just going to get worse. well, it has happened once again. gas prices in certain parts of the channel 11 viewing area have reached $4 a gallon for regular unleaded, raising concerns from consumers and business owners. >> i am a small-business owner myself, and gas prices are going to hurt everybody. unfortunately, we have to pay them. we need to get back and forth to work, but it definitely does her. >> now the question is how high those prices will go. >> my sense is gas prices will continue to creep higher. >> this economist says there are a number of factors pushing together to drive prices higher from tensions in the middle east to speculation. the fear is a prices continue to climb, our fragile economic recovery will slow down once again like it did last year. >> the price of many things goes up, not just gasoline. the longer gasoline prices stay high, the more impact that has

on the prices of other goods. i am quite concerned. this is one of the things that could cause the economic momentum we have been seeing to be crippled. >> right now, the tendency is to remain at this level and perhaps to go higher. >> those in the petroleum industry agree, pointing up prices will likely climb in the summer months as summer grade gasoline goes online. >> consumers have to drive the work. that out of pocket money is going -- they are not replacing that. incomes are not going up, and i think that definitely has an impact on people and on our state goes the economy. >> as gas prices continued to rise, the governor o'malley is still making a push to raise the state gas tax. we will have more on that tonight at 6:00. meantime, if you have any pictures of high prices or lower prices if you want to send us, go to our web site, wbaltv.com,

and send them. >> passion of protesters go head-to-head this afternoon -- passionate protesters go head- to-head this afternoon using a high school as a battlefront for gay rights. one local grassroots organizations got when the plans of the westboro baptist church, the staged a counter demonstration. representatives of the church say they oppose gay rights and the growing acceptance in society. >> we are here because these students have been lied to all their lives. their destruction is upon them, and they do not even know it. >> let people have their gay marriage. let them have it. if i'm miserable in marriage, someone else can be as well.

[laughter] >> in case you wonder, the church apparently picked the high school at random to target the entire state of maryland. they are also known for protesting the loss actuality at the funerals of soldiers killed in iraq and afghanistan. >> now to afghanistan, where a cross and an effigy of president obama were burned today in the process the shooting of 16 afghan civilians. many of the victims were children. a staff sergeant is in custody, suspected of carrying out that massacre. we have the latest from kabul. >> know what is really sure if we are waiting for a more violent, more impassioned response from the afghan people -- no one is really sure. so far, the response to the murder spree has been relatively muted. there was a protest today, but it was only attended by a few hundred students by an islamic university. they burn crosses. they burned an effigy for

president obama. but it was a fairly small administration. also, in the south, president karzai sent a delegation to meet with tribal elders, people close survived this horrific attack, and that delegation was apparently shot at while the delegation was in the area. there was a lot of tension, but so far, no rights here, not the same kind of emotional response that the country sought after u.s. troops and verbally burned copies of the koran. there still could be worse reaction to come. watch friday prayer. but what we are really seeing now is the horror from the families who were involved in the incident. >> the united states takes this as seriously as if it were our own citizens and our own children who were murdered. we're heartbroken over the loss of innocent life.

>> the staff sergeant with the space, what about a mile, into three different homes, and started murdering any afghanis he could find. >> state house republicans released details of their alternative budget today. it balances the spending plan without raising taxes or fees, but it cuts millions more -- about $500 million -- than the one the senate is currently working on. our reporter joins us now with more details. david? >> the house gop caucus cuts more than $511 million more than the governor's proposal. >> armed with a battery of charts and graphs, state house republicans illustrated how their alternative budget is balanced through cuts and a freeze in spending and not with tax and fee increases. >> less spending would be a brighter future for maryland families, maryland small businesses, and maryland

taxpayers. >> the gop alternative calls for an across-the-board 2% spending cut for agencies, which would save $12 million. this continuing stem cell research grants would say $10 million. eliminating sustainable community tax credit would save $7 million. there would be an $8 million savings by eliminating a by a tax credit, a freeze in- education funding reduce the budget by $31 million. a freeze in k-12 funding instead of shifting the cost of teacher pensions to local jurisdictions saves a whopping $174 million. >> the republican caucus is against the shift in pensions. i know there are radio ads currently playing accusing all legislators of supporting that. we do not believe that is a good idea. >> the house gop says these and others add up to 511 million more dollars in cuts than the governor's original proposal. >> it is not a revenue problem. we have an out of control spending problem. we spend and after-tax. >> it is a level headed idea to

level funds. it is time that our government lives within its means. >> the gop caucus will try to get their budget proposals into the budget the senate is working for through amendments in committee and on the house floor. >> thank you. tonight, police believe a woman was trying to escape her camper fire when she darted into oncoming traffic and was struck and killed. tonight, they say foul play may have been a possibility. it happened just before 9:00 last night. the victim was pronounced dead at the scene. not far from the camper trailer fire on the very same street. detectives are working to investigate possible link between the two incidents. and harbor county teenager could have a prison for life for stabbing another man to death. he pleaded guilty to first- degree murder in the killing of

patrick ward last august. sentencing has been set for may. >> some sunshine and unseasonably warm temperatures continuing in the mid atlantic today. some spots pushing toward the 80-degree mark. current temperatures now mostly in the low to mid 70's. and kent county, mid-7's. which any rate on and see there is a little bit of shower activity popping up. you might expect it almost like a summertime afternoon shower. we see some of those isolated storms often up inside the beltway. nothing significant in the media baltimore area, but we keep an eye on the sky because a weak little battery is tracking in.

>> we will see you then. it is their first trip to the n.c.a.a. tournament since 1994, and tonight, the loyal greyhounds are on an os/2 could spur where they will take on a big can powerhouse ohio -- big 10 power house ohio. >> the road starts tonight in pittsburgh. that is what everyone will say, but tonight, we want to take you behind the scenes to practice and your the point of view of the players on this career and life milestone. >> definitely a dream come true. you are watching guys celebrate in the tournament, all the commercials. this is what you go to college for. >> it just felt good to be part of something new. we set our goals high. we just tried to reach our goals

this year, and we reached them. >> it feels great to tell somebody you are part of a team that made it to the n.c.a.a. tournament. >> in the state baltimore, we play with a chip on our shoulders, and i think that is how the team is this year. >> 28 seconds.

>> [inaudible] [applause] >> wide-open. lewis is wide open [inaudible] >> uc other big names in there, in the tournament. other big teams. i just want to be on the same court as them. >> i mean, we are playing well. i think that is what you try to do. >> we prepare for it. it is just basketball. we are dead and have fun. >> special thanks to the videographer for that. -- we are just here to have fun.

>> so excited for them. >> we wish them the best. a popular chocolate came just got a little bigger. a new location where you can stop for easter basket is coming up. >> plus, a tradition in annapolis has been drawing attention for years. somebody keeps dressing up these concrete house. still ahead, we will try to get to the bottom of the -- yes -- moodunnit. ♪

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>> more than 100 student chefs took over the baltimore convention center today. high-school culinary students put their skills to the test. >> eight minutes. >> this might look like a cooking challenge on "top chef" but these are high-school students competing in the eighth annual pro start invitational. >> i just love the feeling i get. since i was a young child, i just love to cook. i watched cooking shows all the time. i feel like it is what i was supposed to do. >> the students have one hour to

prepare two plates of a three- course meal, using two butane burners and the supplies they brought with them. >> it is crazy, but i'm taking it in a really good, holding my team on strong with a positive attitude. >> they are judged on everything from teamwork to knife skills to, of course, how the food actually tastes. >> the competition is another area for them to get on the job training and experience, work with the great industry chefs we have, our great sponsors. >> $1.6 million in scholarship money to culinary schools is up for grabs in the competition to help the students on their path to the future. >> i want to go to culinary. i just want to learn to cook. i want to be, like, an executive chef for a business chef, like the one that runs the whole restaurant. >> my dream is coming true. one step further in life closer

to where i want to be. >> the members of the top three teams will be eligible for the scholarship, and the team who wins it all will advance to the national competition in april. >> that food look good. in tonight's medical alert, the key to sticking with an exercise regimen may be in the palm of your hands. a study shows that women who exercise using a device that cools your palms work out longer and with greater intensity than women who did not. the women also lost more rate -- weight and had better heart rate and blood pressure. they can be expensive and hard to find, but holding a bottle of water is a pretty good substitute. a new study shows distinct differences in what people eat depending on education, income level, and race. african-americans were more likely to eat a southern diet and sugar-sweetened drinks. it was also more common among men, people without a college

degree, and those who earned less than $35,000 a year. middle-aged people from ages 55 -- 35 to 54 tended to eat a more traditional diet of international foods -- pasta, pizza, soups. do not be surprised if you see your doctor with an ipad in hand soon. a study was conducted were over 100 hospital residents were given ipads to access medical records. researchers found a steady increase in patient care instructions, jumping 5% to 8%. residents say the tablets help them save about an hour each day, allowing them to be more efficient with their patient care. >> as temperatures climb through the upper 70's and even into the low 80's in some spots, the unstable nature of the atmosphere comes into play. warm air near the ground rising and cool air aloft sinking, and it turns the atmosphere over a little bit.

we see shall is popping up in the heat of the afternoon -- warmth of the afternoon, if you will. decent looking shower. maybe some isolated thunder associated with it, though no lightning showing up right now on our lightning strike indicator, but the system will continue to be a factor. it looks like it has developed in the past few minutes and is drifting slowly toward annapolis. be on the lookout. also, a couple of showers around d.c. we saw a couple of hours popping around northern hartford county and then fizzled out as it crossed into cecil county. -our appears to be just about done. but another few hours the risk of the shower will be with us in the warmth of this unseasonably warm march afternoon. you can see the mild air goes all the way up into new england and upstate new york. 71 its 71 in boston. 79 @ -- looks like around charlottesville to northern virginia. 79 degrees also in richmond.

a little bit cooler to the north and west of us. there is a bleak little boundary trying to slide through. it is obviously not that dramatic. there is a little bit of a temperature drop with that front, and it is helping to lift the atmosphere and a bit. we will see some isolated showers again until just after sunset. the naval academy, looks like a little bit of a baby's there. cooler on the beach, too. ocean city at 63. western maryland and joining a mild, march afternoon. you can see isolated showers continue on. the about 9:00 or so. we will clear out, and eventually, it will be a little cooler tonight than it was last night as the winds shift to the northwest. very isolated evening showers, then clear son said. see the swirl in the clouds in southern canada tracking toward knowing when and producing some

wintry weather in all the known when, dealing with some snow and sleet this afternoon while we have temperatures near 80. the extreme northern tip of maine still dealing with winter. the west -- the rest of the eastern half of the country rather mild. lots of clear real estate was the that, though, and that will come in for the rest of the week. even the we have a weak little front moving through, i do not drop temperatures much. plenty of mild air in the middle of the country to come our way. sunshine for the day tomorrow. temperature may come down a notch, but unseasonably mild weather continues. an isolated showers could pop up thursday, but the more significant threat of rain will arrive on friday as a stronger front pushes in from the west. 73 to 80. little bit cooler than today. on the day, when that of the northwest at 5 to 10 knots. they water temperatures in the upper 40's -- bay water temperatures. an isolated thunderstorm possible on thursday.

eastern shore locations will see sunshine tomorrow. some beautiful weather next couple of days down around ocean city except for that cool sea breeze. they-70's tomorrow and upper 70's thursday. thursday night and friday, a chance for a thunderstorm. st. patrick's day looks cloudy but pleasant with a high of 73. >> beautiful outside. gorgeous. president obama says china needs to loosen its grip on things like flat screen tvs and hybrid car batteries. >> he announced a new trade case against the economic power and how he plans to level the playing field for american purchases and workers. >> for 20 years, she was the state's school superintendent here tonight, she has a new title

>> from the tv set you are watching us on to your smartphone, there is a good chance you're using something that was made in china. >> good evening to you.

it is not just consumers. obama calls china's restrictive trade -- trade practices and says they are hurting u.s. consumers and businesses. >> tough talk on trade by president obama. >> our competitors should be on notice -- you will not get away with skirting the rules. >> the president taking aim at china, announcing the u.s. has filed a complaint against them with the world trade organization for unfair trade practices. >> the key is to make sure that the playing field is level, and, frankly, sometimes it is not. >> at issue, rare earth minerals used to make flat screen tvs, camera lenses, hybrid vehicles, and much more. >> things like wind turbines, solar cells, smartphones, computers, almost any high- technology items now. >> china has a strong hold on the rare earth minerals, accounting for more than 90% of production.

>> it is costing consumers when they buy these products and is costing us jobs because we cannot compete with companies in china. >> even with the president's absence, experts warned it could take time before businesses feel the impact or prices come down -- even with the president's actions. >> i did not think it will be a decrease in prices, it is just you will avoid seeing an increase in prices, or a decrease in access. >> china has 10 days to respond to the complaint and 60 days to hold talks with us, but a chinese government official says it believes its policies are in line with global trade rules. >> thanks. the latest hot commodity on the black market may be in your laundry room right now. why experts say tide detergent has become like liquid gold. has become like liquid gold. >> and a book of what

>> nida @ 5:30, one of the nation's top educators has come out of retirement to take on a big job. it has in eight months since she stepped down as maryland's longest serving school superintendent. now all messed up, she is getting on to higher education. >> she was hired to retool a teacher education program and to do it as a presidential scholar.

>> there president called it one of the university's finest hours, referring to her as a national icon of excellence and education, a woman she says has the right vision to prepare teachers and leaders. >> today, dr. nancy grasmick assumes the position of presidential scholar. >> it is a position tailor made for her. she is a scholar on special assignment. >> people may ask why year. i was graduated from here when it was a teacher preparation institution. the lessons i learned on this campus are lessons that have guided me through my career. >> her official title is presidential scholar for

innovation and teacher and -- in a little education, meaning she will head of the campus wide effort to prepare teachers and frame educational leaders. jobs also put emphasis on the school's them by science, technology, engineering, and mathematics programs. >> we are excited she is going to take our already great program and make it better. >> the school president says she has no doubts she is the right person for the job. >> at her heart, she is a teacher. her professional and personal life, her every action is tied to the success of students, students, students. that is what it is about for her. >> i expect she will lead us in candid and in-depth analyses of current teacher preparation methods and challenge us to find innovative ways to enhance the quality of those we prepare and the academic success, most importantly, of those they

teach. >> education makes every other profession possible. thank you very much. i am honored. [applause] >> [inaudible] >> the new program grasmick is heading up is being paid for in part with private donations. >> thank you. here's a look at some of our other top stories this hour. the average price for a gallon of gas in maryland has the top $3.80 -- $3.80, but in many places, prices are topping the $4 mark. the governor prepares to defend his call for a new gas tax before state lawmakers tomorrow. >> concerns we have not seen the worst of the retaliation from the afghani people are rising. today, across an effigy of president obama were burned -- a

cross and a effigy. president obama said the incident will be treated as if it were american citizens that were murdered. the loyola maryland basketball team on its way to. the greyhounds will take on big 10 powerhouse ohio state, the number to a we'll see in the tournament. they received a number 15 seat in east region on sunday and will play thursday against the buckeyes. >> speaking of march madness, the annual n.c.a.a. basketball championship tournament began this afternoon. every year, there seems to be enacted to this madness, one that really affects the bottom line that many businesses across the country. >> along the tidal basin in washington, the famed cherry blossoms are already starting to pop weeks in advance. >> they are beautiful, but they

are early this year. add to let everybody know it is time for spring. >> forecasters said it could lead the earliest, but it was a lovely story about spring. unfortunately, nothing about the n.c.a.a., but will try to find that in the back room for you. do you have any spare change? >> the tsa certainly does. wait until you hear how much money they collect annually in unclaimed cash. one lawmaker wants to change that.

>> quite a scene this morning. a delta 737 slid down an embankment after brakes failed during engine testing. there were no passengers on board. just two technicians who work, no doubt, it shaken. we are told there were no serious flight delays because of the incident. meantime, a florida congressman pushing to change the law, which states the department of homeland security can claim any money left at airports screening

stations. republican congressman jeff miller once those -- that money to go to united service organizations. the bill would be used to improve travel accommodations for military personnel. the amount of unclaimed change added up to a staggering $410,000 last year. >> just people too busy, too much in a hurry to collect change. it is election day in alabama and mississippi and caucus day in hawaii. each presidential hopeful is hoping for a breakout. mitt romney has seen a surge in pre-election polls, and the .opes it translates into a win >> as voters headed to the polls in alabama and mississippi, mitt romney was showing surprising strength in the polls, but still fighting enthusiasm gaps. >> i still felt like romney was the best candidate for me. >> he is already moved on to the upcoming caucus state of

missouri. >> how many people in this audience call it missourah as opposed to missouri? >> he was hoping to run of his commanding delegate lead. >> he has the ability to seal the deal tonight with a win in either state, but the loss means the race continues to move on. >> newt gingrich may have the most riding on today's results. no wins in his path forward looks like a dead end. rick santorum called to transformed himself from underdog into serious contender, though even his supporters seem skeptical. >> even as santorum is not electable, people voting for him make a stand that his values are important. >> you will not get away with skirting the rules. >> of president obama is showing weakness in the latest "new york times"/cbs poll. a nine-one approval ratings

plunge in a month -- nine-point approval ratings plunge in a month. and that a recent national survey shows a statistical tie between the president and either mitt romney or click santorum. you can see the numbers as the polls close from wbaltv.com. >> opposition activists in syria same regime forces have killed scores of civilians, including women and children over the past few days. they are demanding an international inquiry into what they're calling crimes against humanity. the arab league chief says it would not be ethical or moral to allow those behind the killings to get away with the crimes, calling them thugs and terrorists. a majority of shows civilians trying to flee the town. >> with a lot of homeless people and have a high demand for wireless internet, one

company thinks they had a solution. they are using homeless people as hot spots, and as you might guess, it is a hot topic. how it all works coming up. >> unusual warm triggering a couple of isolated showers, maybe even a thunderstorm or two. check out the seven-day forecast. beautiful view from skype team 11. two bridges in the low 80's and wins out of the southwest

>> good afternoon. coming up tonight at 6:00, maryland unemployment hits its lowest rate in three years. a closer look at what this means for the state's economy, but on the downside, gas prices

continued climb, so much so that it is hitting the $4 mark. we sit down with some experts. and a balanced state budget that does not include tax or fee does not include tax or fee increases, but it girl: i want to tell you about my friend. his name is ben. ben learned about a homeless boy who had an infected tooth, and the boy died. that made ben really sad. he wrote a law so every kid can see a dentist. we have special dental van that goes from school to school. he even helps make sure we learn how to brush our teeth. he's my friend, ben. i hope he's your friend, too. i'm ben cardin, and i approved this message.

>> although spring is not officially started, it feels like it with the mild weather we have been having everywhere across the country. trees and flowers blooming weeks in advance. it could be the earliest piece on record for the cherry blossoms in washington. it leaves people ready to usher in a warmer weather, but unfortunately, with spring also come mosquitos, and experts warn they are out in full force. >> the mild winter we had is getting everyone out into the guards quicker, so the season has started. mosquitos are already out.

and i guess the advice is keep the bug spray handy. there is only more warm weather to come, and least in the immediate future. >> always a trade-off. i'm sure whenever eats mosquitos is happy. >> they have an abundance source of food. we are seeing the warmest of bridges we have had since october 10. you have to go all the way back to almost the beginning of october to finalize the we did the 80-degree mark in october. you will see that any second, i'm confident of it. we have some isolated showers and thunderstorms brought enough in the heat of the afternoon. a couple of them drifting south and east of baltimore past annapolis and out across the bay. parts of prince george's and anne o'donnell county still dealing with showers. nothing showing up on our lightning tracked just that. it is on, and not see any strikes, but a decent hour crossing the bay now, east of

annapolis and heading over toward kent island and over eventually toward the eastern shore. in baltimore, much less activity. will the cloud cover building up, but so far, no significant showers. -- little bit of cloud cover building up. for the time being, it is right here and only a few isolated showers to our south and east. 13th day of march. in normal high for the day only 53 degrees. trying to do the math as i stand here. that is 27 degrees normal than usual today. solid 30 degrees above average. 85 is the record, though. we did not even set a record today. that goes back to 1990. look at the record amount of snow. mid-march 1993, the superstore rolling up the coast from florida to maine. a bunch of snow around here. about a foot, but much more in the colder northern and western suburbs, and that storm also had

tornadoes and storm surge on the coast and high wind. it was an amazing storm, right smack almost in the middle of march. this time around feeling like summertime. 80's around baltimore. 70's on the eastern shore. isolated showers continuing to blossom until 9:00 or 10:00 tonight and gradually fizzling out with mostly clear skies expected overnight. eventually, slightly cooler air will filter in. the area of low pressure to our north tracking to southern canada dragging a weak front will baltimore, but to the west of it, lots of clear real estate and mild temperatures. 81 degrees in kansas city. 53 in international falls, but the warm front moving their way and is dry, mild weather will push in behind tonight's little weather disturbance. temperatures a little bit cooler. we make will off by about 5 degrees or so tomorrow. thursday, another mild day. couple of isolated showers could

pop up in the afternoon, but the next significant chance of any rain comes at us on friday as a stronger storm system, stronger front rolls in. enjoy the sunshine. it will be a pleasant day tomorrow with west wins at about five or 10 miles an hour. the seven-day forecast keep temperatures mild thursday. thursday night, friday, scattered thunderstorms. st. patrick's day, more clouds than sun, but not a bad day. a little bit cooler sunday with highs in the upper 60's. >> and we found the story, his back to march madness. the tournament began this afternoon, and every year, this seems to be and that the that affect the bottom line that many businesses across the country. >> the teams are showing up. the fans are gearing up. across the country, it is game time. >> march madness is second to none. nothing else like it in the world. >> nothing like the best club championship seems to capture the emotion. >> there we go.

>> or the attention of millions, many who are supposed to be at work. >> i've run a march madness pool in my office. >> estimates are 2.5 million fans will spend about 90 minutes a day focused on the tournament while at work, which means over the first two days alone, employees will be paying at least $175 million to distracted workers, most watching the game constantly checking scores on their office computers, smartphone, or tablet. >> i use my laptop or my cell phone, one of the other. >> some to develop a scratchy throat, cough, or any other marginality. of fans admit4% to takeoff. others just take a day off. >> it is late take a day off first and second round. sometimes i try to take a half- day on the third and fourth rounds as well. >> half days, but for many, a

full-time person. everyone has their own method for building out a basket. if you flip a coin to pick the winner of the game, the odds of a perfect back at our one in 100 million trillion. experts say you have a better chance of winning three consecutive powerful drawings. but the unpredictability seems to be a big part of the drop. at every game comes down to the wire. you lose and you are done. it is do-or-die. you have to love it. >> and love that millions just cannot let go of, even at work. >> 100 million trillion? i am in. in tonight's consumer alert, the government's settlement with five of the nation's largest mortgage lenders is not a done deal and it looks like maryland will receive nearly $1 billion of that. the deal aims to help homeowners who are struggling because of

the foreclosure crisis and the relief or help refinancing. if you need help, you can contact the maryland hope hot line. we also have a link on our web site. there is a new hot commodity to ride on the black market. there's a good chance you already have some of this at your home -- tide laundry detergent? it is apparently like liquid gold to some. this surveillance video from a supermarket in maryland shows a suspect loading his car with 15 or 20 bottles of tide. he takes it out of the store without paying. when he gets outside, he throws it to a waiting getaway car. less than an hour later, his accomplice is seen on security tate selling it to a salon. police say it is becoming a target for thieves because it is popular and can be pricey. 11 news has been calling local retailers to find out if they have had any issues beer wagons, target tell us they are not experiencing problems with high debt. a number of other stores have

not returned our calls. with tide theft. 24,000 square feet of goodness right here in baltimore. local business leaders on hand today for sort of a sweet welcome to town. a popular family business is one of the oldest candy shops in baltimore. 97 years and going strong. >> this is a family-run business, and it is an anchor in the community, providing strength and stability to other businesses growing along this main street. >> the mayor says there expansion is a sign small local businesses can have an influence on the economy and will help the city meet its expansion goals. >> thanks. an unusual plan to put the homeless to work in texas is raising eyebrows tonight at this week's south by southwest festival in austin. homeless people are being used as mobile hot spots.

they have been given a wireless card and a t-shirt to wear that sports their log in code. customers pay the homeless person for the time they spend online and the homeless person gets to keep some of the money. the wireless company calls it a win-win, but others feel it exploits the homeless. maryland's economy is now 5000 people stronger. the latest jobs report out may be a sign we are on the rebound. details coming up note 6:00, but first, it has everyone talking in annapolis. these concrete house -- cows are dressing up for just about every occasion, but who is behind the costumes? details straight ahead.

girl: i want to tell you about my friend. his name is ben. ben learned about a homeless boy who had an infected tooth, and the boy died. that made ben really sad. he wrote a law so every kid can see a dentist. we have special dental van that goes from school to school. he even helps make sure we learn how to brush our teeth. he's my friend, ben. i hope he's your friend, too.

i'm ben cardin, and i approved this message. >> annapolis is known for a lot of things, but cows are not one of them, but that is about to change. >> at the entrance and exit of the state agriculture building in annapolis, when you drive in or you drive out, you will see one of these guys -- they have been here since the 1980's. it is a bovine mystery -- who is dressing up these cows? today, they were dressed up for st. patrick's day. when it first started in the 1990's, state employees were doing the decorating, but that stock. in early 2000, a mystery person started decorating them.

>> about 10 years ago, they mysteriously started getting decorated for different holidays. >> any idea who is doing it? >> we do not know for sure. we suspect somebody local, but we will come in one day, either over a weekend, sometimes during the week, and they will be decorated. and the deputy secretary here says the cows seem to have a different outfit for every season. >> they might be dressed up as of assam for fourth of july. we have had a bride and groom addressed around june. the usual holidays -- christmas, easter. sometimes at the start of school and at the start of summer, they will be decorated appropriately. >> the cows in their costumes seem to be a popular attraction in the neighborhood, whether it is people driving by and large just taking a stroll. then the people come in thinking they should drive the road just to see it. >> i think people really like them. >> they do it for every holiday, every season.

it is always something interesting. >> having a california dressed as santa claus is cool. i think it which is for halloween. that was pretty cool. >> makes people smile. it is a good thing. >> but the mystery remains -- who is decorating these concrete cows? >> it is a mystery, but want for all the year somebody has been doing it, it is fortunate to get passed from one person to another. >> whether you are, please continue. >> that is pretty cool. all right, donna, fess up. i know it is you. here's a look of what is coming up a 6:00. >> more new jobs in maryland -- 5000 more. i will tell you about it coming up. >> we are now starting to see gas prices more than $4 a gallon around the channel 11 viewing area. i will have a live report. >> the house gop caucus comes up with a balanced budget with no fee or tax increases and without

shifting the cost of teacher pensions. details straight ahead. rateryland's unemployment hit its lowest rate in three years, now standing at 6.5%, and that is our big story tonight is 6:00. >> state labor officials say they are seeing another positive sign -- job growth for a fifth straight month. >> live with tonight's project economy report in downtown baltimore. >> we're told the state not only recorded a fifth straight month of bringing in new jobs, but this is also the fifth straight month unemployment has gone down. >> what it really shows is we are continuing to trend in the right direction. every month of last year continued to move in the right direction, and this is a continuation of the governor's efforts and evidence that we are coming out of this recession slowly but surely. >> 5000 new jobs in jry