-- widespread flu activity. >> cops, congestion, aches. >> they are seeing twice as many people with the flu as last year. almost all of the same symptoms. >> the headaches, runny nose, the ingestion, a chest cough. >> it is a bad year for the flu. >> the vaccine -- there are still a lot of people getting the flu that got the vaccine. we still recommend getting the flu shot. >> in howard county, they were trying to help prevent people getting the flu. at the columbia health center, a steady stream was getting the flu shot. >> i should have gotten it before now. i thought i'd better get over here. >> i work with children and have

kids of my own. i definitely do not want to get sick and i do not want my kids to get sick. >> i will be traveling a lot for work. airports. i keep hearing how bad it is. >> [indiscernible] >> a band-aid. >> the past couple of weeks have been kind of slow, but this week -- yes, today, we have noticed a high increase. >> i did not get one last year. i held off on its. i decided, better late than never. >> go in sick. >> the health of the certification says this flu strain is becoming a big problem. is pretty bad, isn't it? >> will of the two last season, it is starting earlier.

is different. -- it is different. >> they have 43 centers throughout the states of maryland, virginia, and also pennsylvania. they tell me in most of the centers, the number of cases of the flu doubled when you compare the numbers to last year. reporting live, rob roblin, wbal tv-11 news. >> if you have not gotten the flu shot, there is still time. we can help you find one near you on our web site -- wbaltv.com. click on medical alert. >> and we have breaking news right now out of anne arundel county. let's go to sky team 11 and captain roy taylor for the latest. >> northbound ritchie highway. they have fire crews as well as police on the scene. all lanes are shut down except

for one, causing a major back up going northbound. we do not know how many people are injured. we will get you that information. reporting live, at sky team 11. >> a teenager will go to jail for the rest of his life for a deadly shooting on halloween. sterlin matthews was 17 years old when he shot and killed dequan burks. he learned his state this afternoon in a baltimore county courtroom. 115 years behind bars. at 25-year-old bellaire woman remains behind bars. new details on the subject of a lengthy police pursuit caught exclusively by skycam 11. lowell melser joins as.

we learn that she has a connection to law enforcement? >> it is striking how long the rap sheet of the suspect is when it comes to traffic violations. she has been identified as 25- year-old alicia hoffman of bellaire. we are learning more about the man the police say is her grandfather. he is retired law-enforcement and his car may have been used in this chase. skycam 11 catches the tense moments of a more than 30-minute police chase that began in baltimore city and ended in baltimore county. according to investigators, just before noon wednesday, two female district officers busted a drug deal when a woman identified as 25-year-old police shot hoffman of lead in a great vehicle, striking the two -- felicia hoffman fled in a great

vehicle. the car was stopped on joppa road. hoffman was pulled out and subdued. of baltimore county officer was somehow injured. 11 news visited the residence she provided police in the 800 block of albion place in belair. neighbors say that she was staying with her parents and her grandfather was retired law- enforcement. >> just normal, tony and his wife. that is it. nice guy. i think he was a police officer at one time. >> a check of real-estate records reveal that anthony and celia own the home and the car

used in the chase belong to the couple. records confirm that anthony was a retired sheriff's deputy and city police confirmed the car had fraternal order of police tags. >> she was driving a vehicle that had fraternal order of police tax and has no affiliation with the baltimore police department. >> court records indicate dozens of traffic charges, many that were never prosecuted. she was also in trouble with the law just days before the chase. >> we have contact with her a couple days prior when she was arrested by a baltimore police for a drug offense. >> she is being charged with a controlled substance possession, not marijuana, and two accounts of second-degree assault on of police officer. the good news is all the

officers injured in this case, they have been released from the hospital in good condition. lowell melser, wbal tv-11 news. >> all right. thank you. late breaking details on the helm in nation in howard county. -- on a home invasion in howard county. it happened on the 600 block of our road in mount berry. police workg, o serving a warrant from howard county. he pulled a gun on them. officers responded with gunfire. he was shot and killed. >> in tonight's education alert, for the fifth consecutive year, maryland ranked the no. 1 school system in the nation according to "education week" magazine. tim tooten has the story we

first brought you today. this is getting to be old hat, isn't it? >> martineau mallee -- martin o'malley taking on critics of the school's success. >> we students show our appreciation by working hard. >> it was a celebration of the state's new ranking at the jones elementary school. that is when governor martin o'malley showed up to celebrate. >> as a result of our top choices, maryland public schools have been named for the fifth year in a row the number one public schools in america. maryland received an overall grade of b-plus. an a for transition and alignment, which tests college readiness and childhood

education. a b for maths. among other grades, a b for k-12 achievement, which tracks all students perform on national tests. a b for standards, assessments, and accountability programs. >> it is just wonderful. is -- it is historic for our educators. >> maryland is among those celebrating the number-one ranking. >> we know day in and day out how committed maryland is. that is a big part of living here. >> the governor is confident the state can remain in the top spot. >> maryland beat out massachusetts, virginia, and arkansas for the top spot. you can see that in our education report -- just log on to our web site. click on education alert. live in the newsroom, tim

tooten, wbal tv-11 news. >> we are two days away from the divisional matchups in denver that hopefully will keep the ravens on the road to new orleans. our own gerry sandusky will call the game in colorado. >> you understand why the ravens and of come across -- have come across as undercoat -- underdog's. denver is coming off a by week. make no mistake. denver trounced the ravens in december. but now bernard pierce has added a new element to the ground game. ray lewis has returned to the defense. the ravens look like underdogs, but they do not sound overwhelmed. and joe flacco will likely play

better this week then in week 15. he learned from that nightmarish experience. saturday could have a different outcome the most of the country expects. >> defense played very well against these guys. we have to go do our thing. i think just as always, our goal is to score touchdowns. you know, obviously, they can score at a pretty high rate. we have to let our defense do their job. they are going to play the game they always play. >> pretty good chance the first team to reach 30 points in this game wins. the ravens have a 5-0 record when they score 30 or more points. the broncos have a 11-0 record when they scored 30 or more

points. donna? >> thank you. we will see you this weekend, we? prescription sleeping pills like ambien. >> ahead, what should be a wake- up call for patients. >> school tomorrow -- when we come back. >> we have rain to talk about. is s

>> students at the park school in baltimore county should be able to return to class after a water main break. 11 news learns the 10 inch-main burst, and crews are back repainting the roadway. by this hour, everything should be back up and running. police in howard county say they have their man in connection with burglaries' plaguing the elegant city area. he is charged with at least four incidents over the last four months. it is alleged he hit homes in el cut city -- ellicott city.

he is being held on $300,000 bail. >> in tonight's medical alert, a lot of my co-workers have been six. may be yours have, too. it looks like this it blew out break -- this flu outbreak will be costly for businesses. this number does not include lost productivity or work peg. the cdc is recommending every 16 months and older be vaccinated for the flu. million of people take ambien and similar drugs every night. the fda is now requiring manufacturers to lower the dosages of the drug because they are staying in people system

longer than thought. the widely-used medications remain in the blood long enough to interfere with morning driving, increasing the risk of car accidents. >> the levels were enough to impair driving risk in the morning. >> it is as bad as drinking and driving. >> how about that? kind of scary. regulators want to cut the dose in half for women. that is mandatory because they process the drug more slowly. >> now your 11 insta-weather plus forecast with chief meteorologist tom tasselmyer. >> we have only just begun what will be a significant warm up into the weekend. the average is 41. we have a solid 12 degrees above normal for this time of year. still, the records are impressive.

on the other side of the coin, it can get really cold now. 2 degrees below the record low in 1879. at the averages are 48 and 24. those are the coldest we have had. it is the coldest part of the season according to the climate. you can expect this time of year you will get an arctic outbreak, which we may feel next week. this is the weather pattern of january. you can enjoy it for what. 48 in chester town on the eastern shore. temperatures cool on the beach around ocean city. even western maryland, unseasonably mild in the low 50's. we will see some clouds. this will trap the heat we had during the day under that blanket of cloudiness. that means we're in for a

relatively mild night. in the suburbs, 35, probably near the normal high for this time of year for our low tonight in the city. it will become increasingly cloudy with light winds. there is a storm of dumping water in parts of the country that really needs it, coming out of texas. the central plains states experiencing severe drought. any rain or snow we can get there it is welcome. it will track all this mild air we see in the southeast up into the mid-atlantic. it is '67 in memphis, 67 degrees in new orleans. all that air being pulled up the eastern seaboard things to this approaching storm. it will reinforce the warm and other -- the warm weather pattern. progress.ng steady this is bearing down on denver, which means it will drag in cold

air by the time the ravens get their saturday. cloudy skies, east wind, and temperatures for the game in its loans. windchill, 10 degrees. very cold conditions for the game on saturday. cloudy day. we will likely see some showers in central maryland. the best chance for rain tomorrow night. the first measurable precipitation of 2013. sign up -- friday morning 7:26. in the western maryland mountains, they are just hoping for some snow in the mountain tops. tomorrow, 47. saturday, 46 degrees. it looks like unseasonably warm weather will hold their over the weekend. 49 on the eastern shore. 60's saturday and sunday. just a slight chance of a shower

tomorrow evening. feels like spring with 61 degrees. mild weekend. 60 on saturday. 54 with showers on monday. than the temperatures start falling. >> all right, tom. thank you. still ahead, the president of the maryland state senate makes a staffing change. >> he replaces someone charged with the voting under the influence. >>

>> delicate don dwyer -- delegate don dwyer plans to be active this session, despite charges of voting under the influence. he has been moved to the house ways and means committee from the house judiciary committee. the republican was at the wheel in august when his boat collided with another and injured seven

people. he says he does not plan to seek reelection. president obama has tapped his chief of staff jack lew for treasury secretary. if confirmed, he would replace timothy geithner. >> it is a less controversial move then chuck hegel, but he does face tough critics. sally has more from washington. >> the president says that jack lew has built a reputation as a master of policy and that someone who can work with members of both parties. the president made the announcement this afternoon. lew served as the chief of staff and in the office of the management and budget. in the clinton administration, he also served in the office of management and budget. >> i trust his judgment.

i know few people with greater integrity. >> if confirmed, i will work with the people in the treasury who have legendary skill and knowledge. >> lew would take the helm of a tough time as the nation faces battles over the debt limit and cutting spending. and the nomination is drawing criticism from senate republicans who are questioning lew's commitment to cutting spending and getting the nation's fiscal house in order. >> all right, thank you, sally. once again, shots rang out at the school. >> this time in california. we have more coming up. >> new rules on how you can get a mortgage. details, coming up.

>> you are watching wbal-tv 11 news. live, local, late breaking. this is 11 news at 5:00 p.m. with stan stovall and donna hamilton, your insta-weather plus forecast with chief meteorologist tom tasselmyer, and sky team 11 covering breaking news where you live. >> new tonight at 5:30, steps to avoid another national foreclosure crisis. new rules detailing mortgage

policies at a public hearing in baltimore. those rules announced by the consumer financial protection bureau are part of the government's efforts to stabilize the housing market. >> but critics say this could present major obstacles for people who want to buy a home. barry simms to assist with more on the story. >> critics believe that many low-income families will never qualify for a home loan. the inner city was hit hard when the housing boom collapsed. state and federal programs have worked to revitalize the housing market. mortgage policy becomes the focus of a public hearing. since the meltdown caused by subprime loans, baltimore's mayor says the city continues to suffer. >> foreclosure rates in the greater baltimore area rose beyond the national average an increase from the year before. the delinquency of payments 90

days or more are also on the rise. these are alarming trends and should cause all of us concerned. >> the mayor speaks of concerns as the consumer financial protection bureau comes to baltimore. >> america is counting on you to ensure that credit is provided on the terms that are clear, fair, and affordable. >> but in trying to end risky lending practices, it may be harder for some people to get loans. the bar worst employment status, mortgage payments, and other debts, and credit history will show inability to pay and bankers will have a so-called safe harbor and be protected from lawsuits. the new rules are causing plenty of concerns. >> big banks already have more protection than we do.

every single hopeful sign, when it finally blossoms into reality, the bank is better protected than the bar where -- bar or -- borrower. >> once in place, to qualify, your monthly debt has to be 45% of your income or less. wbal tv-11 news. >> thank you. here is a look at some of our other top stories at this hour. there are twice as many flu patients in maryland as last year. health officials are urging flu sufferers to stay home to curb the spread of the virus. they urge anyone who has not gotten a shot yet to go ahead and get that flu vaccine. the flu season could last through the spring.

we're learning more about the woman behind this intense police chase that began in baltimore city and ended in baltimore county yesterday, caught exclusively by skycam 11. alicia hoffman is now behind bars and we have since learned has a long history of drug violations with the law. she was also staying with her grandfather, a retired member of law enforcement. >> police say shots were fired around 9:00 this morning at a school in california. a shotgun believed to be used in the attack was recovered at the scene. the victim was in critical, but stable condition. another act of gun violence made today's meeting between vice president biden and the nra even

more violent. the legislation -- vice president biden is looking at the legislation from the president's tax force keeping >> another swat team at the school. another shooting incident. the images from bakersfield, calif. fill the news networks as vice president biden said that he would send it to president obama on tuesday a proposal to change on laws. >> diminish the probability that what we have seen in these mass shootings will occur and diminish the probability that our children are at risk in our schools. >> biden met with hunting groups and the nra today. he is expected to propose a new ban on assault weapons and large capacity clips. and what your background checks including gun shows.

a mass shooting survivor says changing that is job one. >> not taking guns from everybody. that is not what we are talking about. we are talking about making sure that guns do not get into the wrong hands. how do we do that? that is a background check. >> the best response is to have a good guy with the gun there at the scene. to do that, you need more people who are good guys with guns. >> that is what the nra says, calling today's meeting with vice president biden disappointing. not enough focus on keeping children safe. too much focus on restricting lawful firearm owners. the nra has gotten 100,000 new members since the school shooting in connecticut. >> the academy makes its picks

for best of the year. we will tell you got the nod and who did not. >> and less than two weeks until president obama is sworn in for a second term. the streets of washington, d.c. are preparing for the throngs of parades and glamorous falls. our report from -- glamorous and balls. a

>> covering the nation tonight, star nfl linebacker was suffering from but the generative disease many took his own life last may. doctors conducted a study of three unidentified brains and found that he was suffering from a dramatic encephalopathy. seau's family says he exhibited

symptoms in private and they became worse before he took his own life. pressure to release photographs taken of osama bin laden before and after the raid that killed him. a group argued before the u.s. court of appeals that the obama administration claims it releasing that information could harm national security, but the group says there is not a specific basis for that claim. the appeals panel is concerned that the images could be used by al-qaeda for anti-american propaganda. >> meanwhile, the movie about the killing of osama bin laden, "zero dark thirty" is nominated for best picture. the nominations were announced this morning. "lincoln" received the most nominations. other pictures vying for best picture -- "les mis" and "life

of pi." the field for best actress includes the oldest nominee ever and the youngest at the age of 9. >> i have not seen "lincoln." have you? >> is a great foam. >> we will have to play catch- up. >> these very talented chefs were pulling out all the stops in baltimore county this morning. >> but first, our race against the clock for a dozen killer whales trapped under arctic ice. new developments tonight on their fight to stay alive. >> clouds moving in tonight. rain scheduled to get here

>> good afternoon. i am rod daniels, live in the 11 newsroom. coming up at 6:00 -- the legislation on the table that could spare you extra utilities cost. and one of a dozen national medal of science [ male announcer ] now at your neighborhood subway: the big hot pastrami melt. we perfected the pastrami sandwich -- filled with hot, juicy pastrami, pickles, yellow mustard and bubbly melted cheese. all piled-high on our signature freshly baked bread. made hot, toasty and just for you. and don't be afraid to put your spin on this deli style deliciousity -- add your favorite ingredients, like spicy jalapeños or crisp green peppers. get to your local subway and taste some perfect pastrami today! subway. eat fresh.

>> in just 11 days, barack obama will be sworn in to his second term as president of the united states. >> we have another look at the

thousands and thousands of hours spent on preparing for the festivities. >> in washington, it is called the super bowl a politics. thousands of people participating in the festivities that span about four days. employees at the ritz-carlton in washington, d.c. are not leaving room for wrinkle in their inauguration plants. guests will receive an inaugural pillowcase along with other inaugural goodies. pastry chefs will be handing out michelle obama's famous cookie's. >> it is america's greatest party. >> the hotel manager expects to be sold a out by inauguration. >> you know, we are excited. >> i, barack hussain obama -- >> president obama's last inauguration drew a record crowd. this year, officials expect a

record attendance for a second inauguration, which tends to be smaller. >> a lot of the final planning takes place after the election. think about planning a wedding in three months. >> the president will take the oath of office on the capitol platform. several ballrooms and parties are already sold out. memorabilia is already flying off the shelves. >> i have an obama mug. >> i think i will get my son and a t-shirt. >> people are looking to snatch up a bit of history. the inauguration will overlap with the martin luther king jr. holiday and that could contribute to crowd. wbal tv-11 news. >> we have breaking news right now. let's send it up to capt. right

taylor and skycam 11. roy, what is happening? >> four pedestrians have been struck by a vehicle from what we understand. fire crews are on the scene. they have pretty much shut down the road way. we are still trying to acquire more information. we will update your. reporting live, sky team 11. >> the battle for killer whales trapped under the ice in canada. late reports indicate that they have been freed. the mammals were stock under thick arctic ice, taking turns to breathe for days. villagers were going to try to free the whales with chainsaws because the whole was shrinking. researchers say it was a race against the clock. >> the number one priority is

how long can they go for it? two, how much smaller is the breeding area going to get? >> with no eyes breakers nearby, the only hope was a lucky break in the weather. it appears to have happened. the group appears to have reached safety after ice shifted on the hudson bay. >> now your 11 insta-weather plus forecast with chief meteorologist tom tasselmyer. >> cold air up in canada. we are on the wrong side of this weather pattern and we will stay that way for the weekend. 53 in the inner harbor. 45 in annapolis. a little chilly up around manchester. 43 at this hour. it is cool, but not that bad for the western maryland mountains for january. that is a january fall foreshore

in the western maryland mountains. the first measurable rain of the new year -- by this time tomorrow, we may have showers in the area. the clouds will gradually increase. the sun went down at 5:00 03. -- 5:03. a storm rolling up into the southern plains states. severe thunderstorms on the gulf coast. the system is west of the mountains, tracking to the northeast. look at all this warm air. that will be pulled up the eastern seaboard. that pattern keeps us a little on the west side tomorrow evening, but also unseasonably mild into the weekend. out was, changes under way. this will drop the temperatures dramatically. it will not get to us until sometime toward the second half of next week.

is a slow-moving front, but it is a potent one. this cold air in canada right down behind it. by the time the ravens and broncos are playing, temperatures in the teens. wind chill will get down to 10 degrees. there is the pocket of cold air moving through the rocky mountain west. by wednesday, thursday, into next week, a piece of that arctic air pushing into the mid- atlantic. that is when it will feel like winter. until then, it feels like spring. 45, 50 tomorrow. light southeast winds. waves about a foot. out around deep creek lake tomorrow, at 80% chance of showers. look how warm it will be. 56 on saturday. snow will return to the western

maryland mountains next week. on the lower eastern shore, mild as well. 51 friday, 61 saturday. around baltimore, highs could reach as high as 64 on sunday. that front will get a little closer, push through wednesday next week. by thursday, we are back to winter. >> in tonight's consumer alert, state and federal officials honoring their word tonight, helping with and 10,000 maryland families stay in their homes. housing and development -- community development officials presented money to homeowners. most of that money comes from the $26 billion national mortgage settlement from the nation's five largest mortgage service companies. the mortgage crisis hit maryland

hard. meanwhile, federal regulators one companies nationwide to develop backup power system in the event of an emergency. the fcc is looking at how severe weather can knock out the 911 emergency system. now companies like verizon will have to love about the system in place and ready to go. -- will have to have a backup system in place and ready to go. layoffs coming for morgan stanley employees. the bank plans to lay people off and in the coming weeks. morgan stanley employees 58,000 people and has been trimming its work force for the last couple of years. most of the layoffs will be senior employees, but all work levels will be hit. and finally tonight, we have all

heard of cars that drive themselves, but what about a driverless car that will pick you up? audi is showing off a car that does exactly that. it not only parks itself, but it drives up and fix you up using your smart phone. now, that is a smart card. audi says it is 10 years of before you can buy one, donna. >> ok, that is just scary looking. this year -- 44 restaurants throughout the county will be offering some of the most delicious meals at a discounted price through january 27. we were just in time for lunch. these deals range from lunches to three-course meals. we have a link to all the

participating locations on our website -- wbaltv.com. a political fight maybe brewing between bge and one state lawmaker. one delegate says no way opting out of smart utilities. >> i am jennifer franciotti. how you can reach out and touch your favorite player of the baltimore ravens.

>> connolly tonight at 5:00, you can motivate -- finally tonight at 5:00, you can motivate the ravens by writing them a letter. as jennifer franciotti shows us, fans are going all out on this. >> at a lot of our young fans have written saying "you probably wonder why i am calling you by your first name." this is pretty typical of the kids try to find a personal connection to the players. >> these letters are being put up one by one at the ravens training facility. from drawings to columns to letters, each carries a heartfelt message. >> it is great to see all the support. is great to walk by and look good all the letters.

just see all the support from the kids and everything. that is a lot of fun. >> to see stuff like this -- of course i want to win. >> it is incredible. sometimes i just look and read it and see all the great messages. it gets us fired up. >> the ravens are the only organization in the nfl making it this easy to reach the team. mailboxes are drop-off locations for fans. 1 school delivered 600 letters and more are coming in. >> almost every player has gotten the letter personally to them. >> it is the team mentality that we have been promoting throughout the city and county. is not about our all-star players. it is about the team. >> the guys are so busy. they are not able to be with the fans as much during playoff

preparation. this is a great way for them to feel the support the community has for them. >> and boy, are they appreciated as the ravens had to denver. if they advanced on saturday, you still have a chance to see them. go, ravens. >> alright. nice effort there. be sure to tune in for a behind the scenes look at the prep work for the game. plus you can watch ray lewis's emotional speech to the team following last week's win. that is all for us at 5:00. here is what is coming up new at 6:00. >> those who do not want bge to install a smart meter may have to pay a refusal the. that is straight ahead. >> i am rob roblin. more people are coming down with the flu.

that report, coming up. >> is so -- i am lowell melser. 11 news at 6:00 starts right now. >> you are watching wbal-tv 11 news. live, local, late breaking. this is 11 news at 6:00 p.m. >> the evening, everyone. 6:00, a showdown between bge and a state legislator over the cost of a smart meter. >> 1 harford county lawmaker has introduced legislation that would keep bge from charging a monthly fee to maintain old meters. david has the latest. >> donna, what we are talking about is a refusal coffee -- refusal fee. we did some digging. this is an issue in 11 other states including maryland.