people living there. >> sx are still being felt in some parts of town. >> more storms like that this week. the forecast continues right now. >> you are watching wbal tv 11. >> live, local, late-breaking, this is wbal-tv 11 news today. >> good morning everyone. >> to a for joining us. >> what can kids expect? >> unfortunately, we still have a chance for thunderstorms in the forecast. nothing like what we saw yesterday. yesterday, it was over and over. it was good for us to catch up, but all that rain at once did catch up some flooding problems. 68 degrees, 69 degrees at thurgood marshall. there is still a chance for thunderstorms today. details on that when we come

back. now let's head to traffic pulse 11. >> good morning to you. a nice start out there if you're heading to school this morning. not a whole lot in the way of delays. if we have an accident being cleared. some closures in affect. that is due to a water main break being repaired. we are also looking at closures once again, unfortunately, in areas monument streets. let's give you a look at drive times. if you're coming down from that area, the building volume is still looking pretty good as far as delays. picking up as well in volume. southbound traffic as you get closer to the capital beltway. that is the very latest on

traffic pulse 11. >> our big story this morning, close to 1 million maryland public school students return to the classroom this morning. >> questions about the spending habits of the baltimore city schools ceo and board of education. live a from northeast baltimore. >> good morning. in northeast baltimore, return the data to the brand new school addition you see behind me. of the governor, the mayor, they will all be here this morning. the ceo is sure to be facing some questions about a published report over the weekend that he, along with some key members of his administration, in some cases, members of the board of administration, charge hundreds of thousands of dollars over the past year and a half.

the report was in the baltimore sun about how top school officials were spending money on expensive meals and travel. if this is the same system that back in the spring was trying to close a $35 million budget deficit. they also spent the last year lobbying the state in control over how they pay for big- ticket school construction projects like the one behind me. of course, we have reactions today from about 8:30. we go to baltimore county were students are also returning. >> high. thank you. here in baltimore county, returning to a brand-new building behind me here. right across the parking lot from the old one. the new superintendent is expected to be here for an assembly to welcome the students back. there will be opening their stores to students for the first time today. $58 million school last week.

the center for technology is a county-wide school. his been on the drawing board for more than three years. both students and administrators are excited to utilize the new space. >> the building inspires the creativity. the creativity inspires the building. i hope everybody feels these are students who are deeply and passionately committed to something that they love. >> it will also be home to the new baltimore city orchestra. it also houses a 1000-offs seat theater. >> that brings us to our water cooler question of the day. what is your favorite back to school memory? share your thoughts on wbaltv.com and on our facebook page. >> a warning for parents who bought new back-to-school supplies. some of them may contain toxic materials. a new study finds that many products contain a chemical that causes harmful health effects.

about 75% of them contain a toxic chemical. >> the torah explorer that pack contains a 69 times the allowable level. the amazing spider-man backpack contains 52 times the allowed level. the disney princess lunch box contains 29 times over the allowable level. >> the senator has urged them to pass the safe chemicals acts and. baltimore city firefighter is one of the people recovering after being injured in a four- alarm fire. nearly 100 firefighters had to be called when a restaurant went up in flames. three people inside of that restaurant had to be rescued. we are told a fire fighter suffered burns to his face while

the civilians were treated and released. for now, no word on what caused the fire. >> it is taking a toll on around here. two homes have to be evacuated. officials say they had to evacuate the road near the sidewalk because it might become unstable. >> buildings are ok right now. we're hopeful that everything will be all right. it is pretty much stable on either side. we are concerned because we had to get people out. >> they also caused flooded roads, down trees, and more than 15,000 customers. right now, the numbers are just over 1000. we have been getting some amazing storm pictures. the severe weather also put a damper on several events.

there were forced to postpone sunday's's game. it also caused major flooding around the valley. we invite you to share your photos. >> meanwhile, tropical storm isaac is gaining strength this morning as it heads toward the gulf of mexico, specifically neurons. already it has left thousands in florida without power. four states have declared emergencies. more on what people there are doing. >> gulf coast residents are preparing for the worst. languorous and vans and watching an emergency teams. winds and arraigned ripping through southern florida leaving thousands without power. >> everybody from louisiana over through florida needs to be watching this very carefully. now the storm is " marching towards the gulf of mexico.

>> now is really not the time to panic. it is the time to engage and get ready. throughout the year we talked of ing prepared. now's the time to execute. >> people throughout alabama, mississippi, and the florida panhandle are also getting ready. >> in alabama, residents boarded up their home. in pensacola, shoppers headed to home depot. preparing to wait out a massive storm that is too hard to predict. the red cross as artists and volunteers to all four states for hurricane warnings. opening 20 shelters. >> we will have more on how isaac is affecting the evans and the republic will -- in the republican national convention in florida later in the newscast.

our web site has all the important information you need to see where the alerts are happening and take a look at the doppler radar. >> police are trying to track down a man that they say is responsible for armed robberies. police said the suspect first struck on july 20 and as recently as last thursday. a tattoo on the side of his neck. >> and 80 year-old woman is dead after a car crashes into a tree. it happened just after 1:00 sunday afternoon. the passenger, died of shock trauma. the driver is listed in critical condition this morning.

no word on whether the weather played a role. >> meanwhile, a man is recovering at hopkins hospital after being stabbed on sunday. no word this morning on the identity or why he was attacked. >> baltimore city police have identified the man shot by one of their officers earlier this weekend. they responded to a call and the 2400 block shortly after 10:00 on friday night. that is where they say they found him still firing a handgun. officers say they opened fire when he allegedly turned his weapon towards them. he is listed in serious to stable condition. >> the time now is 6:10. still ahead, gas prices on the rise again. what is fueling the increase. >> also ahead, more punishment handed down in the penn state sex abuse scandal. who is being disciplined and

why. >> an unusual series of earthquakes rocked the san diego area. what makes ts so you make. >> if we are looking at the radar. we will talk about the forecast when we come back. >> if you're heading out to school, we'll get to prepared

>> welcome back to 11 news toda here is a live look from the skycam right now. a few you may wake up to some patchy fog. if you look at the doppler, there are a couple of showers and thunderstorms will have to watch out for. notices little area just to the east. that is a little shower. more activity just a long debates. parts heading away from the city, affected by the wet weather as well. just be careful if you had out this morning. let's take a look at the temperature is right now. 70 degrees downtown. ocean city.

we do have a lot of clouds in place. pulling away from the coast. this is the same storm system that brought all that rain yesterday. when we added it up, some places got between three to 5 inches of rain. all of that ran all at once cause a lot of flooding across the area. we are happy to see this storm exit off of the coast. that is going to slide in tomorrow. this will not have as much moisture associated with it. still, any thunderstorm that happens today could bring some heavy downpours. details on that in just a little bit. now i look at our forecast. starting off with patchy fog and mostly cloudy skies. keep that in mind for the kid knows. they may want the rain gear. you may want a backup plan to get them home safely.

chances for isolated showers tonight. here is a look at isaac. still a tropical storm, but strengthening into a hurricane possibly today. look at all that rain spreading into florida, even though the storm as well off to the west coast. it will continue to track to the west coast, become a hurricane, and eventually taking aim near new orleans. here is a look at our seven-day forecast. we have to watch out for this weekend. maybe some moisture from isaac. >> thank you. good morning everybody. a nice start to your morning commute. we expect the normal volume to come into play. southbound near wilson street. we have an accident still clearing. and then another problem. closures are in a fact. another problem in the city.

that is in advance of the grand prix. closed between wall street and patterson park. 11 minutes is your drive time. starting to build up in volume on the west side. 10 minutes to get you southbound i-95 from the beltway. you can see what it looks like. it is coming towards us in the outer loop. you'll see those delays shortly. they live view of traffic just south of the beltway. that is the very latest and traffic pulse 11. >> taking a look of some of our top stories. shattered windows knocked homes off their foundation. the largest earthquake registered a magnitude 5.5.

the last time an earthquake happen like this was back in 2005. no one was hurt yesterday. sunday, the school sanctioned 32 students for their involvement, suspending 10 of them from one to three semesters. none of them were criminally charged. for the first time in nearly 100 years, a grizzly bear has killed a backpacker. park officials had to shoot and kill the grisly after finding the bear guarding the body. a park spokesman said the attack occurred after he approached within 50 yards of the bear and started taking pictures. we're told this is the first fatality at the park since 1917.

>> in this morning's consumer alert, it may prevent some students from attending college. cashing in on scholarships has fallen dramatically. down 10%. cash-strapped states are cutting funding to scholarships. schools do not have the money to make up for the state cutbacks. the average scholarship is more than $7,0. presidential candidates banned from the assembly line, reported james king has that story and more. >> good morning, travels from isaac giving rise. the storm has shut down about 25% of u.s. production in the gulf. in venezuela, it is already been driving gas prices higher. the average this morning at

$3.77. that is 23 cents higher than one month ago. bad news for people who ever been unemployed for a while. even if they find another job, most people unemployed between 2009 and 2011 have had to settle for lower wages to get another job. one in three of those -- the federal reserve may soon stepped in and do more to stimulate the economy to keep unemployment down. >> presidential candidates seem to like making campaigns, but you may have to rely on old footage. gm is banning the candidates until after election day, despite the fact that the u.s. government remains its largest shareholder following a 2009 bailout. it was reviewed as a success and wants to focus on making cars.

>> the timeout is 6:20. 70 degrees. he has been the coach of the post-season loss. now it is time for a fresh start. he explains when he joins us in the studio for sports. >> do not forget to answer -- to e-mail us your water cooler question of the day. send us an e-mail. >> here is a look at last night's winning the maryland lottery numbers.

>> now, traffic pulse 11 and insta-weather plus together. >> is going to be busy this morning. lots of students heading back to school. we're keeping an eye on the roads for you. we have an accident. alternating traffic in each direction. that is an advance of the grand prix. closures once again on monument street between wall street and patterson park. that sinkhole is a problem again. we will update you on the west side first. you can see security will definitely see some delays. a quick look as a switch over to 95 south of the beltway. down towards the 895 split. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> thank you. as elected temperatures right

now, we are seeing mostly in the 70's. just west of the city, dropping into the 60's. the forecast for today, highs in the mid 80's. a cold front is approaching, which means we could see a couple thunderstorms. it could maybe bring some heavy downpours. already there are a few showers down there. we will continue to talk about this when we come back in a few minutes. >> now, 11 sports. >> good morning, everybody. a new kicker. justin tucker. a rookie from texas. the incumbent was released yesterday. of course, he missed the kick last year. i really believe that they just lost faith in him.

did not trust him to make the big kick from here. plus, he kind of a fell on their laps. he is really a good, young and kicker. either way, he is out as the ravens kicker after a couple of years here. the orioles and white sox opened a four-game series. tomorrow, either wednesday or thursday, the big six-foot three obtained in a trade. he is 6 and 10 this year. a lot of playoff experience. the angels in 2008 and 2009. the yankees beat them. carlos santana playing some

beautiful music. could not resist that one. >> 33 for him. 200 for his career. he said he did not play thursday night. he said if i'm not wanted, i will take my services elsewhere. now he is. >> where is he likely to end up? >> no idea. >> the time is 6:26 and 70 degrees. the latest on the investigation. >> live in northeast baltimore. concerns are the spending habits of top school officials. that story coming up. a new report takes a closer look at the new generation gap. see the world through the eyes

of the new freshman class. >> republicans are pouring into tampa, but they are not alone. mother nature is having an impact. >> back-to-school normally means back to the usual delays. we will update you on what to

>> live, local, late-breaking, this is wbal-tv 11 news today. >> a good morning, everybody. welcome back. >> thank you for joining us. ava let's go to ava. go >> baltimore city is looking drive. patchy fog in a few areas. waking up to some showers. temperatures start off in the low 70's. highs today will be in the mid 80's. that means a scattered thunderstorms are in the forecast. if your kids plan to walk home from school, make sure they have their rain gear.

maybe get a ride if there are a couple of thunderstorms. more details coming up. >> our big story this morning is back to school all over the state. >> joined from the george washington carver center. the kids are walking through the doors of a brand new building. >> this building behind me is brand new. just across the parking lot from the old one. the new car for building will be welcoming students for the first time today. the george washington carver center for arts and technology is a countywide magnet school. it is been on the board for more than three years. students and administrators are excited to utilize the space.

>> the building inspires the creativity. the creativity inspires the building. >> carver will also be going home to the baltimore city youth orchestra. reporting live, wbal-tv 11 news. >> the man credited with helping to revitalize canton. the bicycle he was riding collided with a city bus back in 1994. the began to bring crowds to the place. the success of that restaurant would respond. >> he touched a lot of lives. i feel like to host a funeral for him he would have to have it

at a stadium. >> this funeral service will begin at 10:00 a.m.. he leaves behind a wife and two children. family and friends gathered at the united methodist church to remember him. a friend were both killed after being crushed under several tons of coal when it derailed. >> but it is a tragedy. there are things such as to not make sense at all. we ask god how to guide us. >> the cause of that accident is still under investigation. >> there is a new book that is pretty amusing, although it makes several of us feel old. this has to do with us -- with those heading off to college. >> as they settle in on college

campuses across the country, know this about the cost of 2016. they have always lived in cyberspace, addicted to a new generation of electronics. their lives are measured in the fundamental particles of life. that is actually a a direct quote from the class of 2016. both have been document the mindset since 1998. class isthis year's similar to recent years. rather than radio, they listen to and p three -- to mp3 players. a quarter of them have already suffered hearing loss. they have never seen an airplane. before they purchase a textbook,

they will investigate whether it is available for rent or purchase as an e-book. to them, the twilight zone involves of vampires. they watched television everywhere except on a television. they consider two cameras so outdated. when they say amazon, the last thing they mean is the river in south america. >> to have public never seen a rotary phone or record player. lots of things. >> ocean city is not the bikini capital of the world. the tried to break the record over the weekend but the clouds and the rain kept the participation way down. only 325 beauty's took part. not entirely a lost cause here. the effort did raise $3,000 for

the american cancer society's. >> today tampa is getting dressed -- getting drenched. tropical storm is it means the gop national convention is going to have to see a little bit of a shift in its schedule. we're joined alive a from tampa this morning. i see behind to the convention floor is still empty there. it will probably stay that way a lot longer than originally planned. >> absolutely. normally you see it start to fill up, maybe not now, but later on today. the real business of the convention will not begin until tomorrow. the real acrobatics are happening elsewhere >> no matter

where this storm goes, we are concerned about the safety of people. >> and nimble, meaning the already modified schedule may change again. it is being squeezed into three days. they have not ruled out tacking on friday. not everyone may make it until then. >> at this point, we will monitor each day and, if necessary, we will return. >> people their marks katrina's 7 anniversary. outside of the convention perimeter, the storm has not mess with the business forecast. >> it is meeting expectations, regardless of isaac. still, he is less worried about business. >> i am worried about the acts of god. they are bigger than the rnc. >> that is why the rnc is keeping such a close eye on isaac.

the have to bounce as the potentially disastrous storm with the desire to keep it intact with is politically important moment for mitt romney. >> thank you. >> now, traffic pulse 11 and insta-weather plus together. >> good morning to you. a lot of folks heading back to school today. it will be a little bit busier out there on the roads. we'll start here. that is due to the grand prix coming up this weekend. closures are once again in affected due to that sinkhole. we have some closures due to a water main break. on thetill 11 minutes north east side. it will only take you eight minutes to travel on the inner loop. volume picking up. we can see it in our cameras.

southbound traffic going away from us. start to see a build up as to go closer to the beltway. just south of the beltway northeast. also building toward the age 95 split. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> as you saw those traffic cameras, some of the roads are still wet. we should see a little bit of clearing as we get into the afternoon. a new cold front is on the way. that means there could also be some thunderstorms. you have winds out of the south. tonight, isolated showers. as we take you to your seven-day forecast, slight chance of a thunderstorm.

we will watch this weekend as we may have some wet weather move in. >> we will see you in a bit. the time now, 6:39. we will show you how a botched effort is being received by the conservation of a church in spain. you have to see it to believe it. >> we're still taking your answers to the water cooler questions of the day. questions of the day. send us an e-mailíúñ

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people are lining up to see a fresco that is being repaired by a woman who is defending herself. she says the churches priest gave her permission to restore the work. her work was less than faithful to your original. some say it now resembles a monkey and is ruined. it received an international attention. >> around 18,000 in northern

japan over the weekend. they competed for the best pyrotechnics. several hundred people watched the shimmering lights across the sky. a more than 1,600 foot long line. this year's theme was connection. >> very colorful. >> i know. >> that is too bad. >> the time now is a 6:41. still ahead, we look at the top stories. if you're getting ready for your morning commute, we will update you on that. coming up. >> we're keeping an eye on showers. details coming up.

>> welcome back. a baltimore city firefighter is one of for people recovering after being injured by a four- alarm fire. nearly 100 firefighters had to be called in just before 8:00 last night when a carryout restaurant went up in flames. three people inside the restaurant had to be rescued. we're told the fire fighter suffered burns to his face. civilians were treated and released. still no word on what caused the fire. police trying to track down a man who they say is responsible for armed robberies. here's the composite of a sketch the men are looking for. as recently as last thursday,

between 5'7". he has tattoo markings along his neck and a words on both arms. baltimore city police have identified the man shot this weekend. shots fired shortly after 10:00 friday night. that is when they say they found him still firing a handgun. the city opened fire when he allegedly turned his weapon towards them. he is listed in serious but stable condition. >> now, traffic pulse 11 and insta-weather plus together. >> if you are getting ready to take the kids to school or perhaps go back to work, it is getting busier out there by the minute. already some problems to watch for. getting word to an accident.

if you're making your way over toward the east side, in rosedale we have a crash coming in. hanover street is closed. that is in advance of the grand prix. watch for closures as well. one more problem. corporate center drive. we have a or a water main break. let's give you an update on some of our cameras around the area. again, the accident just prior to this shot in the inner loop. it is off to the side, though. we will switch over to a live view of traffic. so far, looking pretty good. that is the very latest on traffic pulse 11. >> thank you. we have some heavy showers push through.

something to keep in mind for the eastern shores. a scattered chatters -- scattered showers may slow you do. yesterday, we saw an incredible amount of rain. 3 to 4 to 5 inches. i want to show you what is happening right now in florida. they are seeing even more rain because of tropical storm isaac. look at those heavy bands of rain well ahead of isaac. places have gotten about 8 inches of rain. they are going to see a good dousing even before i sit heads further off to the west. still a tropical storm. that will be out over the gulf of mexico where is continues to strengthen. right now, likely to stay a category one. it had tried to the mississippi coast, maybe even towards a new orleans. concern for the entire coast,

especially new orleans. keep an eye on isaac. it will be moving down to the mid atlantic. that will cause some rain chances for our area. thunderstorms scattered this afternoon. a few lingering showers. down in the 60's and 70's. we will be feeling that cold front tomorrow. maybe an isolated showers and thunderstorms. wednesday through friday. it made to us some good, but maybe it creeps in from the labor day weekend. >> time for a last look at our big story. back to school time. we are joined alive with more on what is being done in the city. >> a brand new school addition

here. this ceremony today that will bring the city's schools. expected to face questions about the spending habits on meals and travel. credit-card charges to the tune of $300,000 last year. more than 30,000 students, bus routes have been cut. that means a slightly different time this morning. expect them to get new bus passes. in fact, they are electronic and we are told it will be issued at schools today. a big event here. the governor, the ceo, the mayor, they will all be here to pretty much bless this new addition. we will hear more about these spending habits. i am live in northeast

baltimore. >> thank you. coming up, we will hear some of your answers to our water cooler question of the day. >> plus, one last look at weather and traffic together [ female announcer ] these are the crescents you love on a holiday. and these are the ones you'll love on a school night. pillsbury crescent dogs with just a few ingredients you have an easy dinner... pillsbury crescent dogs... school night ideas made easy. that's been wrapped in a flaky crust stuffed with a gooey center

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>> time for some of your answers to your water cooler question of the day. >> what were your back-to-school memories? >> the smell of the fresh air and new shoes. >> getting a new outfit and packing my new book bags. really special memories. >> a special memory. before my dad passed away when i

was 7, if we went for breakfast that morning before he took me to school. that is something i will never forget. >> seen all my friends. we will pose more of your answers on wbaltv.com. >> let's take a look at your back to school commute. starting to see some of those normal delays. we have an accident that may add to the delays. hanover street closed. due to the grand prix this weekend. and then monument street, once again, shutdown. here is a quick look at traffic. an update for you. some outer delays. starting to form. coming down from the beltway, northeast. so far, so good. >> when you take that recess, don't get your clothes all muddy. it is wet. >> soaked yesterday. high temperatures in the mid

80's. will clear out the rest of the week. >> thank you for joining us on 11 news today. >> 7:25. have a great day.