his actions. >> i'm mary bubala. >> i'm kai jackson. here's what people are talking about. more than 100,000 people received those infamous robocalls on election night 2010. now, bob ehrlich's campaign manager says he is sorry. why paul schurick is avoiding time behind bars. >> reporter: paul schurick admits he authorized those election night robocalls. and for that, a judge says he'll spend one month in home detention. >> it was, in fact, a profound personal failure. >> reporter: for the first time, ehrlich campaign manager paul schurick speaks out about the election night robocall that he says cost him his career, put his family through hell and publicly humiliated him. >> regret? yeah. i just walked out of a courtroom. it was a mistake. it was the wrong decision. we live with consequences. >> reporter: a jury agreed the election night robocalls to 112,000 registered democrats in baltimore city and prince george's county, amounted to

voter suppression. because the call hinted bob ehrlich's opponent, governor o'malley had already won, and there was no need to go vote. >> we're okay. relax. >> reporter: schurick approved the call. >> because i believed there were several thousand african american supporters of bob ehrlich, who had not voted that day. and that a message as counterintuitive as it seems in hindsight, that a message, such as that one, would, in fact, motivate them to go to the polls if they had not already done so. >> reporter: but the judge strongly criticized schurick as he sentenced him to a month of home detention, saying any campaigner should have said, no, it's deceptive, it's illegal, you shouldn't do it. the state prosecutor agrees. >> this type of behavior is not just a dirty trick or politics as usual. it is illegal. >> trust me, political professionals in maryland are very, very aware of the outcome of this trial and the consequences. >> reporter: the judge also

gave schurick 500 hours of community service. he'll have to split that, 250 hours in baltimore city. 250 in prince george's county. derek valcourt, wjz eyewitness news. and campaign consultant julius henson also goes to trial this month. he conspired with schurick. in amoments ago, state senator ulysses currie learns his punishment for failing to disclose his work with a grocery chain. >> reporter: good evening, kai. this is a rare action. basically, they've censured him. they said, we don't like what you did. but they stopped short of kicking him out of office. >> reporter: an ethics committee has recommended that senator currie be censured,

after getting money while working on legislature that benefited the chain. >> we were very thorough. this is one of the business committees i've been on. we spent a lot of time. >> reporter: the once-powerful currie failed to answer questions about ethical lapses after being acquitted on federal bribery and conspiracy charges. >> i think julius acknowledged he made mistakes. but i think that's an appropriate sanction. but i think -- i'm glad to see that that's all that happened to him. because i think he's a good man. he has a good heart. and he's done a phenomenal job here in annapolis. >> lawmakers are expected to vote by the end of the week. >> reporter: the committee could have recommended that currie be expelled. but if the senate approves the recommendation just to censure him, it will allow currie to keep his seat representing prince george's county, a seat

he's held for more than 12 years. >> we are on the up and up. and that's why we have a committee made of house and senate members to take care of issues like this. >> reporter: the full senate must vote on it. a lot of lawmakers are just digesting it at this point. but again, a censure, a public apology, and removal from leadership positions. that's what this joint committee has recommended. they stopped short of expelling senator ulysses currie. live in annapolis, mike hellgren, wjz eyewitness news. >> mike, thank you. wjz will continue of continue to follow this story. we'll have more reaction as it comes in. a suspected case of tuberculosis is discovered on the umbc campus. vic is in the newsroom with details from the school. vic? >> the university sent out a letter, saying students were possibly infected by the disease. the school has worked with the baltimore county health department. tuberculosis typically affects the lungs and can cause a cough, chest pain and fever.

the university says contracting it through campus life can be difficult. >> the university also working to notify people who may have been in contact with this person so that screening test can be done. police arrest the driver of a tanker truck that overturned on i-95 last month. take a look from sky eye sky eye chopper 13 at the scene of that crash. the accident caused a hazmat spill. monique griego has more on why the driver is behind bars. >> reporter: just after 8:00 last night, a tractor-trailer overturned, causing a massive hazmat situation. >> the spillage was coming down. and it covered all lanes of traffic. >> reporter: the sergeant said the driver lost control of the fort mchenry toll and flipped. the truck was full of a concrete mixing solution that poured onto the roadway. police shut down traffic for more than seven hours as crews tried to clean up the mess. >> it was not hazardous in any

way. the maryland department of the environment was out. >> reporter: two of those containers actually rolled off of the 95, landed on the 895, and shut down traffic there as well. >> reporter: luckily, the 895 lanes were already closed for routine maintenance. >> one of them struck a vehicle that was out traveling the roadway. it could have been a lot more serious. >> reporter: police believe that what is more serious is that they believe the driver of this truck had been drinking. officers arrested and charged 46-year-old glen grice with drunk driving. we made several calls to the company but never received a response. and despite how bad this situation looks, authorities are thankful no one was hurt. >> reporter: potentially, it could have been a lot worse. >> reporter: monique griego, wjz eyewitness news. >> court records show in 2010 and 2011, greece pled guilty to driving with excessive weight. an elderly man, rescued from his burning apartment has died from his injuries.

firefighters pulled the man out of the high-rise building. but doctors were unable to save his life. investigators believe the fire started in the man's microwave then spread when the flames made contact with oxygen from his oxygen tank. an unexpected delay in the trial of george huguely. the former university of virginia lacrosse player is accused of killing cockeysville native yeardley love. adam may has the latest on the reaction from those watching the trial closely. adam? >> reporter: kai, this is very unusual in such a high-profile case. but now this unexpected day off means it's going to be at least a couple more days until we get a verdict in court. in the court of public opinion, however, it appears the defense team has a lot of ground to make up. >> reporter: intense local and national media coverage of the george huguely murder trial, captivating residents of charlottesville, virginia. >> i'd say it is absolutely the talk of the town. >> reporter: these ladies, unconnected to the case, planned to spend the day in

court, wondering if huguely's defense team would change their opinions. yashedly love, -- yeardley love found beaten to death. >> i'd say, amongst counties, there is probably a bias against huguely. >> i'd say he definitely has a huge responsibility for what happened. what happened in there. i don't know. but certainly mandates strong punishment. >> reporter: the defense team was going to lay out their case thursday. but suddenly, attorney rhonda quig lyannea came down with an illness, canceling day 9 of the trial. >> is this trial taking a while? >> taking a while. no judge is going to require that the defendant, who is on trial go forward if he wants to have both of his lawyers there and if one is sick. >> reporter: a motive of jealousy over an affair with another lacrosse player.

and huguely's fits of violence. >> i think he's guilty. i want them to throw the book at him. >> she never got the chance to get married. she never to got to have a kid. she doesn't know what all of those wonderful things could be like. then her whole life was in front of her and it was robbed from her. >> reporter: they only have one courtroom back here inside this building. so there's been a lot of pressure on the attorneys on both sides to really keep this case moving along. in fact, the judge said that he would like the jury to get this case before president's day. that is this upcoming monday. but tomorrow, it could be a very long day in court. we still have closing arguments for both sides. and of course, jury deliberations after that. and no one can guess how long that will take. reporting live in charlottesville, virginia tonight, adam may, wjz eyewitness news. >> adam, thank you. stay with wjz for the remainder of the trial. we will be in court tomorrow and bring you the latest on air and online at wjz.com. it has been a rainy day in

maryland right now. showers are moving through parts of the state. wjz is live with firstwarning weather. meteorologist tim williams and bob turk are looking at live doppler radar for us. >> i actually see a little sun in the west. things are beginning to clear out here in the central portion of the state. take a look at radar. that batch is moving to the east and southeast. around the city, a few light sprinkles. west of us, just a few widely scattered areas of rain. you can see from dover, down to cambridge, over to salisbury, easton and ocean city. that will be going on in the next hour or two. temperature-wise, another relatively mild day. still in the mid-40s here. 43 in oakland. 47 across southern areas. and 46 down in ocean city. tim is looking at a really nice friday and questions yet for the weekend. >> this moisture is going to be around here for a little while. so the clouds will be here tonight. tomorrow, we're looking at a

dryer, sunnier day, shaping up. it's going to be pretty nice. temperatures going back into the mid- to upper 40s. but we are watching a system that will be moving in here for the weekend. and we're talking sunday into sunday afternoon and evening. it is a system that is going to have two parts to it. one part bringing moisture from the south. the other bringing cold air from the north. and it's just going to be a matter of how they combine as they get closer to the mid- atlantic. we're still three days out. and it's still all starting to come together. but we will keep you posted. and bob turk will have the complete updated first warning forecast. a debate over same-sex marriage is under way in the house of delegates. and advocates are trying to pass the final legislation. wjz is live in annapolis. pat warren is there, following the battle at the state house. >> good evening, everybody. it was originally set to start at 5:30. it's now been pushed back to 6:00. a debate that everyone hopes will give a clear indication of where the boats are, which is all anyone is talking about.

>> reporter: maryland's same- sex marriage bill needs 71 votes to pass. that means everyone is voting and every vote counts. two republicans have signaled they will vote yes. but house minority leader anthony o'donnell says that may not be as big as some think. >> are there any efforts on where the votes are count. >> yes. they are. >> and they would be. >> they could be very close. >> very close one way. >> and i think you'll find just about anyone who is close into that pact will not want to talk numbers right now. that's how close they are. >> these post guards, to the men and women who serve you in the general assembly. >> reporter: governor o'malley's decision to sponsor same-sex marriage bill this year. >> they all sort of received those postcards, phone calls, a lot of constant contact. >> reporter: the maryland marriage alliance today expressed disappointment in the governor and is calling for

fair process that would send the bill, if it passes, to referendum. >> the situation is very volatile. and a change of one or two votes could determine the outcome of those passage or failure. >> reporter: again, the debate is expected to start at 6:00. it could go well into the evening. and the house of delegates could vote on the same-sex marriage bill tomorrow. reporting live from annapolis, i'm pat warren. back to you. >> the senate hasn't taken any action on the bill since the hearing at the end of january. shedding new light on whitney houston's final days. what hotel guests say she was doing at the beverly hilton before she died. the final chapter for a convicted terrorist. his sentence for trying to blow up a plane and reaction from other passengers on that flight. the baltimore grand prix is still several months away. so why are race cars already taking over the street?

i'm weijia jiang downtown with a sneak peek you won't want to miss coming up. a wet thursday night. more on what to expect for the weekend coming up in the updated forecast. ,, mine was earned over the south pacific in 1943. vietnam, 1967. i got mine in iraq, 2003. usaa auto insurance is often handed down from generation to generation. because it offers a superior level of protection, and because usaa's commitment to serve the military, veterans and their families is without equal. begin your legacy, get an auto insurance quote.

this saturday, baltimore's own, archbishop o'brien will be elevated to cardinal. all week, the catholic church is sharing the honor with wjz. >> reporter: cardinal designate edwin o'brien began the visit with a trip to baltimore. he then celebrated mass at a church in rome that has a special connection to cardinal william keeler. >> thank you for joining us this morning.

the basilica. and very important moment. >> reporter: it was just last month that pope benedict named o'brien to the college of cardinals. the ceremony or consistory will take place saturday. archbishop o'brien will be given the red hat and ring, officially becoming a cardinal. he will then serve in rome as an adviser to the pope and be eligible to vote in a papal election. dozens of parishioners from baltimore will witness o'brien's elevation. and reporters for the catholic review are there. >> the pilgrims will go from here to celebrate mass every day. then they'll celebrate with the pope and all the new cardinals. >> reporter: if you would like to hear more about the elevation, go to wjz.com for the latest stories and a link to the catholic review. if you're wait being for someone to get home from work,

let's check on the roads with kristy breslin at wjz traffic control. hi, kristy. >> hi, everyone. unfortunately, your drive this afternoon is probably going to be very frustrating. northbound 95, slowing there from 32 to 175. it slows down again from eastern avenue, past the beltway on that northeast corner. if you're traveling on the top side inner loop, from park heights avenue to 95, almost 40 minutes in that direction. west side inner loop, bumper to bumper there from 95 to security boulevard. expect at least a half hour. on the west side outer loop, heavy from the jones falls expressway to baltimore national pike. harrisburg expressway, a lot of heavy traffic in that northbound direction from timonium road to belfast. and a couple of accidents to update you on. southbound 95 at 195. garrison boulevard at west forest park. and also mulberry at north pulaski. let's now take a live look. you can see, things aren't moving along very well at all there. this traffic report is brought to you by volunteers of

america. go online now to cars helping people.org and donate a car. back over to you. >> kristy, thank you. some simple testing is helping to raise awareness about gynecologic testing. >> reporter: hello, kai. hello to everyone. i'm here with dr. kumar from med star franklin medical center. thank you for being here. what are the top ones women need to be aware of? >> cancer of the uterus, ovaries and cervix. i feel like a big risk factor we should focus on is family history. and genetic testing, the good news is, we have it now. and it's simple to perform. >> you see women of all ages, who is really at risk for this? >> well, i think anyone that presents with us, with any of these cancers, the important

thing is getting them plugged in with a genetic counselor. they're really able to provide a comprehensive health risk assessment of the entire family. and i really feel like if people are interested, we actually have this service at med star franklin square medical center. >> and it's very easy? >> very easy. it's a very simple blood test. and like i said, it just sort of takes interaction between our team, the genetic counselor. and it takes questioning, a simple blood test and really summarizing the detail. >> all right, dr. kumar, thank you so much for being here. >> my pleasure. >> back to you in the studio. >> thank you, jess. and thank you, dr. kumar. the phone lines are still open, by the way, if you have a question and you'd like to ask the expert, call. the expert on weather. mr. bob turk. right? of course. >> today was pretty easy. sunday looks a little more difficult forecast. we'll talk about that in a

minute. take a look at temps now. we're at 45, 85 89% now. beginning to dry out a little bit. southeast winds at 5, the barometer. right now, holding steady. come back and take a look at friday. looks great and the weekend. look at that. skies are beginning to move up, clear out. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

a great shot, looking west. a little glimpse of sun coming into the region. and we will clear out. you can see the low clouds hanging right over the city. look at that. up at that, 5, 800 feed. up there at 2800 feet. we have some sun coming out of the west. take a look at radar. west of us, for the most part, the rain is done. we still have showers in the eastern shore that continues to move quickly off. by about 7:30, 8:00, most of the state will be completely free of the rain. we're pretty much done with it here in baltimore. maybe one more sprinkle or two is possible. 45 degrees right now. it's been that way all day long, by the way. 44 with clearing to the west. a little bit, 44, 43 in oakland out there. and 42 up in cumberland. 46 some rain in ocean city, easton. and that will continue to about 7:30, 8:00. locally, 43, 46 by the day. and 46 over on kent island,

rock hall. 45, 35 today, the averages now, 45. very normal. 27 this morning. it would be the average. we only got to 35. 75 and 5 are the records on this date. right now, southeast winds. and that brought in that moisture off the atlantic ocean. now, to the west of us, this afternoon, starting to see some clearing. all of this is moving off to the east. what is more important in our weekend is the low pressure developing here in the gulf of mexico. and a little spin in the atmosphere over california, arizona. that's going to catch up with that moisture and move across the south. shower and thunderstorm activity likely down there. the question is, how far north is that precipitation getting? and how much cool air can get into our region sunday? we'll just have to keep track of this storm. maybe by late saturday, we'll have a pretty good idea. there will be cooler air moving in. if the storm gets right off the coast. we could see some rain-snow mixture here on sunday. and it might even end up as a period of snow sometime on sunday. if it gets cold enough, of course at this point, it is

still up in the air as they say. noability west winds, 10 to 15. small craft advisory out there. tomorrow, the rain ending, cloudy and some breaks. 36 overnight. staying above freezing. a mild, for the most part, a sunny and breezy day tomorrow. back up in the low to mid-50s on your friday. >> unbelievable, bob. thank you. still ahead at 5:00. prices going up. bwi's airport airline is hiking fares. how much will travelers pay? construction. a wine investigation is under way at the site of the world trade center. i'm alex demetrick. coming up, moving may be a loss for baltimore. find out why it may be a plus for the hospital ship comfort. that story as eyewitness news that story as eyewitness news contin,,,,,,,,,,

it is 5:30. 45 degrees with rain in parts of maryland tonight. good evening, everybody. thank you for staying with wjz eyewitness news. here are some of the stories people are talking about tonight. baltimore is bringing back the grand prix. and although it is still months away, race cars are already taking over the streets. weijia jiang takes us inside the driver's seat. >> reporter: baltimore grand pree organizers hope this

unveiling will shift the focus away from the business bumps in the road to what really matters to them, the racing. >> reporter: even a black cover can't hide its shape. >> you typically don't get the opportunity to see a car like this. it's like right in front of your face. >> reporter: not only did a crowd see this year's indy lotus car. they watched it being revealed for the first time ever, a major event. to promote the baltimore grand prix. indy car's ceo, in town for the unveiling has a message for the city. >> it's very important for us not to let them down and make sure this is a big event. >> reporter: the driver even took the car out for a spin. on the wet streets of baltimore today. so i really enjoyed it. >> reporter: and a mock pit stop in the middle of light street. >> this is the year i'm going. pretty exciting. >> reporter: decivilest row competed in the inaugural race. >> i think it was one of the

most physical races. because it was bumpy. >> the mayor announced a new team with managers, who hope to take a victory lap. >> it's coming. get ready. be prepared, buy your tickets, have a good time. >> reporter: even though we got a first look at the car here, it will compete in several other cities before hitting the streets of downtown baltimore. its first race will be next month in florida. weijia jiang, wjz eyewitness news. >> reporter: the new contract is pending approval by the city's board of estimates. members will vote next week. bge has started restoring natural gas service to people affected by a gas main break in southwest baltimore. now, the break happened tuesday in the 300 block of millington avenue. since that time, many people have been without heat or hot water. crews are now checking each of the 900 affected homes and businesses to make sure it's safe to turn service back on. >> new reports are surfacing concerning the final days of singer whitney houston. denise is in the newsroom with more on the troubling accounts.

denise? >> reporter: well, mary, sources tell cnn that witnesses were displaying erratic behavior. they say she was drinking heavily, causing many guests to be concerned. she was also wearing mismatched clothes and looking disheveled. the coroner says prescription drugs were found in her room but not in any large amount. the cause of death won't be available until toxicology tests are complete. >> sources also tell cnn that investigators are requesting surveillance video from the hotel. the so-called underwear bomber learns his fate today in court. umar farouq abdulmutallab pled guilty. today, the judge handed down the mandatory punishment. >> reporter: the nigerrian man who tried to set off an underwear bomb on christmas day

2009 will spend the rest of his life behind bars. umar farouq abdul mutalab called it a day of victory as he heard the judge read his sentence. he learned his fate, four months after admitting the failed terror attack was a suicide mission. >> al qaeda has lost once again. america has won once again. we always do. >> reporter: during thursday's hearing, they played a videotape showing what could have happened if the bomb had worked. an attorney for abdul mutalab read a statement from the family. >> we strongly urge you to review the life sentence. >> reporter: but they argued that abdulmutallab attempted to kill 289 people. and if released, he's likely to try another suicide mission. >> reporter: when he pled guilty last october, abdulmutallab said his explosive-laden underwear was a, quote, blessed weapon, to

avenge muslims around the world. he admitted that an war almalacky inspired him. the cleric was killed in a drone strike last november. abdulmutallab is expected to serve his sentence in colorado, where other convicted terrorists are already behind bars. at the white house, danielle nottingham, wjz eyewitness news. >> abdulmutallab's family was in detroit for the sentencing. but they did not attend today's hearing. a construction accident causes chaos at the world trade center this morning. a crane carrying a load of steel beams snapped, sending the beams 40 stories down. it landed on top of a vehicle. luckily being nobody was injured. the accident occurred in a section of the site, which is thankfully closed off to the public. the city's building is investigating the accident. the battle is on for michigan. mitt romney picks up a big endorsement in that state. but rick santorum is surging

and taking the lead in several national polls. jane yamamoto reports for wjz on the campaign trail. >> reporter: mitt romney is playing up his michigan roots, looking for a win in his home state. >> i was born and raised here. i love this state. it seems right here. trees are the right height. >> reporter: a loss here, where his own father was governor, could embarrass romney. today, he snagged the endorsement of michigan's current governor, while he vowed to, quote, nuke his rivals with attack ads. >> rick santorum, big spender, washington insider. >> reporter: rick santorum is already fighting back on the washington air waves. >> this time, romney is firing his mud at rick santorum. >> reporter: trying to get the upper hand on the signature issue, the economy. >> governor romney supported the bailout of wall street. and decided not to support the bailout of detroit. the government should not be involved in bailouts, period.

>> reporter: newt gingrich is here in california to focus on raising money. he's looking to tap into the state's donors, so he can stay competitive in the super tuesday contest next month. >> reporter: gingrich says he is in the race frtsdz long haul -- for the long haul. showing he's one of the most unpopular politicians right now. jane yamamoto, cbs news, los angeles. >> he has pulled in $1.2 million since valentine's day. it is going to cost a bit more to fly for some air travelers. southwest is increasing its prices on most flights by $10. a southwest spokesperson says the fare hikes are necessary to make up for the rising cost of jet fuel. according to usa today, other airlines, including american, delta, u.s. airways are all matching the price increase. days after baltimore mayor stephanie rawlings-blake rolls out a plan to boost

construction dollars to city schools, one grass roots group is backing the proposal. members say the next step is to get private businesses in on the plan. >> reporter: baltimore's crumbling cash-strapped schools need a big boost of construction dollars. it's a concern mayor stephanie rawlings-blake addressed in her state of the city speech earlier this week. >> reporter: too many of our schools have clouded windows. too many of our schools have nonpottable water. we need to do better. >> her plan, boosting the tax 2 to 5 cents, the city says it will raise millions and increase its school construction budget by 140%. >> we pray that you give us strength and guidance. >> reporter: more money is an answered prayer for this group. they're members of the build organization, a grass roots group that called on the mayor today to stick to her plan, despite the opposition. >> we need her to stand clearly with us on this other than issue. and this bottle tax will be a

reality. because we'll push to make it so. >> i have to ask myself, what value has this city placed on my children? >> erica gonzalez is a parent. she says repairing busted doors, replacing windows and installing central heating and air in schools are long overdue. >> reporter: that's why bills says baltimore will raise more cash faster issue as it draws private businesses to the table. >> if we come together as citizens, we will be successful. >> reporter: and the bill group says it will rally against any new private construction at that -- that the city approves, until the mayor makes good on her promise on school buildings first. >> baltimore schools need $3 billion to repair or rebuild all of its buildings. time now for a quick look at some of the stories you'll find in tomorrow morning's edition. baltimore sun. the five biggest questions facing the orioles as they head into spring training. the top storyline for the 2012

college lacrosse 17 and-- season and reviews of the brand new movies. remember to look for the updated forecast for wjz's first warning weather team. our loss, the navy's gain. tonight, new information on why the navy is moving the hospital ship comfort to baltimore. like real estate, it's all about location at the best price. >> reporter: the navy may own the comfort, but it takes a lot of civilians to keep it in top shape. local contractors have been doing it for a while. >> since 1989, when a ship first came to baltimore, it's good for the economy. there's a lot of local companies that provide services and goods to this ship. >> reporter: that business could take a hit when the navy moves the comfort from baltimore to norfolk, virginia, in 2013. but it will save the navy $2 million a year. >> well, after 25 years up here in baltimore, it will be a sad day that the ship moves. but i can see there are some advantages to being in the norfolk area. >> reporter: captain randall.

the navy provides the hundreds of doctors, nurses and medical staff during missions, whether it's war or disaster relief like the earthquake in haiti. being in norfolk saves times. >> it still had to travel 12 hours to get to the atlantic. >> reporter: that will also put it closer to the supplies the ship needs and to the medical crew. those bused into baltimore from bethesda are only a small fraction of the staff. >> the bulk of our medical staff actually comes from poet -- portsmouth. >> right now, that trip to virginia is set for march of next year. alex demetrick, wjz eyewitness news. and even though it leaves for good next year, the comfort will soon be sailing for boston. and 60 days of dry dock work. still ahead tonight on wjz's eyewitness news. inappropriate assignment? the punishment for a teacher who had her students become pen pals with a prisoner. i'm mike schuh.

baltimore county's new 911 center. what will $seventy mill -- $70 million buy you? the story next. i'm bob turk in the first warning weather center. dry, mild end to the week. and a look at the weekend. i'll have the exclusive first warning five-day forecast. here's a look at today's here's a look at today's report from wall street. ,,,,,,,

mid grade here's a look at today's report from wall street. ,,,,,,, dark roast forest fresh full tank brain freeze cake donettes rolling hot dogs bag of ice anti-freeze wash and dry diesel self-serve fix a flat jumper cables 5% cashback right now, get 5% cashback at gas stations. it pays to discover.

the rain has moved through the baltimore region for the most part. looks like we'll start seeing some clearing tonight. temperatures back in the 30s tomorrow. looks like a great, really nice day. it will be in the 50s by the afternoon. probably as high as low to mid- 50s again. similar to a couple of days we saw earlier this week. now, the weekend could pose some problems on sunday. a lot of question marks. but tim has our first look at that. tim? >> reporter: well, going into saturday, we have another day with above-average temperatures am temperatures very close to 50 degrees if not a bit above. it's going to be warm. the ground temperatures will be

warm. so whatever comes in on monday, will be like the last few storms. it's going to be faced with warmer road temperatures and streets. any unpaved surfaces are going to be warm enough that it will not lay immediately. so we will keep you posted on whatever does decide to form right around sunday. 44 on monday. 50 on tuesday. we warm right back up, as soon as we get past that system. we will keep you posted. now, for your energy saver tip of the day, use cooking time wisely. turn off the electric range, 2 to 3 minutes before the task is done and allow the residual heat to finish the job. for more information, go to wjz.com. scroll down the right-hand side of the page and click on our special section. some of the earth's most historic sites are being damaged by freezing temperatures. the walls of the rome ii,000- year-old coliseum are crumbling. a delicate effort is under way

to restore the monument. a crash happened in chesterfield, around 8:30 this morning. investigators say a bus carrying elementary school students collided with a dump truck at an intersection. the daughter of a state police trooper was killed. cause of the crash still under investigation. well, parents at a -- parents of children at a new york city elementary school are furious. after learning a teacher convinced students to send personal letters to a prison inmate. the school's chancellor confirms fifth grade teacher, melissa dean, has students write to a friend who is behind bars. the children were asked to include personal information on the cards, including their names and addresses. >> totally inappropriate for them to have children, minors, sending letters letters to convicts without parents' authorization, having them give their address to these people. >> fifth grade teacher. i have two children in this school. one in circhedz garten --

kindergarten one in fifth grade. >> they are seeking her termination. dean has declined to talk with investigators. a man eating at the heart attack grill has an actual heart attack. he was reportedly eating the restaurant's signature 6,000- calorie triple bypass burger, when he started to experience chest pains. some people thought it was a stunt. he was taken to the hospital and is now recuperating. >> people actually wear hospital stuff. wow. a hard lesson learned from the attacks on 9/11. that without good emergency communications, people die. billions in upgrades have been spent since then. as mike schuh reports, they showed often that $70 million will buy. >> reporter: it's 1990. and briefly, vanilla ice is a star. personal music, an ipod? try a boom box. and this is what a cell phone looks like.

>> hello? >> reporter: it's also the year the emergency radios in baltimore county were last upgraded. the chief shows what they sound like. [ static ] >> reporter: transmission to and from about 5% of the county sound that way, not anymore. listen to this. >> i'm approaching north gate coat. >> reporter: up and running, all new digital radios and a 911 center. >> this is no different than the need to have bulletproof vests with the latest fire engines. >> reporter: a good analogy to the evolution of this system is like looking at the evolution of television sets. first it started with black and whites. >> we went to 800 megahertz system, basically color tv. this is taking us to the high- def level. >> how far did she fall? >> reporter: clearer communications means one less stress point in an emergency. >> it feels good to help them and know exactly what they need. >> reporter: the $7 mill -- $77 million cost was approved by

voters. >> i guess the question is what price do you put on public safety? >> and you may remember late last year, anne arundel county had so many problems with its new dispatch system, its use was suspended. baltimore county said its dispatch system, which is reliable, was not changed. check in with eyewitness news at 6:00 coming up. vic is standing by with a preview. crime concerns. two murders in two years at off- campus houses at frostburg state university. new at 6:00, what police are doing about it. and... i'm jessica kartalija. why a picture at the university of maryland has gone riral -- viral. that story coming up on wjz. check in for these stories on wjz. >> vic, thank you. still to come tonight on wjz's eyewitness news. the university of maryland's basketball team is back in action in college park tonight. >> mark has the latest on the terps and their attempt to bounce back from the ,,,,,,,,,,,

there is college basketball

action tonight. director mark viviano has more on a couple of big stars, past and present. >> that's right, mary. maryland takes on boston college tonight. prior to tipoff, ernie turk will have his banner lifted to the rafters in comcast center. he started dunbar here in baltimore. from past to present, sean mosely. just three more home games remaining in his college career. it's a career that is coming to a tough close for mosely and the team. they knew it would be a transition year, with gary williams leaving as coach and marge turgeon coming in. but adding to the challenge now is the injury to pishon howard. mosely talked about trying to finish his senior season strong. >> you know, we're back to square 1. and you know, it's a work in progress for us. and very frustrating. but there's nothing we can do about it. we just have to try to move forward and get better as a team in practice and just compete. we just have to come together

and compete and have the team chemistry. and the big part about it is trusting in each one of your teammates to step on the court. and you know, we'll just go from there. >> from the senior to the freshman, another baltimore guy, nick spouse will be counted on even more down the stretch, with pishon howard out. he tied his career high with 15. will tip off tonight at 9:00. will ray rice get that long- term deal from the ravens. and a local lacrosse rivalry is renewed. details coming up in sports at 6:00. back to you. >> thank you, mark. still ahead on eyewitness news. >> well, you're damn right, i have some regret. >> he ran governor ehrlich's campaign for governor and authorized those now infamous election night robocalls. ,,,,,,

coming up on eyewitness news. election night robocall scandal. will paul suric get jail time. ethics and the general assembly. i'm mike hellgren in annapolis. what lawmakers believe should happen to senator ulysses currie. george huguely's defense comes to a sudden halt. i'm adam may.

we'll explain the delay and the strong opinions people in this town have about the case so far. that's coming up. rain moving out. how is the weekend shaping up? don't miss the first warning forecast. >> wjz eyewitness news at 6:00 starts now. schurick sentenced. he was found guilty of trying to manipulate maryland voters. >> tonight, paul schurick sentenced and his explanations for his actions. >> hello, everyone. i'm vic carter. >> and i'm denise koch. here's what people are talking about tonight. >> the man who ran bob ehrlich's campaign will not