>> in the face of rising gas prices come the governor will try to convince lawmakers why is gas tax is still a good idea. >> more surprises in the gop race. the latest on primaries in the deep south, coming up. >> will we reach 80 degrees again today? the forecast as 11 news today continues right now. [captioning made possible by constellation energy group] captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org-- >> live, local, late-breaking, this is wbal-tv 11 news today. >> good morning. i'm mindy basara. >> and i'm stan stovall. thank you for joining us this morning. >> the children wanted me to get out the water slide. >> this feels like the beginning of june.

it feels like summer. i was on the cusp of turning on the air conditioner. it will be just as nice today. 54 degrees at the airport. lots of sunshine in the forecast. we had a few thunderstorms yesterday. that would not be the case today. a high temperature of 76 degrees. first we say good morning to sarah. >> looks like a nice start on the major roadways. 95 looks good down from 24. no problems down towards the fort mchenry. there is a problem if you're heading towards delaware. an accident is taking up the e-z pass lane at the delaware toll plaza. this is a tractor-trailer accident. we will keep you posted and watch for northbound delays on

95. 63 on southbound 83. no problems to report on the west side. 10 minutes to go south on 95 down towards 32. five minutes to travel southbound 95 between the split and the fort mchenry. here's a quick live look outside. the elkton region. no sign of delays to and from that region. it is building in volume. we switch over to traffic on 795 at franklin boulevard. building in violent around the area. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. -- building in volume around the area. >> we have breaking news. a strong earthquake has shaken nor that japan. -- a strong earthquake has

shaken northern japan. a tsunami of about half a meter is expected. this is the same region damaged by last year's earthquake and tsunami. maryland state troopers are on administrative leave after shooting a man in cecil county. the troopers answered a disorderly conduct call just after 7:00 a.m. on tuesday morning. the troopers say that christopher thomas refused to drop what appeared to be a handgun and pointed at them, they shot him, striking thomas in the legs. investigators are trying to determine the cause of a late- night fire. firefighters responded in riva. the fire was so incensed its

spread to the home next door. everybody managed to get out safely. a big night for rick santorum. he had wins in alabama and mississippi. a big disappointment to his republican rivals. tara mergener joins us live with the report. good morning to you. >> good morning. mitt romney was hoping these races would help propellent toward the nomination. he was upstaged by rick santorum instead. >> we did it again. [cheers] >> rick santorum sweeps primaries in alabama and mississippi. >> people have said, you know you're being outspent and everybody is talking about all the math and all the things, that this race is inevitable. >> boosting his claim as the conservative alternative. gingrich, who was banking on an all-southern strategy, is

resisting pressure from the santorum camp to bow out, and downplayed his loss as a bigger problem for mitt romney. >> one of the things tonight proved is that the elite media's effort to convince the nation that mitt romney is inevitable just collapsed. >> we've got work to do. >> romney did not speak to supporters after the results, but earlier in the day said his prospects were better than santorum's to clinch the nomination. >> he is far behind in the delegate count. he's far behind in the popular- vote count. if you look at the math and how many delegates he'd have to win to become the nominee, it's a very difficult road for him. >> ron paul did not invest time in either state. he has yet to win a single contest. the race goes on. >> tara mergener, thank you. have a good day. >> the governor will make his

pitch today to raise the gas tax. most agree it will be a tough sell. jennifer franciotti is live without drivers are coping. good morning. >> they say everything is in the timing. we're seeing sky rocketing gas prices. he is going to testify before house and senate committees on the issue about his plan to raise it 6% over a three-year period. drivers are choosing to take mass transit. mta is reporting bus ridership up along with light rail usage. more people are choosing alternatives to driving. they have seen about a 10% increase across the board since january of last year. >> it is a lot more affordable for a lot of people to get on the public transit system than to try to get out on the roads.

>> the average price of gas in maryland is $3.80 a gallon but it has reached over $4 a gallon in some parts of the white marsh area. $3.75 at this golf station -- gulf station. jennifer franciotti, wbal-tv 11 news. >> thank you. that brings us to our water cooler question of the day. do you support the governor's plan to phase in the state sales tax on gasoline to help balance the budget? you can share your response at wbaltv.com and on our facebook page, or send us an e-mail to watercooler@wbaltv.com. >> republican delegates have released their plan to balance the budget. it will try to balance the spending plan without raising taxes or increasing fees. >> it is not a revenue problem. we haven't out of control

spending problem. we spend a that would have the tax to backfill. >> the gop caucus will try to get their proposals on the house floor. lawmakers are looking for any way to cut state spending, the house of delegates has approved a pay raise for maryland judges. a 3% annual raise for the next three years. a 23% raise would get kicked in if they did not sign off on the plan. >> a baltimore man will spend the next 55 years in jail for shooting and wounding an innocent bystander. prosecutors say he shot and a man who would argue with him. that man ran into a house with a 10-year-old inside and pushed the child to the ground to

protect him. >> 6:08. the loyola men's basketball team is accused of having tight pockets when it comes to spending. >> a dramatic ending to it while police chase in california. >> the end of an era. familiar sign on bookshelves joins the digital age. >> ava marie previewing a jewelry extravaganza. >> we will detail an accident on northbound 95 at the delaware northbound 95 at the delaware t

>> good morning. we're back with a live view from the skycam. 63 degrees downtown. a mild start in the downtown area. we will check the forecast in a little bit. we're talking about a jewelry extravaganza. it is amazing. is benefiting partners in care -- this is benefiting partners

in care. this is a time the exchange that helps older adults state independent in their home. >> we do transportation, grocery shopping, arens, repairs. everybody has something to give and something that they need. >> that is such a neat concept. people sharing their talents. >> the person giving somebody a ride my sunday need some help painting their porch or fixing a window. >> you have upcoming dates for the jury extravaganza. -- jewelry extravaganza. >> march 23 and march 24 at are beautiful boutique on ritchie highway. >> people were able to give back

to the organization. we will be showing the j jewelery. mostly dry conditions across the state except for some sprinkles down of the eastern shore. we're expecting dryier condition is into the afternoon. people helping out other people with partners in care pickwick that is a wonderful program. the ladies when you to show the jewelry. thank you. not a lot to talk about weather- wise. a nice big area of high pressure moving from the great lakes. we had a cold front move and last night. the temperature today it will be back into the 70's. not a big deal as a whether changer for us.

54 at the airport. -- not a big deal as a weather changer. nothing showing up on the satellite. a few clouds in pennsylvania. basically there is nothing to talk about weather-wise today. when the weather people say that, that is always a good thing. high temperature between 73 and 78. about as nice as it gets this time of year. the average high is 53. the record is 83 back in 2007. we will not break any records today but it will be very nice. mostly clear skies. cooler temperatures tonight. we will drop back into the 40's tonight. another great day tomorrow. maybe a few more clouds in the afternoon. dry with a high near 77.

a chance for some rain on friday or saturday. we have a chance for rain on st. patrick, 30%. back into the mid 70's by monday and tuesday of next week. 6:6. >> good morning. we are tracking a problem on northbound 95 at the delaware toll plaza. it is expected to be there until 9:00 a.m. a tractor-trailer accident. you are forced to use the cash lanes. watch for delays. tracking speeds around 61 in the area of the tydings memorial bridge and down towards havre de grace. a nice start on the rest of the major roadways. 58 on the west side outer loop past liberty down towards security. 64 towards the glen burnie area on 97 at 100.

this is 95 at 279. this is the elkton exit. we're not seeing any delays in the northbound direction. we switch over to traffic at 50 at sandy point. the bay bridge is checking out fine to and from the eastern shore. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> 28 people are dead after it perfect bus crash in switzerland. the bus was part of a three-bus convoy taking a ski trip to the alps. a startling discovery freight highway patrol officers after a dramatic high-speed chase. abbas had to spend this truck around -- officers had to sp in struck around and discovered a baby in the car.

suspect fled because he was wanted for a parole violation. dallas seavey crossed the finish line on tuesday evening becoming the youngest person to win the iditarod race. his father and his grandfather also competed this year. he will when keys to a brand new trucks -- he will win keys to a brand new truck. >> the lights in the 2012 buick regal fail to activate. buick is expected to contact owners later this week. walmart is joining forces with ultraviolet which allows

customers to transfer dvd is to let on demand cloud server and watched them on a variety of wireless devices. you can watch them through walmart online movie service. encyclopedia britannica -- the company will stop the production of its volume sets. printed books represent less than 1% of their total sales. basketballversity's programs has some type pockets when it comes to spending. jane king has the bloomberg business report. >> good morning. if you're considering booking a hotel, you may not be able to take a dip in the pool. some hotel operators must have

pool lifts in place by tomorrow or allstate fall out of compliance. they made to close off the p ool completely. is it will hire military veterans -- walt disney will hire military veterans. we had a monster rally yesterday. the dow soared to its highest level since 2007. loyola university is among the lowest spenders to compete in this year's tournament. loyola spend just $1.7 million during the 2010-2011 season.

university of kentucky spent the most of the number-one seats during the prior season. i'm jane king for wbal-tv 11 news. >> that is a good thing for loyola. 56 degrees -- 57 degrees. a cold front is coming through. problem said the delaware toll plaza -. here is a look at last night's winning maryland lottery numbers.

>> now traffic pulse 11 and insta-weather plus together. >> good morning. sarah caldwell checking on your morning commute. lets you up to date. we are tracking a problem on northbound 95. the e-zpass lanes are block. you are forced to use the cash lanes. this is expected be there till around 9:00 a.m. this morning. so watch for delays. speeds around 67 on southbound 95. so far so good on the rest of the major roads. 68 traveling south from the parkton region at york road on

southbound 83. 50 miles per hour on the west side past liberty. on our cameraou on 95 at 279. we're watching to see if they backed up develops. you may start to see some delays at the delaware tolls. this is pulaski highway. to and from cecil county, not tracking any delays in this area. you may want to consider 40 as your alternate. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> thank you. we have had a beautiful stretch of weather and today we will keep it going. 54 at the airport. 57 in westminster. lots of sunshine today. warm again. high temperatures between 73 and 78.

we will come back and check the forecast for the upcoming weekend. here is keith mills. >> thank you. it will be nice to have that weather for opening day in a couple of weeks. two more games in dayton. western kentucky came back from 16 points down with five minutes to go to beat mississippi valley. trailing iona by 25. i ownona in the green. a big lead for iona. byu come back. a new ballgame. the block. the drive and the foul.

byu wins to play at marquette in the greatest comeback in ncaa tournament. jason hammel was a pitcher the orioles received in the german guthrie trade. -- jeremy guthrie trade. scott.kes out looks guke this is jai miller. 7-7, the game ends in a tie. ben grubbs will speak to the saints today as free agents it rolls on. >> 56 degrees on tv hill. some good news for maryland's

economy. not all good economic news. >> gas prices continued to rise. martin o'malley will talk about lawmakers about this proposed gas tax increase. >> discover to drown out what they call a message of

>> 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. i just poses some pictures of my beloved daffodils on a facebook. >> all the flowers are out and everybody is in the spring mode. today it will be in the 70's. lots of sunshine. we have some scattered thunderstorms in the afternoon yesterday. the average high temperature, 53 degrees. we will check the seven-day forecast in just a few minutes. >> thank you. gas prices continued to climb

towards the $4 a gallon mark. >> the governor plans to testify on this plant to raise the gas prices 6%. jennifer franciotti is live this morning with some reaction from drivers. good morning. >> the reaction is not good because walking to work really is not an option for most of us. the governor will be testifying before a house and senate committees. he said he is open for negotiation. drivers are not taking this so well and many are choosing alternatives. there is a little less elbow room on mta buses lately. the same goes for the light rail. >> right now the bus fares are actually cheaper than a gallon of gas each way, so financially it is better. >> in fact, mta officials say whether it's by rail, subway, or bus, more people are choosing alternatives to driving. they have seen about a 10% increase across the board since

january of last year. >> it is a lot more affordable for a lot of people to get on the public transit system than to try and get out on the roads. >> right now the average price for a regular gallon of gas in maryland is .82. but that's an 11-cent increase from just last week and a 24- cent increase from last month. that is money that commuter phyllis nelson would rather keep in her pocket and take with her on the bus. >> at least $200. at least. with parking and the gas. the bus only costs me -- i'm of a certain age, so i get a discount, so i save money there, too. >> and as gas prices already start to surpass the $4-a- gallon mark as we head in to the summer months, economists worry about the impact on our fragile economy. >> the longer gasoline prices stay high, the more impact that has on the prices of other goods. and so, no, i'm quite concerned, and this is one of the things that could cause this economic momentum that we've been seeing really to be

crippled. >> the cost of gas could rise by 18 to 21 cents over the next three years under the governor's proposal. >> there is some positive economic news when it comes to jobs. maryland added 5000 new jobs leaving the state unemployment rate at a new low. analysts credit the warm winter for job growth in construction. >> this is the best month with had since 2007. construction jobs were up. things are moving in the right direction. the transfer indication we're moving in the right direction. >> 32,600 jobs were added in the private sector last year alone. >> message of hate is drowned out by tolerance.

protest at glen burnie high school. member is decided to gather for a protest -- members decided to gather for a protest. >> want to show that a message of hatred does not get through. >> the church is known for protecting homosexuality. >> a dumping site has caught the eye of the federal government for its dangers content. the site in dundalk has been added to the national priority list because of metals and pesticides. the epa says dumping occurred in the marshland through the 1980's. a familiar face is stepping back

into the spotlight months after retiring. dr. nancy grasmick will serve as a teacher in leader education for towson university. she will help shape the program. officials cannot be more pleased about her track record. >> people may ask why towson. i was graduated from towson when it was a teacher preparation institution. the lessons i learned on this campus are lessons that have guided me through my career. >> her new position at towson is being paid for in part through private donations. >> now traffic pulse 11 and insta-weather plus together. >> good morning. sarah caldwell checking on your morning commute. it is looking pretty good on most of the major roadways. the exception is northbound 95

at the delaware toll plaza. there is a tractor-trailer accident. you're forced to use the cash lanes and it will cause some delays as a volume continues to build. not seeing any delays on 95 from cecil county. the tydings memorial bridge continues to move well. 60 miles per hour on southbound 83. a nice start on the j.f.x. so far. we're starting to see the volume pickup on 70 down towards edmondson. 95, 65 south of 100. this is 95 in the elkton region. no sign of a delays. southbound 295, track and some delays down towards 32 and that is all volume related. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11.

ava marie is joining us live this morning from pasadena and she is that a woman's exchange. is going on -- what is going on? >> we lost ava but we'll get back to her. these are not five-star accommodations but guests say they will not have it any of the way. >> we are still taking your answers to our water cooler question of the day. do you support the governor's plan to phase in the state sales tax on gasoline to help balance the budget? you can share your response at wbaltv.com and on our facebook page, or send us an e-mail to ♪

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fly nonstop from bwi airport to panama city beach. 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.

>> welcome back to 11 news today. and then it is in critical condition after a shooting in east baltimore. this happened near ashland avenue. police discovered a man suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. no word as to a suspect or a possible motive. a pair of state troopers are on administrative leave after shooting a man in cecil county. they were answering a disorderly conduct call in northeast. the troopers say when christopher thomas refused to drop what appeared to be a silver handgun and pointed it at them, they shot him in the legs. he was taken to the hospital. investigators are trying to determine the cause of a late-

night fire. firefighters responded in riva just before 10:30 on tuesday night. the fire spread to the home next door. everybody managed to get out safely. >> 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 a few problems. some debris in the road on route 32 in columbia. that could set you back a few minutes. looking pretty good on 95 out of the northeast. a little bit of a slowdown past white marsh to the northeast. looking at delays on the west side from liberty down towards edmondson. average speed, 33 miles per hour. a delay for at marysville in towards 29. up to speed on southbound 83 from padonia road down to the

beltway. we have a problem on a 95 at the delaware toll plaza. a tractor-trailer is block in the you see le-zpass lanes. everything's looking good elsewhere. 95 at 32 is northbound traffic and no delays in either direction at this time. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. ava marie it is joining us live from pasadena at a women's exchange. >> we are live at partners in care. they helped give independence to older adults, keeping them going on with their lives. this is such a great organization. they are having a jewelry exchange. you're the expert and the manager of the event. this is coming up on march 23 and march 24. >> we're at the severna park

community center from 11:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. and on saturday from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. at the boutique on ritchie highway. >> its thousand people have two chances to get a look at this extravagant jewelry. tell us about what kind of items that people will see. >> of gold, silver, beautiful gems and stones. i cannot tell you how wonderful it is to be part of this. always need volunteers. you do need to come and see it. with antique pieces and we're putting out handbags and also other things that we have in stock. with a beautiful wedding dresses -- we have a beautiful

wedding dresses. >> umar but sell things throughout the year. you are pulling out some of the finest pieces. this is from copenhagen. this is a brand-new luxury had you would wear in russia. i think it is an antique. these are some of the many items. >> march 23 at the severna park community center and the 24th here at the boutique. at the kennedy center, will be having 200 local vendors selling their wares. >> you have got to check out this great jewelry. mostly dry conditions over baltimore. we'll keep warm as we head into the afternoon. i think this hat will be out of place with today's temperatures.

>> it looks good on you. it does look good. an ethic you can get away with it even if it is sunny and 80 degrees. thank you. sounds like a wonderful program. and some great jewelry available. during theto ava 7:00 p.m. hour on the digital channel. temperatures will be knocked down a couple of degrees. will drop into the 70's today. 54 at the airport. 50 in parkton. 53 in jarrettsville. there is nothing to talk about. the skies are clear. lots of sunshine in our forecast for today. this update as nice as it gets for this time of year. high temperature between 73 and 78. it should be a beautiful

sunrise. the average high temperature is 53. the record is 83. mid to upper 70's is impressive for this time of year. mostly clear skies tonight. temperatures will be a couple of degrees cooler. back to the upper 40's. this weather pattern will hold for the next several days. the jet stream is up in canada. there will be storms traveling to the jet stream from time to time to give us off and on chances of rain but it will not do much to the temperatures. 72 on friday with a chance for a shower or thunderstorm. maybe some light rain left on saturday. only a 30% chance and it will be mild with temperatures into the 60's and 70's over the weekend. back to the bit 7's over the weekend.

-- back to the mid 70's over the weekend. >> time now for a last look at one of our big stories. the governor has to convince the assembly the state needs a gas tax. jennifer franciotti is mhas mor. >> it will be a tough sell. there is a 20-cent difference between two gas stations. $3.95 at one station. drivers are scratching their heads. drivers are choosing to take mass transit. mta is reporting bus ridership up along with light rail usage. more people are choosing alternatives to driving. they have seen about a 10% increase across the board since january of last year. the governor will go to a house and senate committees to try to convince them why a 6% sales-tax

on gasoline is necessary to pay for various projects around the state. jennifer franciotti, back to you. >> is that the only option on the table? >> the governor is talking about the ability to negotiate. what that means, i'm sure we will find out. he wants a decision by the end of the session which is people 9 -- april 9. >> jennifer franciotti, thank you. >> that brings us to your answers to our water cooler question of the day. >> this morning we asked -- do you support the governor's plan to phase in the state sales tax on gasoline to help balance the budget? everybody agreed on this one.

>> we will post more of your answers on the front page of wbaltv.com. >> here is matt lauer with a look at what is coming up next on the "today" show. >> good morning. a big night for rick santorum as the twins -- as he wins in alabama and mississippi. what about newt gingrich? a new twist in the wrongful termination lawsuit by nicolette sheridan. does it mean the rest of her case is now in jeopardy? does springs early arrival have you sneezing? what you can do to get relief. will catch up with george clooney and robert deniro as we get started on a wednesday morning.

>> thank you. 56 degrees on tv hill. >> coming up, we'll take a last look at weather and traffic before you head out to start your day.

>> if you're heading north on 95 come you may have a big problem. >> the e-zpass lanes are closed because of a tractor-trailer accident. watch for delays as volume picks up. southbound delays at the fort mchenry. we have a problem in columbia. watch for debris in the road.

a slow go on 95 coming out of white marsh. 32 of the west side outer loop. this is the fort mchenry. looking at delays coming out of the toll plaza. a slowdown development of the north side and harford. >> a slight cold dawn today. >> from 80 to 76. what a day yesterday. a high temperature of 66 or 77. a chance for rain and back in the forecast thursday night and into friday. i love what into the neighborhoods on days like this. -- i love walking through the neighborhoods on days like this. >> thanks for joining us for 11 news today. >> we will be back with a live update at 7:25. >> going to the supermarket today. >> i can go to the store.

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.