gov. o'malley. this is how the senate got to this point. a strategy session. opponents don't have enough votes, but any changes to the house legislation would kill it. >> this is so hateful it's hard to describe. >> before the debate began, a very ugly side of this difference of opinion was opposed. >> a 14-old girl came before us and testified against the bill. her mother told me her name and testimony were posted on the internet and she has been subjected to harassment and abuse as a result of that threat and harassment. on the other side, the children of one of our members have been threatened and harassed for that members support of the legislation. >> they go to school and they express their opinions about it and they are harassed and believe as well. >> this is a very difficult issue. a lot of heated emotions.

>> supporters of the bill knocked down a number of amendments. the debate was civil and entertaining. while one republican senator read a children's book, his amendment would give children -- give parents the right to have their children talk about homosexuality in school. >> the last picture is it to parents kissing with a hard over their lives. that is what they were teaching in massachusetts. with all due respect to the maker of the amendment, i think this is about maintaining discrimination. >> opponents fired all kinds of scenarios. >> i think the law is fine the way it is. >> a 15-rolled couple comes and get married -- cut wants to get married? >> i think this amendment is completely unnecessary. >> i think the word recognition is imperative. >> anything we want to do beyond that is just graffiti on the bill. >> they want to make sure

mother's day and father's day doesn't change. >> there is no threat to mother's day or father's day. >> back live inside the senate chamber, what you just saw is what's going on. the art told a vote is expected to happen this evening. it is customary to offer each member an opportunity to explain their vote. >> thank you. the u.s. marine corps has reported seven marines were killed in a mid-air helicopter collision in arizona last night. the collision happened during a training operation in a remote area of the marine corps air station. they were trained there because it mimics the area of afghanistan where they were preparing to deploy. authorities are not releasing the names of those marines killed until the family is a notified. >> george hughely will be putting on a different uniform. we've got a look back at the

emotional trial that we have been calling every step of the way. >> it is a very emotional and to an emotional trial. a jury finding there was enough evidence to prove he murdered yeardley love. >> there is nothing but lost everywhere. >> we are of course disappointed with this verdict, but we have been proud to represent george. >> clear, raw a motion was on his family as they left the court. one of his cousins breaking down as she walked away with her mother. after deliberating nine hours, a jury of his peers felt there was enough evidence to convict the former lacrosse pair -- second- degree murder of the 22-year-old girl and was perhaps the most emotional testimony of the trial.

sharon love, the mother, and her sister testified about how grief-stricken they remain. she told the court through tears about her daughter -- "every day that goes by, i'm afraid i am losing pieces of her. her sister said it "i never wanted something so bad, to see your face again. this is the number one worst thing that could have happened. the commonwealth's attorney told reporters that the love family can hopefully start to heal. >> what we do in court is a rough approximation of justice in late avant -- in any given case. we hope they feel some solace from the outcome. >> the prosecution presented the case that george huguely went to love's apartment, busted her bedroom door, and struck her, causing blunt force trauma which led to our debt. the defense tried to say that was an accident, never denying

he went to her apartment. it seems they did not get the first degree murder charge the jury believed he never intended to kill her. his attorneys hinted that an appeal may be in the works. >> we look forward to some corrections in what happened here tonight. >> the jury's sentencing recommendations will be reviewed in april. he can either leave them the same or change them. will the appeal? coming up at 6:00, we will ask the experts. >> we have continuing coverage of the aftermath of the george huguely. our reporter has a look at what students are saying about that tonight. >> there is no doubt that alcohol plays a role in college socializing.

but experts say they are worried because binge drinking is becoming more prevalent. the weekend is on the horizon at johns hopkins university and alcohol usually plays some kind of role when they socialize. >> its a big part of the weekend for some people. for those people, it is how they make friends and what they do with their time. butt's a pretty big thing, we try to keep it under control so nobody gets hurt or anything. >> these students appear to have a realistic understanding of alcohol and its dangers. but according to recent statistics, underage drinking affects all aspects of college life, whether students choose to drink or not. >> one thing i've noticed over the last couple of years is the amount of alcohol on college campuses is getting to epidemic proportions. its worst and i have ever seen it. >> he's a substance abuse expert and says college-age drinkers

are finding creative ways to consume more alcohol in less time. >> this is binge drinking. this allows them to drink a lot of alcohol really fast and they have all kinds of gadgets that do it. >> like this crafty way of stashing alcohol. >> they don't hide it because they [inaudible] >> while most students think the binge drinking is all in good fun, the dangers have far- reaching negative effects. >> were not just talking about drunk driving. we're talking about violence. we are talking about date rape. >> he says binge drinking is the cause of 50% of freshmen find out. but students viewed as a rite of passage. >> it is truly our no. 1 drug of abuse in this country. alcohol. >> experts say one of the best ways to prevent tragedies from happening is to talk to your kids about the dangers of binge drinking before they had to

college. >> thank you. firefighters, hazmat cruz and officials have been on the scene of a leak. we're just above the be seen live. this is happening just next to the campus of south side academy. efforts are underway to prevent fuel from entering nearby storm drains. the tank is speaking at a steady rate but no reports so far of injuries and no word of what called the injured -- caused the injury or how many gallons of poll -- have poured out. >> a man with an extensive history of police and impersonation me back in action. he was wearing a police uniform and his latest offense and modified his vehicle to have sirens and the working public address system. he is picked up in 2008 for

several -- for similar charges, wearing an outfit resembling a state trooper. we have found that 10 years earlier, he was caught with homemade police uniforms of his room, a makeshift firing range in his basement, ammunition, at half a dozen guns. police are concerned he may have been engaging in a police-like activities. if you have any information, you should contact the real police. >> and unseasonably warm day and a warm front is moving our way, so it will be warmer tomorrow. then the cold will come rushing back in for the weekend. you can see the blips on the radar screen, with clout and showers increasing across the area. steadily warming from baltimore

south and west with temperatures into the '60s. it is going to get even warmer and late this afternoon, temperatures running near 70 degrees. that is the air that will push across tomorrow before a strong cold front arrives over the weekend. we will feel springlike warmth and wintertime cold and there could be strong went to go along with it. in joining the mild weather so far -- if we get a taste of winter now, it's going to feel 10 times worse because it is so warm and now. >> you are right. a body gets accustomed to the warm weather and if it gets real cold, it is going to hurt. but today, what a spectacular day. with the sun shining and the temperatures in the '60s, it's a perfect day to take a walk. take a bike ride or go for a

run. it has been quite a winter. >> it's beautiful and i'm enjoying it. me and my daughter with betty stay out. as you can see, she's smiling ear to ear. >> i love it. that's why we're out here walking. 60 degrees in february? we would have taken it two years ago. >> i'm glad i don't have to use my snowblower. >> it's not often you could take a run in shorts and february in maryland. >> not at all. very different and very nice. >> daffodils and tulips have been coming up for weeks and people are buying seeds for spring planting. >> getting ready for summer, get some vegetables going. weather is beautiful right now. >> i am ready for spring. i'm done with winter. >> most of the early blooming plants will be fine if there is a cold snap. the fruit trees blooming early could be damaged if it's cold.

>> we will come out and water the trees so the water in cases the buds and that will help keep that nice. we will run sprinklers at night if there is going to be a freeze. >> it was a day to take the kids to the playground and just have some fun. >> the weather is wonderful for the children, to take them to the playground. it is a beautiful. >> that's what making that different, the really cold temperatures. most of the readings have been average or we get spikes where we hit 60 degrees or 70. so far, it has been an ideal winter. >> it has been nice. still ahead, she was kidnapped at the age of 14 and held captive for nine months. >> elizabeth smart is now a newly wed and headed to howard

county. the message she is

>> kidnapped during a survivor and child advocate, elizabeth smart will give the keynote address at the cherished child

address, an annual symposium designed for professional that committee members to raise awareness about keeping kids safe. smart will speak about her experiences during her nine- month abduction and promoting safety legislation. the event will be held april 27. >> it is amazing what she has overcome. health experts are recommending all adults be vaccinated against whopping cough. an advisory panel for the center of disease control and prevention voted yesterday to include people 65 and older who have never been vaccinated as an adult. it is a contagious, bacterial disease causing severe coughing and can be fatal. there is little information on how many senior citizens have the vaccine, but only 8% under the age of 65 are vaccinated. a mild winter has made for a quiet this season, but this

lovely weather is making a mark of the spring allergy season. >> the mild winter as people out at about a around baltimore, enjoying the weather. as may for a healthier season. >> we think it has helped cut down on the instances of sinusitis and other chronic respiratory infections. >> does the doctor says he has not see a lot of patients with early onset spring allergies like in some areas of the country, but he says this is the time when he advises patients with seasonal allergies to start taking medication and taking precautions to prevent that. >> making sure you have an air filter in your bedroom at making our better a safe place so -- keeps the door closed at what the air circulate through the filter and make sure it has a hepa filter. >> because the winter was so

mild, allergists say that could affect the spring allergy season. people with allergies might want to beware. >> there is a theory that mildness can increase the potency of some allergens. that has yet to be approved because it's difficult to do that. this year will be interesting. >> for more information on seasonal allergies, visit our web site, wbaltv.com. >> you would not know it by looking at the numbers on the almanac. the normal high today is only 47. but the low so far has been 48. the low today is lower than the high temperature for the 23rd day of february in baltimore. 65 at the inner harbor. tomorrow, temperatures may get

into the '70s. probably going to be out of reach as far as setting a record. not quite record-setting. so far, running around the sixth or seventh warmest on record. there have been warmer, but the climate report, maybe a sprinkle of rain with most locations remaining dry and warm. temperatures in the '60s on to the eastern shore. a little bit cooler in the mountains with a weak cool front slipping through. western maryland in the '50s. we will be lifting back as a warm front and it will get warmer tomorrow. there is the boundary keeping the temperatures cooler.

notice of motion on the clouds -- '40's and 50's for lotus tonight. a couple of scattered showers. sun set at 5:52. wintry weather associated with that front. getting colder on the west side. look at the moisture starting to search. as this heads into new england, this will draw unstable air into the mid-atlantic and trigger a thunderstorm possibly along this boundary. a cold front dragging across the area with 40's behind the cold front. almost 80 the head of it. -- almost 80 ahead of it. some spots could hear some under. heavier downpour's occurring in that could be isolated thunderstorms embedded in the showers as a cold front makes

its way through. ahead of that coming to the '70s and behind it, sharply colder with snow showers returning to the mountain. with the wind bringing in some of the snow showers, we will not be surprised to see a flurry. so from the '70s to the chance of a flurry. big changes coming our way over the next 48 hours. the winds will go from southwest to northwest on the front goes by, gusting over 35 miles an hour. temperatures into the '70s. a gale warning of the bay, gusting up to 45 knots on the day. tomorrow, you want to use extreme caution. snow showers accumulating on saturday with ties only in the '20s and the mountains. a big change coming. 75 tomorrow, 45 on saturday. the same kind of change with mid

seventies to low 50s with winds gusting up to 45 miles an hour. one more day of warmth and then maybe a flurry on saturday. sonny on sunday and partly cloudy on monday and tuesday. >> and don't put away the gloves just yet. president obama says america cannot drill its way to lower gas prices. >> what he says will minimize prices up pump when we come back. >> these high-school students are performing a black history month play written and directed by the acquired director nearly 20 years ago.

>> no doubt you have noticed the price of gas is up again. >> it's grabbing the attention and buyer of drivers and today, president obama took notice. >> there was a rude wake-up call this morning for commuters across the country. >> that's ridiculous.

that is ridiculous. >> the price of gas jumped dramatically overnight. >> we're seeing gas prices that are 9 cents higher than a month ago. >> experts say it's only going to get worse. >> it is not a good harbinger of things to come for prices as we head into the spring and summer when we know prices tend to rise. >> during an energy policy speech this afternoon in miami, where the price at the pump has hit the $4 mark, president obama said the ultimate fix is finding alternatives to gas. >> we can't just allow ourselves to be held hostage to the ups and downs of the world oil market. we have to keep developing new sources of energy. we have to develop new technology that helps us use less energy. >> but until that answer -- until that happens, the only answer is to pull the the side of the road. nationwide gas usage is at an 11-year low and the oil supply is up significantly. so why does the price continue

to climb? analysts say it's a global issue. >> we see tension in iran, we're watching the economic situation in greece, all of these feeding the prices and they are going up. >> and feeling frustration. >> it's outrageous. i don't know what we can do about it. we all need our cars and we need to get around. it is a necessary evil, unafraid. >> a potentially long and high price summer at the pump. >> here is a look at where gas prices that right now. according to aaa, the national average for a gallon of regular gas is $3.61, up 3 cents from yesterday. the average price and the baltimore area matches that. the average price in the entire state of maryland is $3.63, because prices are higher in the d.c. suburbs.

>> noted of maryland's making history. >> they appointed the first man ever as president. >> with the last debate before super tuesday and the primaries now under their belts, the race is on for the candidates and how they are scrounging to raise last-minute cash. >> the baltimore tax debate moves from city hall to city schools. straight ahead, why students

>> some baltimore city school kids are being drawn into the fight for an increased bottle tax to help fix aging school buildings. that's the latest effort by a grass-roots group trying to press them to pass the controversial bottle tax to raise money to renovate schools. >> now that group is pushing students to the front line. let's go live to the newsroom for more. >> the baltimore education coalition is made up of schools, communities, and religious groups. today, members of that organization lobbied on how they should pay to improve building conditions. >> the hallways of the high school was one of the coolest spot on campus. >> could someone raised their hand and tell me are going to lose or gain electrons? >> temperatures in some

classrooms were closer to 90 degrees. >> it hot inside. the radiators are open and you can see the wires. >> i don't think it's fair that the best rooms and this school are rooms but for visitors and the main office. all classrooms should be equal, same temperatures, and a nice and comfortable area for students to learn in. >> and this one classroom, learning was put on hold while students were placed in the spotlight to speak in support of a 5 cent bottle tax. >> i am here to express why this school is not a good learning environment this school has old pipes. >> the high school was built in 1958. this is one of the original boilers that came with the school. >> right now, it would take more than $2 billion to fix the old school buildings. that money is hard to come by. >> we will support the bottle

tax. it will happen. no matter what it takes, it will happen. >> at least one city councilman is already throwing his support behind the attacks. >> i challenge the taxation and finance committee to come out here and walk through this school, stand in the classrooms and see what the students have to go through. it may change their minds of worry about a liquor store making a profit. >> they say it's just one example of what needs fixing throughout the district. the mayor supports the bottle tax but the ceo is pushing another plant that would take city and state dollars already coming to this system and use them to borrow more money. >> the president of the university of maryland university college has been placed on indefinite leave without explanation. the chancellor announced believe

that a short letter sent to students and staff. a spokesperson has declined to elaborate. a history-making appointments for occur daub. for the first time, the board of trustees has appointed a man as president. james conneely currently serves as vice president for student affairs and associate provost at the university of kentucky. he will assume the office when the current president retires. >> after more than two weeks of testimony, george huguely has been found guilty of second- degree murder and the death of yeardley love hislove a jury sentenced to 26 years in prison. a commonwealth attorney says he hopes the conviction to bring the family some feeling of solace. an army private accused of

releasing classified information chose not to enter a plea. he's charged with 22 counts, including aiding the enemy. he reportedly gave it website where than 700,000 classified documents and video clips during his time in iraq. he put off the decision as to whether you want to be tried by a jury or judge. a trial date has not been set. the vote is about to begin on legalizing same-sex marriage. it's the same bill the house passed by that march of last week, with supporters knocking down a number of amendments. one of the bandits was making sure holidays like mother's day and father's day don't change. opponents have vowed to bring the issue on the ballot. we've been monitoring the process and we will have a live update on what is happening at 6:00. >> mitt romney went for rick

santorum's throat just days before the primary and michigan. president obama what after all of his republican rivals on the issue of gas prices. we've got the update. >> a lost tuesday in michigan could devastate mitt romney's cafe. but he -- that romney's campaign. >> he voted to fund a planned parenthood even though it's against his principles. >> the former senator looked like a classic politician. he listed measures he opposed but voted for, like no-cal left behind. >> it was against the principles i believe that, but when you are part of the team, sometimes you take one for the team that i made a mistake. >> i wonder which team he was taking it for? if i am president, i will abide by my principles and my team will be the people of the united states of america.

>> rick santorum says he changed his pants on abortion. with the focus of michigan, president obama put up at, say he saved u.s. car makers. >> every republican candidate turn their back, even said let detroit go bankrupt. the president walked the republican plan to lower gasoline prices. >> step one is to drill, a step to is to drill, step three is to keep drilling. the american people are not stupid. they know that is not a plan. >> rick santorum's plant at mitt romney's is to win michigan. >> overtakes michigan it's a big boost going into super tuesday. it roughly half the republican delegates are at stake in the next two weeks.

>> police are investigating a terrible case of child abuse and what they are calling murder in alabama. >> a 9-year-old girl forced to run until she drops. >> after a heated debate, the republican presidential candidates are back on the fund-

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>> a 9-year-old girl is dead tonight after being punished by her grandmother and stepmother after being -- after eating a candy bar. she was forced to run laps for three hours, eventually leading to death. the two were charged with murder. >> pathologists say she was extremely dehydrated and had a very low sodium levels. much like a marathon runner with no water. >> it they claim that she had some sort of bladder condition that could be exacerbated by the chocolate but there is no evidence to back that up. >> protests over burning of the

koran and afghanistan have turned deadly. demonstrations transformed into violent riots. protests started after was made public after an workers saw soldiers burning and the karan at the airfield. soldiers were seen damping the koran into a trash pit. mr. obama sent a letter to the afghan president formally apologizing for the burning of the koran. the letter expresses the president's regret over the incident. they were reportedly pulled from a shelf because detainee's had written extremist inscription's in them. the u.s. military is still investigating. >> she is taking center stage in the broadway hit and miss rising star has roots in howard county. we will catch up and dr. her

about her new fame. >> >> it is scary but true, google has a new privacy policy putting your personal information at risk. how the company is defending

>> coming up tonight, the legislation to legalize same-sex marriage continues to sit in the senate. how close is maryland to making history? and what is next for george huguely? the recommended sentence is in but where could go from here? finally, we stepped onto a campus to see how they feel about t

>> in fiat -- insects like the want just as much as we do, which means they will be finding their way into your homes earlier. >> they are never a welcome sight. the creepy-crawlies critters that sneak into your homes. thanks to the warm weather this year, they may be showing up earlier than expected. this local press to control technician says the but a bit -- but they're saying are a month early. >> usually it is in march when you see ornamental insects and aunts and different types of beetles coming out, which we are seeing a lot more. >> he studies bugs and says

ready or not, here they come. >> it has been a mild winter, which means a longer warm season. >> when the temperatures go up, the bugs come out. even but like mosquitoes will start moving in. >> we will see fire ants, probably have fully problems earlier this year and we will see things like termites emerge earlier in the spring. >> that means those in the business of bugs have more work to do. but keeping your lawn bug free is easier than you think. he says well manicured lawns are more attractive because there is more water and food. >> if nothing is in the field, they come up to the house. >> he says keeping your lawn mowed will go a long way. >> if you have standing grass in your lawn, you will deal with many more insects and if you did

not. >> another good tip, watch out for pet food -- it is often overlooked when it comes to insects, but it's left out overnight and will attract past. some rodents could seek out your home as well. >> mother nature took a heavy hand to parts of the south, leaving thousands of people without electricity. officials are trying to confirm whether or not it was a tornado, but look at the damage. the path of destruction was between 1 mile and 2 miles long. power poles were knocked down but there were no reports of injuries. the national weather service has been on hand to assess the damage. >> more waste air coming in and we will feel that not only tonight but tomorrow. whenever you get that warm air at a temperature drop, he will kick up the storms.

the morning lows were warmer than normal highs for the time of year all the way up the eastern seaboard. boston had a low of 43. our normal high is only in the 40's, so if you start the day with those kinds of temperatures, you are in for unseasonably mild day. these are the low temperatures this morning across the lakes. some of the cold would get here before the weekend is over. just 35 in chicago toward green bay. 51 degrees in pittsburgh. 70 in richmond. '70s and '80s into parts of mississippi. first, we will get into the warm air tomorrow. then we will get into the cold air going into the weekend. a huge temperature swing as the friends go by. the warm front is generating

cloud cover and sprinkle to the north and west. our temperatures will not fall much. as the front is lifting to the north, clouds and scattered light showers will go through. the friend tried to slip through as a cool front but stalled around baltimore. now a warm front and to borrow has us down in this air mass near 70 degrees. the trailing cold front comes through friday and we get it to this. you see the three air masses. warm air tomorrow and cold air filters in for the upcoming weekend. that is significant for this time of year. no 30 is, but the cold this starting to move back into the north central united states. a line of storms expected as the front moves through, anywhere

from 2:00 to 3:00 in the afternoon. once that gets passed us, as may be a flurry in a few spots east of the mountains. the emphasis will be the wind. a high wind watch in effect tomorrow. the past year will top 35 miles an hour as the winds shift to the northwest. temperatures will start falling fast as we head into the evening hours. here is where the high wind watches in effect. guests on some of the highest ridge tops could hit 55 or 60 miles an hour. be careful of the have a high profile vehicle. a gale warnings on the bay and 3 foot waves on the day. rain at mixing with snow on friday and changes on saturday. winter comes back with highs in

the '20s. eastern shore locations have temperatures in the '70s and windy and cold on saturday. your seven-day forecast -- heading into the weekend was chillier air. a chance for rain on wednesday. >> taxpayers continue to wait longer than usual for their refunds. a recent problem with the irs has caused many to fear their return had not been filed. most of electronically filed taxpayers receive the refund in one or two weeks, but this year it has been taking the team but 10 to 21 days. the irs blamed it do refund of fraud prevention. the maryland attorney general is among the growing number of

officials asking google to clarify its new privacy policy. the company is going to keep track of your activity across all of its sites, building a profile on you. google says it will use that to improve services and get you better search results. but critics say it's a violation and manipulation of your privacy. >> if there are things you want to keep private about your life, those records are in there. if there are things you need to prevent other people from knowing about you, those will be in there. >> the move comes one week after concerns when it became known google exploited it known that weakness in the apple browser allowing millions of users to have their searches track. google acknowledges that people have different privacy concerns. at the goal is to be clear about what information we collect so you can make meaningful choices about how it is used. >> thank you.

how many faithful followers do you have? the pope may have the beat and now he's taking to twitter. the pope plans to send one tweet every day to send a special message. they'll be delivered in english, spanish and portuguese. today's message touches on the important role charity place. you can't take the crawled out of an elected city but you can't take her out of the girl. she's performing at the performing arts center. the musical follows for couples as a fall in and out of love at a crowded evening at the nightclub. she grew up in howard county and her best advice for aspiring august is work hard. >> we work hard every day and i feel like i have grown so much.

that is what my goal is, to keep working hard and striving for bigger and better things. >> , fly away will be at the performing arts center starting tomorrow. the maryland state senate could vote any minute now on a bill that could legalize same-sex marriage. we are monitoring discussion among the legislators and will have a live report at 6:00. >> some of the most talented singers and actors you will see are right here on a baltimore county high school stage performing a play to teach and inspire. those details, straight ahead.

>> a black history month takes center stage in baltimore county. students will perform "journey of a people in america." the plays written decades ago by the school's fine arts director. ♪ >> it is a black history month tradition -- the performance of "a journey of the people in america." >> going back from slavery to modern times and the current

state of the urban african- american community. >> you have a loss that wonderful sense of humor. >> that's about all i have lost. >> the play has been performed here for the last 12 years. but history goes back 20 years. it was written by the fine arts director when he was a 16-year- old student at woodlawn. >> it has become a piece of the community here >> we get to show everybody we need to go the extra mile and help everyone out. we should go that extra mile and help each other out. >> it's hard to see young people disrespecting everything our ancestors have done. grow up and wake up and look at

what they have done for us. >> the plan incorporates jazz and traditional african spiritual music. while the message of the journey is powerful, so is the message to the students. >> he is a phenomenal role model because he has done it all. i wrote a seen before, but he wrote a full plate with a serious message that has the power and capability to change all of baltimore. any thing is possible. he did it, so i can do it. >> that is tonight and tomorrow. here's a look at what is coming up at 6:00. >> debate on the same-sex marriage bill takes on the air marriage bill takes on the air of a