--www.ncicap.org-- >> live, local, late-breaking, this is wbal-tv 11 news today. >> good morning. i'm mindy basara. >> and i'm stan stovall. thank you for joining us this morning. >> happy groundhog day. >> kind of anticlimactic with temperatures in the 70's. >> 6 more weeks of winter in feces his shadow. -- if he sees his shadow. >> there are some clouds in the punxsutawney right now. it will be a tough call. we have some light showers and sprinkles. we're starting -- we were in the 50's a couple of hours ago. we continue to drop off as we head through the day and that will level out. an average high temperature of 49. it should clear up this afternoon. the rain will be this morning.

sunshine this afternoon. we will come back and check the forecast for the rest of the day. >> you may need some extra time if you're traveling south of the city. 55 as you travel across the key bridge. 56 as you make your way through the parkville region. moving well on the topside of the beltway. 57 on the west side. 70 looking good into the beltway. five minutes on southbound 95 from the split to the fort mchenry. on 95, southbound traffic around 10 minutes from the beltway down towards 32. this is traffic on the north side. problem free on the entire adult life and the harrisburg expressway as you make your way down from shawan road -- problem

free on the entire beltway. >> some mixed news if you own a home in baltimore city. >> this comes at a cost. lower property assessments are behind the drop. jennifer franciotti is live with the details. >> the first step is folks can voice their concerns. property values on most homes have gone down by about 20%. carl stokes has been getting an earful from residents who are concerned about this situation. he called an informational hearing on property-tax assessments last night. representatives explained how they came up with the numbers. >> so the assess is determined based on the sales of the residence prophecies on sales

from january through december 30. >> when your property values go down, that is not good news for home owners. there is an appeals process that must be started by february 10. we'll have more coming up at 5:30. jennifer franciotti, wbal-tv 11 news. >> the republican presidential candidates are stumping out west. kate amara is in washington with that story. >> good morning. up next, nevada, which holds a caucus on saturday. as the gop candidates move west, controversy followed mitt romney after comments he made about the poor. >> i am not concerned about the poor or the very rich.

i am concerned about the heart of america. >> critics pounced. >> i am fed up with politicians dividing americans against each other. >> mitt romney clarified. >> i am concerned about all americans. middle income families. >> ron paul rolled the dice in nevada with a strategy to collect delegates. >> we expect to get delegates out of fear and there is a good chance we could win. >> rick santorum was focusing on colorado. >> we will go out and stand up for the conservative alternative. >> there are reports donald trump intends to endorse newt gingrich. kate amara, wbal-tv 11 news. >> a vote to freeze the wages of

federal workers has passed in the house. it bars members of congress for giving themselves a pay raise. it will save taxpayers $26 billion. many democrats object. president obama is expected to propose a hike in a federal employee wages. >> police say people on boston street were victims of theft. this is a picture taken from a nearby business surveillance video. this shows a man at a suspect using a credit card he stole. it is not clear how many th efts took place. if you have any information, call 1-866-7-lockup.

two women were robbed in roland park. the suspect approached them and threatened to shoot them and made off with a purse. >> these are petty type crimes that are targeting to unsuspecting victims and that is what we take seriously. be aware of your surroundings. look around. >> the owners of the property are expecting to install some additional lighting. >> no charges will be filed after an assault near broadneck high school. one student had to undergo surgery for some serious injuries. one person approached his friend and assaulted him over what was a misunderstanding. >> a police officer has been

suspended. police say he reportedly attacked a suspect in west baltimore in 2010. we're told he punched and stomped on the suspect. he is now suspended pending an internal investigation. police credit dna evidence for a sexual assault arrest. a man was arrested after dna evidence linked him to the assault of a girl. he was driving his taxi when the offer and the girl a ride home. he attacked her and dropped her off in west baltimore. >> 51 degrees on tv hill. >> some video of occupy protesters breaking into city

hall on the west coast. >> this is 83 at shawan road. >> this is 83 at shawan road. we have traffic strai

denny's new sizzlin' skillets are here for a limited time. so strike while the iron's hot. starting at $4.99. only at denny's. america's diner is always open.

>> welcome back. beautiful shot. 54 degrees at the maryland science center. we have some light rain in some areas to start the day. most of the rain is from baltimore on south and east. some showers around annapolis and extending over towards centreville and the eastern shore. 38 in taneytown. almost 50 in annapolis.

55 at downtown. the rain showers will be coming to an end and we will have sunshine this afternoon. most areas will stay in the 40 's. >> a hearing to delay the trial and the fort hood shooting rampage is scheduled for today. the man is charged with 13 counts of premeditated murder. he could face the death penalty if he is convicted. we're getting a look at security video showed a crowd of protesters breaking into city hall and vandalizing it. protesters committed numerous acts of vandalism and theft. windows were broken. was stolen and

burned. >> today is a groundhog day. punxsutawney phil will see his shadow or he will not. he will make this prediction from gobblers knob. that is one old groundhog. he looks almost as good as tony. if he sees his shadow, there will be another six weeks of winter. you can look to the maryland zoo in baltimore. a leopard will predict the future of winter. >> and you don't have to go so far. >> 5:12. 51 degrees on tv hill. some concern over a popular

breakfast cla

>> now traffic pulse 11 and insta-weather plus together. >> good morning. sarah caldwell checking on your morning commute. right now we're looking good on most of the major roadways. one problem near the airport along aviation boulevard. watch for an accident. otherwise, up to speed on the west side. 55 in the outer loop past edmondson. 63 as we check our speech centers on southbound 95 approaching the 895 split.

the rest of the major roadways leading up to the beltway. this is the topside at dulaney valley. looking pretty good at the moment. the harrisburg expressway checks out fine and shawan road down from the hunt valley region. 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. >> moving along smoothly this morning. no delays on the marc trains. a few diversions. the 36 bus not stopping at washington boulevard and monroe because of construction. now back to tony pann. >> good morning. we have some light rain to start with this morning, especially south of baltimore. you can see it some stuff around annapolis and into the eastern shore counties. a few sprinkles in baltimore

city. south of baltimore, a better chance for rain. most of that should be gone by late this morning. you can see a batch of rain coming across portions of west virginia. this will come through over the next couple of hours. we'll get some sunshine. you can see that happening behind that second batch of rain. in punxsutawney, there is some cloud cover. if pcs his shadow, there is six more weeks of winter -- if he sees his shadow. temperatures are a little colder behind this system. the colder air will try to sink down into baltimore. a difficult call with the temperatures today. 48 in annapolis. 38 in taneytown. i think everybody will level out

to around 50. we will put a range of 45 to 54. a chance for rain this morning and then sunshine should break through later this afternoon. mostly clear tonight. temperatures will drop back into the low 30's. a nice day tomorrow with sunshine and high near 48. increasing clouds on saturday. there could be some rain on sunday. same thing on monday morning. we will have quite weather by tuesday and wednesday. -- we will have quite weathet w. >> a popular serial brown has some parents worried -- a popular scereal has some parents worried.

manufacturing of the syrup could contaminate equipment with peanut oil. general mills says the peanut butter 01 not cross contaminate with other cheerios products. jcpenney unveiled a new local last week. -- unveiled a new logo. >> stepped inside the mall and you may notice something is changing. >> i heard it was going to be different today. >> tradition helped keep the doors open for decades for a jcpenney. >> my grandkids or jcpenney clothes. >> when was the last time you shopped here?

>> probably a couple of years. >> our vision is to be america's favorite store. >> they are focusing on what is most important to you. >> pricing. >> they are slashing prices and giving you their best offer upfront. but will it be enough to make these stores rise above the rest? >> they need to rebrand. they do not want to be walmart. whether covered a new niche means surviving ianother century remains to be seen. >> expect to spend more money for food for eight super bowl party.

the cost of hamburger is up 60%. the cost of chicken wings is up 39%. >> no! >> pizza prices are looking pretty good. pizza is the way to go. that brings us to our water cooler question of the day. have rising costs forced you to cut back on your super bowl celebrations? you can share your response at wbaltv.com and on our facebook page, or send us an e-mail to watercooler@wbaltv.com. >> since the ravens are not in it -- job cuts for microsoft and american airlines. jane king has the bloomberg business report. good morning. >> hello. good morning. american airlines slashing 13,000 jobs. they are looking to boost

revenue by $1 billion. the cuts are across the board and they do include management, pilots, and support staff. microsoft looking to eliminate a small percentage of marketing jobs. we will get the latest read on the weekly jobless claims. we get the monthly jobs report tomorrow. we did have a higher date for the markets yesterday. there was optimism that greece would get a financing deal in the next couple of days. facebook prepares to go public. this time is different. this is a new era of internet

investing. i'm jane king reporting for wbal-tv 11 news. back to you. >> thank you. 5:22. we say farewell to the legend don cornelius. >> look at for that notorious sold train line. >> we will look back at the creator of "soul

>> a baltimore man just want to wait groundbreaking surgery to save his life. >> is lisa robinson -- here is lisa robinson. >> he was diagnosed with a rare

cancer that was inoperable. he was forced to leave the country and go to europe. >> you should not have to travel that far to get a surgery like this done. >> his family spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to get the surgery. his mother traveled with him. >> we're from america. we had to go to their country to get help. >> why he couldn't get the surgery here in maryland even know the technology comes from the u.s. i am lisa robinson. >> 51 degrees on tv hill. governor o'malley takes his tax police to the people. >> some frustrating news for homeowners in baltimore city.

>> we will check the forecast for the weekend when we come back. >> there is an accident near the airport. we will check for

>> 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 will find out what punxsutawney phil thinks about winter. >> that has a ring to it. >> punxsutawney pann. >> what makes you think phil doesn't have groupies? >> but some hair on your chin --

put some here on your chin and you get your own day. some heavy rain around centreville at the eastern shore. temperatures are the 40's. i think we will dip off then climb back up to 49 or 50 later this afternoon. the rain should clear out and we will get some sunshine this afternoon. >> we have one problem near bwi along aviation boulevard. be extra careful as police are on the scene. 60 miles per hour just past 795. a nice start out of the owings mills area on southbound 795. approaching the 895 split, a 59 miles per hour. 69 south on 83 approaching the

beltway. the rest of the major roadways including 95 moving without the light down towards the fort mchenry. harbor tunnel traffic looks good. looking good at 29. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> four officers in hagerstown were injured while the restraint in inmate. an officer was struck by the inmate. other officers jumped in and used pepper spray. there was a late-night shooting just before 11:30 last night. an adult male was found with a gunshot wound. no word this morning on his condition. >> property-tax assessments.

many homeowners have been learning the value of their property has dropped. to better in for them, a hearing was held last night at city hall. jennifer franciotti is live with a close look. good morning. >> residents and council members had a chance to hear from experts and ask questions. nationwide, new home sales hit a record low. property values on most homes dropped by nearly 20%. >> some believe the assessment is uneven, translates to unfair. >> carl stokes has heard from dozens of residents who are concerned about their assessment. >> they say their property is valued at too high compared to the property next door to them. >> representatives explained how

they can up with the numbers. >> so the assessor determines these values based on the sales that occurred, especially the residence properties on sales that occur from january to about september 30. >> the appeals process includes the three steps. first there is a hearing where residents can present evidence. this must be done within 45 days of receiving an assessment. they can appeal to the property tax appeal board within 30 days. residents have 30 days to appeal to an independent body appointed by the governor. the deadline is february 10. property owners do have a bill of rights and you can find a link on the home page of our website, wbaltv.com. reporting live, jennifer franciotti. >> the governor urges lawmakers to make some difficult decisions

to raise taxes. he expressed the need to improve schools, roads, and bridges. he assured residents we're moving out of the recession. our coverage continues on our website, wbaltv.com. you can find the full text of the state of the state address. you can watch the speech in its entirety and share your comments. >> the music world mourns the death of don cornelius. he was found dead this week. police believe it was a suicide. >> his legacy was "soul train." is unforgettable deep voice call people to the train line for more than 30 years. one of the long this dance party

shows in tv history. he was the founder was"soul of "soul train." his real impact was creating a space on television for african american artists. >> we as artists are so grateful to him for giving us that space. there was an opportunity to get our product out. he was a pioneer like you would not believe. he is an unsung hero. >> the jackson five, stevie wonder, whitney houston, and beyonce all performed on "soul train." quincy jones said before mtv,

there was "soul train." that was don cornelius. music will never be matched. smokey robinson echoed those thoughts. >> this had never been done before. he was a friend and we mourn his loss. >> don cornelius was found dead early on wednesday. he had fallen ill in recent years. he was 75. his famous sign off, a fitting tribute. >> i'm don cornelius. we wish you love, peace, and sold. -- and soul. >> i would not miss that show.

i learned how to break dance. >> two decades. >> peace, love, and soul. having a tough time getting your kids to eat vegetables? >> the number of surgeries your child undergoes may increase their risk for adhd. >> don't forget to e-mail us your response to our water cooler question of the day. have rising costs forced you to cut back on your super bowl celebrations? you can share your response at wbaltv.com and on our facebook page, or send us an e-mail to watercooler@wbaltv.com. >> sarah caldwell checking on your morning commute. there is an accident along aviation boulevard right near the airport. we will see how the rain i

so, this is delicious okay... is this where we're at now, we just eat whatever tastes good? like these sweet honey clusters... actually there's a half a day's worth of fiber in every ... why stop at cereal? bring on the pork chops and the hot fudge. fantastic. are you done sweetie? yea [ male announcer ] fiber beyond recognition. fiber one. hey, i love your cereal there-- it's got that sweet honey taste. but no way it's 80 calories, right? no way. lady, i just drive the truck. right, there's no way right, right? have a nice day. [ male announcer ] 80 delicious calories. fiber one.

>> that is a beautiful shot downtown at city hall. temperatures in the 30's and 40's in the northern suburbs. we have some light rain in some neighborhoods. we have a few sprinkles in baltimore city. most of the rain is around annapolis and north and west . will start out in temperatures and 30's up north and we should average out around 40. we have a wide range between 45 and 54 appeared the rain will be gone this morning. we will check the forecast through super bowl weekend when we come back in just a few minutes. >> multiple exposure to anesthesia may be associated

with a risk for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. >> researchers analyze records of children in rochester, minnesota. the rate was about 7% for those kids exposed to anesthesia. forr rate jumped to 18% kids exposed to anastasia. showing kids how to fill their plate at lunch might get them to eat more vegetables. >> placing green beans and carrots prompted more kids to serve them sells the real thing. that doesn't mean kids ate more vegetables. >> they put it on their plate but don't necessarily eat it. >> somebody is calling social

services. 5:41. the terps men's basketball coach was ejected. >> a chocolate-inspired night happening tonight in baltimore. you could win two tickets. >> groundhog celebration today in punxsutawney, pennsylvania. we'll find out if the prediction is right on with tony

>> now traffic pulse 11 and insta-weather plus together. >> good morning. sarah caldwell checking on your morning commute. right now most of the major roadways are ok. we're seeing a bit of delay in the bwi at the city. use extra caution.

an accident still being cleared. 57 on the outer loop at edmondson. moving well from 795 down. the j.f.x. in good shape into town. no problems on 95 as you make your way to the fort mchenry. tapping the brakes on 395 down towards 95. on 95, at 63 miles per hour in the area of havre de grace. everything running smoothly on the rest of the major roadways. this is franklin boulevard. southbound traffic building just a bit. the harrisburg expressway down to the beltway, a nice start. 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. >> moving along nicely so far. no delays on the penn, camden, and brunswick lines. light rail on schedule. metro subway also on time.

the one bus diverting at fort and lawrence because of construction. now back to tony pann. >> thank you. good morning. we have some rain to discuss this morning. first we say good morning to ava marie. she has found the breakfast of champions, chocolate. >> we have an entire event about chocolate and its benefits a good cause. this is an organization that is supported by this event. a great event happening. >> good morning. it is the sweetest night in town. we have started eating chocolate already. >> this is an annual event and is your it is sold-out.

>> it is completely sold out at the waterfront marriott. this is the seed mated meal. i have the very last pair of tickets. you can go to website and give a contribution and you have an opportunity to win these tickets. >> $50 for a good cause and that can register you to win these tickets. these tickets were originally one under $50 each -- $150 each. we have this item. >> we have a live auction. this is a sculpture. everything she does she makes from found objects.

this is plastic bottles and coat hangers. she has a wonderful philosophy that everything discarded can be made new and beautiful again. we believe that homelessness is not permanent. people can lead a wonderful, productive lives. >> we will taste some of the chocolate. we can see some rain showers across the area. the story of this artist -- she became a self-taught artist. this will be available for auction. >> that is a great story. how do they get the tickets? >> chocolateaffair.org. you have to make a contribution.

>> a wonderful event. we have some rain showers. most is south of baltimore. south and east of baltimore, he might have some rain to start the day. it is not very heavy -- you might have some rain to start the day. it should clear up this afternoon. there's some rain bacchant west virginia. -- there is some rain back in west virginia. six more weeks of winter if phil sees his shadow. we have some colder air working in behind the system. 49 at the airport. that cold air will sink down into baltimore and the southern suburbs.

i think the temperatures will dip off momentarily and then jump back up a little bit as we get some sunshine this afternoon. rain showers this morning and variable clouds into this afternoon. a high temperature between 45 and 54 degrees. most a clear and chilly tonight. temperatures in the upper 20's and low 30's. things will be pretty quiet over the next couple days. it will be cooler but still above average for this time of year. a system may give us some rain on superbowl sunday. there could be a few snowflakes extent on sunday and monday morning. dry on friday and saturday. it clears out on monday and the dry weather comes back by tuesday and wednesday. >> 51 degrees on tv hill.

coming up, we'll look at one of your answers to our water cooler question of the day. >> here is a look at last night's winning maryland lottery numbers. hope you have them.

denny's new sizzlin' skillets are here for a limited time. so strike while the iron's hot. starting at $4.99. only at denny's. america's diner is always open.

>> let's get to one of your interest to our water cooler question of the day. >> this morning we asked -- have rising costs forced you to cut back on your super bowl celebrations? >> keep sending us those responses. 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. >> that is what steve bisciotti said yesterday. he does not know if you will watch the game. a wild game last night in miami. mark turgeon was ejected with 7 minutes left.

the game was tied and went into two overtimes. this is the play that led to the ejection. this looks like a block. it is called a charge. he is asked to leave. terrell stoglin, two of is a 33. the game goes into overtime. miami wins 90-86. the terrapins play north carolina. the ravens. ozzie newsome and steve bichette . they feel at the window of the ravens winning a super bowl is not closing. ray rice and joe flacco will be under contract.

the field did questions from the media. a loss to new england in a season met with mixed emotions. >> i'm proud of the products we're giving to baltimore. this is a business. i have told you that if the was in the elation you get from winning, and nobody would thisbject themselves to kind of pain and suffering. you remind yourself with the good comes the bed. a lot of pride, a lot of pride and a lot of disappointment. >> he groped a colts fan -- grew up a colts fan. ray and joe will be long time ravens. >> alternative energy.

the bill the governor says is a step in the right direction. >> pepsi lovers may want to stock up on your favorite soft drink before you head down to the ocean, hon. >> we have some light rain this morning. >> volume is picking up around the area. we have some light rain and one accident. we will update you on any new problems.

>> property-tax assessments in baltimore city chorale. people are sounding off. >> mitt romney on the defensive. controversy follows the front runner out last. runner out last.