night into saturday. the potential is there for producing several inches of

snow, especially to our north. that cold air plunges into the mid-atlantic states and produces snow, sleet, and freezing rain just after midnight early in the morning on saturday, continuing toward dawn. rain in the south of baltimore. by saturday afternoon, the storm is leading us, but it is still smelling buy foxboro. by sunday, a sprinkle here, but mostly cloudy skies by foxborough. winter storm watches for western maryland for snow and ice accumulations near the poconos and pennsylvania. snowfall totals across central pennsylvania could be significant. 6-12 inches. up to 6 inches around foxboro. a couple of inches north of baltimore before it changes to rain. 39 tomorrow, clouds increasing,

and heading toward midnight, a wintry mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain. that changes to rein in the morning and freezing rain in the afternoon. sunday, a chance for showers and former on monday. >> in tonight's consumer alert, air travelers want their wi-fi like the still want their peanuts, for free. airlines have been spending millions of dollars to keep iraq -- wi-fi capability on aircraft, but only a small percentage of users are willing to pay to use it. analysts say the chief reason usage is so low is the price. it can cost up to $15 per flight. apple has changed the way many listen to music and watch movies. now they are hoping to change the way kids study. here are the plans the company announced today to put them in the text of a kid -- business.

-- textbook business. >> apple unveiled its electronic textbook service today. >> reinventing the textbooks. >> it teams apple with a trio of publishers responsible for 90% of the text books sold in the u.s. >> imagine if i am studying biology -- >> they planned to sell interactive electronic versions of textbooks for $15 or less, starting with math and science. >> it also might take some pressure off of school budgets because the cost of books will be going down. >> but to use these digital text books, students also need $500 ipads. apple says at 1.5 million are already in use with education. but they did not say how they might try to defray the costs for students. the souped up textbooks will simply try to add to the ipad's

appeal. >> they have three-d modeling. they can make note cards, flashcards. grex the hurdles are more than just financial. -- >> the hurdles are more than just financial. there also ingrained behavior. >> i'd been able to turn the page. -- i like being able to turn the page. >> i need a text book. >> wbal tv 11 news. >> can they need to do your homework? that is the question parents want to know. apple announced an application that allows mac users to create electronic text books. >> a decades-old tradition of a mysterious stranger beating -- leaving cognac and flowers at the grave of agron pol is never more -- of edgar allan poe is never more.

it appears the tradition stopped two years ago. it is thought the tradition died, perhaps, because he did. but there was some activity during the overnight vigil. >> we had some -- we had three wannabes, but it is not the same. we appreciate the gesture, but if it is not the real thing, it is nothing but a cheap imitation. >> they will celebrate the writer with special events. but there will be no more all- night vigils. the governor's plan to change the state tax code is just one day after he laid out his budget blueprint. now he says the $100,000 tax cap is too high. details coming up. but first -- >> we will introduce you to a

>> as the baltimore ravens traveled new england to take on the trees began, the regional baltimore raven will not be travelling with them. you may not know him by name, but you have heard his call. >> you might think you are the ultimate baltimore ravens fan, but this is fine feathered friend might have something to say about that. median is not only beautiful and sleet 18-year-old raven, which

is rare in maryland, he is also psyched about the team's chances against the new england patriots for the afc championship this weekend. and he has a lot in common with his teammates. >> he is tough. and he is hard-hitting. he is exactly like the team. >> he came to the nature center in baltimore as a rescue over 15 years ago. but it did not take long for this talented bird to make his broadcasting debut. in 1996, he became the voice of the baltimore ravens. >> we have people that come all the time just to see him. the kids know him by name. all of the summer camps every year, they keep coming back and asking for him. >> he is the voice of the ravens during home games. the nature center hopes to see the team next year return as the

reigning super bowl champs. >> that would be unbelievable. it would be attention for our nature center and all of our other animals that need attention and help from the people. >> do you think the baltimore ravens will beat the new england patriots this begin? -- this weekend? >> [cawing] >> that sounds like a yes. >> this is branden from baldwin supporting his -- sporting his purple card with a real fu manchu. you can show us your purple pride by sharing your photos at wbaltv.com/ulocal. >> what does the governor's proposed tax code change actually do? details next. >> not only are baltimore ravens stands the best in the nfl, raven's fans travel well.

when you come up here to foxboro, there's plenty to do. i will give you a preview, next. >> and a violent case of road rage on i-95. 11 news at 6:00 p.m. starts next. but state lawmakers push back on a change to the tax code to change the budget. gov. martin o'malley said he was asking for a tax increase on household earning $100,000 a year or more. here is the latest from david collins in annapolis. >> it is fair to say that the proposal is universally hated, the democratic leaders are not going to change it. one powerful committee chairman one powerful committee chairman in the senate is looking