expand but they call it untrue at least for baltimore. adam has an inn depth look at the rapidly changing airline industry. >>reporter: baltimore is on a list of three airports most likely to see substantial increases as a result of this potential buyout. southwest could soon control 70% of the business if government regulators approve a buyout of air-tran. >> they have a good thing so i won change anything about it. >> reporter: many are concerned it could ruin their favorite part of southwest. it is partly due to apprise war with the second largest airline. one example, orlando was recently beat by air-tran trying to beat business.

the buyout could end those bargains. >> they typically go up, they don't go down so if you have fewer competitors, they will have a tendency to raise prices because they can. >> reporter: they are all victims of mergers, the airfare has risen to $2,800, that is up 10% since 1995. but the trends, fair has dropped here 2%. >> do you rely on that as a drop for the customers? >> some throughout the region. >> reporter: they agree on the role of competition so they are looking for more. >> they are looking to boost airline carriers. >> reporter: hoping to keep fares soaring as another airline sores off the radar.

many analysts predict unknown number of the job losses because of overlapping jobs. if approved, the $1.5 billion acquisition will be complete in 2012. a tropical system in the atlantic is raising concerns along the east coast including here in maryland. we are live with weather, bob is tracking how this system could impact us, bob? we have seen the rain in the last 24 to 36 hours. it looks like another heavy bout of rain. that funnel system has stalled along the east coast. it is raining across florida and further south, we are watching a tropical system that can affect our region.

there will be a tropical depression and where it is expected to go, we will let you know. >> it looks like it is making some strength before it makes not only one but two landfalls. one over south florida, one -- actually three, again in the carolinas. again, what we are looking at combined with the jetstream it will act as a funnel. ahead of the jetstream, the rain will pick up on thursday, a round of heavy rains and winds will pick up 30-to-40 miles per hour. a few inches of rain came from this storm system. it does leave quickly but it will leave its mark and we will have your full forecast coming up. >> remember, www.wjz.com is always on. a health scare for former

president jimmy carter. here is an update on his condition right now. >> reporter: the former president was on a flight to ohio to promote his book. when the plane landed he was taken to the emergency room. he is now resting cover comfortably. -- resting comfortably. they have seen the former president walking around. president barack obama spoke with mr. carter and he tells president barack obama he is feeling great. >> that is great news. former president carter is in the academy in indianapolis. police found a man dead around 11:30 last night. it is unclear whether he lived inside the residence or somewhere else. they are awaiting the results of an autopsy. police have no suspects in this case.

we have an update on a developing story. sky chopper 13 over the cromwell business district, an out of control car crashed into the building. it is unclear if anybody was hurt and we will update you as soon as we get new information. they are mourning the death of one of their own. a veteran of the force was killed in a crash. they are mourning the loss of the department. >> he was headed to the university when his pickup truck hit a concrete barrier in lewiston pennsylvania. he was an accident investigator for the traffic section. he shared his memories. >> he is a team player, he is a patrol man for over 30 years

and you don't have that kind of service in this city without being a team player. >> he also issued a statement expressing her heart-felt thankful necessary for his service. >> he leaves behind a wife and two children. a dramatic rescue after a worker falls into a well. it happened this morning at the sewerage pump station. the county worker fell 30 feet into the well and was briefly trapped. the worker is now out of the well and talking to investigators about the accident. hands off, that is the message for people behind the wheel using mobile phones. live along i- 695, here is more on what you need to know about the law. >> reporter: transportation authorities say every year

hundreds of drivers lose their licenses as a result of distracted driving and they believe this new law will bring those numbers way down. you know you have seen this on the road... >> traffic is slowing down and you know somebody is on their cell phone. >> reporter: if police see it of a october 1st and beyond they will issue a ticket. >> hang up and drive. >> reporter: they unveiled a new sign for state highways reminding people of the new law, still only hands free devices will be legal. they hope to pass it is a primary offense meaning alone it could be cited. still it could be a secondary offense so you have to be pulled over for something else as well. first it is $40 and then $100 for every time of a. it will

still be extremely affective. >> it is amazing how creative police can get. i would not be very comfortable if i were a maryland driver thinking they can't get me because i am holding a cell phone. >> folks will ignore the law and those are the ones unfortunately we will cite. >> most say it is time for a change. >> when you get caught and get a ticket you don't do it again. no, i think it is a good thing. i think it needs to become a law every place. >> reporter: there is a free pass that could be available to drivers. courts could weigh the penalties if a first time offender has acquired a hands free device. eyewitness news. a citation will not only result in a fine but also one point on your license. if a violater causes a crash, it is 1 point.

the marlin gubinatorial contest, at the center of controversy, it was altered on the state's website. pat warren has reaction from both sides. >> reporter: rested up and ready for a fight, they slug it out over jobs in maryland. as they promote their progress, the republican contender says they are trying to build things up as they pull things off the state website because they painted a gloomy picture over jobs. >> e-mails reflect, jesus we can't let this bad news get out because it is a major issue in the campaign and these orders are coming from the top. >> reporter: governor oh mallly does not know who the top in the e-mail is supposed to be. >> i don't know. i am the top of our state government but in terms of who

runs the website i don't know. either secretary sanchez or other folks. >> reporter: who is more capable of leading an economic recovery? >> guilty, jobs, guilty, i want jobs, i want businesses, big small medium, micro, huge, corporate headquarters, i don't get the attack ads. you want business people to establish a residence in your state. >> reporter: the governor says they are making progress. >> the numbers come out every month and we have had the best january through august that we have had since the year 2000 and latest month was a disappointment to all of us but we have created 2000 jobs since january and that's a positive move forward. >> in the short time between now and election, both

candidates are running ads challenging the other's records. president barack obama has recorded a radio ad for the oh mallly campaign, stay tuned for the latest polls and for more log on to www.wjz.com. big changes in store for an icon of baltimore skyline. as an older landmark building gets a new name. it could mean more jobs for the economy. here is more on the changes coming to the old mason building. >> reporter: the building's owners have just made a deal, you can call this the transamerica tower. when they moved in, it left the old building without a name and with plenty of space to fill. the parent company life

insurance which already ploys -- employs 750 people, they were looking for real estate capital saw a great fit. >> they will make themselves a little bit better known than they are. >> reporter: they leased 100 floors, roughly a third of the building impressing by -- impressed by building owners which includes a nearby parking garage but the icing on the cake, getting the company name as the landmark. >> it is visible from people -- for people commuting from the north as well. >> reporter: downtown, kirby says it helps more than just the city's business district? >> we'll see more taxes for the city, more money for our play grounds and recreation centers.

>>reporter: it is baltimore's tallest building, it changed the city's skyline. it is now the transamerica tower. transamerica plans on working on their space in the building by march and they hope to be moved in by september. eyewitness news. thank you derek. kayla will also be moving into the tower next year. one of baltimore's own is receiving a genius grant. he won one of 23 prizes handed out by the mccart they are foundation -- mcarthur foundation. they created the hbo series, the wire and most recently another named company. he is a genius.

congratulations to him. still ahead at 5:00 tragedy in texas turns into a crime scene. what we know about the student behind the shooting on campus. right to drive, a push to make the team safer and change driver's license laws. it is a fatal but pre--- fatal but preventable disease and they are offering a freeway to vaccinate your pet. that is coming up next on "eyewitness news." more rain to come, the forecast is coming up with bob. ,,,,,,,,,,,,

i'm frank kratovil and i approve this message. the real andy harris. buried in his website - a promise to replace the tax code with a 23% sales tax and eliminate the mortgage interest deduction. a bush tax panel said families would pay $6,000 more a year. a reagan tax advisor calls it a very dumb idea. but that's not his only bad idea. harris was the only senator to vote against expanding the child care tax credit and against the state's cancer treatment program. andy harris' extreme ideas will cost us.

. car crashes are the number one killer, now victims family are asking congress to place limits on young drivers.

ken disgibson has that report for wjz. >>reporter: jamie died on the way home from a football game, her best friend was behind the wheel. >> on the side of the road, it caused the vehicle they were riding in to trip five times. >> reporter: her father is in washington hoping to help other families avoid the same tragedy. he is trying to enact legislation to toughen up the licensing rules for young drivers. drivers will have to be 16 to get a permit and 18 for a full license. teens will have to be supervised while driving at night until they are 18. cell phone use is strictly prohibited and they are only allowed one friend under 18 in the car. advocates of the new law say

granding young drivers restricted licenses will save thousands of lives. if this law had been in place 8 years ago, he believes his daughter would still be alive. >> i think the driver in that car she was with was distracted. there were so many kids in the car, their cell phones were on the ground. >> reporter: if the law is passed, they will have three years to enact the law. the law has been introduced to both the house and senate but it is waiting for a vote. if you are waiting for someone to get home from work, here is more from traffic control, sharon? sky chopper 13 was flying above the situation, it is a vehicle into a building on cromwell park ride, it seems to be a business park there not

causing any major issues on the road but it is interesting to look at. in the meantime you will want to watch for an accident at hannover road. 295 to 175, not that bad, 32 miles per hour slowest spot on the top side 83 and 95, an 18 minute drive. looking outside, that is the inner loop to the right of your screen and we will have the traffic camera outside there we go. there is the outside of belt way national pike. as you approach the bridge, there is a delay due to a stalled vehicle. october 27th through the 31st

particular kits for -- tickets for disney on ice, for more disney on ice.com. it turned out to be a nice day. the temperatures are kind of warm actually. 79 and it will get to the upper 50s and lower 60s, the barometer is holding steady, we will have a descend start to will have a descend start to th,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

. now your complete forecast. beautiful skies, it is really beautiful. tonight, temperatures will drop back in the upper 50s and lower 60s. tomorrow we'll see more clouds move in. i will show you why in just a minute. it is actually pretty warm here. 79 and 81 in washington, 79 in ocean city. the dew point has dropped down to 58. that means drier air is coming in. only 52 in oakland, that is cool for this time of the day even for the end of the

september. a little more southwest than they have been with the wind and right now a bit of relaxation in the tide and i don't expect to see anything major going on in the bay. if we get a strong flow out of the south by thursday, we may see coastal flood advisories issued for late wednesday and thursday. we may also see flash-flood watches because we could see heavy rain by wednesday night and thursday. the front and low pressure is way up for the north but it is trailing all the way to the east . be like a conveyer belt from the tropics write up the east coast particularly the carolinas, new jersey by thursday and late thursday in some areas, pennsylvania new jersey, delaware, maybe even four inches of rain will cause

some flooding probably in some locations i'm sure. for the time-being, high pressure builds in briefly and then the rain, it could become tropical storm nichole and if it is named it could become tropical storm nichole and it will go to virginia and quickly to the north or northeast and the latest hurricane model has it north of virginia up to massachusetts and further east. we will keep watching because that track will determine who gets the heavy rain and who gets the heavy winds. this tract is showing it is over the ocean but with that pressure and jets dipping down, somebody will see sustained winds at 30 miles per hour on thursday and that could cause power lines and trees going

down. so tonight, look for partly cloudy skies, maybe some fog if it does rain, 60s, tomorrow clouds building and a chance of rain developing tomorrow night. 76 rain likely probably heavy and thunderstorm activity and very nasty day coming up on thursday with that storm headed up the east coast. >> all right, bob we will watch, thank you. still ahead, doctors tell us about the cause of migraine and it could be in your dna. >> i am susan and i will tell you why teenagers were not charged even though they pulled the trigger. that is coming up next. it is not too early to it is not too early to think about helping the needy, for the working guy... but he's not on our side.

i thought i knew bob ehrlich, but then i found out... he raised property taxes on every maryland family... and business. he increased college tuition... by 40%. 40%. and i thought i knew bob ehrlich. he was against raising the minimum wage. made $2.5 million... working for a lobbying firm. $2.5 million? he's not really on my side. with this tough economy, we really need a governor on our side.

. now complete coverage, it is wjz maryland's news station. it is 5:30:79 degrees and partly sunny skies. here are some of the stories people are talking about tonight. a toddler is critically wounded. now his teenage brother is charged with leaving a gun within the child's reach. a teenage girl halls also been -- has also been charged. >>reporter: he and his girlfriend are charged as

adults. monday at 11:5 in the morning, neighbors heard a gunshot. >> we interviewed different people who were in the residence and we came to the conclusion there were four people in the room where the child was shot. there was a handgun left underneath the bed. >> reporter: police say the older brother has been charged with possessing a stolen handgun and with leaving it in a place where a child could find it. the girlfriend is charged with hiding the gun after the baby was shot. they say while the gun was jammed, they didn't think it was impossible for another child to come along and find it and fire it again. >> the gun was jammed, however the jam could have been cleared and fired again. >>reporter: this news was troubling to a family with two children out in the same complex. >> any one of them could have

picked it up and there could have been an accident. >> it is a danger to everyone and just the thought of it frightens me. >>reporter: the gun was stolen from a federal officer on september 7thth. that officer said he had it in a locked car. susan collins. they raised their bail to $100,000 . she stabbed her boyfriend. cynthia powers was arrested yesterday. she stabbed her boyfriend after a fight and fled the area. the victim was able to contact police before being taken to a hospital for treatment. she was caught a short time later and was charged. no word on the victim's condition. virginia university is placed on lockdown after a

student opens fire. here is more. denise? >> reporter: 19-year-old colton began firing an ak-47 on the campus. he then ran into the library firing more rounds before turning the gun on himself. the suspect was cornered thanks to the help of students. >> i want to commend the students. they led the way to the suspect as officers found the suspect and chased of a him. i spoke with officers and they say the students kept pointing them in the right direction. >> reporter: investigative reports say there was a second gunman but they found he acted alone. it brought back memories of the 1966 shooting when he shot 16 people before he was killed by police. president barack obama's

chief of staff may be leaving the white house. he is expected to announce a run for mayor in chicago as early as friday. the position opened up when he announced he would not seek reelection. if he does step aside, peter louse is expected to step in as chief of staff. he is supporting democrats running for election in november. reporting for wjz, there is a lot riding on the president's effort. >> reporter: the president is back out campaigning, his first stop, into the huge rally but this small backyard in new mexico. he convinced them not to give up on democrats in november and his theme is education. >> the number one issue in terms of us succeeding as an

economy is how well we educate our children. >> reporter: but they had more mediate concerns. >> if we don't have homes to go to, how much does education mean? >> reporter: more americans can turn around the economy. >> the american people have taken a back seat to the republican agenda. >>reporter: they are trying to counterby recapturing the campaign magic from 2008. the white house has lost a series of college campus rallies. vice-president joseph biden as part of the administration attempt to connect with surge voters, 18 to 29-year-olds who were a key force in delivering the oval office. young voters do not show up at the polls for midterm elections

but they can count on them for their support. joel brown wjz eyewitness news. >> and the president is hosting a major rally at the university of wisconsin. they planned it for the president before the november nd election. they are already creating jobs. they are nearly doubling the workforce to cope with demand during the holiday season. 10,000 positions will be available at the express or temporary stores. many of these jobs will vanish when the holidays have come to a close. in tonight's health watch, some migraines could be caused by a faulty gene. they found the gene can trigger the painful headache and there

is a drug that can target and help with that pain. students were taking part in a series of work outs as part of the health think day's initiative. joining in on the fun and the video, she announced they are up to the challenge. now the school is running it with the cooperation of the national football league. >> i think each year 5 5,000 people die, today is world rabies prevention day and the health department is hoping to rid us of this disease. here is more on how your pets can get a free vaccination. >> reporter: every 10 minutes one person around the world dies from rabies. spread by sal life have a, the -- sal life -- sal life have a,

they are offering 100 vouchers for free vaccinations. >> you can bring it for the first saturday of every month, you can get your pet vaccinated for free for rabies. >> one reason we are successful in america, we do this and it is all about preventive healthcare. >> reporter: the last case was in the 1930s but more recently there have been close calls and she got pro vendingtive -- preventive treatment just incase. since january 18 animals in the city mainly bats tested positive for the disease. >> in the last two days we have two positive raccoons. >> reporter: and in horses it increased 36% last year. >> vaccinate your dogs and cats. >> reporter: the first shot lasts for one year, the second shot lasts for three years. ask when your pet is due.

experts say it is an easy solution to a deadly problem. >> the free vouchers can be picked up on cyclone street. vouchers are typically less than $30. here is more on tomorrow's edition of the baltimore sun. it is sold at auction. questions and answers for the last weekend's ravens game and a round of cooking classes are being offered this fall, those stories and a whole lot more, be sure to look at your forecast and first weather team. jessica cartelly reports, it is part of a project to help injured troops overseas. >> reporter: from the football field to the battlefield, the baltimore ravens are helping

wounded warriors. >> we are putting to the little backpacks with basic necessities, that is what troops need once they are in the hospital. >>reporter: $300 worth of gear, including shirts, underwear and socks are all packed into these black backpacks. >> they will be shipped overseas to guys and girls that are wounded. >> it was really important to me to come out here and make sure we are giving back to people putting their lives on the line. >> reporter: he eagerly volunteered his time to help injured troops. >> on sunday i want to say i appreciate what they do and stay safe and come home. >> reporter: they have been expanding ever since a few years ago. >> we have a whole product line and it is launching and you can

buy it and the proceeds go back to the foundation. >>reporter: the spirit of helping others is all part of the game. >> thank you and we appreciate everything that you do. >> the backpack will be presented to an injured serviceman or woman recuperating in a hospital. >> it is the freedom initiative to support safety officials. facing the steelers, they are back on wjz, you can see that game 1:00 p.m. live. the game will be immediately followed by a post game show. we will have highlights and reaction and then it is marty, the bulldog. a big day of football on went -- wjz 13. still to come, a film legend gone.

>> how extraordinary... >> fans from the hit titanic, hollywood remembers gloria stewart. we will have more on the latest from the rescue effort. heavy rain heading in our direction, we will have your forecast. today from wall street, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

. it may be september but it's not too early. thousands of people are getting help from the organization. the salvation army says this year is the year people need help more than ever. >> reporter: they have come to the salvation army with an all too familiar story. >> i recently lost my job, i thank god for organizations like this. it is a real big help. >> reporter: the salvation army has been helping people for 30 years. this holiday season could be her most difficult yet. >> it is uh-huh beg e--- a humbling experience for them. the good thing is we are here

and we are here to help people who need us. >> reporter: that need is being met. it provides food and clothing and families that need specific guidelines, like hand until who lost -- like this woman who lost her job more than a year ago. >> currently i am unemployed and impart of the lower portion of the economy right now so it will help benefit both of my kids. >> reporter: families need assistance from the salvation army must register by friday. >> we have registration from 9:30 until 3:00. they should not wait until friday. there will be long lines. >> reporter: the salvation army serves 1600 families and 4,000 families, help this -- 16,000 families and 4,000 children. >> i really didn't have help

last time but it will help us out. >> last year the salvation army distributed 30,000 toys to children in need. for more on the angel website, go to our website for more information. well, tomorrow, we are going to start out on the dry side but with fog around. mixed clouds and sunshine but rain is not far to follow. it will start tomorrow night and then really start to pick up as we head to thursday and for more on that, here is bob. >> it will be a stormy day, we could get coastal flooding, flash-flood advisories, 76 degrees the rain comes in late

tomorrow night, 4 inches of rain possible, ends friday, a cool weekend, 66 and 46, a good deal of sunshine down to 44 on sunday night. in columbia, it swallowed up trees and at least 20 people. rescue workers say a group of people were changing buses in an effort to get across a first landslide when a larger collapse buried them. look at the mud going down the hill. heavy rains buried that area of the columbia capital forcing rescue workers to delay their search. the actress who won an oscar nomination has passed away at the age of 100. gloria stewart was a leading lady and played a shipped wrecked survivor named rose in

the 1987 epic. she was the oldest actress ever nominated for an oscar. for more stories coming up, vick is standing by with a preview. >> keeping prescription drugs out of the ron hands, -- wrong hands, plus... >> half a million dollar lawsuit is filed in howard county. what is happening when we return. . check in for these stories at 6:00, back to you. eyewitness news and sports is coming up next. ravens get revved up for their rivals, they will play the pittsburgh steelers trying to keep their emotions in check. we will hear from the team. i will tell you why the baltimore orioles want to avoid

baltimore orioles want to avoid them tonighgh,,,, old gibbs canning company. baltimore orioles want to avoid them tonighgh,,,, today these factories are full of dot com businesses. and now my job is helping maryland create new economy jobs. training new math and science teachers investing in our institutions of excellence pioneering new cyber security jobs and giving an old gm plant a jump start building electric motors. i'm barbara mikulski. i approve this message so you'll know i'm fighting for you.

[ monkey cheeps ] [ male announcer ] a bath becomes even more pleasurable when you know that your water is being heated in an environmentally- conscious way while saving you hundreds of dollars on your water-heating energy bill. the geospring water heater from ge with advanced hybrid technology. heating the water in your home any other way is just going to seem primitive. [ monkey cheeps ] ♪ maryland residents can save up to $780 while funds last.

bob ehrlich's real record on energy. lobbyists helped write utility regulations. we got stuck with a 72% rate hike. but martin o'malley got tough on bge, forcing them to pay back $2 billion to consumers. and what's bob ehrlich been doing the past four years? he got paid $2.5 million at a lobbying firm, a firm representing special interests and casinos right here in maryland. that's bob ehrlich-- a 72% increase for us and $2.5 million from special interests for himself. nice work, bob.

. ravens, the rivalry is expected to reach a boiling point. they have emotional moments already this season. he was fined in cincinnati. he was flagged for throwing a punch in the heat of the moment in cleveland. the coach wants to harness that emotion. >> you have to focus your emotions on playing the game and it doesn't help you play well. we want guys to focus on that all the time and we want to use our emotions as a positive. let's let it help us to win the game. >> it is not for the meek. we will bring it to you live sunday at 1:00 and stay tuned when the game ends, highlights

continue. a post game show for the steelers right here on wjz. now the steelers are up with of three unbeaten teams. the bears got two punt returns and a monday night win over the previously unbeaten packers. they take this one in primetime. baltimore orioles post -- baltimore orioles postpone playoffs in tampa bay. tampa bay clinches the playoff spot. brian matt tess kept it from happening, trying to follow up, he had a 4-0 win. they will go with david price. game time 7:10, you can see it on masn 2. grown men are

dousing one another with champagne which is what the phillies did of a clinching the title. they celebrated of a roy halladay had a shutout, three of the 8 playoff teams are in with 6 days to go in the season. coming up, nba training camp starts today, they talked about caramel low anthony, will he be leaving denver, still ahead on eyewitness news at 6:00. still to come on wjz eyewitness news, the trial of air-tran, find out the real story behind the airfare [ female announcer ] remember this promise?

[ man ] martin o'malley -- taking on bg&e to stop the rate hikes. [ female announcer ] never happened -- your bill went up 72%. and o'malley gave the bureaucrat who approved the rate hike a huge raise. now martin o'malley promises we're moving forward. the fact of the matter is our economy is doing much better now. [ female announcer ] really? nearly 7,000 marylanders lost their jobs last month. four years ago, martin o'malley misled us. now he's just making stuff up. bob ehrlich. we can do better.

. coming up, getting to the bottom of the air-tran southwest merger in an air report. they will start charge you very soon, what you need to know about hanging up the phone on the road. an icon, a baltimore skyline gets a new name, coming up, i will tell you which

building and what we will all soon be calling it. it is drying up out there but for how long. the tropical system could be heading close to maryland. wjz at 6:00 start right now. this is wjz tv, and www.wjz.com, baltimore. from the city to the counties, to your neighborhood, now it is complete coverage. it is wjz maryland's news station. the massive southwest mergers on your wallet, how they plan to keep things competitive. hello everyone, here is what people are talking about tonight, it is good for shareholders but not for travelers. they are on track for