>> the snow has tapered off in baltimore county. details are next. >> more damaging testimony against john leopold. >> there is snow outside. [captioning made possible by constellation energy group] captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org-- >> you're watching wbal-tv 11. live, local, late-breaking. this is 11 news today at 6:00 a.m. >> good morning. i'm mindy basara. >> and i'm stan stovall. thanks for joining us for 11 news today. >> look out your window.

there are some school delays this morning. 6:01. >> this is not a big deal, only about half an inch. the salt has a difficult time working because it is so-ca cold. we missed out on the big snow. about half an inch around baltimore. you could see some light snow for the next couple of hours. the skies will clear from north to south. right now it is 17. there's more snow in the seven- day. >> side streets and bridges are an issue.

westbound 50 on the bay bridge, we have a left lane closure. watch for police out of the eastern shore -- watch for delays out of the eastern shore. a delay on northbound 95 near 32 . another accident of note. a very busy ride. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> it is not a lot of snow, as tony mentioned, but this winter weather is causing some problems. >> jennifer franciti is live in lutherville. >> it looks like the snow has

completely tapered off. we have snow-covered roadways and cold temperatures. we're at york road. it is completely snow covered. the curbs are still snow- covered and the sidewalks are still snow-covered. this is what you have to look out for. we have seen a couple of plows near the york road section. we are up on a hill. pretty fair going for the traffic. we have seen some blacktop. some lanes on the beltway are snow-covered. you have to watch where you're going. add 10-15 minutes.

baltimore county schools on a two-hour delay. check our website or on the bottom of your screen about the delays. the snow was coming down fairly heavily about an hour ago. it has completely stopped in the lutherville area. be careful out there. >> a busy night for firefighters in baltimore city after a fire guts a downtown building. this was on north calvert street. the fire quickly spread and firefighters had to pull back and attack it from the outside. no one was injured.

>> a broken gas line that forced the evacuation of dozens of homes. this was the scene last night on wednesday afternoon. as a precaution, 45 homes were evacuated in a six-block area. all but nine of the homes have allowed people back again. >> the trial of michael johnson. there is in new investigation into the lead detective that broke open the case. he is under scrutiny for questionable actions for the disappearance of his daughter. there is now a new inquiry while his home under suspension

. the judge is considering if any of these actions can be brought up in court. wednesday a member of the security team talked about questionable duties he was called to perform for john leopold including shoveling leopold to rendezvouses with his mistresses. karla hamner says employees were afraid to say no for fear of losing their job. >> people don't understand the influence that this man can have on your life. he has ways of derailing people's lives if you cross him. >> he could face as many as five years in prison.

you could soon pay more for gas in maryland. and increase in the gas tax is on the table. the proposal would raise about $300 million a year. some frank talk from don dwyer about last summer's boat crash that put his freedom in jeopardy. he sat down with david collins to discuss what he calls that life changing night. >> your actions back in august broke the public's trust. jeopardized public safety. if convicted, you face jail time and possible expulsion from your state house seat. how do you square that with

voters? >> that is something i have to man up to. i hope that individuals will look at the fact that i have been honest in admitting i was drinking and the treatment that i've put myself in. >> you can watch the complete interview on the politics page of our website, wbaltv.com. >> some contentious testimony as heavily klan takes the heat -- hillary clinton takes the heat from members of congress. she took personal responsibility for the lapses that led to the deaths of four americans. >> if i found he did not read the cables from benghazi, i would have relieved you of your post.

>> we had four dead americans. was it because of a protest? what difference at this point does it make? we have to do everything we can to prevent from happening again. >> some feel she is being targeted by republicans to derail any aspects she may have as president in 2016. 6:09. friends may not be the only ones looking at your facebook page. >> a new set of marching orders for the military. a groundbreaking reversal that allows women on the front lines. >> the voice of my childhood icon faces some serious charges

>> now weather and traffic together on the 1's. >> good morning. a little bit of snow and a lot of problems on the roads. baye's a big backup on the

bridge. you can see the delays. it is pretty much slow wherever you go. southbound 29, another accident. greenspring at coldspring, another accident. expect some delays at harford. the snow has finished but the roads are still being treated. many roads are still down to one lane. ava marie is live in hamden. alt truck comingid truc by in hamden on the avenue. let's look at the temperatures. starting off in the teens and low 20's.

if the rose get too cold -- if the roads get too cold, the salt cannot work as well. if the road gets into the teens, the salt cannot work as well. it is mostly slushy and spots are wet. there is still some snow on the ground. you can see the entire street has not been treated. be careful on the side roads and the hills. they are doing their best to take care of the main roads. be very careful this morning. we are getting ready for the polar bear plunge.

we expect temperatures to be on the chilly side. there could be some snow on the ground. water temperatures should be around 37 degrees. we have people shoveling and people going for runs. >> i love you drop some science knowledge on us with the salt and the ice. it doesn't work at all below 10 degrees. the snow is causing big problems on the roads. about half an inch around baltimore. about an inch in frederick. 2 1/2 inches down and say mary's county -- in st. mary's county.

now it is pushing off the coast. activity will only last for a couple of hours. 16 in randallstown. we will make it up to about 27 . another clipper storm is developing in the northern plains. perhaps another accumulating snow friday afternoon and friday night. into the afternoon, a mixture of sun and clouds. high temperature of only 27 degrees. a chance for snow beginning tomorrow afternoon. breezy and cold over the weekend. high temperature near 50 next week. >> 6:16.

john kerry will see familiar faces as he is interviewed to become the next secretary of state. himself had sat on that committee. the man that was the voice of charlie brown is in the doghouse. he faces stocking and making criminal threats against his ex- girlfriend and a doctor who gave her breast implants. she refused to pay and those threats turn to harassment and violence. leon panetta is expected to lift the ban of women serving in combat. hallie jackson has more on this groundbreaking announcement. >> not all positions will open

in combat. it is still a big move by the pentagon. women have been on the ground in places like afghanistan for years. but today, women will be allowed to take a giant step forward, to the front lines in combat roles. the joint chiefs of staff had recommended overturning a ban. some branches have already begun to open ranks, like the navy. >> there will always be an aversion to change. >> some combat jobs will open soon. for others, it could take years. >> there are women serving in infantry that could impair the essential task of those units.

that has been proven in study after study. >> if the woman cannot meet the standards, they do not get to graduate. but if they can meet the standards, we gain another soldier and that is good for our military. >> leaders will have to let the pentagon know by mid may how they will comply with the decision. hallie jackson, wbal-tv 11 news. >> they say a happy workplace is a productive workplace. what things make it work place a happy one? people were asked to identify a perk that would make work most

satisfying. more than thin hundred full-time workers took part in the survey. that brings us to our water cooler question of the day. if you could have one perk at your workplace, what would it be? you can share your response on wbaltv.com, on our facebook page, or send us an e-mail to watercooler@wbaltv.com. jcpenney is overhauling stores. there also be called out for shady pricing. jane king has the bloomberg business report. what is going on? was the senioreo vp of apple's retail stores. he has been changing things up at jcpenney. he is pushing for

manufacturing's to concoct prices for the clothing. there we tagging accessories with lower prices, like they were selling them at a deeper discount. this is just one report. we do continue to climb higher. lawmakers coded to suspend the debt ceiling -- lawmakers voted to suspend the debt ceiling. netflix was about 30% higher in the pre-market. they signed about two million subscribers in the past quarter. debt collectors are tracking people on facebook and twitter. new restrictions on how debt

collectors can be allowed to contact you. at the new york stock exchange, i'm jane king, bloomberg news, for wbal-tv 11 news. back to you. >> now weather and traffic together on the 1's. >> said here is tony. tehre yhere you go. >> we had a clipper storm come through last night. it is not a lot of snow but there could be some slippery spots. light snow at the airport. that to taper off within the next few hours. mostly sunny this afternoon. sunshine this afternoon and cold temperatures. >> good morning.

secondary roads are worse than the primary roads. this is the westbound span of the bay bridge. the left lane is close with an accident. word of a crash was bound 100 at oakwood. westbound 70 at 29, continued problems because of a crash. 32 eastbound, another fender bender. take some extra time this morning. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> thank you. carroll county schools on a two- hour delay. 6:23. ed reed is the victim in a play.

>> here is a look at last night's winning maryland lottery numbers. hope you had them.

>> good morning.

we begin with this -- tom brady fined $10,000 for his slide into ed reed. his spikes went flying into ed. brady apologized. ed one of 50 players that have not played in the super bowl. four ravens have a super bowl experience. matt birk waited 15 years. >> we're going to work. all the side stories -- if you're not playing the game, i guess you can enjoy that. we're going to concentrate on the task at hand. >> that was matt burr.

washburn college has more players in the bugame than lsu. joe flacco, eight touchdown passes and zero interceptions in the postseason. including joe montana. >> thank you. >> back with more and a moment. stay with us. >> the snow is giving some students extra sleep this morning. >> we will update

>> you're watching wbal-tv 11. live, local, late-breaking. this is 11 news today at 6:00 a.m. >> good morning. welcome back to 11 news today. i'm mindy basara. >> and i'm stan stovall. you should know it snowed overnight.

several school districts are calling for delays. we'll have to check on your weather and traffic in just a minute. >> it broken gas line that forced the evacuation of dozens of homes in and run accounting. 45 homes were evacuated. all but nine of the affected customers have been allowed back into their home. >> you could soon pay more to fill up your gas tank. an increase in the gas tax is on the table. the proposal would raise about $300 million a year. >> question boat duties to perform for john leopold -- questionable duties to perform

for john leopold including changing his catheter bag after back surgery. >> 6:31. traffic and weather together. >> there are still some snow showers and flurries on doppler . it is cold. temperatures in the mid teens. the skies will clear from north to south. 25 will be the high in westminster. >> it didn't take much snow to create problems. let's bring you up to date. westbound 50 on the bay bridge,

there are some delays back to canted narrows -- kent narrows. an accident was bound 100 at oakwood. we'll keep you posted throughout the morning. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> the morning commute is a bit of a challenge for some. >> jennifer franciotti is live in lutherville. >> traffic is moving more smoothly along york road. that is york road. we have seen a couple of snow ploughs doing salting operations. several hundred pieces of the equipment on the area roads. the more traffic, the better it

will be for the roads and the salt. this wasn't a lot of snow. it was just enough to cause a problem. the weight of your court should be enough depending on the kind of tires you have. his is what you're facing, about half an inch of snow. not enough for the kids to sled on. good morning. it is the kind of snow you will need the right shoes for. i am wearing heels this morning. i'm taking my time walking around. bring your boots. >> fashion over function.

a pitch to lawmakers for more construction money. school leaders made similar for the all-day event. >> this is unique. it is an opportunity to bring all of our buildings up to 21st century standards. we have to take some risks. >> there will determine how much school construction funding will be allotted some time in may. >> the polar bear plunge will include the super plungers. a familiar face will be absent. jimmy has led the super plunge

since it began. ralph parks will plunge twice for team jimmy. you can text somebody a good luck message if they are taking the plunge. we will show as many messages as we can on saturday morning. ava marie knows what it's like to take the plunge. >> saturday's forecast will be especially frigid. >> it was so nice out last year and sunny and the water was relatively warm. this year is something to brag about. i want to talk about what is happening in hamden.

there is still snow on the avenue. we have seen at least two salt trucks so far. it makes such a difference if the roads are treated are not. cars are having some trouble up to the intersection. things are improving on the avenue. the side roads are having the most problem. this is a fluffy snow. wderyrms more of a potte mix. it is easier to pressure off your car. the snow is tapering down. this is about all of the

accumulation we're going to get. there is a chance for snow friday night. maybe some accumulation. temperatures in the upper 20's. details when we come back with tony pann. >> thank you, ava. 6:38. 16 degrees at the airport. these adorable kitties. >> we are still taking your answers to our water cooler question of the day. if you could have one perk at your workplace, what would it be? you can share your response on wbaltv.com, on our facebook page, or send us an e-mail to watercooler@wbaltv.com.

>> now weather and traffic together on the 1's. >> bridges, rams, and overpasses typically see the worst -- bridges, ramps. westbound 50 on the bay bridge, we have a have the backup because of an accident. east on 32, a nasa is still there -- and accident is still

there. one accident taking up the left lane. watch for an accident at veterans boulevard. plenty of extra time for your morning commute. >> good morning. about half an inch in most areas. 16 degrees at the airport. no floors will be ending in the next few hours -- snow flurries will be ending in the next few hours. mid to upper 30's are the bay water pltemperatures. more snow in the forecast. >> these lines are being hand

raised by keepers at the bristol zoo. after a few months, it is so there will grow to be strong members of a dwindling population. >> very cute. take a look at this. hot water will freeze in just one second. this was demonstrated. a cup of boiling water was thrown into the air. that is cold. he says it was minus 10 at the time. >> 6:43. still ahead, a look to the top stories.

>> to teach a busy morning commute.-- it is a busy morning commute. we are tracking an accident and look of the delays on southbound 95. 22 miles per hour, inching along through howard county.

westbound 50, all lanes are getting by now on the bay bridge. some delays the back to the eastern shore. east-west boulevard and veterans highway, watch for a crash. 42 miles per hour on 70 at 29. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> good morning. enough snow to cause some trouble. we have a dusting in the bel air. the winners are the folks on the lower eastern shore counties. two and a half inches in st. mary's county. watched the explosion of snow.

we have some snow flurries in baltimore. it should clear out in the next couple of hours. 17 in catonsville. 14 and parkton. we are tracking the next storm that could give us some snow on friday. maybe give us some snow again tomorrow. clouds this morning and the coming mostly sunny this afternoon. we will make it up to about 27 . a good chance for some snow tomorrow afternoon and into friday night. minor accumulations are likely. breezy and cold this weekend. it will get warmer next week.

50 degrees by wednesday. ava marie is in hamden. maybe give us a preview for the poll bear plunge. -- polar bear plunge. >> look at you. >> this my first time plunging and i'm getting ready. >> it will be colder this year. >> we will have a pep rally out of the park. people will be there in spirit. 5000 of those will be on sale. >> you are having a big pep rally because of the ravens. >> we want to take advantage of

the opportunity to support a great cause. we want to keep the energy going through the weekend. >> people can still sign up. >> plungemd. their stuff for everybody -- there will be stuff for everybody. it is family friendly. >> current temperatures in the mid to upper 30's in tehe bay. the water temperature around sandy point will be around 37. could be some snow on the ground. people will have bragging rights. thank you, jim. ava marie, wbal-tv 11 news.

>> 6:49. a busy overnight for firefighters after a fire guts a downtown building. building at north calvert caught fire. it quickly spread. firefighters had to pull back and a tax it from the outside -- and attack it from the outside. nobody was injured. andy harris is sponsoring a bill for term limits that would hold senators for two consecutive six-year terms. >> time to check the winter weather and the commute.

unfriend has the latest. -- jennifer franciotti has the latest. >> this is york road. plows have gone through. if you park your car outside, that is what you'll be facing. lots of school districts calling in with a two-hour delay. the buses are trying to make time for the salt trucks to get through so it is safer for students. check the ticker on the bottom of the screen or go to our website, wbaltv.com. about half an inch of snow on the side streets. be careful out there. jennifer franciotti, wbal-tv 11

news. back to you. >> for did a good job of painting the picture -- jennifer did a good job of painting the picture. let's point to some instances. route 26, we have an accident just coming in. 18 miles per hour on southbound 95 through howard county. a live picture shows the pace of things. was 32 at 95 -- that was 32 at 95. >> it will turned mostly sunny

this afternoon. we will make it up to 27. the east is going to be c old. 63 in denver. there could be some rain in los angeles. >> thank you. time to get to your answers to our water cooler question of the day. >> this morning we asked, if you could have one perk at your workplace, what would it be? [laughter] we will post more answers on our website, wbaltv.com. >> 6:53. 16 degrees at the airport.

>> we'll take a last look at weather and traffic together before you head out to start your day. your day. stay with

>> the conditions are improving but there are still a lot of problems. >> you need to get out early. an accident at veterans highway. 37 miles per hour. look at the backup on 95. southbound traffic is just crawling. delays on the bay bridge because of an earlier crash. >> improving throughout the day. >> there could be some leftover flurries. >> mindy is off tomorrow. it is her birthday. it is her birthday.