>> 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. >> it feels like spring. warm weather and spring. >> the temperature will be in the 60's today. that is 10 degrees above average. we will go into the 70's letter this week. it is kind of cold this morning. take a light jacket to start out. 36 at the airport. no frost but the clouds will start to thicken up. it will warm up quickly. we will make it to 65 this afternoon after the chilly start. a chance for some rain showers tonight and may be tomorrow morning. will check the seven-day forecast in just a few minutes. >> good morning.

a nice start as you travel this morning on most of the major roadways. a problem at lanvale. you may find some closures because of fire activity. 57 on the north side around the harrisburg expressway. 57 continuing on the west side. looking good on the harrisburg expressway. in edgewater, we have an accident on route 2. 11 minutes in the outer loop northeast side. moving well on southbound 95. 10 minutes to go from the beltway down towards 32. this is 83 at padonia road. no sign of delays. moving well down to the beltway. this is 295 southbound. no delays in the baltimore region. past the capital beltway, there is an accident that is blocking

several lanes. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> a college park student is under arrest accused of posting an on-line threat about a campus shooting spree. 19-year-old alexander song was arrested on the misdemeanor charge. he warned people to stay away from the mall on campus. he was taken for a psychiatric evaluation. a shooting in southwest baltimore. shots were fired on sunday night. a victim was shot in the arm and is expected to recover. a man sent a letter to barbara mikulski and john boehner will be arraigned today.

the man was arrested on friday and is home near portland. the white powder tested negative for any toxic substance. the senseless murder of 16 civilians. there are strained relations. >> afghanistan's president calls it terrorism. a u.s. soldier shot and killed nine children, three women, and four men just 500 yards from a u.s. military base in southern afghanistan. he is in custody. >> these incidents that we've seen in the recent weeks are a burden and are of concern. >> nato's sitting in a tinder box, and this could be the spark that unravels our presence in afghanistan. >> president obama called president karzai sunday to apologize, saying, "we will investigate and hold the shooter responsible."

he has called it an intentional act bill will never be forgotten. >> karzai in a statement calls never be forgotten, one month after accidental burnings of the>> unfortunately, these things happen in war. you had an israeli soldier kill worshipers by a mosque. you just have to push through these things. >> in washington, lawmakers say this latest incident underscores why we need to get out. >> our timetable is pretty good. we're moving out, as the president said, and i think that's the right thing to do. >> but perhaps not too quickly. >> we should not forget that the attacks on the united states of america at 9/11 originated in afghanistan. >> the u.s. is concerned about violence breaking out today in afghanistan. the embassy there warning americans to avoid large public gatherings and to keep their travel plans private. tracie potts, wbal-tv 11 news. >> police are working to identify it will one of found dead inside her home on sunday.

police were called to the home about 2:30 in the afternoon. it is not clear how long the person how been dead. an autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause of death. a suspension hearing after a woman was accused of a scanning a grocery store. darlene early was undercharge by $300 by her daughter at food depot. prosecutors are expected to drop charges against a couple accused of stabbing one of their neighbors. he was scheduled to go on trial for the 2010 stabbing of a man. prosecutors are expected to drop the case. they cite charges of a botched investigation by the lead detective and the sheriff's

office. the case against the girlfriend is also expected to be dropped. >> a deal to merge exelon and consolation energy could be finished in a few days. kim dacey is live downtown with that story. >> b.g.e. is one of the utilities that falls under this merger that will soon be part of the new exelon. if you're a bge residential customer, you'll get a $100 credit within 90 days of this acquisition. exelon is based in chicago. bge will still be headquartered in baltimore and will operate as an independent entity. there will not be any fortune 500 companies left in baltimore. the merger is expected to bring some 3,000 construction and energy jobs to the state and has other impacts on the regions. >> funds to fund a weatherization program, promises to build alternative energy such as solar, wind power

plants, as well as provide funds for an animal waste power plant. >> the merger is worth $7.9 billion and is expected to be finalized in the coming days. kim dacey, wbal-tv 11 news. >> maryland's lone representative in the ncaa tournament is making its first trip in nearly 20 years. the greyhounds of loyola university will face off against ohio state on thursday. keith mills will have some reaction when it joins a slider for sports. that brings us to our water cooler question of the day. what do you think of loyola's opening-round matchup, and how far do you think the hounds will go?

you can share your response at wbaltv.com and on our facebook page, or send us an e-mail to watercooler@wbaltv.com. >> 6:07. 38 degrees on tv hill. do you hate airline food? it might be your taste buds. >> would cause this brush fire that is making headlines -- what caused this brush fire that is making headlines. >> a heartwarming story. >> ava marie live in a new restaurant that has opened up in downtown baltimore. the focus on local and organic food. >> we are tracking some of fire activity in the city. checking on the major

>> good morning. this is a live look outdoors. it will stay dark long been this morning because the time change. 46 degrees downtown. we will get even warmer as we head into the afternoon. we're live at a restaurant.

it is relatively new and located at 333 north charles street. you enter on pleasant street and it is called jack for zach food. that is a huge push right now. here are jack and zach. how is it going? >> we started out at a farmers' market and it is going well. >> you draw from a lot of local farms. >> truck patch form out in frederick where we get our meat . we try to check out the other farms. some of our greens are from clifton park in baltimore and harford road. all other greens and onions, we just go and see what looks good

at the farmers' market and that is how we pick will we get. >> this they geber curious amazing -- this veggie burger is amazing. >> this is black bean or some form of grain. >> they make their own sausages. they make one especially for st. patrick's day. come on into jack for zach on north charles street. they have been open for five months. get some healthy food. we're seeing a storm system moved in from the west. that will add to some warmer conditions over the next few days. burger.this they gebveggie

this looks amazing. >> it is tough to find a good veggie burger. they're using local farms around the area to produce the stuff in the restaurants and i think that is fantastic. thank you, ava. looking fantastic. you'll like the seven-day forecast. 36 at the airport. 34 degrees in frederick. you'll need a light jacket this morning. a few high, thin clouds moving in from the west and that trend will condittinue. some of the rain showers may drift in late tonight or overnight. i think we will miss that rain today. a mix of sun and clouds but dry

and during the day. a high of 65 degrees. look at the sunset, 7:11. temperatures drop back into the 40's and 50's tonight. a weak system will push by to the north. we will see a mild air for the next several days. look at this for desperate a chance for some rain tomorrow morning. 72 on tuesday. 75 on thursday. 70's on friday. the average high temperature is 52. 6:15. let's check on the roads with sarah. >> good morning. we start in the city. we have a far location at lanvale street. use extra caution. no delays on the north or west side. running smoothly in the outer

loop. it edge for, watch for some possible delays because of an accident on route 2. a disabled vehicle on the bay bridge in the westbound direction. this is security. you can see traffic is building and started to see some signs of delays heading down towards 70. this is 795 and we see delays heading southbound as things start to build. some delays shortly in the white marsh area. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> thank you. a small plane crashed triers a brush fire in southern california overnight -- a small plane crashed in california. investigators are working to determine why the plane went down.

one person is dead after a shooting in eastern maine. shots rang out early sunday morning. four people were hit and taken to the hospital. no details of a possible motive are being released. a beauty queen in support of a cause. has kept her promise of shaving her head with solidarity of childhood cancer victims. to grabet one girl the razor and start cutting. she will compete in june and says she will not wear a wig. >> if you plan to take a flight

this spring, be prepared for some sticker shock. air fares are up 4%. expect prices to rise even higher. rising fuel costs and less competition. some good news at the checkout line. a bumper crop of strawberries which means lower prices for you. the price is down nearly $30 from january. there was a warm winter. food is served on airlines is bad. jane king has the bloomberg business report. >> good morning. crude oil prices remain high. this is an issue for candidates and people at the pump.

the national average is $3.79 a gallon. why is food and so bad on a flight? the high altitude numbs some of our taste buds. carriers are working on ways to improve airline food. the menu at taco bell going more upscale and it will cost you. they will have higher priced menu items to keep up with chipotle. 75 stores have been testing out higher prices. stocks advancing on friday. 227,000 jobs added last month. the bloomberg maryland index was

up. the girl scouts of america are celebrating their 100th anniversary today. they will be on a stamp. i'm jane king for wbal-tv 11 news. >> with you a girl scout -- were you a girl scout? >> i was. they are dancing on the campus of loyola university. keith mills has reaction. >> so, don't forget to e-mail us your response to our water cooler question of the day. what do you think of loyola's opening-round matchup, and how far do you think the hounds will go? you can share your response at wbaltv.com and on our facebook page, or send us an e-mail to watercooler@wbaltv.com. >> here is a look at last night's winning maryland lottery numbers. ♪

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>> now traffic pulse 11 and insta-weather plus together. >> good morning. sarah caldwell checking on your morning commute. we are tracking if you problem spots. fire activity at lanvale street. watch for some lanes closed in that area. 52 on the north side as you make your way towards the harrisburg expressway. running smoothly at 795. things are starting to build at

40. westbound 50 on the bay bridge, a disabled vehicle. 97 in great shape north and southbound. this is security. delays are forming in the outer loop making your way towards 70. this is 795 at franklin boulevard. no official delight until you get closer to the beltway. -- no official delay. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> it is a chilly start. 36 at the airport. 35 in parkton. we should make it into the mid 60's this afternoon. a mixture of sun and clouds. there could be some rain moving into night. you will like the seven-day forecast. here is keith mills. >> thank you. good morning. on to pittsburgh for the loyola

men's basketball team. 15th and thated will play ohio state. shane walker's hold the trophy. about 600 friends and family watched with them. here's the reaction from their coach. >> it is a long way from eight years ago when i figured i would be fired as every other coach has been. it is a nice feeling. >> i have been a huge maryland fan my whole life and i was hoping maryland would get a good seed. fine only getting selected, it is crazy -- finally getting

selected. >> there will play west virginia or gonzaga if they win. some concern about frank robinson. he had to leave because he felt faint and dizzy. he did not go to the hospital and is resting comfortably at his home. the birds against the red sox. matt wieters is assigned a new contract extension. 1-0 red sox. the bottom of the first, adam jones scores robert andino, the only orioles run. birds lose 6-1. tiger woods withdrew from the cadillac championship with a strained tendon.

>> thank you. 38 degrees on tv hill. here's what is coming up. >> b.g.e. will soon be under new ownership. i'll have more with what that means for customers. mergener a. the gop presidential hopefuls hard tooling for dixie. what is at stake in tomorrow's primaries? >> we are starting to see our first delays. >> ava marie live at jack for zach food. they focus on local and organic they focus on local and organic

>> 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. it is expected to be beautiful week. >> temperatures will be in the 60's and 70's. i think the day will be nice with a mixture of sun and clouds.

will make it up to 65 this afternoon. we have some rain in the seven- day forecast. we'll show you that in just a few minutes. >> it is a deal to win over southern voters. >> the contenders each hoping primaries in alabama and mississippi will help bolster their standing in the race. tara mergener has more on the story. good morning. >> all eyes are on tomorrow's primaries in the deep south, because of added significance. >> if you believe in higher taxes, you should be with obama. >> newt gingrich and rick santorum are going head to head and battling for voters in

mississippi and alabama. >> we will get delegates and a think the odds are we will win. >> rick santorum is hinting that newt gingrich should get out of the race. >> he can stay as long as he wants. we should nominate a conservative to as a chance to go head-to-head with governor romney. >> losses on tuesday could mean the end for newt gingrich. could helpmitt romney woul bring the nominating contest to a close. >> that is the reason we'll get rid of him in 2012. >> ron paul is advertising in hawaii. he plans to cut 1 trillion dollars from the federal budget.

he has yet to win the popular vote in any state. >> everybody is still in the race. >> there was a forum and that should drop national attention. >> how did the primaries come to take on such an important role this time around? >> there are not usually so vital in this process. the fierce battle over the conservative a vote. both states moved up their primary date. that boosted their clout. we have 90 delegates at stake tomorrow. >> tara mergener, thank you. corrections officials are asking for your help in tracking down an offender that left his home. he is serving to this year's

home detention from his residence on charges of distribution of drugs. his last known whereabouts -- where he had been serving his sentence. he weighs about one under 48 pounds. -- 148 pounds. >> changes on the way for b.g.e. energy. kim dacey is live downtown with how customers will be affected by this. >> b.g.e. falls under the umbrella of this merger. customers can expect to get some cash from the deal. the anticipated partnership between constellation energy and exelon is expected to bring changes for utilities like b.g.e., which will soon be a part of the new exelon. if you're a residential customer, you'll get a $100 credit within 90 days of the acquisition. exelon is based in chicago, but b.g.e. will still be

headquartered here in baltimore and will still operate as an independent entity. the new merger will have other impacts on the regions. >> funds to fund a weatherization program, promises to build alternative energy such as solar, wind power plants, as well as provide funds for an animal waste power plant. >> a local economist says the merger is also expected to generate some 3,000 construction and energy jobs for the state. but it also means there won't be any fortune 500 companies left in baltimore. most b.g.e. customers are excited for the credit they will receive on their bills, but some are still torn about the new exelon. >> i have some doubts. i do not know if it is necessarily great for the city. but those kind of mergers for bigger companies that are not local, they have not really panned out. >> i would rather see a publicly owned utility. i think there'd be more

competition for electricity if it were publicly owned. >> the merger is worth $7.9 billion and is expected to be finalized in the coming days. kim dacey, wbal-tv 11 news. >> thank you. more than 200 soldiers are waking up with their loved ones this morning in after serving a year overseas. we caught up some of the members at the dundalk armory on sunday as they were greeted with balloons and signs. 440 soldiers have been deported in egypt. the soldiers say they are proud of their service but it is great to be back home. >> i love my country and for people to have the freedoms that they have. >> it is great to be home. >> they still love soldiers in

egypt and they're expected home at a later date. >> now traffic pulse 11 and insta-weather plus together. >> good morning. sarah caldwell checking on your morning commute. we are tracking a few problems. we start in the city along southbound 895. we have an accident on the moravia road on ramp. fire activity at lanvale street to watch for. looking good on the north side. a little bit of a slowdown on the west side at liberty and the outer loop as of volume builds. westbound 50 on the bay bridge, a disabled vehicle. 97 north and southbound in great shape at this hour. this is the beltway and greenspring. inner loop traffic is building just a bit prior to the ballot but no official delay in that area. this is ruxton road and

southbound traffic on the j.f.x. continues to move well down towards northern parkway and into town. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. ava marie joins us live from an organic restaurant. it sounds like they have some great food. if you confine some tofu for me. >> we are at jack and zach food. they are located on north charles street. you enter on pleasant street. h and jack.th zac you guys do focus on local and organic food. you could stop a curried veggie burger. >> it has rice, garlic and a bit of a spicy kick to rit. all organic and local ingredients. >> you can see all the

ingredients. this is a unique flavor, especially if you try to be a vegetarian meal. you can see the local ingredients. temperatures in the mid 60's today with a lot of clouds. a chance for rain later tonight into tomorrow. i will give this a try. he said watch out for the kick because of the curry. mmm. it does have a kick. >> that is a good-sized burger. >> 6;38. 38 degrees on tv hill. ever get the

>> a home and malaysia has a unique perspective on the world. everything in the home is upside down. it has been open for six weeks and 3000 people have already visited it. the honor said it is is a reminder to protect the environment -- the owner said.

>> a woman is attacked by a turkey when she steps out on her front lawn. the bird keeps a watch and attacks anybody who catches his eye. use a broom and an umbrella. she does not want the bird killed. she hopes that he will move on. killer turkey. >> you wanna see that turkey in november. he will be in hiding. 6:42. up ahead, your answers to our water cooler question of the day. >> we are watching to see if any delays form on 895. an accident is forming. >> maybe we should answer their questions. nothing going on right now but

we have some rain in the forecast for tonight and tomorrow. it will be a beautiful sunrise. [ female announcer ] with xfinity,

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so you can run more devices at the same time. ♪ feel a firework [ female announcer ] and best of all, it keeps getting better. no wonder more people choose xfinity over any other provider. ♪ love can be so mystical ♪ >> welcome back to 11 news today. 6:44. a college park student is under arrest. 19-year-old alexander song was arrested. police alleged he posted on a website plans to kill enough people to make it to national news. he warned people to stay away from the mall on campus. he was taken to hospital for it cit an evaluation.

or shots fired on sunday night near aniston street. -- ashton street. a person was shot in the arm. a priest is on leave this morning. the rev. refused to give the sacrament to a woman during a funeral last february. the archdiocese has apologized for his reaction. any action against the father will remain confidential because this is a personnel at issue. >> now traffic pulse 11 and insta-weather plus together. >> good morning. sarah caldwell checking on your morning commute. let's get you up to date on this monday morning. on southbound 895, is an accident. we will update you if there are

any delays. lanvale st., watch for fire activity in the city. we're seeing slowdown's from liberty in the outer loop. the j.f.x., not much in the way of delays. this is 895 at o'donnell street. traffic is not too bad the watch for delays there moravia. there is an accident on the ramp. southbound traffic not bat on the j.f.x.. -- not bad. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. ava marie, have you recovered from the curry? >> we're live at jack and zach food. they focus on local one organic food. there on north charles street.

jenny.e with >> we have our annual fund- raiser on march 28 to celebrate industrious women. our honoree is gene baker, who wrote this book. she has written seven books and will be here that night to celebrate with us. >> jack and zach food will be providing some of the food for the event. >> they are a sponsor and will have a great food and a finite. -- a fun night. >> wednesday, march 28 from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. you can get tickets online at our website or you can call us in our shop and we can take your

order over the phone. >> sounds like a great event and you could try some of jack and zach's food. the radar is showing a storm system moving in from the west. we will go back to tony in the weather center. this is spicy but very delicious. >> curry can knock you over. >> i love curry. they do not want to replace meat. you can taste all the different vegetables. >> i am a big fan of organic food. i think it tastes better. thank you. 36 degrees at the airport. 38 in jarrettsville. 36 in taneytown. you can see the clouds moving in from the west.

this will make for a beautiful sunrise in just a few minutes. there is some rain moving in from the ohio valley. some of those showers will probably make it in starting tonight and into tomorrow morning. a mixture of sun and clouds. a slight chance for some rain showers this evening. temperatures will be way above average. it will make it up to 65 today. temperatures drop back into the upper 40's tomorrow. a chance for some rain showers tomorrow morning. high pressure was the off the east coast and the temperatures will push into the 70's, 20 or 25 degrees above average. 65 today. 70 tomorrow. mid 70's on wednesday and

thursday. i think we will stay in the 70's on friday. that is not too bad for this time of year. >> time now for a last look at one of our big stories. the way is clear for maryland's leading energy supplier to merge with an out-of-state suppliers. kim dacey has more about the marriage between constellation energy and exelon. >> b.g.e. is one of the utilities that falls under this merger that will soon be part of the new exelon. if you're a bge residential customer, you'll get a $100 credit within 90 days of this acquisition. exelon is based in chicago. bge will still be headquartered in baltimore and will operate as an independent entity. there will not be any fortune 500 companies left in baltimore. the merger is expected to bring some 3,000 construction and energy jobs to the state and have other impacts on the

regions. the merger is expected to be finalized in the coming days and is worth $7.9 billion. reporting live, kim dacey, wbal- tv 11 news. >> what are b.g.e. customers saying about the merger? >> they are happy to get the credit on their bill. some are hesitant and they do not know much about exelon. >> kim dacey live downtown, thank you. >> here is matt lauer with a look at what is coming up next on the "today" show. >> good morning. u.s. soldier accused of killing 16 people in the shooting rampage in afghanistan. the talent that is vowing revenge. rick santorum will join us for live interview.

did take jetblue crew make to right call when they removed a family from a flight because their child was having a temper tantrum? and our closet is packed for a live concert from the hottest new lacked in music. a group called one direction -- and are plaza is packed. >> time to get to your answers to our water cooler question of the day. >> this morning we asked that brings us to our water cooler question of the day. >> you might want to see a doctor about that. i'm just kidding.

>> we will post more of your answers on the front page of wbaltv.com. >> loyola place on thursday against ohio state. >> 38 degrees on tv hill. >> coming up, we'll take a last look at weather and traffic before you head out to start your day.

>> not too bad of a start because we're tracking a problem at lanvale street with possible closures because of fire activity. a bit of a delay on the west

side beginning at liberty down towards edmondson, 39 miles per hour. 795 continuing to move well. we start with 895. the accident is gone and looking good on the j.f.x. into town. >> this will be an outstanding week weather-wise. 65 today. in the 70's for the rest of the week. maybe some rain tonight and tomorrow morning. enjoy. >> thanks for joining us for 11 news today. >> we will be back with a live update at 7:25. >> have a good one. >> follow breaking news and weather any time at wbaltv.com, and stay connected with us on facebook and twitter.